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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 ...

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 ...

Real Madrid sign Casemiro

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:40:01 -0400

Spanish football club Real Madrid has exercised its option of signing Sao Paulo loanee Casemiro on a permanent deal. The 21-year-old joined the Spanish giants on loan in January and made his Liga debut in a 3-1 victory over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu April 19, reports Xinhua. A series of impressive performances for Real Madrid Castilla in Spain's second tier convinced club president ...

Lacazette called up to join Frances squad

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:30:01 -0400

French coach Didier Deschamps picked Lyon's striker Alexandre Lacazette to replace Jeremy Menez from Paris Saint-Germain for friendly matches against Uruguay and Brazil. "Didier Deschamps endorsed (Menez) withdrawal after an exchange between the medical staff of the Parisian club and the France's team doctor, Franck Le Gall," the French Football Federation (FFF) said Thursday, reports Xinhua. ...

Ferdinand happy to sign new contract with Man U

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:50:01 -0400

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has signed a one-year contract extension and expressed his delight over the deal on Twitter. He said that he is living his dream of working with the club for the next season. Ferdinand, whose contract was due to expire this summer, signed the deal to play under new United manager David Moyes, The Mirror reports. Ferdinand said he felt happy to continue ...

Mexican woman gets first transplant of ovaries in Latin America

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:20:01 -0400

A Mexican woman received Latin America's first transplant of ovaries in a hospital in the western city of Guadalajara, the director of the Mexican Infertility Institute, Luis Arturo Ruvalcaba, announced. Ruvalcaba told EFE by telephone that the patient is a 32-year-old women who had developed cervical and uterine cancer that was detected and treated in France. "The ethics committee of the ...

Brazil to hold oil auction

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:10:01 -0400

Brazil's first auction of contracts to develop offshore oil and gas reserves in the pre-salt region will be held in October, or earlier than previously scheduled, the government said Thursday. The government's National Council for Energy Policy authorized the change. Rights to develop blocks in the Libra field, which is estimated to hold between 8-12 billion barrels of recoverable oil, will be ...

3D printed object created using brain waves

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:02 -0400

A technology company from Chile has claimed to print world's first physical object using the power of the mind. According to technology blog neurogadget.com, George Lakowsky, the CTO for Thinker Thing, a self-described "creative group" managed to successfully create an object using a brain-computer interface headset. Lakowsky used the interface to form a 3-D shape using his thoughts that were ...

Five Venezuelan cops die in chopper crash

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:02 -0400

Five members of Venezuela's PNB national police force died Thursday when the helicopter they were using to pursue a group of kidnappers in a rural part of Caracas crashed, PNB director Luis Karabi said. The helicopter crashed in an uninhabited area near the Antimano neighbourhood in the northeastern part of the capital in conditions of very low visibility due to a thick fog that covered the city ...

US Human Rights Abuses Continue in N. Nigeria

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:14:04 -0400

A U.S. official said Friday the State Department has been monitoring the situation and concludes that human rights abuses are continuing. The official says Secretary of State John Kerry plans to meet with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia. Nigeria has declared a state of emergency in the north, where Boko Haram extremists have launched ...

Retired Vancouver police officer dead in Mexico recalled as friend animal lover

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:10:41 -0400

A retired Canadian police officer slain in Mexico is being remembered as a generous and loving woman who dedicated a lot of her time to helping animals.News reports in Mexico say Lynn Earle, 60, was found stabbed to death in her home in Playa del Carmen earlier this week.She retired from the West Vancouver Police Department in ...

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 ...

Mexico far fewer people disappeared than feared - Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois Missouri News Sports

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

By MARK STEVENSONAssociated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) - 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 ...

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 ...

Honduran gangs plan to sign a truce to cut violence in one of worlds most dangerous countries

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:35:46 -0400

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - A Roman Catholic bishop says Honduras' two largest and most-violent gangs will sign a truce on Tuesday. Monsignor Romulo Emiliani says the gangs will apologize to the public and ask for dialogue with the government and police to start changing from their gang lifestyle. Emiliani spoke to The Associated Press on Friday. He said the Mara Salvatrucha and 18th Street ...

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, ...

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 ...

Former West Vancouver policewoman found murdered in her home on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:36:50 -0400

The annual Cannes festival on the French Riviera is the grandest platform in the world for the highest ambitions of film, a place where the art form is worshipped with wild passion and adoring ...

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

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 ...

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 ...

Former West Van police officer found stabbed to death in Mexico

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:27:43 -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 ...

