Politics

• Tuesday, July 12th 2016 - 06:36 UTC

  Mercosur ever so divided plans a new meeting to decide on Venezuela´s presidency of the group

  

  Mercosur four founding members meeting in Montevideo have been unable to reach a consensus on whether to transfer, for the next six months, the group's pro tempore presidency to Venezuela and decided on a new round of talks next Thursday. Uruguay insists in complying with the charter and calendar, but Paraguay and Brazil question the current government of Venezuela's credentials for the job, and Argentina has an ambiguous position.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 10:20 UTC

  Spontaneous ovation and acknowledgement for Malvinas veterans during Bicentenary celebrations

  

  Malvinas veterans received a huge ovation and applause when they marched in Buenos Aires closing the main parade that concluded two days of festivities and speeches across Argentina to celebrate the bicentennial of the country's declaration of independence on 9 July 1816.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 07:19 UTC

  Second Chinook helicopter back in the Falklands from Afghanistan

  

  The United Kingdom has returned to the Falkland Islands one of the two Boeing Chinook heavy-lift helicopters that were withdrawn in 2006 for operational service in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) told IHS Jane's on 4 July.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 07:16 UTC

  Lord Prescott admits Iraq war was “illegal” and a “catastrophic decision”

  

  John Prescott, who was deputy prime minister when Britain went to war with Iraq in 2003, says the invasion by UK and US forces was “illegal”. Writing in the Sunday Mirror, he said he would live with the “catastrophic decision” for the rest of his life.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 06:20 UTC

  The Pound beats the Argentine Peso as worst performing currency in 2016

  

  The pound has beaten the Argentine peso to become 2016's worst performing currency after it plunged to a 31-year low in the aftermath of the decision to leave the EU. Sterling dipped below US$1.30 for the first time since 1985 in the second week after the European referendum.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 06:16 UTC

  Pope Francis appeals to “a greater Fatherland” in message to Argentina's independence bicentennial

  

  In anticipation of Argentina's Independence Day bicentenary on Saturday,( 9 July 1816), Pope Francis sent a special message calling for the homeland to fulfill the prophesy of Joel (1st chapter. 4th verse) — only if our grandparents dare to dream and our youths to prophesy great things can our homeland be free.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 06:12 UTC

  Disenchantment with Trump and Hillary makes room for an alternative candidate, shows Reuters/Ipsos poll

  

  A public opinion poll from Ipsos, contracted and publishes by Reuters shows that United States citizens demand for an alternative to the two main presidential candidates has surged since the last election, underscoring the unpopularity of Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 05:12 UTC

  Raw sewage and super-bacteria off Rio beaches threaten Olympic water competitions

  

  A group of Brazilian scientists has just discovered a drug-resistant super-bacteria growing off some of Rio de Janeiro’s beaches, with less than a month to go until the 2016 Olympic Games officially commence, which will be hosted by the city from August 5.

• Saturday, July 9th 2016 - 09:29 UTC

  Ex Guantanamo Diyab could be in Brazil, but he “is not infringing the law or on the run”

  

  Jihad Ahmad Diyab, the ex Guantanamo Syrian inmate which was liberated and given refuge in Uruguay, and apparently recently crossed the border to neighboring Brazil “has not infringed any law” and is “not on the run”, according to Christian Mirza who acts as a link between the Uruguayan government and the ex Guantanamo prisoners accepted by Uruguay at the end of 2014.

• Friday, July 8th 2016 - 09:35 UTC

  Brazil's speaker of the Lower House resigns “to help stabilize the chamber”

  

  Brazil suspended speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress resigned from his post on Thursday, saying the move was aimed at bringing stability to that legislative chamber. Eduardo Cunha still retains his seat in the Chamber of Deputies, although he could lose it as part of an internal legislative process.