SANTIGO, March 11 (Xinhua) — Newly inaugurated Chilean President Sebastian Pinera praised Thursday some ordinary citizens as heroes in the Feb.-27 earthquake that seriously damaged the country.
In his first speech as the Chilean president, Pinera especially mentioned the names of two children.
Martina Maturana, 12, living on one of the Juan Fernandez Islands, struck the warning bell after hearing the sound of tsunami following a strong earthquake, thus wakening hundreds of sleeping residents to save their lives.
Vicente Ramirez, the first baby born during the quake, was called by President Pinera \”the audacity to be born\” in the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that killed about 500 people and made one million others homeless.
\”Every generation has its challenge and we have the most beautiful challenge of deciding what kind of nation our children will live in,\” Pinera said when referring to the efforts made by the government and its people to rebuild the country after the quake.
The Chilean president also called on citizens to \”unite as one\” to make greater reconstruction efforts.
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CARACAS, March 16 (Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday attended an opening ceremony of the bi-national residential zone in Aragua state, about 100 km west of Caracas.
According to the state-run Bolivarian News Agency, the two presidents laid the cornerstone for a residential project for five-story buildings which will have a total of 5,000 apartments over an area of 32 hectares.
Before touring the construction site, Lukashenko was awarded the first-class \”Francisco de Miranda\” medal while visiting the National Assembly of Venezuela.
At the medal conferring ceremony, Lukashenko said the strategic cooperation between the two countries is very important. He also spoke highly of the achievements made by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.
Lukashenko arrived in Venezuela on Monday for his second visit to the country and is scheduled to leave on Wednesday.
Related:
Chavez meets Lukashenko on strategic ties
CARACAS, March 15 (Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday met with his visiting Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko for talks aimed at expanding the strategic ties between the two countries.
At the Miraflores Palace in Venezuela\’s capital, the two leaders discussed issues of energy, construction and agro-industry, local media reported.? Full story
Belarusian president stresses strategic partnership with Venezuela
CARACAS, March 16 (Xinhua) — Visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday stressed the strategic partnership with Venezuela and how the partnership can benefit the peoples of both countries.
During his speech to the Venezuelan National Assembly, Lukashenko expressed satisfaction with the strategic partnership with Venezuela which he called a trading partner in Latin America.? Full story
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SANTIAGO, March 16 (Xinhua) — The Chilean justice authorities will investigate why a tsunami warning was too early canceled in the wake of a massive quake while the tsunami later caused a significant loss of life and property, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.
The Navy Oceanography Service (SHOA) and the emergency management agency had issued a tsunami warning after an 8.8-magnitude quake hit Chile on Feb. 27. However, the warning was canceled one hour later, and the tsunami that followed badly hit the coastal villages and left hundreds of people killed or missing.
\”The fact that the warnings were not issued in an adequate manner justifies an inquiry,\” national prosecutor Sabas Chahuan said Tuesday. \”I\’m preparing the opening of an inquiry.\”
He added he expected the investigation to get underway immediately.
SHOA chief Mariano Rojas was fired from his post less than a week after the quake, while the head of Chile\’s emergency management agency, Carmen Fernandez, resigned on March 10.
Fernandez said ahead of her resignation that the agency had a breakdown in communications and became \”blind and speechless.\”
She said the intelligence the agency received after the quake was very vague and inaccurate, and nobody was able to make a decision to issue a tsunami warning.
Commander of Chief of the Chilean Navy Edmundo Gonzalez acknowledged that the information transmitted to the presidency via the SHOA was \”very unclear.\”
Two hours after the quake, then-president Michelle Bachelet phoned the navy and asked whether the tsunami warning was still necessary, but the navy didn\’t even know how to answer, he said.
Statistics showed the twin disasters, the earthquake and the tsunami, have killed almost 500 people and caused an estimated 30 billion U.S. dollars in damage to infrastructure in Chile.
Related:
Chile makes preliminary estimate of damage after earthquake
SANTIAGO, March 16 (Xinhua) — A preliminary estimate shows Chile needs 30 billion U.S. dollars for repair following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake on Feb. 27, President Sebastian Pinera said Tuesday.
The cost accounts for 18 percent of the country\’s gross domestic product (GDP), Pinera said while meeting with leaders of the right-wing Coalition for Change.? Full story
Quake-caused damage to reach 30 bln USD: Chilean gov\’t
SANTIAGO, March 16 (Xinhua) — Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter estimated on Tuesday that the damage caused by the devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake and the ensuing Tsunami on Feb. 27 will reach 30 billion U.S. dollars.
