Stories for August 2016

Friday, August 26th 2016 - 11:16 UTC
Blatter confident his six-year ban from football will be lifted

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he’s confident his six-year ban from football will be lifted. Blatter resigned as the head of FIFA in June 2015 after 17 years at the helm and just four days after his reelection for a fifth term he was handed an eight-year ban along with European football chief Michel Platini for ethics violations.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 11:07 UTC
Striking Bolivian mines kidnap and kill deputy Interior minister

Bolivian Deputy Interior Minister Rodolfo Illanes has been killed after being kidnapped by striking mineworkers, the government said late on Thursday. Illanes had gone to talk to protesters earlier on Thursday in Panduro, around 160 km from the capital, La Paz, but was intercepted and kidnapped by striking miners.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 10:55 UTC
Argentina's economy contracts 4.3% year-on-year in June

Argentina's economy shrank 4.3% year-on-year in June, a much sharper contraction than expected in the first official growth data reported during President Mauricio Macri's term.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 08:35 UTC
Malcorra behind the Portuguese candidate in her bid to become UN secretary-general

Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra visited Cairo courting Egyptian support for her bid to become the next UN secretary-general, following on from her visit to Angola earlier in the week. The minister also met with secretary-general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. However the emergent frontrunner to succeed Ban Kimoon is ex Portuguese prime minister is Antonio Guterres.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 08:13 UTC
Falklands and Montserrat sign marine spatial environment partnership accord

UK Overseas Territories governments of the Falkland Islands and Montserrat have signed an agreement that facilitates a Territory to Territory partnership with the purpose of transferring knowledge and skills from the South Atlantic and the Caribbean. The skills and knowledge transfer will focus on information management and marine spatial planning.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 07:28 UTC
Colombia launches referendum campaign; doubts remain on peace accord terms

After sealing a historic peace accord with the FARC rebels, the Colombian government launched a campaign on Thursday to persuade voters to adopt it in a referendum on October 2.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 07:10 UTC
Santos announces definitive ceasefire starting midnight Monday 29 August

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the army on Thursday to observe a definitive ceasefire with the FARC rebels after the two sides reached a deal to end their half-century conflict
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 07:01 UTC
Macri claims Kirchnerism created 750.000 government jobs to hide a stagnant economy

President Mauricio Macri expressed concern that Argentina's employment rate “barely exceeds” 40% and criticized previous administrations for creating 750,000 government jobs to hide what he said was its inability to grow the economy.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 06:19 UTC
Rousseff impeachment begins; huge metal barricades outside Congress to separate rival demonstrators

Brazilian Senators launched the impeachment trial of suspended president Dilma Rousseff on Thursday expected to end 13 years of populist rule in Latin America's biggest economy. The friendly spirit of the Rio Olympic Games faded and tension returned as the emotionally charged affair neared its climax, with Rousseff facing removal from office within days.
Thursday, August 25th 2016 - 09:14 UTC
Mercosur fractured and in disarray: Venezuela isolated

Mercosur on Wednesday displayed another chapter of its internal disarray, almost farcical, when Venezuela which proclaims the presidency of the group convened a meeting at the Montevideo administrative offices that was only attended by full member Uruguay and aspiring member Bolivia.