Politics

Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 13:27 UTC
Low cost, no frills ceremony planned for Mujica’s March inauguration

Uruguayan president elect Jose Mujica anticipated that the inauguration ceremony next March first will be in the open, paid by “friends” with no military parade, but with numerous music and dance groups playing to make it a real popular celebration, according to several reports in the Montevideo press.
Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 13:23 UTC
FARC linked news agency justifies kidnapping and killing of Colombian governor

A news agency close to FARC Colombian rebels justified the recent killing of provincial governor Luis Francisco Cuellar although it did not fully attribute responsibility of the abduction and murder to the Revolutionary Colombian Armed Forces.
Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 13:13 UTC
Royal Christmas speech dedicated to troops serving in Afghanistan

Queen Elizabeth II used her Christmas speech to express sadness at the death toll among British troops in Afghanistan. The monarch offered her sympathy to the families of the 106 service personnel who have died this year.
Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 13:05 UTC
Major UK warfare exercise in the Falklands to repel “enemy invasion”

British forces have been taking part in a major warfare exercise in the Falkland Islands, where hundreds of servicemen died during the 1982 conflict. The Highlanders (4 Scots) joined the Royal Navy and RAF in a two-day operation after an “enemy invasion” on the islands, 8,000 miles from the UK, in the South Atlantic.
Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 12:44 UTC
Hectic Chile: newborns given single names, forget the saint’s day

Breaking from Chile’s tradition of giving babies a compound name - i.e. Juan Pablo, Maria Isabel - more and more parents are opting for single names.
Friday, December 25th 2009 - 16:40 UTC
US Senate confirms ambassadors: Shannon to Brazil and Nelson to Uruguay

United States Senate confirmed Thomas Shannon as the newly appointed US Ambassador to Brazil, after a long delay due to the veto of Republican national deputies, who have showed discontent towards US President Barack Obama's policies as regards Latin America.
Friday, December 25th 2009 - 16:34 UTC
Obama closer to achieving the most important piece of social legislation since 1930

US senators have passed the final Senate version of a historic healthcare reform bill. The bill aims to cover 31million uninsured Americans and could lead to the biggest change in US healthcare in decades.
Friday, December 25th 2009 - 16:13 UTC
Newsweek predicts death of Fidel Castro and coup in Venezuela

Next year will see the death of the veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the fall of Venezuelan President following a coup, according to the predictions from the latest edition of US magazine Newsweek.
Friday, December 25th 2009 - 15:54 UTC
Australia again threatens Japan with legal action for whaling

The Australian government insists it will take international legal action against Japan if it doesn't stop whaling. And it will send surveillance boats to the Southern Ocean to monitor the Japan's annual whaling hunt if it needs to mount a legal case
Friday, December 25th 2009 - 15:43 UTC
Le Monde names Brazil’s Lula da Silva as “Man of the Year”

French daily Le Monde named Brazilian President Lula da Silva “Man of the Year” for “personifying a giant”. It is the first time in its history the French publication has made this designation.