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 ...

Ex-Guatemala president extradited to US

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:28:22 -0400

Former president of Guatemala, Alfonso Portillo, left, speaks to the press as he is led by police to an aircraft that will fly him to the United States from Guatemala City, Friday, May 24, 2013. Portillo was extradited to the United States to face charges of laundering $70 million in Guatemalan funds through U.S. bank ...

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 ...

Guatemala extradites ex-president to US

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:23:32 -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 ...

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 ...

Spains Bankia sells City to Chiles BCI for $883 million

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:43:59 -0400

MADRID | Fri May 24, 2013 1:43pm EDT MADRID May 24 (Reuters) - Spanish nationalised lender Bankia sold City National Bank of Florida to BCI of Chile on Friday for $883 million, the bank said in a statement. Bankia expects to book 180 million euros ($233 million) in net capital gains from the sale, it said. ($1 = 0.7734 euros) (Reporting By Sonya Dowsett; Editing by Rodrigo de ...

Ohio State Global Gateway program measuring worth before pitching Brazil office

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:31:02 -0400

Chris Carey, the director who oversees operations of Ohio State's Global Gateways program, said the university is still tinkering with the three-year-old initiative. Ohio State Universitys global initiative to open embassy-like overseas offices has plans for a third site in Brazil next year. But first, it has to collect enough data on efforts in China and India to convince trustees that the ...

Why Humans Ancestors Began Walking Upright

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:13:25 -0400

What prompted our earliest ancestors to leave the safety of the trees and begin walking upright on two legs? Traditional theories point to climate changes that reduced tree cover and forced them to forage and hunt on solid ground. But a new study suggests a different evolutionary ...

Chile blocks Pascua-Lama mine fines Barrick for environmental violations

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:11:31 -0400

Chile's environmental regulator has stopped construction and imposed sanctions on Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5-billion Pascua-Lama project, citing "serious violations" of its environmental permit.The $16-million fine is the maximum allowable under Chilean law. It was applied Friday because the world's largest gold mining company acknowledged that it failed to keep its ...

Chile blocks worlds highest mine project

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:45 -0400

VALLENAR, Chile -; Chile's environmental regulator has stopped construction and imposed sanctions on Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project, citing "serious violations" of its environmental ...

Cuba silent on Canadians corruption trial

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:41 -0400

Cuba Confirms Willingness to Strengthen Ties with Argentina

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:07:04 -0400

Buenos Aires, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Raul Castro confirmed in a letter to his Argentina peer Cristina Fernandez his willingness to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. In the letter released here by Telam news agency, the Cuban statesman greeted the Argentinian president, on the occasion of the commemoration of Argentina's May 25, 1810 ...

Cuba Ratifies Determination to Expand Cooperation with Ecuador

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:07:04 -0400

Quito, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Cuba's First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed his country's willingness to further strengthen ties of friendship and solidarity with Ecuador, and expand cooperation and integration between the two governments and ...

Barrick fined $16m for Pascua-Lama violations

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:04:25 -0400

Mining machinery and barrels with chemicals sit on the facilities of Barrick Gold Corp's Pascua-Lama project in northern Chile, Thursday, May 23, 2013. Chile's environmental regulator has stopped construction and imposed sanctions on Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project, citing "serious violations" of its environmental ...

Barrick Gold Fined $16M For Enviromental Problems At $5B Pascua Lima Project In Chile

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:02 -0400

was halted around noon in New York as reports surfaced indicating the Chilean government had forced the company to "paralyze" its operations in Pascua Lima, one of the largest gold and silver resources in the world into which Barrick has poured nearly $5 billion ...

Bolivia Government Supporters Rally in La Paz

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:55:53 -0400

Demonstrators in Plaza Villarroel, La Paz gather to express their support for the government. (Photo: Bolivia Government) Yesterday Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, participated in a demonstration on the streets of La Paz in a bid to "defend democracy" after the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) ...

Brazil buys robots for World Cup Olympic security

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:49:27 -0400

Brazil will host both Pope Francis and the FIFA World Cup in 2014, and the 2016 Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, leading the government to invest in additional security. The Brazilian government contracted iRobot to provide military iRobot 510 PackBot robots. For $7.2 million, Brazil will get about 30 PackBot 510 units, which usually cost about $100,000 to $200,000 each, along with ...

