Voting begins in Guyana's general elections
A total of 475,936 eligible Guyanese voters began to go to the polls Monday to elect a president and members of the 65-seat National Assembly.
Voting started at 6 a.m. local time (1000 GMT) in the capital of Georgetown and over 2,000 election polls have been set up across the country.
Donald Ramotar from the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) and leaders of three other parties are vying for presidency, with Ramotar expected to win.
Incumbent President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged voters to refrain from violence and allow a peaceful voting process.
Guyana's Electoral Commission is the key authority overseeing the elections, which will be contested by four parties including the PPP, the Alliance for Change (AFC), the United Force party (TUF) and the Association for National Unity (APNU).
The most recent opinion polls showed that about 50 percent of eligible voters are expected to vote for the PPP while the APNU comes in second with 30 percent of support.
Formerly known as British Guiana, the country on the northernmost shore of South America was officially established as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana in 1966 when it won independence from 135 years under the British colonial rule.
Editor: An
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 21:32:31 FeedbackPrintRSS
GEORGETOWN, Nov. 28 (Xinhua)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Backgrounder: Key facts about Guyana's general elections
Backgrounder: Key facts about Guyana's general elections
Close to 476,000 people in the small coastal South American nation of Guyana will go to the polls on Monday to elect a new president and 65 members to the national parliament under a single-constituency proportional representation system.
Following are some key facts about the elections:
Voting will start early morning in the capital of Georgetown and over 2,000 polling stations have been set up across the country.
The country covers an area of 214,970 square km and borders Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil. Its economy is dominated by agriculture.
Guyana's incumbent president Bharrat Jagdeo and leaders of all four parties contesting in the elections have all called upon the country's population of over 753,000 people to refrain from violence and allow for a peaceful voting process.
In office since 1999, Jagdeo took the initiative to change the constitution and establish a limit for a maximum of two five-year terms as president.
Whoever wins Monday's elections will be the first leader to succumb to these new term limits.
Guyana's Electoral Commission is the authority overseeing the elections which will be contested by four parties including the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP), the Alliance for Change (AFC), the United Force party (TUF) and the Association for National Unity (APNU).
Donald Ramotar, candidate and also the secretary general of the ruling PPP, which currently holds 36 seats in parliament, is handpicked by outgoing Jadeo, who after two five-year terms is banned by the constitution from seeking reelection.
The 61-year-old Ramotar has promised that he will improve energy efficiency and create conditions for the younger generation in the national development through more jobs and better education.
APNU candidate David Granger, 66, is a retired general, who in his electoral campaign has accused the president and the ruling party of deliberately seeking to provoke the people and intimidate voters.
He has promised to work to improve the country's security and bring violence under control, while at the same time "improve the quality of life for all Guyanese through better education, work and health standards. The majority of the country's people live in poverty.
Khemraj Ranjattan, the candidate of the AFC which initially was formed by workers' socialist movements and currently holds five seats in the parliament, has centered his campaign on fight against corruption.
TUF candidate Peter Persaud has said he will support the APNU alliance in order to help bring the opposition to power. He also expressed confidence the party can increase its representation in parliament. During the 1997, 2001 and 2006 elections the TUF managed to hold on to its single seat in the Guyanese parliament.
According to latest opinion polls, about 50 percent of eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots in favor of the PPP while APNU comes in second with 30 percent of support, followed by the AFC with 11 percent.
The Organization of American States has deployed 25 observers to watch the elections.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 11:50:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
Close to 476,000 people in the small coastal South American nation of Guyana will go to the polls on Monday to elect a new president and 65 members to the national parliament under a single-constituency proportional representation system.
Following are some key facts about the elections:
Voting will start early morning in the capital of Georgetown and over 2,000 polling stations have been set up across the country.
The country covers an area of 214,970 square km and borders Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil. Its economy is dominated by agriculture.
Guyana's incumbent president Bharrat Jagdeo and leaders of all four parties contesting in the elections have all called upon the country's population of over 753,000 people to refrain from violence and allow for a peaceful voting process.
In office since 1999, Jagdeo took the initiative to change the constitution and establish a limit for a maximum of two five-year terms as president.
Whoever wins Monday's elections will be the first leader to succumb to these new term limits.
Guyana's Electoral Commission is the authority overseeing the elections which will be contested by four parties including the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP), the Alliance for Change (AFC), the United Force party (TUF) and the Association for National Unity (APNU).
Donald Ramotar, candidate and also the secretary general of the ruling PPP, which currently holds 36 seats in parliament, is handpicked by outgoing Jadeo, who after two five-year terms is banned by the constitution from seeking reelection.
The 61-year-old Ramotar has promised that he will improve energy efficiency and create conditions for the younger generation in the national development through more jobs and better education.
APNU candidate David Granger, 66, is a retired general, who in his electoral campaign has accused the president and the ruling party of deliberately seeking to provoke the people and intimidate voters.
He has promised to work to improve the country's security and bring violence under control, while at the same time "improve the quality of life for all Guyanese through better education, work and health standards. The majority of the country's people live in poverty.
Khemraj Ranjattan, the candidate of the AFC which initially was formed by workers' socialist movements and currently holds five seats in the parliament, has centered his campaign on fight against corruption.
TUF candidate Peter Persaud has said he will support the APNU alliance in order to help bring the opposition to power. He also expressed confidence the party can increase its representation in parliament. During the 1997, 2001 and 2006 elections the TUF managed to hold on to its single seat in the Guyanese parliament.
According to latest opinion polls, about 50 percent of eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots in favor of the PPP while APNU comes in second with 30 percent of support, followed by the AFC with 11 percent.
The Organization of American States has deployed 25 observers to watch the elections.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 11:50:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
Chilean students pledge to continue protests against education budget
Chilean students pledge to continue protests against education budget
Chilean student groups vowed on Sunday to continue their mass-scale protests against the government's 2012 education budget.
Chile's main student confederation Confech said it was very disappointed with the government's final budget for 2012 approved by the conservative-dominated Senate without increasing funds for education as the students had demanded.
"Unfortunately the political system did not meet our demands, and the government made the budget the way they wanted without even considering the proposals we made," said Confech's spokesman Noam Titelman.
Over 100,000 middle school and college students supported by university professors and many of the general public have been involved in more than 42 protests since May against what they called poor budget funding for higher education and a lack of will to change the policies.
"We expect that during the coming year we will be able to gather more support to help bring about the deep changes we need," said Titelman.
After a marathon session, Chile's Senate approved late on Friday a national budget worth 11.5 billion dollars, with an 8-percent increase from the 2011 budget, including a 60-percent rise in education funds, according to lawmakers.
The Chilean government rejected the latest protest as unnecessary. Spokesman Andres Chawick said lawmakers were holding intense discussions about the student's appeal.
Education Minister Felipe Bulnes met last week with opposition congress members to discuss possible education reforms. The opposition rejected the education fund in the 2012 budget, saying it was not enough to resolve the actual crisis in the education sector.
Students, especially those from middle schools, were also dissatisfied with the government's plan, saying it only covered the university sector.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 11:43:50 FeedbackPrintRSS
SANTIAGO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
Chilean student groups vowed on Sunday to continue their mass-scale protests against the government's 2012 education budget.
Chile's main student confederation Confech said it was very disappointed with the government's final budget for 2012 approved by the conservative-dominated Senate without increasing funds for education as the students had demanded.
"Unfortunately the political system did not meet our demands, and the government made the budget the way they wanted without even considering the proposals we made," said Confech's spokesman Noam Titelman.
