Politics

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 13:35 UTC

  Toys’ game: Brazil warns Argentina that trade restrictions will be reciprocated

  

  Brazil has threatened with trade reprisals if Argentina does not lift new restrictions to imports of Brazilian manufactured toys. Trade tensions between the two Mercosur partners and largest economies of South America have soured lately because of what Brazil considers “protectionist” measures and attitudes from Argentina.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 13:32 UTC

  Mujica to meet with Lula da Silva next week in Montevideo

  

  Uruguayan president-elect Jose Mujica is scheduled to meet next Tuesday with Brazilian president Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the Mercosur summit to be held in Montevideo, according to diplomatic sources.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 13:27 UTC

  Honduras overwhelmingly votes against reinstatement of Zelaya

  

  Honduras’ Congress overwhelmingly voted Wednesday against the reinstatement of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, a move that closes the door on his return to power after he was toppled in a June coup.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 13:20 UTC

  Falklands’ war veteran medals fetched a record £ 70.000

  

  Medals belonging to a Falklands war veteran who wanted the cash because his injuries prevented him working have fetched a record £70,000 at auction. Captain Ian Bailey of Ash Vale, Surrey, was awarded the Military Medal for his part in an attack on two Argentine positions on Mount Longdon, in 1982.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 10:28 UTC

  Mujica wants “the best possible relations” with Argentina

  

  Uruguayan President-elect José Mujica vowed to have “the best possible relations” with Argentina and “isolate” the conflict over the Botnia pulp mill, which has generated frictions in the bilateral relation.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 09:16 UTC

  Mrs. Kirchner promises next Ibero-American summit will address Malvinas issue

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said that the sovereignty claim over Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich islands and surrounding maritime spaces, illegitimately held by Britain, will be paramount in next year’s Ibero-American summit declaration.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 08:29 UTC

  All ready for the Argentina-Chile bicentennial (Dakar) rally

  

  Dakar rally director Etienne Lavigne celebrated Wednesday in Buenos Aires that the coming 2010 edition of the world event will coincide with Argentina and Chile commemoration of their second bicentennial as nations.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 08:27 UTC

  Venezuela shuts down banks belonging to former Chavez crony

  

  The Venezuelan government has shut down four private banks, accusing them of financial irregularities. The closures come 10 days after the authorities took over the banks on suspicion of violating regulations.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 08:00 UTC

  Europe concerned unemployment undermining recovery

  

  Unemployment in the 16-nation Euro zone remained at 9.8% in October after being revised higher to that level in September (from 9.7 to 9.8%), according to the European Union statistics office in Luxembourg said today. This is the highest rate since December 1998.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 00:55 UTC

  Brazil to reconsider the latest events in Honduras

  

  Brasilia runs the risk of “isolation” if it does not recognize Honduras presidential elections according to Brazilian member of Congress Raul Jungmann, the only representative from his country to be part of an observers’ international committee on Sunday’s ballot.