RCO prices first Mexico toll-road bond since 2006

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:31:02 -0400

By Paul Kilby Fri May 24, 2013 12:31pm EDT NEW YORK, May 24 (IFR) - Red de Carreteras de Occidente (RCO) has put to bed a rare international toll-road bond out of Mexico, playing its role in developing a new asset class for corporate peso bonds distributed to both foreigners and locals and creating more complex project structures. RCO's Ps7.5bn 15-year amortiser is thought to be the first ...

RPT-Fitch affirms Suriname sovereign ratings at BB-

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:23:05 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 12:23pm EDT May 24 (Reuters) - For full text please ...

Violence Continues in Conakry Over Upcoming Elections

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

DAKAR -- Guinea's government says it deployed extra soldiers and police to the streets of the capital, Conakry, Friday, as youth in several neighborhoods set up makeshift barriers, vandalized cars and attacked private businesses. The unrest comes the day after an opposition protest during which the government says one person was killed and at least ten were injured. The opposition puts the ...

Man Wanted for Quadruple Czech Murders Arrested in US

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

Czech police said Friday the suspect, identified by police as Kevin Dahlgren, was arrested at a Washington, D.C. airport after Czech authorities issued an international warrant. U.S. authorities have confirmed the arrest. Czech authorities found four bodies Wednesday in a family house in the city of Brno, about 200 kilometers southeast of Prague. Czech Television reports that the 20-year-old ...

Highway Bridge Collapses in US

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

A road bridge on the main highway between the northwestern United States and Canada's British Columbia province collapsed and sent several cars tumbling into a river, injuring some motorists but causing no fatalities. Authorities said a tall truck hit an overhead girder on the 50-year-old bridge, and seconds later a large portion of the metal structure fell into shallow waters of the ...

Ethiopian Activist Recognized for Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

LONDON -- An Ethiopian activist who has worked to support women’s rights and battle female genital mutilation has been awarded an international prize in Europe. Bogaletch Gebre founded Kembatti Mentti Gezzima-Tope in the 1990s. The organization’s name translates as Kembatti Women Stand Together. The group has a unique approach to tackling women’s rights in ...

Explosions Gunfire Hit Center of Afghan Capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

Two large explosions shook a busy area in the center of the Afghan capital Friday, in the second major attack in Kabul in a little more than a ...

Little Free Libraries Promote Love of Books

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

What looks like a little red birdhouse with a pitched roof sits on a post outside Centreville Elementary School in Virginia, attracting a lot of attention. But there are no birds inside. The wooden box contains about two dozen children’s books. Any child in the community who wants to read is welcome to pick ...

Taliban Attacks Heart of Afghan Capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

Taliban militants have attacked the heart of the Afghan capital, setting off explosions and battling security forces. At least four blasts shook a busy area of Kabul Friday, in the second major attack in the city in a little more than a week. Shooting erupted in the area as militants and security forces engaged in a fierce gunbattle. Afghan officials say two of the attackers were ...

Bullying in Turkish Military Becomes a Human Rights Issue

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

FILE -Turkish military station at the border gate with Syria, across from Syrian rebel-controlled Tel Abyad town, in Akcakale, Turkey, October 7, ...

Kerry Urges Hard Decisions After Meetings with Israeli Palestinians

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:23 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) waves as he stands next to Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat before his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah May 23, ...

British Police Arrest Two on Diverted Pakistani Airliner

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:23 -0400

British police have arrested two men on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane that was diverted to an airport near London. A Royal Air Force fighter jet intercepted the airliner - which was en route from Lahore to Manchester - and escorted it to Stansted Airport. Authorities said there had been "an incident" on board the plane. They said the two men were arrested on ...

Pakistan Reiterates Opposition to US Drone Strikes

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:22 -0400

Pakistan has reiterated its opposition to U.S. drone strikes on its territory, after U.S. President Barack Obama justified "constrained" drone usage to save lives. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Friday that drone strikes are counter-productive, kill innocent civilians, have human rights implications, and violate national sovereignty and international law. Pakistan said, ...

Kerry Choice of Iranian Presidential Candidates Denies Popular Will

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:22 -0400

To get best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or other web browser. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found ...

Large Blast Hits Center of Afghan Capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:21 -0400

Afghan police say the blast went off close to the hospital for the state intelligence service. There were no immediate reports of ...

Suspicions High as US China Summit Nears

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:21 -0400

BEIJING -- A top White House official is scheduled to arrive in Beijing this Sunday. His visit comes as concerns about cyber attacks, trade frictions and China’s territorial disputes with Japan test relations between the world’s two largest economies. The visit also comes as President Barack Obama and China’s new leader Xi Jinping prepare to hold their first talks next month in ...

