Politics

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 11:36 UTC

  Obama will visit Francis March 27; both leaders have pledged to tackle gap between rich and poor

  

  US President Barack Obama plans to visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican in March during a trip to Europe, the White House has announced. Obama is scheduled to meet with the pope on March 27 in a trip that will include stops in the Netherlands, Belgium and other parts of Italy, it said in a statement.

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 11:29 UTC

  Uruguay warns trade negotiations with EU could leave “a Mercosur member out”

  

  Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro said it should not come as a surprise if the negotiations for a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union does not include all four original full members and leaves one out, although the objective is for all members to be part of the accord.

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 11:19 UTC

  Malvinas: Timerman happy because region summit will state that the Islands are Argentine

  

  Argentina is looking forward to the coming Celac summit because there will be an overwhelming acknowledgement that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine and the need for bilateral negotiations, as well as a unanimous rejection of the US blockade on Cuba, said Foreign minister Hector Timerman.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 19:12 UTC

  Falkland Islands Government Press Release: Visiting footballer Ardiles in a road taffic collision

  

  Ex-Tottenham Hotspurs player, Ossie Ardiles, was involved in a single vehicle road traffic collision (RTC) on the Darwin to Stanley road shortly after 1900hours on Monday 20th January 2014. Mr Ardiles is here filming part of a documentary on his football career for ESPN, alongside his friend and fellow Spurs star, Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Villa. Ossie’s son Federico Ardiles also joins the group.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 19:05 UTC

  Argentine former soccer player Ardiles is 'doing fine' and thanks Falkland Islanders

  

  Ex-Tottenham Hotspur player, Ossie Ardiles injured in a road accident in the Falkland Islands yesterday has thanked Falkland Islanders for their help

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:43 UTC

  Argentina in France trying to work out a debt deal with the Paris Club

  

  Desperately credit-short Argentina outlined on Monday its conditions for repaying some 9.5 billion dollars in debt to the Paris Club, a senior official at the group of creditor nations said, as the government of President Cristina Fernandez seeks to revive long-stalled talks. Argentina's international reserves have fallen to its lowest level since 2006.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:38 UTC

  Less incursions into Gibraltar waters by Spanish vessels: “a slight change of attitude”

  

  A drop in the number of incursions by Spanish state vessels into British Gibraltar territorial waters could signal “a slight change in attitude” in Madrid, a British Government minister said on Monday. The observation was made during a question and answer session in the House of Lords in which there was evident cross-party support for Gibraltar in the face of pressure from Spain, reports Gibraltar's Chronicle.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:24 UTC

  Mujica says Mercosur is 'seriously impaired” and admits resignation in relations with Argentina

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said that Mercosur is “seriously impaired” but it also has its strong points, and the fact Paraguay resumes full membership is very positive. Mujica was interviewed by a government financed newspaper, La República and again referred to the postponed Mercosur summit and the deteriorated relations with Argentina.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 14:55 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil with the largest and fastest growing fiscal pressure in Latam

  

  Argentina’s tax revenue was at last count the largest and fastest growing in the region, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) revealed on Monday. At 37.3%, the latest tax revenue-to-GDP data put Argentina ahead of Brazil, with tax revenue worth 36.3% of its GDP in 2012 — and a few percentage points above the average for OECD countries at 34.6%.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 13:37 UTC

  Brazilian shopping malls requesting help from government to contain 'weekend flash mobs'

  

  Brazilian retailers said they were seeking support from President Dilma Rousseff after several shopping malls were closed to stop weekend flash mobs. Scores of youths, brought together via social media, gathered at upscale malls in several major cities, including Rio and business hub Sao Paulo.