Four-decade fight to carve out an independent Basque state
Basque separatists ETA to halt armed attacks
ETA members.
The Basque separatist group ETA has decided to stop carrying out armed attacks, Basque-language newspaper Gara said on its website. Gara did not make clear whether the ceasefire was permanent or temporary. Interior ministry officials declined to comment on the statement by ETA , which has been responsible for around 850 deaths.
A council worker surveys the damage to a building in central Christchurch after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the city September 4, 2010.
Strong aftershocks and gale-force winds buffeted a clean-up of New Zealand's second biggest city following the country's most damaging earthquake in 80 years.

Buenos Aires City secondary school students met to define how to continue with the protest in case that they do not get to an agreement on the immediate repairs to their school buildings with City Education Ministry Esteban Bullrich during the encounter to be held on Monday.
BP Plc's ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well is secure with no threat of spewing crude again, the top US official overseeing the spill response said. "We basically have secured this well," retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said. "We have essentially eliminated the threat of discharge from the well at this point."
"People want to feel safe on the streets," she said
Duhalde suggests declaring state of emergency for a year to fight crime
Senator Hilda "Chiche" Duhalde. Amidst growing concerns about insecurity, Senator Hilda "Chiche" Duhalde suggested "declaring state of emergency for a year" in order to enable President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner "to make use of the country's resources in order to fight criminals." Despite opposing views in Congress, she considers the creation of prisons and youth detention centers a priority.
Is to spend next week talking up proposals on improving economy
Obama says his economic policies halted 'bleeding'
President Barack Obama (L) delivers remarks on the latest employment statistics released on Friday, alongside Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner in the Rose Garden of the White House. President Barack Obama, previewing a big push on the US economy next week, defended policies that he said "have stopped the bleeding" and put the middle class on the road to recovery.
Julio César Strassera. After being harshly criticized by Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández, former Trial of the Juntas attorney Julio César Stassera ignored the minister’s comments and replied that “some times we should be thankful for certain offensive comments.”
During the Huinca Renancó 76th Farming, Industrial and Commercial Expo
Cobos: 'Argentina needs a strategic vision to end with poverty'
Argentina Vice-President Julio Cobos. Vice-President Julio Cobos said "we can't ignore the poverty issues we have in Argentina" and that the country needs "a strategic vision of a productive and exporting country to end with this situation," during the inauguration of the Huinca Renancó 76th Farming, Industrial and Commercial Exposition, at Córdoba province.
Fernando "Pino" Solanas. Proyecto Sur leader Fernando "Pino" Solanas expressed he might consider running for president in 2011 since he believes his party may be able to catch voters shying away from the Justicialist Party or the Social and Civic Accord, a party he says has now become "the new Alliance."
UCR lawmaker sees no need to face Cobos until 2011
Alfonsín in no hurry for primary
Radical Civic Union (UCR) Deputy Ricardo Alfonsín. Radical Civic Union (UCR) Deputy Ricardo Alfonsín said he is not interested in facing Vice-President Julio Cobos in an "informal" Radical primary in March and would rather wait until August 2011, when all parties and coalitions must hold simultaneous and mandatory primaries to choose their presidential candidates.
Nova Scotia reports power outages, flooded roads
Earl sweeps through Maritime Canada, fizzles
Beach houses remain mostly undamaged as Hurricane Earl passed by Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
Hurricane Earl made landfall in Canada after a series of scares along the US East Coast, flooding roads, felling trees and cutting power to tens of thousands in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia.
Dust and sediments brought into the Sistine Chapel by 20,000 daily visitors and inadequate climate control are threatening to take a toll on the Renaissance treasure, the head of the Vatican's museums has warned.
The offer could be expanded to as much as $74.7B
Petrobras to sell US$65 B stock in record offer
Brazilian state oil company Petrobras filed to sell up to US$64.5 billion of new stock -- the largest in capital markets history -- sending its stock sharply higher after months of uncertainty that dragged on its share price. The global stock offer could be expanded to as much as US$74.7 billion.
