Politics

• Thursday, January 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Uribe with 80% popularity fights for US Congress support

  Colombian president Alvaro Uribe has an 80% support, the highest since taking office back in 2002, according to the latest public opinion polls released this week. The previous poll in November showed Uribe with a 74% support and 14% negative response.

• Friday, January 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update

  

  Headlines; Surf's up!; Tamar FI breakdown: meat export concerns; New boss at FIGAS has Islands link; FGML closes Falklands operation; ASSI team to assess under-threat airstrips.

• Thursday, January 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile Congress approves pension reforms for all

  

  Chile's congress backed a pension reform bill Wednesday to ensure the country's landmark social security program for the first time covers every citizen.

• Thursday, January 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  HMS Endurance visit rejected by Ushuaia Malvinas veterans

  

  Argentine Malvinas veterans from Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south of Argentina made public their dissatisfaction with the coming visit of Britain's ice patrol HMS Endurance to the port of Ushuaia next January 26.

• Thursday, January 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales and rebel governors agree to seek compromise

  

  Divided Bolivia took a tentative step toward reconciliation as President Evo Morales and opposition governors agreed to seek a compromise between Morales' new constitution and declarations of autonomy by four resource rich eastern states.

• Thursday, January 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile summons ambassador in Lima over limit dispute

  Chile summoned home its ambassador to Peru for consultations amid a growing dispute over the countries maritime boundary and lucrative fishing grounds. Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley said Ambassador Cristian Barros was due in Santiago Thursday or Friday “for a long conversation”.

• Wednesday, January 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil extends one billion US dollars credit to Cuba

  

  Cuban leader Fidel Castro is lucid and healthy enough to resume a political role in Cuba, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday at the end of a 24 hours visit to the island during which ten bilateral agreements were signed.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  FARC robs Colombian tourists and takes six hostages

  

  Colombia's biggest rebel group cocaine funded FARC kidnapped six Colombian tourists in the western province of Choco, daily El Tiempo reported in its online edition.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Lula visits Cuba with an option for Venezuelan influence

  President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived Tuesday in Havana for a 24-hour visit to strengthen economic ties with Cuba. He is expected to sign a series of trade, cooperation and investment agreements in spite of the US economic embargo

• Tuesday, January 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Spanish government calls for general elections March 9

  The Spanish government called general elections for March 9, formally launching Monday what is shaping up as a close race between the ruling Socialists and opposition conservatives.