Politics

• Sunday, December 30th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean ruling coalition looses control of the Senate

  Chile's Interior Minister Belisario Velasco admitted that the expulsion from the Christian Democrat (DC) party of Senator Adolfo Zaldívar signals a new scenario for the Chilean Congress since the ruling coalition no longer has a majority in the Senate.

• Sunday, December 30th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Oliver Stone will film the release of hostages in Colombia

  

  United States filmmaker Oliver Stone will be filming the much expected handover and release of three hostages held by Colombia's guerrillas, an international operation involving representatives from eight countries.

• Sunday, December 30th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Biometric tech means Falklands no longer issues UK visas

  

  From 1 January 2008, those applying worldwide for visas for the UK will need to provide biometric information, in the form of digital finger-scans and photographs, as part of the application process. As a result UK visas will no longer be issued in the Falkland Islands, according to a release from the Islands' Customs and Immigration Department.

• Saturday, December 29th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Magallanes and Punta Arenas have Chile's lowest unemployment

  Magallanes in the extreme south of Chile remained as the region with the lowest unemployment, 2.6% during the September-November quarter, according to the latest release from the National Statistics Institute.

• Saturday, December 29th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  LAN Cargo & 24 other carriers face price fixing allegations

  

  Chile's flag carrier LAN Airlines said on Thursday that its cargo unit LAN Cargo S.A. was one of 25 global cargo airlines facing allegations of possible price fixing of cargo fuel surcharges.

• Saturday, December 29th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine clocks put forward 60 minutes as of Sunday zero hrs

  

  Beginning Saturday midnight, (Sunday 00:00 Hours) the time in Argentina jumps forward an hour as part of a broad government plan to conserve energy as demand for power surges amid strong economic growth. Clocks will turn back on March 16.

• Thursday, December 27th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Extradition non viable for Condor Operation suspects from Brazil

  Brazilian authorities said they were awaiting notification from Italy on arrest warrants for suspects in the coordinated repression campaign during South America's dictatorship era, but also anticipated that Brazilian citizens could not be extradited for trial abroad.

• Thursday, December 27th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Pakistan instability impacts markets; boosts oil and gold

  

  The assassination on Thursday of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has sent stock markets falling and boosted prices for oil and gold. The main index on the New York Stock Exchange fell 192 points or 1.4% while prices of government bonds rose.

• Wednesday, December 26th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Several countries involved in release of Colombian hostages

  Colombia agreed on Wednesday to allow Venezuelan aircraft to land in the country to pick up three hostages held for years by leftist guerrillas, including a child born in captivity. Peace “commissioners” from five countries including Argentina's former president Nestor Kirchner will be involved in the operation.

• Tuesday, December 25th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Italian prosecutors after Operation Condor suspects

  Prosecutors in Italy have issued arrest warrants for 140 people who participated in the South American dictatorships coordinated repression of the seventies, which was known as Operation Condor.