Politics

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:50 UTC

  Obama budget proposal has record deficit of almost 11% of GDP

  

  United States President Obama's new budget proposal is set to leave the US with a record-breaking deficit of 1.56 trillion US dollars. The figure is almost 11% of the country’s GDP. Economists generally consider annual deficits of more than 3% to be unsustainable.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:41 UTC

  Brazilian congress willing to approve reformed power accord with Paraguay

  

  In the Brazilian congress there’s a positive attitude towards the consideration and approval of the terms agreed between presidents Lula da Silva and Fernando Lugo to improve price and conditions for the Paraguayan power generated in the Itaipú dam and purchased by Brazil.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:33 UTC

  When Gibraltar was to be swapped for Spanish Ceuta

  

  Just under 100 years ago and as the world was still embroiled in the horrors of WWI, Great Britain was considering a deal with Spain and France that would allow it to swap Gibraltar for Ceuta (Spanish territory in the north of Africa).

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:20 UTC

  Colombian president Uribe remains opinion polls favourite for May 30 election

  

  Colombian president Alvaro Uribe continues to lead vote intention polls for next May presidential elections if the Constitutional Court finally authorizes a referendum on a second consecutive re-election of the popular leader.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 14:05 UTC

  With Redrado out of the way, Cobos is the next Kirchners’ target

  

  The institutional crisis facing Argentina remains open in spite of the resignation of the Central Bank president Martin Perez Redrado and is centred on whether the Executive can put its hands on the international reserves to pay sovereign debt.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 13:57 UTC

  Former president Kirchner involved in alleged money speculation operation

  

  Argentina’s former president Nestor Kirchner purchased two million US dollars just a few days after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 which triggered the current world downturn and when the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (his wife) was under extreme pressure to devalue the currency.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 06:58 UTC

  Brazil moving closer to accepting Honduran president Lobo

  

  Brazil sees a positive attitude and a good indication of “reconciliation” attempts by the recently inaugurated Honduran president Porfirio Lobo. “The new president acted in a politically positive manner when he negotiated a safe conduct for the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya”, said Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 06:17 UTC

  Insurance levy on banks to protect tax payers pockets

  

  An insurance levy on financial institutions to help bail out banks in any future financial crisis has been backed at the World Economic Forum. Politicians and bankers have expressed support for the idea, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described it as “practical”.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 05:54 UTC

  Lady Thatcher’s 28 eggs a week diet in anticipation of 1979 election

  

  Lady Thatcher was eating up to 28 eggs a week as part of a high-protein diet in the run-up to the 1979 general election, newly-released files suggest. Intended to help her shed 9 kilos in two weeks, the diet is outlined in a note found in a diary from that year.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 05:49 UTC

  Closer ties Australia/Chile now also include tax treaty

  

  Australia announced last week the first tax treaty with Chile. Nick Sherry, Assistant Treasurer of Australia, announced that Australia and Chile had reached agreement on a new tax treaty. The proposed treaty, the first between the two countries, will reflect the economic, legal and cultural interests of each.