Rescuers carry a body from a bus buried in a landslide on the Inter-American highway, 80 km outside of the Guatemalan capital Tecpan, September 4, 2010.
At least 18 people were killed in Guatemala, including a dozen on a bus that was buried in a landslide, as heavy rains lashed the Central American nation and southern Mexico. A dozen people died when the bus they were traveling on was suddenly engulfed by mud on the Inter-American highway 80 kilometres outside of the Guatemalan capital, emergency workers said.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) speaks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Monroe Room of the State Department in Washington September 2, 2010.
The second round of direct peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians will take place in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on September 14-15, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
At least five people were killed and 35 wounded when a suicide bomber attacked troops at a firing range in Russia's southern region of Dagestan, sources in official security agencies said.
Argentina's Ana Rodriguez Perez (R) vies for the ball with China's Li Shuang during the Women World Cup 2010 field hockey Group B match in Rosario.
By Eric Weil
Argentina and England qualified for the semifinals of the Women's World Cup when Korea, the other remaining candidates could only draw 2-2 with Spain. Earlier, England had beaten South Africa 2-1 to stay in contention and before Argentina beat China 2-0 in the last match, they already knew they had qualified.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III inspects the tourist bus heavily damaged during the hostage siege in Manila August 24, 2010. The Philippines' national police chief took the blame for the botched bus hijacking rescue attempt last week that killed eight Hong Kong tourists at a Manila park, announcing his decision to retire early from the service.
Police officers try to restrain protesters outside a bookshop in Dublin, Ireland September 4, 2010.
Three people were arrested after protesters threw eggs and shoes at former British Prime Minister Tony Blair when he arrived to sign copies of his memoir at a bookshop in Dublin, national broadcaster RTE said.
Roger Federer of Switzerland reaches for a return during his match against Paul-Henri Mathieu of France at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, September 4, 2010.
Roger Federer has warned Rafa Nadal that he must win the US Open to stand any chance of being labeled as the greatest to ever play the game.
Tiger Woods of the US looks on at the ninth hole green on day two of the Deutsche Bank Championship golf tournament in Norton, Massachusetts, September 4, 2010.
US golfer Brandt Snedeker putted brilliantly to take a share of the lead with Australian Jason Day after the second round of the US$7.5 million Deutsche Bank Championship. Tiger Woods, who struggled with an opening round of 72, hit back with a six-under 65 to ensure he will see weekend action.
San Lorenzo's Leandro Romagnoli (r) fights for the ball with Boca Juniors' Sebastián Battaglia.
San Lorenzo defeated Boca Juniors 2-1 at the Bombonera stadium with goals scored by Uruguayan Sebastián Balsas and Juan Carlos Menseguez. Martín Palermo discounted for Claudio Borghi’s team. Arsenal de Sarandí beat Argentinos Juniors 1-0 to lead the tournament. Arsenal de Sarandí win 1-0 and lead the tournament
Major drug trafficker Edgar ''La Barbie'' Valdez is escorted by Mexican federal police during a news conference at the federal police center in Mexico City August 31, 2010.
A Mexican judge ordered Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez, believed to be one of the country's top drug bosses, held for 40 more days of investigation, the federal prosecutor's office said.
Militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip fired a rocket into southern Israel, two days after the start of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, causing no injuries or damage, the Israeli military said.
Greece's Nikos Zisis (L) vies with Spain's Rudy Fernandez during a World Cup Championship eighth of finals basketball match Spain versus Greece in Istanbul.
Holders Spain and dark horses Serbia reached the world championship quarter-finals, winning in contrasting fashion to set up a repeat of the 2009 European final.
A 16-year-old boy died early in the morning after being run over by a bus in the Greater Buenos Aires area of Grand Bourg.
