Politics

• Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 11:17 UTC

  Lula da Silva criticizes G8 summit; calls for BRIC participation

  

  Rich countries are not living up to their pledges to help developing countries weather the effects of the global economic crisis said Brazilian president Lula da Silva, ahead of this week’s G8 meeting in Italy.

• Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 10:07 UTC

  Corruption claims erode Lula da Silva’s control over the Senate

  

  The Brazilian Senate --whose president Jose Sarney has been accused of corruption--, apparently has a secret bank account operating millions of US dollars and a private “bunker” for a few, with facilities for “intimate” dates, according to reports in the Sao Paulo and Brasilia press.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 13:00 UTC

  Mexican ruling party battered in mid term election

  

  The conservative National Action Party (PAN) of Mexican President Felipe Calderon has admitted defeat in mid-term congressional elections. It acknowledged that the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) will dominate the Lower House.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 12:56 UTC

  Long live the all mighty US dollar as reserve currency, says China

  

  Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister He Yafei said on Sunday the US dollar would continue to be the world's leading reserve currency for years to come. The announcement comes before this week’s summit of the Group of Eight in Italy.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 12:48 UTC

  Zelaya’s return to Honduras aborted; two people shot dead at airport

  

  Honduras's ousted President, Manuel Zelaya failed on Sunday in a dramatic attempt to fly back to his country. His plane circled the Tegucigalpa airport, but it could not land as the authorities had blocked the runway.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 09:41 UTC

  Gibraltar joins Spanish and UK officials to prepare ministerial meeting

  

  A delegation from Gibraltar with Chief Minister Peter Caruana is participating of a three day non-ministerial round of the Tripartite Forum in Madrid which is expected to prepare the ground for a full ministerial meeting of the Forum in mid-July that will include Spanish Foreign Secretary Miguel Angel Moratinos.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 09:22 UTC

  Venezuela takes over Banco Santander and pays first instalment

  

  Venezuela has taken formal control of its third largest bank, the previously Spanish-owned Banco de Venezuela. The first instalment of a 630 million US dollars price tag was made amid much ceremony in the capital Caracas, with nearly all the shares passing to the government.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 09:15 UTC

  New “marketing” for British overseas aid

  

  Britain’s overseas aid is to be re-branded in a bid to raise public awareness at home and abroad and help maintain support for spending during the downturn. The Department for International Development (DFID) will use the name “UKaid” for its funding of projects in the world's poorest countries following concerns raised by Parliament.

• Monday, July 6th 2009 - 08:59 UTC

  Lula da Silva stands by his Senate ally; warns about “instability”

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva said that the resignation or suspension of Jose Sarney as president of the Senate could generate a “very serious crisis” leading to “instability”, according to official sources in Congress.

• Sunday, July 5th 2009 - 12:00 UTC

  Zelaya insists in returning to Honduras; Catholic Church warns of “bloodbath”

  

  Ousted President Manuel Zelaya has vowed to return to Honduras on Sunday, despite being threatened with arrest. The Honduran Catholic Church called on all parties to avoid a “blood bath”.