Politics

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 06:46 UTC

  Lack of political support freezes Chile’s biggest multi-dam project

  

  Chile’s biggest dam project involving 7 billion dollars and already delayed by protests over plans to flood 14,000 acres of Patagonia wilderness, suffered a fresh setback after one of its investors said the venture lacks political support to proceed.

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 06:37 UTC

  Discreet Brazilian congress: with no claimants panties are finally incinerated

  

  A pair of panties that fell out of a Brazilian legislator's pocket onto the floor of Congress two weeks ago has been burned after no one claimed them. Fifteen days ago, a group of federal deputies came running into Congress to vote on a bill related to cyber crimes, reported Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 06:35 UTC

  Greater transparency and social communication for Brazil’s central bank

  

  Brazil’s central bank created a post on its board to improve transparency and communications two weeks after President Alexandre Tombini said it’s increasingly important for central banks to provide “forward guidance” to the market.

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 02:24 UTC

  Uruguay looks to China to expand trade and services, and attract more investment

  

  Uruguay looks forward to increase trade with China in value and diversification as Beijing commands a bigger economic and cooperation role in South America, Uruguayan Foreign Minister Luis Almagro said in an interview with China Daily.

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 02:20 UTC

  Spain calls on US and IMF for political support in helping the banking system

  

  The United States and Spain discussed the possibility that direct loans from Europe's emergency fund could be a solution for ailing European banks, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said Thursday.

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 02:16 UTC

  Italy hugely exposed to the Euro-debt turmoil and to Spanish contagion

  

  Italy is hugely exposed to the risk of contagion from the debt turmoil in the euro zone, said Prime Minister Mario Monti, suggesting the European Central Bank take action to help cool borrowing costs.

• Friday, June 1st 2012 - 01:24 UTC

  Argentine top lawmaker admits having his savings in dollars “and I won’t sell them”

  

  A top Argentine lawmaker came on stage (and lost his temper) when he had to explain why his savings are in dollars after the government of President Cristina Fernandez, including him personally, launched not only strong restriction policies on dollar purchases, but told the population to forget about dollars and start thinking in pesos.

• Thursday, May 31st 2012 - 15:59 UTC

  “Self determination, only way that leads to a peaceful, permanent solution of Falklands’ dispute”

  

  Self-determination is the only solution that will lead to a permanent, peaceful solution to the Falklands’ sovereignty dispute with Argentina said Falkland Islands lawmaker Roger Edwards addressing a regional seminar of the UN Decolonization Committee in Ecuador.

• Thursday, May 31st 2012 - 06:11 UTC

  Insulza hopeful OAS assembly will reach a consensus on the Malvinas issue

  

  OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said he expects a consensus is reached on the Falklands/Malvinas issue next week when the Organization of American States general assembly, following the lack of agreement at the last Summit of the Americas in Colombia.

• Thursday, May 31st 2012 - 06:07 UTC

  Natural resources rich Brazil plans to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP

  

  Defence Minister Celso Amorim said on Wednesday Brazil’s growing need to protect its borders, the Amazon rainforest, and massive offshore oil discoveries would lead it to gradually increase defence spending by a quarter to reach roughly 2% of the country’s GDP.