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Bolivia to boost incentives for gas exploration

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:20:01 -0400

Bolivia's government, which asserted greater state control over the Andean nation's natural gas sector seven years ago, says it will issue a decree to encourage investment in exploration. Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera made the announcement at the inauguration of a gas and oil congress in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, where energy experts from nine countries have gathered. The incentives ...

Flamengo denies Kaka interest

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:20:01 -0400

Flamengo's executive director Paulo Pelaipe has rejected reports the club is pursuing unsettled Real Madrid midfielder Kaka. The 2007 FIFA world player of the year has struggled for first-team football at the Santiago Bernabeu and is reportedly seeking a move during the European summer transfer window in a bid to revive his stalled career, reports Xinhua. But Pelaipe said Kaka's annual salary ...

Brazil oil firm sells partial stake in Tanzania block

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:50:02 -0400

Brazilian state-controlled energy giant Petrobras said Friday it sold a 12 percent stake in an oil block off Tanzania's coast to Norway's Statoil. The transaction, whose value was not disclosed, is part of a $9.9 billion divestment program Petrobras announced earlier this year. Petrobras will remain the operator of Block 6, a 5,549-sq. km area in the Mafia offshore basin, with a 38 percent ...

Obama Urges Military to Stamp Out Sexual Assaults

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

U.S. President Barack Obama says sexual assaults in the U.S. military undermine trust in the armed forces. The president used a commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland Friday to tackle recent reports of widespread sexual violence in the military. "Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that ...

Sao Paulo eyes former Villarreal forward Nilmar

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:30:02 -0400

Brazil football club Sao Paulo are reportedly in talks to sign former Villarreal and Brazil international striker Nilmar. The 28-year-old, currently playing with Al Rayyan in Qatar, hopes a return to Brazil could lead to an international recall ahead of next year's World Cup, reports Xinhua. Nilmar has scored 17 goals in 26 appearances for Al Rayyan since joining the club July last year. Sao ...

UN human rights office urges trial to be decided on merits after Guatemalan court overturns Roos Montt conviction

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:16:23 -0400

24 May 2013 150 The United Nations human rights office today said it was "concerned" about the legal rights of Guatemalans after a high court overturned the 80 year prison sentence against former military leader, Efrain R237;os Montt. "Amid continued legal uncertainty about what the ruling of the Constitutional Court annulling the verdict on the R237;os Montt case means in practice, we are ...

Guyana seeks more time to approve anti-money laundering bill

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:10:51 -0400

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Guyana is rushing a high-level delegation to an upcoming international summit in Nicaragua to ask for more time to tighten financial regulations in the South American country. Saturday's announcement comes after opposition leaders in Guyana said they would not vote for a crucial anti-money laundering bill until more safeguards against corruption are added. The ...

Joint Vatican City State and Argentina Stamps Presented to Pontiff

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:02:01 -0400

Stamps Dedicated to Beginning of Pope Francis PontificateBy Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY, April 30, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Pope Francis was presented with the stamps issued jointly between the Vatican City State and Argentina, which are dedicated to the beginning of his pontificate. The presentation was made this morning in the Library of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.The four stamps in the set, ...

Chile Pascua-Lama Mine Halted for Environmental Offences

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:38:25 -0400

Share/Bookmark The Chilean authorities have issued a US$16m fine to the world's largest producer of metal, Barrick Gold Corp for environmental offencesin itsPascua-Lama mine. Barrick’s main offence lies with its failure to fit an effective water treatment system to contain contaminated water. Further works on the US$8.5bn Pascua-Lama mining project, which borders Argentina, have ...

Former West Vancouver police officer found stabbed to death in Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:34:02 -0400

A retired West Vancouver police officer has been stabbed to death in Mexico, as two other Metro Vancouver families issue pleas for help to find relatives missing in the popular holiday destination.The body of a woman was discovered Wednesday morning at a home in Playa del Carmen, according to Mexican media reports. She was identified by friends on social media as 60-year-old Lynne Earle.Earle ...

Brazil cancels $900m in African debt

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:27:28 -0400

BRAZIL says it plans to cancel $US900 million ($A928.12 million) worth of debt in 12 African countries as part of a broader strategy to boost ties with the continent. "The idea of having Africa as a special relationship for Brazil is strategic for Brazil's foreign policy," presidential spokesman Thomas Traumann told reporters on the sidelines of African Union celebrations to mark 50 ...

Kerry US Wants to Protect Human Rights in Nigeria

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:49:42 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called on Nigerian authorities to ensure their security forces do not trample on human rights during the government's fight against Boko Haram ...

Venezuela Arranges Aggreements to Boost its Energy Potential

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:44:24 -0400

Caracas, May 25 (Prensa Latina) Venezuela promotes its hydrocarbon production capacity by arranging new agreements with foreign firms and relaunching strategic alliances with countries like China and Russia. Following the boost given to energy cooperation with Asia during a recent visit to this country of Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, several agreements were signed here this week between ...

Brazil to cancel $900m debt to strengthen ties with Africa

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:42:05 -0400

Brazil has said it plans to cancel $900-million worth of debt in 12 African countries, as part of a broader strategy to boost ties with the ...

Guatemala ex-leader extradited to US

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:25:21 -0400

Ex-Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo speaks with journalists, before being extradited to the US to face charges of money laundering. Picture: ...

Fitch Affirms Suriname at BB- Outlook Stable

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:22:41 -0400

U.S. prime money market funds (MMFs) increased their exposure to eurozone banks in April. However, even at 15.1%, asset allocations to these institutions remain well below 2011 levels, according to Fitch ...

Kerry Nigeria Working to Stop Abuses by Security Forces

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:48:33 -0400

US Secretary of State John Kerry (foreground) speaks at a joint news conference with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom in Addis Ababa May 25, ...

In Malawi an NGO Saves Rural Dwellers from Waterborne Illnesses

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:48:33 -0400

CHIKHWAWA DISTRICT, MALAWI -- A few years ago, residents of Malawi's southern district of Chikhwawa were often stricken with diarrhea often caused by cholera, an illness spread by unclean drinking water from unprotected sources like wells and rivers. Today, the situation is under control, thanks to an international NGO that's drilling boreholes in the area for fresh drinking water and ...

A Baseball Academy in a Talent-Poor Part of Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:31:01 -0400

SAN BARTOLO COYOTEPEC, Mexico ...

Want to retire on the beach Mexico talks of liberalizing land sales

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:12:25 -0400

Supporters say the change could help Mexico compete with Central America for US retirees seeking spots in the sun. But could it hurt Mexican access to prime real ...

