Politics

• Wednesday, July 29th 2009 - 12:24 UTC

  US/China agree to fight protectionism, but doubts linger on US dollar

  

  United States and China are committed to fighting protectionism, said US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner following two days of high-level talks. The two countries share an interest in ensuring that trade remained “open and rules-based”.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2009 - 12:22 UTC

  British Tories 18 points ahead of Labour, show latest poll

  

  British Conservatives have stretched their lead over Labour to 18 points, according to a new opinion poll. The ComRes survey put David Cameron's party on 42%, up six points on last month's poll, with Labour down one point on 24%.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2009 - 12:13 UTC

  Chavez freezes diplomatic and trade relations with Colombia

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez froze diplomatic relations with neighboring Colombia, citing verbal “aggressions” from that country. The announcement Tuesday on national television follows declarations from the Colombian government that anti-tank weapons purchased by Venezuela from Sweden ended up in the hands of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 14:22 UTC

  Pope Benedict XVI names Catholic Bishop of British Forces

  

  Pope Benedict XVI has announced that Monsignor Richard Moth, currently Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Southwark, England, will be the next Catholic Bishop of the British Forces.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 14:18 UTC

  Swedish made weapons sold to Venezuela turn up in Colombian guerrilla camp

  

  Sweden has asked Venezuela to explain how Swedish-made weapons ended up in the hands of Colombia's Farc rebels. Swedish officials said the anti-tank rocket launchers had been sold to Venezuela in the 1980s.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:13 UTC

  Honduras Army supports mediation, unity government and early elections

  

  The head of the Honduran military pledged on Monday not to use deadly force against supporters of ousted president Manuel Zelaya and said the Army supports mediation efforts to solve the political crisis.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 03:41 UTC

  Mercosur “lame and in misery” says Uruguayan presidential candidate

  

  Mercosur is “lame and in misery”, said Uruguay’s ruling coalition presidential candidate Jose Mujica. As of last weekend Uruguay holds the six month rotating chair of the South American trade block which has as full members, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 03:28 UTC

  Brazil insists on the political angle of the Itaipú agreement

  

  The Brazilian presidency advisor in international affairs Marco Aurelio García said that the agreement between Brazil and Paraguay regarding the surplus power from the shared Itaipú hydroelectric dam (operationally the largest in the world) is “most important” and helps to normalize bilateral relations.

• Monday, July 27th 2009 - 22:20 UTC

  Who can buy farmland in the Falklands – restrictions to be imposed?

  

  A recent increase in the sale of Falklands farms to overseas buyers may lead to amendments to the Lands Non-residents Ordinance potentially to restrict who can buy farmland in the islands.

• Monday, July 27th 2009 - 12:35 UTC

  Brazil agrees to treble payment for Paraguay’s energy from Itaipú

  

  Brazil and Paraguay agreed over the weekend on an amicable solution to a decade long dispute over a hydro-electric dam on their shared border, with Brazil agreeing to triple the amount it pays its neighbour for energy.