Politics

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 17:13 UTC

  Markets up after Fed confirms it will continue with 85bn monthly bonds’ purchase

  

  US stocks extended gains in volatile trading on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve gave no hint that a reduction in the pace of its bond-buying program is imminent. In a statement following its two-day meeting, the Fed said the economy continues to recover but still needs support.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 16:54 UTC

  Slightly encouraging signs from the EU in employment and manufacturing

  

  The number of unemployed in the Euro-zone has fallen, slightly, for the first time since April 2011. The fall in June came amid brightening economic prospects, suggesting an end to the bloc’s stubborn recession.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 16:38 UTC

  US economy performance better than expected; expansion in 2012 was 2.8%

  

  The US economy grew at an annualised pace of 1.7% in the second quarter of the year, the Commerce Department has said. That was a faster pace than expected by economists. It was also up from the growth rate for the first three months of 2013, which was revised lower to 1.1% from 1.8%.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 16:34 UTC

  The Times comes strongly in support of Gibraltar’s wish to be ruled from Britain

  

  An editorial entitled ‘Spain should respect Gibraltarians’ wish to be ruled from Britain’ The Times on Tuesday sent one of its firmest views expressed in recent decades calling on Spain to form their policies around the concept of consent.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 16:17 UTC

  Vatican bank opens its books to comply with ‘honest and transparent’ promise

  

  The Vatican bank opened its web site www.ior.va on Wednesday as it steps up efforts to improve its tarnished image after a succession of financial scandals and repeated criticisms of its lack of transparency.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 06:31 UTC

  Paraguay downplays Mujica’s warning calling for a ‘pragmatic’ return to Mercosur

  

  Paraguay’s incoming government foreign policy advisor Eladio Loizaga downplayed Mercosur veiled warning calling for a quick return of the country to the block because ‘Paraguay is landlocked and needs the Parana River and the River Plate to reach the sea’.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 06:23 UTC

  Paraguay president Franco congratulates Mujica on his knowledge of geography

  

  Paraguayan president Federico Franco replied to his Uruguayan peer Jose Mujica ironic remarks saying that ‘evidently he’s good at geography; I guess he passed with the highest grades’ since he is aware that Paraguay is a landlocked ‘Mediterranean’ country.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 06:14 UTC

  UN calls on Chile to stop using anti-terrorism law against indigenous Mapuches

  

  A United Nations investigator on Tuesday urged Chile’s government to stop using an anti-terrorism law against Mapuche Indians who are fighting to recover their ancestral land.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Ecuador’s Correa pondering whether to join Mercosur or the Pacific Alliance

  

  President Rafael Correa said that the determining factor for Ecuador to join as full member of Mercosur or the Alliance of the Pacific is the ‘flexibility’ granted in certain admission conditions, taking into account the fact that Ecuador does not have a national currency.

• Wednesday, July 31st 2013 - 05:49 UTC

  In Mexico, Latam second largest economy over half the are catalogued as poor

  

  Poverty in Mexico, including extreme cases, decreased slightly between 2010 and 2012, reported the National Council for Evaluation of Social Development Policy. Official stats show that poverty in Mexico, Latam’ second largest economy went from 46.1% of the population in 2010 to 45.5% in 2012, while extreme poverty fell from 11.3% to 9.8%.