Ukraine Gays Hold First March Protected by Police

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:49:23 -0400

KYIV -- About 100 Ukrainian gay rights activists held the country's first gay rally Saturday, helped by police who arrested 13 people for trying to break up the march. The activists walked for about 250 meters along Prospekt Peremohy (Victory Avenue) in the capital, Kyiv, while Orthodox Christian activists nearby chanted slogans denouncing them. "Ukraine is not America. Kyiv is ...

Police shootout in Kemp Road

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:48:11 -0400

Several days after two men were shot dead on Kemp Road, residents of the area were sent scrambling again yesterday morning after gunfire erupted. This time, police and an armed robbery suspect exchanged fire. Police said the suspect was shot in his legs. The shootout happened just before a planned police walkabout in the area in response to the double murder on Whit Monday. Superintendent Paul ...

Two charged with holiday murders

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:48:09 -0400

Carlon Rolle, 28 (center) was led into court yesterday charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder and weapons possession. PHOTOS: AHVIA J. ...

Melvin Maycock Sr. denied bail

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:48:08 -0400

The alleged head of the Caribbean arm of an international drug smuggling gang was yesterday refused bail pending a challenge of an extradition order. Senior Justice Jon Isaacs denied bail for Melvin Maycock Sr. on the grounds that he would reoffend if released. Maycock is serving time in connection with a 1,150 pound marijuana seizure committed while police were looking to pick him up on an ...

Police defend action in cruise ship matter

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:48:06 -0400

Relatives of an 11-year-old girl who was allegedly molested aboard a Disney Dream cruise last August indicated to Bahamian authorities they did not want to pursue criminal charges, Superintendent Paul Rolle said yesterday. Rolle's comments came as several international media houses highlighted the incident this week with Florida authorities suggesting they lost their chance to pursue the ...

Drainage system ‘maxed out’

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:47:54 -0400

The majority of drainage wells in Pinewood Gardens were either severely clogged or simply did not do what they were intended to during the torrential rain that flooded that area this week, Ministry of Works officials said yesterday. Dexter Williams, senior engineer responsible for drainage, said there was not much more the ministry could have done to alleviate flooding in the low-lying ...

Women recall horror of double murder

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:47:38 -0400

Urban Renewal, in collaboration with several church organizations, led a team through Kemp Road yesterday as they conducted a walkabout after a double murder and several shootings occurred in the area earlier this week. Pictured from left, Pastor Dale Rahming, Bishop Walter Hanchell and Urban Renewal Director Superintendent Stephen Dean. PHOTOS: AHVIA J. ...

On Now ArteBA Argentina’s Premier Art Fair

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:35:38 -0400

Share/Bookmark Much has been said about the role of international art fairs, as chequebooks and doors are flung wide open to some of the most revered art collections in the world. Celebrating its 22nd anniversary, ArteBA- Argentina’s premier contemporary art fair - has become an integral part to the nascent commerce of the Latin-American art scene, welcoming collectors, dealers, and ...

Kerry US Working with AU to Reduce SudanSouth Sudan Violence

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:47:16 -0400

ADDIS ABABA -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he is working with the African Union to end violence along the border between Sudan and South Sudan. America’s top diplomat met separately with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia. Kerry says Sudan and South Sudan "are in a very delicate place right now" and it ...

Obama Calls on Americans to Remember Military Families

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:47:15 -0400

As Americans observe Memorial Day weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama is calling on his fellow citizens to remember the men and women who have given their lives in service to the country, and to remember the military families who make sacrifices of their own. In his weekly address Saturday, Obama noted that members of the U.S. military often risk their lives without seeking the limelight or ...

As border tightens some U.S.-Mexico neighbors reach across the fence

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:23:35 -0400

NACO, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican activist Maria Elena Borquez takes up a paintbrush and daubs a bright splotch of color on the rusted steel fence separating the small Mexican town of Naco from a neighboring town in the United ...

Assault on Qusair Intensifies Ahead of Hezbollah Speech

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:43:41 -0400

Syrian anti-government activists say Syrian troops have launched the heaviest barrage of gunfire yet in a week-long battle to re-take the strategic town of Qusair from rebel ...

11 Dead in Philippines Clash

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:43:41 -0400

Authorities in the southern Philippines say at least 11 people have been killed in a clash between government troops and a Muslim militant gang. Military spokesman Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan said seven Philippine marines and at least four members of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group died early Saturday in a firefight on the outskirts of Patikul town on the island of Jolo. Tutaan ...

Latin American economic bloc removes some tariffs

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:32:13 -0400

A Latin American economic bloc that includes Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile has agreed to remove tariffs on 90 percent of the products traded among members."We have established a deadline by June 30 to write the agreement's document and afterwards each country's Congress should approve it," Chilean President Sebastian Pinera told reporters Friday after the seventh Pacific ...

ArteBA 2013 art fair kicks off in Argentina

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:31:59 -0400

A visitor attends the "ArteBA 2013" art fair, in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on May 24, 2013. The fair is the most important contemporary art show in Argentina, with 82 galleries from Latin America, the US and Europe displaying 500 artists' works, according to the organizers. (Xinhua/Martin ...

Triumphant comeback seals victory over Puerto Rico

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:29:11 -0400

Guangdong province, May 23, 2013. The Chinese women's volleyball team overcame a late start Thursday night and fought back to defeat Puerto Rico 3-2 during a ...

Nasscom team to explore IT opportunities in Latin America

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:20:57 -0400

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) is leading a delegation of IT companies to Latin America from May 26 to May ...

Early Spring 2013 Ushers in Yoga Retreats To Maui Bali and El Salvador

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:38:38 -0400

The Travel Yogi, specialist in international yoga retreats and yoga adventures, announces late winter/early spring yoga programs in Bali, Maui and El Salvador. "We are gearing up for a banner 2013 season," says Jennifer Hoodevik, founder and director. "We are riding the wave of an industry experiencing tremendous growth and we are responding." According to July 2012 ...

Argentine president to visit Brazil

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:06 -0400

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will meet on Friday her Argentine counterpart Cristina Kirchner for talks on enhanced bilateral cooperation, Brazilian authorities said Wednesday.The Brazil-Argentina Business Council created during Rousseff's visit to Argentina on Jan. 31 will meet for the first time in Brasilia on Friday, a statement released Wednesday by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, ...

Guatemala extradites ex-president to US

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:26:31 -0400

GUATEMALA has extradited ex-president Alfonso Portillo to the United States to face charges of laundering $US70 million ($A72.19 million). "Farewell, people of Guatemala," Portillo, 61, said after describing his plane trip under the escort of US agents as a "kidnapping" and accusing the Guatemalan government of breaking the law. "They have acted illegally against me from the ...

International Fund for Animal Welfare Penguin Stranding Mystery in Brazil Prompts Rescue Attempt

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:33:40 -0400

Penguin Stranding Mystery in Brazil Prompts Rescue Attempt YARMOUTH PORT - August 7 - More than 1000 juvenile Magellanic penguins have washed-up either dead or dying along the Brazilian coast and as far north as Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, 3000 km north of Sao Paulo. IFAW (International Fund for Animal ...

