Politics

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 10:44 UTC

  Argentina pays bond and seeks to return to global capital markets

  

  Argentina paid creditors a total of 2.25 billion dollars on government-issued debt Monday, as it sought to shed the last vestiges of its 2001 default and return to the financial mainstream. Economy Minister Amado Boudou said the payment, or coupon, had been made to holders of dollar-denominated Boden 2012 bonds -- meeting a debt obligation that aims to boost confidence.

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 10:41 UTC

  Uribe tours South America to explain US bases in Colombia

  

  A plan to increase the number of US troops in Colombia is drawing opposition, not just from left-wing populist leaders in the region but also from moderate governments prompting President Alvaro Uribe to tour the region and try to ease concerns.

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 09:45 UTC

  Opinion polls anticipate Uruguayan presidential election with run-off

  

  The coming Uruguayan presidential election scheduled for October will be decided in a run off at the end of November according to the tendencies of the latest public opinion poll released Monday in Montevideo.

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 09:42 UTC

  Count down for Lula da Silva’s key congressional ally

  

  Brazilian Senate President Jose Sarney, a key ally of President Lula da Silva, may be forced to resign amid allegations he used his position to win government jobs and contracts for relatives. Senators from parties backing President Lula da Silva joined by members from the opposition are increasing pressure on Sarney to step down.

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 09:22 UTC

  Brazil purchases 250 German Leopard tanks to guard its borders

  

  The Brazilian army purchased 250 German leopard 1 A5 tanks which will be displayed mainly along the country’s 16.000 kilometres of land and fluvial borders thus reinforcing its dissuasive capacity in the event of foreign attacks. The program is also part of the National Defence Strategy, NDS, approved last December by President Lula da Silva.

• Monday, August 3rd 2009 - 13:50 UTC

  Bolivian president Morales launches the “indigenous autonomy”

  

  Bolivia has become the first country in the history of South America to declare the right of indigenous people to govern themselves. The country's first indigenous president, Evo Morales, launched his so-called “indigenous autonomy” policy in the eastern lowlands.

• Monday, August 3rd 2009 - 13:28 UTC

  Sir Nicholas re-elected chairman of UK/Falklands All Party Parliamentary Group

  

  Sir Nicholas Winterton DL has been re-elected unanimously and unopposed as Chairman of the United Kingdom-Falkland Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group – for the twelfth consecutive year – at the Group’s Annual General Meeting at the House of Commons on 13th July.

• Monday, August 3rd 2009 - 13:13 UTC

  Weapons from 27 different countries found in Colombian terrorist camps

  

  Weapons captured by the Colombian forces from the terrorist cocaine-funded organization FARC during the last ten years originated in at least 27 different countries and the Colombian government has requested help in finding out how they reached the jungle war.

• Monday, August 3rd 2009 - 12:58 UTC

  Former minister exposes Kirchners leniency towards union leaders abuses

  

  Argentina’s former Health Minister Graciela Ocaña revealed she resigned because she has “a different way of acting in politics” and criticized the growing influence in the Kirchner couple administrations of the head of the country’s main unions’ organization Hugo Moyano.

• Monday, August 3rd 2009 - 12:49 UTC

  Unemployment in Germany rose in July and worse to come

  

  Unemployment in Germany rose in July, official figures have shown, and economists have warned that the worst still lies ahead for the job market.