Politics

• Wednesday, December 27th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Cubans waiting for Castro's New Year message

  The lack of news about the health condition of Cuban president Fidel Castro who underwent serious surgery last July, Cubans are anxiously waiting for their leader's traditional New Year's message when the island celebrates the 48th anniversary of the revolution, according to press reports from Havana.

• Tuesday, December 26th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Mrs. Kirchner with increasing chances for October 2007

  

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner will leave office next December 2007 to concentrate on building his political force while the First Lady and Senator, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the leading candidate to succeed her, anticipated this week Congress member Carlos Kunkel from the ruling coalition

• Monday, December 25th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Falklands: Blair promises “productive cooperation” with Argentina

  British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that despite the recent diplomatic challenges in relations with Argentina “we will continue to work for productive cooperation”, and for the future security and prosperity of the Falkland Islands.

• Monday, December 25th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Priest and General ticket lead opinion polls in Paraguay

  

  A priest and a controversial former general is the most attractive ticket for voters in Paraguay, according to a poll by First Análisis y Estudios published in Asuncion's main daily ABC Color. The ticket comprised of Fernando Lugo and Lino Oviedo has a 27.3% support for the next presidential election, scheduled for April 2008.

• Monday, December 25th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Mercosur runs the risk of “collapse”, warn analysts

  

  Mercosur runs the risk of collapsing because it keeps adding members without consolidating as a customs union or having solved the serious tensions between big and junior partners, according to regional analysts.

• Sunday, December 24th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Another Chilean General's grandson fired

  A week after Augusto Pinochet Molina, grandson of the former Chilean dictator, was fired from Chile's armed forces for giving an incendiary speech at his grandfather's funeral, the grandson of former General Carlos Prats, Francisco Cuadrado Prats, was fired from his job as a cultural director in Santiago's borough of Las Condes.

• Friday, December 22nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Penguin News Update

  

  Headlines: Lord Triesman's seasonal greetings; Mine feasibility study: '100% clearance is possible'; Chief of Police officially resigns; Festive cruise visits; Men lost after ship links.

• Friday, December 22nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine mines laid in 1982 could be cleared.

  

  Thousands of Argentine landmines which remain in the Falkland Islands could be successfully cleared sometime in the future.
  This is the confident prediction of Landmine consultant Paddy Blagden, who headed a team from Cranfield University, which has just completed a feasibility study into minefield clearance in the islands.

• Thursday, December 21st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay ratifies support for Spain's “facilitating” efforts

  

  Uruguay denied Wednesday it had rejected Spanish King Juan Carlos' “facilitating” efforts, following press reports in Buenos Aires attacking Uruguay for allegedly having desisted of the royal support to reestablish dialogue in the pulp mills controversy.

• Wednesday, December 20th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian Congress' pay increase shock the country

  Brazil's Supreme Court (Supreme Federal Tribunal) ruled Tuesday that a decision by congressional leaders to almost double the salaries of senators and representatives must be put to a vote in Congress.