Politics

• Tuesday, May 18th 2010 - 00:20 UTC

  Black list for governments that violate press freedom

  

  President Barack Obama has signed a law that requires the US State Department to compile a public list of foreign governments that violate press freedom.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2010 - 00:02 UTC

  EU and Mercosur agree to re-launch trade talks next July

  

  The European Union and the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur announced Monday that they were re-launching talks to create a free trade area of 800 million people. A tentative first meeting is scheduled for next July according to EU officials.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 05:26 UTC

  EU farmers led by France promise to lobby against concessions for Mercosur

  

  European Union Agriculture ministers will be debating Monday on the impact of Mercosur/EU trade negotiations and the overall EU farm sector competitiveness.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 05:22 UTC

  EU and Mexico reaffirm and consolidate “strategic association”

  

  The European Union and Mexico decided Sunday at their fifth bilateral summit, held in the Spanish town of Comillas, to take measures to give concrete content to their relationship, which they have jointly designated to be one of “strategic association”.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 05:01 UTC

  Australia celebrates 16 year old Jessica’s round the world sailing feat

  

  Australians gathered Saturday around Sydney harbour to welcome back teenager Jessica Watson from her record round-the-world sailing adventure. The 16-year-old is said to be the youngest person to sail non-stop, solo and unassisted around the world.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 04:55 UTC

  State of emergency on anniversary of Peruvian Shinning Path terrorist group

  

  The administration of Peruvian president Alan Garcia declared a state of emergency for 60 days in the regions of Huánuco, Ucayali and San Martín, reportedly the areas that have the most drugs and terrorist related activities.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 04:32 UTC

  Spain determined to the re-launching of EU/Mercosur talks at the Madrid summit

  

  The challenge of re-launching European Union/Mercosur trade talks, figures pre-eminently in the agenda of the EU/Latam-Caribbean leaders’ summit scheduled to begin Monday in Spain that also happens to hold the EU rotating presidential chair.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 01:54 UTC

  Brazil’s energy sector lobbying against review of Itaipú treaty with Paraguay

  

  Brazilian business groups are strongly lobbying members of Congress against a review of a recent agreement reached by President Lula da Silva to treble the money paid to Paraguay for power from the world’s largest operating hydroelectric complex Itaipú, shared by both countries.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 01:47 UTC

  Colombian FARC groups operating inside Brazilian territory, claim reports

  

  The Colombian guerrilla force FARC has “permanent bases in Brazil”, according to secret Federal Police reports, extracts of which were published Sunday by the prestigious O Estado de Sao Paulo.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 01:42 UTC

  Spanish unions have ten days to agree on labour market reforms

  

  Spanish unions and employees organizations have ten days to come up with an agreement of labour reform or the government will approve the initiative by decree, according to reports in the Madrid press.