Politics

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 09:37 UTC

  Over five million Spaniards out of a job; recession forecasted in 2012 first quarter

  

  Spain’s unemployment total has passed the five million mark, with the jobless rate shooting up from 21.5% to 22.8%, which represents something like one out of four workers don’t have a job.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 09:28 UTC

  Balloon tests for indefinite re-election of President Cristina Fernandez

  

  The possibility of a constitutional amendment to allow Argentine President Cristina Fernandez a third consecutive mandate is being seriously considered and publicly hailed and tested by her most ultra-orthodox followers although no projects have been presented to Congress.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 09:22 UTC

  PM Cameron repeats ‘re-colonization’ argument for Gibraltar and Spain

  

  Repeating his recent statement regarding the Falkland Islands and Argentina, British Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK backed Gibraltar’s right to self determination and that to go against the wishes of its people would amount to “re-colonisation”.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 09:20 UTC

  Gibraltar Tripartite dialogue dead, announces Spanish Vice president

  

  Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Margallo has sent a letter to his UK counterpart William Hague responding to Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks on self-determination.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 07:14 UTC

  Mercosur is stalled: nobody comes knocking on the door, says Mujica

  

  Uruguay's President José Mujica said that Mercosur bloc is “stalled” and has no natural institutional operation to push other countries to express their willingness to enter it plus lacking the fluidity of a natural relationship.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 07:05 UTC

  Argentine organized labour on the war path anticipates ‘many conflicts’ in salary negotiations round

  

  Argentine organized labour, CGT, sent over the week end strong messages to the government of President Cristina Fernandez a day after their leader Hugo Moyano in a comeback speech called government official pre-programmed ‘teacher’s pets” and anticipated a complicated round of salary negotiation with many ‘possible conflicts’.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 07:03 UTC

  Merkel under pressure on the Euro from allies and her conservative coalition

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to deflect growing international pressure on Germany to agree an increase in the Euro zone's bailout funds by saying talks were still continuing.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 06:57 UTC

  Violent clashes and massive arrests in California; big battle expected Monday in Washington DC

  

  In the best Latin American or European tradition more than 400 anti-Wall Street protesters were arrested in Oakland during a night of violent skirmishes in which police fired tear gas and bean bag projectiles, the city said on Sunday, marking one of the biggest mass arrests since nationwide economic protests began last year.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 06:36 UTC

  Raul Castro’s political reforms remain an announcement

  

  President Raul Castro defended Cuba's one-party political system as a bulwark against US imperialism and said it would remain as it is in a speech on Sunday to a Communist Party conference.

• Monday, January 30th 2012 - 06:25 UTC

  Contruction of St Helena airport begins next May, should be ready in 48 months

  

  The Argentina press announced on Sunday the construction of an airport in the middle of the Atlantic Island of St Helena, a British Overseas Territory and which would become a crucial hopping point for the Falklands/UK air bridge.