United Nations, New York
{05-08-2012}

US: Venezuela will send a bad signal if were to leave the IACHR
El Universal

Rupert Colville, spokesperson of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Friday that Venezuela's withdrawal from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) would be "very serious." He urged Venezuelan authorities to "rethink their decision."

Colville said at a press conference that while Venezuela has not yet made the decision to withdraw from the IACHR, "it has taken the first step" by establishing a committee that is to assess Venezuela's withdrawal from the regional organization, which is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS).

On May 1, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez ordered the creation of a State Council to examine the possibility of leaving "the infamous Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)." He said that the body is "a mechanism used by the United States" against his country.  "Regional human rights bodies play an important role in protecting and strengthening human rights standards and treaties," Colville said, as reported by Efe.

The spokesman of the UN High Commissioner urged Venezuela, as well as all other countries in the hemisphere, "to continue to cooperate with national and international human rights mechanisms and not to take any action that will further weaken the protection of these rights."  Colville made this appeal not only Venezuela, but to all States to avoid the "possible effects" that the Venezuela proposal may have on the continent.

Ramírez, who is also the president of state-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), has said that Venezuela did not agree with decisions by some OPEC members to increase output in order to offset declining exports from Iran. Ironically, Pdvsa has a plan to increase oil production by over 16% in 2012, or 500,000 bpd to reach 3.5 million bpd by the end of the year.

Kabul, afghanistan
{04-25-2012}

Official: US to Help Defend Afghanistan Past 2014
VOA News

Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta shared the terms of the proposed U.S.-Afghan strategic deal with the country's parliament Monday. The draft agreement was signed a day earlier by Spanta and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker.   Spanta said that under the proposed deal, both sides could even agree to extend U.S. military assistance past a negotiated 2024 cut-off.

The eight-part pact covers a wide range of issues, including economic, social and political dealings between the U.S. and Afghanistan once all international combat troops leave the country in 2014. However, Spanta told lawmakers that U.S. and Afghan officials agreed to take out the issue of U.S. bases, calling it "complicated" at this time. He said both sides agreed to negotiate a new deal within the next year outlining the number of U.S. bases and troops, as well as their responsibilities past 2014.

The draft strategic agreement now heads to President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai for review, as well as the U.S. Congress and Afghan parliament. On Monday, Karzai's Cabinet issued a statement calling the agreement a "crucial document" for a bilateral partnership between "two independent and equal states."

U.S. officials say Obama expects to sign the document before a NATO summit in Chicago next month.

Washington, d.c.
{04-26-2012}

U.N. to send more monitors to Syria
Associated Press

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed dismay over the report that the Syrian government was killing members of the opposition who have spoken with U.N. monitors. "It is absolutely deplorable if there is this kind of intimidation and harassment and possible violence against those Syrians who have every right to meet with and discuss the situation with the monitors," she said.

Clinton said U.S. officials were preparing "additional steps" in case the violence continues or if the monitors are prevented from doing their work. The council recently authorized sending up to 300 monitors for 90 days. They are tasked with observing a cease-fire that was to have begun April 12. "Taken as a whole, the level of violence has decreased" since that date, Annan said. "This, however, does not cover the spike in violence reported yesterday."

The opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported 80 killings on Monday across the nation, with at least 50 of them occurring in Hama.

Damascus, Syria
{04-26-2012}

U.N. mission does nothing to change endgame in Syria
Associated Press

Tank artillery and mortar rounds rained on the city of Douma on Tuesday, according to an opposition activist identified only as Fateh for safety reasons.

In Idlib, security authorities moved 20 bodies from a hospital to an undisclosed location, a move that coincided with the arrival of U.N. observers in the area, the LCC said.

In the Damascus suburb of Douma, an explosion was reported, the group said. In another suburb, Karafbatna, several activists were reported to have been arrested, apparently at random, at a checkpoint in the center of the city, the group said.

In Damascus, a government intelligence officer was killed Tuesday morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Syria said armed terrorists killed a retired officer and his brother in the province of Damascus on Monday night, in the neighborhood of Fadel.

United nations, new york
{04-026-2012}

Annan: Syria resuming violence as monitors leave
CNN Wire Staff

The Syrian military is halting violence in areas entered by U.N. observers but resumes attacking once the monitors leave, the U.N.-Arab League joint special envoy said Tuesday. "I am particularly alarmed by reports that government troops entered Hama yesterday after observers departed, firing automatic weapons and killing a significant number of people," Kofi Annan told Security Council members. "If confirmed, this is totally unacceptable and reprehensible."

