Politics

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 06:43 UTC

  Venezuela will become Mercosur fifth full member “next March”

  

  Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur will be completed next March according to ABN news agency from Caracas. Apparently the formality will take place in the second week of March following the end of the Paraguayan congressional recess.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 13:57 UTC

  For many Port-au-Prince residents, situation is catastrophic says Red Cross

  

  “Access to shelter, sanitation, water, food and medical care remains extremely limited,” said Riccardo Conti, the International Committee of the Red Cross, CRC head of delegation in Haiti.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 13:45 UTC

  Argentina/Brazil review bilateral trade in February

  

  Argentina and Brazil will be meeting early February in Buenos Aires to assess how bilateral trade has been evolving and to plan the following steps to keep improving trade relations between Mercosur senior members.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 13:27 UTC

  Piñera considers a unity cabinet but faces Congressional hurdle

  

  Sebastián Piñera in his first day as Chilean president-elect anticipated he could include members of the ruling coalition Concertacion in his future cabinet.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 10:43 UTC

  Joint scientific research cruise with Spain in Uruguay’s EEZ

  

  Spain’s research vessel “Miguel Oliver” set off from Montevideo for a joint scientific cruise with Uruguayan experts with the purpose of surveying Uruguay’s Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ. The research includes chartering the area and surveying ocean conditions in the sea bed.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 01:57 UTC

  Lula da Silva absent from Bolivia’s Morales taking office ceremony

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva will not be participating this week at Bolivia’s Evo Morales taking office ceremony. He will be represented by his foreign affairs advisor Marco Aurelio García, according to Valor Economico, a financial publication from Sao Paulo.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 01:50 UTC

  Britain rejects latest Argentine claim to Falklands’ sovereignty

  

  The British government has firmly rejected the latest claim by Argentina to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, Members of Parliament have been told, according to a report from BBC.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 11:46 UTC

  Conservative Piñera ends 20 years of centre-left rule in Chile

  

  Chilean billionaire Sebastián Piñera won a landmark victory in Sunday's presidential election, becoming the country’s first conservative leader since the end of the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet two decades ago.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 11:44 UTC

  Australian aboriginal leaders to ask Prince William for remains of local warrior

  

  Australian aboriginal elders will ask Prince William to help them find the decapitated head of the great Aboriginal warrior, Pemulwuy and return it to their homeland.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 11:35 UTC

  Brazil Catholic Church attacks government initiative on abortion and gay rights

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva and his National Program on Human Rights which last week apparently overcame military intransigence, now faces another formidable voice in the country’s politics: the Brazilian Episcopacy, disappointed with the abortion and gay marriage proposals.