RFK Center Releases Documents Outlining US Actions to Block Life-saving Funds to Haiti

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:33:33 -0400

RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights and 2002 RFK Award recipient, Loune Viaud of Zamni Lasante, release U.S. Department of Treasury documents revealing that the U.S. and the Inter-American Development Bank deliberately obstructed $146 million in approved IDB financing. WASHINGTON - August 4 - The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights and Zamni Lasante released internal U.S. ...

Chilean president copper giant Codelco to remain state-owned

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:48 -0400

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Thursday the country's copper giant Codelco will remain state-owned in a bid to ease fears that the company will be privatized.Codelco, the world's largest copper-producing company, "belongs to all Chileans," and any attempt to privatize it was to be ruled out, Pinera said.The president's declaration came after rumors that the ...

Sandy kills 6 in Haiti 11 in Cuba causes losses in Dominican Republic

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:44 -0400

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Sandy on Thursday claimed 6 lives in Haiti and 11 lives in Cuba, in addition to causing material losses in the Dominican Republic and Cuba, according to the reports. The category 2 hurricane on the five-rung Saffir-Simpson scale killed six people in Haiti's southern and southwestern regions, where torrential rains caused rivers to overflow, ...

Fidel Castro votes in Cuba municipal elections

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:42 -0400

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Sunday exercised his right to vote in the election of delegates to the People's Power municipal assemblies. Fidel Castro cast his ballot in the electrol district 13 in downtown Havana, where he has voted since 1976. Some 341 people voted in the polling station. Over 8.5 million eligible Cubans out of the 11.2-million population are expected to ...

Argentina warns to bring Ghanas warship seizure to UN

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:40 -0400

Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman warned Friday that his country would resort to the UN if necessary over Ghana's seizure of its frigate. Ghana's seizure of Argentine warship Libertad is "illegal," because "the warship has immunity established in several international conventions signed by the Republic of Ghana," Timerman said at a press conference. ...

Cuba to hold partial elections electoral authorities

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:40 -0400

Cuba is ready to elect the delegates of municipal assemblies on Sunday, the National Electoral Commission chief said Friday. Speaking to Cuba's official television, Alina Balseiro said all the necessary measures were taken to guarantee the success of the electoral process. "We call on all of our people to participate in the elections and the election officials to perform their duties ...

Mexico to exhume parents of killed drug cartel boss

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:38 -0400

Sina English Mexican authorities are set to exhume remains of the parents of drug cartel "Zetas" leader Heriberto Lazcano, killed in a shootout with police, for the purpose of DNA testing. The authorities were forced to resort to this since after his death Lazcano's body was stolen by unknown perpetrators. This leaves law enforcement bodies still unable to confirm that the killed ...

At least 17 missing in Peru landslide

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:37 -0400

At least 17 people went missing early on Wednesday after a mudslide slammed into a peruvian village, civil defense officials said. The landslide occurred in El Porvenir, a village in the northern department of San Martin in the Amazonian region which was triggered by heavy rains Jorge Rios, chief of the Civil Defense Office of San Martin' s Regional Government (GRSM), said that rescuers ...

Mexico Guatemala collaborate to strengthen border security

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:10 -0400

Mexican President Felipe Calderon (L) and his Guatemalan counterpart Alvaro Colom arrive at a joint press conference at the official residence Los Pinos, in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on July 27, 2011. (Xinhua/David de la ...

Chiles Indians take on worlds largest gold miner

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:20:50 -0400

In this May 23, 2013 photo, security officers walk away from the entrance of the Barrick Gold Corp's Pascua-Lama facilities, in northern Chile. Chile's environmental regulator blocked Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project on Friday, May 24, 2013, and imposed its maximum fine on the world's largest gold miner, citing "very serious" violations of its ...

African Union celebrates 50th anniversary

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:02:17 -0400

AFRICAN leaders have opened celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc, with Africa's myriad problems set aside for a day to mark the progress that has been made. African Union (AU) chairman and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, in a speech to open the ceremony on Saturday, said the celebrations would look forward to "create a continent free from poverty and ...

Three sentenced for trafficking prostitutes from Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:32:33 -0400

SACRAMENTO - Three men were sentenced Friday on criminal charges for trafficking women from Mexico to be used as prostitutes in five Northern California cities, including ...

Video Time Lapse Peru Bolivia

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:31:12 -0400

Check out the mysterious sliding stones of Racetrack Playa, some insane star trails, and pink aurora in this time lapse video of Death Valley. Video courtesy ...

Hurricane Paul weakens off northwest Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:18:12 -0400

Hurricane Paul weakened on its way toward northwest Mexico, but still posed a risk to seafaring vessels, weather services said Tuesday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Paul, currently a category 2 storm, was about 210 km from coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur with the decreasing wind speed of 175 km per hour (kph) and moving north-northeast at 32 kph. ...

61 injured in multiple vehicle crash in Brazil

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:18:10 -0400

Sixty-one people were injured, one seriously, in a multiple vehicle crash on early Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, official sources said. The accident involving two passenger buses and a public transportation minivan occurred along the Marechal Fontenelle Avenue, in the Sulacap district of western Rio, the sources said. According to a spokesmen from a local fire ...

U.S. Secretary of State pays official visit to Peru

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:18:09 -0400

Photo provided by Peru's Presidency shows Peruvian President Ollanta Humala (R) shakes hands with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a joint news conference in Lima, capital of Peru, on Oct. 15, 2012. Clinton is on a two-day official visit to Peru. (Xinhua/Peru's ...

Cuba simplifies procedures for traveling abroad

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:18:08 -0400

The Cuban government on Tuesday announced the decision to simplify the bureaucratic procedures for citizens to travel abroad. Cubans will be able to visit other countries from Jan. 14, 2013, only by showing their passports and visas of destination countries. According to an official release published by the daily Granma, Cuban citizens holding ordinary passports issued earlier must request the ...

1972 Uruguay air crash victims ate friends to survive

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:18:06 -0400

They survived by eating human flesh when the plane taking them to play a rugby match crashed down amid snow-covered mountains. And 40 years on, their cancelled fixture has finally been fulfilled. Old Christians Club players - from Uruguay - reunited to return to Chile, where they were stranded for 72 days in 1972. They and opponents the Old Grangonian Club lived up to their names - with players ...

Cubas Fidel Castro in good health son

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:18:03 -0400

HAVANA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro is in good health despite long silence and absence from the public, his son Alex Castro said here Friday, quashing speculations that he may be gravely ill. Castro, now 86, spends his time reading and following his exercise routine, said Alex, a photographer. He spoke at the opening of his exhibit "The Face of ...