Annan added that Syria's foreign minister told him heavy weapons and troops had been withdrawn from population centers and military operations had ended -- as called for by a six-point peace plan laid out by Annan and accepted by the Syrian government.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA
{04-23-2012}

Violence erupts in Syria despite calls for tough U.N. steps
CNN Wire Staff

Syrian protesters gathered Friday for demonstrations that were met with armed resistance from government forces, opposition groups said. Security forces in Aleppo used gunfire and tear gas on demonstrators, injuring four, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

In Daraa province, forces fired at protesters to disperse them, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, another opposition group. Meanwhile, the government blamed terrorists for exploding a bomb in the region of Quneitra that killed 10 troops.

The violence came as world leaders sought tough U.N. measures against the regime over its failure to implement fully a peace plan imposed last week.

Caracas, venezuela
{04-21-2012}

Congress speaker: "Aponte Aponte was not forced to do anything"
El Universal

National Assembly's Speaker Diosdado Cabello on Friday reappeared on the scene and responded in the state of Monagas (northeastern Venezuela) to the statements of former Justice Eladio Aponte Aponte. "He is accusing himself... because he acted knowingly. He was not forced to do anything," Cabello said. The ruling party leader said that Aponte is "a merchant of justice."

"Commander (Hugo) Chávez has never called a judge to tell him/her do this or that," said Cabello, who is also the first PSUV Vice President. The PSUV leader recalled that Aponte Aponte had the opportunity to present his views to the National Assembly, but he did not do so.

Cabello added that the opposition "will try to get some political gain." "We must unite to prevent this from affecting us," he added.

JERUSALEM, ISRATEL
{04-20-2012}

Netanyahu accuses world powers of giving Iran 'freebie' in talks
AFP

Israel’s prime minister complained that six big world powers had given Iran "a freebie" in a new agreement that permits Tehran to enter negotiations about its disputed nuclear program May 23 without first halting enrichment of uranium that could be used in a nuclear bomb. Airing the first important public criticism of the deal, reached in Istanbul, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Jerusalem that "my initial impression is that Iran has been given a freebie. It’s got five weeks to continue enrichment without any limitation, any inhibition."

The deal was worked out by a group that includes the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China. The world powers have been seeking for years to persuade Iran to negotiate limits on its program, which the group fears could be aimed at gaining bomb-making know-how.

The group decided that its best chance to coax Iran into a negotiation was to forgo any requirement that Tehran first halt enrichment. But the Israeli government fears that Iran is close to gaining all the knowledge it needs to build a bomb, and has threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear installations if world powers cannot halt the program.

CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA
{04-16-2012}

PRESIDENT Obama 'hopeful' about transition in Cuba
Associated Press

President Barack Obama says he is "hopeful" about the prospect of a transition in Cuba and says there may be an opportunity in the coming years for communist-run island to start "loosening up."

Obama says the U.S. would welcome a free Cuba. He says he is not a U.S. president who brings "a lot of baggage" to this issue and is willing to look at the problem in a fresh way.

Divisions over Cuba kept leaders at the Summit of the Americas from agreeing to a joint summit declaration. Some countries wanted to include language specifying that Cuba attend the next regional meetings, but the U.S. was opposed. 

The U.S., which has a half-century long economic embargo on Cuba, says the communist-run island does not meet the summit's democratic standards.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
{04-16-2012}

Israeli leader says nuclear talks gave Iran 'gift'
Associated Press
Israel's prime minister says Iran got a "gift" from the world's big powers at nuclear talks this weekend.

Officials from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany met with Iran in Istanbul to discuss the country's nuclear program. The talks were described as positive and they agreed to meet again on May 23 in Baghdad.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the arrangement gave Iran five weeks to continue uranium enrichment - a process that can be used both in the production of nuclear energy or nuclear weapons - without any restrictions. He said Iran should be forced to stop this immediately.

Washington, d.c.
{04-15-2012}

Obama: NKorea not very good at rocket launches
Associated Press

President Barack Obama says North Korea's failed rocket launch shows the country is wasting money on rockets that "don't work" while its people starve.

Obama told a television interviewer that the North Koreans have "been trying to launch missiles like this for over a decade now, and they don't seem to be real good at it."

Still, he called the failed launch Friday an area of deep concern for the United States. He says in an interview with the Spanish-language TV network "Telemundo" to be broadcast Friday evening that the U.S. will work with other nations to "further isolate" North Korea.

The launch violates two U.N. Security Council resolutions, and the U.S. says it will kill a plan to give food aid to North Korea.

Cartagena, colombia
{04-15-2012}

Obama: 'Drug legalisation not the answer to drug war'
Associated Press

US President Barack Obama has said that legalising drugs is not the answer to the problems caused by the trafficking of illegal narcotics in the Americas.  President Obama said the answer to the increasing power of drug cartels in the hemisphere was to encourage societies with strong economics, rule of law, and a sound law enforcement infrastructure.

