Politics

• Wednesday, June 16th 2010 - 04:26 UTC

  Switzerland closer to handing list of suspected US tax-evaders

  

  Switzerland's parliament has voted to approve a deal which would see information on suspected tax-evaders be passed to US authorities. The Lower House of the Swiss parliament backed the agreement 81 to 61 with 53 abstentions, reversing its earlier decision to reject the agreement last week.

• Wednesday, June 16th 2010 - 04:24 UTC

  Unasur fearful of overlapping with the Andean Pact and Mercosur

  

  The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Secretary General Néstor Kirchner said on Tuesday he hopes for the block to “create profound policies in the region” but without overlapping on other regional organizations such as Mercosur.

• Tuesday, June 15th 2010 - 05:17 UTC

  Argentine pickets notified of charges for blockading bridge leading to Uruguay

  

  The Argentine Gendarmerie following instructions from a federal judge notified Monday an estimated twenty Gualeguaychú picketers that a civil and criminal case was filed against them by the Argentine government for the roadblock of a bridge linking with neighbouring Uruguay.

• Tuesday, June 15th 2010 - 02:32 UTC

  Falklands’ oil exploration “looking at business options in Brazil”

  

  Falkland Islands member of the Legislative Assembly Glen Ross said the Islands are interested in reaching a business agreement with Brazil for the maintenance of the oil rig currently involved in a round of exploratory drilling.

• Tuesday, June 15th 2010 - 00:22 UTC

  Ecuador’s new hydrocarbons bill ready for Congress, announces Correa

  

  Ecuador President Rafael Correa said over the weekend that a new hydrocarbons bill is ready and will be sent to the National Assembly. The bill will allow the government to speed the shift from production contracts to service contracts for oil companies operating in Ecuador.

• Tuesday, June 15th 2010 - 00:08 UTC

  Poignant event this week in Buenos Aires between Falklands/Malvinas’ veterans

  

  An extraordinary reunion, linked to the Falkland Islands conflict of 1982 is scheduled this week in Buenos Aires: a former paratrooper will return to an Argentine soldier the trumpet he seized from his 28 years ago.

• Monday, June 14th 2010 - 23:59 UTC

  UK committed to strong naval presence around the Falkland Islands

  

  A senior Royal Navy officer stressed that the new British government remains committed to keeping a strong naval presence around the Falkland Islands, reports the Portsmouth press.

• Monday, June 14th 2010 - 23:45 UTC

  Greek debt downgraded to “junk”; IMF, EU audit finances and budget

  

  Greek government bonds have been downgraded four notches to “junk” status from A3 to Ba1 by Moody's credit rating agency. The agency said Monday there was still “considerable uncertainty” surrounding the impact of measures introduced to cut the country's high budget deficit.

• Monday, June 14th 2010 - 23:42 UTC

  Bank of England may need to hike interest rates to combat inflation, warns banker

  

  The Bank of England may need to hike interest rates soon as inflation has remained far stickier than expected, rate-setter Andrew Sentance warned in The Sunday Times.

• Monday, June 14th 2010 - 23:39 UTC

  In five years Chileans living more than doubled in five years

  

  While 850,000 Chileans lived abroad in 2005, now, just five years later, Chile’s consulates estimate the number has soared to two million.