Politics

• Monday, March 11th 2013 - 05:37 UTC

  Brazil pledges support for Venezuelan transition but takes distance from Chavez populism

  

  By leaving Venezuela before Friday’s funeral ceremony for leader Hugo Chávez, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was once again trying to chart out a more moderate signal to investors and diplomats, plus probably avoiding Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom contrary to her predecessor Lula da Silva, she has strongly criticized.

• Monday, March 11th 2013 - 05:06 UTC

  Uruguay defence minister blasts Uruguayan observers at Falklands referendum

  

  Uruguay Minister of Defence Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro described as an “enormous shame” for the country the fact that two lawmakers from the leading opposition National party travelled to the Falklands/Malvinas to participate as observers of the Sunday/Monday referendum on the Islands political status and future.

• Monday, March 11th 2013 - 04:30 UTC

  “Fantastic” Falklands’ vehicles rally in support of the referendum and UK

  

  Described as ‘fantastic’ despite the bad weather over 300 vehicles plus motorbikes, quads, old tractors and horse riders flying Falklands flags and Union Jacks turned out on Sunday in Stanley for a march along the sea front and the Liberation Monument in support of the two-day referendum on the Islands future.

• Monday, March 11th 2013 - 04:25 UTC

  Falkland Islanders vote with an eye on the US position on the dispute

  

  By Corina Goss (*) - Britain is hoping this weekend's referendum on the political status of the Falkland Islands will push the United States and other neutral governments off the fence in its territorial dispute with Argentina over the remote South Atlantic archipelago.

• Sunday, March 10th 2013 - 11:38 UTC

  PM Cameron fumble turns austerity and budget cuts policy into a national debate

  

  Prime Minister David Cameron was reprimanded by a budget watchdog for claiming that it did not see his austerity agenda as a drag on Britain's economy. In a speech on Thursday, Cameron said his deficit-cutting agenda was not responsible for the country's depressed growth rate which was instead caused by the financial crisis, the Euro zone's problems and higher oil prices - a view he said was endorsed by the independent watchdog.

• Sunday, March 10th 2013 - 11:29 UTC

  Fitch downgrades Italy’s debt rating; economy forecasted to contract 1.8% this year

  

  Ratings agency Fitch added to Italy's mounting problems this week by cutting its credit rating due to the political uncertainty after last week's election, deep recession and rising debt. Fitch lowered Italy's sovereign rating by one notch to BBB plus, with a negative outlook, raising the risk that its next ratings change will be a further downgrade.

• Sunday, March 10th 2013 - 01:56 UTC

  Argentine lawmakers to call special session to reject Falklands’ referendum

  

  The Argentine ruling coalition and opposition lawmakers have coordinated efforts to convene an extraordinary session of the Senate to draw up a unanimous rejection of the referendum taking place Sunday and Monday in the Falkland Islands

• Sunday, March 10th 2013 - 01:52 UTC

  Venezuela announces snap presidential election for April 14

  

  Venezuela announced Saturday that it will hold a presidential election to succeed late leader Hugo Chavez on April 14 after his political heir took office. The national electoral council set the date one day after Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's handpicked successor, was sworn in as acting president in a ceremony largely boycotted by the opposition, which slammed it as unconstitutional.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 22:58 UTC

  Only 15% of Argentines believe Falklands should decide their future but in UK, 88%

  

  Only 15% of Argentines think Falkland Islanders should have a say in their own future, and a quarter still believe that the islands will one day be governed from Buenos Aires, but in the UK, 88% of British people said the Islanders should have a say on who ruled them.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:57 UTC

  Maduro takes the oath as acting president and candidate for the coming elections

  

  Vice-President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in Friday as acting president of Venezuela in a ceremony held in the National Assembly in Caracas, three days after the death of President Hugo Chavez. He immediately asked the Electoral branch to decide on an election date.