Latin America

• Saturday, July 27th 2013 - 05:16 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez on campaign for October mid term elections hikes minimum wage 25.5%

  

  The minimum wage In Argentina will increase 25.5% to 3,600 Pesos, President Cristina Fernández announced. The hike will be implemented in two phases, with the lowest legal salary rising to 3,300 Pesos as of August and 3,600 in January 2014.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 06:41 UTC

  Fifteen months ahead of presidential election, Uruguay’s ruling coalition continues to lead

  

  Fifteen months ahead of October 2014 presidential election, over 80% of Uruguayans are willing to reveal whom they will vote, ‘if elections were held next Sunday’, according to the latest public opinion poll from Cifra and released this week.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  Francis urges young Catholics to rebel: shake up the church and spread the faith in the streets

  

  Pope Francis urged young Catholics to shake up the church and make a “mess” in their dioceses by going out into the streets to spread the faith. It’s a message he put into practice on Thursday by visiting one of Rio’s most violent slums and opening the church’s World Youth Day on a rain-soaked Copacabana Beach.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 06:25 UTC

  Panel of scientists blames UN for cholera deadly epidemic in Haiti

  

  A group of international scientists studying a deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti has concluded that peacekeepers from the United Nations were the most likely source of the disease. The epidemic, which began in late 2010, has so far claimed over 8,000 lives. The UN formally rejected compensation claims in February.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 06:11 UTC

  Mujica praises Fidel Castro as a brilliant man promoter of ideas

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica currently in Havana said he had an enlightening conversation with the leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro whom he described as “a wise old man who continues to be brilliant” and a ‘promoter of ideas”.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 06:02 UTC

  OAS chief Insulza honoured as “a dear friend of Paraguay”

  

  Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) received on Wednesday the National Order Award of Merit, ‘Don Jose Falcon’ from the government of Paraguay.

• Friday, July 26th 2013 - 01:57 UTC

  Malvinas: Uruguay politicians honoured for having volunteered to fight next to Argentina in 1982

  

  Two Uruguayan politicians, one from the ruling coalition and the other from the main opposition National party will be honoured with a medal by Argentina for their unlimited support to the Malvinas cause, announced the Argentine ambassador in Montevideo, Dante Dovena.

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Pope Francis warns Latam leaders against legalizing narcotics: attack roots of the problem

  

  Pope Francis on Wednesday warned Latin America against legalizing narcotics and urged courage in the face of deadly drug violence as he met addicts in a Brazilian hospital.

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 06:06 UTC

  OAS chief praises Cartes and says Paraguay must not be excluded from Mercosur

  

  The Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said on Wednesday that Paraguay should return to Mercosur because “it’s not good to have exclusions in South America”, but insisted that the solution to the problem is in the hands of the ‘protagonists’ and not in president elect Horacio Cartes.

• Thursday, July 25th 2013 - 06:01 UTC

  Uruguay expects to launch its first broadcasting and infrared info satellite in 2014

  

  The first satellite of the Uruguayan AntelSat project will be launched at the beginning of 2014, according to the country's telecom authority Antel.