School evacuated on bomb threat in U.S. state of New Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:58 -0400

A school in the U.S. state of New Mexico was put on a two-hour delay on Thursday morning after someone called in a bomb threat, local media reported. Students who were at the Albuquerque Academy, a day school for grades 6 through 12, for before-school activities were evacuated and all entrances to the school were closed, according to a report by local TV channel KOB. Police responded to a call ...

Chavez proclaimed as elected president of Venezuela

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:57 -0400

Image provided by the Venezuelan Presidency shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez participating in the ceremony where he was proclaimed as the elected president of Venezuela for the 2013-2019 term by the National Electoral Council, in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, on Oct. 10, 2012. (Xinhua/Venezuelan ...

Venezuelas Chavez names new vice-president

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:56 -0400

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has named a new vice-president, following his re-election on Sunday for another six-year term. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, one of the president's closest advisors, has been appointed for the job. He is a former bus driver who rose through the ranks of Mr Chavez' United Socialist Party. He would replace the president should his battle with cancer ...

Former Chilean president runaway favorite for 2013 elections

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:55 -0400

SANTIAGO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet remains the runaway favorite for next year's presidential elections, a survey has found. In the poll whose results were published Wednesday, Bachelet was supported by 43 percent of likely voters. In distant second place was Public Works Minister Laurence Golborne, with 13 percent, said Contemporary Reality Research ...

Drug cartel leader liquidated in Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:53 -0400

Unknown men in Mexico have stolen the body of the leader of a drug cartel "Zetas" Heriberto Lazcano from a funeral home. A few hours earlier he had been killed in a shootout with the military. The authorities believed Lazcano one of the most dangerous criminals in the country. The drug cartel "Los Zetas" is the most powerful criminal organization in Mexico. Many of the ...

Mexican navy kills drug baron but body taken by armed men

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:51 -0400

The Mexican navy has killed one of the most wanted drug cartel leaders in a clash in northern Mexico's Coahuila state, but his body was later taken from a funeral house, Mexican authorities said Tuesday. The body, according to Mexican authorities, corresponds to Heriberto Lazcano, alias "El Lazca", head of the Los Zetas Cartel. It was in a funeral home where he had been tested ...

Couple killed inside their car in Mexico

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:50 -0400

Police and forensics members work at the site where a couple was killed inside their car, in Tlalmanalco, State of Mexico, Mexico, on Oct. 8, 2012. According to local authorities, the couple identified as Dolores Cazales and Emanuel Cabrera, who were passing in their car on Vargas street nearby municipal market, in the place were found about 40 bullet shells from R-15 assault rifles. ...

Voters protest against election results in Venezuela

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:50 -0400

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles hold a protest against election results at Plaza Altamira in Caracas, Venezuela, on Oct. 8, 2012. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was reelected on Sunday. (Xinhua/David de la ...

17 Children Dead in Pakistan School Bus Accidental Blast

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:56:32 -0400

A police officer in the city of Gujrat said the 17 victims burned to death when their bus caught fire in the blast. He said several other children were injured and hospitalized. Gujrat is about 200 kilometers southeast of the capital, ...

Top chefs say Latin America will reach foods zenith

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:35:33 -0400

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - The world's top chefs say it's only a matter of time before Latin America, home to Brazil's black bean stew "feijoada", Peru's refreshing raw fish "ceviche" and Mexico's street tacos, cooks its way into gastronomy's elite. Spanish pastry king Jordi Roca and Danish chef Rene Redzepi, who runs the kitchen of Copenhagen's ...

Former Guatemalan president extradited to face money laundering charges in US

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:25:06 -0400

Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo was extradited on Friday to the United States to face money laundering charges, the US embassy in Guatemala said. A US grand jury decided in 2009 that Portillo, who was in office from 2000 to 2004, should face charges that he laundered 70 million dollars through US ...

Falkland Islands elected lawmaker will attend C24 regional seminar in Ecuador

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:25:06 -0400

Falkland Islands elected lawmaker Mike Summers will attend next week the Caribbean Regional Seminar of the Special Committee on Decolonization which is to be held in Quito, Ecuador in anticipation of the main C24 annual meeting in New ...

Arizona Sheriff Ruled to Unfairly Target Latinos

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:51:59 -0400

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that an Arizona sheriff known for his tough policies has been singling out Latinos in immigration patrols and traffic ...

Paraguay becomes observer of the Alliance of the Pacific despite Brazil and Mercosur

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:19:45 -0400

The Alliance of the Pacific announced this week that Paraguay had been accepted as an observer of the regional group. Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos chair and host of the alliance summit in Cali made it official during the reading of the final ...

Brazil’s employment rate remains stable but job creation slowed in recent months

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:19:45 -0400

Brazil's jobless rate rose slightly in April for the fourth straight month but remained near record lows, suggesting that tight labour conditions bolstered a gradual recovery and fed into inflation, statistics agency IBGE said this ...

Soldiers Place US Flags in Arlington Cemetery for Memorial Day

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:43:18 -0400

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA -- On Memorial Day - Monday, May 27 this year - Americans remember those in the military who died while serving their country. Ahead of that day, soldiers place American flags in front of the more than 360,000 gravestones in Arlington National Cemetery, outside Washington. Army Colonel James Markert places a flag at the tombstone of Christopher Henderson, who was killed in ...

Prime Minister of Saint Lucia With Busy Agenda in Cuba

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:37:37 -0400

Havana, May 25 (Prensa Latina) The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Kenny Davis Anthony, will arrive on Monday to Cuba, where he will have a very busy agenda that includes dialogues with authorities and visits to places of scientific, medical and educational interest. According to the program released to the press, the president will remain on the island until June 1, to strengthen the bilateral ...

Cuba With Three Athletes in New York City

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:37:36 -0400

Havana, May 25 (Prensa Latina) Cuba will take part in the 3rd stage of the Diamond League in the city of New York with three athletes, as confirmed by Daniel Osorio, technical coach of the Cuban track and field team Friday. Olympic female pole vault jumper and runner-up Yarisley Silva is heading the Cuban trio, said Osorio to Radio Habana Cuba. The other athletes will be Orlando Ortega (110 ...

Ex-Guatemala president extradited to US

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:33:59 -0400

GUATEMALA CITY - Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo was extradited on Friday to the United States to face charges of laundering $70 million in Guatemalan funds through U.S. bank ...

Rapes in Brazil Spur Class and Gender Debate

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:17:14 -0400

A wave of rapes on public transportation in Rio de Janeiro has led to the creation of women-only cars on trains, but some women say not enough is being ...

Ex-President Portillo of Guatemala Is Extradited to U.S.

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:17:12 -0400

Mr. Portillo, who was president from 2000 to 2004, faces charges in federal court in New York of conspiring to launder some $70 million of his country's funds through American ...

