Politics

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 22:41 UTC

  Brazil’s (5%) Transport minister resigns following allegations of corruption

  

  Brazil's transport minister became the latest top official to quit because of corruption allegations, adding to the recent struggles of President Dilma Rousseff's six-month-old government.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 22:35 UTC

  Peruvian president-elect promises full support for a ‘strengthened’ OAS

  

  Peruvian president elect Olland Humala said on Wednesday he wants a “strengthened” Organization of American States, OAS, because Peru “fully supports the organization”. Humala is currently visiting United States where he was also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 22:18 UTC

  In nine months “from chronically depressed puppet to head-slicing machine”

  

  From “chronically depressed puppet to a head-slicing machine” in just nine months is quite a record said ironically Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at Government House in a clear reply to growing party discontent with the electoral lists for next October presidential and legislative elections.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 20:46 UTC

  Royal blessing for Gibraltar priest to head leading Catholic college in Valladolid

  

  The King of Spain will approve the appointment of Father John Pardo as head of the Catholic college in Valladollid.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 06:29 UTC

  Chavez with an impressive military display says he’s back, but many doubts linger

  

  Venezuela president Hugo Chavez thanked his peers from Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay for having attended the Tuesday bicentenary celebrations of the country’s independence, a huge military parade with an arch-display of soldiers in colonial uniforms to some with probably the most modern combat gear of the region.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 06:18 UTC

  Chile’s Piñera tries to appease student protests: 4 billion USD for higher education

  

  Chile's President Sebastián Piñera, beset by mass student protests over education standards and costs which are threatening his legislative agenda, proposed a 4 billion US dollars fund for higher education.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2011 - 06:15 UTC

  Chile among South America’s least happy nations; Venezuela top of the list

  

  Though Chile has one of South America’s strongest economies, a recent study of happiness rates it second-to-last in the region, leading experts to assert that national happiness is not determined by a nation’s wealth or economic development.

• Tuesday, July 5th 2011 - 19:28 UTC

  Ireland anticipates rejection of EU/Mercosur trade accord on beef

  

  The Irish government is expecting a report from the European Commission setting out the economic impact on Eire of a potential trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur.

• Tuesday, July 5th 2011 - 19:13 UTC

  When Falklands and the World Cup 1982 nerve-wracked the Foreign Office

  

  According to recently released document the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wanted Scotland to crash out of the 1982 World Cup in Spain in an attempt to avoid a diplomatic headache over the Falklands conflict.

• Tuesday, July 5th 2011 - 19:00 UTC

  Statue of President Reagan, crucial ally of Mrs Thatcher, unveiled in London

  

  A statue of former US President Ronald Reagan has been unveiled at a ceremony outside the American embassy in central London. The invited guests include former UK Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher - who was a close ally of Reagan when they were both in power in the 1980s.