Web shops drop injunction appeal

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:10 -0400

A group of web shop owners has abandoned an appeal of Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett's refusal to grant an injunction in their case. The injunction would have guaranteed their protection from police interference until a substantive case is heard. Attorney Wayne Munroe, who represents the group, said he could not "credibly" make a case to the Court of Appeal that there is a ...

Man and woman arrested in relation to murder

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:08 -0400

Police arrested a man and woman who they believe may have information on one of the country's latest murders, head of the Central Detective Unit (CDU) Superintendent Paul Rolle said yesterday. Two men were shot and killed on Wednesday in separate incidents. Police yesterday identified those victims as Dwight Rhoderio Smith, 21, of Excellence Estates, and Javon Sindar Glinton, 42, of ...

For many residents a grueling clean-up

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:06 -0400

Pinewood Gardens resident Andrew Newbold said he did not sleep at all on Wednesday night. Instead, he spent hours bailing water out of his small Jacaranda Street home. Widespread flooding remained a challenge for many residents across New Providence yesterday. Rain pounded the island Tuesday night and Wednesday creating widespread damage. Newbold was one of many Pinewood residents whose homes ...

NEMA to begin official flood assessments today

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:05 -0400

Full assessment teams will today begin the official inspection of the areas adversely impacted by the weather system that dumped record rain in New Providence, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Stephen Russell said yesterday. Russell said NEMA has developed a coordinated approach to provide relief to the thousands of homeowners who were impacted by the severe thunderstorm that ...

Minnis criticizes PM over flood response

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:04 -0400

Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis criticized Prime Minister Perry Christie and his government yesterday for not having a more proactive response to flood victims in New Providence. Minnis urged Christie to sign an exigency order to allow affected residents to import furniture and other items duty free. The Killarney MP said flood victims should also receive financial help ...

Chipman questions reported delay in Rahming’s confirmation

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:02 -0400

Opposition Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Hubert Chipman yesterday called on the government to "come clean" over reports that the confirmation of Dr. Elliston Rahming as Bahamas Ambassador to the United States has stalled. "For weeks speculation has raged that [his] appointment was not acceptable to the United States," Chipman said in a statement. "In the aftermath ...

Court denies bail after man ‘lied’ in affidavit

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:01 -0400

A court yesterday refused to give bail to a man who "lied" about his criminal history in an affidavit. Kenyon Ferguson was seeking bail pending appeal of his conviction for a drug possession offense. In the affidavit prepared by his lawyer, Geoffrey Farquharson, Ferguson claimed that he had no previous convictions. However, prosecutor Aaron Johnson debunked this assertion by ...

Decision deferred in attempted robbery trial

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:55:58 -0400

The appellate court yesterday deferred its decision in the case of a man convicted of a failed hold-up. Jeremy Kemp, 25, was sentenced to 17 years and eight months for the December 13, 2010 attempted robbery of the Oakes Field branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Kemp's lawyer, Murrio Ducille, asked the court to quash the verdict and sentence. In contrast, Franklyn Williams, the deputy ...

Entel looking at opportunities in Colombia

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:54:47 -0400

USD400 million, though the acquisition is not expected to be completed until Q3 this year. Buchi added that Entel would expand Nextel's offerings, which are currently focused primarily ...

Third term begins for Ecuadors President Correa

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:19 -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, ...

Social Program Contributes to Reduced Infant Mortality in Brazil

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:51:33 -0400

Brasilia, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Research to review the impact of the Bolsa Familia program in Brazil reveals that this helped reduce the mortality rate among children under the age of five by 17 percent between 2004 and 2009. Data provided by the Minister of Social Development and the Fight aganinst Hunger, Tereza Campello, confirms that Bolsa Familia, which delivers 70 reales (33 dollars) to ...

Marsh to Acquire Peru Insurance Advisor Rehder y Asociados

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:45:50 -0400

Global broker Marsh Inc. announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the Rehder y Asociados Group, an insurance advisor in Peru. Marsh said the "business includes the insurance broker Rehder y Asociados and employee health and benefits specialist Humanasalud." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Marsh said the acquisition, which is anticipated to close in ...

Giant fuel depot blaze on northern outskirts of Rio de Janeiro kills one

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:26:14 -0400

RIO DE JANEIRO - One person was killed in a spectacular fire that broke out in a fuel depot on the northern edge of Rio de Janeiro and spread to nearby homes Thursday. Six giant fuel containers at the storage site caught fire, sending giant flames up to 50 meters high leaping into the air and columns of thick smoke far into the sky that could be seen kilometers away. The victim was a ...

