Colombia's largest left-wing rebel group, the Farc, says it is willing to talk to the new Colombian government.

The Farc leader known as Alfonso Cano said the Marxist rebel group was willing to search for a political solution to the 46-year-old conflict.

President-elect Juan Manuel Santos has in the past ruled out any dialogue unless the Farc released scores of hostages they are holding.

The message comes eight days before Mr Santos takes over as president.
Common ground?

Alfonso Cano, whose real name is Guillermo Leon Saenz, appeared in a videotaped message broadcast by the Arabic news channel al-Jazeera and posted on a Farc website.

In the 36-minute recording, Alfonso Cano said the Marxist group was looking for a political way out of the armed conflict.

"Between all of us, we have to find common ground and, with the input of a majority of Colombians, we have to identify the difficulties, the problems and contradictions, and create perspectives and a way out of the armed conflict," he said.

But he was also critical of the new government of Juan Manuel Santos, elected last month with a convincing majority.

"The success of Juan Manuel Santos this past 20 June guarantees political and strategic continuity for the Colombian oligarchy," he said referring to Mr Santos's long-standing political connections.

The president-elect, who served as defence minister under the current president, Alvaro Uribe, comes from an influential Colombian family.

His great-uncle, Eduardo Santos, was president from 1938 to 1942, and his cousin, Francisco Santos, is the current vice-president.

As defence minister, Mr Santos was instrumental in carrying out the so-called "democratic security policy", aimed at increasing the presence of the security forces throughout the country and driving back the Farc.

In the video, Alfonso Cano does not mention any of the setbacks the Farc have recently suffered.

Last month, the Colombian military rescued four members of the security forces who had been held by the rebel group for almost 12 years.

During the past eight years, Farc numbers have dwindled and many of their top leaders have died or been killed, prompting the Colombian military to say they have reached "the end of the end game".

Alfonso Cano himself only took over the Farc leadership after the death of Manuel Marulanda in 2008.

Mr Cano said the Farc did not enjoy war and asked the Colombian government to stop "forcing us to take up arms".

"We want to create an egalitarian society through political means," he added.
Diplomatic impasse

But he also warned that if the Colombian government continued its military offensive, the Farc would have "no other option but to continue the armed struggle" until their objectives had been met.

During the past eight years, there has been no dialogue with the rebels, as President Alvaro Uribe ruled out talks unless the guerrillas agreed to lay down their arms.

During his presidential campaign, Mr Santos, too, said he would not enter into any talks unless the rebels agreed to release all the hostages they were holding and stopped kidnappings altogether.

The Farc video comes amid a diplomatic crisis between Colombia and Venezuela following charges that some 1,500 Farc guerrillas are using Venezuelan territory as a haven.

Prominent Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, who recently ended his four-month hunger strike, has been released from hospital.

Mr Farinas, 48, began his protest in February to demand the release of imprisoned opposition activists in poor health.

He called off his hunger strike earlier this month following the decision by the Cuban government to free 52 dissidents.

Doctors said he had been near death.

Mr Farinas, a journalist and psychologist, said his goal now was to continue writing articles.

He told the EFE news agency it felt strange to be back home, but that he was adapting and felt happy to be able to hug his daughter and sister.
'Slow recovery'

He began his fast after dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo died following an 85-day hunger strike in February.

Mr Farinas, whose health had seriously deteriorated during his hunger strike, will have to use a wheelchair until doctors allow him to start physiotherapy so he can slowly start walking again.

He started eating again on 8 July, after the Cuban government agreed to free 52 dissidents under a deal with the Catholic Church and Spain.

The 52 are part of a group of 75 opposition activists who were arrested in 2003 and sentenced to jail terms of between six and 28 years.

While their supporters have welcomed plans of the release, they have pointed to the 115 activists who they say are still jailed.

Cuban officials earlier this month said they were prepared to free more dissidents but did not release any further details.

Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean is considering running for president of the Caribbean country, his family say.

But The Fugees star, who was appointed ambassador-at-large of the country in 2006, has not yet decided whether to seek a five-year term as leader.

Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake in January which killed more than 250,000 people.

A family statement said Wyclef was "committed" to his homeland.

The statement was issued in response to rumours in Haiti that Wyclef is preparing paperwork for a bid in November's election. Candidates have until 7 August to register.
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It read: "Wyclef's commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward.

"At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president. If, and when, a decision is made, media will be alerted immediately," it added.

Current President Rene Preval is barred by the constitution from seeking a new term.

Wyclef, who lives in New York, is founder of the humanitarian Yele Haiti Foundation, and has played a prominent role in securing aid since the earthquake.

The singer and producer, best known recently for a string of collaborations with Colombian pop star Shakira, is hugely popular in Haiti where half of the population is under 21 years of age

President Hugo Chavez has ordered a review of Venezuela's ties with the Vatican amid tensions between his government and the country's bishops.

