Politics

• Monday, February 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  G7 agree on downturn forecast but respect “economic diversity”

  U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in Tokyo that the global economy faces “downside risks” from the rout of capital markets that is “serious and persisting” but insisted he was convinced the US economy would continue to grow in 2008. At no time did he use the feared word “recession”.

• Sunday, February 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Cristina ready to travel and patch up relations with USA

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is preparing for an agenda of international meetings, both at home and overseas, with the purpose of fulfilling her electoral promise that global relations will be paramount for her administration, reports the Buenos Aires press.

• Saturday, February 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Vazquez launches cabinet reshuffle with October 2009 in mind

  

  Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez confirmed Saturday a deep reshuffle of the cabinet which in this first stage includes at least four relevant posts: Foreign Affairs, Defence, Industry and Energy; Education and Culture and Housing and Environment. The announcements are scheduled to be made public in the course of next week.

• Saturday, February 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay denies military alliance with Venezuela

  

  The Uruguayan government told Congress in Montevideo that it has no plans for a military alliance with Venezuela. The question was brought up following revelations that a delegation of Venezuelan military and scientists would be traveling in a Uruguayan navy vessel to Antarctica later this month.

• Friday, February 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News update

  

  Headlines: Farewell, grand old lady; Veterans' house in Stanley - hopes high for year end opening; Upland Goose conversion approved; Drugs arrests.

• Friday, February 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  C. Kirchner invited to London; Falklands unofficial talks?

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is ready to visit London next April although Buenos Aires press reports indicate that the Kirchner administration would like to see advances in the Malvinas war next of kin humanitarian visit to the Falklands Islands for the inauguration of the Argentine cemetery, before the final decision is taken.

• Friday, February 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Rio Tinto, another Argentina/Uruguay dispute brewing

  

  Uruguayan Minister of Public Works and Transport Víctor Rossi accused the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry of looking for problems “where they don't exist” following an official request for information on the projected construction of a new port by the mining giant Rio Tinto where the river Uruguay and the River Plate meet.

• Thursday, February 7th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombian Defense Minister says ties with Israel are strong

  

  Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos on Thursday praised his country's long defense relationship with Israel, saying he sought to boost it further by setting up a bilateral fund for technological research and development.

• Wednesday, February 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Super Tuesday: McCain pulls ahead; Clinton, Obama close

  

  Sen. John McCain jumped to a commanding lead in the Republican delegate race over Mitt Romney on Super Tuesday. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton edged ahead of Sen. Barack Obama in the race for Democratic delegates.

• Wednesday, February 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean diplomat head of WTO Dispute Settlement Body

  

  The Chilean ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mario Matus, has been chosen to head the organization's Dispute Settlement Body. Matus will replace Australian representative Bruce Gosper, who will preside over the WTO policy-making General Council for the next 12 months.