Emerging market flows update – Brazil=“Have Not”

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:20:10 -0400

PLND , quote ) a large underperformer in Global Emerging Markets (GEM) this year is seeing fresh allocation interest.The "have nots" continue to be laggards:Brazil ...

UPDATE 1-Brazil bank lending slows in April sign of uneven economy

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:56:41 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 10:56am EDT * Growth in bank lending loses momentum on annual basis * Loan delinquencies unchanged in April, yet remain high * Suggests double-speed economy, slow economic recovery By Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Luciana Otoni SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, May 24 (Reuters) - Growth in Brazil's bank lending slowed in April, the latest sign that an expansion in Latin America's largest ...

Panamas indigenous people see Redd over UN forest conservation scheme | Jo Tuckman

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:51:14 -0400

A few years ago, Mario Degaiza worked in construction in City, where he learned Spanish and, for a while, was excited by the hustle and the bustle of urban life. But the 36-year-old Embera Indian says he is far happier now he has returned to his home village of Marraganti and the tropical forest that surrounds it."The forest is our mother," he says while tucking into a bowl of rice and ...

Will new UK tax approach harm the Caribbean

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:49:31 -0400

Last week, Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, wrote to the leaders of all of the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies*. The letter formed a part of the UK Government's attempt to have the leaders of all G8 nations - the grouping that brings together the world's wealthiest countries - agree a concrete action plan to tackle tax evasion and aggressive tax ...

EMERGING MARKETS-Brazil stocks flat as OGX offsets Vale

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:36:31 -0400

* Concerns over Chinese economic growth, Fed stimulus weigh * Brazil Bovespa little changed, Mexico IPC falls 0.65 pct By Asher Levine SAO PAULO, May 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian stocks were little changed on Friday as concerns over weak economic growth in China weighed on shares of mining firm Vale, offsetting a gain in oil producer OGX. Mexico's IPC index edged towards its lowest closing level ...

Reuters Summit Rating agencies alert to Argentina debt ruling souring economy

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:17:03 -0400

Beginning in June, Thomson Reuters News & Insight content will be available exclusively on WestlawNext, as part of its Practitioner Insights offering. On June 21, the Thomson Reuters News & Insight website, iPhone app and newsletters will be discontinued. ...

Mexican stocks fall more than 1 percent on Fed worries

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:07:34 -0400

MEXICO CITY | Fri May 24, 2013 10:07am EDT MEXICO CITY May 24 (Reuters) - Mexico's IPC stock index fell more than 1 percent on Friday on continued worries about a winding down of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank's bond-buying program. The index fell 1.05 percent to 40,091.41 points, with telecoms giant America Movil and bottler Femsa ...

Peru funded illegal Amazon rainforest road claims Global Witness | David Hill

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:14 -0400

The illegal road running towards the Purus National Park which could connect the remote Purus region to the rest of Peru. Photograph: Courtesy of ...

Whats Behind Venezuelas Toilet Paper Shortage

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:35 -0400

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro greets supporters during a May Day rally in Caracas May 1, 2013. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters) Last month, Venezuela elected a president on the recommendation of Hugo Chavez. But as the problems the country faces loom larger, President Nicolas Maduro is finding his predecessor's one-man show a difficult act to follow. It was inevitable that ...

Brazil bank lending rises 1.1 pct in April defaults stable

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:17 -0400

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO | Fri May 24, 2013 9:37am EDT BRASILIA/SAO PAULO May 24 (Reuters) - Outstanding loans in Brazil's banking system grew 1.1 percent in April from March, the central bank said on Friday. Loans in arrears for 90 days or more, an industry benchmark for delinquencies, remained unchanged at 5.5 percent of outstanding loans last month, the bank ...

Kerry goes to Ethiopia for security talks African Union anniversary

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:27:26 -0400

John Kerry 's agenda on a trip to Ethiopia. The State Department said Kerry's three-day visit, beginning Friday in Addis Ababa, would include meetings with senior Ethiopian officials, Voice of America reported. Discussions were expected to include efforts to battle Islamic extremists in countries such as Mali and northern Nigeria, the State Department said. On Saturday, Kerry will ...

STXNEWS LATAM-BofA recommends Brazil property shares on uncertain policy

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:11 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 8:52am EDT Investors ought to maintain exposure to Brazilian shares that help them hedge against policy uncertainty and inflation or pay high dividends, analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Friday. A basket of so-called defensive stocks in sectors such as utilities and commercial property has outperformed the benchmark Bovespa stock index by 14.5 percent, despite ...

