Politics

• Monday, February 8th 2010 - 02:07 UTC

  Mujica calls on followers to build a better society and not collect bills from the past

  

  Uruguay’s president elect Jose Pepe Mujica called on militants and followers “to meditate, to think” about the motives for “the cause, colours and commitments” of the catch-all coalition which under his leadership will be repeating another five years of government.

• Monday, February 8th 2010 - 02:04 UTC

  Brazil’s middle class is half the population, but destitute remain at 40%

  

  The Brazilian middle class has grown sustainedly since 2003, when President Lula da Silva first took office and now represents almost half of the country’s population according to a report from the Getulio Vargas foundation released over the weekend.

• Monday, February 8th 2010 - 01:52 UTC

  Lula da Silva’s party fearful of “Brazilian sub-imperialism” and arrogance

  

  Brazil “sub-imperialism”, the arrogance of Brazilian businessmen and a more left wing approach for a future government of the ruling Workers Party, PT, are some of the points of the document to be considered next week at the party’s convention that must nominate the candidate for October’s presidential campaign and supposedly the heir of Lula da Silva.

• Sunday, February 7th 2010 - 22:11 UTC

  Falkland Islands de-mining pilot project and the challenge of full clearance

  

  As a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, the United Kingdom is required under International Humanitarian Law to remove and destroy all anti-personnel landmines on its sovereign territory. About 20,000 landmines remain within clearly fenced and marked off areas on the Falkland Islands as a result of the 1982 conflict; while not all of these are anti-personnel mines, the United Kingdom is obliged to clear all the mined areas across both East and West Falklands under the Ottawa Convention.

• Saturday, February 6th 2010 - 09:00 UTC

  All Mercosur leaders present at Mujica’s inauguration next March

  

  Mercosur presidents have confirmed attendance to the inauguration next March first of Uruguayan president-elect Jose Mujica who will be heading a second consecutive government of the catch-all centre left coalition Broad Front.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 04:53 UTC

  Argentina threatens UK and Falklands oil companies with legal actions

  

  Argentina reiterated on Thursday warnings to the United Kingdom over the “illegality” and juridical consequences of having awarded oil exploration licences in the Falkland Islands, under British control but which Argentina claims as part of its territory.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 03:19 UTC

  IMF says monetary policy needs of “independent central banks”

  

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF, made a public veiled reference to Argentina’s Central bank institutional crisis underlining the importance of having independent central banks for monetary policy all over the world.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 02:57 UTC

  Brazil’s dilemma: how to contain growth (inflation) in an electoral year

  

  Brazil's Central Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Copom, expressed concern about inflation and advanced it was prepared to respond “promptly” according to the minutes from its meeting last week when it decided to maintain the basic interest rate at 8.75%.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 02:45 UTC

  Bernanke reaffirms Fed’s independence to ensure public confidence and stability

  

  “The US Federal Reserve has been granted, both in law and in political tradition, considerable independence and autonomy. That independence serves important public objectives. Critically, it allows the Federal Open Market Committee to make monetary policy in the longer-term economic interests of the American people, rather than in the service of short-term political imperatives”.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 02:39 UTC

  World markets collapse on fears of Euro zone debt problems

  

  Concerns about the US economy and the potential spread of debt problems in the Euro zone (Greece, Portugal and Spain) have led to large falls in world stock markets. US and key European markets lost more than 2% while those in Spain and Portugal fell by more than 5%.