Politics

• Tuesday, May 5th 2009 - 10:58 UTC

  Spain complains about Gibraltar flag during G20 summit negotiations

  

  Spain made a formal complaint to the United Kingdom and the United States over the manner in which the tax information agreement was signed on March 31 between Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Peter Caruana and United States Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner in London ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit.

• Tuesday, May 5th 2009 - 10:49 UTC

  Panamanian president elect compared to Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi

  

  Panama president-elect and supermarket tycoon Ricardo Martinelli, 57, of Italian origin has been compared to the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi by Panamanian media and political analysts.

• Tuesday, May 5th 2009 - 08:10 UTC

  Head of British Army on three day official visit to Chile

  

  British Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt begun on Monday an official three-day visit to Chile invited by the Chilean Army.

• Tuesday, May 5th 2009 - 08:00 UTC

  Iranian president postpones visit to South American countries

  

  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cancelled on Monday a trip to Brazil this week without explanation amid criticism in Teheran from the country’s clerical leader and US concern about Iran’s growing influence in Latin America.

• Monday, May 4th 2009 - 11:03 UTC

  Conservative businessman elected president in Panama

  

  Panamanian opposition leader and supermarket mogul Ricardo Martinelli has won Panama's presidential election, the head of the country's electoral tribunal said Sunday. Martinelli, of the conservative Democratic Change party, edged out former Housing Minister Balbina Herrera of Panama's ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party, said Erasmo Pinilla of the electoral tribunal.

• Monday, May 4th 2009 - 09:14 UTC

  Ahead of tough week British ministers rally behind PM Gordon Brown

  

  British senior ministers have insisted Gordon Brown is the best man to lead the Labour Party, after criticism of the government from inside the cabinet. Both Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Justice Secretary Jack Straw defended the prime minister's leadership, at the end of a tough week for the government.

• Monday, May 4th 2009 - 08:33 UTC

  Former US president Jimmy Carter honoured in Sao Paulo

  

  Former US president and Nobel Peace Prize Jimmy Carter was honoured Sunday by the governor of Brazil’s powerhouse state Sao Paulo for his contributions to the development of the state.

• Monday, May 4th 2009 - 07:45 UTC

  Iranian president visits South America; US calls it “disturbing”

  

  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins this week a tour of South America visiting three countries, Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela, reported Iranian Foreign Affairs minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

• Saturday, May 2nd 2009 - 09:57 UTC

  Gurkha veterans fighting for better treatment from UK government

  

  Jubilant former Gurkhas living in Swindon, some of them Falklands veterans have welcomed the surprise news that their former colleagues could be given equal right of residence to live in the United Kingdom. Mahendra Rai, from Liden, who saw action in the Falkland Islands with the 7th Gurkha Rifles including the bitter battle at Goose Green, was among the veterans at Westminster on Tuesday who witnessed the Government’s defeat on the issue in the House of Commons.

• Saturday, May 2nd 2009 - 09:53 UTC

  Bolivia announces agreed nationalization of BP aviation fuel division

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the nationalization of the local unit of BP's aviation division on Friday, further tightening state control over the energy industry. At a May Day rally, Morales said he signed a decree to take over Air BP, a division of British oil major BP Plc.