Politics

• Sunday, April 6th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez nationalizes cement industry; Mexico condemns

  

  Mexico yesterday condemned Venezuela's planned nationalization of the cement industry, which will affect Cemex, a major Mexican company.
  
  “We can only condemn this action,” Finance Minister Agustín Carstens said in the city of Acapulco.

• Saturday, April 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Malvinas veterans demand identification of comrades' remains

  A group of Malvinas veterans who last week on the anniversary of the beginning of the conflict visited the Falkland Islands, called on the Argentine government for the identification of all combatants buried in the Argentine cemetery at Darwin, reports the Buenos Aires press.

• Saturday, April 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile and Argentina launch Cruz del Sur Joint Peace Force

  The Joint Chiefs of Staff from the combined Argentine Chilean Peace Force, Cruz del Sur (Southern Cross) was officially imposed this week in Santiago and described as “another landmark” in the bilateral relation of the neighboring countries.

• Saturday, April 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Brown and Bachelet call for a “new progressive agenda”

  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chilean president Michelle Bachelet underlined on Friday the urgent need for “a new progressive agenda” to tackle global issues such as climate change, globalization, poverty and inequality in the developing world.

• Saturday, April 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Bachelet meets Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle

  “Chilean British relations are excellent” said President Michelle Bachelet following the half hour private meeting on Friday with Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor Castle. Ms Bachelet is on an official visit to Britain that includes her participation in a political conference of centre left leaders hosted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

• Friday, April 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Colombian rebels demand a major exchange of prisoners

  A leader of Colombia's rebel group FARC ruled out the release of a high profile seriously ill French-Colombian hostage, (“she will remain in our camps”), unless there is a major prisoner exchange. The statement cast doubt on a French humanitarian mission sent to treat her.

• Friday, April 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

  

  Headlines: Happy Birthday RAF!; Blind runner embarks upon marathon challenge; Who will get oil money?; Man jailed; Credits in question; Woken with a bang; Dream heralds end of season.

• Thursday, April 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchners Malvinas message: no war and no Winnie the Pooh

  

  On the 26th anniversary of the beginning of the Falklands war, now renamed the Day of the Malvinas war veteran, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner renewed calls for sovereignty over the South Atlantic Islands and emphasized that the Malvinas claim is “unflagging”.

• Wednesday, April 2nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Sarkozy appeals directly to FARC for release of Betancourt

  

  French President Nicolas Sarkozy has implored Colombia's rebel group FARC to free ailing hostage Ingrid Betancourt, saying she is in danger of dying. Mr Sarkozy has also announced a French mission to Colombia to try to get access to the hostage.

• Wednesday, April 2nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  After muscle display, Kirchners and farmers seem ready to talk

  

  A huge political rally set up by the Argentine government with the support of friendly organizations in the heart of Buenos Aires was the Tuesday stage for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to accuse striking farmers of cutting food supplies to cities and rekindling ghosts of the recent past.