"I personally and my administration's position is that legalisation is not the answer, that in fact if you think about how it would end up operating, the capacity of a large-scale drug trade to dominate certain countries, if they were allowed to operate legally without any constraint could be just as corrupting, if not more corrupting than the status quo," he said.

He was speaking hours before the leaders of more than 30 countries in the Western Hemisphere met at the Convention Centre in Cartagena, Colombia, for the Americas Summit. The summit's official theme is "connecting the Americas" but the host, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, and other regional leaders have expressed their desire to discuss a new strategy in the war on drugs.

Caracas, venezuela
{04-15-2012}

‘Old Empires’
AFP

Venezuelan dictator hugo Chavez yesterday criticized the U.S. and Canadian presence at the summit both for their opposition to Cuba’s attendance and also because they haven’t supported Argentina’s efforts to regain the Falkland Islands from the U.K.

“They oppose these issues because they’re part of the old empires,” Chavez said to a crowd of followers outside the presidential palace in Caracas. “One of the issues that we need to talk about at the summit is Yankee interventionism. How long will this go on for, Mr. Obama?”

The U.S. leader said his administration has done more than any in decades to improve U.S. relations with Cuba and blamed the communist regime for the country’s absence.

In an e-mail interview with a group of newspapers across Latin America, Obama said that by allowing increased family visits and the sending of remittances to Cuba, his administration has given the Cuban people hope for democracy. Obama said the Cuban authorities haven’t shown any interest in improving their record for human rights and respect for democracy.

Damascus, syria
{04-15-2012}

Syria ceasefire: Security forces 'fire at protesters'Advertisement
Associated Press

Activist Mousab Hamdee says he doesn't believe in a monitoring mission: "We don't want people to come and watch us dying. We want people to come and liberate Syria"

Several people have been shot dead during protests in Syria, activists say, as the UN considers deploying monitors to oversee a peace plan.

Security forces fired into the air to disperse crowds in several locations. But in some, protesters were shot dead.

The demonstrations were seen as a major test of the ceasefire, in place since Thursday as part of UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's peace initiative.

Mr Annan wants the UN Security Council to approve plans to send observers.

TAMPA, FLORIDA
{04-14-2012}

US President Barack Obama takes a stance on Venezuelan election
Associated Press

The comments were made during an exclusive interview with Grupo Diarios de América (GDA), a cluster of 11 leading newspapers in the Western Hemisphere

US President Barack Obama would like to witness in Venezuela "free and fair elections where the people's will is respected." His comments were made during an exclusive interview with Grupo Diarios de América (GDA), a cluster of 11 leading newspapers in the Western Hemisphere. Venezuela, "like all sovereign nations, ought to set its own destiny, but the Venezuelan people are the ones who should determine their democratic way."

President Obama recounted that the countries of the Americas have a duty to protect their right to self-determination, as set forth in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to which all of them are parties.

All of the Americas, for many generations, have suffered to give freedom and justice a real meaning, the US Head of State underscored. However, he stressed that nowadays, universal rights, such as freedom of expression, and liberties, such as Independence of judges, are under siege.

He vowed that his country would continue "advocating the people's right everywhere to choose their own future."

Washington, D.C.
{04-14-2012}

Scenarios for Iran Retaliation Vary if Israel Strikes Nuclear Targets
Mark Snowiss  //  Reuters

The outcome of talks set to begin Saturday between world powers and Iran over its disputed nuclear program could be a determining factor in whether Israel carries out threatened airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. With Western patience running thin, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns that time for diplomacy is not “infinite” and that “all options remain on the table.” Israel says it will not stand by as fears grow that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons capability - an allegation Iran denies.

China said recently that an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities would set in motion a military backlash with far-ranging consequences. Analysts interviewed by VOA say an attack on Iran is likely to provoke a retaliatory missile barrage on Israel by Iran and its allies. They say Iran-sponsored terror could erupt against Jewish targets worldwide, U.S. interests, and American allies such as Saudi Arabia, which could be perceived by Iran as supportive of an Israeli strike.

Current and former U.S. and Israeli officials and Iran experts say it is far less likely that Iran would carry out its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, a route for 35 percent of the world’s seaborne oil. They say Iran also is unlikely to use its antiquated air or ground forces in direct operations against Israel, the U.S. or Gulf Arab nations. The scenarios described are supported by a VOA analysis of Iran’s military arsenal. It shows major weaknesses in conventional firepower, but a flourishing ballistic missile program with the largest deployment in the Middle East

Tehran, Iran
{04-11-2012}

Iran media: Israel-linked 'mercenaries' arrested
Associated Press

Iran's official news agency says the country's intelligence department has dismantled an Israeli-linked assassination and sabotage network.

