Politics

Tuesday, January 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Sir Alan Walters, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's personal economic advisor, dies aged 82

Professor Sir Alan Walters, former personal economic advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and credited with being an architect of the 1980's renaissance of the economy of the United Kingdom, died peacefully at home on Saturday at the age of 82.
Tuesday, January 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Ecuador to beef up patrolling along Colombian border

Ecuador will implement this year a plan to reinforce its borders, particularly with Colombia, to eliminate the presence of guerrillas and irregular forces in its territory, announced the country's Defence minister Javier Ponce.
Tuesday, January 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
After twelve months opinion polls are smiling for Bachelet

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet administration showed a positive public opinion assessment, for the first time in twelve months, according to the latest CEP polls published over the weekend.
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Cubans can now build their homes with own private funds

Cubans will be permitted to build their own homes using their own private funds, President Raul Castro announced on Sunday, in the latest reforms to back off the centralized economy hard-line orthodoxy of the past five decades.
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Brazil beefs up troops and forts to protect Amazon forest

Brazil plans to double the number of troops along the borders of its vast Amazon rain forest area in the framework of the “Protecting Amazon” project, reported O Estado de Sao Paulo” this weekend.
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
PM Brown calls for Argentine cooperation with Falklands

British PM Gordon Brown praised the new Falkland Islands constitution which enshrines the right to self determination and promised UK continued support for the development of the Islands hydrocarbons sector.
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Sir Alan Walters: “radical, fearless, the finest of friends”

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's influential economics adviser, Sir Alan Walters, has died aged 82. Sir Alan's return as an adviser led in 1989 to the resignation of Chancellor Nigel Lawson, with whom he had clashed over the exchange rate mechanism (ERM).
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Cuba's Raul Castro scheduled to visit Uruguay this year

Cuban president Raul Castro will be visiting Uruguay this year, according to reports in the Uruguayan government oriented press. Castro was extended an invitation last June when Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez was in the island and later confirmed in an official letter.
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Socialist candidate abandons Chilean presidential race

The Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza announced Monday his withdrawal from the Chilean presidential elections scheduled for next December.
Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Doha hangover: Lamy unopposed for his second WTO mandate

The current director-general of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy, is the only candidate for the position. He was the only candidate when nominations closed on 31 December.