Politics

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 22:12 UTC

  EC concludes fact-finding mission in Gibraltar/Spain border; tax fraud was not in agenda

  

  European Commission said that it had received no “official, specific” complaint alleging tax fraud in Gibraltar, despite Spain’s repeated accusations against the Rock. Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly made the clear statement as he reminded reporters that allegations of tax evasion had not formed part of Wednesday’s fact-finding mission to the border.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 22:01 UTC

  Mujica inclined to support UPM pulp production expansion but conditioned to environment improvements

  

  Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica anticipated that his intention is to authorize the UPM pulp mill to expand production, as the Finnish company had requested, but conditioned to certain additional environmental measures, which will not be made public until talks with Argentine president Cristina Fernandez on Monday.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 21:52 UTC

  “Appalling conditions” for workers readying the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar

  

  Qatar 2022 World Cup organisers say they are “appalled” by the findings of an investigation into the treatment of migrant workers in the country. The Guardian reported Nepalese workers in Qatar “face exploitation and abuses that amount to modern-day slavery”.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 12:42 UTC

  “Uruguay does not need money, we need talent”, Mujica tells Vice-president Biden

  

  Uruguay “does not need money; we need talent, students that complete their formation in the US and return to Uruguay to share and invest their knowledge” president Jose Mujica told US Vice-president Jose Biden during an hour long meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 08:10 UTC

  Uruguay planning a fluvial outpost next to a pulp mill questioned by Argentina

  

  The Ministry of Defence and the Navy share the dream of having a fluvial outpost at the head of the San Martin bridge” which links Uruguay with Argentina, said Uruguayan Defence minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro following a joint forces exercise denominated ‘Turbulent River’ involving land, naval forces and air support.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 08:04 UTC

  Pulp mill UPM waiting for a reply from Mujica on its production expansion request

  

  Uruguay’s largest pulp mill UPM announced that it will be making final checks of the plant’s equipment in the rest of the week, following on annual maintenance work, but production is not scheduled to resume until the Finnish company receives a reply from President Jose Mujica regarding the output expansion request.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 07:30 UTC

  Malvinas/Falklands joint claims: Spain denies Timerman, calls UK a “friend”

  

  The Spanish government denied having agreed with Argentina on joint measures to press Great Britain for Malvinas Islands and Gibraltar sovereignty claims, as had been reported earlier on Thursday by Argentina’s foreign minister Hector Timerman, and described the UK as a friend country.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 07:26 UTC

  Uruguay is much respected in international affairs, said President Mujica

  

  Uruguay’s voice is much respected in international affairs and this can be attributed to the country’s foreign policy, although ‘it’s not only a merit of this administration but a long term achievement’, said President Jose Mujica on Thursday in a brief exchange with the media delegation covering events in New York.

• Friday, September 27th 2013 - 05:47 UTC

  Argentina and Iran meet on Saturday to address the Jewish community bombing

  

  Argentine foreign minister Hector Timerman has confirmed that he will meet Iranian counterpart Javadi Zarif, in a talk designed to throw light on the current status of the AMIA agreement. The meeting coincides with the announcement that the six major powers and Iran have agreed to meet in Geneva next month for further talks on resolving the standoff with Tehran on its nuclear program.

• Thursday, September 26th 2013 - 22:43 UTC

  Argentina appeals Judge Griesa ruling stating central bank reserves are ‘seizable’ for certain purposes

  

  New York Judge Thomas Griesa has ruled against Argentina's request to dismiss a lawsuit over the Central Bank (BCRA) reserves, which if upheld could allow holdout creditors to seize assets belonging to the country.