Politics

• Tuesday, January 9th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Insulza branded an “idiot”

  Chavez's nationalization announcement came in his first speech of the year, a fiery address in which he used a vulgar word roughly meaning “idiot” to refer to Organization of American States Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza.

• Tuesday, January 9th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  US and EU ratify commitment to the Doha trade round

  

  United States president George W Bush and the European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso ratified Monday their commitment to seek fresh ways of overcoming differences and reaching an agreement on the Doha Round trade talks.

• Tuesday, January 9th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil willing to inject “greater cohesion” to Mercosur

  

  Brazil has plans to grant economic and trade aid to Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay in an attempt to give South America's main trade grouping Mercosur, “greater cohesion”, according to the financial press of Sao Paulo.

• Monday, January 8th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Lavagna with “slim” chances of beating incumbent candidate

  

  Former Argentine Minister of Economy Roberto Lavagna could become “the main opposition candidate” but his chances of winning October's presidential elections are “slim” said a reputed Argentine political analyst and public opinion polls expert

• Sunday, January 7th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  OAS Insulza and Venezuela on collision course

  

  Venezuela called on the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza to retract from “censorship” statements regarding the controversy over a television station license in Caracas.

• Saturday, January 6th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile's corruption case leaves Bachelet unscathed

  Recent corruption cases plaguing the ruling Concertación coalition have had little effect on the public popularity of Chile's President Michelle Bachelet, according to a poll carried out by the Centre for Public Studies (CEP).

• Friday, January 5th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Lavagna makes official his presidential candidacy

  Argentina's former Minister of Economy Roberto Lavagna announced Thursday he would be running for the presidency in next October's election with the purpose of offering an “overcoming alternative”.

• Thursday, January 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  “Democrats are back” and keeping to their pledges

  

  After twelve years of undisputed Republican majority in the United States Congress, opposition Democrats on Thursday took control of both houses with Representative Nancy Pelosi becoming the first female speaker ever in the House.

• Thursday, January 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez full ahead with his Socialist model project

  

  Venezuelan re-elected President Hugo Chavez dismissed Thursday his longtime confidant Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel and former Minister of Interior Jesse Chacón promising to complete his new cabinet by next Wednesday when he takes office for a six year mandate extending until 2013.

• Thursday, January 4th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Penguin News Update

  

  Headlines:
  Quiet farewell for local hero; Royal programme revealed; New Year's Honours; Planning begins for ferry terminals,
  Cruise ships this week.