South America

SANTIAGO, April 20 (Reuters) - Chile's President Gabriel Boric said on Thursday he would nationalize the country's lithium industry, the world's second largest producer of the metal essential in electric vehicle batteries, to boost its economy and protect its environment.

The shock move in the country with the world's largest lithium reserves would in time transfer control of Chile's vast lithium operations from industry giants SQM (SQMA.SN) and Albemarle (ALB.N) to a separate state-owned company.

QUITO, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a March 26 landslide in central Ecuador's Chimborazo province rose to 43, the Attorney General's Office said Wednesday.

The agency said on social media that it had "ordered the removal of 4 (more) bodies from the landslide in #Alausi," a rural district in the country's Andean region.

"As of today, 43 people have died in the natural disaster," it added.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Russia and Venezuela reviewed some of their hundreds of bilateral agreements covering the financial, energy, agricultural and other sectors during discussions between their top diplomats and other high-level officials Tuesday in the South American country.

BOGOTA, April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Colombia President Gustavo Petro will meet with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, on Thursday to address issues such as peace and migration.    

Before leaving for the US, Petro told reporters about his expectations for the meeting, especially on peace in his country and the entire American continent.

He said that peace is measured by disease, economic stagnation, hunger, and climate crisis.

QUITO, April 17 (Reuters) - A scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, the country's environment ministry said on Monday.

"A deepwater scientific expedition has found the first totally pristine coral reef, approximately two kilometers (1.2 miles) long, at 400 meters (deep), on the summit of a submarine mountain," Environment Minister Jose Davalos said on Twitter. "Galapagos surprises us again!"

BRASILIA, April 17. /TASS/: Russian and Brazilian Foreign Ministers, Srgey Lavrov and Mauro Vieira, are holding talks in Brasilia.

The two top diplomats are expected to make a statement for the press after the talks.

Later in the day, Lavrov will be received by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He will also meet with foreign policy adviser to the Brazilian president Celso Amorim.

Brazil is the first stopover of Lavrov’s Latin American tour.

ASUNCION, April 17 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Paraguayan health authorities confirmed at least 90 deaths this year had been caused by chikungunya fever, while Uruguay detected its first imported case of the malady. One more case was also confirmed in the last days of 2022, according to the latest report from Paraguay’s Health Ministry.

The document also showed 21 new deaths in the last two epidemiological weeks, with no data collected during the Easter Week holidays.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva flew off to China on Tuesday to strengthen ties with his nation’s biggest trade partner and win support for his long shot push for peace in Ukraine.

Lula wants Brazil, China and other nations to help mediate the war as part of his nation’s return to the world stage, but his proposals to end the conflict have irked Ukraine and some in the West. Less controversial is the Brazilian and Chinese mutual interest in trade after a rocky period under Lula’s predecessor.

BRASILIA, April 11 (NNN-XINHUA) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for national unity to rebuild Brazil.

He made the appeal on the eve of his 100th day in office while reviewing the main measures his administration has taken since he took office on Jan 1.

“We live in one country and we need everyone to come together to rebuild it,” Lula wrote in a column headlined “Brazil Is Back” in local daily “Correio Braziliense.”

LIMA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and another 25 injured in the predawn hours of Monday after a passenger bus skidded off the road and plunged into a river in Peru's department of Lima.

The accident occurred around 2:30 a.m. at kilometer 109 of the Central Highway, the head of the Highway Protection Division of the Peruvian National Police, Col. Victor Meza, said, according to state news agency Andina.