The Tuesday report by Irna says several "mercenaries" were arrested in different parts of the country and that large quantities of weaponry and telecommunications equipment were seized.

It said more details will be revealed at an appropriate time in the future.

Iran periodically announces the capture or execution of alleged U.S. or Israeli spies, and often no further information is released.

CARACAS, VENEZUELA
{04-11-2012}

Opposition deputy requests investigation into Cuban military in Venezuela
El Universal
Opposition deputy María Corina Machado (independent, state of Miranda) asked the National Assembly's Defense Committee to conduct an immediate investigation into the actions carried out by the Grupo de Cooperación y Enlace (Cooperation and Liaison Group, Gruce) of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, led by Major General Ermio Hernández Rodríguez.

According to Machado, Gruce has been involved in issues that pertain solely to Venezuela's Armed Force. She added that Gruce has designed the defense strategy of Venezuela and has forced the Venezuelan military to include the concept of protracted people's war. She also said in a press release that Cuban military officials have participated in the approval of the procurement of weapons by the Venezuelan army and have been involved in the training of military officers.

Machado also stated that Venezuelan officers and soldiers have been forced to obey illegal orders issued by foreign military officers.

Washington, d.c.
{04-10-2012}

US Navy says 2nd aircraft carrier in Gulf region part of 'routine' deployment
FoxNews.com

The U.S. Navy claims that the presence of two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf region is part of a "routine" deployment, though the unusual movement comes amid rising tensions with Iran over its nuclear program.

The deployment of the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise along with the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group marks only the fourth time in the past decade that the Navy has had two aircraft carriers operating at the same time in the region.

A statement from the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said "the carriers are on routine deployments," and that their presence ensures that "the U.S. military has naval and air capabilities to support operations requirements."  The last time two carriers were in the region was June 2010.

Cmdr. Amy Derrick-Frost of the 5th fleet said the two carriers now in the region will support the American military operations in Afghanistan and anti-piracy efforts off Somalia's coast and in the Gulf of Aden. The battleships will also patrol the Gulf's strategic oil routes that Iran has threatened to shut down in retaliation for economic sanctions.

Caracas, venezuela
{04-09-2012}

Costa Rica's Commercial Attaché kidnapped in Caracas
Capriles Radonski: Jesus Christ was neither a socialist nor a communist!
El Universal

Guillermo Cholele, the Commercial Attaché at the Costa Rican Embassy to Venezuela, was kidnapped on Sunday at about 10:40 p.m in Caracas.

    Cholele, 55, was abducted in the Street 12 of La Urbina neighborhood, northeastern Caracas. He was on his way home and he did not have any bodyguards.  Nazareth Avendaño, Costa Rica's Ambassador to Venezuela, confirmed that Cholele was the Commercial Attaché of the Central American embassy. He came to Venezuela about six years ago.

    Avendaño said that she expected a favorable resolution of the situation. The embassy is waiting for actions from the Venezuelan security authorities, she added.

LA HABANA, CUBA
{04-09-2012}

Hugo Chavez ArriveD in Cuba for Another Round of Cancer Treatment
Fox News Latino

Venezuelan President (DICTATOR) Hugo Chávez landed early Sunday morning in Cuba, where he will undergo another round of radiation therapy to treat an undisclosed form of cancer.  Cuban head of state Raúl Castro greeted Chávez at the airport, the island's state press reported.

In a televised address before his departure, Chávez said he would be in Havana until Wednesday or Thursday and would be back in time for events marking the 10th anniversary of his restoration to the presidency after a failed 2002 coup. "I'm going to Cuba to continue the battle for life," he said. "I have a lot of faith in Christ our lord that that he's going to repeat the miracle (for me) to continue living, to defeat this illness," Chávez said.

He drew a parallel with the 2002 coup, saying he thought it miraculous that he lived through it and regained the presidency.

Caracas, Venezuela
{04-06-2012}

Capriles Radonski: Jesus Christ was neither a socialist nor a communist!
El Universal

"This Holy Week, it would be advisable to remember that Jesus Christ was neither a socialist nor a communist. What an obsession of the everlasting candidate with the issue!"

The Miranda state governor briefed on the works carried out during the holydays (File photo)EL UNIVERSAL

Opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonsky took issue with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who remarked that Jesus Christ was a socialist. "The endless candidate has an obsession about the subject!" "This Holy Week, it would be advisable to remember that Jesus Christ was neither a socialist nor a communist. What an obsession of the everlasting candidate with the issue!" the challenger posted on his Twitter account. The Miranda state governor also briefed on the works carried out apropos the Holy Week.

"Over 4,700 officers have been deployed to look after Venezuelans," he stressed.