Venezuela willing to normalize relations with U.S. FM

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:58:45 -0400

Venezuela is willing to normalize diplomatic relations with the United States on the basis of mutual respect and none interference in each other's domestic affairs, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said Sunday. "We will remain open to the normalization of relations with the United States....The first thing would be to restore diplomatic delegation at the highest level," said ...

Biden Phones Iraqi PM Concerned About Sectarian Violence

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:36:35 -0400

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden telephoned Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Friday to express concern over the recent rise in violence, including bombings. The White House says Biden pledged continued U.S. support for Iraq in its fight against terrorism. A statement says Biden and Maliki agreed on the importance of reaching out to all political leaders in Iraq and the need for a ...

NY trial may clean Mexico’s oil mess

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:29:59 -0400

Benny Avni A trial in Manhattan federal court may help push Mexico to free its decaying oil industry from the state-owned monopoly known as Pemex, for Petroleos Mexicanos. And that’s good news for both sides of the border, indeed for the whole world.In the $500 million lawsuit, Pemex alleges that two firms, Germany’s Siemens AG and South Korea’s SK, bribed Pemex officials to win ...

Forlan Lodeiro named in Uruguay squad

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:25:09 -0400

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has included Brazil-based players Diego Forlan and Nicolas Lodeiro in his squad for June internationals against France and Venezuela in addition to the Confederations Cup.Midfielder Lodeiro, 23, was rewarded for his impressive form for Botafogo,for whom he top-scored with eight goals during the club's triumphant 2013 Campeonato Carioca campaign, while Forlan has ...

Mexican Official Defends Accuracy of Data on Organized Crime

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:10:08 -0400

Mexico 's top security official argued Friday that real progress was being made in reducing organized crime killings and that the number of people previously reported missing was ...

UPDATE 1-Perus Humala vows to prioritize investment after bump in road

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:39:07 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 10:39pm EDT By Marco Aquino LIMA May 24 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Ollanta Humala said on Friday he will prioritize investments and speed up infrastructure projects after the economy hit a "bump in the road" with unexpectedly slow growth in the first quarter. Peru's economy slowed to expand 4.8 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the same ...

Attack on Police Convoy in Pakistan Kills 6

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:29:38 -0400

A militant attack on a police convoy near the city of Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least six policemen. Several others were wounded, including the district police officer, in the attack Friday on the Indus Highway. Local media say the militants armed with rockets ambushed the convoy, which was on its way from Peshawar to Kohat. A wounded driver was able to reach Kohat, ...

Honduras’ biggest gangs plan to sign a truce to cut violence

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:27:26 -0400

A gang member looks into a broken piece of mirror while getting a haircut by a fellow inmate at a prison in Quezaltepeque, on the outskirts of San Salvador, El Salvador, June 2, 2012. Two of Honduras' biggest gangs, 18th Street and Mara Salavatrucha, have announced that they will sign a truce - as they did in El Salvador in 2012. (STRINGER/EL ...

Brazil officials must register gay unions as marriages

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:51:40 -0400

By The Associated Press Brazilian notaries public must register same-sex civil unions as marriages if the couple requests it, the country's National Council of Justice said Tuesday. The council that oversees the country's judiciary said in a statement that notaries public cannot refuse to marry gay couples or convert a same-sex civil union into a marriage if that's what the pair ...

Fewer people have disappeared in drug war than feared says Mexican official

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:19:15 -0400

Mexico's top security official said Friday that far fewer people disappeared during Mexico's drug war than were feared when the government released a list of about 26,000 cases.Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said federal and state governments are working to weed out people who have been located. He noted that many of those included on the original list of 26,121 released ...

Positive press picks up for San Diego with Mexico business ties

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:17:12 -0400

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner visited the economically-minded organization DEITAC's bi-monthly gathering in his first official visit to Tijuana as mayor in January. He was greeted by Tijuana's mayor Bustamante, and they both took questions on plans to better incorporate the shared border ...

Brazils Santos decide to sell Neymar - club

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:16:50 -0400

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's Santos said it had agreed sell striker Neymar to one of two unnamed soccer clubs, according to the club's official Twitter ...

REUTERS SUMMIT-Mexicos telecoms law to rebuild industry brick by brick

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:06:27 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 9:06pm EDT (For other news from Reuters Latin America Investment Summit, click here) By Dave Graham and Tomas Sarmiento MEXICO CITY May 24 (Reuters) - Mexico's new telecommunications law aims to break the hold of dominant players that have made the country's industry an anomaly on the global map and rebuild it "brick by brick," a senior government official said on ...

Officials say Mexicos drug violence killings on the decline

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:58:28 -0400

- The drug-related murders that plagued Mexico for six years have decreased in the past six months, while fewer people have disappeared than previously thought, the interior minister said Friday. Mexico's top security official, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, said deaths linked to organized crime have fallen by around 20 percent since the new government took office in December compared to the ...

Ecuadors Correa begins third presidential term with high popularity strong majority

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:50:10 -0400

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2013 file photo, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa gives a thumbs up to supporters as he stands with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, not in picture, on a balcony at the government palace in Quito, Ecuador. On Friday, May 24, 2013, Correa will begin his second presidential term after winning the Feb. 17 election. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, ...

Brazils Santos Decide to Sell Neymar-Club

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:44:50 -0400

RIO DE JANEIRO ...

Colombia Hit man targeting high-profile journalists

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:43:14 -0400

By Helen Murphy, Reuters BOGOTA - Colombia's government warned on Tuesday of a plot by a criminal group to kill several high-profile journalists just weeks after the attempted assassination of an investigative reporter boosted concerns over threats to a free press in the violence-plagued Andean nation.President Juan Manuel Santos also announced that 90 journalists are being given protection ...

After the flood From Haiti to Britain one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:50:53 -0400

He has, however, been absorbed with an ongoing photographic project, zooming in on one aspect of climate change: flooding. Mendel's series, Drowning World, not only shows the effect of flooding on communities, but also encompasses traditional portraiture, and explores the often striking visuals such huge influxes of water produce.The floods in Yorkshire in 2007 started him off down this ...

REUTERS SUMMIT-Colombia cenbank chief worries about medium-term external shocks

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:18:17 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 7:18pm EDT * Uribe happy about economic growth, inflation rates * Concerned about shocks coming from EU, US in medium term * Foreign reserves rise, could help protect economy By Helen Murphy and Eduardo Garcia BOGOTA, May 24 (Reuters) - Colombia's central bank chief said on Friday his main challenge over the medium term was preparing the nation for a normalization of U.S. ...