Over 100,000 middle school and college students supported by university professors and many of the general public have been involved in more than 42 protests since May against what they called poor budget funding for higher education and a lack of will to change the policies.
"We expect that during the coming year we will be able to gather more support to help bring about the deep changes we need," said Titelman.
After a marathon session, Chile's Senate approved late on Friday a national budget worth 11.5 billion dollars, with an 8-percent increase from the 2011 budget, including a 60-percent rise in education funds, according to lawmakers.
The Chilean government rejected the latest protest as unnecessary. Spokesman Andres Chawick said lawmakers were holding intense discussions about the student's appeal.
Education Minister Felipe Bulnes met last week with opposition congress members to discuss possible education reforms. The opposition rejected the education fund in the 2012 budget, saying it was not enough to resolve the actual crisis in the education sector.
Students, especially those from middle schools, were also dissatisfied with the government's plan, saying it only covered the university sector.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 11:43:50 FeedbackPrintRSS
SANTIAGO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
134 Brazilian prisoners escape in two jailbreaks
134 Brazilian prisoners escape in two jailbreaks
Some 134 prisoners, including 114 dangerous ones, escaped in two separate jailbreaks in Brazil at the weekend, police officials said Sunday.
A group of 52 prisoners escaped from a police complex in Salvador in the northern state of Bahia on Sunday morning, At least 10 were recaptured later.
In a separate jailbreak, 82 prisoners escaped from a correction facility in Barreiras, a remote area in Bahia, early Saturday during heavy rain.
Brazilian prisons are infamously over-crowded and poor conditions often lead to violent revolts and escape attempts, according to local non-governmental organizations campaigning for better prison conditions.
The Salvador facility was built for 32 inmates but held 77 at the time of the escape. Another one kept 172 prisoners even though it was built with a capacity to hold only 28 prisoners.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 11:34:23 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
Some 134 prisoners, including 114 dangerous ones, escaped in two separate jailbreaks in Brazil at the weekend, police officials said Sunday.
A group of 52 prisoners escaped from a police complex in Salvador in the northern state of Bahia on Sunday morning, At least 10 were recaptured later.
In a separate jailbreak, 82 prisoners escaped from a correction facility in Barreiras, a remote area in Bahia, early Saturday during heavy rain.
Brazilian prisons are infamously over-crowded and poor conditions often lead to violent revolts and escape attempts, according to local non-governmental organizations campaigning for better prison conditions.
The Salvador facility was built for 32 inmates but held 77 at the time of the escape. Another one kept 172 prisoners even though it was built with a capacity to hold only 28 prisoners.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 11:34:23 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
UN condemns FARC for killing 4 military hostages
The United Nations Sunday condemned Colombia's main rebel group for killing four military hostages who had been held for over 10 years.
The UN Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights in Colombia made the statement, following confirmation earlier this weekend that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had killed the four army officers, Elkin Hernandez Rivas, Edgar Yesid Duarte Valero, Alvaro Moreno and Jose Libio Martinez, after a failed rescue attempt by the Colombian Armed Forces.
"These are crimes against humanity," said Christian Salazar Volkmann, UN rights office representative in Colombia.
Salazar expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and called on all the sectors of Colombia to do more to ensure a solution to ending the conflict for over 40 years and to restore peace in the country.
These irrational acts are not isolated and reflect "a terrible lack of humanity and complete disregard for human life," which must be recognized by the whole society if Colombia wants to sustain peace, he said.
Salazar called on FARC to stop committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law, and appealed to the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to consider a negotiated settlement.
"This office continues to call for a peaceful solution to this conflict so as to guarantee sustainable peace for the Colombian people," he said.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 10:05:15
The UN Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights in Colombia made the statement, following confirmation earlier this weekend that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had killed the four army officers, Elkin Hernandez Rivas, Edgar Yesid Duarte Valero, Alvaro Moreno and Jose Libio Martinez, after a failed rescue attempt by the Colombian Armed Forces.
"These are crimes against humanity," said Christian Salazar Volkmann, UN rights office representative in Colombia.
Salazar expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and called on all the sectors of Colombia to do more to ensure a solution to ending the conflict for over 40 years and to restore peace in the country.
These irrational acts are not isolated and reflect "a terrible lack of humanity and complete disregard for human life," which must be recognized by the whole society if Colombia wants to sustain peace, he said.
Salazar called on FARC to stop committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law, and appealed to the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to consider a negotiated settlement.
"This office continues to call for a peaceful solution to this conflict so as to guarantee sustainable peace for the Colombian people," he said.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 10:05:15
At least 11 prisoners escape in southern Mexico
At least 11 prisoners escape in southern Mexico
At least 11 inmates on Sunday escaped from the Social Rehabilitation Center in the San Pedro Cholula city of Puebla state in southern Mexico.
The Puebla state government said in a statement that the jailbreak occurred between 06:00 and 07:00 local time (between 1100 and 1200 GMT) when the prisoners escaped through a hole of about 40 centimeters in diameter.
The prisoners, who apparently escaped with the help of prison guards, were considered highly dangerous and held mainly for the crime of murder, said the statement.
Prison authorities said that 20 guards, including the prison director, are investigated for their alleged involvement in the incident.
Mexican army and the federal police have started to hunt the escaped prisoners, but no positive results haven been obtained so far.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 09:24:00 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
At least 11 inmates on Sunday escaped from the Social Rehabilitation Center in the San Pedro Cholula city of Puebla state in southern Mexico.
The Puebla state government said in a statement that the jailbreak occurred between 06:00 and 07:00 local time (between 1100 and 1200 GMT) when the prisoners escaped through a hole of about 40 centimeters in diameter.
The prisoners, who apparently escaped with the help of prison guards, were considered highly dangerous and held mainly for the crime of murder, said the statement.
Prison authorities said that 20 guards, including the prison director, are investigated for their alleged involvement in the incident.
Mexican army and the federal police have started to hunt the escaped prisoners, but no positive results haven been obtained so far.
Editor: Xiong Tong
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 09:24:00 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua)
Unasur agrees to promote Latin America's regional trade
Unasur agrees to promote Latin America's regional trade
The 12 members of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) agreed on Friday to promote regional trade and boost financial mechanisms.
An agreement was reached during the 2nd meeting of the South American Economy and Finance Council held in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires and its final version is expected to be discussed and adopted at the summit of state heads on Dec. 3 in Caracas, Venezuela.
"Concrete measures have been agreed upon to boost the intra-regional purchase of products" between the member countries, Argentine Finance Minister Amado Boudou told reporters.
The group said a common position on the management of the central banks' reserves and an eventual anti-crisis common fund has yet to be reached. Right now, there are "three different opinions" about how to make this agreement feasible and implemented, said a source at the meeting.
The overall value of inter-regional trade of goods and services between the 12 Unasur countries currently stands at about 120 billion U.S. dollars, officials here said.
"We are working together to absorb the impact caused by the crisis and discuss common policies which allow us to grow more, not only for this situation, but also in structural terms," said Boudou.
Also at the meeting, Argentina transferred the presidency of the Unasur's Economic Council to Paraguay, represented by Finance Minister Dionisio Borda.
The ministers agreed that Unasur "needs two or several efficient payment and compensation systems which reduce the time and costs of transactions," Boudou said.
The next meeting of the South American Economy and Finance Council is scheduled to be held in June 2012.
