Politics

Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Record support for Lula da Silva and his administration

The approval rating of Brazilian President Lula da Silva and his administration soared to a record 80.3% and 71.1% during November, the highest for a Brazilian leader and his government since 1998, according to a poll from Instituto Sensus released in Brasilia.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Mercosur unable to agree on double tariff system

Poor start for the Mercosur summit in Salvador Bahía, Brazil. Mercosur member countries have been unable to reach an agreement in one of the main points of the agenda and which has been a stumbling issue for years: elimination of the double tariff on imports from third countries and which are then re-exported inside the block.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Russian flotilla to dock in Cuba, first time since Soviet era

A group of Russian warships is to visit Cuba for the first time since the Soviet era, the Russian navy has said. The visit, scheduled for 19-22 December, will be led by the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Raul Castro willing to discuss US trade embargo with Obama

Cuban President Raul Castro said he is willing to discuss the 50-year-old US trade embargo against Cuba with President-elect Barack Obama. Castro made the announcement on arrival in North eastern Brazil for a summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders.
Sunday, December 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Ex-Chilean president Frei nominated candidate for 2009

Former Chilean President Eduardo Frei was chosen Saturday by the Christian Democrat Party (PDC) as its presidential candidate for the December 2009 elections, for which he will first have to face other hopefuls from the centre-left coalition in the April primaries.
Sunday, December 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
“Hero” dog brings to light Chileans' attitude to pets

A recently released video of highway security film footage showing the heroic rescue of one dog by another on a busy Chilean highway is causing a big stir both in Chile and abroad.
Friday, December 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

Headlines: Vice Chief of Defence makes Falklands visit; BA Honours degree for Nancy; Missing drugs: Spanish fisherman pleads guilty to charge of burglary.
Friday, December 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Peruvian opinion poll confesses corruption is rampant

An overwhelming majority of Peruvians believe their country is corrupt or very corrupt, according to a national public opinion poll published Friday in the capital Lima press.
Friday, December 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
London police accepts full responsibility for Menezes death

London's Metropolitan Police accepts “full responsibility” for the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, its acting head said on Friday. Sir Paul Stephenson, the acting commissioner of the force, said officers made a “most terrible mistake” when they shot the innocent 27-year-old dead in Stockwell on July 22 2005.
Friday, December 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
A “boxing weekend” for Uruguay's ruling coalition congress

Uruguay's ruling coalition national congress of delegates meets this weekend to decide on the presidential candidate --or hopefuls-- for next October's election, but contrary to the long tradition of the catch-all movement, no consensus has been reached or seems achievable.