Latin America

Saturday, March 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chilean president scheduled to visit Great Britain in April

The busy international agenda for Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and her Foreign Affaire minister Alejandro Foxley includes hosting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Italian president Giorgio Napolitano in March and visiting Great Britain in April.
Friday, February 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chile preparing for energy rationing: voltage reduced 10%

The specter of energy shortages in Chile reared its head again this week, as the Ministry of Economy released a short-term plan to confront the country's increasingly perilous energy scenario, particularly the prospect of electricity rationing, which the government last instituted in 1998. The order contains 30 points that intend to help Chile's electricity providers to operate responsibly in the coming year.
Friday, February 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Raul Castro's Cuba signs binding human rights covenants

Cuba signed on Thursday two legally binding human rights agreements at the United Nations in New York just days after Raul Castro was sworn in as the new president. The covenants - part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - commit Cuba to freedom of expression and association, and the right to travel, which Fidel Castro long opposed.
Friday, February 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US nuclear carrier in exercise with Brazil and Argentine navies

Nuclear aircraft carrier USS George Washington, one of the world's most impressive man-o-war and three other US Navy units will be participating in joint exercises with the navies from Brazil and Argentina along the coast of Rio do Janeiro, reports Correio Braziliense Friday edition.
Friday, February 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Bolivia bitterly divided over constitutional vote

A bitterly divided Bolivian Congress on Thursday approved a May 4 referendum on President Evo Morales' proposed constitutional review, which would grant greater political power to Bolivia's long-oppressed indigenous groups and greater government intervention in the economy.
Thursday, February 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Released FARC hostages meet relatives in Venezuela

Four hostages held by Colombian FARC rebels were released on Wednesday, in a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Thursday, February 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Several Chilean regions facing worst drought in a century

Chile's Agricultural Ministry added this week 46 districts to the growing list of agricultural zones under a state of emergency. The news comes as farmers in small towns in south-central Chile continue to loose crops and livestock due to severe drought, prompting Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to call an emergency meeting in order to address the situation.
Thursday, February 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Report shows links between banks' crisis and heart attacks

There could be thousands more heart attacks if the banking crisis keeps expanding suggests a paper from Cambridge University. The report, which examines how banking crises in the UK have affected health in the last 40 years, is one of the first to look at the relationship between the two.
Thursday, February 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Most foreign tourists this summer opted for Santiago

Most foreign tourists which arrived in Chile this 2008 summer chose the capital Santiago and its surroundings as the main attraction to visit. Most of the 750.000 tourists came from Argentina, Brazil and United States, according to Sernatur, Chile's Tourism Office.
Thursday, February 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Colombia forces capture a senior member of FARC

Colombian security forces have arrested a senior member of the country's largest insurgency group and one of the most wanted rebels announced the government of President Alvaro Uribe.