Washington, d.c.
{04-03-2012}

Clinton: "The world will not waver, Assad must go"
Associated Press

A meeting of 83 countries in Istanbul has told Syria it must take the opportunity which now exists to halt the violence against its own citizens.

The meeting decided to recognise the opposition group, the Syrian National Council, as representing all Syrians. It also urged Syrian soldiers to disobey any orders to kill or injure civilians.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, addressed the meeting, saying that it was the first step towards a better future for the people of Syria.

Moscow, Russia
{04-08-2012}

Russian plane crashes with 43 aboard, 12 survive
Reuters

A Russian passenger plane with 43 people on board crashed in Siberia on Monday, killing at least 16 people while 12 survivors were rescued, an emergency official said.

The ATR 72, a twin-engine, turbo-prop plane, crashed some 30-35 km (18-22 miles) from the western Siberian city of Tyumen, Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said.

She told Reuters 12 people were rescued and 16 bodies had been found at the crash site. According to preliminary information, there were 39 passengers and four crew on board.

CARACAS, VENEZUELA
{04-01-2012}
Venezuelan DICTATOR  returning to Cuba for treatment
El Universal

DICTATOR Hugo Chavez says he's returning to Cuba for another round of cancer treatment.

Chavez said Saturday during a televised speech to his supporters that he was traveling to Havana in the afternoon for a second round of radiation after recent surgery to extract a second cancerous tumor in his pelvic area. Chavez had another tumor removed from the same general area in June.

The 57-year-old leftist president, in office since 1999, has vowed to overcome cancer to win another six-year term in the Oct. 7 election.

Chavez has not identified the type of cancer, nor the precise location where the tumors were located. He is a close friend of Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and his brother President Raul Castro.

Caracas, Venezuela
{03-30-2012}

Seven military officers die in chopper crash
El Universal

The Operational Strategic Command of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces confirmed that a Superpuma 2216 of the military aviation dropped out in Apure state, southwestern Venezuela, with a death toll of seven military officers.

"Today, March 29, at 5:15 hours (a.m.) a helicopter Superpuma 2216 of the military aviation fell down in Chaparralito, Apure," the Command posted on its twitter account @ceofanb. Some seconds later, they added: "In the accident, seven army officers died; they were in an operation against drug traffic."

Caracas, Venezuela
{03-30-2012}

Chávez has received five radiotherapy sessions
El Universal

"Shelling, a flash of lightning against the evil." In this way, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez termed five radiotherapy sessions in a row received in Havana. "I have withstood the treatment fairly good in this first journey," he told state-run TV channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) on Thursday morning. "A two-day washout period follows ahead of additional five sessions," he elaborated.

During a broadcast from Miraflores presidential palace, he noted he came back from Cuba on Wednesday, around 9:00 p.m. He was joined by his ministers Nicolás Maduro (Foreign Affairs), Erika Farías (Labor) and Tareck El Aissami (Interior and Justice).

Chávez noted that he was pleased to see that the maturity of the Venezuelan people mirrored in political and social stability. He advanced that "a big effort" should be done in the social context, "in this forthcoming battle." He commented on his work as well. "One is forced to reduce the speed; there is no power vacuum, as some argue over there."

Caracas, Venezuela
{03-29-2012}

Expert puts Venezuela as an example of misuse of oil revenue
EFE


Venezuela and Argentina are not implementing sound oil policies, cautioned Zimbabwean oil and gas expert Duncan Clarke. Speaking to Efe in Nairobi, where he presented his new book "Africa's future," Clarke said that "Venezuela, and particularly (President Hugo) Chávez is an example of misuse of the cash generated by oil and gas."

The expert knows the energy situation in Latin America, where he has been an adviser to governments and companies. He is the chairman of Global Pacific & Partners, a natural resources consultancy group. Duncan is afraid that Venezuela is a "bad example" because the "business world and the government" cannot "be divorced from reality," Efe quoted.

"Some countries take the way of nationalization and they are ruining the present and future of their gas and oil industry." In this regard, Clarke mentioned Venezuela, among others.

Damascus, Syria
{03-29-2012}

Annan's six-point peace plan
Associated Press

1. Syrian-led political process to address the aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people
2. UN-supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect civilians
3. All parties to ensure provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting, and implement a daily two-hour humanitarian pause
4. Authorities to intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons
5. Authorities to ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists
6. Authorities to respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully

The six-point plan calls for Mr Assad's government to remove troops and heavy weapons from population centres and for all parties to allow a daily two-hour ceasefire for humanitarian aid to reach affected areas. The plan also requests that authorities release those detained in the uprising.

However, it does not impose any deadline for Mr Assad, or call for him to leave power.

