Politics

Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 12:08 UTC
Lula da Silva ends 2009 with a military crisis over reviewing the past

Brazilian president Lula da Silva praised as one of the most influential leaders of the world ends 2009 with a serious political crisis: the Minister of Defence and the commanders on the three services have threatened to resign over the creation of a “truth commission” to investigate human rights abuses during the military dictatorship that extended from 1964 to 1985.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 12:04 UTC
Argentine archbishop convicted for sexual abuse

Argentine cleric gets 8 years in sex abuse case. An Argentine judge convicted a former Roman Catholic archbishop Wednesday of sexually abusing a seminarian in 1992.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 07:46 UTC
When Japan assigned 20 “karate-ladies” to protect Margaret Thatcher

Japan was asked not to greet Britain's first female prime minister with a security escort of 20 “karate ladies”, newly-released British government papers show. Margaret Thatcher visited Tokyo for an economic summit in June 1979 - a month after winning the general election.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 05:46 UTC
Spain names first director for the Instituto Cervantes in Gibraltar

Francisco Oda-Angel, the former director of the Instituto Transfronterizo will be officially assuming his post as the first director of the Gibraltar branch of the Instituto Cervantes (equivalent of the British Council) as from January 1st 2010, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 05:41 UTC
Colombia disavows any “aggressive” mention towards Venezuela

In the midst of an escalating diplomatic clash with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe said he disavows any aggressive international speech towards Venezuela.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 04:47 UTC
Sub zero temperatures across Britain will welcome the New Year

Revellers are gearing up to give a warm welcome to 2010 even though sub-zero temperatures are expected across Britain. Final preparations are being made for huge fireworks displays to usher in the New Year in London and Glasgow.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 04:35 UTC
Amsterdam airport to install full-body scanners for flights to US

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport will begin using full-body scanners within three weeks to scan people travelling to the United States after consultations with US authorities, the Dutch interior minister said on Wednesday.
Thursday, December 31st 2009 - 03:07 UTC
Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation will help “dilute Brazilian hegemony”

The incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur will help dilute the Brazil-Argentina hegemony and will be beneficial for small countries said Paraguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Héctor Lacognata on Wednesday chatting with foreign correspondents.
Wednesday, December 30th 2009 - 15:49 UTC
Uruguay’s outgoing and incoming administrations agree on transition process

The Uruguayan government begun Tuesday the formal transition process during a ceremony attended by President Tabare Vazquez, president elect Jose Mujica and most of the cabinet of the administration that will be officially inaugurated next March first.
Wednesday, December 30th 2009 - 15:10 UTC
Search for missing children in Argentina involves prominent media mogul

The adopted son and daughter of a prominent Argentine businesswoman gave DNA samples Tuesday to help determine whether their biological parents were political prisoners killed during the country's “dirty war,” the family's lawyer said.