Politics

• Friday, July 29th 2011 - 06:25 UTC

  Rio’s Maracana stadium will host the 2014 World Cup final

  

  Rio de Janeiro's famous Maracaná stadium will host the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke indicated Thursday, pending formal ratification of the decision at FIFA executive committee meeting in October.

• Friday, July 29th 2011 - 06:22 UTC

  President Cristina Fernandez “disregards and looks down on the rural sector”

  

  A respected reference in Argentine politics, Senator Carlos Reutemann came out strongly this week in support of farmers saying that the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, (CFK), “disregards and looks down on the rural sector”.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:53 UTC

  Paraguay president cancels activities and is flown to Brazil for cancer check-up

  

  Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo travelled to Brazil on Thursday bringing forward a routine check-up following his cancer treatment last year and cancelling a planned trip to Peru due to a severe cold.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:23 UTC

  Top IMF official joins White House as special assistant on international economic affairs

  

  International Monetary Fund's external relations director Caroline Atkinson resigned Thursday after being appointed the as a White House special assistant to the president for international economic affairs.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 20:03 UTC

  EU population reached 502.5 million; Ireland, UK with highest birth rates

  

  The population of the European Union reached 502.5 million on 1 January 2011 according to data provided by the statistical office of the European Union. This is one million and a half more than a year ago.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:42 UTC

  Argentina-Brazil summit in Brasilia to discuss trade and political coordination

  

  Brazilian Foreign Affairs minister Antonio Patriota said that trade talks is one of several points in the bilateral agenda, ‘but not the most important’, next Friday when Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner visits her Brazilian peer Dilma Rousseff.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:32 UTC

  Venezuela remains committed to compensate oil companies, says minister

  

  Venezuela said it remains committed to compensating Exxon-Mobil and Conoco-Phillips for nationalized oil assets, as long as the amount is reasonable and either settle by mutual agreement or set by the World Bank’s arbitration panel.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:14 UTC

  Humala takes office in Peru with a balancing act on promises and the cabinet

  

  Former nationalist military officer Ollanta Humala will take office next Thursday as the next president of Peru, one of the fastest growing economies in the world but with almost half the population living in poverty.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:04 UTC

  Peruvian president counts with the support of 68 out of 130 benches in Congress

  

  A working alliance of 68 members in the one-chamber Congress of 130 benches will be supporting the government of Peruvian president-elect Ollanta Humala who is to be sworn in on Thursday 28 July.

• Thursday, July 28th 2011 - 11:00 UTC

  All South American presidents, except Chavez and Lugo, present in Lima

  

  All South American presidents with the exception of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez under chemotherapy treatment, and Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo, who cancelled at last moment following medical instructions, will be present at Thursday swearing in ceremony of Peruvian president-elect Ollanta Humala.