Politics

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 04:23 UTC

  Reviving the US economy and trade relationship, main objectives of Obama’s visit

  

  US President Barack Obama's trip to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador beginning this week is still on, despite fears of a nuclear disaster in Japan and turmoil in the Middle East, officials said on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 04:19 UTC

  Honduras forgets Argentina and Brazil; will open trade offices in India and China

  

  Honduras is planning to close embassies in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela countries which do not recognize the government of President Porfirio Lobo.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 03:59 UTC

  Uruguay recognizes Palestinian sovereign state and will open embassy in Ramallah

  

  Uruguay announced on Tuesday it had recognized a Palestinian state, becoming the latest in a string of Latin American countries to make an endorsement in recent months the United States has called premature.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 01:23 UTC

  State elections behind Merkel’s decision to halt 7 of Germany’s 17 nuclear reactors

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel is backtracking on nuclear power as the atomic emergency in Japan becomes an issue in state-election campaigns. Merkel’s decision to halt seven of Germany’s 17 reactors includes two in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where her party is battling to retain its 59-year-hold on the state in a March 27 vote.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 00:41 UTC

  Fed leaves rates unchanged with the US economy on a ‘firmer footing’ recovery

  

  Arguing that the US economic recovery is on a firmer footing, and overall conditions in the labour market appear to be improving gradually, the Federal Reserve on Tuesday left interest rates unchanged at a record low of zero to 0.25% since December 2008.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 23:49 UTC

  Mercosur claims EU is willing to continue negotiations, but requests more time

  

  Mercosur was prepared to listen to proposals on liberalizing trade, but the European Union requested more time and continue working with the negotiations, according to Mercosur delegates attending the trade talks with EU in Brussels.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 23:38 UTC

  EU chief negotiator admits ‘complications’ but confident of a trade accord with Mercosur

  

  A strongly worded resolution from Members of the European Parliament earlier this month outlining their concerns over agriculture does not represent a setback for EU-Mercosur trade talks, the EU chief negotiator said in Brussels.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 11:12 UTC

  The Queen’s Commonwealth Day speech

  Last week, on the 8th of March, we marked the hundredth anniversary of the first International Women’s Day. The idea of having a women’s day was first proposed against the backdrop of the rapid industrialisation of the early twentieth century.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 11:05 UTC

  President Obama will underline ‘coincidences’ during his visit to Brazil

  

  US ambassador in Brazil Thomas Shannon downplayed differences between Washington and Brasilia saying that coincidences are far greater and will be the core of discussions during the coming visit of US president Barack Obama next week end.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 10:56 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez election campaign takes off with a resounding success

  

  A surprise ruling party victory in Argentina’s first provincial election of the year gives President Cristina Fernandez a boost before her likely re-election bid in October. CFK ally Lucia Corpacci ousted the current governor of Catamarca province, who sought a third term in Sunday’s vote.