Mercosur

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  “Ponzi” Madoff inquiry targets SEC and regulators

  

  The US Congress has launched an inquiry into a suspected 50 billion US dollars fraud allegedly run by the US hedge fund manager, Bernard Madoff. The House Financial Services Committee is to question regulators and investors to try to determine why the authorities failed to uncover the scandal.

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile's presidential election has two main candidates

  A public opinion poll gauging the support of what are considered Chile's five main political leaders –and presidential hopefuls--, shows the head of the conservative opposition leading comfortably, but his runner up is closing in.

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay, Peru, Brazil best performing economies

  Brazil's economy, Latin America's largest, will likely end 2008 with an expansion of 5.9%, according to new estimates from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean Congress investigates ENAP losses & gas projects

  

  Chile's Lower House unanimously approved this week the naming of a special committee to investigate the financial performance of government owned hydrocarbons corporation ENAP, that suffered huge losses in 2008, and gas exploration projects in Tierra del Fuego which have been described as commercially “non viable”.

• Tuesday, January 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Wall Street Ratings agencies threatened? Standards too Poor?

  

  Ratings companies used to have a great name. No longer. The subprime mortgage crisis has seen to that. Once seen as being blue chip companies with a sterling reputation, the ratings companies have now come to be seen as part of the sordid network of double dealing in Wall Street in which conflicts of interest and outright dishonesty led to millions losing money, while the fat cats of the ratings companies raked it all in.

• Thursday, January 1st 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Raul Castro marks Cuban revolution

  

  Cuba's revolution is “stronger than ever” the country's president has said, as he led ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the overthrow of the US-backed government.

• Wednesday, December 31st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  NY becomes US number 1 tourist city with 47 m. visitors

  

  New York City attracted an estimated 47 million visitors and $30 billion in total spending in 2008, both record highs according to figures released by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and confirming the Big Apple as the projected number one tourist city of the United States.

• Tuesday, December 30th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian wants larger representation in Mercosur parliament

  

  The president of the Mercosur Parliament has stated that Brazil should have four times the number of representatives from Paraguay and Uruguay. Deputy Doctor Rosinha argued that since Brazil has a population of 187 million, it should have 75 representatives, Argentina 33 and Paraguay and Uruguay, 18 each.

• Tuesday, December 30th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil openly admits trade surplus benefits from Mercosur

  

  The lack of mechanisms to correct asymmetries and finance infrastructure projects are the biggest hurdles for Mercosur and Latinamerican integration, according to the Brazilian presidency main foreign policy advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia.

• Monday, December 29th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Coal mining venture threatens Chilean Patagonia Island

  A coal mining venture being considered for Chile's Region X Isla Guafo, off the southwest coast of Chiloé, is raising alarm bells among area scientists, indigenous groups and local fishermen who fear the endeavour could cause irreparable harm to the uninhabited island's diverse and abundant wildlife.