Latin America

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 20:56 UTC

  Fidel Castro back on stage to discuss “issues of interest in the international situation”

  

  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro’s request for an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss foreign affairs was granted Wednesday which could mean the retired leader of the 1959 revolution may be taking a greater role in government.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 06:55 UTC

  North of Chile, land of telescopes, preparing to promote “astronomy tourism”

  

  With the installation of the world's biggest telescope planned in northern Chile many communities there are hoping the tourism industry will benefit from the world of astronomy.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 06:51 UTC

  Mexico to debate legalization of drugs; 28.000 deaths related to the ‘war’

  

  Mexican president Felipe Calderon has invited the country to a serious debate on the legalization of drugs in light of the latest figures indicating that over 28,000 people had been killed in a four year period.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 15:37 UTC

  Southern Chile Commerson dolphins’ population falls dramatically

  

  A recent study showed a reduction in the population of Commerson’s Dolphins living in the southern tip of Chile. Commerson’s are also known as Panda Dolphins (or Tonina Overa in Spanish).

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 14:45 UTC

  Proposal in Chile to legalize same sex marriage “to install the debate in society”

  

  Socialist Sen. Fulvio Rossi announced Sunday that he will present a law to the Senate on Tuesday to legalize same sex marriage in Chile. The announcement was made at a press conference one day after Santiago Archbishop Francisco Javier Errázuriz publicly called the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex “an outrage,” referring to Argentina’s initiative.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 06:05 UTC

  What happens if Chilean maritime costs force cruises to cancel the Pacific leg?

  

  A Uruguayan cruise industry expert has brought up an interesting debate about the whole business for South America if Chilean port and auxiliary services costs remain so high that they end convincing some of the cruise companies to drop the traditional Pacific and Chilean leg of the tours.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 06:02 UTC

  Chilean wine industry and pork plant clash over land planning and use

  

  Winemakers in Chile’s Casablanca Valley have been fighting pork-producing behemoth Expo Pork Meat for the past two weeks, as the company looks to construct a pork-processing plant in the region.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 05:50 UTC

  Santiago suffering the coldest July since 1908: 2 degrees below monthly average

  

  Santiago just had the coldest July since 1908 with an average temperature of 6 degrees Celsius. That is 2 degrees under the usual monthly average, according to the Department of Geophysics of the University of Chile.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 00:18 UTC

  Chilean president Piñera has 45% approval rating and 29% negative

  

  President Sebastián Piñera received a 45% approval rating, while disapproval rates reached 29%, according to a survey reported last week by the Center of Public Education (CEP).

• Monday, August 2nd 2010 - 06:02 UTC

  Santos security for his swearing-in ceremony: 380.000 police and military

  

  An estimated 160.000 Colombian law enforcement agents will reinforce security for when president-elect Juan Manuel Santos takes office next August 7, said General Orlando Paez Baron, head of the Colombian Police’s Citizens Security´.