Politics

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 22:47 UTC

  Pope Benedict puts his (conservative) stamp by naming 20 ‘cardinal electors’

  

  Pope Benedict put his stamp on the future of the Roman Catholic Church by naming 24 new cardinals, including 20 who are under 80 and thus eligible to enter a secret conclave to elect his successor.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 22:46 UTC

  Uruguay and Switzerland sign a Double Taxation Agreement

  

  The governments of Uruguay and Switzerland agreed a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) on October 18. The document was signed by the Uruguay’s Economy Minister, Fernando Lorenzo, and his Swiss counterpart, Hans-Rudolf Merz.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 22:39 UTC

  Spain reshuffles cabinet: Perez Rubalcaba new strong man; Moratinos out

  

  Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero named a new deputy premier and foreign minister Wednesday as part of a major cabinet reshuffle at a time when his ruling Socialists have been trailing conservatives fifteen points in polls.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 03:40 UTC

  Miners claim rumblings anticipated collapse but were refused request to leave

  

  A Chilean legislative commission is investigating reports that mining operators ignored danger warnings from a man who was later among 33 later trapped when a mine collapsed.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 03:33 UTC

  Dilma Rousseff seems back on track and leads with 51% vote intention

  

  The Brazilian ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff has widened her lead ahead of a presidential runoff vote on October 31, a poll showed, suggesting her campaign may be back on pace after a rough two weeks in which she appeared to be back-pedalling

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 02:55 UTC

  ‘The Independent’ smaller brother to cater ‘readers of quality newspapers’

  

  Alexander Lebedev, the Russian oligarch who owns the London Evening Standard and The Independent newspapers, will launch a new U.K. title next week to complement a new Independent format.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 02:49 UTC

  UK defence review: “peculiar” sweeping cuts in all forces

  

  Harrier jump jets, the Royal Navy's flagship HMS Ark Royal and planned Nimrod spy planes are to be axed and 42,000 Ministry of Defence and armed forces jobs cut by 2015. Unveiling the strategic defence review, British PM David Cameron said defence spending would fall by 8% over four years.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 02:39 UTC

  Baroness Thatcher admitted to hospital for infection treatment

  

  Former British Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher has been admitted to hospital to be treated for an infection. It is understood she has not fully recovered from an illness that prevented her attending Downing Street last week to mark her 85th birthday.

• Wednesday, October 20th 2010 - 00:41 UTC

  Political agreement for a more democratic Mercosur parliament

  

  Mercosur reached a political agreement to review the composition and election of the group’s Parliament, Parlasur. Under the new system to be implemented in several years the number of seats will be increased based on proportional representation and members of Parlasur will be chosen by direct universal vote.

• Tuesday, October 19th 2010 - 03:53 UTC

  Teheran reiterates to Argentina it won’t turn in suspected Iranian officials

  

  Iran has rejected an Argentine proposal to nominate a third country to host a trial of Iranian officials accused by Buenos Aires of masterminding a Jewish centre bombing that killed 85 people.