Politics

• Friday, June 12th 2009 - 17:39 UTC

  HMS Gloucester sets off for the South Atlantic

  

  The Portsmouth warship HMS Gloucester has been given a royal send-off ahead of her deployment to the South Atlantic.

• Friday, June 12th 2009 - 17:23 UTC

  Ecuador celebrates sovereign “defaulted” bonds repurchase

  

  Ecuador announced Thursday it had bought back 91% of its “defaulted” bonds via an international auction with drastic rebates of 65% to 70%. The amount involved in the operation was 3.37 billion US dollars.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 11:16 UTC

  Argentina reaffirms rights on “Malvinas Sovereignty Day”

  

  Argentina condemned on Wednesday the United Kingdom’s negative to resume sovereignty negotiations over the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands, South Atlantic islands (South Georgia and Sandwich) and adjacent maritime spaces. June 10th, according to the Argentine calendar is Malvinas Sovereignty Day

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 11:10 UTC

  Brazil confirms purchase of 10 billion US dollars in IMF bonds

  

  Brazil will buy 10 billion US dollars of bonds issued by the International Monetary Fund to help the multilateral lender provide financing to countries hurt by the financial crisis, announced Finance Minister Guido Mantega.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 10:12 UTC

  Spain warns about “delisting” and “colonialism by consent” at C24

  

  The Spanish Government made a short but sharp intervention at the start of United Nations C24 session stating Spain's “firm wish to renew conversations with the United Kingdom within the framework of the Brussels process”.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 10:10 UTC

  Spain promises to boost stalled EU/Mercosur negotiations

  

  The financial crisis should be the springboard for a “leap forward” in negotiations for the association agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, said Spain’s Secretary of State for Ibero-America currently on a tour of Mercosur country members.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 06:36 UTC

  MPs expenses: independent regulator and aired in internet

  

  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has set out plans for urgent legislative action to clean up Parliament in the wake of the expenses scandal. Brown said new legislation will be published before MPs rise for their summer break to create an independent regulator of Parliament and a code of conduct for MPs' behaviour.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 06:30 UTC

  Peru’s Congress suspends land laws that triggered violent clashes

  

  Peru's Congress voted on Wednesday to temporarily suspend two land laws that ignited violent clashes between protesting indigenous groups and security forces last week killing at least 60 and claims of missing protestors.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 03:20 UTC

  Argentine opposition calls for close trade, education, culture ties with Falklands

  

  Argentina should insist in developing the natural interdependency between the Malvinas Islands and the rest of Argentine territory, promoting sea and air links to help develop trade, educational and cultural ties with Islanders, according to Hipolito Solari Irigoyen, a political figure from the opposition Radical party and international jurist.

• Wednesday, June 10th 2009 - 13:29 UTC

  Falklands set for ‘peaceful’ relationship with new FCO Overseas Territory official?

  

  The Falkland Islands may be set to have a more peaceful relationship with the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories, than with the last.