Politics

• Tuesday, March 25th 2014 - 09:25 UTC

  Malaysia officially declares that Flight MH370 crashed in the Indian Ocean

  

  The Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared over two weeks ago crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on Monday. New satellite analysis from Britain had shown that Flight MH370, with 239 people on board, was last seen in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth, Australia, he said in a statement.

• Tuesday, March 25th 2014 - 09:06 UTC

  Argentina ready to sign for the Israeli Kfir Block 60 fighter aircraft

  

  Argentina is advancing in negotiations with Israel for the purchase of the multi-purpose combat aircraft Kfir Block 60, which is supposed to replace the aging Mirage III, on service for over four decades.

• Tuesday, March 25th 2014 - 08:59 UTC

  Brazil militarizes favelas in Rio do Janeiro to guarantee 'law and order'

  

  The Brazilian government announced on Monday, 80 days before the start of the 2014 World Cup, that the military will help occupy several “favelas,” or shantytowns, in Rio de Janeiro to guarantee security in an area currently controlled by violent drug trafficking outfits where some 100,000 people live.

• Tuesday, March 25th 2014 - 08:51 UTC

  S&P downgrades Brazil’s sovereign debt rating to BBB minus

  

  Standard & Poor's cut Brazil's sovereign debt rating closer to speculative territory in a blow to President Dilma Rousseff administration. Brazil had its long-term debt rating downgraded to BBB minus, the agency's lowest investment-grade rating. S&P changed its outlook to stable from negative, meaning further downgrades are unlikely for now, which will come as a relief for both politicians in Brasilia and financial markets.The move was widely expected but the timing surprised some investors.

• Monday, March 24th 2014 - 07:03 UTC

  Chilean police cuts short mass protest that turned violent

  

  A mass protest was cut short in Santiago, Chile, after police dispersed activists with tear gas and water cannon. According to protest organizers over 150,000 people had gathered in the city center to urge newly-elected President Michelle Bachelet to push ahead with her reform program.

• Monday, March 24th 2014 - 07:00 UTC

  Venezuela's state prosecutor says security forces have 'committed excesses'

  

  Venezuela's top state prosecutor has affirmed that security forces had committed “excesses” in breaking up nearly two months of opposition protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro that have left at least 34 dead

• Monday, March 24th 2014 - 06:55 UTC

  Brazil, France and Mexico to file papers before the US Supreme Court in support of Argentina

  

  Brazil, France and Mexico are expected to file papers in the US Supreme Court on Monday backing Argentina in its legal battle with bondholders who refused to take part in debt restructurings from the country's 2002 default, according to a source familiar with the litigation.

• Monday, March 24th 2014 - 06:52 UTC

  Spain mourns the loss of the man who played a key role in the transition to democracy

  

  Former Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez, who played a key role in Spain's transition to democracy, died in Madrid on Sunday. He was 81. The former premier was hospitalized last Monday with respiratory problems related to Alzheimer's, his family said.

• Monday, March 24th 2014 - 06:47 UTC

  EU/Mercosur still in the cold but committed to reach an agreement in coming months

  

  The European Union and Mercosur held last Friday in Brussels the technical meeting, as was scheduled to assess the state of negotiations for a long delayed and ambitious association and trade agreement, but concluded with no calendar for the exchange of tariff reduction proposals, which is central to the discussions.

• Sunday, March 23rd 2014 - 09:43 UTC

  Federal troops to Rio do Janeiro to try and contain attacks against the police

  

  The government in Brazil says it will send federal troops to Rio de Janeiro to help deal with a spate of violent attacks targeting the city's police. The decision came after the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Sergio Cabral, asked President Dilma Rousseff for government support ahead of the football World Cup in June.