Politics

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 23:17 UTC

  Argentina writes to EU expressing “great concern” because of Spanish ban on bio-diesel

  

  The Argentine government expressed “great concern” on Monday following the decision from the Spanish government to ban bio-diesel “not produced within the European Union” from the country.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 19:22 UTC

  Brazil military police occupies favelas in Rio to prevent full fledged drugs war

  

  Brazilian police was out in full force to occupy for an indefinite period a group of favelas (shanty towns) surrounding the ‘marvellous’ city of Rio do Janeiro following the killing of the state’s most wanted drug lord.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 19:16 UTC

  Spain's ‘indignados’ promise a great turnout on first anniversary, May 15

  

  Protests of “indignados” continue in Madrid and Barcelona in spite of arrests and members of the 15-M movement have promised they will not abandon streets and plazas until after the anniversary of the first protest in Puerta del Sol a year ago on Tuesday.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 19:11 UTC

  Germany prepares to receive Hollande but insists on tight austerity measures

  

  The European Union cannot amend agreed rules on tighter fiscal discipline despite voters' rejection of austerity policies in several countries, and France's new leader must understand this, Germany's finance minister said.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 05:38 UTC

  “Interest rate has been falling not to please Dilma”, says Brazil Central bank chief

  

  The central bank remains independent and the current interest-rate cutting cycle is driven by specific economic factors, not pressure from President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s central bank President Alexandre Tombini said in an interview in the Sunday edition of O Estado de S. Paulo.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 05:26 UTC

  Queen Sofia attends “on private capacity” Coronation celebration in London

  

  The Spanish Government formally protested its “displeasure and discomfort” over the state visit of the Earl of Wessex to Gibraltar next month. But Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Garcia-Margallo nonetheless confirmed that the Spanish Queen Sofia will attend the May 18, 60th anniversary of the Coronation celebration in London, but “in a private capacity”.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 05:15 UTC

  Former Brazilian president wins Human Sciences Prize for lifetime achievement

  

  Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a Brazilian scholar turned president, has won the $1 million John W. Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Human Sciences, the United States Library of Congress plans to announce Monday.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 05:03 UTC

  German opposition wins in the most populous state and finds their “SPD Angela”

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday in an election in Germany’s most populous state, a result which could embolden the left opposition to step up attacks on her European austerity policies.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 05:00 UTC

  Town in Kent celebrates 250th anniversary of first recording of ‘sandwich’

  

  When John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, ordered beef served between slices of bread about 250 years ago he probably did not think his request would become a global convenience meal.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 04:34 UTC

  Chavez one man show to convince followers his doing fine

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez strode, sang and gave a rousing speech on Friday in a careful show of vigour after his latest cancer treatment in Cuba fanned rumours he was dying five months before an election.