Politics

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:58 UTC

  IMF sides with Obama calls on Republicans to bury political differences

  

  The International Monetary Fund urged US policymakers to support major reforms at the global lender and bury political differences over the budget to ease one source of risk to the economy and markets.

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:52 UTC

  Francis calls for a more welcoming church with priests acting as pastors and not dogmatic bureaucrats

  

  Pope Francis said the Catholic Church should not allow its bans on gay marriage, abortion and contraception to dominate its teachings, but must be a more welcoming Church where priests are understanding-pastors and not cold, dogmatic bureaucrats.

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:44 UTC

  Argentina nationalizes inter-urban train services to Cordoba and Tucumán

  

  The government of President Cristina Fernandez has given another step towards the state control of the Argentine railway system, following the nationalization of three other lines which connect the City of Buenos Aires to the provinces of Tucumán and Córdoba, passing through Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero provinces.

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:42 UTC

  Over half of Uruguayans (55%) have ‘little’ or ‘no’ interest in politics says poll

  

  A majority of Uruguayans have little or no interest in politics according and most of them are young people, poorly educated and those who consider themselves as ‘centre or centre right’, according to the results of a public opinion poll released on Thursday.

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:36 UTC

  Brazil’s Mantega becomes supporter of US stimulus and praises Fed’ last decision

  

  Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega, on Wednesday cheered the Federal Reserve's decision to leave stimulus unchanged, saying it may signal an end to market turmoil. Mantega, who gained international fame for using the term “currency wars” to describe rich nations’ efforts to lift exports by weakening their currencies, said a gradual stimulus withdrawal may boost Latin America's largest economy.

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:30 UTC

  Brazil with no labs to handle drug testing for the 2014 World Cup

  

  With one lab suspended and its replacement unfinished, Brazil won't be able to handle drug testing for the 2014 World Cup alone and is looking overseas for help. The executive director of the country's anti-doping authority said the new lab in Rio de Janeiro should be running a year before the 2016 Olympics. But, Marco Aurelio Klein added, the lab won't be ready for the World Cup next June and July.

• Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:27 UTC

  Falklands’ referendum, ‘credibility plus’ for Islanders say impressed Panamanian political delegation

  

  The Falkland Islands referendum of last March gave credibility to the Islanders’ position in their political cause according to a multi party delegation of visiting Panamanian parliamentarians, reports the latest edition of the Penguin News.

• Thursday, September 19th 2013 - 21:23 UTC

  Brazilian presidential hopeful steps down from Rousseff’s coalition

  

  Eduardo Campos, one of Brazil's most popular state governors, came one step closer to a presidential bid this week when his party withdrew from President Dilma Rousseff's seventeen parties’ coalition government. The Brazilian Socialist Party decided to pull its two ministers from Rousseff's cabinet to give Campos freedom to run in elections in October 2014.

• Thursday, September 19th 2013 - 21:09 UTC

  Merkel rejects coalition with anti-Euro party that could capture 9% of votes on Sunday

  

  A leading member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union rejected coalition talks after Sunday’s elections with the Alternative for Germany party because of its anti-euro stance.

• Thursday, September 19th 2013 - 21:04 UTC

  Gibraltar ad hoc talks could also include the EC and Andalucia, says Spanish official

  

  The European Commission is likely to be joining Gibraltar, UK, Spain and the regional authorities from Andalucía at separately held, so called, ‘ad hoc’ talks aimed at resolving fishing and environmental disputes that have dominated the summer, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle Gonzalo de Benito Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.