Politics

Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:59 UTC
Argentina's Ferreira Rubio elected chair of Transparency International

Delia Matilde Ferreira Rubio was elected chair of Transparency International, the global anti-corruption movement, at its Annual Membership Meeting in Berlin. Rueben Lifuka was elected as vice-chair, along with seven new board members. All will serve a three-year term.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:51 UTC
May and Juncker agree “Brexit negotiations should accelerate”, but differences remain

Brexit negotiations should “accelerate over the months to come,” says a joint statement from the UK prime minister and the president of the EU Commission. Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker met in Brussels on Monday for a dinner they called “constructive and friendly”.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:41 UTC
Madrid tells Catalonia's leader he has until Thursday to comply with Spanish law

Spain’s deputy prime minister has said that Catalonia’s leader did not give an adequate response in his letter about the region’s independence and has until Thursday to comply with the country’s laws. Carles Puigdemont’s letter, issued two hours before a Monday deadline, did not clarify whether he in fact declared Catalonia’s independence from Spain. He called for talks with Spain’s government.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:35 UTC
Two Catalan independence leaders remanded and charged with sedition

A Spanish judge has remanded two key members of the Catalan independence movement in jail. Jordi Sánchez, who heads the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and Jordi Cuixart, leader of Omnium Cultural, are being held without bail while they are under investigation for sedition.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:26 UTC
Argentina's Macri Let's Change coalition “clearly predominant” ahead of Sunday's midterm elections

There is a “clear predominance” of president Mauricio Macri's “Let's Change” coalition in Argentina and in the crucial Buenos Aires province, ahead of next Sunday's (October 22) midterm elections, according to political analyst Sergio Berensztein.
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 - 11:23 UTC
Political killing of investigative reporter and government critic in Malta

A prominent blogger in the Republic of Malta, who had accused the island's government of corruption, has died in a car bomb attack, according to police. Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, was reportedly killed when the car she was driving exploded shortly after she left her home in Bidnija, near Mosta.
Monday, October 16th 2017 - 11:26 UTC
Madrid open to dialogue but Catalonia must first reject independence: clock ticking on countdown

The Spanish government will seize control of Catalonia if regional leader Carles Puigdemont gives an ambiguous reply to Madrid’s question about whether he has declared independence from Spain, the interior minister warned Saturday.
Monday, October 16th 2017 - 11:10 UTC
Maduro declares victory in 17 of 23 states; opposition demands a recount of votes

President Nicolas Maduro’s government won a landslide victory in closely watched regional elections in Venezuela, according to official results that the opposition said were “suspicious” and rejected results. Maduro’s party on Sunday apparently won governorships of 17 of the 23 states with the opposition Democratic Union Roundtable (MUD) coalition taking only five, according to the results announced by the National Elections Council.
Saturday, October 14th 2017 - 20:42 UTC
IMF: Latin America must crack down on corruption and improve governance

Latin American and Caribbean governments need to crack down on corruption in order to make their economies more durable and the benefits of growth more widespread, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday.
Saturday, October 14th 2017 - 08:30 UTC
Catalonia's leader under mounting pressure from separatist allies and Madrid

Catalonia’s leader faced mounting pressure on Friday from all sides, with hardliners in the separatist movement demanding he declare independence from Spain once and for all. Spain’s government and the European Union, on the other hand, want him to abandon the secession plans altogether.