Politics

Thursday, November 17th 2011 - 07:08 UTC
Mercosur is not moving but Uruguay “will not stay put licking its wounds”

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said that Mercosur “is not moving forward or backwards” but is certainly working much better than the European Union where old experienced nations “made a mess of it”. Nevertheless, Uruguay will not stay put “licking its wounds”, it will look for other trade links.
Thursday, November 17th 2011 - 06:52 UTC
US debt soars past 15tn while another political storm is brewing in Congress

The US government's debt load topped the 15 trillion dollars mark Wednesday, as politicians in Congress continued to battle over how to cut spending. Treasury figures showed the burden of federal borrowing reached 15,033,607,255,920.32, up 55.8 billion from Tuesday.
Thursday, November 17th 2011 - 03:49 UTC
Uruguay denies access to Malvinas-bound Royal Navy vessels to please Argentina

Uruguay had to stand up to a world power and deny dock access to a Royal Navy vessel on its way to the Falklands/Malvinas to retain good relations with Argentina, admitted the Uruguayan President Jose Mujica in Guadalajara where he met with members of the Uruguayan colony in Mexico.
Thursday, November 17th 2011 - 00:40 UTC
New look for Lula da Silva as he undergoes chemotherapy treatment

Brazil's ex-president Lula da Silva got a new look Wednesday, as his wife Marisa Leticia shaved off his iconic beard and his thick head of hair ahead of chemotherapy therapy for throat cancer.
Wednesday, November 16th 2011 - 21:01 UTC
Unhate campaign launches a round of kissing among world leaders

Benetton, the Italian family-controlled clothing empire, looks set to raise a few eyebrows, as it unveiled a new worldwide communication “Unhate” campaign that features political and faith leaders like Pope Benedict XVI, German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez kissing.
Wednesday, November 16th 2011 - 18:04 UTC
Italian cabinet, totally technocrat, sworn in; parties promise support for reforms

Mario Monti formed a new technocrat government in Italy Wednesday to tackle a major debt crisis threatening the entire Euro zone and said he hoped it would placate financial markets.
Wednesday, November 16th 2011 - 14:36 UTC
ECB moves in to stop sell-off of EU bonds; Obama calls for stronger political will

The European Central Bank stepped in on Wednesday to stem an accelerating sell-off of Euro zone government bonds, traders said, after the United States called for more decisive action to halt a spreading sovereign debt crisis.
Wednesday, November 16th 2011 - 14:33 UTC
Brazil says BRICS is large enough for the moment

Brazil does not want to see the BRICS group of emerging countries enlarged for the time being but demands the developing world be given a greater say in international bodies, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Wednesday, November 16th 2011 - 14:28 UTC
Argentina’s main airports activity back to normal, except for Aerolineas

Argentina’s flag carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas flights were still backed up Wednesday morning, due the weekend’s union conflicts, in addition to the volcanic ash cloud spewed by Chile’s Pueyhue volcano last week.
Wednesday, November 16th 2011 - 05:11 UTC
US will “keep reminding” Argentina it must comply with international obligations

The administration of President Barak Obama reaffirmed its decision to “keep reminding” Argentina of the need to comply with its international obligations as well as the importance of upholding an investment climate ‘transparent and fair’ that includes paying creditors, points out a piece from Buenos Aires La Nacion correspondent in Washington.