Politics

• Tuesday, February 5th 2013 - 16:51 UTC

  Ecuador: two killed in political rally; Correa leads comfortably re-re-election bid

  

  A campaign rally for Ecuador's president Rafael Correa turned deadly Monday night when a man stabbed and killed two people, state media reported. At least four others were injured at the event that President Correa was expected to arrive at moments later, the state news agency ANDES said.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2013 - 02:58 UTC

  Brazilian congress challenges Justice: votes graft suspects to key posts

  

  The lower chamber of Brazilian Congress voted overwhelmingly on Monday for Henrique Alves to become its speaker, even though he is under investigation for graft. The selection of Alves came after the Senate chose a new leader who is also accused of corruption.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2013 - 02:08 UTC

  Widespread football match fixing and criminal network uncovered by Europol

  

  A major investigation involving Europol and police teams from 13 European countries has uncovered an extensive criminal network involved in widespread football match-fixing. A total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix more than 380 professional football matches.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2013 - 01:49 UTC

  US government to sue Standard & Poor’s over 2007 mortgage-bonds assessments

  

  Standard & Poor's says it is to be sued by the US government over the credit ratings agency's assessment of mortgage bonds before the financial crisis. The civil lawsuit would focus on S&P high ratings in 2007 for some mortgage-backed securities that later collapsed in value, said the agency.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2013 - 00:24 UTC

  Argentine leaders’ ‘creative lies’ according to a leading Italian newspaper

  

  A leading Italian newspaper has published a very critical piece on Argentina, its honesty and what it describes as the succession of ‘creative lies’ in the country’s recent history going back to the myth about Evita Peron, the blood thirsty generals, Maradona, Carlos Menem one peso/one dollar, Cristina Kirchner and the latest the clash with the IMF over manipulation of official inflation and GDP stats.

• Monday, February 4th 2013 - 23:50 UTC

  Hague ‘open’ to Timerman but if talks refer to Falklands, Islanders should be present

  

  Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday that he continues ‘open’ to a meeting with his peer from Argentina, Hector Timerman, although he insisted that if the talks refer to Falklands’ issues, representatives from the Islands should be present.

• Monday, February 4th 2013 - 22:10 UTC

  Argentina will never accept the right to self determination for the people of Malvinas

  

  Argentina without the Malvinas Islands is an “incomplete country”, and the right to self determination is a ‘flag’ Argentina “will never allow to be used by whom were the basis of the largest empire history has recorded”, said Minister Hector Timerman on his arrival on Monday to London.

• Monday, February 4th 2013 - 22:05 UTC

  Timerman in London insists in meeting Hague, ‘the two alone’ without Falklands’ representatives

  

  Foreign minister Hector Timerman is in London and has reiterated his request and willingness to hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague, “the two alone, to address numerous issues of the bilateral and multilateral agenda”, says a letter from Argentine Ambassador Alicia Castro dated February 4 addressed to the Foreign Office and made public in Buenos Aires.

• Monday, February 4th 2013 - 05:23 UTC

  “Right and proper” Islanders are involved in meetings that concern the Falklands

  

  The Foreign Office has reiterated its concern about the Argentine’s government behaviour towards the Falkland Islanders and considers it ‘right and proper’ that they should be involved in the part of those meetings with Argentina that concern the Islands.

• Monday, February 4th 2013 - 05:18 UTC

  Argentine central bank reserves at their lowest level since December 2007

  

  Argentina’s central bank reported that at the end of January it had reserves totalling 42.65 billion dollars which is the lowest level since President Cristina Fernandez took office in December 2007. At the time the central bank international reserves totalled 46.2 billion dollars. Only in April 2007 were reserves at a lower level, 38.6bn dollars.