Politics

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 16:17 UTC

  Brazilian military launch Operation Lasso with the Itaipú dam in mind

  

  Brazil launched Sunday military exercises involving the three services and located in three states next to landlocked Paraguay with the “main target” being the recovery of a bi-national hydroelectric dam that has fallen into the hands of an enemy country.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 16:14 UTC

  Chavez ready to bombard clouds, with Cuban help, to force rainfall

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced he will begin bombarding not Colombia, but the clouds so as to trigger much needed precipitations to help fill up dams and reservoirs, at record low levels, and which have forced water and power rationing.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 16:12 UTC

  Panama anticipates it will recognize Honduran election and winner

  

  Panama President Ricardo Martinelli said his country “will recognize the winner” of the coming Honduran presidential election next November 29th. “We will recognize the election process and the winner”, said Martinelli in an interview with La Estrella from Panama City.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 14:27 UTC

  Queen’s Speech will announce radical changes in London City banking

  

  London City regulators are to be given new powers to tear up bankers' contracts if they include excessive pay and bonus deals which might threaten the stability of the financial system.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 14:19 UTC

  Afro-Brazilians victims of discrimination, injustice and violence says UN

  

  While Brazil has an “impressive” set of laws and policies to promote human rights and improve socio-economic well-being, indigenous groups and Afro-Brazilians face serious discrimination, injustice and violence, warned the United Nations human rights chief.

• Monday, November 16th 2009 - 14:15 UTC

  FIFA bans Maradona for two months on qualifier incident in Montevideo

  

  Argentina head coach Diego Maradona has been banned from football for two months and fined by FIFA as punishment for his rant at journalists following Argentina's qualification for the World Cup finals a month ago in Montevideo, Uruguay.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:57 UTC

  Chavez rejects Brazilian proposal for Colombian/Venezuelan hot border

  

  President Hugo Chavez on Friday rejected a joint border monitoring system with Colombia which was proposed by Brazil. He said he would not allow any “extra-national force” along the Venezuelan border zone with Colombia.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:51 UTC

  Argentine bishops call on CFK to combat poverty and consolidate democracy

  

  The Argentine Catholic Church urged the government to combat the “dramatic” situation of the poor and demanded the authorities consolidate democratic institutions and defuse growing social unrest.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:27 UTC

  Shimon Peres ends visit to Brazil, Sunday flies to Argentina

  

  Israeli President Shimon Peres visited the headquarters of Brazilian oil company Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro Friday, on the last day of a historic official visit to Brazil.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:25 UTC

  IMF calls on Asian countries to appreciate their currencies

  

  International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Khan urged Asian nations to let their currencies appreciate as part of the region’s contribution to a more balanced global recovery.