Rosneft PDVSA to work together in Venezuela

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:34:01 -0400

Petroleos de Venezuela and Russian energy company Rosneft signed an agreement for a joint venture for Venezuelan operations. Venezuelan Oil ...

Amazonian Ambition Rosneft signs another joint venture with Venezuela

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:59:23 -0400

Russia and the global economy Rosneft, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, is expanding its influence in Venezuela, via a subsidiary of the national oil company PDVSA. The two companies signed a joint venture agreement to develop a river basin in Venezuela. The agreement was signed between Rosneft President Igor Sechin and Venezuelan Oil Minister and President of PDVSA, Rafael ...

Cannes Magic Magic Stars Juno Temple Michael Cera on Culture Shock in Chile

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:48:35 -0400

Temple credits Cera's friendship for helping her get through the emotional scenes in Sebastian Silva's psychological thriller, which screened in the Directors' Fortnight ...

Brazils CPFL Renovveis revives IPO plans as market gains steam

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:52 -0400

SAO PAULO | Fri May 24, 2013 7:20am EDT SAO PAULO May 24 (Reuters) - CPFL Energias Renovveis SA, the alternative energy unit of Brazilian utility CPFL Energia SA , revived plans for an initial public offering, seven months after scrapping them on concern of growing government meddling in the electricity sector. The Sao Paulo-based company said late on Thursday it asked regulators to ...

Brazil consumer confidence index falls in May - FGV

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:17:18 -0400

SAO PAULO | Fri May 24, 2013 7:17am EDT SAO PAULO May 24 (Reuters) - An index that measures consumer confidence in Brazil fell to a reding of 113.4 in May from 113.9 in April, research group Fundao Getulio Vargas said on ...

One Small Towns Fight to Banish a Brutal Mexican Cartel

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:23 -0400

Chern, a small mountain town in the Mexican state of Michoachan, in middle of the Mexican forest, saw its citizens organize in 2011 and overthrew the corrupt local government and police force. The citizens of the pueblo (town or community,) set up their own government system and police force in an attempt to drive organized crime out of their community and forest after years of extortion and ...

Brazil – Labor market continued to lose some of its buoyancy in April

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:56:25 -0400

In Brazil, the unemployment rate remained unchanged but real wages continued to moderate due to inflation. At the same time, another tax cut in a key component of CPI was announced (this time on public transport), in line with the trend to use tax cuts to try to contain inflation. In Mexico, headline inflation surprised to the upside, but core inflation remains anchored, supporting our call for ...

Royal Caribbeans Explorer of the Seas to be based at Port Canaveral

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:53:38 -0400

Royal Caribbean International plans to base a third ship at Port Canaveral Explorer of the Seas for the winter of 2014-201 Royal Caribbean International plans to base a third ship at Port Canaveral Explorer of the Seas for the winter of 2014-2015, Florida Today reports. The ship has been sailing for the last eight years from Cape Liberty Port in Bayonne, N.J. Once based at Port Canaveral, ...

Gunmen kill Nato driver in Pakistan

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:17:50 -0400

Gunmen on Friday opened fire on a convoy of Nato containers in a northwestern Pakistani town near the Afghan border, killing a driver and wounding a helper, officials ...

Swedish police seek reinforcement after further clashes

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:15:16 -0400

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Police in the Swedish capital are to seek reinforcements after youths again set cars ablaze and threw stones at police for a fifth night running, officials said on Friday. Around 30 cars were set on fire in poorer neighbourhoods in northwestern and southwestern parts of the capital on Thursday night and rioters caused widespread damage to property, including schools, police ...

Martifer Solar To Build Latin Americas Largest PV Plant In Mexico

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:09:56 -0400

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Martifer Solar, a subsidiary of Martifer SGPS, is building a 30 MW photovoltaic plant in Mexico, the largest to date in Latin America. The company is responsible for the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) services of the plant and will also provide the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services upon completion. The project will be funded by local ...

Kerry to Visit Ethiopia for Security Talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:49 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Ethiopia for security talks with regional officials and to attend a 50th anniversary celebration for the African ...

Russia Syria Agrees to Participate in Conference

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:49 -0400

Russia says the Syrian government has agreed in principle to attend aproposed international peace conference on the country's future. A spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry said Friday that Syria has agreed to participate in the conference that Russia and the U.S. have proposed next month in Geneva. But he said it is impossible to set a date yet because it is not clear yet who will ...