In August, car output reached 72,967 units, which resulted in a 52.6 percent rise regarding the same month of last year; sales to dealers totalled 61,599 units, or 44.8 percent more than in August 2009; and exports amounted to 42,526 units, representing a 45.6 percent year-on growth, according to the Argentine Automakers Association.
Commentary
Michael Soltys, Buenos Aires Herald Senior Editor. By Michael Soltys
The student takeover of many of this city’s schools should remain of paramount concern, even if Thursday’s pickets might well have had a boomerang effect — not only did they fail to have the crippling effect on traffic for which the protest organizers were presumably hoping but the political motivation was unmasked, perhaps even beyond its true extent.
Martín Gambarotta. By Martín Gambarotta
What do you want to argue about? Do you want to argue about the future of the newsprint company Papel Prensa? Or would you much rather argue about the best way of fighting crime? Or how about arguing about the takeovers of state-run secondary schools by students in Buenos Aires? Or would you much rather not argue at all?
Robert Cox. By Robert Cox
“Au Revoir” was never meant to be “Goodbye,” writes former Herald editor, now Sunday columnist Robert Cox, taking over from where he left off in 1979. As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted...
At the last Mercosur summit, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her Brazilian counterpart Luis Inácio Lula da Silva said Abacc is an essential pillar? of bilateral nuclear cooperation. By Marcela Valente
A system of mutual safeguards, created nearly two decades ago by Argentina and Brazil for in-situ verification of the peaceful use of nuclear power in both countries, serves as an international model of transparency and confidence building in this highly sensitive field.
By Dereck Foster
It is hard to believe, and it does not figure on your TV screen, but this year the US Open tennis championship includes a first ever, and it has to do with Argentina. According to information passed along by Miguel Bomchil, an executive of Bodegas Norton, there is only one official wine sponsored by the tournament organizers and this wine, for the first time ever is an Argentine prodict -the Norton Malbec Roble.
By Dereck Foster
Anybody with a yen for something different and with the will to invest in a little research will soon discover that eating something out of the ordinary without too much trouble is possible. Over the past decade, aproximately, the eating habits of the citizens of Buenos Aires have commenced to change.
Food is a constant theme in our daily existence. When not buying it, cooking it or eating it, we are talking about it. Newspapers, magazines, TV, Internet, novels and cinema and theatre all contribute to the discussion A good deal is useful information that helps in many ways, from improving cooking methods to enlightening gastronomic history
Get Out
Bruegel's The Tower of Babel (detail). How far back can the babble be decoded? By Nicolás Meyer
There is a special flavour to a good old intellectual brawl that is like none other. For an invigorating sample, there’s the scrap, in the field of linguistics, between the lumpers and the splitters. Two excellent books explain what the fight is about for general audiences.
By Andrew Graham-Yooll
Agua Dulce, Fotografías de la Cuenca del Plata (Argentina-Bolivia-Brazil-Paraguay-Uruguay). Photographs by Gabriel and Santiago Giovanetti. Before trying to describe and convey the attraction of this remarkable book, it must be said that these are worrying times on the water front.
With Tony Leung in a scene from Wong Kar Waiâs In the Mood for Love. Actress Maggie Cheung, in Venice yesterday to promote a new film, said one reason she has pulled back from acting for now is the industry’s focus on youthful beauty.

• Sofia Coppola: somewhere in Venice
Protecting his privacy: Rafael Spregelburd in a scene from El hombre de al lado. By Julio Nakamurakare
Technically, it’s called “intrusion,” “invasion,” “infiltration,” “usurpation,” “disruption” — all words involving the trespassing of one physical or conceptual border. It’s the fracture of one convention that allows peaceful, harmonious life in physically adjacent spaces.

Still not sure on what to go see this rainy weekend? Travel back to the 80's with action-packed The Expendables or get ready to laugh with absurd Argentine comedy El Hombre de al lado, among others.

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