Politics

• Tuesday, March 10th 2009 - 08:58 UTC

  Central bankers forecast world economy could be at “pick up” point

  

  The global economy may soon see signs of improvement, according to the heads of the world's major central banks. European Central Bank head Jean-Claude Trichet said that the world economy could be approaching a “pick-up” point.

• Tuesday, March 10th 2009 - 08:55 UTC

  Venezuela seizes land from Irish company; warns Coca Cola

  

  Ireland’s Smurfit Kappa corporation confirmed Monday that the Venezuelan government had seized 1.500 hectares of land with eucalyptus the company owns in the country valued in half a million Euros.

• Tuesday, March 10th 2009 - 07:13 UTC

  RAF Nimrods withdrawn from overseas operations

  

  Britain’s Royal Air Force fleet of Nimrod surveillance planes, some of which were involved in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict, has been temporarily withdrawn from operations overseas, almost a year after a coroner called for the aircraft to be grounded because of safety concerns.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 14:20 UTC

  President Vazquez confident Uruguay is prepared for the crisis

  

  Uruguayan president Tabaré Vázquez underlined during a political rally over the weekend the successes of his administration and said the country was better prepared to face the current global crisis.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 10:58 UTC

  March begins with an electoral setback for the Kirchners

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner seem to have suffered on Sunday their first electoral setback of the year, more precisely in the northern province of Catamarca where they openly campaigned in support of the local opposition.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 10:21 UTC

  British Labour apparatus restless about electoral prospects

  

  Former British Cabinet minister Peter Hain has delivered a stark warning that Labour faces electoral disaster unless it adopts a “very different” agenda. In what will be seen as a thinly-veiled attack on Gordon Brown's leadership, Mr Hain insisted the party had lost its “narrative” and was no longer seen as a “credible force for change”.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 10:12 UTC

  Royal message on 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth

  

  On the 60th anniversary of the British Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II message underlines the continuing values and goals on which the organization rests: freedom, democracy and human rights; equality and equity; development and prosperity.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 09:54 UTC

  South America launches council on defence cooperation

  

  Defence ministers from the twelve countries which make up the United Nations of South America, Unasur begin this Monday in Santiago de Chile a round of talks including the launching of the South American Defence Council geared to increase cooperation and dialogue among its members.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 09:44 UTC

  Charles begins tour meeting Chilean president Bachelet

  

  Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Chile Sunday afternoon the first stop of a South American tour that also includes Brazil and Ecuador which is seen as an opportunity for the heir of the throne to emphasize on one of his passions, climate change. The three days visit to Chile begins officially on Monday when the couple will have an audience with President Michelle Bachelet.

• Saturday, March 7th 2009 - 15:09 UTC

  Two Cuban figures admit having fallen for the “honey of power”

  

  Two of Cuba's most prominent politicians have resigned from their Communist party and government posts after they were sacked from the cabinet, according to letters published by the Cuban media.