Politics

• Monday, May 23rd 2011 - 00:31 UTC

  Over 300.000 Cubans have opted to work in the private sector as ‘self-employed’

  

  The number of Cubans working in the private sector continues to rise and now includes over 300,000 as a result of President Raul Castro government’s economic reforms that have been implemented since last October.

• Monday, May 23rd 2011 - 00:25 UTC

  Chilean naval officers to court for kidnapping and torture of Anglo-Chilean priest

  

  Chilean Judge Julio Miranda of the Valparaíso Court of Appeals formally presented last week an accusation against 10 retired navy officers for the kidnapping and torture of Anglo-Chilean priest Michael Woodward.

• Monday, May 23rd 2011 - 00:01 UTC

  Maradona to coach Dubai team and puts Arab football on global spotlight

  

  Diego Maradona will become the second highest paid coach in world football when he formally takes over as manager of UAE Pro League side Al Wasl next month.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 23:31 UTC

  Chile, Peru and Costa Rica join the Geneva based UN Human rights council

  

  Chile, Peru and Costa Rica will be representing Latin America and the Caribbean in the UN Human Rights Council for the next three years, following a round of balloting among UN member states over the weekend.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 22:32 UTC

  UK ends military operation in Iraq which was started in 2003

  

  UK's military operation in Iraq will officially end midnight Sunday, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. It comes after the Royal Navy completed its training of Iraqi sailors, with the last personnel leaving the country on Friday.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 22:25 UTC

  The HydroAysén project and why Chile’s old institutional order can’t cope with change

  

  By José Aylwin - The Santiago Times Publisher Steve Anderson’s editorial note: There are many reasons for the ongoing Chilean national anguish about the US$7.5 billion HidroAysén dam in Patagonia and transmission line project.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 13:17 UTC

  Catholic Church points to politicians on corruption and discredited institutions

  

  The Latin America Catholic Church Episcopal Council, Celam, sent a strong message to the political establishment saying it is painful to see so many people victims of the narcotics trade and so many young people disenchanted with institutions because of corruption. Celam held its XXXIII two-day Ordinary Assembly in Montevideo.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 12:58 UTC

  Standard & Poor’s ‘yellow card’ for Italy; promise of balanced budget in 2014

  

  Italy’s Treasury said it will “intensify” structural changes in the economy and push ahead with measures to balance the budget by 2014 after Standard & Poor’s said its debt rating is at risk of a downgrade.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 12:48 UTC

  London and Madrid address Spanish incursions into Gibraltar waters

  

  British Foreign Minister William Hague raised the UK’s concerns over Spanish incursions into Gibraltar waters during a meeting with his Spanish counterpart last February, according to a response to a question in the House of Lords.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 12:40 UTC

  Rousseff’s main advisor describes Brazil/Argentina relations as “fine”

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff's international affairs advisor Marco Aurélio García lowered the tone of the trade conflict with Argentina and said that the relationship between both countries “is fine” despite the trade barriers that Brazil imposed on the import of Argentine cars.