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Court rules against tough sheriff

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:50:03 -0400

A US court in Maricopa County, Arizona has found that high-profile sheriff Joe Arpaio violated the constitutional rights of Latino men and women in his attempt to stop illegal immigration. Judge Murray Snow ruled that Arpaio's office would have to stop using race or Latino ancestry as a factor in stopping vehicles carrying Latino occupants. Arpaio had been sued by several Hispanic drivers ...

World becoming dangerous for refugees, warns Amnesty

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:37 -0400

LONDON - Global rights body Amnesty International has said that the world is "increasingly" becoming "dangerous place" for refugees due to inaction on human rights. The London-based group in its annual report cited the increasing number of refugees around the world, and highlighted the lack of support for them, as the key human rights issue for the past year. It said that the number of ...

Hezbollah Chief Confirms Fighting in Syria

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:12 -0400

The chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah says his group will not stand by while the neighboring government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is attacked. Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech Saturday Hezbollah was fighting in Syria to protect Lebanon from the threat of radical Islamists. It was the first time Nasrallah has publicly confirmed Hezbollah's fighting presence in Syria. The speech was ...

US Defense Chief Calls for End to Military Sex Assaults

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:11 -0400

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called for an end to sexual assaults in the military Saturday in a commencement speech to graduates of the West Point military academy in New York state. Hagel called sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military a "profound betrayal" of sacred oaths and trusts and a "scourge" that must be stamped out. A day earlier, President Barack Obama ...

Maoists Attack India Congress Party Convoy

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:09 -0400

Police say suspected Maoist rebels have attacked a convoy of cars carrying local leaders and supporters of India's ruling Congress party in eastern India, killing at least 16 people and wounding many others. Suspected insurgents fired at the vehicles on Saturday in the Sukma area of Chhattisgarh state. View Larger Map Local reports say some senior party leaders were among ...

Russia Cracks Down on Gay Activism

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:07 -0400

Russian police arrested at least 30 gay rights activists and their opponents in the capital, Moscow, Saturday, enforcing the city's ban on gay rights demonstrations. The arrests coincided with the first-ever gay rights rally in neighboring Ukraine, which was allowed by authorities and protected by police. The demonstrators in Russia gathered in front of the nation's lower house of ...

Leadership Questions Could Hamper Syria Peace Talks

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:06 -0400

ISTANBUL Next month's Washington - Moscow talks to end the Syrian conflict appear in doubt. The Syrian opposition, at a meeting in Istanbul, remains divided on electing new leadership and it is still unclear if the opposition will attend the talks. Western backers of the opposition are pushing for a broader and more diverse leadership. But attempts to weaken the power of the Islamist ...

French Soldier Attacked Near Paris

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:04 -0400

A man wielding a knife or box cutter has stabbed a French soldier in the neck near Paris. Police union spokesman Christophe Crepin released a description of the suspect to the public Saturday. ''We know that he is tall, athletic, we think he was wearing a white tunic and sneakers. Things are evolving, in any case everything has been recorded on video and we will find him.'' French ...

African Leaders Condemn Ongoing Use of Cluster Bombs

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

Thirty-six African countries have formally condemned the use of cluster bombs and urged all of Africa to join a global ban on the deadly weapons. Delegates at a conference in Lome, Togo say they are gravely concerned about the ongoing use of cluster munitions and the mounting number of victims, including women and children. They say 14 African countries have a cluster bomb problem, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Brazils Neymar to sign with Barcelona on Monday

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:28:25 -0400

Neymar of Santos reacts during their Paulista Championship final first leg soccer match against Corinthians at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo May 12, 2013. REUTERS/Nacho ...

Argentinas industrial production up 1.7 last month

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:25:39 -0400

(MENAFN) Argentina's INDEC national statistics institute announced that the country's industrial output grew by 1.7 percent last month on annual basis, reported Reuters.From a month before, the production went up by 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis.Automobile output jumped by 38.8 percent in April from a year ago, and that of non-metallic minerals, including glass and cement, ...

China to continue developing strategic partnership with Ecuador special envoy

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:23:01 -0400

The Chinese government's Special Envoy Chen Lei said Saturday that his country is willing to further develop bilateral strategic partnership with Ecuador during a meeting with Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patino in Quito, the capital city of the South American country.Chen, also the minister of water resources, was here to attend Friday's inauguration ceremony of ...

