Politics

• Monday, May 11th 2015 - 08:47 UTC

  Uruguay's local elections: no major number surprises but interesting changes in the political map

  

  Uruguay Sunday's department and municipal elections resulted mostly as forecasted with no major surprises, and as advanced by MP 9 May, in the capital Montevideo, with half the country's electorate, the two promising candidates have effectively been the elected mayor, Daniel Martinez and Edgardo Novick, a successful businessman and non political figure, who now becomes head of the opposition.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 10:21 UTC

  On Sunday 2.6 million Uruguayans vote for their local authorities

  

  On Sunday May 10, Uruguay is holding county and municipal elections with 2.6 million eligible voters (out of a population of 3.3m) in an event which will be more centered on local issues and thus will not necessarily replicate the absolute majority vote of the ruling coalition in last October/November presidential and legislative election.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 10:02 UTC

  Strong support for Supreme Court and members from Argentina's main private sector organizations

  

  Some twenty private organizations representing commerce, agriculture and other activities openly supported in a Friday release Argentina's Supreme Court and Judiciary, rejecting what was described as “hostile expressions” from some government officials.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 09:57 UTC

  Argentina will file complaints against speculative funds in Belgium

  

  Economy Minister Axel Kicillof confirmed the Argentine government will be filing a complaint against speculative or 'vulture' funds for seeking to seize the accounts of the Argentine embassy in Belgium, and the Argentine mission before the EU in Brussels, adding hedge funds are the most “despicable and repugnant” of the world financial system.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 09:34 UTC

  Mujica's book rekindles Brazilian scandal involving Lula da Silva

  

  Uruguay's president Jose Mujica has now denied alleged statements collected in a book about his life written by two journalists, that he personally presented last Sunday in Buenos Aires and in which there is a mention to former president Lula da Silva and the 'mensalao', one of Brazil's largest corruption scandals involving monthly payments to have bills passed by Congress.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 09:23 UTC

  PM Cameron confirms economic policy: names Osborne first secretary of state

  

  Prime Minister David Cameron reappointed George Osborne as his finance minister on Friday and gave him a bigger cabinet role after Britain's economic recovery helped their party to an unexpectedly big election victory.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 09:06 UTC

  Tory majority government, but looking to Scottish independentists' landslide

  

  Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives won a stunning victory in Britain's election on Friday, which cut short the careers of his top three rivals and put the country's European Union future in doubt.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 08:57 UTC

  Nicola Sturgeon 'tectonic plates of Scottish politics” promises to fight austerity imposed by Tory government

  

  Scottish nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon on Friday held out the possibility of a new independence referendum – but not immediately – after her party's crushing victory north of the border in a British national election.

• Saturday, May 9th 2015 - 08:37 UTC

  Tourism boom in Cuba: Europeans want to enjoy the island “before the Americans arrive”

  

  The Cuban government says it has prepared for a surge in tourist arrivals with an airport expansion plan and new luxury hotels under construction in Havana and popular beach resorts like Varadero. But according to tour operators, it is already getting difficult to find available hotel rooms or reserve tables at popular restaurants, especially during the high season.

• Friday, May 8th 2015 - 10:54 UTC

  China superpower? It relies on imports for energy, iron and...water (for food)

  

  Among the mountain of statistics produced by China every year, there is one impossible to ignore: according to the Ministry of Land and Resources 61.5% of China's ground water is too dangerous even to touch, which means that along with being unsuitable for agriculture or drinking this water is unfit for any human contact.