Latin America

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:31 UTC

  Madrid has first woman mayor; promises to bid for 2020 Olympic Games

  

  Ana Botella, the wife of former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, was sworn-in Tuesday as Madrid’s first woman mayor. She succeeds Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, mayor of the capital since 2003, who resigned to serve as Justice Minister in the new Conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:30 UTC

  UK ambassador in Chile “concerned” with “economic blockade” on the Falklands

  

  The British Ambassador to Chile, Jon Benjamin, expressed on Tuesday UK’s “concern” over “countries that have joined” the Mercosur bloc in their decision to support Argentina, by putting in place a ban on ships flying the Malvinas Islands’ flag from docking at their ports.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:29 UTC

  Chile signs strategic science and education agreement with Massachusetts

  

  The Chilean government has signed a strategic bilateral agreement with the state of Massachusetts, opening the way for collaborative research in the key areas of education, energy and biotechnology.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:28 UTC

  Chilean students end some school occupations but pledge to continue protests

  

  Students have voted to end occupations at two of the most symbolic institutes of Chile’s public education system, but have vowed to continue demonstrations after months of protests have failed to achieve significant reforms to the country highly privatized, class based education system.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:27 UTC

  US criticizes Japan for intervening to halt the rise of the Yen in the last 6 months

  

  The US Treasury on Tuesday criticized Japan's interventions to halt the Yen's rise in the last six months, saying they were unnecessary and that Tokyo would do better to strengthen its domestic economy and competitiveness.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:25 UTC

  US calls for appreciation of the Yuan but falls short of labelling China a currency manipulator

  

  United States announced it will press for further appreciation of the Yuan arguing the currency is undervalued, while declining to brand China a manipulator of its exchange rate.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 01:13 UTC

  Argentine president to undergo surgery for papillary thyroid cancer next week

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez has tested positive for papillary thyroid cancer and will undergo surgery next January 4. The Argentine leader will be taking a leave of absence until January 24th, announced on Tuesday the Executive spokesperson Alfredo Scoccimarro.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2011 - 13:57 UTC

  Argentine Media bill: “a dictatorship couldn’t have done it better”

  

  The conservative and influential Brazilian newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo in an editorial described the Argentine government as an “austral democradura” (authoritarian regime) which is sponsoring legislation “to terrorize the media”.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2011 - 13:54 UTC

  Rousseff reiterates pledge to eliminate extreme poverty in Brazil by 2014

  

  President Dilma Rousseff, about to complete her first year in office, reiterated she remains committed to eliminate extreme poverty in Brazil by the end of her term in 2013.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2011 - 13:53 UTC

  Argentine human rights reference openly criticizes the Anti-Terrorism law

  

  The president of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo organization, Estela de Carlotto, has joined Justice Raúl Zaffaroni and other sectors from the country in criticizing the recently passed Anti-terrorism Law.