Politics

• Thursday, April 23rd 2009 - 07:02 UTC

  Paternity claims shed light on President Lugo’s exit from the Church

  

  A third woman in two weeks has claimed that Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo fathered her child, intensifying a political scandal that has made him the target of acid jokes, graffiti and a pop song. However in this last case the 39 year old teacher said she was “deeply in love” with the former bishop.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 12:21 UTC

  Mystery of sunken gold cargo in South Atlantic remains locked

  

  Another mysterious chapter for the sunken trawler “Polar Mist” and its cargo of 9.5 tons of gold, which was to be rescued this week from the South Atlantic sea shelf but had to be cancelled following seamen’ s union demands for a participation in the recovery.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 12:15 UTC

  Criminal probe into sudden death of 21 polo horses in Florida

  

  A criminal probe has been opened into the death of 21 polo horses that died over the weekend during preparations for a match of the sport’s top championship in Wellington, Florida. An investigation has first to determine whether they died from a toxin, a virus, drugs reaction, a contagious disease or a combination of any of the open options.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 12:04 UTC

  Venezuela’s main opposition leader in Peru seeking asylum

  

  Peru’s Foreign Affairs minister José Antonio García Belaúnde, confirmed on Tuesday that Manuel Rosales, the mayor of Maracaibo, and one of the leaders of the Venezuelan opposition, is in Lima, capital of Peru supposedly seeking asymlum.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 12:02 UTC

  Protectionism debate heats up among Argentine manufacturers

  

  Argentine manufacturers are openly divided over “protectionist practices” to face the current global slowdown. While a member of the board of the powerful Argentine Industrial Union, UIA argued that Argentina is ignoring the lessons of the 1929 crisis, other organizations claim ensuring domestic industry and employment must be priorities.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 03:34 UTC

  Open government files: Chile inaugurates public scrutiny bill

  

  Chile’s new Transparency Law, obligating the government to divulge millions of documents for public scrutiny, including how much each politician earns, came into effect on Sunday.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 03:14 UTC

  Argentina continental shelf presentation includes Falklands

  

  Argentina officially presented this week before United Nations its continental shelf claims which if approved will extend the country’s sovereign limit on the sea bed from 200 to 350 miles. The request includes all those areas claimed by Argentina: Falklands/Malvinas, South Atlantic islands and the so called Argentine Antarctic Territory.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 02:00 UTC

  British government set to cut MPs “second home allowance”

  

  The controversial second home allowance for British members of Parliament could be axed within days after Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanded an urgent Commons vote on reforms.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 01:44 UTC

  Paraguayan president, former bishop, accused of “raping a minor”

  

  A Paraguayan leading opposition senator filed a “ravish claim” before the country’s Prosecution Office involving President Fernando Lugo and Viviana Carrillo who was a minor when allegedly she had sexual relations with the then bishop of San Pedro. Lugo publicly admitted last week having fathered a child, now two year old and named Fernando, with Viviana.

• Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 - 00:46 UTC

  Latinamerican praise for Obama’s performance at the summit

  

  Although “deeds must follow words”, the world’s “honey moon” with President Obama has extended to Latinamerica following his display at the Summit of the Americas where he managed to modify substantially the emphasis of the region’s leaders towards the new administration, according to different analysts.