Politics

• Tuesday, August 10th 2010 - 00:51 UTC

  UN urges greater protection of the world’s indigenous communities

  

  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the world to step up efforts to improve living conditions of the planet’s indigenous communities and to protect them, saying they continued to suffer discrimination and poverty despite a United Nations declaration that aims to promote their rights.

• Monday, August 9th 2010 - 07:26 UTC

  Gibraltar: Between a Rock and a hard place

  

  La Linea de la Conception is a small Spanish town on the North side of the border with Gibraltar. The fascist dictator Francisco Franco sealed the frontier in 1969 to punish Gibraltar for rejecting his offer of becoming part of Spain.

• Monday, August 9th 2010 - 07:18 UTC

  Chavez to meet with Colombia's new president tomorrow

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his new Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, will meet this week as the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations between the South American neighbours, officials said Sunday.

• Sunday, August 8th 2010 - 07:34 UTC

  Fidel surprises everybody and only speaks to the Assembly for 10 minutes

  

  Fidel Castro, the former Cuban leader delivered Saturday his first speech to the national assembly since resigning over ill health four years ago. The chamber erupted into applause at the sight of Mr Castro, dressed in his familiar olive-green fatigues but without his comandante's insignia.

• Sunday, August 8th 2010 - 07:29 UTC

  Chavez promises new start and willing to meet President Santos

  

  President Hugo Chávez offered to meet with Colombia's new President Juan Manuel Santos to restore diplomatic relations broken over allegations that Venezuela was tolerating the presence of guerrillas in its territory.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 23:11 UTC

  Santos called for understanding in spite of ideological differences

  

  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos took office Saturday with a pledge to create jobs, end rebel violence and foster economic growth while seeking to mend ties with neighbouring countries in spite of “ideological differences”.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 06:09 UTC

  UNASUR suggests Venezuelan chancellor meets Colombian president Santos

  

  Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Secretary-General Néstor Kirchner and Brazilian president Lula da Silva recommended that Venezuelan Foreign Affairs minister Nicolas Maduro should travel to Colombia on Saturday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of president elect Juan Manuel Santos.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 06:06 UTC

  Uribe files complaint against Chavez before International Criminal Court

  

  Out-going Colombian President Álvaro Uribe filed a complaint before the International Criminal Court in Rome against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez for crimes against humanity that derive from the alleged harbouring of Colombian guerrilla fighters in Venezuelan soil, Uribe's lawyer, Jaime Granados, informed.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 05:56 UTC

  Dilma/Serra debate was “boring” and unable to distract Brazilians from soccer

  

  The first television debate between the Brazilian leading presidential candidates, Dilma Rousseff and Jose Serra had one of the lowest ratings Thursday night and analysts defined it as ‘boring’ and a at the most, ‘a test for future duels’.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 05:51 UTC

  Kirchner sowing for next year’s presidential election

  

  Argentina's government, unions and industry leaders agreed this week to raise the minimum wage by 23%, more than twice the official annual inflation running at 11%.