Reversal of Rios Montt verdict in Guatemala sparks criticism of genocide charge

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:58:57 -0400

GUATEMALA CITY - The overturning this week of former military dictator Gen. Efrain Rios Montt’s conviction on charges stemming from Guatemala’s brutal civil war has created a surprising consensus among critics on both the left and the right: Prosecutors badly overreached when they tried to pin accusations of genocide on the 86-year-old former president. Despite sharp divisions over ...

UPDATE 2-Investors boost direct investment in Mexico cut stocks

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:44:13 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 6:44pm EDT MEXICO CITY May 24 (Reuters) - A healthy boost in foreign direct investment in the first quarter underscored confidence in Latin America's No. 2 economy even as investment flows into the country's stocks and bonds moderated, central bank data showed on Friday. Foreign direct investment reached $4.99 billion in the first quarter after touching negative territory ...

Last Brother From Mexicos Arellano Felix Cartel Pleads Guilty in U.S.

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:42:44 -0400

SAN DIEGO -- Former Mexican drug lord Eduardo Arellano Felix, the last of four brothers captured or killed in connection with a once-powerful Tijuana-based cartel depicted in the Oscar-winning film "Traffic," pleaded guilty to U.S. drug charges on ...

REUTERS SUMMIT-Banco de Bogota sees new players in Colombia eyes Peru

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:40:44 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 6:40pm EDT * Bank eyes growth in consumer, mortgage sectors * Looking at regional opportunities, sees competition * Banking investments pouring into Colombia By Helen Murphy and Nelson Bocanegra BOGOTA, May 24 (Reuters) - Colombia will remain a hot spot for foreign banks in the coming years as low credit penetration provides ample room for growth, the head of its second-biggest ...

Expert US Foreign Policy in Retreat

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:57:38 -0400

A former senior advisor to the late Richard Holbrooke, who served as U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, says when it comes to foreign policy, the U.S. is in "retreat." Vali Nasr, who is now dean of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), said the Obama administration has concluded that the best way forward for the United States is ...

British Security Services Scrutinized After Soldiers Murder

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:57:38 -0400

A police officer guards a block of flats in Greenwich following a raid in connection with the killing of a British soldier in nearby Woolwich, southeast London, May 23, ...

Mexico says far fewer disappeared than first thought

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:57:11 -0400

Mexico's top security official said Friday far fewer people have disappeared during Mexico's drug war than were originally feared, when the government released a list of about 26,000 ...

Puerto Rico approves anti-discrimination bill

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:53:21 -0400

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -; Legislators in Puerto Rico on Friday approved a heavily debated bill that outlaws employment discrimination based on gender or sexual ...

Gift of theater leads to birth of Cuba

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:53:15 -0400

Director David Ellenstein (far left) works with actors Aaron Acosta, David Michael Coffey and Maritxell Crrero (left to right) during a rehearsal of "Becoming Cuba" at North Coast Repertory ...

Bolivia Describes as Failure DEA Anti Drug Fight in LatAm

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:51:55 -0400

La Paz, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian government described today as a failure the anti-drug fight of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Latin America. In a press conference, the minister of the government, Juan Ramon Quintana, accused that organization of being responsible for thousands of fatalities, and the increase of money laundering and weapon sales in the region. He said that in ...

OAS Permanent Council and CIDI Submit Proposals to the General Assembly in Antigua Guatemala

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:50:43 -0400

May 24, 2013 The Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved the submission of several draft resolutions to the next General Assembly, which will take place from June 4 to 6 in Antigua, Guatemala. In a joint session, the Permanent Council and CIDI approved the draft resolution on the ...

Fabiola Santiago Boy Scouts didn’t go far enough

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:49:31 -0400

It was a historic decision and we can call it progress — the right thing to do for the children — but that’s all.Voting via secret ballot, 61 percent of the approximately 1,400 local leaders of the Boy Scouts of America gathered in Texas wisely chose to open the organization’s ranks to openly gay boys.Hurray. The end of a loathsome discriminatory practice is always a ...

Barrick Fined $15.8 Million Over Chile Environmental Concerns

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:47:21 -0400

Mining company Barrick Gold Corp. was fined $15.8 million Friday by the Chilean government for allegedly violating environmental controls at its flagship ...

Colombia - In Colombia criminal gangs pose new press threat

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:46:31 -0400

As political turmoil continues between Islamists and secularists in Bangladesh, the climate for press freedom is rapidly deteriorating. The tensions stem from an ongoing war crimes tribunal tasked with prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, and other crimes dating back to the 1971 war of ...

Mexican Mafia Member Sentenced in Racketeering Conspiracy

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:45:21 -0400

United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that Mexican Mafia member Salvador Nicola Colabella was sentenced today by United States District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia to serve 262 months in federal prison based on his August 9, 2012 plea to RICO conspiracy charges, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d). Colabella has been in custody since his arrest on January 25, ...

UPDATE 3-Chile fines Barricks Pascua Lama halts gold project

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:40:03 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 5:40pm EDT * Chilean regulator fines Barrick $16 million * Company says in process of reviewing regulator's demands * Barrick, Silver Wheaton shares fall, after being halted May 24 (Reuters) - Chilean environmental authorities on Friday ordered Barrick Gold Corp to halt work at its massive Pascua-Lama project and fined the company $16 million, citing serious environmental ...

Cave Paintings Found In Mexico 5000 Ancient Works Depict Humans Animals

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:28:44 -0400

The 4,926 paintings were found in Burgos , in the mountainous northeastern state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico, reports the BBC. The beautiful pictures, cataloged with the help of the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), were presented by researcher Martha Garca Snchez at the second meeting of Historic Archaeology, in Mexico City's National History ...

Fitch Afirma en A Calificacion de Bonos Corporativos de la Universidad Latina de Panama

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:27:22 -0400

Guatemalan ex-president extradited to U.S. on money-laundering charges

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:26:54 -0400

Former Guatemalan president Portillo is escorted before boarding plane for his extradition to United States for money laundering, in Guatemala ...

Guyana to crack down on female trafficking in rural mining camps

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:26:25 -0400

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Guyana is establishing a task force to help eradicate trafficking of underage girls in mining camps in the South American country's interior. National Security Minister Clement Rohee said Friday that the government has identified 14 locations that it will target in upcoming weeks. The announcement comes after opposition leaders demanded an official probe into ...

Chile slaps $16 million fine on Canada mine company

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:23:48 -0400

SANTIAGO (AFP) - Chile's environmental authorities slapped a $16.4 million fine Friday on Canadian mining company Barrick Gold for "serious" violations at its unfinished gold mine near the border with Argentina.Officials here said the fine was levied after a four-month investigation into practices by Nevada Mining Company SpA, a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, which is developing the ...

