Politics

Friday, April 15th 2011 - 00:12 UTC
“Other blocks demand too much from Mercosur and offer too little”

Several Mercosur negotiations with other blocks have failed because “they ask too much and offer too little” said Samuel Pinheiro recently appointed Mercosur High Representative and who is holding a round of meetings with member countries’ leaders.
Friday, April 15th 2011 - 00:01 UTC
‘Argentina’s protectionism’ the great obstacle for EU/Mercosur trade talks

European Union’s top trade negotiator, Karel de Gucht, accused Argentina of being “the great obstacle” in an association agreement between the EU and Mercosur, and threatened to take the case before the WTO.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 23:50 UTC
Mercosur outperformed in 2008/09 recession and during 2010 recovery

Latin America and the Caribbean have weathered the 2008-2009 recession much better than it had previous downturns. However less well-known is that the region, particularly Mercosur members, also decisively outperformed many other regions during the same period with a decline in growth smaller than that of the middle-income country average and with a rebound that was swifter and stronger.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 23:39 UTC
Obama insists on reforming tax-code and making the rich pay more

US President Barack Obama said the United States must use the tax code to help meet its targets for reducing the deficit and said that the wealthiest Americans must help achieve that goal.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 23:22 UTC
Argentine de facto president following Falklands’ war defeat sentenced to life imprisonment

The military officer who as de facto president led Argentina following the Falkland Islands invasion defeat in 1982 was sentenced to life in prison over human rights violations committed during the country’s last military dictatorship, 1976/1983.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 21:01 UTC
More people deeper in poverty as food prices soar 36%, says World Bank

Driven in part by higher fuel costs connected to events in the Middle East and North Africa, global food prices are 36% above their levels a year ago and remain volatile, pushing people deeper into poverty, according to new World Bank Group numbers released Thursday.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 19:54 UTC
BRICS calls for new global monetary system with less reliance on the dollar

The BRICS group of emerging-market powers kept up the pressure for a revamped global monetary system that relies less on the US dollar and for a louder voice in international financial institutions.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 16:55 UTC
New Paraguay minister to press for vote on Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation

Venezuela in Mercosur will act as a balancing element and Unasur has more than proven its merits, said Paraguay’s new Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Lara Castro who insisted the country must work urgently to overcome asymmetries in the region and passive integration is not enough.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 16:50 UTC
Doctors tell Argentine president to cancels Mexico trip and rest another 24 hours

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner cancelled her trip to Mexico City and rescheduled it for May 30 after being told by Presidential Medical Unit doctors to rest for a further 24 hours, despite showing a 'satisfactory improvement' from the turn of low blood pressure she suffered Tuesday.
Thursday, April 14th 2011 - 05:32 UTC
UN peacekeeping operations to suffer most from US funding cuts

United States lawmakers are poised to cut spending on the United Nations by hundreds of millions of dollars, less than a week after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon came to Congress to ask for continued strong support.