Politics

• Wednesday, November 27th 2013 - 06:43 UTC

  Sound fiscal policy is new target of Brazilian economy: subsidies to be lessened

  

  Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Tuesday the government will remove some subsidies and delay tax breaks to keep the country's fiscal policy sound. Likewise the state development bank, BNDES, will stop funding lines for regional government next year.

• Wednesday, November 27th 2013 - 06:35 UTC

  YPF shares and Buenos Aires market soar to record highs on announcement of agreement with Repsol

  

  Argentina's Merval benchmark stock index climbed 3% on Tuesday to finish at a record high of 5,696.2 points, following a strong hike in YPF and Edenor stocks. YPF shares soared 11%, while electricity distributor Edenor saw prices close 19% up at the end of trading.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 20:55 UTC

  Chile turns left again

  

  By R Viswanathan (*) The Leftist coalition candidate Michelle Bachelet won 47% of the votes in the presidential elections held on 17 November while her rightist rival Evelyn Matthei got just 25% votes.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 20:41 UTC

  UK and EU have not been firm enough with Spain, claims former Royal Navy chief

  

  Current events in Gibraltar and the continued incursions by Spanish vessels in the Rock's territorial waters were addressed in a strong piece in the Daily Telegraph by the former head of the Royal Navy, Lord Admiral West. This follows calls from British MPs last week for pressure to be brought on Spain within the context of NATO.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 20:34 UTC

  Spain prepared to take UK to the EU Court of Justice over Gibraltar waters

  

  Spain’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, said Spain would take the UK to the European Court of Justice if the European Commission failed to take action over reclamation works in Gibraltar waters.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 20:27 UTC

  EU/US/UK ambassadors openly support Paraguayan prosecutors investigating corruption and abuse in Congress

  

  The United States, European Union and UK ambassadors in Asuncion openly expressed their support for Paraguay prosecutors that have been threatened by members of Congress because they insist in investigating lawmakers that are allegedly involved in corruption cases.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 20:17 UTC

  Pope Francis condemns unfettered capitalism as a ”new tyranny' and calls for renewed Church

  

  Pope Francis called for renewal of the Roman Catholic Church and attacked unfettered capitalism as “a new tyranny”, urging global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality in the first major work he has authored alone as pontiff.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 19:35 UTC

  Brazilian leading daily calls for a review of Mercosur, which 'is not working'

  

  Brazil's influential daily O'Globo called for a drastic change in the country's approach to trade policy arguing that “without a review, Mercosur does not work” and reveals that the latest signals from Argentina are that it is reluctant to reach a free trade and cooperation agreement in the framework of Mercosur with the European Union.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 10:04 UTC

  “Corruption is the thief of economic and social development”, says UN

  

  The world's largest biennial gathering of delegates in the global fight against corruption opened in Panama on Monday with the United Nations top crime fighter warning that the scourge not only hobbles sustainable development but generates other crimes.

• Tuesday, November 26th 2013 - 09:17 UTC

  Overseas Territories meeting begins in London with a speech from Minister Simmonds

  

  The annual Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) which brings together political leaders from the Overseas Territories and UK Ministers takes off in London on Tuesday, hosted by the FCO Minister for the Overseas Territories Mark Simmonds MP.