Politics

• Wednesday, October 28th 2009 - 02:19 UTC

  Brazil remains divided on Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation

  

  The president of the Brazilian Senate Jose Sarney reiterated Tuesday he does not support the incorporation of Venezuela to the South American trade block Mercosur, since “decisions from the government of that country represent a crumbling and deviation of democracy”.

• Tuesday, October 27th 2009 - 12:25 UTC

  Uruguayan ruling coalition retains majority in next Parliament

  

  Uruguay’s ruling coalition obtained 47.49% of the vote in last Sunday’s general election according to the primary vote count from the country’s Electoral Court, thus confirming a run off for the presidential office at the end of November.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 12:40 UTC

  Uruguayan president to be decided in run-off at the end of November

  

  A run off at the end of November was the result of Sunday’s presidential election in Uruguay since no candidate managed 50% plus one of the votes, as had been anticipated by most pollsters.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 10:21 UTC

  Fifth Type 45 destroyer “Defender” launched in Scotland

  

  Thousands turned out on the banks of the Clyde in Scotland to cheer on the latest ship to make up the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 destroyer class. Defender sailed for the first time this week.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 10:14 UTC

  Ecuador overrides 2.000 pharmaceutical patents considered “indispensable”

  

  Ecuador made public on Sunday a presidential decree overriding over 2.000 pharmaceutical patents in order to provide more affordable medicines to the people of Ecuador.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 10:12 UTC

  Ten Colombian amateur soccer players killed in Venezuela

  

  Venezuela said on Sunday at least 10 members of an amateur Colombian soccer team had been found dead after being kidnapped on its side of the border. Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez told reporters the men were found with bullet wounds in various parts of the western state of Tachira, on the border between the two neighbouring countries.

• Saturday, October 24th 2009 - 18:09 UTC

  Chilean independent hopeful wrecks bipartisan presidential race

  

  Two of Chile’s leading polls show independent presidential candidate Marco Enríquez-Ominami closing in on his rival Senator Eduardo Frei, and faring better in a run-off vote against conservative candidate Sebastián Piñera. However, the polls have widely differing predictions of each candidate’s performance in the first round.

• Saturday, October 24th 2009 - 16:56 UTC

  UK suffering the longest recession since records began

  

  The UK is now in the grip of the longest recession since records began, according to gloomy official figures. Hopes for an end to the recession were scuppered as the economy shrank by a shock 0.4% between July and September - a record sixth quarter in a row of decline.

• Saturday, October 24th 2009 - 16:32 UTC

  Spain’s unemployment remains unchanged at record high

  

  Spain’s unemployment rate stood at 17.93% in the third quarter, or virtually unchanged from the previous three-month period, the National Statistics Institute, or INE, said.

• Saturday, October 24th 2009 - 10:07 UTC

  Uruguay votes for President and a new parliament on Sunday

  

  An estimated 2.6 million out of a population of 3.2 million Uruguayans are registered to vote on Sunday’s election that will decide on the successor of President Tabare Vazquez and a new parliament. Voting in Uruguay is compulsory.