MIAMI, FLORIDA
{03-26-2012}

Archbishop to Cuban-Americans: Think like pilgrims
Laura Wide-Munoz //  Associated Press

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski is urging Cuban-Americans traveling to Cuba to see Pope Benedict the XVI to think like pilgrims.

Before a Mass on Saturday, Wenski said the trip has been criticized as a tourist jaunt. He reminded the group of more than 300 going to see the pope that the trip will be a spiritual experience and one that uplifts Cubans on the island and abroad.

Wenski acknowledged the fear some older Cuban exiles have of returning to their homeland for the first time in 50 years. Many fled the country shortly after Fidel Castro took power in 1959 and have long opposed his government.

The archbishop said he thought the travelers would be surprised by the welcome reception they receive.

Brussels, Belgium
{03-24-2012}

EU slaps sanctions on Assad's wife, relatives
Associated Press
Officials say that the EU foreign ministers have slapped sanctions on the wife and other close relatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad in a continuing attempt to stop the violent crackdown on opposition.

They said four members of the Assad family and eight government ministers have been targeted in the latest round of sanctions. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision will be announced later Friday following the foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.

Asma Assad, 36, was born in London and has British citizenship, and an EU official said that likely meant she could not be banned from travel to the U.K.

The U.N. estimates that more than 8,000 people have been killed since an uprising began in Syria a year ago.

Miami, florida
{03-23-2012}

Jeb Bush Says Marco Rubio Should be GOP's VP Choice
Elizabeth Llorente  //  Fox News Latino

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush thinks the choice for GOP vice presidential nominee is clear – Marco Rubio.

In a comment that nearly went unnoticed amid Bush’s endorsement Wednesday of Mitt Romney for president, Bush told the Pittsburg Tribune-Review that the Florida senator is "dynamic, joyful, disciplined and principled."

And at least one other member of the Bush family – Jeb Bush Jr. – told Fox News Latino Thursday that he too backs Florida Senator Marco Rubio for vice president.

The elder Bush told the Pittsburgh newspaper: "He is the best orator of American politics today, a good family man.”

“He is not only a consistent conservative, but he has managed to find a way to communicate a conservative message full of hope and optimism.”

CARACAS, VENEZUELA
{03-23-2012}

Venezuelan cartoonist complains of harassment due to her drawings
Juan Francisco Alonso //  El Universal

Rayma Suprani, a cartoonist with Venezuelan newspaper El Universal, made a complaint in a letter sent to Silvia Alegrett, the president of the Venezuelan Journalists' Association (CNP).

She said she has received dozens of messages via Twitter and e-mails insulting her and threatening her ever since Mario Silva, the host of state-run TV program La Hojilla (The Razorblade), described Suprani's work as racist and classist. According to Silva, she only follows the instructions of the "empire."

Suprani said that the messages issued by late night show The Razorblade, aired in state-run TV, are part of a "well organized state policy aimed at intimidating the democratic voices that criticize the government's management and promoting the moral destruction (and maybe even physical) of those who are described as enemies, as Stalinist and fascist regimes used to do."

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
{03-22-2012}

Noriega in Panama hospital, lawyer says has brain tumor
Reuters

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, serving a 20-year jail sentence in Panama, was hospitalized on Wednesday for what authorities say was a routine check-up though his attorney says he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.He will undergo several routine exams," Angel Calderon, head of Panama's jail system told Reuters, adding that Noriega suffered a bout of flu last week.

But the former strongman's lawyer said Noriega's health has deteriorated due to poor treatment in jail for flu and fever, and a brain tumor recently detected by his doctors. "His health is getting worse, but our request to keep him in hospital has been delayed," lawyer Julio Berrios said.

The 78-year-old Noriega, once Panama's drug-running military ruler, is serving a two-decade sentence in his native country for crimes committed during his 1983-1989 rule, including the killing of political opponents.

He was ousted in a U.S. invasion in 1989 after his once-cozy relationship with Washington soured over his ties to Colombian cocaine traffickers. He has spent the last twenty years behind bars, first in Florida and then in France, after being convicted for drug trafficking and money laundering.  Noriega was extradited back to Panama in December and last month he was taken from prison to a public hospital after fainting from high blood pressure.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA
{03-21-2012}

Medvedev: Military to counter US missile shield
Associated Press

The Russian military must prepare to counter U.S. missile defense plans in Europe even as talks between Moscow and Washington are ongoing, President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday. Medvedev told a meeting of Russia's top military brass that the country "isn't shutting the door to dialogue," but nevertheless must get ready to take military countermeasures.

The U.S. says the NATO missile defense plan is aimed at deflecting potential missile threats from Iran, but Moscow fears that in the next few years it will grow powerful enough to undermine Russia's nuclear deterrent. "By 2017-2018 we must be fully prepared, fully armed," Medvedev said in televised comments, referring to his earlier threat to aim missiles at the U.S.-led NATO missile shield if no agreement is reached.