How a toilet paper shortage may temper Chavismo in Venezuela

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:16:48 -0400

People wait in line as they buy toilet paper in a super market in Caracas May 17. Supplies of food and other basic products have been patchy in recent months, with long queues forming at supermarkets and rushes occurring when there is news of a new stock arrival. The situation has spawned jokes among Venezuelans, particularly over the lack of toilet ...

UPDATE 1-Schlumberger extends Venezuelas PDVSA $1 bln credit line

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:16:43 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 5:16pm EDT By Deisy Buitrago MORICHAL, Venezuela May 24 (Reuters) - Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA will receive a revolving credit line of at least $1 billion from oil services giant Schlumberger, the OPEC nation's oil minister said on Friday. The deal will provide some financial breathing room for PDVSA, which as of last year had built up $16.5 billion in debts to ...

Mexico oil output holds steady in April at 2.518 mln bpd

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:07:17 -0400

MEXICO CITY | Fri May 24, 2013 5:07pm EDT MEXICO CITY May 24 (Reuters) - Mexico's state oil monopoly Pemex said on Friday it produced an average 2.518 million barrels of crude oil per day in April, just up over March's daily average of 2.516 million ...

UNHCR Keep Borders Open to Fleeing Syrians

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:48:27 -0400

GENEVA -- The United Nations refugee agency is appealing to nations to keep borders open to refugees fleeing worsening violence in Syria. With Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq already hosting more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warns the number is expected to grow as the conflict intensifies. Responding to reports that Syrians ...

Putting Slurplus Food to Good Use

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:48:27 -0400

With world headlines warning of increasing drought and a hunger crisis and almost 15 percent of U.S. households struggling to put food on the table, a religious group in the shadow of the nation's capital is quietly putting surplus food on empty tables. Every Monday, about 150 people line up in the parking lot of Christian Life Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Joan ...

Valdez Back in Big Uruguay Squad for Busy June Calendar

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:47:51 -0400

MONTEVIDEO ...

IMF chief named key witness in French payoff case

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:44:28 -0400

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde arrives for a second day of the court hearing at a special court house, in Paris, Friday, May 24, 2013. Lagarde faced questioning at a special Paris court Friday over her role in the 400 million euro ($520 million) pay-off to a controversial businessman when she was France's finance minister. (AP Photo/Thibault ...

ELN Greets Peace Forum for Colombia in Porto Alegre

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:42:59 -0400

Bogota, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The leader of the Ejercito de Liberacin Nacional (ELN)guerilla, Nicolas Rodriguez, reiterated his willingness to engage in dialogue with the Colombian government while greeting the peace forum in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. The meeting, inaugurated today in the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul in support of talks between the Government and the ...

Caribbean Fostering Protection for Coast and Sea Resources

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:42:58 -0400

Necker Island, UK Virgin Islands, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Representatives form governments and entrepreneurs from 15 Caribbean nations gathered in this 74-acre island in the north of the UK Virgin Islands, agreed to start the second stage of an initiative called "Caribbean Challenge" to face the environmental threats in the region, said a local press media Friday. To protect 20 percent ...

Paco de Lucía Returns to Cuba After 26 Years

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:42:55 -0400

Havana, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The legendary Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia returns to Cuba with flamenco concert after 26 years without appearing in this country, today announced the maestro Leo ...

Documentary About Arsenio Rodriguez Debuts in Cuba

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:42:54 -0400

Havana, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Part of the life and work of Cuban composer and tres player Arsenio Rodriguez (1911-1970) has been put together in a documentary premiered here by the Recordings and Musical Editions Company (EGREM). Conceived on DVD, was designed as part of the 17th International Fair Cubadisco 2013 and includes recordings in the United States, where the author of popular topics ...

Ex-Guatemalan President Extradited To U.S.

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:41:42 -0400

Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo speaks with journalists in Guatemala City before boarding a plane for the U.S. on ...

Barrick fined $16 million over gold-mining project in Chile

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:40:16 -0400

Friday, May 24, 2013 | 1:30 p.m. VALLENAR, Chile -- Chile's environmental regulator blocked Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project on Friday and imposed its maximum fine on the world's largest gold miner, citing "very serious" violations of its environmental permit as well as a failure by the company to accurately describe what it had done wrong. After a ...

Costa Rica Might Be ChangingPolicy on GMO Foods

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:04:07 -0400

Although transgenic soybeans, cotton and some corn has been grown in Costa Rica since 1991, groups that oppose genetically modified crops are increasing pressure on the government to slow the permit process for future GM crops, reports Ag ...

Nepal’s Tibetan Refugees Struggle Under China’s Shadow

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:37:51 -0400

KATHMANDU -- Tibetan refugees in Nepal say they face increasing restrictions from Nepalese authorities due to pressure from China. VOA correspondent Aru Pande talks to Tibetans who, for decades, have made the Himalayan country their home. Dolma Lama learned to weave Tibetan carpets from her mother - who fled Tibet and settled in Kathmandu after a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese ...

Guatemala extradites ex-President Portillo to the U.S. on money laundering charges

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:36:27 -0400

Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo (2000-2004) on Friday was extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges, the local daily Siglo 21 reported.Portillo looked visibly sick and upset, when he was taken from a military hospital to a Guatemalan Air Force base, following an order by the Interior Ministry."So long Guatemala; I want to directly blame the government ...

Honduras - Journalists targeted in gunfire in northern Honduras

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:26:44 -0400

Journalist Ramn Maldonado and camaraman Daniel Snchez from Canal Litoral Atlntico, in the city of La Ceiba, Atlntida department, escaped unharmed from an firearms attack by an unidentified suspect riding a motorcycle.On Monday 20 May 2013 in Colonia Villa Antonella, minutes after leaving the Canal Litoral Atlntico building around 9 a.m., a motorcyclist drove in front of Maldonado and shot ...

IFC affirms commitment to private sector capital market development in the Dominican Republic

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:24:31 -0400

Santo Domingo.- IFC Vice President and Treasurer Jingdong Hua said today that private sector development is key to supporting long-term growth and poverty reduction in the Dominican Republic. Hua is visiting the country for the first time as VP and Treasurer of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. Hua met with government and regulatory officials to discuss how IFC can support the development ...

Manufacturing slump paces Dominican Republic 0.3 1Q growth

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:24:31 -0400

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic's economy grew barely 0.3% in the first quarter, much slower than forecast, the Central Bank announced Friday. In its preliminary report the monetary authorities noted that in the first quarter of 2012 the economy grew 3.8%, 4.3% in 2011 and 7.5% in 2010. Key sectors with a strong impact on employment have fallen thus far this year, including retail sales ...

Buenos Aires Province Teachers Announce 48-Hour Strike

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:21:01 -0400

SUTEBA protest (photo: Suteba) After another meeting with the provincial government failed, the Federation of Educators of Buenos Aires (FEB) confirmed yesterday a 48-hour strike for Monday and Tuesday. They will be once again demanding higher wages in their sector. The head of FEB, Mirta Petrocini said that ';today [for yesterday] the provincial government was callous to the teachers ...

