Politics

• Wednesday, May 7th 2025 - 08:46 UTC

  Friedrich Merz becomes Germany's new Chancellor

  

  Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected Chancellor of Germany on Tuesday after the second round of Bundestag voting, in which he was given 325 endorsements (thus surpassing the 316 minimum requirement), with 289 rejections and one abstention. No prospective chancellor in post-war Germany had previously failed the first vote after securing a coalition agreement.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2025 - 20:16 UTC

  Carney tells Trump Canada not for sale

  

  Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met US President Donald Trump Tuesday in Washington to discuss bilateral ties amid a trade war sparked by tariffs on Canadian goods. Carney firmly told Trump his country was “not for sale,” but the Republican leader replied it was wiser to “never say never.” He insisted that Canada joining the Union as its 51st State would be a “wonderful marriage” with benefits like lower taxes and military protection for Canadians.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2025 - 19:35 UTC

  FCDO picks successor for BA Embassy

  

  The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) announced Friday through a statement that Mr David Cairns has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Argentine Republic in succession to Mrs Kirsty Hayes, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Cairns will take up his appointment in September this year.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2025 - 10:30 UTC

  Peña highlights Paraguay's stability at economic forum in Los Angeles

  

  During his appearance at the Milken Institute Global Forum in Los Angeles, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña highlighted his country's stability, openness, and commitment to inclusive development. The major global economic event acknowledged Paraguay’s dedication to democracy, peace, and combating terrorism.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2025 - 10:28 UTC

  Bolsonaro discharged from hospital

  

  Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been discharged from DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, three weeks after undergoing complex abdominal surgery for an intestinal blockage stemming from the 2018 stabbing during his electoral campaign. He has been hospitalized several times since then, undergoing up to 6 surgeries. Doctors described his most recent procedure as the most complicated.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2025 - 10:24 UTC

  Márcia Lopes becomes Brazil's new Minister of Women

  

  Márcia Lopes has been appointed as the new Minister for Women in Brazil, succeeding Cida Gonçalves. Upon taking office, she emphasized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's vision of making women feel happier nationwide.

• Monday, May 5th 2025 - 10:47 UTC

  Argentina: US SOUTHCOM Chief passes through – consequences to be seen shortly?

  

  Argentine nationalist sectors are concerned that US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Chief Admiral Alvin Holsey's recent visit could signal the beginning of a sovereignty handover to Washington, which President Javier Milei is believed to favor.

• Monday, May 5th 2025 - 10:46 UTC

  Paraguay's BCP announces overoptimistic GDP projection

  

  Despite many experts believing otherwise, Paraguay's Central Bank (BCP) has raised its GDP growth projection for 2025 from 3.8% to 4% amid geopolitical tensions and potential trade wars. BCP President Carlos Carvallo defended the adjustment, citing strong economic performance and advanced data showing better-than-expected dynamics in several sectors, except agriculture, which was impacted by drought-affected soybean production.

• Monday, May 5th 2025 - 10:41 UTC

  Nicaragua to leave UNESCO to deepen absence of press freedom

  

  Nicaragua announced it would be withdrawing from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), effective Dec. 31, 2026, after it granted the 2025 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to the opposition newspaper La Prensa. The regime of President Daniel Ortega said the accolade was “unacceptable” and accused the publication of promoting violence and fostering anti-Nicaraguan values.

• Monday, May 5th 2025 - 10:24 UTC

  Trump wants Alcatraz reopened as a prison, not a tourist attraction

  

  US President Donald Trump announced this weekend plans to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the former maximum-security prison on an island near San Francisco, which closed in 1963. The Republican leader intends to use the facility to house America’s “most violent” criminals, including repeat offenders and potentially undocumented immigrants with alleged criminal records. He directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and FBI to execute this plan, emphasizing it as a symbol of “Law, Order, and Justice.”