Politics

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:37 UTC

  One trillion dollars per year plus lives is the cost of corruption in poor countries

  

  An estimated one trillion dollars a year is being taken out of poor countries and millions of lives are lost because of corruption, according to campaigners. A report by the anti-poverty organization One says much of the progress made over the past two decades in tackling extreme poverty has been put at risk by corruption and crime.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:20 UTC

  Argentina's dispute with holdouts “will not affect” Chinese investments, says Beijing

  

  The current legal dispute between Argentina and holdouts (“vulture funds”) suing the country over its defaulted bonds “will not affect” planned Chinese investments, since Argentina and China have a 'strategic association', the head of the National Commission of Development and Reform (CNDR) of China Xu Shaoshi, warned on Wednesday.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:06 UTC

  Argentina milks more US dollars from commercial banks

  

  Argentina's central bank said on Wednesday it had reduced the amount of dollars commercial banks could hold, a move that should push more greenbacks into the spot market and may give a mild boost to flagging reserves and the local Peso.

• Thursday, September 4th 2014 - 05:00 UTC

  Argentina looks to Uruguay to issue sovereign bonds and pay creditors

  

  A former chairman of Argentina's central bank board, Aldo Pignanelli considered neighboring Uruguay could be a “trustworthy” option for Argentina to issue sovereign bonds and pay creditors. Uruguay has an outstanding international reputations regarding abiding by contracts and ensuring legal security, added the Argentine banker.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 09:00 UTC

  Argentine presidential election 25 October 2015, and run-off 24 November

  

  Argentina's National Electoral Register has confirmed that the first round of presidential elections will take place on October 25 2015, with a run-off penciled in for November 24 if no candidate takes enough votes to win outright.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 06:37 UTC

  Kicillof in China to confirm loans and a much needed swap dollars

  

  Credit strapped Argentina is wooing Beijing and with this purpose Economy Minister Axel Kicillof, Planning Minister Julio De Vido and YPF oil company CEO Miguel Galuccio are currently on an official trip to China, aimed at gathering funding for public works including two dams and one nuclear power plant.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 06:29 UTC

  “Our Chavez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and we delegates,”, “hallowed be your name”

  

  Members of Venezuela's Socialist Party have rolled out a variation of the classic Christian “Lord's Prayer” to implore beloved late leader Hugo Chavez for protection from the evils of capitalism.
  “Our Chavez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and we delegates,” red-shirted delegate Maria Estrella Uribe recited at the PSUV party Congress.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 06:08 UTC

  Falklands' lawmaker highlights in Central America the Islands' political and economic stability

  

  Falkland Islands elected lawmaker Dr. Barry Elsby, concluded a two day visit to Guatemala, aimed at defending the Islanders right of self-determination, and highlighting the economic opportunities in the Islands. Member of the Legislative Assembly Dr. Elsby is in the penultimate destination of his tour, a week ago and which also included Chile, Colombia, Panama and the last stop El Salvador.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 05:55 UTC

  Australia scraps contested mining tax; major win for Abbot's conservatives

  

  Australia on Tuesday agreed to scrap a contested resources profits tax after the government struck a surprise deal with crossbench senators, including mining tycoon Clive Palmer. The Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) was introduced by the previous Labor administration in 2012, with a levy on annual profits above 70 million dollars on iron ore and coal at a rate of 30%.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 - 05:36 UTC

  Spain's unemployment remains stubbornly high: 4.5 million in August

  

  A total of 8,070 people joined Spain's jobless queues in August, the first rise in unemployment after six months of improvement, official figures released on Tuesday show. The rise means there were 4,427,930 Spaniards registered as looking for work at the country's unemployment offices at the end of August, Spain's employment ministry figures show.