Politics

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 18:50 UTC

  Electoral Reform Shapes as Key Issue for Next UK Government

  

  Electoral reform is shaping up as the key issue in determining what sort of government would emerge in the UK if the May 6 General Election results in a hung Parliament. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg indicated that a deal on proportional representation would be essential to any pact if his party holds the balance of power, describing it as an “absolute pre-condition” for renewal of Britain.

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 18:13 UTC

  UK Think Tank Warns About Drastic Spending Cuts After Election Day

  

  All three British major political parties are failing to come clean on spending cuts that will need to be at least as deep as the 1970s, a leading think tank warned Tuesday. Repairing the public finances will be the 'defining domestic policy task of the next government', the Institute for Fiscal Studies said at a special election briefing.

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 18:03 UTC

  IATA Praises European Relief Measures for Airlines Affected by Volcanic Ash Plume

  

  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) openly supported the announcement by the European Commission of a comprehensive program to provide relief to the air transport sector in the aftermath of extra-ordinary airspace closures resulting from the ash plume of an Icelandic volcano.

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 17:53 UTC

  Brazil Promises to Insist on Paraguay for Venezuela’s Mercosur Incorporation

  

  Venezuela is an extremely important factor for the social and economic development of the region and Brazil will insist upon Paraguay on the need for the approval of Venezuela’s incorporation as full member of Mercosur, stressed Senator Romero Juca from the Brazilian ruling coalition.

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 05:47 UTC

  Argentina Insists that Official Statistical Information is “Trustworthy and Solid”

  

  Argentina’s Deputy Economy Minister Roberto Feletti said the Government “will not accept economic policies to be dictated” by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and added that country's statistical information is “trustworthy and solid.”

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 02:53 UTC

  Mr. Kirchner to Be Named Chairman of UNASUR When Leaders Meet in Argentina

  

  Leaders from the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR are scheduled to meet May 3 and 4 in Buenos Aires with President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner acting as host and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa as temporary chairman.

• Tuesday, April 27th 2010 - 02:47 UTC

  US Extradites Former Panamanian Leader Noriega and CIA Recruit to France

  

  The former Panamanian leader, Manuel Noriega, has been extradited to France by the United States after spending more than 20 years in a prison there.

• Monday, April 26th 2010 - 21:49 UTC

  Grim Chapter of Chilean History Closes with Death of Former Nazi and Cult Leader

  

  At 7:20 a.m. Saturday, former Nazi and cult leader Paul Schäfer died of heart failure in a Chilean prison hospital, closing a decades-long story of torture, tax evasion, and child sexual assault.

• Monday, April 26th 2010 - 19:59 UTC

  Majority of Gibraltarians Consider the Role of The Governor Relevant

  

  A majority of Gibraltarians considers that the role of the Governor is important/ relevant in today’s Gibraltar. That is the conclusion of the recent poll carried out by the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Monday, April 26th 2010 - 19:35 UTC

  British BAE Systems First non-US Arms Company to Lead SIPRI’s Top 100 List

  

  With arms sales reaching 32.4 billion in 2008, BAE Systems is the first non-US company to lead SIPRI's Top 100 list of the largest arms-producing companies.