According to ECLAC figures, the 12 Unasur countries have 391.8 million people and are home to 68 percent of Latin America's population and 5.7 percent of the world, with a combined Unasur Gross Domestic Product (GPD) equivalent to 5.9 percent of the world GPD and reserves worth more than 570 billion U.S. dollars.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 14:05:17
The 12 members of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) agreed on Friday to promote regional trade and boost financial mechanisms.
An agreement was reached during the 2nd meeting of the South American Economy and Finance Council held in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires and its final version is expected to be discussed and adopted at the summit of state heads on Dec. 3 in Caracas, Venezuela.
"Concrete measures have been agreed upon to boost the intra-regional purchase of products" between the member countries, Argentine Finance Minister Amado Boudou told reporters.
The group said a common position on the management of the central banks' reserves and an eventual anti-crisis common fund has yet to be reached. Right now, there are "three different opinions" about how to make this agreement feasible and implemented, said a source at the meeting.
The overall value of inter-regional trade of goods and services between the 12 Unasur countries currently stands at about 120 billion U.S. dollars, officials here said.
"We are working together to absorb the impact caused by the crisis and discuss common policies which allow us to grow more, not only for this situation, but also in structural terms," said Boudou.
Also at the meeting, Argentina transferred the presidency of the Unasur's Economic Council to Paraguay, represented by Finance Minister Dionisio Borda.
The ministers agreed that Unasur "needs two or several efficient payment and compensation systems which reduce the time and costs of transactions," Boudou said.
The next meeting of the South American Economy and Finance Council is scheduled to be held in June 2012.
According to ECLAC figures, the 12 Unasur countries have 391.8 million people and are home to 68 percent of Latin America's population and 5.7 percent of the world, with a combined Unasur Gross Domestic Product (GPD) equivalent to 5.9 percent of the world GPD and reserves worth more than 570 billion U.S. dollars.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 14:05:17
Nicaragua, Vietnam sign agreement on political cooperation
Nicaragua, Vietnam sign agreement on political cooperation
Nicaragua and Vietnam have signed a "political cooperation agreement" to strengthen mutual support in international organizations and forums, the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry said Friday.
According to a statement released by the ministry, the deal was signed by Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
The two ministers pledged to cement cooperation in organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Both countries also agreed to exchange more senior delegations to increase mutual understanding and deepen bilateral ties.
The two officials also discussed how to tap potential for cooperation in such fields as agriculture, telecommunications and energy.
Nicaragua and Vietnam established diplomat relations in 1979 following the victory of the revolution by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the Central American country. However, their official relations were interrupted in 1990 by a series of government and political changes in Nicaragua.
Following the 2007 Nicaraguan elections which brought Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega back as president, full diplomatic relations with Vietnam were quickly restored.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 10:46:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
MANAGUA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Nicaragua and Vietnam have signed a "political cooperation agreement" to strengthen mutual support in international organizations and forums, the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry said Friday.
According to a statement released by the ministry, the deal was signed by Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
The two ministers pledged to cement cooperation in organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Both countries also agreed to exchange more senior delegations to increase mutual understanding and deepen bilateral ties.
The two officials also discussed how to tap potential for cooperation in such fields as agriculture, telecommunications and energy.
Nicaragua and Vietnam established diplomat relations in 1979 following the victory of the revolution by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the Central American country. However, their official relations were interrupted in 1990 by a series of government and political changes in Nicaragua.
Following the 2007 Nicaraguan elections which brought Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega back as president, full diplomatic relations with Vietnam were quickly restored.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 10:46:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
MANAGUA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Brazil extends toll-free phone service to help battered women
Brazil extends toll-free phone service to help battered women
The Brazilian government on Friday announced that it would extend its nationwide toll-free phone service to help Brazilian women living abroad.
The move was adopted to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The service aimed at helping Brazilian women who were abused by spouses or other relatives, who were kidnapped and forced into prostitution and who were under the control of criminals, said the government.
The Brazilian government would inform their consulates about the women's situations upon receiving their calls, and the consulates would then work with the local authorities to help those women.
The service will first be set up in Spain, Portugal and Italy, where a great number of Brazilian females reside, and then extended to other countries in Europe and in the Americas, said Brazil's special minister for women's policies Iriny Lopes.
The toll-free service base is located in Brazil and works 24/7. In Brazil, calls are completely free of charge and women are not required to identify themselves.
This service was launched in 2006 in Brazil and has worked well, increasing reports of domestic violence in the country.
Two million women used the service in the past five years, which was about 130 calls per day. In the first ten months of 2011, the service received 530,000 calls.
Besides the service, Brazil has Maria da Penha Law, named after a victim of domestic abuse, to protect women against domestic violence.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 10:36:35 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
The Brazilian government on Friday announced that it would extend its nationwide toll-free phone service to help Brazilian women living abroad.
The move was adopted to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The service aimed at helping Brazilian women who were abused by spouses or other relatives, who were kidnapped and forced into prostitution and who were under the control of criminals, said the government.
The Brazilian government would inform their consulates about the women's situations upon receiving their calls, and the consulates would then work with the local authorities to help those women.
The service will first be set up in Spain, Portugal and Italy, where a great number of Brazilian females reside, and then extended to other countries in Europe and in the Americas, said Brazil's special minister for women's policies Iriny Lopes.
The toll-free service base is located in Brazil and works 24/7. In Brazil, calls are completely free of charge and women are not required to identify themselves.
This service was launched in 2006 in Brazil and has worked well, increasing reports of domestic violence in the country.
Two million women used the service in the past five years, which was about 130 calls per day. In the first ten months of 2011, the service received 530,000 calls.
Besides the service, Brazil has Maria da Penha Law, named after a victim of domestic abuse, to protect women against domestic violence.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 10:36:35 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Brazil's president calls for more investments in innovation
Brazil's president calls for more investments in innovation
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Friday called for more investments in innovation to deal with the shocks of the European debt crisis.
"We must take steps that will change Brazil, and one of them is undoubtedly placing our bets on innovation. I believe innovation, science and technology will be leaps for Brazil," she said.
Rousseff said Brazil must seize the opportunity that might appear and must realize that Europe will not emerge from the crisis anytime soon and the scenario in the United States is not very favorable, either.
"This is a very delicate moment," she said.
Rousseff also stressed that Brazil cannot afford to get scared and must continue to produce and consume.
The president also called for increasing local production of items which are currently being imported, such as the drills used by state-controlled oil and gas giant Petrobras, to create jobs.
Rousseff said Brazil has every chance to become the world's fifth largest economy, but added that ensuring social equality in the process of development is more important.
"We want to be a country without poverty, a middle class country with quality services," she said.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 10:31:13 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Friday called for more investments in innovation to deal with the shocks of the European debt crisis.
"We must take steps that will change Brazil, and one of them is undoubtedly placing our bets on innovation. I believe innovation, science and technology will be leaps for Brazil," she said.
Rousseff said Brazil must seize the opportunity that might appear and must realize that Europe will not emerge from the crisis anytime soon and the scenario in the United States is not very favorable, either.
"This is a very delicate moment," she said.
Rousseff also stressed that Brazil cannot afford to get scared and must continue to produce and consume.
The president also called for increasing local production of items which are currently being imported, such as the drills used by state-controlled oil and gas giant Petrobras, to create jobs.
Rousseff said Brazil has every chance to become the world's fifth largest economy, but added that ensuring social equality in the process of development is more important.
"We want to be a country without poverty, a middle class country with quality services," she said.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 10:31:13 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Colombia raises alert on possible Galeras volcano eruption
Colombia raises alert on possible Galeras volcano eruption
Colombia's National Geological System (SGN) on Friday raised the alert level for the Galeras volcano located in the southern province of Narino after several quakes.
