Politics

Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 13:03 UTC
Mercosur: Finally Brazil’s Senate approved Venezuela incorporation

Bringing to close a year-long internal debate over the role of Venezuela in South American political and economic affairs, Brazil's Senate, by a vote of 35 to 27, voted Tuesday to approve the entrance of the country's northern neighbor into the Mercosur trade bloc.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 07:33 UTC
Climate Change: We Are All In The Same Boat

Global warming does not respect borders; a mindset shift is required if world leaders are to save us from ourselves
By Kofi Annan
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 05:50 UTC
Banco do Brazil interested in Argentina’s fourth largest bank

Banco do Brazil (BB), Latinamerica’s largest government-managed bank, is in talks with Argentina’s Banco Patagonia, seeking to expand internationally, announced CEO Aldemir Bendime.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 05:48 UTC
Spain tops “misery index” that combines unemployment rate and budget deficit

Spain tops a new “misery index” that combines unemployment rates with budget deficits, according to forecasts from Moody’s Investors Service. Ireland appears in fourth place on the sovereign-risk outlook for 2010, behind Spain, Latvia and Lithuania.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 05:34 UTC
UK cuts defence programs to fund new equipment for Afghanistan

British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced Tuesday a package of cutbacks in core defence programmes to fund £900 million of new equipment for troops in Afghanistan over the next three years.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 05:26 UTC
Poland delays adoption of the Euro until 2015

Poland's adoption of the Euro in 2015 is very realistic and more likely than in 2014, but it isn't a target date, Deputy Finance Minister Ludwik Kotecki told reporters.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 04:13 UTC
Lula da Silva has a new declared admirer: Chile’s Piñera

Conservative Sebastián Piñera, winner of Chile’s first presidential round last Sunday said his development model for Chile is on the lines of those applied by Brazil, Mexico and Peru, but distant from those under Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez or Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 14:16 UTC
Brazil delays purchase of 36 jet-fighters; Army’s tanks’ renewal plan on schedule

Brazilian President Lula da Silva said Monday that the decision on the purchase of 36 fighter jets for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will be made in early 2010. The three competing models being considered are the Rafale, from France’s Dassault, the F18 Super Hornet from US Boeing and the Swedish Gripen, from Saab.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 11:10 UTC
Argentina announces 6.5 billion USD guarantee fund for 2010 debt payments

Argentina will set aside 6.5 billion US dollars of its foreign currency reserves to ensure the country meets its 2010 debt payments, the government said on Monday. The move is seen as an attempt to lower costs for issuing new debt, ahead of a complicated year.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 10:58 UTC
US and Brazil agree on road map for Honduras national reconciliation

United States and Brazil agree ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya must have safe passage to leave Honduras and want the country's de facto president to step down to pave the way for national reconciliation, a senior Brazilian official said on Monday.