Politics

• Saturday, February 13th 2016 - 08:34 UTC

  Macri announces end of mining export duties campaigning for provincial support

  

  Continuing with his economic reforms Argentine president Mauricio Macri announced on Friday the elimination of export duties for metallic and non-metallic minerals during a visit to the province of San Juan, a key mining district in Argentina. At the announcement were present several other provincial governors with strong interests in the mining industry.

• Saturday, February 13th 2016 - 05:55 UTC

  CONCACAF will not advance which candidate it supports for FIFA presidency

  

  CONCACAF (Central America, North America and Caribbean Football Confederation) deputy general secretary Jurgen Mainka says the purpose of this week’s meeting in Miami was to discuss FIFA and CONCACAF reforms, not to decide on which FIFA presidential candidate the regional confederation will support.

• Saturday, February 13th 2016 - 05:45 UTC

  Valcke banned for 12 years from FIFA for misconduct and destruction of evidence

  

  Two weeks before the presidential election, FIFA's top judge bans former secretary general Jerone Valcke for 12 years for misconduct relating to World Cup ticket sales, travel expenses and destruction of evidence.

• Saturday, February 13th 2016 - 05:40 UTC

  Aurelius hedge fund “baffled” by Argentina's decision to 'continue litigation'

  

  Hedge fund Aurelius Capital Management, one of the major creditors in the Argentine bond litigation who has not agreed to participate in a proposed $6.5 billion settlement, called Argentina's decision to return to court in the dispute “baffling.”

• Saturday, February 13th 2016 - 05:32 UTC

  Pollack confirms 'eventful week' of negotiations between Argentina and holdouts

  

  In the midst of ongoing negotiations in the United States courts between the administration of President Mauricio Macri and holdouts to reach an agreement, special master Daniel A. Pollack on Friday issued a statement reiterating “two major holdouts reached agreements in principle with Argentina to settle their claims.

• Friday, February 12th 2016 - 07:10 UTC

  Uruguay’s Quiet Democratic Miracle

  

  By Uki Goñi -
  
  
  ”Because here nobody is better than anybody else.” The phrase, one of this small South American country’s most cherished sayings, dates back to the 19th century and is often repeated by its thinkers, presidents and everyday citizens. As a simple expression of the democratic spirit, it sums up how Uruguayans feel about their homeland.

• Friday, February 12th 2016 - 07:02 UTC

  Majority of Mercosur teen-agers are 'low performers' in maths, science and reading

  

  Bad news for Mercosur aspirations. Low standards at schools in most of South America are a common problem according to the latest report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, which has the region's students among the last fifteen in a list of 64 countries.

• Friday, February 12th 2016 - 06:55 UTC

  Lagarde, as sole candidate, has virtually assured five more years as IMF head

  

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has nominated current managing director Christine Lagarde for the second term, IMF Executive Board Dean Aleksei Mozhin said in a statement on Thursday.

• Friday, February 12th 2016 - 06:40 UTC

  French president's visit to Argentina and Uruguay could include defense deals

  

  French president Francois Hollande is scheduled to visit Peru, Argentina and Uruguay in the last week of February, and in a display of Gallic diplomacy expects to promote trade, investments and French interests in the region.

• Friday, February 12th 2016 - 06:33 UTC

  France claims the EC has done ”too little too late to help (struggling) farmers”

  

  France called on the European Commission to do more to help its struggling livestock industry, seeking to defuse protests that have seen farmers block highways and supermarkets.