The SGN also ordered the evacuation of residents living in the vicinity of the slopes of the 4,276-meter high volcano, which sits close to the Colombian border with Ecuador, saying the series of quakes reported during the last 24 hours could be an indicator of an eruption.
Due to the increased activity of the volcano, which last erupted in August 2010 when it spewed gases, ashes and rocks through a series of explosions, SGN Director Martha Calvache said the SGN had raised the alert to level 2, which means that an eruption could happen in the next 48 hours.
The Galeras, which is just 9 km from Pasto, the provincial capital of Narino, has been active for years. It turned deadly in January 1993 when a group of geologists who were inspecting one of the craters were all killed by a sudden eruption.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 09:44:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
BOGOTA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Colombia's National Geological System (SGN) on Friday raised the alert level for the Galeras volcano located in the southern province of Narino after several quakes.
The SGN also ordered the evacuation of residents living in the vicinity of the slopes of the 4,276-meter high volcano, which sits close to the Colombian border with Ecuador, saying the series of quakes reported during the last 24 hours could be an indicator of an eruption.
Due to the increased activity of the volcano, which last erupted in August 2010 when it spewed gases, ashes and rocks through a series of explosions, SGN Director Martha Calvache said the SGN had raised the alert to level 2, which means that an eruption could happen in the next 48 hours.
The Galeras, which is just 9 km from Pasto, the provincial capital of Narino, has been active for years. It turned deadly in January 1993 when a group of geologists who were inspecting one of the craters were all killed by a sudden eruption.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 09:44:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
BOGOTA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Argentine president's foreign policy approval rating at 53 pct: Gallup
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has an approval rating of 53 percent when it comes to how she has handled the country's foreign policy, a new Gallup poll showed Friday.
The poll, carried out between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2, showed that only 5 percent of the 1,012 people surveyed gave a negative grading on her government's performance.
It is the highest approval rating Fernandez has received since taking office in 2007, and also an important recovery in popularity since 2010, when the approval rating on her job performance reached an all-time low of 31 percent.
On the questions about her "fight against drug trafficking" and the "search for countries which will invest in Argentina," many people replied that the two critical issues "should be considered as key foreign policy issues."
A total of 51 percent of the people surveyed believed Argentina should boost its economic ties with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), followed by 13 percent in favor of strengthening relations with China and other Asian countries. Ten percent supported improved ties with Europe and 6 percent for the United States.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 09:37:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
The poll, carried out between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2, showed that only 5 percent of the 1,012 people surveyed gave a negative grading on her government's performance.
It is the highest approval rating Fernandez has received since taking office in 2007, and also an important recovery in popularity since 2010, when the approval rating on her job performance reached an all-time low of 31 percent.
On the questions about her "fight against drug trafficking" and the "search for countries which will invest in Argentina," many people replied that the two critical issues "should be considered as key foreign policy issues."
A total of 51 percent of the people surveyed believed Argentina should boost its economic ties with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), followed by 13 percent in favor of strengthening relations with China and other Asian countries. Ten percent supported improved ties with Europe and 6 percent for the United States.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 09:37:59 FeedbackPrintRSS
BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Cuba, U.S. groups mull meteorology cooperation agreement
Cuba, U.S. groups mull meteorology cooperation agreement
Meteorologists from Cuba and the United States have made progress toward the signing of a meteorology cooperation agreement, a Cuban meteorologist said Friday.
Rene Arredondo, a meteorologist from the eastern Cuban province of Camaguey, said the proposal was put forward at a recent meeting by Richard Anthes, president of the U.S. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
According to Anthes, the two groups agreed to build a virtual library, which would facilitate the exchange of information and pave the way for future agreement between the American Meteorology Society and the Meteorological Society of Cuba.
The U.S. side is also expected to give assistance to Cuba's amateur network of meteorology observations.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 09:36:22 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Meteorologists from Cuba and the United States have made progress toward the signing of a meteorology cooperation agreement, a Cuban meteorologist said Friday.
Rene Arredondo, a meteorologist from the eastern Cuban province of Camaguey, said the proposal was put forward at a recent meeting by Richard Anthes, president of the U.S. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
According to Anthes, the two groups agreed to build a virtual library, which would facilitate the exchange of information and pave the way for future agreement between the American Meteorology Society and the Meteorological Society of Cuba.
The U.S. side is also expected to give assistance to Cuba's amateur network of meteorology observations.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-26 09:36:22 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua)
Student protesters demand education reform across Latin America
Student protesters demand education reform across L.America
Demanding education reform, students are planning protests in 14 Latin American countries after such demonstrations first erupted in Chile more than six months ago.
Some of the protesters claimed that education took a backseat during the continent's rapid economic growth over recent years, while most gains went to companies and the private sector.
In Chile, the protests have involved more than 100,000 middle school and college students supported by university professors and many of the general public. On Thursday, tens of thousands of students took to the streets for the 42nd national protest, which caused traffic jam in a large part of the capital Santiago and other cities, as the previous ones did.
"We expect that the protest will reach far and touch every corner of the country, and in this way add strength to the university movements which now are being mobilized in so many countries," said Patricio Contreras, student leader of Los Lagos University.
The students wanted to demonstrate their discontent with the lack of education budget and the way their country's politicians were handling the debate on reform of the educational system.
The Chilean government rejected the protest as unnecessary. Spokesman Andres Chawick said lawmakers were holding intense discussions about the students' appeal.
Education Minister Felipe Bulnes met last week with opposition congress members to discuss possible education reforms. The opposition rejected the education fund contained in the 2012 budget, saying it was not enough to resolve the actual crisis in the education sector.
Students, especially those from middle schools, were also dissatisfied with the government's plan, saying it only covered the university sector.
The Chilean student leaders said they had received messages of support from groups in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Paraguay, El Salvador, Bolivia, Uruguay and Guatemala. Student groups in many of these countries were organizing parallel protests, calling for more budget funds to be allocated to the education sector.
Students were coordinating activities through social network sites like Facebook and Twitter.
In the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro, students were preparing for protests and other activities at the main Cinelandia Square under the slogan "Education is not part of the free market."
In the Colombian capital of Bogota, meanwhile, university students were planning to meet in the main Bolivar Plaza and at a number of different sites across the capital. Cultural events, a concert and other activities have been organized in some cities across the country to rally for support.
"What has to be made clear is that universities are fundamental not only to the production of inter-country knowledge but above all they have the potential to bring about real development in the countries and in the continent as a whole," said Paola Galindo of Colombia's National Board of Students.
"This is why it is fundamental to fight for a better education as part of the basic rights of the citizens," she added.
Student protestors as far away as in France, Spain, Germany and Canada have announced they were in touch with their fellow student groups in Latin America and would plan similar protests in solidarity.
A report released recently by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Latin America must now turn economic growth into sustainable economic and social development to ensure continued progress.
Editor: Chen Zhi
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 14:11:27 FeedbackPrintRSS
SANTIAGO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Demanding education reform, students are planning protests in 14 Latin American countries after such demonstrations first erupted in Chile more than six months ago.
Some of the protesters claimed that education took a backseat during the continent's rapid economic growth over recent years, while most gains went to companies and the private sector.
In Chile, the protests have involved more than 100,000 middle school and college students supported by university professors and many of the general public. On Thursday, tens of thousands of students took to the streets for the 42nd national protest, which caused traffic jam in a large part of the capital Santiago and other cities, as the previous ones did.
