Politics

Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:41 UTC
Vatican questioned by UN child rights watchdog on child sex abuse by priests

The Vatican was Thursday pushed for the first time to provide answers to the UN over its commitment to stamp out child sex abuse by priests. The landmark question-and-answer session before the UN's child rights watchdog in Geneva came as Pope Francis said Catholics should feel “shame”, in an apparent reference to the scandals that have rocked the Church.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:34 UTC
Pope reshuffles the Vatican bank and sacks four cardinals from oversight commission

Pope Francis shook up the scandal-plagued Vatican bank, removing four of five cardinals from an oversight body in a break with the clerical financial establishment he inherited from his predecessor. It was his latest move to get to grips with an institution that has often been an embarrassment for the Holy See and which he has vowed to either reform or close.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:29 UTC
US Congress supports budget peace for the rest of the fiscal year

Washington's battles over government funding ended with a whimper today as the US Senate approved a 1.1 trillion dollars spending bill that quells for nearly nine months the threat of another federal agency shutdown.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:09 UTC
US Congress wants action on banks involved in the commodities business

United States lawmakers are pressing the Federal Reserve to act more forcefully, and quickly, to limit banks’ involvement in the commodities business, which has been blamed for inflating prices on everyday items like electricity and canned beverages.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 06:49 UTC
Queues and delays at the Gibraltar border reach Parliament

The detrimental effect that border delays have had on tourism and visitor numbers to Gibraltar has been the subject of recent questions in the House of Commons. In a written question tabled before the lower House, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell requested information from the Secretary of State regarding the effect that the border delays have had over the last four months.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 06:44 UTC
HMS Portland with a female commander leaves for Atlantic patrol

Type 23 frigate HMS Portland left on Monday from Davenport naval base for the Atlantic to provide on-going protection and reassurance to British interests in the region, which includes the Falklands and other South Atlantic islands.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 06:30 UTC
Uruguay police officers training in 'restorative justice' methods in Cambridge

Fourteen police officers from Uruguay are currently attending courses at the Criminology Institute at Cambridge University, as part of their training for the country's Citizens' Security program, implemented with the support from the Inter American Development bank.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 06:22 UTC
Mercosur summit suspended for the third time: mid February could be next date

Mercosur president’s summit was suspended on Thursday for the third time, due to agenda incompatibilities, Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga confirmed in Asunción. Earlier in the day, Loizaga met with Brazilian Foreign minister Luiz Alberto Figuereido. The meeting was going to take place in Caracas, on January 31.
Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:34 UTC
Argentine central bank reserves fall below the 30bn dollars threshold

Argentine central bank international reserves continued to erode and on Wednesday pierced through the 30bn floor threshold reaching 29.858bn dollars, the lowest level since November 2006. On Tuesday reserves stood at 30.019bn.
Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:28 UTC
Malvinas war veteran plans to visit Falklands cemeteries with a message from Francis

Pope Francis blessed crucifixes and rosaries which will be taken to the Argentine and British cemeteries in the Falkland Islands by an Argentine war veteran. The Pope during the blessings called for peace “among the peoples” of the world.