Politics

• Monday, October 14th 2013 - 05:28 UTC

  Colombia peace talks stalled; government concerned with slow pace of negotiation

  

  The Colombian government and left-wing FARC rebels ended a 15th round of peace negotiations on Sunday trading accusations over responsibility for the slow pace of the talks and for the first time failing to issue a joint statement on their progress.

• Monday, October 14th 2013 - 05:25 UTC

  Catholic Church beatifies 522 priests and nuns killed by Republicans in the Spanish civil war

  

  The Roman Catholic Church in Spain has beatified 522 people, most of them priests and nuns killed by Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Thousands of people attended the outdoor event in Tarragona, presided over by a senior Vatican cardinal.

• Monday, October 14th 2013 - 05:16 UTC

  Rousseff reveals picture of infant Dilma and wishes to drive her own Harley Davidson

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is speeding up her re-election campaign trying to drop the ‘technocrat-no nonsense’ and ‘people distant’ attitudes which have been some of the main complaints about a nevertheless loveable leader.

• Sunday, October 13th 2013 - 12:14 UTC

  Bye, bye Mercosur: Brazil advances on its own in trade agreement with EU

  

  Mercosur has many internal problems and therefore it is much easier to work with Brazil, said European Commission Vice-President for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani who spent this week two days of negotiations with top officials in Brasilia.

• Sunday, October 13th 2013 - 11:57 UTC

  Venezuela arrests oil-exploration vessel in disputed waters with Guyana

  

  Guyana says the Venezuelan navy has entered its territorial waters and detained a US-operated ship. The government said the Venezuelan actions in the disputed Essequibo region constituted “a serious threat to peace in the region”.

• Sunday, October 13th 2013 - 11:51 UTC

  Chilean presidential election is between “Michelle Bachelet and I” says Evelyn Matthei

  

  Chilean presidential candidate for the ruling party Evelyn Matthei was the target of her competitors’ criticism during a televised debate in which she brushed aside hopefuls’ aspirations arguing that it was obvious that the race was between her and Michelle Bachelet, who did not participate.

• Sunday, October 13th 2013 - 11:47 UTC

  Argentina will not accept the remains of Nazi officer Erich Priebke

  

  Argentina will not accept the remains of Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke who died in Italy, officials in Buenos Aires said on Friday. Priebke died in Rome aged 100 after serving nearly 15 years under house arrest for a World War II massacre in Italy for which he never expressed remorse.

• Sunday, October 13th 2013 - 11:42 UTC

  Madrid furious with Gibraltar “lack of respect” towards Spanish law enforcement agencies

  

  The storm of protest in Spain over Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo’s speech to the UN this week showed no sign of letting up with a fresh round of political complaints and even the threat of legal action, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Sunday, October 13th 2013 - 11:38 UTC

  Council of Europe blasts Spain on law enforcement authorities’ violations

  

  Spain has been warned about the conduct of its law enforcement authorities in a new Council of Europe report. “Ill-treatment by and impunity of members of law enforcement agencies is a very serious, long-standing human rights issue for which Spain has already been condemned by international bodies” reads the study.

• Saturday, October 12th 2013 - 23:20 UTC

  Malvinas claim mentioned at 65th anniversary celebration of Anglo-Argentine Society in London

  

  Argentine ambassador in London Alicia Castro underlined the “very deep friendship and understanding links” that exist between Britain and Argentina and also reiterated the need for dialogue in the Malvinas Islands question. The occasion was the 65 anniversary of the Anglo-Argentine Society which was celebrated at the Argentine embassy in London.