3 Indian Soldiers Killed in Kashmir Attack

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:49 -0400

Authorities say the attack took place Friday outside Srinagar, the main city on the Indian section of Kashmir. Rebel groups have been fighting for years for independence from India or a merger with Pakistan. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and they have fought two wars over its ...

Bridge Collapses in Washington State No Fatalities

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:48 -0400

In this photo provided by Francisco Rodriguez, rescue boats approach victims at their vehicles in the Skagit River after the collapse of the Interstate 5 bridge in Mount Vernon, Wash., May 23, ...

Victims of Oklahoma Tornado Get Help From Near and Far

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:48 -0400

In the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, the recovery from Monday's deadly tornado is picking up speed, even as locals mourn the loss of at least 24 people, including 10 children. Funerals will begin Friday in Moore, and President Obama plans to visit the town Sunday. Resources are pouring in from all over the country to help those in desperate need. The devastation of her home brought a ...

FAO Project Will Track S. Sudan Food Production

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:48 -0400

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday launched a $9 million project aimed at helping South Sudan to better track food production, a move that officials hope will allow alerts of possible food shortages to be raised well ahead of time. The three-year project would replace the current system, under which "we don’t really know how ...

Singer Lissie set for concert to raise money for Haiti orphanage

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:07 -0400

Elaine Constantine/Contributed photo File Photo: Ojai-based musician Lissie. Taking a break from her U.S. tour, Lissie — the stage name for Elisabeth Corrin Maurus — is swinging by her adopted hometown of Ojai to perform at the Libbey Bowl on Saturday for a concert benefiting Changing Tides Orphanage in ...

Cuba Promotes Reducing Childrens Exposure to Tobacco Smoke

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:13:11 -0400

Havana, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Educating the public about the importance of reducing the exposure of children and adolescents to secondhand smoke is a priority in Cuba during a day of activities for World No Tobacco Day. Dr. Elba Lorenzo, national coordinator of the program for prevention and control of smoking in Cuba, said in a news conference that the risk of infection in the respiratory ...

National Black Light Theater Prague to Perform in Dominican Republic

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:13:08 -0400

4 de mayo de 2013, 00:01 Santo Domingo, May 24 (Prensa Latina) National Black Light Theatre Prague will perform again in Dominican Republic next June 8, with the show Aspects of Alicia, reported local media. The play, to be exhibited at National Theater Eduardo Brito, is a version of Alice in Wonderland, the legendary creation of Lewis Carroll. Under the direction of Czech Pavel Marek, the public ...

Brazil delays mining bill to reach Congress in June

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:10:21 -0400

- Brazil's government plans to submit its mining reform bill to Congress in June rather than this month, energy minister Edison Lobao said on Thursday, prolonging a wait that is slowing investment in mineral ...

Many Mexican Young Adults Have A Genetic Predisposition To Obesity

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:10:18 -0400

obesity , said a University of Illinois scientist who conducted a study at the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potos?. "The students who inherited genetic risk factors from both parents were already 15 pounds heavier and 2 inches bigger around the waist than those who hadn't. They also had slightly higher fasting glucose levels," said Margarita Teran-Garcia, a U of I professor ...

Canada to allocate C$53m to Peru-focused mining and energy initiatives

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:10:18 -0400

Canadian mining executives hope Prime Minister Stephen Harper's meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala will generate better use of C$4 billion in unspent mining royalties in government ...

Argentina Tours of Pope Francis sites in Buenos Aires

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:10:05 -0400

With an Argentine on the throne of St. Peter at the Vatican, the South American country’s capital city is offering visitors a glimpse of the places that formed Pope Francis. A guided bus tour winds through Buenos Aires twice each Saturday and Sunday past 24 sites linked to the new pope. It stops only twice and leaves little opportunity for snapshots. There’s no charge for the trip, or ...

Where Law Enforcement Goes Bad

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:07:54 -0400

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 23 2013 (IPS) - There is a "deficit of justice" in Brazil, where the police themselves sometimes join the ranks of organised crime, in the form of militias, according to Amnesty ...

Pacific Alliance agrees to eliminate tariffs for 90 of goods beginning July

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:44:37 -0400

The Alliance of the Pacific bloc that includes Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile on Thursday agreed to eliminate tariffs on most goods to promote free trade between the countries and increase exports to ...

Latin America start of three new editions of the FIFACIES Programme

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

CIES has recently had the pleasure to participate in the selection of candidates and to inaugurate three new editions of its Programme in Sport Management ...

