Politics

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 13:11 UTC

  Brazil wants a Colombia/Venezuela border commission to ease tensions

  

  Brazil will be proposing to Colombia and Venezuela the creation of border vigilance commission as the first step to cool tensions between the two neighbouring countries, reported the government’s official news agency.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 05:53 UTC

  Canadian cat sparks rumours of Mrs. Thatcher’s death

  

  A misconstrued text message announcing the passing of a beloved pet has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity in Canada. Transport Minister John Baird sent a message reading: “Thatcher has died”.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 05:49 UTC

  Labour by-election victory gives PM Brown breathing space

  

  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has survived his latest by-election test as Labour comfortably cruised to victory in the Glasgow North East by-election. The party's Willie Bain won the seat made vacant by the resignation of former Commons Speaker Michael Martin with a majority of 8,111 over the SNP.

• Saturday, November 14th 2009 - 05:31 UTC

  Chilean Congress votes to create an Environmental Ministry

  

  Chile’s Senate voted early this week to create an Environmental Ministry, a milestone in Chilean environmental policy. The bill, first introduced in 2008, has been subject to considerable controversy from both supporters and opponents.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 15:27 UTC

  Frei and Piñera expected to face-off in Chilean presidential run off

  

  With only a month remaining before Chileans cast their votes Dec. 13 to elect their next president, one of the nation’s most important polls showed the race tightening, but with the two front-runners -rightist billionaire Sebastian Piñera and centrist Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei - holding on to their leads.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 15:16 UTC

  Lula da Silva, next to Shimon Peres, justifies Iran’s leader visit to Brazil

  

  Brazil's President justified the scheduled visit of Iran's president in two weeks time and offered to mediate in the Middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine. Lula da Silva rejected criticism over the upcoming visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, slated for November 23, standing next to visiting Israeli president Shimon Peres.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 15:12 UTC

  Brazil purchases Israeli drones to clean Rio of crime and drug gangs

  

  Israel Aerospace Industries signed a 350 million US dollars contract this week to supply drones to the Brazilian police - the largest such deal ever between Israel and Brazil. The contract was signed during President Shimon Peres' state visit to Brazil, but negotiations began months ago

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 09:26 UTC

  Lavagna blasts Cristina Kirchner failed government: “stop looking for excuses”

  

  Argentina’ former Economy minister Roberto Lavagna said on Thursday that when governments begin to fail, “they begin to look for all kind of excuses”. The administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner faced with mounting social unrest and financial problems claims a “destabilization plan” has been set in motion.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 08:18 UTC

  Buenos Aires “picket-city”: 340 street protests per month

  

  Since September last year the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has faced 7.658 street protests and blocked routes, which is 68% more than the 4.451which took place during the four years mandate of her predecessor in the job and husband, Nestor Kirchner. This works out at an average 340 monthly street protests since Mrs. Kirchner took office in December 2007.

• Friday, November 13th 2009 - 04:55 UTC

  Mexican tycoon and drug-lord make it to Forbes most powerful list

  

  Mexico made it to the Forbes list of the 67 most powerful in the world with two names: one of them a legitimate businessman linked to telecommunication with an international reputation, the other a notorious drug lord with a reward on his head.