An accord with the Vatican gave privileges to the Catholic Church not enjoyed by other churches, he said.

The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference warned this week about growing political polarisation ahead of key legislative elections in September.

Mr Chavez has described local Catholic leaders as "troglodytes".

In a televised speech on Wednesday, President Chavez said he was asking his foreign minister to examine a decades-old agreement with the Vatican.

The accord granted privileges to the Roman Catholic Church that other denominations did not enjoy, he said.

As Venezuela was a secular country, granting privileges to one particular religious group was a violation of the constitution, President Chavez said.

He also challenged the Pope's authority, saying he was the Vatican's head of state but not Christ's emissary on Earth.

"Christ does not need an ambassador. Christ is in the people and in those of us who fight for justice and freedom for the humble," he said.

Marxist

President Chavez and church leaders have been at odds over the years but in recent weeks the differences have once again come to the fore.

The leader of the Venezuelan Catholic Church, Cardinal Jorge Urosa, has been publicly critical of the Chavez government, most recently decrying the authorities' handling of a corruption scandal over spoiled food.

On 12 July, the Venezuelan bishops' conference expressed concern that "ideological and political polarisation" was creating a hostile environment ahead of the legislative elections on 26 September.

Mr Chavez has accused church leaders, who he has labelled as "troglodytes" and "cavemen", of siding with the opposition.

He said they should stay out of politics and stop trying to instil fear in people by calling him a Marxist.

"I am Marxist, but before Marxist I'm deeply Christian," Mr Chavez said.

Venezuela has a large number of Roman Catholics

Thousands of Argentine protesters opposed to a same-sex marriage bill to be debated in the Senate demonstrated in front of Argentina's Congress Tuesday.

The Argentine Senate is to vote Wednesday on a gay marriage bill that has already passed the lower chamber of Congress. The bill would give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, including the ability to adopt children.

Tuesday's marches were convened by the Catholic and evangelical churches in Argentina, under the banner, "Children have a right to a father and a mother," the state-run Telam news agency reported.

"We are not against any community, but we want to be clear: marriage is between a man and a woman and the rights of children to have a father and mother cannot be violated," one of the organizers told reporters.

The large crowd waved Argentine flags and held banners and balloons. There was also live music.

"We don't want a negative tint, that's not the objective of the march, but to propose and promote marriage as we understand it, between a man and a woman, and express rejection to the bill passed by the (lower house of) Congress," Justo Carbajales, representative of the Episcopal Church in Argentina, told Telam.

A smaller, but just as boisterous, group of counter-protesters in favor of the same-sex marriage bill congregated in another part of the city.

Last month's congressional vote and Wednesday's Senate vote are the latest moves in a pro-gay marriage trend in Argentine politics.

Last year, a judge in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was illegal, paving the way for gay marriages in the capital. An injunction filed by another judge stopped what would have been the first gay marriage there. Ultimately, Latin America's first gay marriage happened in Argentina in a southern state with a pro-gay marriage governor.

Now, the issue has reached beyond local and state politics to the national stage.

Rescuers looking for flood survivors in northern Mexico have found two girls clinging to the branches of a tree.

The children who are nine and 10 years old were forced to seek refuge there during flooding.

They told rescue workers they had spent almost four days there without food and water.

Police in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas said their parents had drowned.

A group of fishermen who had set up their camp on the banks of a river first spotted the two youngsters and alerted the authorities.

Lizbeth Dalin and her youngster sister, Lesli Dalimel Gaona Trevino, were taken to hospital where they are being treated for insect bites and de-hydration.

Family car washed away

Doctors said the pair were still traumatised by their ordeal but were in a stable condition.

The girls told rescue officials they had last seen their parents on Monday.

Their father apparently attempted to drive the family car over a bridge across the Pilon River but veered off the road into the flooded river.

The vehicle with their parents and two siblings on board was washed away.

So far the authorities have recovered several bodies from the flooded river but have not accounted for one person.

Hurricane plays havoc

"We still haven't found their 15-year-old sister. We'll shortly resume the search for her," said Marisela Cantu, a police spokeswoman.

"We hope we'll also find her alive and well."

Hurricane Alex has caused havoc in Tamaulipas state and the northern region close to the border with the United States.

Torrential rains and heavy floods have killed at least four people in the past two weeks including the latest reported deaths.

Thousands have been left homeless by the tropical storm as it swept across northern Mexico.

Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas has ended his hunger strike after the government announced it was freeing 52 political prisoners.

Mr Farinas, who has been refusing food for more than 130 days, was reported to have been near death in recent days.

The death of another hunger striker in February put pressure on Cuba.

Mr Farinas began his fast after Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death following an 85-day hunger strike.

Mr Farinas told BBC Mundo that he would resume the hunger strike if the Cuban government didn't keep its promise.

"If by 7 November the prisoners are not back in their own homes, not only me but several scores of people will also declare themselves on hunger strike," he said.