"We expect that the protest will reach far and touch every corner of the country, and in this way add strength to the university movements which now are being mobilized in so many countries," said Patricio Contreras, student leader of Los Lagos University.
The students wanted to demonstrate their discontent with the lack of education budget and the way their country's politicians were handling the debate on reform of the educational system.
The Chilean government rejected the protest as unnecessary. Spokesman Andres Chawick said lawmakers were holding intense discussions about the students' appeal.
Education Minister Felipe Bulnes met last week with opposition congress members to discuss possible education reforms. The opposition rejected the education fund contained in the 2012 budget, saying it was not enough to resolve the actual crisis in the education sector.
Students, especially those from middle schools, were also dissatisfied with the government's plan, saying it only covered the university sector.
The Chilean student leaders said they had received messages of support from groups in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Paraguay, El Salvador, Bolivia, Uruguay and Guatemala. Student groups in many of these countries were organizing parallel protests, calling for more budget funds to be allocated to the education sector.
Students were coordinating activities through social network sites like Facebook and Twitter.
In the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro, students were preparing for protests and other activities at the main Cinelandia Square under the slogan "Education is not part of the free market."
In the Colombian capital of Bogota, meanwhile, university students were planning to meet in the main Bolivar Plaza and at a number of different sites across the capital. Cultural events, a concert and other activities have been organized in some cities across the country to rally for support.
"What has to be made clear is that universities are fundamental not only to the production of inter-country knowledge but above all they have the potential to bring about real development in the countries and in the continent as a whole," said Paola Galindo of Colombia's National Board of Students.
"This is why it is fundamental to fight for a better education as part of the basic rights of the citizens," she added.
Student protestors as far away as in France, Spain, Germany and Canada have announced they were in touch with their fellow student groups in Latin America and would plan similar protests in solidarity.
A report released recently by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Latin America must now turn economic growth into sustainable economic and social development to ensure continued progress.
Editor: Chen Zhi
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 14:11:27 FeedbackPrintRSS
SANTIAGO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Traffic accident kills five in eastern Cuba
Traffic accident kills five in eastern Cuba
Five people were killed and another one was injured when a private car hit a truck in the eastern province of Las Tunas, the National Information Agency (AIN) reported Thursday.
The accident occurred Wednesday on a stretch of the Puerto Padre-Las Tunas road, about 670 km east of Havana.
"Apparently the car driver was distracted and (let the car) occupy the central axis of the road, hitting the truck hard," said the Cuban National Revolutionary Police.
The dead -- three men and two women who were residents of Las Tunas -- were traveling in the car, while the injured person was in the truck.
Las Tunas recorded 268 accidents from January to October in 2011 with 15 deaths, which are about half the figure for the same period last year. But the number of injuries increased by 45, according to the AIN.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 13:14:39 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Five people were killed and another one was injured when a private car hit a truck in the eastern province of Las Tunas, the National Information Agency (AIN) reported Thursday.
The accident occurred Wednesday on a stretch of the Puerto Padre-Las Tunas road, about 670 km east of Havana.
"Apparently the car driver was distracted and (let the car) occupy the central axis of the road, hitting the truck hard," said the Cuban National Revolutionary Police.
The dead -- three men and two women who were residents of Las Tunas -- were traveling in the car, while the injured person was in the truck.
Las Tunas recorded 268 accidents from January to October in 2011 with 15 deaths, which are about half the figure for the same period last year. But the number of injuries increased by 45, according to the AIN.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 13:14:39 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
26 bodies found in vehicles in western Mexico
26 bodies found in vehicles in western Mexico
Twenty-six victims of a drug feud were found inside three vehicles in Guadalajara, capital of the western Mexican state Jalisco, local police said Thursday.
At around 6:00 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) Thursday, local police were informed that a person was hit near the Millennium Arches monument, a landmark building of Guadalajara that is nearly 1.5 km away from the site of both the Pan Am Games and the Guadalajara International Book Fair.
But instead of one victim, police found three abandoned trucks with 26 bodies inside when they arrived at the scene.
"There were a total of 26 bodies, all male, with ages ranging from 25 to 35 years old," Jalisco's State Secretary Fernando Guzman said.
Most of the victims were killed by suffocation, and some of the bodies had "a symbol of Millennium and Los Zetas on the chest written with oil," he said. Guzman also said that a message had been found in one of the vehicles which referred to a feud between the Millennium and Los Zetas cartels.
Millennium and Los Zetas are the two main cartels that operate in Jalisco state. Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and is considered the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The governor of Jalisco, Emilio Gonzalez, expressed "dismay and outrage" over the incident and called for an urgent meeting with the state's security cabinet.
Jalisco Public Safety Minister Luis Carlos Najera told local media that the authorities had been informed of the discovery of the bodies Thursday morning and that all the corpses were "bound and gagged."
He said the bodies have been taken to the Forensic Medical Services for official identification and to help determine those responsible for the killings. Meanwhile, he said, local police are collecting images of surveillance cameras near the sites to identify suspects.
The tragedy marks a further escalation of violence in Mexico just one day after 16 burned bodies were found in Culiacan of northwestern Sinaloa state.
It is a common practice among Mexican drug cartels to capture one or more people without demanding ransom and then kill them.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched the "war against organized crime" in 2006.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 11:47:36 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Twenty-six victims of a drug feud were found inside three vehicles in Guadalajara, capital of the western Mexican state Jalisco, local police said Thursday.
At around 6:00 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) Thursday, local police were informed that a person was hit near the Millennium Arches monument, a landmark building of Guadalajara that is nearly 1.5 km away from the site of both the Pan Am Games and the Guadalajara International Book Fair.
But instead of one victim, police found three abandoned trucks with 26 bodies inside when they arrived at the scene.
"There were a total of 26 bodies, all male, with ages ranging from 25 to 35 years old," Jalisco's State Secretary Fernando Guzman said.
Most of the victims were killed by suffocation, and some of the bodies had "a symbol of Millennium and Los Zetas on the chest written with oil," he said. Guzman also said that a message had been found in one of the vehicles which referred to a feud between the Millennium and Los Zetas cartels.
Millennium and Los Zetas are the two main cartels that operate in Jalisco state. Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and is considered the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The governor of Jalisco, Emilio Gonzalez, expressed "dismay and outrage" over the incident and called for an urgent meeting with the state's security cabinet.
Jalisco Public Safety Minister Luis Carlos Najera told local media that the authorities had been informed of the discovery of the bodies Thursday morning and that all the corpses were "bound and gagged."
He said the bodies have been taken to the Forensic Medical Services for official identification and to help determine those responsible for the killings. Meanwhile, he said, local police are collecting images of surveillance cameras near the sites to identify suspects.
The tragedy marks a further escalation of violence in Mexico just one day after 16 burned bodies were found in Culiacan of northwestern Sinaloa state.
It is a common practice among Mexican drug cartels to capture one or more people without demanding ransom and then kill them.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched the "war against organized crime" in 2006.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 11:47:36 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Brazilian energy minister announces contingency plan for oil spills
Brazilian energy minister announces contingency plan for oil spills
Brazil is mulling a contingency plan to deal with oil spills like the one that happened off the coast of Rio de Janeiro earlier this month, Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobao said on Thursday.
He said Brazil should have a contingency plan to meet its needs especially after pre-salt oil reserves were found.
The minister met earlier in the day with Chevron's Latin American head Ali Moshiri. Chevron is the operator of a well which leaked in the Campo do Frade area in early November, causing a large spill.
Chevron has started to kill the well, a process which will be finished by next month, the company said. According to Moshiri, the leak is under control and the spill will disappear in the next few days.
