Politics

• Wednesday, March 23rd 2016 - 02:50 UTC

  Cuban dissidents meet for almost two hours with Obama, including some critical of US policy

  

  Leading Cuban dissidents, including some who have been critical of president Barack Obama's policy of engaging with the Cuban government, spent nearly two hours on Tuesday discussing human rights with the president at the US embassy. The frank meeting ended only when Obama’s aides ushered him out to reach the Estadio Latinoamericano in time for the first pitch of the Cuban national baseball team's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Wednesday, March 23rd 2016 - 02:14 UTC

  Obama magic: from Cuba next to Castro, calls for an end to US embargo and for free and democratic elections

  

  Crowning a remarkable visit to Cuba, United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared an end to the “last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas” and openly urged the Cuban people to pursue a more democratic future for their nation 90 miles from Miami. He also sent a strong message to his critics back in the US.

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2016 - 15:58 UTC

  Unveiling China's power struggle: 'princeling' Xi pushing aside collective leadership

  

  By Gwynne Dyer
  
  
  Opening the National People's Congress in Beijing, Prime Minister Li Keqiang set China's growth target for the coming year at 6.5-7 per cent, the lowest in decades. Only two years ago, he said 7% was the lowest acceptable growth rate, but he has had to eat his words. He really isn't in charge of very much anymore.

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2016 - 02:13 UTC

  Obama scheduled to address the Cuban people on national television and meet dissidents

  

  President Barack Obama in Havana has a busy agenda scheduled for Tuesday which includes a major speech that Cuban officials said would be carried on TV. Before departing for Argentina, Obama has planned to meet with political dissidents and attend a game between Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays and Cuba's beloved national team.

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2016 - 01:40 UTC

  Obama and Castro agree to disagree, but determined to advance in “a new day”

  

  Cuban President Raul Castro directly challenged President Obama on the heels of their historic meeting in Havana on Monday to lift more restrictions on the island and return land used for the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay – as the visiting U.S. president, in turn, chided the Cuban government on democracy and human rights

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2016 - 01:35 UTC

  “Give me the name of a political prisoner, he will be released before tonight” Castro challenges US reporter

  

  Cuban President Raúl Castro sparred with US reporters on Monday over Cuba’s human-rights record, saying at one point that it was not fair to ask about prisoners in general and at another point that he would release by the end of the day anyone named as a political prisoner by a reporter.

• Saturday, March 19th 2016 - 09:13 UTC

  Brazilian situation shows division among Unasur members

  

  Unasur, the Union of South American Nations is divided on how to address the Brazilian situation: while Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia have agreed on a strong statement in support of president Dilma Rousseff, Argentina expressed 'institutional support' and Chile abstained.

• Saturday, March 19th 2016 - 08:58 UTC

  Brazilian lawmakers make an exception and begin impeachment procedure against Rousseff on Friday

  

  The Brazilian opposition parties, meeting in the Lower House of Congress sped up the impeachment process against president Dilma Rousseff by holding a session on Friday, a day that lawmakers are normally away from Brasilia.

• Saturday, March 19th 2016 - 06:54 UTC

  Lula calls for justice, claims he is a victim of “unjustified acts of violence”

  

  Embattled former Brazilian president Lula da Silva on Friday released an open letter calling for “justice” as he affirmed he is the victim of “unjustified acts of violence.”“Justice, it is only justice what I expect for me and everybody within the framework of in-force democratic rule of law,” Lula said a day after he was sworn-in as the chief of staff of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and a judge in that country issued an injunction blocking his appointment.

• Saturday, March 19th 2016 - 06:40 UTC

  Lula takes to the streets claiming there's a coup, but he is no match to the over three million of Sunday

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's supporters took to the streets on Friday to fight back at attempts to oust her, as a flurry of court battles raged over her controversial cabinet appointment of predecessor Lula da Silva. Waving the red flags of the ruling Workers' Party, (PT) tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in the country's largest city, Sao Paulo, greeting Lula with thunderous cheers when he was hoisted onto a parked truck to address the crowd.