Politics

• Thursday, October 13th 2011 - 05:37 UTC

  US congress moves to block development loans to Argentina

  

  United States lawmakers are trying to block development loans to Argentina and seek out allies to pressure President Cristina Fernandez to settle with holders of defaulted debt in exchange for funding development banks.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 21:28 UTC

  Slovakia parties agree to vote for Euro rescue plan, and advance elections

  

  Parties in Slovakia's fallen government struck a deal with the leftist opposition Wednesday to ratify a plan to bolster the Euro zone's rescue fund by Friday, effectively ending a crisis that had threatened the currency's main safety net.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 21:26 UTC

  EC president calls for decisive action on Euro banks recapitalization and Greece

  

  The president of the European Commission called Wednesday for EU leaders to bring forward the introduction of a permanent rescue mechanism for states to mid-2012 from mid-2013 and called for more rigorous capital standards for banks.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 21:25 UTC

  Argentine president improving from hypotension bout resumes activities Thursday

  

  President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner showed “improvement” after suffering from a bout of hypotension Tuesday and will resume presidential activities as of Thursday, said doctors from the Government House.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 06:39 UTC

  Falklands Desire Petroleum and Rockhopper reach farm-out agreement and on new drillings

  

  Falkland Islands Desire Petroleum plc announced Wednesday that it has agreed the terms of a farm-out agreement, subject to the approval of the Falkland Islands Government, with Rockhopper Exploration PLC over the northern section of its Tranche D (PL004) licence.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 06:00 UTC

  Colombia supports Palestinian state, but insists negotiations with Israel are crucial

  

  Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas left Colombia empty-handed Tuesday after failing to secure support from President Juan Manuel Santos for his bid to gain state recognition at the United Nations.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 05:58 UTC

  Uruguayan president on ten-day European trade and business tour

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica left on Tuesday for a ten day visit to Europe that will take him to Sweden, Norway, Germany and Belgium, where he is expected to promote trade, investments and economic development.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 05:56 UTC

  Great moment for Latin America but “beware of complacency”

  

  Latin America is going through a “great moment” but can’t be complacent when the European Union and the US are facing major challenges, and the region must definitively address the large integration challenges, warned Enrique García, head of the Andean Promotion Corporation, CAF.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 05:54 UTC

  Mapuche Indians mourn the day Columbus set foot in the Americas

  

  More than then thousand people marched in the Chilean capital Santiago in support of the indigenous Mapuche people. The protest marked the 519th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, the start of the Spanish conquest.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2011 - 05:52 UTC

  Football star says Brazil “can’t become a slave of FIFA”

  

  Brazil football star Romario has said FIFA must not be allowed to dictate changes to Brazilian law ahead of the World Cup in 2014. Romario, who is now a congressman, said laws that guarantee half-price tickets to students and pensioners should not be swept away.