Politics

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 06:50 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez hosts Rousseff to address political and trade issues

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff will travel to Buenos Aires on Thursday for a two-day meeting with her Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernández and discuss political and trade matters between the two countries after an imports drop in Argentina last year and the cancelling by Brazil of a major investment project.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 06:47 UTC

  Venezuela’s Maduro talks to Cartes and calls for re-establishment of relations

  

  In a surprise move Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro talked on Tuesday to Paraguay’s president-elect Horacio Cartes to congratulate him on Sunday’s election and express interest in retaking the “rhythm of bilateral relations”, which were interrupted when the removal of Fernando Lugo.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 06:23 UTC

  Unasur greets president elect Cartes and congratulates the Paraguayan people

  

  The Union of South American Nations, UNASUR, congratulated the Paraguayan people for their civic commitment in last Sunday’s presidential election and greeted Horacio Cartes, who was the winner with 46% of ballots.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 06:18 UTC

  Maduro calls on Washington for dialogue, but based on ‘respect’ and ‘no threats’

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro named a new acting head of its US diplomatic mission in Washington and sent an offer of dialogue after attacking the United States for “interference” in a row over his election.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 06:14 UTC

  Eight years late Cuba’s Ladies in White collect the Sakharov Prize

  

  Members of the Cuban dissident group Ladies in White collected Tuesday the Sakharov Prize that the European Parliament awarded them in 2005, and in the process had harsh words to say about the situation in their homeland.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 05:49 UTC

  Brazil to the rescue of the sugar-ethanol industry with lower taxes and soft credit

  

  The Brazilian government has come to the rescue of the sugar-ethanol industry announcing that as of next May first the mandatory content of ethanol in gasoline will increase from 20% to 25%, taxes on the sugar-cane fuel will be eliminated and there will be soft loans to keep expansion going.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 01:47 UTC

  Falkland Island''s tells MPs ‘we’re no quaint toy town’ on suggestion of changing Stanley’s name

  

  A suggestion by some British senior Members of Parliament advocating a change of name for the Falkland Islands capital, Stanley to Port Margaret Thatcher in honour of the late Baroness had a strong reply from the local weekly, Penguin News.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 01:34 UTC

  Falklands’ debates contribution to Baroness Thatcher’s funeral costs

  

  The UK public opinion controversy over the cost of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral has reached the Falkland Islands where a member of the public proposed a ‘six figure’ contribution towards the event from the local government.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 01:06 UTC

  Chile’s growing concern with soaring Peso and plummeting dollar in local market

  

  Chilean authorities are feeling “calmer” with the exchange rate nearing 480 pesos per US dollar, Finance Minister Felipe Larrain said on Tuesday, as the currency retreated from the year-and-a-half highs it reached earlier this month.

• Wednesday, April 24th 2013 - 01:02 UTC

  Battered Piñera sends a lady to prop his administration and challenge Michele

  

  Chilean president Sebastian Piñera on Monday named the head of a government agency that promotes gender equality to be the new education minister. Carolina Schmidt replaces Harald Beyer, who was impeached by Congress last week.