Politics

• Sunday, October 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Serious setback for President Lula in Sao Paulo mayor race

  

  Brazil's ruling party and President Lula da Silva suffered a serious blow Sunday in the country's main city Sao Paulo where incumbent conservative mayor Gilberto Kassab comfortably won a second period defeating Marta Suplicy in the run off by almost twenty points.

• Sunday, October 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  UK/Arg chamber praises departing Ambassador Hughes

  

  British Ambassador in Argentina John Hughes, who ends a four-year mission here this month, was given the warmest of farewells by the British-Argentine Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) earlier this week in the stately surroundings of the ex-mansion wing of a Buenos Aires downtown hotel.

• Saturday, October 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Miami federal jury begins deliberations of suitcase scandal

  

  A United States federal jury in Miami began deliberations Friday in the trial of a wealthy Venezuelan businessman accused in a conspiracy to hide the source and destination of a suitcase stuffed with 800,000 USD in cash and involving Venezuela and Argentina.

• Saturday, October 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Vazquez re-election re-emerges strongly in Uruguay

  

  Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez is reconsidering the proposal for his re-election next year if the ruling coalition, Broad Front, can't agree on a 2009 consensus presidential ticket during the coming movement's congress.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina furious with Uruguay's veto to Mr. Kirchner

  

  Argentina described as “injurious” Uruguay's decision not to support former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner candidacy to the chair of the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, in spite of the fact he was virtually the only hopeful.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  EU-Asia summit in Beijing in spite of award to dissident

  In spite of strong lobbying from Beijing the European Parliament prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was awarded to a Chinese human rights activist and political dissident.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Five years on, the EU and Cuba formally restore ties

  The European Union and Cuba have formally restored ties five years after the EU imposed diplomatic sanctions on the island following mass arrests of dissidents.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News update

  

  Headlines: Football crazy kids return; New senior Magistrate John Trevaskis; The ups and downs of the FIGAS shuttle.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean Sunday local elections will test parties' strength

  

  More than eight million Chileans have the right to vote this Sunday for their mayors and city council representatives in the country's 345 municipalities. While the election results will not officially reflect on the 2009 presidential race, the political parties – right, left and centre – are hotly contesting the municipal races and will surely use the final vote tallies to tout their relative strength on the national political scene.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Call for leadership and partnership on United Nations Day

  

  As the world contends with numerous crises, ranging from food insecurity and climate change to financial uncertainty and the development challenge, leadership and partnership are more important than ever to tackle today's most pressing issues, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message marking United Nations Day.