He also said that 500 people have been confirmed dead in the quake, while 200 others remain missing. The majority of the casualties were at the coast areas.? Full story
by George Bao
LOS ANGELES, March 16 (Xinhua) — Immigration and civil rights groups in the United States are planning to assemble thousands of people in Washington D.C. on Sunday to call for immigration reform.
The demonstrators\’ demands for reform will include better wages and working conditions and more labor protections. Moreover, a fair balance in salary between Main Street and Wall Street will also be demanded.
\”Immigration reform must include a path to earned citizenship for the undocumented that helps new Americans learn English, become naturalized, and contribute fully to our economic renewal,\” the organizers said.
They claim that immigration policy that keeps families together is good for the country because families help their relatives get jobs and housing, and become acclimated to their new environment.
Anti-family policies have put more than 5 million Americans who have applied to bring relatives here into a never-ending bureaucratic line and thousands have been thrown into poverty because the breadwinners have been deported, the activists say
The organizers believe that decades without immigration reform created a second class of workers who are exploited by unscrupulous employers.
\”It\’s been 24 years since Congress last addressed this issue comprehensively,\” said California State Assemblyman Kevin De Leon.
The organizers also criticized anti-immigrant conservatives as whittling away the U.S. justice system, putting important court decisions in the hands of low-level clerks.
\”It\’s time to restore justice by ensuring immigrants have full due process protections and by re-prioritizing judicial discretion over capricious bureaucracy. It\’s time to take back the American story and American values by enacting true immigration reform,\” the organizers said.
Meanwhile, De Leon has introduced a resolution into the state Assembly that intends to signal the federal government that immigration reform is urgently needed.
\”The state with the largest immigrant population is sending a clear and strong message to the president and the Congress that inaction on immigration reform is not an acceptable or beneficial option for the nation,\” said Angelica Salas, Executive Director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
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BRASILIA, March 17 (Xinhua) — The gap between the opposition presidential candidate, the governor of Sao Paulo Jose Serra, from the Social Democratic Party (PSDB), and the ruling candidate, chief of staff Dilma Rousseff, from the Workers\’ Party (PT), reduced to 5 percentage points, according to a poll released Wednesday.
According to Ibope poll, commissioned by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), 35 percent of voters support Serra, against 30 percent for Rousseff.
The figures show a sharp reduction in the gap between the main candidates, compared with Ibope poll conducted last December, when the gap was of 21 percentage points.
Currently, the third place is occupied by Deputy Ciro Gomes, from the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), who enjoys 11 percent in favor, followed by former Environment Minister, Senator Marina Silva, from the Green Party (PV), with 6 percent of support.
In case there is run-off, Serra holds the advantage over Rousseff, with 44 percent of support versus 39 percent for the minister.
The survey also showed that 53 percent of voters want to vote for the candidate supported by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, although so far only 42 percent of respondents know that the Da Silva supports Rousseff.
The next general elections in October will be the first one in more than two decades that Lula will not be a candidate, since he has already served two consecutive presidential terms, the maximum allowed by Brazilian law.
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — U.S. wholesale prices declined by 0.6 percent in February, larger than the economists\’ expectation, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.
The rise in the department\’s Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of inflation at the wholesale level, followed a 1.4 percent gain in January. Economists had forecasted a 0.2 percent drop.
Excluding the volatile food and energy sectors, core wholesale prices rose by 0.1 percent in February, matching the economists\’ expectation.
Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up 4.4 percent, core inflation is up a much more subdued 1 percent over the past year.
Economists believe that inflation remains not a problem at the moment and is not likely to become a threat any time soon because of all the downward pressures on wages and prices as a result of the recession.
They also believe that the subdued inflation pressure gives the Federal Reserve room to keep interest rates low to boost the recovery.
The Fed reaffirmed Tuesday to hold the federal funds rate at historic low level for \”an extended period.\”
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — The U.S. and Pakistan will hold their first ministerial-level Strategic Dialogue in Washington next week, which will be co-chaired by State Secretary Hillary Clinton and its Pakistani counterpart Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, State Department said on Wednesday.
Topics of the meeting, which is due on March 24, ranges from economic development, water and energy, education, security and so on, according to the press release by State Department.
\”President Obama and Secretary Clinton have repeatedly stressed the breadth and depth of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, a partnership that goes beyond security,\” it said.
U.S. and Pakistan had hold a strategic dialogue in Washington in April 2006, co-chaired by Pakistan\’s then Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and then U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns.
