Stories for December 28th 2011

Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 22:45 UTC
Cristina Fernandez promulgates tough laws to control the media and social protest

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez has promulgated several bills, some of them considered controversial, sanctioned last week by Congress --where the ruling coalition has a comfortable working majority-- and which were published Wednesday in the Official Gazette.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 22:38 UTC
CFK surgery is “relatively simple” and once recovered allows to fulfil a normal life

Surgery to extract the thyroid carcinoma to which Argentine President Cristina Fernandez will be submitted next week is relatively simple and she will be able to fully recover and fulfil a normal life, according to several Buenos Aires specialists.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 22:31 UTC
Piñera and CFK agree to reprogram the Argentine leaders’ official visit to Chile

Chilean president Sebastián Piñera and his Argentine peer Cristina Fernandez agreed to reprogram her visit to Santiago scheduled for the last week of January following the announcement that the Argentine leader will undergo thyroid cancer surgery next January 4.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 22:27 UTC
Half joking, half serious Boudou is told: “be careful with what you do”

“Be careful with what you do”, cautioned Argentine President Cristina Fernández half joking and half serious with her Vice-President Amado Boudou over the period of absence she will take following next week’s surgery when he will be replacing her at the Executive Branch.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 22:16 UTC
Cristina Fernandez thanks solidarity and calls on “all Argentines” to collaborate

Argentine president Cristina Fernández spoke publicly on Wednesday for the first time since the announcement she will undergo cancer surgery in January and thanked all well-wishers, from government officials to members of the opposition and overseas leaders.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 07:25 UTC
Chile wants to pool young voters: registry automatic but voting voluntary

The Chilean Senate passed a constitutional law that makes voting voluntary and registration automatic, incorporating millions of new voters into the system and removing penalties previously tied to obligatory voting.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:58 UTC
Mexican telecoms giant planning to invest 5.4bn dollars in Brazil

The Brazilian subsidiaries of Mexican telecoms giant America Movil are planning 10 billion Reais (5.4 billion dollars) worth of new investment in 2012, Folha de São Paulo said on Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:41 UTC
Falklands have three options for a new deep water port

The location of a new deep water port for the Falkland Islands been narrowed down to three potential sites: Mare Harbour, Navy Point (north of the Camber) and Stanley harbour (FIPASS) it was confirmed at the Executive Council meeting last week following a discussion of the issue.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:31 UTC
Madrid has first woman mayor; promises to bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Ana Botella, the wife of former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, was sworn-in Tuesday as Madrid’s first woman mayor. She succeeds Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, mayor of the capital since 2003, who resigned to serve as Justice Minister in the new Conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:30 UTC
UK ambassador in Chile “concerned” with “economic blockade” on the Falklands

The British Ambassador to Chile, Jon Benjamin, expressed on Tuesday UK’s “concern” over “countries that have joined” the Mercosur bloc in their decision to support Argentina, by putting in place a ban on ships flying the Malvinas Islands’ flag from docking at their ports.