Politics

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 05:10 UTC

  Wikileaks reveals Chilean government changed environment rules to please US interests

  

  Wikileaks cables last week revealed that the U.S. Embassy in Santiago pressured Chilean government officials in 2009 to change environmental rules so that a controversial thermoelectric plant could be built.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:59 UTC

  Magallanes region discusses gas prices with Chilean central government

  

  Mining and Energy Minister Laurence Golborne met with the Citizens’ Assembly of Magallanes Region (ACM) (extreme south of Chile) after the first of a series of meetings intended to resolve the Magallanes’ gas subsidy controversy.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:51 UTC

  Argentine highest court blasts CFK government for arbitrary distribution of state advertising

  

  A milestone ruling from the Argentina's Supreme Court calls for the omission of discriminatory criteria and “reasonable balance” in the allocation of state advertising. The ruling stems from a 2006 injunction filed by Editorial Perfil, the country's largest magazine publisher, claiming arbitrary distribution of official advertising.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:40 UTC

  EC tries to downplay impact for farmers of an EU/Mercosur trade agreement

  

  A trade agreement with Mercosur should not have to destroy the European beef industry, said on Tuesday a spokesperson for the European Community who added that such fears are ‘exaggerated’.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:39 UTC

  European Parliament highly critical of EU/Mercosur trade talks

  

  The European Parliament passed a highly critical report on trade negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur bloc for considering that they may imply “farming concessions damaging to European producers.”

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:36 UTC

  IMF nominates Egyptian national Deputy Managing Director

  

  Ms. Nemat Shafik, a national of Egypt and the UK has been nominated to the position of Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. She will succeed Mr. Murilo Portugal, who resigned effective March 4, 2011.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:19 UTC

  Sino-American and trade expert nominated US ambassador in Beijing

  

  President Barack Obama will nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who this year criticized China for not opening its markets, as next US ambassador to Beijing, two administration officials said.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:08 UTC

  Piñera presented with “Star of Palestine” honour; avoids pre-1967 borders controversy

  

  Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera visited both sides of the hotly contested Israeli- Palestine border this weekend. He reasserted his support for an independent Palestinian state, but fell short of formally recognizing the pre-1967 borders.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 00:59 UTC

  Half the world consider Brazil has a positive influence on global affairs, says BBC poll

  

  The number of people who see Brazil as having a positive influence in the world is rising rapidly, according to a BBC World Service poll of 27 countries. The country is regarded positively by 49%, compared with 40% last year - the largest jump by any of the 16 nations respondents are asked to comment on.

• Tuesday, March 8th 2011 - 23:04 UTC

  Argentine thieves empty a house but take pity on victims and return a puppy

  

  Some thieves took pity on their victims and returned a puppy taken along with other loot from a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, the Argentine press reported.