Politics

• Friday, July 1st 2011 - 02:03 UTC

  Brazilian judge approves first gay marriage in the country

  

  A Brazilian judge approved what is considered to be the country’s first gay marriage. Sao Paulo state Judge Fernando Henrique Pinto ruled on Wednesday two men could convert their civil union into a full marriage.

• Friday, July 1st 2011 - 01:48 UTC

  Brazil and Japan allege over 100 countries support UN Security Council reform

  

  Foreign Affairs ministers from Brazil and Japan announced that over 100 nations have expressed support for a proposal to expand the United Nations Security Council.

• Friday, July 1st 2011 - 01:45 UTC

  Argentina votes compensation for victims of attack on Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires

  

  Relatives of victims of the 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires will receive compensation from Argentina.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 20:10 UTC

  Relief in financial markets: Greece approves austerity and privatization package

  

  The Greek parliament approved on Thursday detailed austerity and privatization bills in a crucial vote to secure emergency funds and avert imminent bankruptcy, but longer-term dangers still lurk.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 20:06 UTC

  Pickets take to the streets of Britain to protest pension reforms

  

  Teachers and civil servants marched through the streets and picketed government buildings across Britain today in protest at planned pension reforms, launching what could be a long period of labour unrest over austerity measures.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 16:47 UTC

  Mercosur plans coordinate tariffs mechanism to contain “unexpected surge of imports”

  

  Brazil’s proposal to Mercosur members of a coordinated tariffs’ package with the purpose of containing unexpected imports surges, particularly of cheap products, from Europe, Asia and the United States is to be implemented in the second half of the year.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 07:23 UTC

  Brazil calls for conclusion of EU/Mercosur trade talks and warns about cheap imports

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said it was urgent for Mercosur/European Union trade negotiations to conclude although also emphasizing the need to promote and intensive South/South relations, but warning that some outer region countries are intent in “sending us what they can’t sell in developed countries”.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 06:58 UTC

  IMF urges a political agreement on the US federal debt ceiling

  

  Failure by US lawmakers to agree soon on a deal to raise the government's borrowing limit could deliver a “severe shock” to a still fragile recovery and global markets, the International Monetary Fund warned.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 06:53 UTC

  Trade problems between Brazil and Argentina ‘persist’, but can be managed

  

  Trade problems between Mercosur two main partners ‘subsist’, but both sides are optimistic that they can be solved. The revelation in the framework of the Mercosur summit follows weeks of discussions and paralyzing trade, sometimes for weeks at the borders.

• Thursday, June 30th 2011 - 06:50 UTC

  Alleged hackers’ attack cancels Argentine senate debate on digital duties

  

  The Argentine Senate had to cancel a debate scheduled for Wednesday to discuss digital duties following an alleged hackers attack. The bill looks to apply a new tax to the manufacturing of digital media players, whose earnings would go to writers and music composers.