After an analysis of the situation, Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) decided to suspend Chevron's drilling operations in the country until the investigations are completed and the company's responsibility is determined.
Brazil's environmental protection agency Ibama issued a fine of 50 million reais (26.45 million U.S. dollars) to the company for environmental damages. Chevron may also have to pay other fines, issued by ANP and by the Rio government.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 11:19:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Brazil is mulling a contingency plan to deal with oil spills like the one that happened off the coast of Rio de Janeiro earlier this month, Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister Edison Lobao said on Thursday.
He said Brazil should have a contingency plan to meet its needs especially after pre-salt oil reserves were found.
The minister met earlier in the day with Chevron's Latin American head Ali Moshiri. Chevron is the operator of a well which leaked in the Campo do Frade area in early November, causing a large spill.
Chevron has started to kill the well, a process which will be finished by next month, the company said. According to Moshiri, the leak is under control and the spill will disappear in the next few days.
After an analysis of the situation, Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) decided to suspend Chevron's drilling operations in the country until the investigations are completed and the company's responsibility is determined.
Brazil's environmental protection agency Ibama issued a fine of 50 million reais (26.45 million U.S. dollars) to the company for environmental damages. Chevron may also have to pay other fines, issued by ANP and by the Rio government.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 11:19:04 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Uruguayan President Jose Mujica takes on domestic violence
Uruguay president takes on domestic violence
Uruguayan President Jose Mujica made a surprise appearance on the streets of Montevideo on Thursday, distributing flyers to pedestrians in a bid to stop domestic violence.
"Men, learn to lose. Never use violence against women," said the flyers, which Mujica handed out to a group of teenagers on the 8th of October Avenue, a busy commercial street in the heart of the Uruguayan capital.
The teenagers then invited Mujica to a nearby public school for a discussion with the students, the government's website said.
"Dont't allow yourself to be mistreated," Mujica told the students.
He also reminded the male students never to hit a woman under any circumstances. "The young boys have to start thinking before they leave home," he said.
Later on Thursday Mujica went to the 18th of July Avenue, another main street in Montevideo, and continued to distribute flyers to the passers-by.
The 76-year-old Mujica, a former guerrilla leader who has been leading the government's left-wing coalition party Broad Front (FA) since 2010, is known for not strictly abiding by protocols.
When he launched his electoral campaign in October 2009, Mujica preferred to wear formal business suits when meeting other governors and politicians rather than a military uniform, which had been his trademark outfit for years.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 10:52:33 FeedbackPrintRSS
MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Uruguayan President Jose Mujica made a surprise appearance on the streets of Montevideo on Thursday, distributing flyers to pedestrians in a bid to stop domestic violence.
"Men, learn to lose. Never use violence against women," said the flyers, which Mujica handed out to a group of teenagers on the 8th of October Avenue, a busy commercial street in the heart of the Uruguayan capital.
The teenagers then invited Mujica to a nearby public school for a discussion with the students, the government's website said.
"Dont't allow yourself to be mistreated," Mujica told the students.
He also reminded the male students never to hit a woman under any circumstances. "The young boys have to start thinking before they leave home," he said.
Later on Thursday Mujica went to the 18th of July Avenue, another main street in Montevideo, and continued to distribute flyers to the passers-by.
The 76-year-old Mujica, a former guerrilla leader who has been leading the government's left-wing coalition party Broad Front (FA) since 2010, is known for not strictly abiding by protocols.
When he launched his electoral campaign in October 2009, Mujica preferred to wear formal business suits when meeting other governors and politicians rather than a military uniform, which had been his trademark outfit for years.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 10:52:33 FeedbackPrintRSS
MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Brazilian police busts pension swindle gang
Brazilian police busts pension swindle gang
Brazilian police Thursday arrested 16 members of a gang allegedly swindling pensions and compensations from the government by using fake IDs.
The gang has been using forged documents and impersonating relatives of the dead to obtain pensions and other benefits since 2007, and sometimes it even requested pensions in the name of the dead with no relatives.
The case involved 165 pension payments totalling some 3 million reais (1.59 million U.S. dollars), with at least nine of which related to victims of plane crashes and worth monthly payment of 28,000 reais (14,814 dollars).
The arrested included several government employees at social security agencies and they would be charged with crimes of embezzlement, forgery and identity theft.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 10:50:24 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Brazilian police Thursday arrested 16 members of a gang allegedly swindling pensions and compensations from the government by using fake IDs.
The gang has been using forged documents and impersonating relatives of the dead to obtain pensions and other benefits since 2007, and sometimes it even requested pensions in the name of the dead with no relatives.
The case involved 165 pension payments totalling some 3 million reais (1.59 million U.S. dollars), with at least nine of which related to victims of plane crashes and worth monthly payment of 28,000 reais (14,814 dollars).
The arrested included several government employees at social security agencies and they would be charged with crimes of embezzlement, forgery and identity theft.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 10:50:24 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Mexico, Germany ink 157-mln-USD deal
Mexico, Germany ink 157-mln-USD deal
Germany and Mexico inked a cooperation agreement worth 118 million euros (157.3 million U.S. dollars) in Berlin, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.
"In order to achieve the goals and commitments for the next biennium (2011-2012), both parts agreed on a program through which Germany will contribute 118 million euros and Mexico will provide technical and logistical support from its specialists and facilities," the ministry said in a statement.
The program includes three key areas for development: environment, energy and institution building, it added.
Moreover, both countries expressed their willingness to expand cooperation with other Latin American countries.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 09:33:29 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Germany and Mexico inked a cooperation agreement worth 118 million euros (157.3 million U.S. dollars) in Berlin, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.
"In order to achieve the goals and commitments for the next biennium (2011-2012), both parts agreed on a program through which Germany will contribute 118 million euros and Mexico will provide technical and logistical support from its specialists and facilities," the ministry said in a statement.
The program includes three key areas for development: environment, energy and institution building, it added.
Moreover, both countries expressed their willingness to expand cooperation with other Latin American countries.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 09:33:29 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Cuba launches credit program to boost agriculture
Cuba launches credit program to boost agriculture
Cuban authorities Thursday launched a credit program aimed at boosting food production, the official daily Granma reported.
The program of providing short-term loans and other banking services to small farmers and self-employed workers to increase food production for both local consumption and exports will take effect before the end of the year, the daily said.
"The regulations ruling the new credit policy and other banking services will enter into force on December 20, aimed primarily at stimulating domestic production, which could generate incomes of foreign currency or replace imports," the official decree quoted by Granma said.
The farmers "may ask for loans for the purchase and repair of equipment, measures needed for work, or other actions that contribute to raise agricultural production," Granma said.
Since July, the local Cuban banking sector has started granting small loans to farmers at interest rates between 3 to 7 percent.
The new credit policy is part of an agenda of over 300 reform proposals adopted at the Sixth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party last April.
These reforms were promoted by Cuba's current leader Raul Castro to increase efficiency and help "update" the Cuban economic model.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 09:33:29 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Cuban authorities Thursday launched a credit program aimed at boosting food production, the official daily Granma reported.
The program of providing short-term loans and other banking services to small farmers and self-employed workers to increase food production for both local consumption and exports will take effect before the end of the year, the daily said.
"The regulations ruling the new credit policy and other banking services will enter into force on December 20, aimed primarily at stimulating domestic production, which could generate incomes of foreign currency or replace imports," the official decree quoted by Granma said.
The farmers "may ask for loans for the purchase and repair of equipment, measures needed for work, or other actions that contribute to raise agricultural production," Granma said.