Colombia ‘False Positive’ Killings Still Ongoing According To Report

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:21:00 -0400

Colombian Defence Minister Rodrigo Rivera and Police chief. (Photo: Globovision) The Centre for Popular Research and Education (Cinep) in Bogot has reported that during 2012 there were 11 separate cases of extrajudicial executions in Colombia, suggesting that executions known as ‘false positives’ are still ongoing. A further eight cases of arbitrary detention have also been reported, ...

Brazil patient dies in ambulance fall

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:07:24 -0400

AN elderly Brazilian man suffering from Alzheimer's disease has fallen from an ambulance and died. Joao Pinheiro health department head Graciele Gomes da Silva says 82-year-old Luis Jose Lima apparently opened the ambulance's back door, fell to the highway and was hit by an oncoming car that left the scene. Silva says only after the ambulance continued for 10 kilometres did the driver ...

Seven migrants escorted back to Cuba

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:57:17 -0400

Seven migrants, whose boat from Cuba was intercepted May 18 by the U.S. Coast Guard, were returned to Cuba, the Coast Guard said. Their boat was taking on water near Card Sound Bridge, which connects the Florida Keys to the mainland, when it was rescued. The migrants were removed from the boat and given food, water, shelter and medical attention, The Miami Herald reported. Under U.S. law, ...

Motion Filtering Ability Correlated to High IQ

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:44 -0400

Researchers at the University of Rochester in New York state say they can predict a person’s intelligence quotient, or IQ, using some simple visual tests. Test subjects were asked to watch brief video clips of black and white bars moving across a computer screen within three different sized circles. They were asked to identify in which direction the bars drifted. The exercise measures ...

Planemaker Embraer Sees American Closing Out US Regional Jet Cycle

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:44 -0400

SAO PAULO -- Embraer SA, the world's third-largest commercial jet maker, expects just one more big regional jet order as a result of its current U.S. sales campaign, Chief Executive Officer Frederico Curado said in an interview, after the Brazilian planemaker clinched three of four major deals since December. "After the American Airlines competition, the game is over for a ...

Obama Plan to Close Guantanamo Prison Faces Significant Obstacles

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:43 -0400

Activists wearing orange jumpsuits mark the 100th day of prisoners' hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay during a protest in front of the White House in Washington May 17, ...

Immigrant Drama Shoots for Top Cannes Prize

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:43 -0400

CANNES -- America's immigration debate finds echoes in a period drama that premiered at the Cannes film festival on Friday about a Polish woman who arrives at Ellis Island and fights to survive in 1920s New York. "The Immigrant" features French Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as the immigrant Ewa, speaking English and Polish in the film, with Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner as ...

Demand Grows for Global Ban on Killer Robots

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:43 -0400

LONDON -- United Nations’ special rapporteur on executions has joined calls for a moratorium on so-called ‘killer robots’ - automated weapons systems which critics fear may one day operate independently from human commanders. It may sound like something from a sci-fi movie - but campaigners say the threat is real and the robots already exist. A human-sized robot joined ...

Ecopetrol Colombias Cano Limon Pipeline Halted After Rebel Attack

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:20:36 -0400

BOGOTA - Colombia's second-longest oil pipeline, the 480-mile Cano Limon, has stopped pumping after rebels reportedly used dynamite to blow up a portion of the line. A statement from state oil company Ecopetrol SA, which owns and operates the pipeline, said the attack occurred Wednesday near the village of Guachiman, in the northern state of Norte de Santander, which borders Venezuela. ...

Organizations Demand in Geneva End to Blockade Against Cuba

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:19:55 -0400

Geneva, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Non-governmental organizations are calling in this capital for the U.S. blockade against Cuba to be eliminated, and for the Human Rights Council to create a special procedure to investigate the impact of this unilateral policy. That U.S. aggression, in existence for more than 50 years, is inhumane and intolerable, and violates the content and spirit of the United ...

Bolivia - Bolivian community radio destroyed in clashes between rival peasant groups

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:14:33 -0400

Reporters Without Borders condemns the destruction of Radio AM 1080 La Voz de las Mayoras, a community radio station based in Caranavi, 160 km northeast of La Paz, on 21 May 2013.Affiliated with the network of Radios of the Original Peoples (RPO), the station was destroyed in clashes between two rival peasant groups, the Provincial Agrarian Federation of Peasants of Caranavi (FAPCA) and the ...

Bill creates Dominican Republic’s 1st red light district submitted again

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:12:24 -0400

Santo Domingo. - Opposition deputy Esther Minyety on Friday said she submitted the bill to create the "red light district" to the lower Chamber, because the originally proposed legislation had expired. The PRD party legislator said she's confident the bill aimed at establishing norms for streets near historical places where women offer sexual services will pass. She said the ...

Ex-Guatemala President Extradited to US

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:01:04 -0400

GUATEMALA CITY -- The lawyer for ex-Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo says he is being extradited to the United States to face money-laundering and embezzlement ...

Chile blocks ops at Barricks Pascua mine reports

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:58 -0400

-0.51% Pascua-Lama project, according to reports Friday. Trading in U.S. shares of Barrick Gold were halted prior to the news reports, and remained halted at $19.45, down ...

Top Bosnia court orders release of president charged with graft

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:55:26 -0400

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnia's Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that the president of the autonomous Muslim-Croat federation, charged with corruption, had been detained illegally, and ordered a lower court to release him ...

President Maduro says Venezuela to create new workers militia to defend homeland

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:53:56 -0400

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro arrives to attend President Rafael Correa's swearing-in ceremony in Quito, Ecuador, Friday, May 24, 2013. Correa is starting a third term as president. (AP Photo/Dolores ...

Canadian businessman on trial behind closed doors in Cuba as government mum on proceedings

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:53:49 -0400

Canadian businessman Sarkis Yacoubian goes to court for his corruption trial in Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 24, 2013. The trial of Yacoubian, who was president of import company Tri-Star Caribbean which was shuttered in July 2011, is under way nearly two years after he was detained. President Raul Castro has repeatedly spoken of a need to root out entrenched corruption on this Communist-run island, ...

Mexican homebuilder Urbi seeks to reduce impact of payment freeze

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:51:41 -0400

MONTERREY, Mexico | Fri May 24, 2013 1:51pm EDT MONTERREY, Mexico May 24 (Reuters) - Troubled Mexican homebuilder Urbi, struggling with flagging sales and a heavy debt load, said it is looking to minimize the impact of a suspension in payments from state mortgage-lenders to Urbi and two other homebuilders. Two state mortgage-lenders, Infonavit and Fovissste, on Thursday stopped payments ...