Politics

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 00:20 UTC

  Latinamerica turns to Europe, Russia and China for military hardware

  

  Brazil's plans to buy French fighter jets confirms a trend across Latinamerica that is based in recent history and the proclivity of US lawmakers to put political restrictions on what customers can and cannot do with their purchases.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 13:05 UTC

  Major reshuffle in Mexico includes war on drugs, oil and agriculture

  

  Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced Monday the resignation of Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora, his point-man in the offensive against drug cartels, but gave no indication that the current strategy of full confrontation with the gangs would change.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 13:00 UTC

  US increases arms sales and share of world market in 2008

  

  United States not only increased its arms sales by nearly 50% last year but its share of world weapons sales also rose to more than two-thirds despite the global economic downturn, a newspaper reported Monday.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 10:38 UTC

  Brazil begins talks for the purchase of 36 French built Rafale combat aircrafts

  

  President Lula da Silva announced Monday that Brazil has entered negotiations with France for the purchase of 36 combat aircrafts Rafale, from Dassault. An official release from the Planalto said that negotiations include the transfer of French technology.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 10:33 UTC

  Chilean conservatives more confident of winning presidential election

  

  Chilean conservative presidential candidate Sebastián Piñera announced Sunday he will submit a proposal to Chile's government suggesting that the voter registration period for December's presidential elections be extended by around one month.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 08:39 UTC

  Education gap in Latinamerica and with other regions widening

  

  Latinamerica and the Caribbean spend three times more in arms and fuel subsidies than in the learning gap between children from low income and high income homes, a sum estimated in 14 billion US dollars, according to the president of the Inter American Development Bank, IDB, Luis Alberto Moreno.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 08:34 UTC

  Obama’s “on line” strategy to promote Lula da Silva’s successor

  

  Brazil’s President Lula da Silva ruling Workers party has been in consultations with the communications team that worked with US president Barack Obama, with the purpose of helping design its campaign for the 2010 presidential election.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 05:51 UTC

  Colombian magistrate sends strong message to President Alvaro Uribe

  

  The head of Colombia’s Constitutional court Nilson Pinilla said the country can “trust” the decision of the court, regarding the law that calls for a referendum on the re-election of President Alvaro Uribe for a third consecutive term.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 01:15 UTC

  Kirchners ready to allow IMF review of the Argentine economy

  

  Four years after Argentina froze relations with the International Monetary Fund under the administration of President Nestor Kirchner, the government of his wife Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is willing to accept an IMF review of the Argentine economy, according to Economy minister Amado Boudou, quoted in the Buenos Aires press.

• Monday, September 7th 2009 - 14:58 UTC

  Argentine pulp mill protestors promise to “fight on” whatever The Hague ruling

  

  With only a week left for the beginning of the hearings in the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the pulp mills dispute between Uruguay and Argentina, pickets that have been blocking bridges between the two neighbouring countries promised to keep on the struggle.