Politics

• Thursday, February 25th 2010 - 01:21 UTC

  World trade drops 12% in 2009; re-launching Doha round “imperative”

  

  World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy said on Wednesday that international trade fell by 12% in 2009, a marked deterioration on previous estimates which put the drop closer to 10%.

• Thursday, February 25th 2010 - 01:16 UTC

  Good prospects in 2010 for Latam commodities and energy exporters

  

  A report released this week in Mexico by the inter American Development Bank, (IDB) forecasts a good year for Latinamerican countries exports of commodities and energy but a slower recovery for Central America and the Caribbean more dependent on tourism and remittances.

• Thursday, February 25th 2010 - 00:54 UTC

  Round up of Cuban dissidents following the death of political prisoner

  

  Cuban security agents detained dissidents across the country to prevent protests at the funeral of a leading dissident who died on a prison hunger strike and which has sparked international indignation. Cuban president Raul Castro said he regrets the death of Orlando Zapata and denies the rights activist had been tortured.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 07:13 UTC

  UN praises Latinamerican social policies to confront global crisis

  

  The United Nations development agency stressed the need for good social policies to help Latin America deal with the impact of the global economic crisis, which threatens to undo the progress achieved in the region in fighting poverty and other socio-economic ills.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:49 UTC

  Venezuela facilitates travel to Mercosur and associate members’ citizens

  

  Citizens from Mercosur full members and some associate countries will be allowed to travel to Venezuela with no need of a passport, simply with their national ID, as of next Thursday announced Venezuela’s Identification and Foreigners office.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:30 UTC

  Mexico gives birth to the Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States

  

  Latinamerican and Caribbean nations are to set up a new regional bloc of all the countries in the Americas, with the exception of the United States and Canada. The decision was formalized Tuesday at a regional summit of the so called Rio Group in the Mexican resort of Cancun.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:24 UTC

  Falklands: UK willing to talk with Argentina but not sovereignty; Taiana at UN

  

  The United Kingdom said on Tuesday it was willing to re-open talks with Argentina but not on Falkland Islands sovereignty or the development by the Islanders of a hydrocarbons industry. The statement came on the eve of a meeting of Argentina’s Foreign minister Jorge Taiana with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:22 UTC

  New Latam block “consistent with US goals for the hemisphere”

  

  The new Latin American and Caribbean bloc planned without regional neighbours Canada and the United States are consistent with US goals for the region, a State Department spokesman said Tuesday

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:18 UTC

  US “neutral” on Falklands” dispute but recognizes UK administration

  

  The United States has a “neutral” stance regarding the question of the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty but recognizes the current British administration of the Islands, said US State Department spokesperson during the daily press conference.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:15 UTC

  Brazil’s Lula da Silva blasts US Security Council and Britain

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva condemned on Tuesday the United Nations Organization (UN) and its Security Council for not recognizing Argentina's sovereignty over the Malvinas/Falkland Islands.