Since July, the local Cuban banking sector has started granting small loans to farmers at interest rates between 3 to 7 percent.
The new credit policy is part of an agenda of over 300 reform proposals adopted at the Sixth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party last April.
These reforms were promoted by Cuba's current leader Raul Castro to increase efficiency and help "update" the Cuban economic model.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 09:33:29 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Chilean president sets cultural policy goals for 2011-2016
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Thursday announced a series of "cultural policy" goals for the 2011-2016 period, seeking to protect Chile's cultural heritage.
Pinera, who was accompanied by Culture Minister Luciano Cruz-Coke, said he received "with special enthusiasm, commitment and goodwill" the new cultural goals for the upcoming five years.
"I know it is a result of the intense, committed and devoted work of many people from the National Council of Culture and Arts," said Pinera, speaking at an event to unveil the new plan.
Pinera said the cultural policy plan is a well-established program with 14 concrete goals including initiatives about donations for cultural events. For Chile's culture sector, more than 90 percent of funding comes from public financing and only 10 percent is obtained through private means.
He said the new law of National Monuments is designed to help preserve monuments so that the costs won't become a burden for the society.
Chile's National Council of Culture and Arts acts as the country's Ministry for Culture, but Pinera said Chile needs to build a new institutional framework to better support cultural development and broader public participation.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 09:33:05 FeedbackPrintRSS
SANTIAGO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
Pinera, who was accompanied by Culture Minister Luciano Cruz-Coke, said he received "with special enthusiasm, commitment and goodwill" the new cultural goals for the upcoming five years.
"I know it is a result of the intense, committed and devoted work of many people from the National Council of Culture and Arts," said Pinera, speaking at an event to unveil the new plan.
Pinera said the cultural policy plan is a well-established program with 14 concrete goals including initiatives about donations for cultural events. For Chile's culture sector, more than 90 percent of funding comes from public financing and only 10 percent is obtained through private means.
He said the new law of National Monuments is designed to help preserve monuments so that the costs won't become a burden for the society.
Chile's National Council of Culture and Arts acts as the country's Ministry for Culture, but Pinera said Chile needs to build a new institutional framework to better support cultural development and broader public participation.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 09:33:05 FeedbackPrintRSS
SANTIAGO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
23 bodies found in vehicles in western Mexico
23 bodies found in vehicles in western Mexico
At least 23 bodies were found inside three vehicles in a central area of Guadalajara, capital of the western Mexican state of Jalisco and host city of the recent Pan Am Games, local police sources confirmed on Thursday.
At around 6:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT) on Thursday, local police received a report that a person was hit near the monument of Millennium Arches. However, the police only found three abandoned trucks with 23 bodies when they arrived at the scene.
The arches stand nearly 1.5 km from the Expo Guadalajara events center, the site of both Pan Am Games and the Guadalajara International Book Fair, which will be inaugurated on Saturday and considered as one of the most important event in the Spanish- speaking world.
Local police said that a banner signed by the criminal groups Millennium Cartel and Los Zetas was found in one of the cars, which was seemed to be written by the slaughter but its content has not been disclosed.
Los Zetas Cartel is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico.
Jalisco Public Safety Minister Luis Carlos Najera told local media that the authorities were alerted to the discovery of the bodies Thursday morning and all the corpses were "bound and gagged. "
He said that the bodies have been taken to the Forensic Medical Service for official identification to determine those responsible for the killing and local police are collecting images of surveillance cameras near the sites to identify the suspects.
The tragedy came just a day after 16 charred bodies were found in two vehicles in the city of Culiacan of northwestern Sinaloa state.
It is a common practice among Mexican drug cartels to capture one or more people without ransom in return, and the victims would be found dead days later.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched the " war against organized crimes" in 2006.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 05:47:15 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov.24 (Xinhua)
At least 23 bodies were found inside three vehicles in a central area of Guadalajara, capital of the western Mexican state of Jalisco and host city of the recent Pan Am Games, local police sources confirmed on Thursday.
At around 6:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT) on Thursday, local police received a report that a person was hit near the monument of Millennium Arches. However, the police only found three abandoned trucks with 23 bodies when they arrived at the scene.
The arches stand nearly 1.5 km from the Expo Guadalajara events center, the site of both Pan Am Games and the Guadalajara International Book Fair, which will be inaugurated on Saturday and considered as one of the most important event in the Spanish- speaking world.
Local police said that a banner signed by the criminal groups Millennium Cartel and Los Zetas was found in one of the cars, which was seemed to be written by the slaughter but its content has not been disclosed.
Los Zetas Cartel is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico.
Jalisco Public Safety Minister Luis Carlos Najera told local media that the authorities were alerted to the discovery of the bodies Thursday morning and all the corpses were "bound and gagged. "
He said that the bodies have been taken to the Forensic Medical Service for official identification to determine those responsible for the killing and local police are collecting images of surveillance cameras near the sites to identify the suspects.
The tragedy came just a day after 16 charred bodies were found in two vehicles in the city of Culiacan of northwestern Sinaloa state.
It is a common practice among Mexican drug cartels to capture one or more people without ransom in return, and the victims would be found dead days later.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched the " war against organized crimes" in 2006.
Editor: Mu Xuequan
English.news.cn 2011-11-25 05:47:15 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov.24 (Xinhua)
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Mexico appeals to extend Kyoto Protocol at Durban conference
Mexico would request the international community to extend the Kyoto Protocol to a second commitment period at the upcoming climate change conference to be held in Durban, South Africa, a government official said Wednesday.
"We believe it is necessary the Kyoto Protocol is maintained, but we also believe that it is not enough just to adhere to it," Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Catellano said.
"We need commitments which go beyond what is said to meet the goals we have already agreed at an international level, precisely in Cancun," she said, referring to last year's conference in Mexico.
The country's support for the extension of the protocol showed "there is a political will" in its fight against climate change, the minister said at the "Green Solutions" business forum in Mexico City.
"But at the same time, we must be aware that this is not the solution, not the only solution." the minister said, regarding the uncertain future of the only international treaty for cutting greenhouse gases.
She also stressed the importance of green economy and praised the efforts of leading enterprises to apply cutting-edge technology and investment in areas that support the fight against climate change effects.
"Mexico is convinced that the fight against climate change concerns us all: governments, businesses and civil society are also convinced that it is not only a moral obligation, but a clear economic opportunity," she said.
The Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire in 2012, is the only legally binding international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Its first commitment period expires at the end of next year, but there are conflicting views over the need to extend the protocol.
The United States has made it clear that it would not sign an updated Kyoto Protocol, while the Europe Union said it can accept a continuation, provided China and the United States show they are serious about major cuts in the coming years.
Canada, Japan and Russia have also refused to sign for a second commitment period, citing its lack of legal constraints on the world's biggest polluters.
Developing countries like South Africa and China have expressed their willingness to extend the agreement.
The Durban conference, known as the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol, will be held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9.
The conference has been held annually since 1995 to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
Editor: Zhang Xiang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:49:09 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
"We believe it is necessary the Kyoto Protocol is maintained, but we also believe that it is not enough just to adhere to it," Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Catellano said.
"We need commitments which go beyond what is said to meet the goals we have already agreed at an international level, precisely in Cancun," she said, referring to last year's conference in Mexico.
The country's support for the extension of the protocol showed "there is a political will" in its fight against climate change, the minister said at the "Green Solutions" business forum in Mexico City.