Last year, Pakistan and the U.S. had agreed to raise strategic dialogue to the ministerial level, the first of its kind since President Obama has announced new strategy for the region.
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Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden has claimed responsibility for the botched Christmas Day bombing of a US airliner and said strikes on US targets will continue, in an audio statement broadcast on Al-Jazeera satellite television.(Xinhua/AFP File Photo)
WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan, said Wednesday the military still aims to catch al-Qaeda terror network leader Osama bin Laden alive.
McChrystal, briefing reporters in Washington via teleconference from Afghanistan, said if bin Laden enters Afghanistan, the military would certainly try to \”capture him alive.\”
The comment contradicts Attorney General Eric Holder\’s Tuesday comment that bin Laden will never appear in a U.S. courtroom because he won\’t be brought in alive.
\”The reality is that we will be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Osama bin Laden. He will never appear in an American courtroom,\” Holder said during a House appropriations subcommittee hearing.
\”He will be killed by us or he will be killed by his own people, so he\’s not captured by us,\” said Holder.
McChrystal also said Wednesday that efforts to retake Taliban strong-hold Kandahar is already underway.
NATO and Afghan armies have recently launched a major operation in Afghanistan\’s Helmand province, adjacent to Kandahar. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Tuesday the offensive is the beginning of a larger campaign which will \”unfold over the next 18 months.\”
Related:
Osama bin Laden won\’t appear in U.S. court alive: attorney general
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Tuesday that al-Qaida world network leader Osama bin Laden will never appear in a U.S. courtroom because he won\’t be brought in alive.
\”The reality is that we will be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Osama bin Laden. He will never appear in an American courtroom,\” Holder said during a House appropriations subcommittee hearing, when he was defending his decision to try 9/11 suspects in criminal courts instead of military tribunal.? Full story
Bin Laden claims responsibility for Christmas plane bombing attempt
CAIRO, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) — Al-Qaida leader claimed responsibility for a foiled attempt of bombing a U.S.-bound airplane on Dec. 25, and vowed further attacks against the United States, in an audio recording aired Sunday by pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV.
\”From Osama to Obama … If our messages would possibly be carried to you by words, we would not have carried them to you by planes,\” Osama bin Laden said in the tape.? Full story
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — The United States and India signed an agreement Wednesday to strengthen trade and investment ties, concluding a deal that leaders of the two sides announced last year.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma signed a \”Framework for Cooperation on Trade and Investment\” in Washington.
This agreement will encourage small businesses in both countries and boost cooperation on clean energy technologies.
\”There is almost limitless potential for growth in trade between our two countries,\” Kirk said, \”and that can contribute to economic recovery and job creation in the United States and continued economic growth in India.\”
\”We also intend to use this framework to encourage the development and deployment of clean energy and environmental technologies as well as to support India\’s infrastructure growth,\” Sharma said.
Trade between the two economic powers has more than doubled in the last five years to more than 37.6 billion dollars in 2009. Sharma said the possibilities for trade between the United States and India \”have not been tapped fully as yet.\”
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to double U.S. exports within the next five years, and the administration hopes to use India\’s fast growing economy to help meet that goal.
Kirk and Sharma announced their intent to finalize the \” Framework for Cooperation on Trade and Investment\” when they co- chaired the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum meeting in New Delhi in October 2009.
The United States-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF), established in July 2005, is the principal bilateral forum for the two governments to discuss the entire spectrum of trade and investment issues.
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SANTIAGO, March 12 (Xinhua) — After being sworn in as president of Chile on Thursday, Sebastian Pinera worked into night discussing measures with cabinet members for recovery from the 8.8-magnitude quake that hit the South American nation on Feb. 27.
The first Council of Ministers began late Thursday night with the Emergency Committee, governors, military chiefs giving detailed reports on the situation of devastated areas.
Chile\’s government spokeswoman Ena von Baer said that Education Minister Joaquin Lavin had been instructed to work for swift reopening of schools.
The discussion of the key task force in recovery efforts — the Reconstruction Committee — began at 1:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) on Friday.
The committee, comprising ministers of interior, presidency, public works, housing, transportation, education, health, treasury and economy, is expected to launch an all-round campaign to restore normality to affected regions.
The hardest-hit regions by the earthquake and the following tsunami accounted for 13 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and about 25 percent of the industrial production of the country, according to the Central Bank.
Economists have predicted a 4.5 percent growth of GDP for 2010, 1.5 points lower than the 6 percent average annual expansion proposed by Pinera\’s economic program.
However, the new government has foreseen an upturn of the country\’s economy in the second half of the year.
