Politics

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 11:41 UTC

  Argentina and Uruguay again clash over the Botnia pulp mill

  

  The Argentine government strongly repudiated on Friday a report from the Environmental Board of Uruguay saying Argentina had “adulterated” information referred to the pulp mill dispute submitted to the International Court at The Hague.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 06:39 UTC

  British government sacks chief drugs’ advisor

  

  The British government's chief drugs adviser has been forced to resign in the wake of the row over the dangers of class A drugs. Home Secretary Alan Johnson asked Professor David Nutt to resign as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), saying he had “lost confidence” in his ability to give impartial advice.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 06:06 UTC

  Colombia and US sign bases’ agreement in closed doors ceremony

  

  Colombia and the United States signed Friday in Bogotá the controversial agreement that allows US military personnel to be stationed at seven (land, air, sea) military bases in Washington’s closest ally in the region.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 01:16 UTC

  Zelaya and Micheletti agree to deal to end the institutional crisis

  

  The de facto Honduran government has agreed to an eight point deal that may allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to power ahead of elections next month. Unite States diplomats have been in the country to mediate an end to the four-month-old crisis.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 21:56 UTC

  Ecuador signs arms and energy deals with Russia: “just the beginning”

  

  President Dmitry Medvedev called new arms and energy deals between Russia and Ecuador just a beginning as Moscow strives to deepen ties in Latin America. Medvedev and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced a 22 million US dollars deal for Russia to provide Ecuador with two Mi-17 transport helicopters.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 21:51 UTC

  Ecuador to pay royalties on pharmaceutical patents

  

  Ecuador is to pay royalties to the holders of international pharmaceutical patents, basing the payments on the sale price of locally produced medicines, the Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property, or IEPI, said this week.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 11:10 UTC

  Argentina Chile plan to bore two integration tunnels under the Andes

  

  Relations between Argentina and Chile are going through an optimum moment and once we drill through the Andes, “ghosts of the past will definitively have gone”, said Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during the first of her two day visit to Chile.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 07:27 UTC

  Lula da Silva relishes in Caracas approval of Venezuela’s Mercosur entry bid

  

  Brazil's Senate foreign relations committee approved on Thursday in a divided vote Venezuela's request to join Mercosur despite concerns over President Hugo Chavez's authoritarian style of government. The vote comes when President Lula da Silva flies to Caracas to sign huge contracts for Brazilian corporations.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 06:38 UTC

  NYT praises Chile’s Bachelet handling of the crisis and her style of government

  

  The New York Times dedicated an article to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet whom she describes as among a handful of Latin American leaders, including President Lula da Silva of Brazil, whose handling of the crisis has strengthened their popularity.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 04:29 UTC

  Uruguay’s Colorados recommend voting for conservative Lacalle

  

  Uruguay’s junior opposition Colorado party has recommended its followers to support Conservative presidential candidate Luis Alberto Lacalle for the November 29th run-off with the ruling coalition’s Jose Mujica.