Stories for March 2009

Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 09:44 UTC
US and EU split over stimulus plans and banks

United Kingdom Chancellor Alistair Darling has played down talk of rifts between the US and Europe ahead of the G20 summit. Finance ministers from leading countries are gathering in London to agree the agenda for the summit of world leaders next month.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 09:42 UTC
Trade commitments ease Venezuela’s access to Mercosur

Venezuela and Paraguay closed this week a round of business negotiations to boost bilateral trade which will become effective once Venezuela is formally incorporated to Mercosur, it was reported in Asunción.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 09:38 UTC
Tax havens agree to relax bank secrecy laws

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed announcement that Switzerland is relaxing key bank secrecy laws as “the beginning of the end of tax havens.”
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:45 UTC
Lula da Silva confident of US recovery but cautious about protectionism

Brazilian President Lula da Silva said on Friday that counteracting the global credit crunch and preventing a wave of protectionism will be high on the agenda when he meets US President Barack Obama on Saturday.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:44 UTC
Obama sends Biden and Hillary on Latinamerican offensive

President Barack Obama administration has begun moving on several fronts to repair strained US relations with Latin America. Obama meets Saturday at the White House with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and he is sending Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Latin American missions to prepare for the mid-April Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:42 UTC
Washington reassures bond holder China that the US is “a credible nation”

The White House has sought to assure China that its one trillion US dollars in investments in the United States is safe despite the economic downturn.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:36 UTC
Spanish congressional consensus for talks on Gibraltar sovereignty

Intense and at times fiercely debated discussions led to Spain’s governing party the PSOE convincing the PP opposition and other parties to join in a consensus motion on Spain’s approach to the Gibraltar question, it emerged this week according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:26 UTC
Lula da Silva, Biden and PM Brown confirmed for political summit in Chile

Under the logo “A Progressive response to the global crisis” Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will host next March 27 and 28 a new Progressive Leaders summit to which top international leaders from Africa, Latinamerica, United states and Europe have confirmed their participation.
Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 05:29 UTC
Cristina wants to bring forward mid term elections to June

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez announced Friday the presentation next week of a bill to Congress to bring forward mid-term elections to June from October, to let the government focus on fighting economic problems and less on politics.
Friday, March 13th 2009 - 16:24 UTC
Brazil Lula da Silva will talk for Latinamerica in meeting with Obama

Brazilian President Lula da Silva will urge US President Barack Obama on Saturday March 14 to open talks with governments in Venezuela and Cuba and make aid and development the focus of his Latin America policy. Lula da Silva is the first Latinamerican president to meet with Obama.