Politics

Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Elected Paraguayan president confirms Mercosur membership

Elected president Fernando Lugo, who takes office on August 15, pledged to maintain Paraguay's membership in the Mercosur trade block, which includes Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and strengthen integration mechanisms. He also announced he would seek relations with Beijing, currently non existent.
Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Paraguayan president Duarte will lead block in next Senate

Paraguayan president Nicanor Duarte said on Monday he's considering resigning before August 15, when his mandate expires, which means vice president Francisco Oviedo would then be in charge of passing the sash to elected president Fernando Lugo.
Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Colombia confirms full support to tough anti guerrilla policy

Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe and, to a lesser extent, Ecuador's Rafael Correa were the Latinamerican leaders with the greatest approval rating in March according to the latest public opinion poll from the renowned consultants Mitofsky with results published in the Mexican press on Monday.
Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
“Silent tsunami” threatens 100 million people with hunger

The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) called for urgent action to tackle the “silent tsunami” of rising food prices which threatens to push more than 100 million people worldwide into hunger.
Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentina indicts Uruguayan expatriate for the grass fires

A Uruguayan farm handy man, Sergio Amable Salvador Vera, 62, became the first person to be indicted this week for starting the grassland fires that produced the recent blanketing with smoke of Argentina's capital Buenos Aires city.
Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Peru to ask 3 more years to complete mine clearance

Peru will request before the Ottawa Convention an extension, until 2012, for the clearance of antipersonnel mines from its territory given the impossibility to comply with the current deadline of 2009, announced Peruvian Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Gonzalo Gutierrez.
Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Frustrated Argentine farmers ready to resume conflict May 2

In a massive Sunday rally the Argentine farmers ratified their willingness to continue the round of talks with government, --in spite of some attitudes and unilateral decisions--, but also warned that time is running out and the agreed deadline is May 2.
Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Food prices challenge Peru's economy and president's approval

Peruvian president Alan Garcia's approval rating fell to 26% (28% in March) despite the strong performance of Peru's economy, the fastest growing in South America, according to an Ipsos Apoyo survey published in Lima's main newspaper El Comercio.
Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Islanders have proved the best aircraft for the Falkland Islands

THE Falkland Islands Government Air Service General Manager Sean Minto says that air frame replacement has not been included in the current internal review - “We can't get aircraft that operate better or cheaper.”
Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Warnings about Brazil's high interest rates policy

Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra and one of Brazilian leaders tipped to dispute the presidency in 2010 warned about the possibility of an economic downturn when President Lula da Silva concludes his second mandate.