Loss caused by the quake, which killed more than 500 people, is estimate
d at between 20 billion and 30 billion U.S. dollars.
Considering the magnitude of the damage, Pinera\’s government estimates that reconstruction efforts will span at least three years.
SURVEY ON MAJOR DAMAGE
A preliminary inspection on infrastructure reports damage on 1,200 spots of roads, ports and airports, most of which are reparable in six months.
Around 5 percent of the damage is serious, and several collapsed bridges have to be reconstructed. Their repairing work will take between 1 billion and 2 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, around 20 hospitals were damaged and one fifth of schools in the cities of Santiago and Concepcion were affected, which, in combination, calls for an investment of 5.1 billion dollars.
Grain and wine storages and cargo services were interrupted, causing losses of up to 550 million dollars. Insurance companies are expecting at least 100,000 complaints.
Related:?
Aftershocks symbolize challenges facing Chile\’s new government
VALPARAISO, Chile, March 11 (Xinhua) — The strong aftershocks that delayed by 25 minutes the swearing-in ceremony for Sebastian Pinera, Chile\’s new president since noon Thursday, could be an indicator of the challenges that face Pinera and his team as they assumed power 12 days after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit the country and killed at least 497 people.? Full story
FLASH: FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE KISSINGER FALLS ILL IN SEOUL
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — For the first time since U.S. President Barack Obama took office more than one year ago, more Americans disapprove of his job performance than approve, according to the latest Gallup survey released on Wednesday.
The survey shows 47 percent of Americans disapproved of his job performance, one percentage point higher than those who approve.
Obama\’s approval rating has experienced a sharp decline since he took office at Jan. 21, 2009, when 68 percent of Americans approved of his job performance.
In recent months, Obama\’s approval rating has been hovering around 50 percent. His weekly approval rating for March 8-14 tied the lowest weekly average of his administration so far, standing at 48 percent.
Another Gallup\’s survey found that Obama has largely missed public expectations with respect to his environment and energy policy as well as making America prosperous.
Among these three issues, Americans\’ ratings for his energy policy saw the sharpest decline, from 72 percent one year ago to the current 43 percent.
The declines are understandable, given the high expectations for Obama when he took office and the erosion in his overall job approval rating over the past year, said Gallup.
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WASHINGTON, March 13 (Xinhua) — The White House on Saturday confirmed that U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to sign a nuclear arms control treaty soon.
\”The results of their talks are encouraging, and both leaders are committed to concluding an agreement soon,\” said White House spokesman Mike Hammer, referring to an earlier telephone conversation between Obama and Medvedev.
The Kremlin said earlier that the two presidents have agreed to \”talk about specific dates for signing a new arms reduction treaty, \” which is expected to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expired on Dec. 5, 2009.
Related:
Russia, U.S. look to date for signing new arms treaty
MOSCOW, March 13 (Xinhua) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday that it was now possible to talk about specific dates for signing a new arms reduction treaty, the Kremlin said.
Medvedev spoke over phone on Saturday with Obama about the preparation for a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1) that expired on Dec. 5, 2009.Full story
New nuclear arms treaty could be ready within weeks: Russian FM
MOSCOW, March 9 (Xinhua) — A new Russia-U.S. treaty on nuclear arms reduction could be signed within two or three weeks, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
\”We would like everything to be finished in two or three weeks. The chances are there,\” Lavrov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
\”If everyone strictly abides by the central principle – the principle of parity underlying this document – all issues will be resolved soon,\” he said.?? Full story
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — A senior al-Qaida member suspected to be behind a recent suicide bombing attack on a CIA outpost in Afghanistan was believed to be killed last weeks, local media quoted counter-terrorism sources as saying on Wednesday.
The al-Qaida operative, Hussein al-Yemeni, was believed to be killed in Pakistan\’s North Waziristan region. The CIA is believed to be using unmanned drones to hunt and kill al-Qaida militants in that region, although the agency has never officially acknowledged doing so.
An important al-Qaida attack planner and facilitator, al-Yemeni was believed to be behind the Dec. 30 CIA base attack in Afghan province of Khost, in which a suicide bomber killed seven CIA employees and a Jordanian intelligence officer, the deadliest attack against the CIA since 1983.
Al-Yemeni was an expert in explosives and specialized in organizing suicide attacks. He was killed in North Waziristan\’s main city of Miram Shah, said the unnamed counter-terrorism official.
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RIO DE JANEIRO, March 17 (Xinhua) — Brazil\’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reaffirmed on Wednesday his support to a Palestinian state and said he is willing to do whatever he can to help the Palestinian people.
