Politics

• Monday, February 28th 2011 - 06:50 UTC

  Mercosur central bankers warn task ahead has become “more complicated”

  

  Mercosur central banks’ presidents meeting in Peru last Friday agreed that the task ahead has become ‘more complicated’ because of growing inflationary pressures triggered by soaring food and oil prices.

• Monday, February 28th 2011 - 06:36 UTC

  Argentina/Uruguay launch campaign to jointly organize 2030 World Cup

  

  Uruguay and Argentina will take advantage of the coming 2011 America Cup (Copa América) to promote their joint candidacy to organize soccer’s major event: the 2030 World Cup on occasion of the centenary of the first time the tournament was played.

• Monday, February 28th 2011 - 06:32 UTC

  Inflation challenges Brazil; tighter monetary measures anticipated

  

  Brazil's general price index, or IGP-M, rose 1% month-on-month in February, compared to 0.79% rise in January, the Getulio Vargas Foundation said Friday. Economists' had forecast the index to rise 1.01%.

• Monday, February 28th 2011 - 02:14 UTC

  World famous solo regatta surprise returns to Uruguay; deterred by violence in Brazil

  

  Velux 5 Oceans. The Ultimate Solo Change is unexpectedly returning to Uruguay after twelve years. The four solo competitors are currently sailing along the South Atlantic and the leading yacht is expected to arrive in Uruguay’s renowned international resort of Punta del Este late Monday.

• Monday, February 28th 2011 - 01:30 UTC

  UK threatens to pull out of FAO unless it improves its ‘patchy’ performance

  

  Britain threatened to pull out of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), unless it improves its “patchy” performance. The announcement follows a review of British overseas aid ordered by the coalition government.

• Sunday, February 27th 2011 - 23:23 UTC

  Cuba elected as vice-president of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization

  

  Cuba was elected last week vice president of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, also known as the Committee of the 24, exclusively in charge of promoting a decolonization agenda.

• Sunday, February 27th 2011 - 23:19 UTC

  Former Obama aid elected Chicago mayor; ends 40 years of Daley-family dominance

  

  Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago in the most competitive city hall election in more than two decades. Emanuel, who is also a former congressman, trumped five rivals with 55% of the vote.

• Sunday, February 27th 2011 - 23:10 UTC

  India interested in reaching out to Latin America and Mercosur

  

  India is reaching out to emerging markets and Latin America, and more precisely Mercosur is a strategic priority, said India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India-Uruguay business conference that hosted a large Uruguayan business delegation led by the country’s Vice-President, Danilo Astori.

• Saturday, February 26th 2011 - 10:37 UTC

  Falklands Facts

  

  In his reply of 19 February to my letter of the 12th, Mr. Cisneros says “the worst thing we can do is quibble and distract ourselves from the main problem”. But it is not a “quibble” to state simple facts, as I did in my letter. So I suggest we get a few facts straight – not unilateral facts, but straightforward historical facts.

• Saturday, February 26th 2011 - 06:02 UTC

  Brazilian judge blocks plans to build world’s third largest dam in the Amazon

  

  A Brazilian judge has blocked plans to build a huge hydro-electric dam in the Amazon rainforest because of environmental concerns. Federal judge Ronaldo Desterro said environmental requirements to build the Belo Monte dam had not been met.