Politics

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 10:37 UTC

  British Tories insist on an immediate general election

  

  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has rejected calls by Conservative leader David Cameron for an immediate General Election and warned that planned Tory spending cuts would lead to “chaos”.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 10:31 UTC

  Lula da Silva rejects third term but hand-picked candidate is seriously ill

  

  Brazilian President Lula da Silva has ruled out the possibility of standing for a third term in office adding he was certain the likely candidate for the ruling Workers Party is chief of staff Dilma Rousseff.

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 02:36 UTC

  First time in 300 years: House of Commons speaker forced to stand down

  

  The first House of Commons Speaker to be effectively forced out of office in 300 years took place Tuesday when Michael Martin told MPs he intends to stand down. In a brief statement to a packed House of Commons he said he would step down on 21 June, with his successor set to be elected by MPs the next day.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 14:44 UTC

  Re-election, “bad symptom” for democracy in Latinamerica

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez intention to hold on to office is a “bad symptom” which is spreading to the rest of Latinamerica claimed Cesar Perez Vivas, opposition governor from the Venezuelan state of Tachira.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 13:57 UTC

  Trade and oil cooperation, high in the Lula da Silva agenda in China

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva arrived Monday in Beijing with a delegation of 240 businessmen for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening the country’s strategic partnership with China.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 08:26 UTC

  Colombian Defence minister ready to run for presidency, if Uribe quits

  

  Juan Manuel Santos resigned Monday from his position as Colombian Defence minister, a move aimed at insuring the presidency will remain in the hands of the government of President Alvaro Uribe.

• Monday, May 18th 2009 - 11:29 UTC

  Uruguay’s leading poet and Latinamerican writer dies in Montevideo

  

  Mario Benedetti, Uruguay’s leading poet and one of Latinamerica’s most read authors died Sunday in Montevideo at the age of 88. He became famous in the Spanish speaking world in 1960 with his landmark novel La Tregua (The truce) which years later served as the script for a much praised film.

• Monday, May 18th 2009 - 11:05 UTC

  New UK Chief of Joint Operations visits Falklands

  

  The United Kingdom newly appointed Chief of Joint Operations (UK) Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach KCB CBE has enjoyed a busy, week long visit to the Falkland Islands.

• Monday, May 18th 2009 - 11:02 UTC

  IMF head forecasts global economy recovery at end of 2009

  

  The turnaround in the global economic slowdown could come in October or November this year, but an economic recovery depends on many factors and isn't likely to start for another year, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Khan, warned Friday.

• Monday, May 18th 2009 - 10:54 UTC

  First visit of a Brazilian president to Saudi Arabia

  

  Brazil and Saudi Arabia signed Sunday an agreement to expand cooperation in oil, mining, infrastructure, science and increase bilateral trade said the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry said. The agreement was signed in presence of King Abdullah and visiting Brazilian President Lula da Silva.