Government news agency Agencia Brasil quoted the President as saying that he supports an independent Palestinian state, and believes that Palestinian and Israeli will find a way to share \” their predecessors\’ land.\”
In a visit to Ramallah, President Lula christened the Brazil Street, located in front of the Palestinian Authority headquarters. He said he was happy to christen the street, which according to him represents the love between the Palestinian and Brazilian people.
Lula also put flowers on the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, died in 2004.
The Brazilian President criticized the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, saying that it is the cause of great human suffering.
\”It divides families, drives friends apart, disarticulates the production and as a consequence scares away the investments,\” he said.
Lula also said that the Palestinian people need union and called on the Hamas and the Fatah to join forces. He said he would be willing to meet Hamas leaders.
\”Brazil is willing to talk to everyone, with whoever is at the negotiation table, and there is not a political force, of left of right, with which Brazil cannot talk. All forces should participate in the peace process,\” he said.
After visiting Ramallah, the Brazilian President headed to Jordan, where he met with Kind Abdullah II and Queen Rania. Jordan is the last leg of Lula\’s trip to the Mid-East.
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday convinced the Israelis that the U.S.-Israel relations would not be undermined by their disagreement over Jewish settlement activities.
\”Israel\’s one of our closest allies, and we and the Israeli people have a special bond that\’s not going to go away,\” Obama said in an interview with the Fox News, adding the United States remains its commitment to Israel.
There was \”no crisis\” in the U.S.-Israel relations, said Obama, referring to the tension between the two countries over Israel\’s decision on building more homes in East Jerusalem.
The Obama administration has been very angry over the Israeli government\’s approval of 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem last week when Vice President Joe Biden was pushing both Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks.
Both Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton rarely have issued condemnation on Israel for the move, which was described by Clinton as \”a deeply negative signal\” about Israel\’s approach to relations with Washington.
In Wednesday\’s interview, President Obama said that Israel\’s settlement activities are not helpful for pushing peace process, but saying \”friends are going to disagree sometimes.\”
The Obama administration has been exerting pressure on the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to resume the talks in order that the two sides could reach a permanent peace agreement that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within two years.
The talks were stalled in December 2008 when Israel launched a massive military campaign against the Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
PNA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas insists that the talks would not be resumed until the Israeli government totally freezes the Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, while the Israeli side vows to ensure the \”natural growth\” of the Jewish settlements.
At least 450,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
After Israel\’s announcement to build more homes in East Jerusalem, the PNA decided to suspend the indirect talks with Israel, which was brokered by U.S. special envoy George Mitchell following tough shuttle mediation between Israel and the Palestinians.
Related:
Israel, U.S. seek to ease tension with warm words
JERUSALEM, March 16 (Xinhua) — Israel sought on Tuesday to ease up a strained relationship with the United States by welcoming U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton\’s comment about the two nations\’ \”close bond.\” Full story
Israeli president highlights importance of relations with U.S.
JERUSALEM, March 16 (Xinhua) — Israel cannot afford to lose the traditional friendship with the United State, said President Shimon Peres on Tuesday, as a visible relationship crisis is brewing between the two allies. Full story
Colombia\’s former Defense Minister and presidential candicate Juan Manuel Santos casts his vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
BOGOTA, March 14 (Xinhua) — Colombians went to the polls Sunday to vote for a new Congress.
The elections are widely regarded as a strong indicator of who will succeed President Alvaro Uribe this year.??
People queue up to vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
People queue up to vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
A Colombian Indian man comes to a polling station to vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
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SANTIAGO, March 17 (Xinhua) — The death toll of Chile\’s Feb. 27 quake and tsunami might reach 630, according to data published by the nation\’s Investigative Police Directorate (PDI) on Wednesday.
\”There are more than 500 people who are identified, of whom more than half have received a death certificate,\” PDI chief Marcos Vasquez told a press conference. \”There are another 130 affidavits of presumed deaths,\” he added.
The government of Sebastian Pinera, which took office Thursday, has not published an official death toll, after an incident during the closing days of his predecessor\’s government lead to a major recount of the dead.
The government of Michelle Bachelet had initially pegged the death toll above 800, but lowered the toll after it was discovered that some bodies had been counted twice. Since then, authorities have only issued only the names of those who have been identified after their families have been informed.
\”A final total could be published as soon as next week,\” Vasquez said. All Chileans have identity cards that include their fingerprints and photos, which helps police identify bodies.