South America re-election rash Ecuador’s Correa takes office for the third consecutive time

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:52:52 -0400

Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa will be inaugurated on Friday for his third consecutive mandate, something which Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez just managed before his death, and something which Bolivia’s Evo Morales ...

Costa Rica OKs geneticallymodified corn

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:43:06 -0400

Costa Rica’s National Biosecurity Technical Commission granted a local subsidiary of multinational biotechnology company Monsanto permission to grow genetically modified (GM) corn in the ...

5 officers killed in helicopter accident in Venezuela

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:31:58 -0400

Five officers from Venezuela's Bolivarian National Police (PNB), members of the crew of a police helicopter, were killed Thursday when their aircraft crashed in western Caracas during an operation to rescue two kidnapped engineers, official sources said. PNB Director Luis Karabin said that the accident occurred Thursday morning at 7:30 local time (1200 GMT) in the highway Mamera-El ...

Zeta leader admits killing ICE agent in Mexican ambush

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:05:58 -0400

A commander in the Mexican drug gang Los Zetas Thursday admitted he led an ambush that killed one U.S. agent and left another seriously injured. Julian Zapata Espinoza, also known as "Piolin," 32, pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila ...

Paraguay seizes 25.6 tons of marijuana

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:53:50 -0400

Paraguay's anti-drug police on Thursday said they have seized and burned 25.6 tons of marijuana in the eastern department of Alto Parana, local media reported. The police said 20 tons of marijuana were found chopped while 5.6 tons were pressed, according to reports from Asuncion, capital of Paraguay. They also found 12 drug pressers. The operation was held in Itakyry district, 435 km east ...

Mexico wants to attract US retirees

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:42:58 -0400

Mexican legislators, seeking to make their country more attractive to US retirees, may soon lift a major impediment for foreigners who want to own a piece of Mexico's Pacific or Caribbean coasts. For the first time in nearly a century, lawmakers are moving to allow non-Mexicans to buy coastal real estate and hold the deeds to it, without having to set up bank trusts or find silent Mexican ...

Venezuela prosecutor to open probe over leaked recording

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:34:54 -0400

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's prosecutor's office said on Thursday it would open an investigation into in a recording the opposition says features a top government ally accusing the deputy head of the ruling Socialist Party of corruption and conspiring against the new ...

SXM first Caribbean airport to receive International Transport Award

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:34:07 -0400

Simpson Bay, St. Maarten - Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) became the first Caribbean airport to receive the International Transport Award given by the Global Trade Leaders' Club (GTLC) since the award was established 15 years ago. It was also the only airport to receive the award this year out of a total of 15 awardees. Receiving the award on Monday, May 20, 2013 in Madrid, ...

Cuba goes for its new president

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:19:02 -0400

The National Assembly of Cuba re-elected Raul Castro as president (head of the State Council and the government). Miguel Diaz-Canel was elected first vice-president of the State Council, which means that in five years he could be Raul's successor. The President promised Cubans revenue growth, but warned that the new society would no longer be the society "of ...

Injured Messi included in Argentina WC squad

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:52:58 -0400

Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella has called up Lionel Messi for the nation's June World Cup qualifiers despite the Barcelona star being sidelined with a hamstring ...

Argentina lawsuit imperils sovereign debt restructuring

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:47:22 -0400

(51 mins ago) The New York legal case over Argentina's debt poses a deep challenge to all future sovereign debt restructurings, the International Monetary Fund said. A US judge's decision ordering Argentina to completely repay bondholders who refused to take part in a restructuring of its debt could have ';pervasive implications'' in other such cases, giving holdout ...

One killed in Brazil fuel depot blaze

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:47:09 -0400

(54 mins ago) One person was killed in a fire that broke out in a fuel depot on the northern edge of Rio de Janeiro on Brazil and spread to nearby homes, officials said. Six giant fuel containers at the storage site caught fire, sending flames up to 50 meters leaping into the air and columns of thick smoke far into the sky that could be seen miles away. The victim was a 43 year-old man who ...

Venezuela Russia in joint oil venture

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:34:39 -0400

BARCELONA, Venezuela (AFP) - Venezuela and Russia formed a joint venture to produce 120,000 barrels of oil a day by 2016 in two fields in the Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt.Russia will loan Venezuela $1.5 billion to finance the development of the fields under the terms of the agreement, and put up $1.1 billion for a 40 percent share in Petrovictoria.The agreement establishing Petrovictoria was signed by ...