Politics

• Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 01:04 UTC

  US military have no evidence of Venezuela, FARC and ETA links

  

  The chief of the US military's Southern Command, General Douglas Fraser, said during a hearing before the US Senate that he had no evidence of links between Venezuela, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a Colombian guerrilla group and the Basque separatist group ETA.

• Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 00:57 UTC

  Colombia’s congressional election Sunday, a test for May’s presidential vote

  

  Colombian congressional elections this weekend may signal how much backing former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos will have as he seeks to capitalize on the success of Alvaro Uribe’s “democratic security” politics to succeed him as president.

• Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 00:55 UTC

  To be a good journalist, first you must be a good Marxist, says Beijing

  

  Chinese journalist must take tests on Marxist theory and the Chinese Communist Party is the last of Beijing’s drive to improve standards and ensure closer adherence to government media policies, reports said this week.

• Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 00:09 UTC

  Brussels approves Uruguayan fish industry sanitary standards

  

  The European Commission (EC) has ruled that the controls carried out by Uruguayan sanitary authorities guarantee the “adequate standards” demanded by Community norms for imported seafood products.

• Friday, March 12th 2010 - 23:27 UTC

  Cuba accuses Europe of “fabricating patriots out of criminals”

  

  The Cuban government again on Friday blasted the European Parliament for fabricating “patriots among mercenaries and criminals” and for supporting “subversion”, as the regime of the Fidel and Raul Castro brothers calls dissidents.

• Friday, March 12th 2010 - 23:25 UTC

  German Left leader warns on “extreme presidentialism” in Socialist Latinamerica

  

  Gregor Gysi the leader of Germany’s Left considers a serious problem the extreme “presidentialism” of the new left wing governments in Latinamerica and said Cuba was on the wrong track if it believes social justice demands sacrificing liberties.

• Friday, March 12th 2010 - 21:12 UTC

  Lula da Silva criticizes the press, attacks “false democrats’” editorials

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva blasted the “false democrats” who write “fancy editorials” in newspapers, suggesting the media corporations are attempting to embarrass his government in an election year.

• Friday, March 12th 2010 - 20:44 UTC

  Beijing proposes Paraguay trade and cultural links

  

  China has proposed to Paraguay a gradual process of rapprochement with special emphasis in trade and cultural fields at a first stage, revealed Paraguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Hector Lacognata.

• Friday, March 12th 2010 - 18:21 UTC

  Deminers recover over a thousand mines in Falklands

  

  MORE than a thousand mines have been recovered and destroyed by deminers working in the Falkland Islands. The Falkland Island Demining Programme Office (FIDPO) was established in Stanley in early October 2009.

• Friday, March 12th 2010 - 04:57 UTC

  Tremors cut short Piñera inauguration and decide his agenda

  

  It was to be a grand celebration, the conservatives had defeated the left leaning ruling coalition that has dominated Chilean politics since 1990 and they would be returning to office after more than half a century. But the party was not to be.