Politics

• Thursday, April 30th 2009 - 12:08 UTC

  Raul Castro still open to talks with US, but rejects idea of symbolic gesture

  

  Cuban President Raul Castro said Wednesday his country does not need to make any symbolic “gestures” as it pursues better relations with the United States. Addressing the Non Aligned Movement meeting in Havana Castro said he is still willing to talk about all issues and that it was up to the US to make the next move.

• Thursday, April 30th 2009 - 12:05 UTC

  Morales lobbies for Cuba and describes himself as partly “Marxist-Leninist”

  

  Bolivia’s president Evo Morales defined himself as “Marxist-Leninist” in an interview with the Argentine newspaper Clarín in which he rejects the continued exclusion of Cuba from the Organization of American States, OAS dating back to 1962.

• Thursday, April 30th 2009 - 05:27 UTC

  HMS Illustrious at Centenary celebration of Naval Aviation

  

  HMS Illustrious, which played a role in the aftermath of the 1982 Falklands War, is to visit London to mark the Centenary Year of Naval Aviation next week. On May 7 1909 the Admiralty first set aside £35,000 for the development of an airship - the process that led to the formation of the Fleet Air Arm.

• Thursday, April 30th 2009 - 05:23 UTC

  Lamy expected to be re-elected for another five years as head of WTO

  

  The World Trade Organization's 153 members were set Thursday to approve another four-year term for Director-General Pascal Lamy, who is running unopposed for the top job

• Wednesday, April 29th 2009 - 12:20 UTC

  Chile purchases 18 second hand F16 fighter planes from Holland

  

  Chile purchased another batch of 18 refurbished F-16 fighter jets from Holland to strengthen and renovate the material and equipment of the country’s Air Force, informed Defence minister Francisco Vidal late Tuesday in Santiago. The operation involves 270 million US dollars.

• Wednesday, April 29th 2009 - 12:18 UTC

  History Channel to screen film on Falklands’ war air battles

  

  The History Channel will be screening next June a film on the Falkland Islands war and the fire baptism of the Argentine Air Force, it was announced this week in Buenos Aires.

• Wednesday, April 29th 2009 - 07:47 UTC

  Uruguay’s ruling coalition close to a presidential ticket: Mujica-Astori

  

  With only two months for the primaries, Uruguay’s ruling coalition seems to have reached an understanding as to how the presidential ticket for October’s general elections will be nominated. Whoever wins next June 28 will lead the ticket and the runner up accepts the Vice president post to seal a united front.

• Wednesday, April 29th 2009 - 04:41 UTC

  Kirchner admits government could loose June mid term election

  

  Former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner and head of the country’s largest Justicialista party called on voters to support the ruling coalition in the coming mid term elections of next June 28 to avoid a collapse back into the 2001/02 scenario

• Wednesday, April 29th 2009 - 04:08 UTC

  Religious cross-border procession unites Gibraltar and Spain’s La Linea

  

  Hundreds of faithful from Gibraltar and neighbouring Spanish location La Linea expressed their devotion to Our Lady of Europe on Monday in the first time ever cross-border procession, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 14:10 UTC

  Chavez recalls ambassador to Peru and escalates diplomatic dispute

  

  Venezuela recalled its ambassador to protest Peru's decision to grant political asylum to a prominent opponent of President Hugo Chavez, calling it a mockery of international law and escalating a diplomatic dispute.