Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Monday that he would be seeking to resume talks with the United States this week while his government referred to the European Union as one of the most inefficient organizations in the world less than a month ahead of local elections whereby the head of state intends to secure another term in office amid disenfranchised opposition leaders.
The 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) concluded Friday in the Paraguayan capital with the Declaration of Asunción, a document promoting the elimination of violence against women and girls, the fight against climate change, and the fight against organized crime.
The economy in South America's largest country is taking a shaky turn as Friday's figures would indicate. The exchange rate between the local real (R$) and the US dollar (US$) went up 15.15% over the past six months, closing at US$ 1 = R$ 5.58 while the Stock market fell 0.32% for a 1.49% monthly gain. On the brighter side, unemployment in the quarter ending in May stood at 7.1%, according to Brazil's Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), a considerable improvement from February's 7.8% and the yoy 8.3%.
US Under Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma, who heads his country's delegation before the Organization of American States (OAS) 54th General Assembly in Asunción, met Thursday afternoon with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, with whom he discussed the devastating effects of corruption and impunity on the economy.
A somewhat erratic Joseph Biden left the Democratic camp wondering whether their 81-year-old candidate would be fit for a full second term in office as President of the United States. After Thursday evening's debate with the Republican nominee and former head of state Donald Trump, aged 78, many wondered if it was not too late to seek a replacement. In truth, neither candidate has yet been officially nominated, although both have secured the required number of delegates for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions beginning July 15 and Aug. 19 respectively.
Former Honduran two-time President Juan Orlando Hernández (2014-2022) was sentenced to 45 years in jail by a US Federal Court in the Southern District of New York, which in practical terms will keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. The minimum sentence established by law was 40 years.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange finally landed in his native Australia after completing a series of formalities with US authorities in the Mariana Islands. But it was his wife Stella who spoke to the press to celebrate his arrival after a 14-year ordeal which included a spell at Ecuador's Embassy in London plus a stay at the Belmarsh maximum security prison in the British capital. Assange was expected to appear in front of the media after arriving in Canberra on a private flight from Saipan.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from London's Maximum Security Belmarsh Prison after reaching a plea deal with US prosecutors whereby he agreed to a 5-year prison sentence for espionage which allowed for the time already served to be counted.
Paraguayan authorities are fine-tuning the last arrangements for the upcoming 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) to be held in Asunción Between June 26 and 28. According to Paraguay's Foreign Ministry, some 1,200 people are expected to attend the continental event, which is to focus on the fight against transnational organized crime.
By George Allison (*) - Recent moves by Argentina to renew and expand its military capabilities, including aspirations to acquire amphibious assault ships and a deal to buy retired F-16 fighter jets from Denmark, have raised eyebrows. The Falklands War of 1982 remains a defining event in the histories of the United Kingdom and Argentina.