Daily Headlines: September 3, 2009

* Latin America: Mexico's Baja California peninsula was hit yesterday by the heavy rains and 90 mile-per-hour winds of Hurricane Jimena (image) while meteorologists believe that Tropical Storm Erika will weaken as it travels through the Caribbean.

* Cuba: China strengthened its ties to Cuba by giving the island $600 million in loans and grants for items like improving Cuban telecommunications and investing in agriculture.

* Mexico: Remittances to Mexico dropped by over 19% in July compared to the same month in 2008 according to government figures.

* Brazil: Felipe Massa will miss the rest of this year’s Formula 1 season but should return in 2010 according to his Ferrari racing team.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- Al Jazeera English, Reuters, Guardian UK, Miami Herald, LAHT

Weekend Headlines: August 1-2, 2009

* Puerto Rico: Rest in peace Olga Mendez; the pioneering Puerto Rican legislator passed away at the age of 84 due to cancer.

* Cuba: An important Cuban Communist Party conference was cancelled by the government in order to urgently tackle the country’s weakened economy.

* U.S.: Lamar Alexander- the third-highest ranking Senate Republican- said that he would approve the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

* Brazil: Felipe Massa’s personal doctor said that the Brazilian Formula 1 driver would return to his native country in order to continue his recovery from a terrible crash last week.

Image- New York Daily News
Online Sources- Guardian UK, CNN, LAHT, Washington Post, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: July 30, 2009

* Cuba: Ireland agreed yesterday to take in a pair of detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

* Mexico: Gunmen murdered the Veracruz police commander and his family before setting fire to the remains in his home.

* Ecuador: Chevron hired the former of Department of Justice antitrust chief during the Bush administration as a new general counsel to oversee cases like a controversial environmental trial in Ecuador.

* Brazil: Five-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher will come out of retirement in order to fill in for the badly injured Felipe Massa.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- MSNBC, Reuters, RTE, Guardian UK

Weekend Headlines: July 25-26, 2009

* Brazil: Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa remains in intensive care due to a "life-threatening" skull injury received in a crash during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying today.

* Caribbean: Scientists warned that Caribbean coral reefs are in danger of dying due to sustained warm ocean temperatures.

* Colombia: What’s Colombia’s latest strategy to push through a stalled free trade pact with the U.S.? An $800,000 tourism campaign in Washington, D.C.

* Mexico: Mexican officials have laid claim to dozens of figurines that are at least 2000 years old and were found abandoned in a New York City apartment.

Image- CBC
Online Sources- FOX Sports, MSNBC, Bloomberg, New York Daily News

Massa vs. Hamilton in F1 decider

The 2008 Formula 1 auto racing championship will be decided this weekend with Brazilian Felipe Massa hoping to win it in front of his home crowd.

Massa registered the fastest time during the first practice session earlier today as he aims to overcome a seven point deficit behind series leader Lewis Hamilton. “I have nothing to lose," said the Ferrari driver to the IHT as he hopes for a solid finish along with the same bad luck that cost Hamilton the title last year.

Racism has reared its ugly head in anticipation of Sunday’s race as a Spanish website has posted ugly taunts against Hamilton. F1 officials repudiated the site’s abuse against the British driver who is of Caribbean descent.

On a lighter note, a pair of Brazilian comics/Massa fans used unique tactics to try to jinx Hamilton including:

"Hamilton, we are here today to say that we like you very much and we are cheering for you," declared (comedian Vesgo), the co-presenter of the 'Panic on TV' show.

"In the name of all Brazilians who love you, we would like to give you this gift."

He then tossed a soft toy black cat, a symbol of bad luck in Brazil, on to the stage.

Hamilton, who thanked him and moved to pick up the toy despite being urged not to, may have had the last laugh however since black cats are generally considered to bring good fortune in Britain.

Image- BBC Sport
Sources- Canadian Press, IHT, AFP, Guardian UK, Times Online

Daily Headlines: May 11, 2008

* Brazil: Congrats to Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa who won for the third straight year.

* Peru: Prosecutors are upset with a “lack of respect” by former president Alberto Fujimori during his trial for human rights abuses.

* Mexico: Controversy has erupted over a judge who fined a writer $5 for “desecrating the country's flag” in a poem.

Image- Sky Sports

Sources- AFP, People’s Daily Online, MSNBC