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People sit outside a house during a blackout in Vina del Mar city, about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Santiago, March 14, 2010. Cities throughout Chile were without power on Sunday evening due to a problem with one of the country\’s main power grids, according to witnesses and local media.?(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
SANTIAGO, March 14 (Xinhua) — A massive power blackout struck most of Chile Sunday night, plunging the capital Santiago and many other cities into darkness.
Media reports said the blackout might have been caused by problems with a main power grid in central Chile and authorities said they were trying to restore power to parts of Santiago in three to four hours.
The area affected by the power cut includes the southern regions of Maule and Bio Bio, which were hit hardest by the Feb. 27 devastating earthquake in Chile.
People wait for the bus during a blackout in Vina del Mar city, about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Santiago, March 14, 2010. Cities throughout Chile were without power on Sunday evening due to a problem with one of the country\’s main power grids, according to witnesses and local media.?(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
People ride a bus during a blackout in Vina del Mar city, about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Santiago, March 14, 2010. Cities throughout Chile were without power on Sunday evening due to a problem with one of the country\’s main power grids, according to witnesses and local media.?(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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WASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) — The U.S. Department of Defense said Wednesday that the long-delayed Nuclear Posture Review is nearly completed, and would be sent to Congress within a month, putting it off past the middle or late March deadline.
The Nuclear Posture Review originally was scheduled to be released this month, but defense officials concluded that additional time was needed to address the range of issues under consideration in the report, said James Miller, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, quoted by the Pentagon\’s news service.
U.S. President Barack Obama has sought to minimize the role of nuclear weapons in defense policy, with the ultimate goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons.
The Nuclear Posture Review, as Miller put it, is intended to be a practical work plan which will provide concrete steps outlining how the United States will carry out this process while still maintaining a secure and effective nuclear arsenal as long as other nuclear states remain. He said it\’s essential that the United States continues to invest in its nuclear arsenal and infrastructure.
Miller also said the nuclear review would be valuable for the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiations with Russia, helping to refine several U.S. negotiating positions, particularly on the treaty\’s limitations of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles.
The fiscal 2011 defense budget submitted to Congress already reflects several conclusions drawn from the review, Miller said. The United States will retain a \”nuclear triad\” under the new START, composed of land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles and bomber aircraft.
Related:
Obama promises to reduce number, role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security strategy
WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday his administration will reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security strategy.
The administration\’s upcoming Nuclear Posture Review \”will move beyond outdated Cold War thinking and reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy,\” Obama said.? Full story
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People queue up to vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
BOGOTA, March 15 (Xinhua) — President Alvaro Uribe\’s party is leading the vote Sunday after a parliamentary election, early results showed.
Uribe\’s U Party won 24.2 percent of votes while the allied Conservative Party won 22.3 percent, according to results after 65 percent of the votes were counted.
The opposition Liberal Party had 16.6 percent of votes.??
People queue up to vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
A Colombian Indian man comes to a polling station to vote during the congress elections in Bogota, capital of Colombia, March 14, 2010. Colombians kicked off legislative elections on Sunday morning. Some 30 million Colombians are registered to vote to choose from about 2,500 candidates to fill 268 seats in the Congress. (Xinhua/Marino)
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WASHINGTON, March 15 (Xinhua) — A strong aftershock measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit Chile on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The latest tremor occurred at 08:08 a.m. (1108 GMT) 110 km northwest of Chile\’s second-largest Concepcion, which was rocked by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake on Feb. 27.
The Chilean government put the confirmed death toll of the massive quake at 529.
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SANTIAGO, March 15 (Xinhua) — Chile\’s National Emergency Office (Onemi) said on Monday that 98 percent of the power supply has been restored after the blackout on Sunday night.
On Sunday at 9:40 p.m. local time (2440 GMT) there was a failure of the Central Interconnected System which made most of the country out of power, including the capital Santiago.
The Office\’s director, Vicente Nunez, said that it was a technical failure of the electrical central system, and in some zones the service will remain unstable, for example in Bio Bio region, where the failure originated and the service has not been normalized yet.
While a general evaluation is being done, Nunez said that the country \”should know how to react\” under these kinds of situations and a new blackout \”could always happen.\”
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Ricardo Raineri said that the system will be normalized after over six months due to the fragility of its networks after the earthquake on Feb. 27.
Raineri also said that there is possibility of more blackouts, \”but now we are inviting the people to help us. As long as we do not recover the security level, we are going to be in a critical situation.\”
However, superintendent of Electricity and Fuels, Patricia Chotzen said that there is an investigation being carried out to determine whether the blackout was due to an artificialness or maintenance failure in a transformer of the sub-station Charrua, because according to her, this kind of failure is not common.
