Politics

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 17:05 UTC

  Argentine Central bank dispute moves to Congress on CFK request

  

  Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, CFK, cancelled a trip to China and called for a congressional committee to meet in an attempt to defuse the controversy over her plans to use Central bank reserves to pay for debts.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 16:59 UTC

  Ex-para returns to Falklands to raise funds for combat stress charity

  

  A Scottish Falklands’ veteran is to recreate the paratroops' famous march to Port Stanley in a bid to raise funds for an armed forces charity. Ex-para Tony Banks, who is from Dundee and has built up a £60m care home business, wants to raise more than £10,000 for Combat Stress.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 16:43 UTC

  Morales becomes head of a pluri-national state blessed by Aymara gods

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales will be inaugurated Friday before Congress for a second mandate (2010/2015) after having achieved an overwhelming victory in December elections (64% of the vote) ensuring him majority control of both houses.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 14:53 UTC

  Stock markets fall sharply in response to Obama’s bank reform proposal

  

  World stock markets have fallen sharply in response to far-reaching plans by US President Barack Obama to curb the activities of the biggest US banks. The Dow Jones closed down 2%, its worst fall since October, while Japan's Nikkei closed at a three-week low.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 14:49 UTC

  Repsol forced to reassess its Bolivian hydrocarbons reserves

  

  Oil company Repsol YPF is studying the impact on its hydrocarbon reserves accounting as a consequence of a change in Bolivian law, but has not made a decision on whether to lower its reserves, a spokesman for Spanish firm confirmed this week in Madrid.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 05:50 UTC

  “A repeat of the Argentine situation” in Uruguay “virtually impossible”

  

  Uruguayan Vice-president elect Danilo Astori said that the institutional-financial “solidness” of the country makes it virtually “impossible” a repeat of the current confrontation between the Argentine government and the Central bank.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 05:15 UTC

  World Bank warns recovery will slow down as fiscal stimulus impact wane

  

  The global economic recovery that is now underway will slow later this year as the impact of fiscal stimulus wanes. Financial markets remain troubled and private sector demand lags amid high unemployment, according to a new report from the World Bank.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 05:12 UTC

  Cristina’s sharp “genius” replies have her again in deep trouble

  

  Turbulent political times seem to be wearing down Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her lecturing style, forcing her to commit a full blown gaffe, given her long standing defence of human rights and condemnation of the abuses and disappearances committed under Argentine military regimes.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 05:07 UTC

  First repercussions of Mrs Kirchner cancelled visit to China

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's postponement of her trip to China is still causing repercussions. Argentine ambassador to China, César Mayoral, tried to minimize her absence, although he regretted that “domestic affairs seem to be given more importance than foreign affairs.”

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 04:48 UTC

  Forcibly closed Peruvian press accuses government of “political revenge”

  

  Reporters Without Borders, RSF, condemned on Thursday as an act of political revenge from the Peruvian government the cancellation of a television station license, seven months after the same action was taken against radio La Voz de Bagua Grande, also in the Amazonas region