Politics

• Thursday, March 19th 2015 - 08:07 UTC

  Conservationists praise UK for creating largest marine reserve around Pitcairn islands

  

  Leading conservation groups, scientists and residents of Pitcairn Island congratulated the UK Government on its decision to create the world’s largest marine reserve around the Pitcairn Islands, a UK Overseas Territory in the South Pacific.

• Thursday, March 19th 2015 - 08:01 UTC

  Argentina asks Citigroup how it will react to Judge Griesa' decision

  

  Argentine Economy Minister Axel Kicillof has revealed the government sent a letter to Citigroup asking how the bank will react, after New York district judge Thomas Griesa decided not to kill an injunction that blocked Citi from processing interest payments on 2.3 billion dollars of Argentina bonds, under Argentine law.

• Thursday, March 19th 2015 - 07:55 UTC

  Fed no longer 'patient' about rates, but drops April and targets June

  

  The U.S. Federal Reserve says it can no longer remain “patient” about changing rates, an indication that interest rate hikes could begin this spring. But in a news conference, Fed chair Janet Yellen said the central bank has not settled on the timing of the rate hike.

• Thursday, March 19th 2015 - 07:42 UTC

  Brazilian opposition insists Supreme Court must investigate Rousseff

  

  Brazil's opposition has announced that it will ask the Supreme Federal Court to investigate President Dilma Rousseff for the Petrobras corruption scandal in which her party's treasurer Joao Vacari is also implicated.

• Thursday, March 19th 2015 - 07:32 UTC

  Rousseff unveils anti corruption measures, but her approval has fallen to 13%

  

  Brazil's Dilma Rousseff tried to get ahead of the storm of scandal bearing down on her presidency on Wednesday, unveiling a raft of anti-corruption measures she hopes will appease her critics.

• Thursday, March 19th 2015 - 07:26 UTC

  Uruguay's Economy minister warns about Mercosur and Brazilian situation

  

  Uruguay's Economy minister Danilo Astori warned about the new regional and international context, not so favorable to his country's interests as in recent years, and underlined that Mercosur is going through one of its worst moments since foundation in 1991.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2015 - 08:37 UTC

  Brazil coordinates efforts to guarantee supply of basic products to Venezuela

  

  Following a request from Venezuela, the Brazilian government has acted alongside Brazilian companies to guarantee supply of basic products during Venezuela's economic crisis, according to diplomatic sources. The request was made by President Nicolas Maduro in at least two meetings with President Dilma Rousseff, in December 2014 and the day after Rousseff began her second term, on January 2.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2015 - 08:28 UTC

  Rousseff pledges talks with critics and admits government needs to show humility

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff pledged to hold talks with her growing number of critics and said her embattled government needed to show humility, after the Sunday massive protests erupted across the country.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2015 - 08:20 UTC

  EU main economies announce plans to join China-led development bank, despite US warning

  

  France, Germany and Italy on Tuesday announced plans to join the Chinese-led development bank AIIB, drawing concern in Washington which views the institution with skepticism. The three European countries want ”to become founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)”, they said in a statement.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2015 - 08:14 UTC

  Failure to approve IMF reforms puts “credibility of the US at risk” Lew warns Congress

  

  The credibility of the United States is at risk if Congress fails to approve International Monetary Fund quota and governance reforms, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew warned on Tuesday. For more than two years the US Congress has prevented the 2010 IMF reforms from taking effect.