"But at the same time, we must be aware that this is not the solution, not the only solution." the minister said, regarding the uncertain future of the only international treaty for cutting greenhouse gases.
She also stressed the importance of green economy and praised the efforts of leading enterprises to apply cutting-edge technology and investment in areas that support the fight against climate change effects.
"Mexico is convinced that the fight against climate change concerns us all: governments, businesses and civil society are also convinced that it is not only a moral obligation, but a clear economic opportunity," she said.
The Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire in 2012, is the only legally binding international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Its first commitment period expires at the end of next year, but there are conflicting views over the need to extend the protocol.
The United States has made it clear that it would not sign an updated Kyoto Protocol, while the Europe Union said it can accept a continuation, provided China and the United States show they are serious about major cuts in the coming years.
Canada, Japan and Russia have also refused to sign for a second commitment period, citing its lack of legal constraints on the world's biggest polluters.
Developing countries like South Africa and China have expressed their willingness to extend the agreement.
The Durban conference, known as the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol, will be held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9.
The conference has been held annually since 1995 to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
Editor: Zhang Xiang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:49:09 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
Panama, Brazil increase flight frequencies
Panama and Brazil have agreed to increase air services, with 21 flights running between Panama City and the Brazilian cities of Recife, Salvador de Bahia and Curitiba, the Civil Aeronautics of Panama (AAC) said on Wednesday.
AAC Spokesman Angel Aguilar told Xinhua the agreement, in which destinations and flight frequencies were increased, was reached on Monday during a meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
The framework of the airline business relations between both countries was renegotiated by the civil aeronautic authorities of Panama, led by AAC Director Rafael Barcena, and a delegation from the Civil Aviation authorities of Brazil.
As part of the negotiation, both parties agreed to add three new destinations in Brazil with seven flights each, as well as expanding air freight transport between both countries to a non-restricted operations deal.
The AAC said in a statement that based on this agreement, both countries will strengthen their airline business relations and will promote bilateral trade and tourism.
The agreement will favor Panama's Copa Airlines company, which has its regional and international "Americas' Hub" connection center at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:29:44 FeedbackPrintRSS
PANAMA CITY, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
AAC Spokesman Angel Aguilar told Xinhua the agreement, in which destinations and flight frequencies were increased, was reached on Monday during a meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
The framework of the airline business relations between both countries was renegotiated by the civil aeronautic authorities of Panama, led by AAC Director Rafael Barcena, and a delegation from the Civil Aviation authorities of Brazil.
As part of the negotiation, both parties agreed to add three new destinations in Brazil with seven flights each, as well as expanding air freight transport between both countries to a non-restricted operations deal.
The AAC said in a statement that based on this agreement, both countries will strengthen their airline business relations and will promote bilateral trade and tourism.
The agreement will favor Panama's Copa Airlines company, which has its regional and international "Americas' Hub" connection center at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:29:44 FeedbackPrintRSS
PANAMA CITY, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
Brazil suspends Chevron's drilling in the country
The Brazilian authorities have suspended all drilling activities of U.S. oil giant Chevron in its territory, following a large oil leak off the southeast coast.
The Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP) announced on Wednesday that the suspension would be in force until an investigation into the offshore oil spill is completed.
The spill started on Nov. 7 at a site about 230 miles (370 km) off the northeastern coast of Rio de Janeiro state. According to the ANP, the size of the slack has already been considerably reduced.
In addition to the suspension, the ANP has also denied authorization for Chevron to drill another well in the area in the pre-salt layer field, which would bring an even bigger risk.
The agency noted that their assessment indicates that Chevron was negligent in the investigation of essential data for drilling in the area as well as in the elaboration and execution of a plan to abandon the well.
Brazil's environmental protection agency said it would fine Chevron nearly 28 million U.S. dollars for the spill. But the company may be punished again if the Brazilian authorities find other malpractices.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:28:39 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
The Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP) announced on Wednesday that the suspension would be in force until an investigation into the offshore oil spill is completed.
The spill started on Nov. 7 at a site about 230 miles (370 km) off the northeastern coast of Rio de Janeiro state. According to the ANP, the size of the slack has already been considerably reduced.
In addition to the suspension, the ANP has also denied authorization for Chevron to drill another well in the area in the pre-salt layer field, which would bring an even bigger risk.
The agency noted that their assessment indicates that Chevron was negligent in the investigation of essential data for drilling in the area as well as in the elaboration and execution of a plan to abandon the well.
Brazil's environmental protection agency said it would fine Chevron nearly 28 million U.S. dollars for the spill. But the company may be punished again if the Brazilian authorities find other malpractices.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:28:39 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
Raul Castro meets with president of Angolan parliament
Cuban leader Raul Castro met here Wednesday with the visiting leader of Angola's National Assembly Antonio Paulo Kassoma, the president of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power Ricardo Alarcon said.
Kassoma expressed his country's support for the economic reform undertaken by Castro's government. He also criticized the 50-year long U.S. blockade against Havana and spoke out in favor of releasing five Cubans jailed in the United States on spying charges.
Kassoma arrived in Cuba on Nov. 18 and concluded his visit on Wednesday.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:15:11 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
Kassoma expressed his country's support for the economic reform undertaken by Castro's government. He also criticized the 50-year long U.S. blockade against Havana and spoke out in favor of releasing five Cubans jailed in the United States on spying charges.
Kassoma arrived in Cuba on Nov. 18 and concluded his visit on Wednesday.
Editor: Yamei Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 12:15:11 FeedbackPrintRSS
HAVANA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
Brazilian finance minister upbeat about economy
The Brazilian economy will resume growth from November on, and will end on a positive note this year, said Finance Minister Guido Mantega on Wednesday.
"It has been more or less bad until October. But from November on, we have indications that the economy is warming up."
Mantega said his country is getting more and more shielded against the impact of the debt crisis in Europe, thanks to the growing domestic market.
Brazil's swelling middle class, which currently accounts for 52 percent of the population, plays a crucial role in this respect, said strategic affairs minister Moreira Franco.
The government will release the third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures in December. The Central Bank's economic activity indicator, which is considered a GDP preview, registered a 0.32-percent contraction in the period.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 10:28:02 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
"It has been more or less bad until October. But from November on, we have indications that the economy is warming up."
Mantega said his country is getting more and more shielded against the impact of the debt crisis in Europe, thanks to the growing domestic market.
Brazil's swelling middle class, which currently accounts for 52 percent of the population, plays a crucial role in this respect, said strategic affairs minister Moreira Franco.
The government will release the third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures in December. The Central Bank's economic activity indicator, which is considered a GDP preview, registered a 0.32-percent contraction in the period.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 10:28:02 FeedbackPrintRSS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
Mine blast kills 4 in northern Mexico
At least four people were killed in a coal mine explosion in the border city of Piedras Negras in Mexico's northern Coahuila state, local authorities said Wednesday.
The delegate of the Attorney General in the border region, Santos Vasquez Estrada, said miners were performing downhole operation when a gasbag exploded around 9:00 a.m. local time (1500 GMT), and four people were burned to death on the spot.
The official said an investigation over the cause of the tragedy has begun but no details are available yet.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 10:26:45 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
The delegate of the Attorney General in the border region, Santos Vasquez Estrada, said miners were performing downhole operation when a gasbag exploded around 9:00 a.m. local time (1500 GMT), and four people were burned to death on the spot.
The official said an investigation over the cause of the tragedy has begun but no details are available yet.
Editor: Wang
English.news.cn 2011-11-24 10:26:45 FeedbackPrintRSS
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 23 (Xinhua)
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