Politics

• Wednesday, May 9th 2018 - 07:32 UTC

  Peso storm: Argentina requests a US$ 30bn precautionary credit from IMF

  

  Argentina asked the International Monetary Fund for financing to help stem a run from the Peso to the US dollar that is sparking a surge in interest rates and threatening to derail the country's economic recovery. The sum requested is estimated between 25 and 30bn dollars, 500% Argentina's IMF quota and could be disbursed in two forms, a flexible credit line or a precautionary credit line.

• Wednesday, May 9th 2018 - 07:16 UTC

  UK appoints Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean

  

  The United Kingdom's International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, named a new Trade Commissioner to champion British trade with Latin America and the Caribbean, as the UK prepares for future trade agreements with countries around the world.

• Wednesday, May 9th 2018 - 07:10 UTC

  Latin American (and global) currencies hit by strong dollar and Trump's policies

  

  The dollar hovered near a four-month high on Tuesday, continuing to draw support from higher Treasury yields and upbeat prospects for the U.S. economy, leaving its major rivals such as the Euro struggling and other Latin American currencies including the Argentine peso down sharply.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:59 UTC

  Guterres praises UK contribution to UN, “Brexit or no Brexit”

  

  Britain will remain a “very important pillar” of the United Nations after Brexit, the organization's secretary general has said. Antonio Guterres’s comments appear to contradict the fears of some opponents of Brexit that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU might throw into question its position as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, alongside the US, Russia, China and France.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:48 UTC

  Brazil's first lady saves her drowning dog jumping into a lake fully clothed

  

  Brazil's first lady has jumped into a lake fully clothed to save her drowning dog. Marcela Temer was walking around the presidential palace in Brasilia with her son when the family's Jack Russell, Picoly, took an interest in the water.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:42 UTC

  Putin begins his fourth six-year term promising to multiply Russia's' strength and prosperity

  

  Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in to a fourth term on Monday, extending his 18-year rule amid promises of continuity in foreign policy and renewed efforts toward building prosperity at home. During his swearing in ceremony at the gilded Andreyevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin assured Russians that his rule had “revived pride” in the country.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:38 UTC

  Italy: president proposes neutral government followed by fresh elections in 2019

  

  President Sergio Mattarella on Monday suggested the formation of a 'neutral' government to rule until the end of this year after a third round of consultations failed to produce to way out of Italy's post-election political deadlock.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:32 UTC

  Pence calls on Maduro to suspend sham elections and asks OAS to suspend Venezuela

  

  US Vice President Mike Pence on Monday urged Venezuela to suspend a divisive May 20 election he denounced as a “sham,” as Washington slapped fresh sanctions on Nicolas Maduro's regime. In an address to the Organization of American States, Pence slammed the upcoming presidential vote -- boycotted by the opposition and branded illegitimate by much of the international community.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:25 UTC

  Should we celebrate Karl Marx on his 200th birthday?

  

  By Barbara Foley (*)
  
  Some would argue that Karl Marx, author of “Capital,” has been proven wrong on just about everything he wrote. The founder of scientific socialism was born 200 years ago on May 5.

• Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 07:18 UTC

  Odebrecht corruption in Argentina: all changed when ex president Kirchner died

  

  A leading manager of the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht involved in corrupting government officials in virtually all Latin American countries revealed that millions of dollars in kickbacks were delivered in Argentina to pay for the natural gas pipelines network expansion contract.