NATO has said it wants to cooperate with Russia on the missile shield, but the alliance has rejected Russia's proposal to run it jointly. Without a NATO-Russia cooperation deal, Medvedev has sought guarantees from the U.S. that any future missile defense is not aimed at Russia and threatened to retaliate if no such deal is negotiated. "Even though the talks are ongoing, we must get ready for a serious rearming of the armed forces so that we could be in a due shape and capable to respond to the missile defense in Europe," Medvedev said.

Havana, cuba
{03-21-2012}

Havana blogger: Shots fired at Venezuelan diplomatic vehicle
EFE

Cuban police on Tuesday cordoned off an area of Havana where witnesses could see someone had apparently opened fire on a vehicle with a Venezuelan diplomatic license plate, according to a well-known government opponent and blogger.

Yoani Sanchez sent out a tweet from her Havana Twitter account saying she observed more than one bullet hole on the passenger side window.

The incident — if true—is highly unusual. In Cuba, only a select few are allowed to carry weapons.

Sanchez reported that the unidentified driver was wounded and rushed to nearby to a hospital.

The vehicle’s diplomatic license plate include the number 223 – assigned to the Venezuelan embassy in Cuba.

Sanchez added she would soon be sending more information.

Miami, florida
{03-21-2012}

Cuban spy convicted in Miami can travel home to visit sick brother
EFE

A federal judge in Miami granted a Cuban spy’s request to return home temporarily to visit a brother suffering from lung cancer. According to Monday’s order by Judge Joan Leonard, Rene Gonzalez must return from Cuba within two weeks of his departure. Gonzalez is on probation after his release from federal prison last fall.

The Justice Department argued against the request, arguing that Gonzalez could get new spying instructions if he met with Cuban intelligence officials.  Gonzalez, 55, is one of the so-called “Cuban Five” convicted of spying on Cuban exiles in South Florida and attempting to infiltrate military installations and political campaigns. One of the five also was convicted of murder conspiracy for the 1996 shooting down of two Brothers to the Rescue planes.

Gonzalez's lawyer, Philip Horowitz, told El Nuevo Herald that the ruling does not mean Gonzalez can leave for Cuba as early as Tuesday, however. Gonzalez must comply first with some procedural requirements, including notifications for his parole officer, before he can leave the country, Horowitz said.

HAVANA, CUBA
{03-20-2012}

Cuba offers paid time off for workers to see pope
Associated Press

Cuba's communist government is making it easier for citizens to see Pope Benedict XVI during his visit this month.

The government Labor Ministry says state workers in Havana and Santiago will get paid time off to attend papal events during the pope's March 26-28 trip to the Caribbean island. The pope will come to Cuba after visiting Mexico.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party newspaper Granma says Saturday that the capital's main airport terminal will be reserved for the papal trip. All other flights will be shifted to other terminals.

Havana, cuba
{03-20-2012}

Cuba-Bahamas Maritime Boundary Agreement Takes Effect
Associated Press

An agreement establishing the maritime boundaries between the Bahamas and Cuba took effect on March 9, state media reported Sunday, citing the Foreign Ministry. The agreement, which was signed in October 2011 after 15 years of negotiations, opens the way for cooperation in the exploitation and management of marine resources.

The accord sets maritime boundaries, exclusive economic zones and the area of the continental shelf shared by the countries.

The agreement, moreover, paves the way for the establishment of possible mechanisms for regional cooperation, scientific cooperation, navigation safety and environmental protection. The Bahamas and Cuba started working to establish maritime boundaries in Havana in 1996. Other negotiating rounds took place in 2005 and 2010 after a meeting of experts agreed on the technical aspects of the master document.

Damascus, Syria
{03-20-2012}

Heavy Fighting Rocks Syrian Capital
Associated Press

Syrian security forces have clashed with rebels in an upscale area of Damascus that is home to embassies and senior officials in the worst gunbattles the tightly-controlled city has seen since the start of the country's year-long uprising.

The head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, said Monday's fighting in the Mazzeh district wounded 18 government soldiers. The Observatory described the fighting as “the most violent of its kind and closest to security centers in Damascus since the revolution began.”

The state-run news agency SANA said the violence broke out when security forces stormed an apartment used as a hideout by what it called an “armed terrorist” group in Mazzeh, killing two “terrorists” and arresting a third.

Syrian authorities claim the opposition is made up of terrorist gangs carrying out a foreign conspiracy to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Also Monday, Reuters reported dozens of government tanks stormed the eastern city of Deir al-Zor to seize major districts held by rebels of the Free Syrian Army.