The decision to release the prisoners were not motivated by concern for their welfare but for the government's own political standing, Mr Farinas said.

"This is a door that the Cuban government didn't want to open but the international pressure and the economic, political and social conditions together with the historic moment in the country forced them to open it and now nobody can close this door anymore," he added.

'Overdue'

Following Wednesday's announcement of the prisoner releases, Spain's foreign minister called on the EU to soften its Common Position on Cuba.

The 1996 policy calls for advances in human rights and democracy before relations with Cuba can be normalised.

Continue reading the main story
It's obvious that times are changing in Cuba but it's not clear what it will change into
Jim Corrigan

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was encouraged by the Cuban move, which she described as "something that is overdue, but nevertheless very welcome".

The BBC's Michael Voss, in Havana, says this is the largest prisoner release for years in Cuba and may be a turning point in ties with the US and EU.

Cuba has always denied that it has political prisoners, calling them mercenaries paid by the US to undermine Havana's rule, according to our correspondent.

He says President Raul Castro has been stung by the strength of international criticism following the death of Mr Tamayo in February.

Two international bridges between Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and Laredo, Texas, were closed Wednesday because of rising water on the Rio Grande, Laredo officials said.

Laredo's International Bridge I is one of four that connect the two cities, but because it has the lowest elevation it was closed, said Laredo spokeswoman Xochitl Mora Garcia.

Officials are worried that the high water may damage the bridge and are removing steel canopy shades authorities believe add weight and stress to the span, the spokeswoman told CNN.

Officials expect the bridge to be closed for at least three days, Mora Garcia said.

The Rio Grande, which usually has a depth of 6 to 10 feet at Laredo, is expected to crest Thursday at nearly 39 feet, the spokeswoman said.

A second crossing, the Colombia Bridge, was closed because the water is cresting there at a higher level, Mora Garcia said. The bridge will be closed until further notice.

It will take about a day to remove the canopies at International Bridge I and another day to reinstall them after the high waters subside, Mora Garcia said.

About 10,000 to 12,000 pedestrians and 12,000 to 14,000 noncommercial vehicles cross International Bridge I each day, Mora Garcia said.

Laredo has a population of about 250,000, but that typically swells to 350,000 to 400,000 as Mexicans come to the city to shop, visit family or engage in recreational activities, the spokeswoman said. The city is the nation's No. 1 inland port, Mora Garcia said.

International Bridge II and the World Trade Bridge will remain open. Laredo owns and operates the four bridges, Mora Garcia said.

"Pedestrians who have no other alternative to reach Nuevo Laredo are encouraged to return immediately or make arrangements to travel by vehicle by Bridge II," the city said in a news release. "Bridge II will NOT accept pedestrians to return to Nuevo Laredo. Colombia Bridge and World Trade Bridge can accept pedestrians."

In addition, buses from Nuevo Laredo will be transporting would-be pedestrians back and forth over Bridge II over the vehicle-only bridge. The arrangement was made between U.S. and Mexican officials and will remain in effect for the duration of the emergency situation, Mora Garcia said.

Laredo was planning to open its emergency operation center Wednesday afternoon. Residents in the 100-year floodplain will be notified to evacuate if necessary, officials said.

The Laredo Civic Center can be converted into a shelter, the city said.

On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that he was sending vehicles, guardsmen, and rescue divers to the Laredo area.

"As South Texas continues to feel the effects of Hurricane Alex, we are closely monitoring a storm system that is expected to bring more heavy rains to the area and increase flooding along the Rio Grande," Perry said.

Water service in Laredo will not be affected, but residents in Nuevo Laredo may have water service at 50 percent of the city's operating capacity, Laredo officials said.

Communities throughout northeastern Mexico have been flooded as a result of heavy rains spawned by Hurricane Alex nearly two weeks ago.

In the city of Reynosa in Tamaulipas state, on the border with Texas, 23,000 people were in danger Wednesday because of flooding by the Rio Bravo, the government-run Notimex news agency said.

Alex stormed onshore as a Category 2 Hurricane on June 30, causing at least six deaths in Nuevo Leon state.

A crash Tuesday morning between a passenger bus and cargo truck killed six people and injured at least 20 near Mexico's capital, the state-run Notimex news agency reported.

Preliminary reports indicate the bus was speeding and crashed into the back of the truck, which was carrying boxes of chicken, Notimex said.

After the 6 a.m. crash, Notimex said, the bus ended up blocking two of the three northbound lanes of the Mexico-Puebla highway. Video on CNN affiliate Televisa showed a long line of traffic backed up on the highway lanes headed toward Mexico City.

Televisa also showed chicken boxes and other debris from the crash scattered over a wide area of road and the highway shoulder.

A crane, brought in to put the bus upright and help retrieve passengers, finished its work around 7:30 a.m., Notimex said.