Politics

Monday, October 16th 2017 - 11:26 UTC
Madrid open to dialogue but Catalonia must first reject independence: clock ticking on countdown

The Spanish government will seize control of Catalonia if regional leader Carles Puigdemont gives an ambiguous reply to Madrid’s question about whether he has declared independence from Spain, the interior minister warned Saturday.
Monday, October 16th 2017 - 11:10 UTC
Maduro declares victory in 17 of 23 states; opposition demands a recount of votes

President Nicolas Maduro’s government won a landslide victory in closely watched regional elections in Venezuela, according to official results that the opposition said were “suspicious” and rejected results. Maduro’s party on Sunday apparently won governorships of 17 of the 23 states with the opposition Democratic Union Roundtable (MUD) coalition taking only five, according to the results announced by the National Elections Council.
Saturday, October 14th 2017 - 20:42 UTC
IMF: Latin America must crack down on corruption and improve governance

Latin American and Caribbean governments need to crack down on corruption in order to make their economies more durable and the benefits of growth more widespread, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday.
Saturday, October 14th 2017 - 08:30 UTC
Catalonia's leader under mounting pressure from separatist allies and Madrid

Catalonia’s leader faced mounting pressure on Friday from all sides, with hardliners in the separatist movement demanding he declare independence from Spain once and for all. Spain’s government and the European Union, on the other hand, want him to abandon the secession plans altogether.
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 15:41 UTC
Thousands rally in Barcelona: “Don't be fooled, Catalonia is Spain”

Thousands of people rallied on Sunday in central Barcelona to protest against the Catalan government’s push for secession from the rest of Spain, with many in the crowd carrying Spanish and Catalan flags.
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 14:56 UTC
Swiss prosecutors will help with 2016 Rio Olympics corruption investigation

Federal prosecutors in Switzerland have agreed to help Brazilian authorities investigating Olympic official Carlos Nuzman, who is suspected of vote-buying in a corruption conspiracy linked to the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 13:55 UTC
Falklands' democracy and coming elections praised by FCO minister

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alan Duncan has expressed his admiration for Falklands democracy. Speaking of the Islands General Election to be held on November 9 he said: “From many years of personal experience I can attest to the significance of democracy in action. Election Days are both exciting and purposeful and should provoke both qualities.”
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 13:36 UTC
Giant meatpacker owners involved in insider trading could lose plea bargain deal with prosecutors

Brazil’s police investigation into insider trading by the owners of the world’s largest meatpacker JBS SA has found that they made a profit by taking financial positions before details of their plea bargain deal with prosecutors became public, the head of the probe said on Tuesday.
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 12:59 UTC
Meirelles optimistic about congressional approval of pensions' reform

Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles said on Thursday “there’s a very good chance” that the country’s proposed pension reform bill will be approved by the end of the year. Addressing a question-and-answer session at an Institute for International Finance meeting in Washington Meirelles said that it would be simpler to pass the bill this year than next year because of political challenges that could come with Brazil’s upcoming presidential election in October 2018.
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 12:33 UTC
EU chief negotiator says Brexit talks are stuck in a state of deadlock

The European Union's chief negotiator on Brexit talks says negotiations with the United Kingdom are stuck in a state of deadlock. The EU wants to know what divorce bill Britain is prepared to pay before talks go any further. British officials, on the other hand, want to begin trade talks now, before they commit billions.