Politics

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 10:08 UTC

  Paraguayan president visits Spain and the OAS where he has ample support

  

  Paraguay’s president Federico Franco has arrived in Madrid, a special guest of his peer Mariano Rajoy with whom he will be holding talks at the Moncloa Palace. Rajoy is particularly interested in showing his support for President Franco and Paraguay that have been suspended from Mercosur and Unasur because of the removal by Congress, following political impeachment of Fernando Lugo.

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:55 UTC

  Venezuela auctions dollars; value is estimated at double the official rate

  

  Venezuelan government foreign currency auction for local importers has triggered de-facto currency devaluation, the second in less than 50 days, analysts said. Venezuela has had strict currency exchange controls since 2003 in an attempt to halt capital flight, under which the government sold limited amounts of foreign currency at an official rate.

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:46 UTC

  Cyprus depositors over 100.000 Euros could lose 60% of their savings

  

  Bank of Cyprus depositors with more than 100.000 Euros could lose up to 60% of their savings as part of an EU-IMF bailout restructuring move, officials say. The central bank says 37.5% of holdings over 100.000 Euros will become shares.

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:38 UTC

  IMF board of directors continues to support Christine Lagarde

  

  International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, whose Paris apartment was searched by police March 20 in a case involving businessman Bernard Tapie, retains the backing of the board of directors, an IMF spokesman said.

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:32 UTC

  Opposition admits it will be hard to beat Chancellor Merkel in September

  

  Germany's two main opposition parties traded warnings against joining forces with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives after September's election if they fail to win their own left-of-centre majority.

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:27 UTC

  Italian president confirms PM Monti until a new government can be formed

  

  Italian President Giorgio Napolitano ruled out standing down early to make way for new parliamentary elections, following the failure of attempts to form a government this week. He stressed that Prime Minister Mario Monti retained full authority at the head of a caretaker administration until a new government can be formed

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:13 UTC

  Cameron and Rajoy scheduled to meet this month, says Madrid media

  

  The prime ministers of Spain and Britain will meet in Madrid during the second week of April, according to a weekend report in ABC. The article said the meeting between Mariano Rajoy and David Cameron would centre primarily on the Euro-zone crisis.

• Monday, April 1st 2013 - 09:05 UTC

  Unasur calls on all sides involved to ensure peace and security in the Korean peninsula

  

  The Union of South American Nations, Unasur expressed deep concern and called on all sides involved to ensure the preservation of peace and security in the Korean peninsula.

• Saturday, March 30th 2013 - 10:15 UTC

  Falkland Islands: More stunts can be expected from Argentina says visiting diplomat

  

  “I THINK there is no doubt that the Argentine Government will continue to look for opportunities to pull stunts of one kind or another.”
  The speaker was Dr Peter Hayes, the Director of the FCO’s Overseas Territories Directorate who was paying a short visit to the Falkland Islands last week.

• Thursday, March 28th 2013 - 11:58 UTC

  Falkland Islands “close to the hearts” of Chileans, says Punta Arenas British consul

  

  A reception was held at the Falkland Islands Government House in honour of the Honorary British Consul in Punta Arenas, John Rees MBE, who is currently visiting the Islands at the invitation of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.