Politics

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 07:00 UTC

  Malvinas 'a constitutional issue, not optional'; plans for a South Atlantic secretariat which includes Antarctica

  

  Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra stated that the conflict with the United Kingdom over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty is “a constitutional issue, not optional”, and described the position of the former Cristina Fernandez administration on the matter as “too tough”, while pledging that the “conflict must and will be integrated into a wider perspective”.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 11:23 UTC

  Merry Christmas from MercoPress

  

  MercoPress wishes a Happy Holiday Season to all its readers and sponsors!

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 11:11 UTC

  Capital-strapped Petrobras wants to extend oil and gas fields contracts

  

  Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras will have to agree to extract at least 900 million barrels more of oil and natural gas equivalent from its Marlim and Voador offshore oil fields to win early renewal of its concession rights, oil regulator ANP said.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 10:34 UTC

  Argentina begins round of negotiations on prices; unions demanding bonus to counter inflation

  

  The Argentine government of president Mauricio Macri started a round of negotiations with big price setters as part of its bid to keep prices under control despite the recent devaluation of the peso. Domestic Trade Secretary Miguel Braun and Central Bank Governor Federico Sturzenegger met with the top representatives of the Argentine Chamber of Commerce (CAC) and representatives from medium-sized companies, who asked for cheap credit in exchange for the government’s goal of keeping prices in check.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 08:57 UTC

  Brazilian economy will contract 3.6% this year confirms Central bank

  

  Brazil's economy will shrink 3.6% this year and inflation will come in at 10.8%, according to a Central Bank report released Wednesday. The bank expects a continued recession in 2016, albeit with a less severe contraction of 1.9%, and an inflation rate of 6.2%.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 08:14 UTC

  Malcorra tries to build a consensus on 'State objectives' with former ministers

  

  In another attempt to display unity and consensus on 'State objectives' policy, Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra welcomed six of her predecessors for lunch and a “frank” exchange of points of view on Argentina’s foreign policy.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 08:08 UTC

  Italy's PM Rienzi looks to Spain and warns about the results of austerity in political systems

  

  After Spain's elections on Sunday left the ruling Popular Party and president Mariano Rajoy well short of an absolute majority, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi argued this showed Europe does not want austerity, and those who apply them, even successful, are knocked out politically.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 07:55 UTC

  Socialists reject Rajoy's offer to join a PP government, but all parties want to avoid new elections in two months

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy suffered a first major setback in his bid to stay in office as the Socialists refused Wednesday to back his attempt to form a new government following an inconclusive general election. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party won the most ballots in Sunday's vote but lost its absolute majority in the 350-seat lower house of parliament, taking just 123.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2015 - 10:07 UTC

  Brazil's Barbosa insists fiscal policies to shrink budget deficit “will be maintained”

  

  Brazil’s new finance minister, Nelson Barbosa, continued his effort to win over investors on Tuesday reiterating that the government of president Dilma Rousseff will maintain the same fiscal policies intended to shrink the budget deficit and cut debt that were favored by his predecessor.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2015 - 09:51 UTC

  Malvinas sovereignty question is a 'State objective', says Argentine deputy foreign minister

  

  Malvinas Islands sovereignty claim is a “State objective”, and Argentine diplomacy “will do everything possible to reach a political consensus to design a State strategy” underlined Argentina's Deputy foreign minister Carlos Foradori during an open debate on the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2065