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CARACAS, March 17 (Xinhua) — Venezuela and Belarus on Wednesday signed a series of bilateral agreements on energy, construction, agro-industry and trade.
Among the 22 agreements signed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, the two countries agreed on a daily sale of 80,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude oil to Belarus and allocate three fields in the Orinoco Oil Strip.
Both sides decided to expand a program, which originally planned to build 5,000 houses in Aragua state, about 100 km west of the capital city Caracas. They have agreed that 10,000 more houses will be built in Barinas state, 710 km southwest of Caracas.
The two countries also agreed to create commercial offices in each other\’s capital city, in a bid to facilitate the distribution of products.
Lukashenko arrived in Venezuela on Monday for his second visit to the country.
Belarus and Venezuela now have 70 cooperation agreements and bilateral trade stood at 200 million U.S. dollars in 2009.
Related:
Chavez meets Lukashenko on strategic ties
CARACAS, March 15 (Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday met with his visiting Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko for talks aimed at expanding the strategic ties between the two countries.
At the Miraflores Palace in Venezuela\’s capital, the two leaders discussed issues of energy, construction and agro-industry, local media reported.?Full story
Belarusian president stresses strategic partnership with Venezuela
CARACAS, March 16 (Xinhua) — Visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday stressed the strategic partnership with Venezuela and how the partnership can benefit the peoples of both countries.
During his speech to the Venezuelan National Assembly, Lukashenko expressed satisfaction with the strategic partnership with Venezuela which he called a trading partner in Latin America.?Full story
Venezuelan, Belarusian presidents unveil bi-national residential project
CARACAS, March 16 (Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday attended an opening ceremony of the bi-national residential zone in Aragua state, about 100 km west of Caracas.
According to the state-run Bolivarian News Agency, the two presidents laid the cornerstone for a residential project for five-story buildings which will have a total of 5,000 apartments over an area of 32 hectares.? Full story
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BRASILIA, March 17 (Xinhua) — The approval rate of the Brazilian government reached a record high of 75 percent, according to a public poll released Wednesday.
Approval for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva\’s government rose by 3 percent to 75 percent from the previous poll in December, the Ibope opinion research institute reported in a poll released Wednesday by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).
Conversely, the percentage of respondents who disapproved of the government\’s performance fell to 5 percent from 6 percent in December.
The survey showed that public approval for the government\’s performance rose in six of nine areas. However, the disapproval rate was higher than the approval rate in the sectors of health, public security and taxation.
Moreover, approval for Lula\’s government management dropped by one percentage point from the previous poll to 83 percent.
The report also showed that 77 percent of Brazilians have confidence in the president, one percentage point lower than in December.
About 49 percent of respondents believed that Lula\’s current term is better than his first.
Ibope surveyed 2,002 people between March 6 and 10 in 140 Brazilian municipalities. The poll has a margin of error of two percentage points.
Related:
Brazil\’s president: Gov\’t legacy will last
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 2 (Xinhua) — Brazil\’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday that the progress his government has made will not be undone, no matter who wins the October presidential election.
According to him, speculations to the contrary amount to \”electoral terrorism.\”? Full story
Lula\’s handpicked candidate leads in Brazil election: poll
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 3 (Xinhua) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva\’s chief of staff Dilma Rousseff has a majority of votes ahead of the Oct. 3 general election, according to a poll released on Wednesday.
Rousseff, who is the presidential candidate of Lula\’s Workers Party, gets 40 percent of the voting intentions of those who benefit from the government\’s wealth transference program Bolsa Familia, according to the Datafolha election poll.? Full story
http://www.lersus.com
SANTO DOMINGO, March 17 (Xinhua) — Dominican President Leonel Fernandez on Wednesday announced that his country will help Haiti build a university in Haiti\’s quake-devastated capital Port-au-Prince.
The pledge was made when the president addressed an international preparatory conference concerning reconstruction in Haiti. The conference, facilitated by the United Nations, drew representatives from major donor countries across the world.
President Fernandez said that the new university will accommodate more than 10,000 students.
The Jan. 12 earthquake with a 7.3 magnitude destroyed or damaged all the universities in the Caribbean island country.
\”We are making the design, and the university will have all the necessary tools for higher learning needed at this time,\” the president said. However, he did not say when construction work on the new university would start.
Higher education in Haiti, based on the French system, is provided by state and private universities. There were 10 such universities in the country before the earthquake struck.
