Politics

• Tuesday, January 16th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine foreign debt negotiating team invited to Ecuador

  Ecuadorian new authorities are in contact with the team that successfully negotiated the restructuring of Argentina's foreign debt with the purpose of undertaking a similar process and significantly reduce the “burden” of the country's financial commitments.

• Tuesday, January 16th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  A Mercosur summit potentially full of surprises

  

  An agenda with several controversial issues awaits Mercosur summit this week in Rio do Janeiro where some in fighting can also be expected given the level of criticism to which the trade group has been exposed.

• Monday, January 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Blair confirms defence procurement and funds for Tristars

  

  British Prime Minister Tony Blair dispelled fears that plans to build new carriers and destroyers for the Royal Navy and procure new transport aircraft for the RAF will not go ahead, emphasizing that “we've got the largest warship building programme for decades under way”.

• Monday, January 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Left wing forum celebrates advances in Latinamerica

  

  Some 66 left wing delegations from thirty different countries, mainly Latinamerica are currently meeting in San Salvador in the framework of the Sao Paulo Forum, to celebrate and assess the advance last year of elected left wing governments in the region, as happened in Nicaragua, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela.

• Monday, January 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuadorian president Correa calls March national referendum

  

  Rafael Correa was sworn as Ecuador's president Monday and one of the first decrees he signed was to call a national referendum next March 18 to decide on the convening of an elected assembly with full powers to draft a new constitution.

• Monday, January 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez mends fences with OAS Secretary General

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and the Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza shook hands Monday in Quito bringing relief to the conflicting situation between both officials.

• Monday, January 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean support for “progressive” regimes in the region

  

  Praising democracy and in a clear support of fellow presidents seen as critical of United States, Chile's Michelle Bachelet said that the latest swing of elected governments in Latinamerica can be better described as “progressive” rather than left wing or radical.

• Monday, January 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Mercosur in a “crisis situation”, but it is part of the process

  

  Former Brazilian president Jose Sarney, (1985/1990) admitted that Mercosur was undergoing a “crisis situation” but it's something normal to the development of a customs' union.

• Sunday, January 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuador's Correa manages support for reform plans

  

  Ecuadorian elected President Rafael Correa, flanked by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales announced Sunday that “a new day is dawning” promising to rule for the indigenous, the migrants and the excluded.

• Sunday, January 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Windy royal visit to the Falklands followed by minor storm in Antarctica

  

  The prediction of bad weather to come in the Antarctic over the next few days has led to a shortening of the visit of the Princess Royal to the Falkland Islands. Taking advantage of a “weather window” the Princess will fly at 6pm today, Sunday, directly from Stanley to the British base at Rothera in the Antarctic in a De Havilland Dash 7 aircraft, belonging to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). This flight was originally planned to take place on Monday morning.