Politics

• Thursday, January 24th 2013 - 05:58 UTC

  LatinFocus forecasts regional GDP to expand 3.7% and average inflation 6.6%

  

  LatinFocus Consensus Forecast panellists expect regional GDP to expand 3.7% this year, following an estimated 2.9% increase recorded in 2012. The stable figure reflects rosier prospects for Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, which were offset by downward revisions to Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.

• Thursday, January 24th 2013 - 05:44 UTC

  EU tells PM Cameron that ‘cherry picking” and “a la carte” membership is not on the table

  

  Germany and France have warned UK Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain cannot pick and choose EU membership terms after he pledged a referendum. PM Cameron said a poll would be held if the Conservatives were returned to power at the next general election, which is expected in 2015.

• Thursday, January 24th 2013 - 01:14 UTC

  Brazilian industry claims Mercosur is ‘paralyzed’ and blasts Argentina’s ‘illegal barriers’ on trade

  

  Brazil’s powerful manufacturers’ lobby openly criticized the “illegal barriers” imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez on Brazilian produce, and also lashed at President Dilma Rousseff for her administration’s “permissive attitude” towards Buenos Aires, a position that has “paralyzed Mercosur”.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 23:58 UTC

  EU wooing Latinamerica that is focused on China, now its leading trade partner

  

  Several European leaders among which the president of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the head of EU diplomacy Catherine Ashton are touring several Latinamerican countries with the purpose of strengthening relations with a region in full development but which lately has been increasingly focused on China.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 09:21 UTC

  Davos 2013 expects less crisis management and a more dynamic vision

  

  The world's political and business elite gather in the snow-covered resort of Davos from Wednesday, aiming to instil some confidence in the global economy amid tentative signs of recovery.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 09:15 UTC

  West Indies doctor appointed new director for WHO Americas Region

  

  The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board, currently holding its 132nd session in Geneva, has appointed Dr Carissa Etienne as the new Regional Director for WHO's Americas Region (WHO/AMRO), following her nomination by the Regional Committee for the Americas in September 2012.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 09:09 UTC

  Prince Harry completes successful tour of duty as Apache pilot in Afghanistan

  

  Prince Harry, known as Captain Wales in the British military, has departed Afghanistan with his squadron after a successful tour as an Apache pilot. He operated as part of the Joint Aviation Group which provides helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces operating throughout Regional Command (South West) in Helmand province.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 09:02 UTC

  South Georgia implements additional measures to safeguard Marine Protected Area

  

  The United Kingdom Minister for the Overseas Territories Mark Simmonds welcomed the announcement of a set of additional measures to safeguard the sustainable-use Marine Protected Area (MPA) around the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 08:51 UTC

  Republicans prepared to vote a four-month extension of US borrowing capacity

  

  Republican leaders in the US House of Representatives have scheduled a vote on Wednesday on a nearly four-month extension of US borrowing capacity, but the bill does not specify a dollar amount.

• Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 - 08:24 UTC

  Piñera prepared to grant constitutional recognition to Chile’s indigenous groups

  

  Chilean President Sebastian Piñera pledged to work with “maximum urgency” on a bill that would grant constitutional recognition to the country's indigenous groups. Piñera also announced the creation of an indigenous peoples' council that fully represents “their history, traditions, culture” and via which “they could raise their strong and clear voice about their future.”