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LEFTIST leaders from Venezuela and Ecuador thundered against a US military presence in Latin America today, warning the "winds of war" were blowing across the increasingly polarised continent. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez led the charge, attacking Colombia's decision to host American forces at seven of its bases, a move also condemned by Chavez's Ecuadoran counterpart and ally Rafael Correa during the inauguration of his second term. Speaking in Quito, Ecuador, at a regional summit, Mr Chavez said he was fulfilling his "moral duty'' by telling fellow leaders that the "winds of war were beginning to blow,'' because of the July...

Excerpt - MOSCOW. Sept 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers have patrolled the eastern coast of South America, aide to Russian Air Force commander Col. Lieut. Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN. "The aircraft took off from the Libertador military airfield in Venezuela at 4.30 p.m. Moscow time [on September 15]. They flew over neutral waters along the eastern coast of South America in the direction of Brazil. They landed at an airfield in Venezuela at 10 p.m.," Drik said. The Alexander Molodchy and Vasily Senko bombers were in air for about six hours. The crewmembers practiced synchronization and...

Nicaragua's President-elect Daniel Ortega said in Managua on Thursday that he is enthusiastically waiting to welcome his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad due to arrive the country on Sunday. During his sworn in ceremony in the capital city of Managua, Ortega made the remark in a meeting with the invited Iranian delegate headed by the Deputy Foreign Minister in Europe and America affairs, Saeed Jalili. Ortega called the Iranian delegation's attendance in the nauguration ceremony and Ahmadinejad's decision to pay a state visit to Nicaragua as an honor for his country, and termed it a milestone in Tehran-Managua ties, Iranian Embassy...

The Creator of Dark Shadows, The Winds Of War and others has died.