Politics

• Wednesday, June 24th 2009 - 08:32 UTC

  Kirchner, “one of the best neighbours Uruguay has ever had”

  

  Former Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle forecasted that Nestor Kirchner is going to be the main looser in next Sunday’s Argentine mid term elections, although he described the former Argentine president as “one of the best neighbours ever, for Uruguay’s interests”.

• Wednesday, June 24th 2009 - 07:58 UTC

  Criminal charges for MPs who make false allowances claims

  

  British Members of Parliament who make false allowances claims could face criminal charges under new measures announced by Commons Leader Harriet Harman. She said the Parliamentary Standards Bill would create new criminal offences as well as establishing an independent body to oversee a reformed system of MPs' pay and perks.

• Tuesday, June 23rd 2009 - 11:54 UTC

  Itaipu dispute postpones Mercosur presidential summit in Paraguay

  

  The Mercosur presidential summit has been postponed for July 24 and 25 it was reported Monday from Asunción, Paraguay, the host of the event. Three of the four full members of the trade group, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, proposed the change from the original July 3 and 4 arguing political and electoral reasons.

• Tuesday, June 23rd 2009 - 11:40 UTC

  The Economist: the glass empties for the Kirchners

  

  Recession and political mistakes by the first couple point to a change in the balance of power. But will Argentina at last acquire a more coherent opposition?

• Tuesday, June 23rd 2009 - 11:14 UTC

  Tory named Speaker of the House of Commons

  

  Britain’s opposition Conservative Member of Parliament Tory John Bercow won the race to replace Michael Martin as Speaker of the House of Commons. Mr Bercow, MP for Buckingham, topped all three secret ballots - beating his only challenger in the third round, Sir George Young - by 51 votes.

• Tuesday, June 23rd 2009 - 08:01 UTC

  Argentine industry warns of “political crisis”, more serious than “economic crisis

  

  The head of Argentina’s powerful Industrial Union, UIA, said the country is going through “a political crisis” which is more severe than the economic crisis and ventured that the current electoral climate “does not offer significant political alternatives or leaderships”.

• Monday, June 22nd 2009 - 12:24 UTC

  Net private capital inflow to developing countries falls to half in 2008

  

  Amidst global economic recession and financial-market fragility, net private capital inflows to developing countries fell to 707 billion US dollars in 2008, a sharp drop from a peak of 1.2 trillion in 2007. International capital flows are projected to fall further in 2009, to 363 billion US dollars, according to the latest report from the World Bank.

• Monday, June 22nd 2009 - 12:22 UTC

  Mercosur summit in Paraguay to be postponed

  

  Brazil has suggested delaying the coming Mercosur presidential summit scheduled for July 3 and 4 in Asunción, Paraguay when Uruguay should be taking the chair for the next six months.

• Monday, June 22nd 2009 - 12:16 UTC

  Ecuador joins ALBA this week, announced President Chavez

  

  Ecuador together with the Caribbean islands of Saint Vincent and Grenadines and Antigua and Barbuda will be joining the Venezuelan sponsored Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas, ALBA, during a summit this week in Venezuela, announced President Hugo Chavez.

• Monday, June 22nd 2009 - 12:11 UTC

  Chavez calls on the world to “respect” the Iran regime and Islamic revolution

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez openly supported the Iran regime and called for “respect” for the country and an end to attempts “to erode the strength of the Iranian revolution”.