Politics

Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 05:34 UTC
UK cuts defence programs to fund new equipment for Afghanistan

British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced Tuesday a package of cutbacks in core defence programmes to fund £900 million of new equipment for troops in Afghanistan over the next three years.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 05:26 UTC
Poland delays adoption of the Euro until 2015

Poland's adoption of the Euro in 2015 is very realistic and more likely than in 2014, but it isn't a target date, Deputy Finance Minister Ludwik Kotecki told reporters.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 04:13 UTC
Lula da Silva has a new declared admirer: Chile’s Piñera

Conservative Sebastián Piñera, winner of Chile’s first presidential round last Sunday said his development model for Chile is on the lines of those applied by Brazil, Mexico and Peru, but distant from those under Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez or Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 14:16 UTC
Brazil delays purchase of 36 jet-fighters; Army’s tanks’ renewal plan on schedule

Brazilian President Lula da Silva said Monday that the decision on the purchase of 36 fighter jets for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will be made in early 2010. The three competing models being considered are the Rafale, from France’s Dassault, the F18 Super Hornet from US Boeing and the Swedish Gripen, from Saab.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 11:10 UTC
Argentina announces 6.5 billion USD guarantee fund for 2010 debt payments

Argentina will set aside 6.5 billion US dollars of its foreign currency reserves to ensure the country meets its 2010 debt payments, the government said on Monday. The move is seen as an attempt to lower costs for issuing new debt, ahead of a complicated year.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 10:58 UTC
US and Brazil agree on road map for Honduras national reconciliation

United States and Brazil agree ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya must have safe passage to leave Honduras and want the country's de facto president to step down to pave the way for national reconciliation, a senior Brazilian official said on Monday.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 10:56 UTC
Japan extends grant to Uruguay for solar power development

Japan is extending Uruguay a grant of 8.5 million US dollars to finance a solar power project, according to official Japanese sources. Japan’s Foreign Affairs minister Katsuya Okada and his Uruguayan counterpart Pedro Vaz signed the document Monday.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 10:21 UTC
Employment and industrial production in Euro-zone confirm shrinking tendency

Employment in the Euro-zone shrank during the third quarter and October industrial production also contracted 0.6% on a month-on-month basis, according to the latest release from Eurostat, the European Community Statistics Office.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 08:45 UTC
Brazil to name “Truth committee” to look into torture crimes under military rule

A quarter of a century after the return of democracy, the Brazilian government is seriously considering naming a “truth committee” to look into the torture crimes committed during the 21 year military dictatorship (1964/1985) and which were never taken to court.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 - 07:35 UTC
Falklands’ veteran, Commander of British Forces South Atlantic Islands

A former Royal Navy commander of the coalition Naval Training Team re-building the Iraqi Navy at Umm Qasr Naval Base and Falklands’ war veteran is the new Commander British Forces Falkland Islands.
Captain Thicknesse was awarded the US bronze star for his work at Umm Qasr.