Related:
UN appeals to int\’l community for maintaining aid to Haiti
SANTO DOMINGO, March 17 (Xinhua) — The United Nations special representative in Haiti on Wednesday called upon the international community to maintain its aid and assistance toward the Caribbean island country devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake.
The UN envoy, Edmond Mulet, said while reconstruction should be sped up more jobs need to be created to involve more local Haitians into the reconstruction of their country and economy.? Full story
UN Economic and Social Council to hold meeting on Haiti next month
UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said Wednesday that it will host a meeting next month to consider what else the UN can do to help the Haitian government rebuild its country.
\”The government of Haiti formulated the national plan for reconstruction, so we will see how ECOSOC and its bodies fit into the plan,\” Hamidon Ali, ECOSOC president for 2010, told journalists at UN headquarters in New York during an overview of the UN body\’s work for the year ahead.?Full story
Quake-torn Haiti needs more aid: official report
SANTO DOMINGO, March 16 (Xinhua) — Quake-ravaged Haiti needs more than 11 billion U.S. dollars for reconstruction and development, said an official report released on Tuesday.
The report was presented here at a preparatory conference related to an international donors\’ conference to be held at the end of March.?Full story
Donors evaluate Haiti reconstruction
WASHINGTON, March 15 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday sent to Congress his blueprint for approval of a reform on the Bush-era No Child Left Behind education program. Obama\’s bill retained such Bush law features as requirement for annual math and reading tests, but he suggested moving away from relying solely on test scores to judge the academic achievement by students and to rate schools. Obama proposed a combination of school attendance, graduation rate and learning environment as gauges to judge schools by. The new bill was seen as replacing such absolute requirements as the one under which all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 and all students graduating from high schools be prepared for either college or a career. \”We want to create the next generation of great assessments,\” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Monday. The proposed standards also moved away from punishing schools for not meeting federal benchmarks. They instead focused on rewarding progress, especially with top performing schools, which was expected to decrease interference with reasonably well-run schools in the middle. As for worse performing schools, the Obama bill called on states to identify their lowest performing 5 percent of schools, and to take strong measures to upgrade them. With the old version of the education law, nearly a third of the 100,000 public schools were labeled as failing, to face loss of federal funds. Critics have been blaming the old law as encouraging teachers to teach for tests by narrowing curricula. Related: Schwarzenegger signs historic education reform legislation LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed a historic education reform legislation that will make California more competitive to get federal funding in education. The legislation ensures that California \”can submit a highly competitive application for up to 700 million dollars in much needed funding for our schools by implementing historic and sweeping education reform measures to better California\’s education system,\” the governor said in a statement.? Full story http://www.cne.cc
CARACAS, March 15 (Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday met with his visiting Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko for talks aimed at expanding the strategic ties between the two countries. At the Miraflores Palace in Venezuela\’s capital, the two leaders discussed issues of energy, construction and agro-industry, local media reported. \”Our countries will continue advancing and boosting our developments, with the ideas of socialism. We are united and we have held meetings for five consecutive years,\” Chavez said after their meeting, together with Lukashenko. Chavez also said he will visit Belarus in the coming months. At the proposal of Chavez, Venezuela and Belarus will create a joint company to distribute Belarussian commodities to Venezuela and other Latin American countries. This is Lukashenko\’s second visit to Venezuela in two years. The two countries have more than 70 agreements between them, with a bilateral trade volume of 200 million U.S. dollars last year. http://www.lersus.com
SAN SALVADOR, March 17 (Xinhua) — The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) will establish a regional office in El Salvador, as part of an agreement to control arms trafficking in Central America, officials said Wednesday. Assistant director of operations, Howard Coto, said the ATF office will give advice to the new national police department specializing on firearms control. The ATF will make a diagnosis on the procedures and the mechanisms used by the local institutions in the cases related to trafficking and use of firearms and explosives. According to official figures, five years ago, there were 500,000 firearms in El Salvador in civilian hands and half of them were not registered. http://www.kphy.com
SAN SALVADOR, March 17 (Xinhua) — The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) will establish a regional office in El Salvador, as part of an agreement to control arms trafficking in Central America, officials said Wednesday. Assistant director of operations, Howard Coto, said the ATF office will give advice to the new national police department specializing on firearms control. The ATF will make a diagnosis on the procedures and the mechanisms used by the local institutions in the cases related to trafficking and use of firearms and explosives. According to official figures, five years ago, there were 500,000 firearms in El Salvador in civilian hands and half of them were not registered. http://www.kphy.com
