Politics

• Wednesday, July 4th 2012 - 05:58 UTC

  Barclays CEO resigns as the Libor rate fixing scandal widens

  

  UK Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond suddenly quit on Tuesday over an interest rate-rigging scandal that threatens to drag in a dozen more major lenders but suggested the Bank of England had encouraged his bank to manipulate the figures

• Wednesday, July 4th 2012 - 02:53 UTC

  Partly Canadian owned South American airline on the verge of bankruptcy

  

  Uruguay’s bankrupt flagship carrier Pluna decided on Tuesday to cancel all flights during 48 hours following an announcement from the union of a two-day strike to protest working conditions and rumours of 200 redundancies.

• Wednesday, July 4th 2012 - 00:37 UTC

  Mujica confirms full support for Minister Almagro and Ambassador Pomi

  

  Even when Uruguayan president Jose Mujica assumed full responsibility for the controversial support suspending Paraguay and embracing Venezuela during the Mercosur summit, other details of events have emerged with Uruguayan ambassador Guillermo Pomi in Argentina, allegedly playing a crucial role.

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 23:52 UTC

  OAS fact-finding mission presents report to Permanent Council next Monday

  

  Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza concluded on Tuesday his fact-finding visit to Paraguay, where he headed a special mission that included OAS Permanent Representatives from Haiti, Canada; United States; Honduras and Mexico.

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 22:57 UTC

  “A coup against Mercosur” claims leading Brazilian newspaper

  

  Brazil’s conservative but influential daily O Estado de Sao Paulo dedicated the main Tuesday editorial to the Mercosur suspension of Paraguay and the entrance of Venezuela arguing that what happened at the group’s summit in Mendoza was “a coup against” the block.

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 18:56 UTC

  IMF praises Germany; suggests more stimuli to a tepid performing US economy

  

  An IMF report revealed that the German economy’s performance has been remarkable despite facing considerable headwinds and that the US recovery “remains tepid and subject to elevated downside risks.”

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 18:40 UTC

  Wales Falklands Memorial re-dedicated on the 30th anniversary of the conflict

  

  Wales' Falklands Memorial has been re-dedicated to mark the 30th anniversary of the conflict which saw 32 Welsh Guards among the fallen. The ceremony was part of the Armed Forces Day events in Cardiff and was attended by Falklands’ lawmaker Dick Sawle.

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 18:32 UTC

  Astori describes Mercosur latest decisions as “aggression and major institutional blows”

  

  “It’s a major institutional blow, maybe the most serious in the 21 years of Mercosur” said Uruguayan Vice president Danilo Astori in direct reference to the group’s decision to incorporate Venezuela with the approval of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and the absence of Paraguay.

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:31 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil deny Uruguay and insist the decision on Venezuela was unanimous

  

  Argentina underlined late Monday that the decision on the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur was “unanimously” supported by the presidents from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay during the group’s summit last Friday hosted by President Cristina Fernandez.

• Tuesday, July 3rd 2012 - 06:24 UTC

  Uruguay says it accepted Venezuela in Mercosur as part of a major negotiation

  

  The Uruguayan government said that it accepted the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur as part of a “negotiation” in which it demanded no economic sanctions on Paraguay and that is why “the last word has not been said” on the issue.