Politics

• Thursday, April 2nd 2009 - 04:59 UTC

  G20 summit hammering out consensus for Thursday’s formal meeting

  

  France and Germany called for tougher regulation for the world's financial system during the first day of the G20 summit in London. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has threatened to walk out of the meeting, said that new financial regulation was a “non-negotiable goal”.

• Wednesday, April 1st 2009 - 11:45 UTC

  Argentina mourns the leader who paved the way to democracy in 1983

  

  Raúl Alfonsín whose presidency marked the return of democracy to Argentina and became a beacon for change in the rest of Latinamerica scourged by an era of military dictatorships, died Tuesday evening.

• Wednesday, April 1st 2009 - 10:29 UTC

  Obama in London to convince G-20 he can lead the world out of recession

  

  United States President Barack Obama is in the United Kingdom for his first major foreign trip since taking office in January. In London he is to attend the G20 summit of the world’s 20 major economies representing 85% of global GDP, which is hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The two will have breakfast talks in Downing Street on Wednesday followed by meetings with other world leaders.

• Wednesday, April 1st 2009 - 10:20 UTC

  South American and Arab leaders agree on trade and investments

  

  South American leaders underscored the importance of economic and political ties with the Arab world in a summit meeting with their Arab counterparts in Qatar. Tuesday's meeting, the second Arab-South American summit, in Doha, followed the conclusion of the Arab League conference in the city.

• Wednesday, April 1st 2009 - 09:41 UTC

  Imagine Falklands and Gibraltar naval facilities under EU control and flag

  

  Britain's naval bases around the world should be put under the control of the European Union, according to a report commissioned by the Brussels Parliament and which was leaked to the British press this week.

• Wednesday, April 1st 2009 - 09:08 UTC

  Venezuela’s main opposition leader claims persecution and goes into hiding

  

  Venezuelan opposition leader Manuel Rosales, under investigation for corruption, has gone into hiding to escape alleged persecution by President Hugo Chavez, his party said on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, March 31st 2009 - 11:19 UTC

  Venezuela benefited 14 “allies” with 220 billion USD in four years

  

  Venezuela is estimated to have spent 220 billion US dollars from its oil and gas revenue in investments, subsidies and donations to 14 “allied” countries between 2005 and 2009, according to Centro de Investigaciones Economicas, a Caribbean think-tank.

• Tuesday, March 31st 2009 - 10:32 UTC

  Arab League, South America summit looks for political common ground

  

  Arab League and South American countries will open Tuesday their second summit with the purpose of boosting trade and cooperation. The idea of regular meetings between the 22 members of the Arab League and 12 South American countries was born in Brasilia in 2005, sponsored by Brazilian president Lula da Silva.

• Tuesday, March 31st 2009 - 07:14 UTC

  PM Brown sets out the “five tests” for the G 20 world leaders

  

  UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has set out five tests which world leaders will face when they gather for the G20 summit in London on Thursday and urged them to “rise to the challenge” of beating the recession.

• Tuesday, March 31st 2009 - 06:52 UTC

  Indian Ocean dependency votes to become integral part of France

  

  Voters from Mayotte, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to become and integral part of France, the 101th “departement”. Authorities said 95.2% of those who voted (61% turnout) opted to strengthen ties with Paris which will also require the Muslim majority to abide by French law. Only 4.8% voted no.