Jerusalem, Israel
{03-18-2012}

Israel official praises world block on Iran banks
Associated Press

Israel's deputy prime minister has welcomed new financial measures against Iran, saying his government's lobbying helped bring them about. Silvan Shalom told Israel Radio on Friday that "sanctions on Iran were too soft for a long time."

His remarks follow a move announced Thursday by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication - or SWIFT - that it would block 30 Iranian banks from its global network.  This makes it difficult for Iran to make international money transfers and will likely hurt its vital oil trade.

Iran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel and the West believe Tehran is trying to build nuclear weapons.

Israeli leaders have increasingly warned of a possible military strike. The US says sanctions and diplomacy must be given more time.

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritana
{03-18-2012}

Mauritania arrests Gaddafi spy chief, says state agency
Reuters

Mauritanian authorities arrested former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's chief of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, as he arrived at Nouakchott airport, Mauritania's official state news agency AMI said on Saturday.

InstantCheckMate.comIt said Senussi, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity, arrived late on Friday from Casablanca in Morocco, bearing a falsified Malian passport.

The Hague-based ICC issued an arrest warrant in June 2011 for both Senussi and Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, who was captured disguised as a Bedouin in the Sahara desert in November.

Both men have been charged as being "indirect co-perpetrators" of murder and persecution. Mauritania has not signed the Rome Statute governing the ICC and authorities were not immediately available to comment on what they planned to do with Senussi.

Senussi is suspected of a key role in the killing of more than 1,200 inmates at Tripoli's Abu Salim prison in 1996. It was the arrest of a lawyer for victims' relatives that sparked Libya's Arab Spring revolt in February last year.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
{03-18-2012}

Washington seeks "concrete progress" in relations with Venezuela
El Universal

The United States is interested in improving the "very complicated" relations with Venezuela, but this requires more than rhetoric, and "concrete progress" is needed, said on Thursday in Washington James Derham, the charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Caracas.

"In the abstract, any country is interested in improving relations, but this takes more than rhetoric and should be based on concrete progress," said Derham, the top US diplomat in Caracas, during a speech on US relations with Andean countries, delivered at the think tank Inter-American Dialogue on Thursday, DPA reported.

In this sense Derham, who was very unforthcoming when commenting on relations with Caracas, where he arrived last October, said that the United States "is always looking for opportunities to work together" with the government of Hugo Chávez. He expressed confidence that they will find a space to work together on areas such as counter-narcotic efforts or energy issues.

However, he acknowledged there are still many difficulties. "We look for opportunities to collaborate and cooperate. Such opportunities are found sometimes in counter-narcotic efforts, as well as energy, and security issues. I think we are realistic in terms of what we can achieve (...) We understand the context," he said.

"It is no secret that we have a very complicated relationship with Venezuela," he added.

Caracas, Venezuela
{03-15-2012}

TV channel Globovisión rejects threats from pro-government groups
El Universal

Workers of Caracas-based private TV news network Globovisión rejected through a statement the accusations and threats made last weekend by several pro-government groups.

"We categorically reject their accusations as absurd and totally unfounded," said the document. The workers also urged government authorities to "publicly repudiate and detach themselves from these acts of harassment against journalists and workers of Globovisión, and to ensure peaceful enjoyment of the constitutional rights of free movement of persons and freedom of information and expression."

They also urged the Executive Office to enforce an order issued on August 3, 2004 by the President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights requesting the State to adopt the measures necessary to safeguard the life, personal integrity, and freedom of speech of journalists, management staff, and employees of Globovisión. This order was ratified in three subsequent rulings.

Baku, Azerbaijan
{03-15-2012}

22 arrested in Azerbaijan in plot on US, Israeli embassies
FoxNews.com

Officials in Azerbaijan have arrested 22 people suspected of plotting attacks on the American and Israeli embassies on behalf of Iran in the Azeri capital of Baku, the Agence France Presse is reporting. Iran lays just to the south of Azerbaijan. "Twenty-two citizens of Azerbaijan have been arrested by the national security ministry for cooperating with the Iranian Sepah," the ministry said, referring to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, according to AFP. "On orders of the Sepah, they were to commit terrorist acts against the US, Israeli and other Western states' embassies and the embassies' employees."

The ministry said in a statement to AFP that those arrested were recruited beginning in 1999 and trained at military camps in Iran to gather information on foreign embassies and organizations in Azerbaijan. Their training included weapon use and spy techniques to stage attacks, according to the AFP.

"Firearms, cartridges, explosives and espionage equipment were found during the arrest," the statement said. In the past few months, a series of arrests have been made in Azerbaijan with alleged connections to Tehran. The former Soviet nation of Azerbaijan is reported to have purchased hundreds of millions of dollars to weapons from Israel, allegedly angering Iran, the AFP reported.