Politics

• Thursday, June 28th 2012 - 07:43 UTC

  German cabinet approves plan to balance federal budget three years earlier

  

  As was anticipated and ahead of a crucial European Union leaders summit Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet approved on Wednesday a spending plan that balances Germany’s federal budget three years earlier than required by its own rules.

• Thursday, June 28th 2012 - 07:37 UTC

  Paraguay manufacturers support the country’s expulsion from Mercosur

  

  Paraguay’s head of the Industrial Union Eduardo Felippo said that he’s supportive of the possibility that the country is excluded from Mercosur, adding that “the rest of the members are going to lose more money than us”

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 21:56 UTC

  Brazil going “to bus” its way out of the economic slowdown

  

  The Brazilian government plans to buy over a third of the country’s output of buses and reduce borrowing costs for state-funded investments to a record as part of a new round of measures to revive stalled growth.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 20:36 UTC

  The man who steered Greece into the Euro zone is back on the helm

  

  The Greek government has appointed a new finance minister after its first choice resigned due to ill health less than a week after being appointed. Economist Yannis Stournaras has now been appointed, the government said.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 20:24 UTC

  Bolivian police return to work with a first main job: contain an indigenous march

  

  Bolivia's police ended a violent mutiny and went back to work on Wednesday after reaching an accord with government ministers and the police leadership on pay and disciplinary rules, satisfying lower-ranking officers who had rejected a previous deal.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 18:43 UTC

  “A parliamentary system would not work in Argentina”, says chief Justice

  

  The head of Argentina’s Supreme Court Ricardo Lorenzetti played down the possibility of a parliamentary system in the country because it would represent an “upturn of 180 degrees”, besides there is no clear initiative to reform the constitution.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 17:30 UTC

  Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with former IRA commander McGuinness

  

  Britain's Queen Elizabeth shook the hand of former Irish Republican Army (IRA) commander Martin McGuinness for the first time on Wednesday, drawing a line under a conflict that cost the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians, including that of her cousin.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 17:19 UTC

  Uruguay’s fiscal performance exposed to “political limitations”, says S&P report

  

  Risk rating agency Standard & Poor’s praised Uruguay’s fiscal moderation in the last eight years since the budget’s fiscal deficit has been below 2% of GDP but criticized the “political limitations” which impede the achievement of a better performance.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 17:15 UTC

  Paraguay accuses Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay of a new “Triple Alliance”

  

  The new Paraguayan government claimed before the Organization of American States, OAS, that Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are again involved in a “Triple Alliance” to have the country ousted from the inter-American organization as is happening with Mercosur and Unasur.

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 08:48 UTC

  Venezuela on the campaign trail: “President Chavez, only second to God”

  

  Political ads exalting Venezuela's populist President Hugo Chávez as second only to God have offended opponents and added further controversy to an already spicy presidential election campaign.