Fake Psy Party Crashes in Cannes

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:33:31 -0400

CANNES -- A man pretending to be South Korean rapper Psy talked his way into glitzy parties at the Cannes film festival and posed with fans until he was spotted drinking champagne by the real Psy's manager. Psy, in Singapore on Thursday night to perform at the inaugural Social Star awards, said that Scooter Braun spotted the imposter, took a photo and sent it to ...

Rogers Signs Multi-Year Contract with Los Angeles Galaxy

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:33:31 -0400

Former U.S. soccer international Robbie Rogers has joined Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, the team said on Saturday, making him the latest openly gay male athlete in an American professional team sport. Rogers, who came out in February on the same day he retired from the game, will be on the Galaxy's roster for Sunday's home match against the Seattle Sounders if his ...

In Mexico fears for democracy as threatened journalists curtail coverage

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:26:52 -0400

Rogelio Elizondo’s son went to buy a used car in Nuevo Laredo two years ago. He never came back. In much of Mexico, Elizondo’s tragedy would remain the anguish of a solitary family in a country where the problem of ‘disappeared’ people is worse than anyplace else in the Western Hemisphere. But a slightly more positive story is unfolding. Elizondo joined with scores of ...

Fr. Lombardi Brazil Expected to Be Popes Only 2013 International Trip

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:58:07 -0400

Spokesman Also Confirms Benedict XVI's Move Back to the VaticanVATICAN CITY, April 25, 2013 (Zenit.org) - During a press conference at the Foreign Press Association headquarters in Rome, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, stated that the Pope's upcoming trip to Brazil for World Youth Day will be the only international trip for Pope Francis this ...

Flash Flood Warning Issued in San Antonio Texas

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:24:32 -0400

The city of San Antonio, Texas is under a flash flood warning with more heavy rain expected Saturday night in the already flooded area. As much as 39 centimeters of rain has fallen in some parts of the city since early Saturday. At least one person was killed when floodwaters swept away her car. Rescuers have spent much of the day pulling more than 100 people from their flooded cars and ...

Obama to Console Oklahoma Tornado Victims

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:24:32 -0400

U.S. President Barack Obama makes a poignant visit Sunday to the city of Moore, Oklahoma which is just starting to recover from last week's deadly tornado. President Obama will meet with and console residents of the midwestern town where 24 people were killed and more than 200 others hurt. Some people lost everything they owned when the twister obliterated entire neighborhoods. The ...

Cambodian Documentary Wins Cannes Prize for Innovative Cinema

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:24:32 -0400

CANNES -- A documentary using small clay figurines to tell the story of how Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh's family perished under the Khmer Rouge regime won the top prize in the second most important competition at ...

British Police Arrest 3 New Suspects in Soldiers Killing

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:24:32 -0400

British police have arrested three new suspects in connection with Wednesday's murder of a British soldier in London. Scotland Yard issued a statement saying three men in their 20's were arrested Saturday, two of them at a residential address in southeast London and one on a London street. Officers used stun guns in two of the arrests, but no one was hospitalized. All three were ...

Colombia to Have Its 1st Canonized Saint on Sunday

Sat, 25 May 2013 19:45:53 -0400

Mother Laura Montoya Defended Human Dignity of Indigenous PeoplesBy H. Sergio MoraROME, May 10, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Dialogue, the ability to forgive, national unity, and great charity were the main charisms of Mother Laura Montoya (1874-1949), the first Colombian canonized saint.The founder of the Institute of Mary Immaculate and Saint Catherine of Siena, will be canonized on Sunday, May 12, by ...

Wave of public rapes in Brazil stirs outrage

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:42:46 -0400

RIO DE JANEIRO: The attacks have stunned this city. In one, an assailant held a gun to the head of a 30-year-old woman while raping her in front of passengers on a bus. In another, a 14-year-old girl from a slum was raped on one of Rio's most famous beach stretches. In yet another case, men abducted and raped a working-class woman in a transit van as it wended through densely populated ...

Huge crowd cheers Argentine leaders 10-year rule

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:36:18 -0400

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has rallied a huge crowd celebrating 10 years in power by her government and that of her late ...

Revelers brave cold to fight AIDS at Vienna ball

Sat, 25 May 2013 18:35:11 -0400

VIENNA (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, singer Elton John and actor Hilary Swank joined thousands of costumed revelers on Saturday at Europe's biggest AIDS charity event, Vienna's Life ...

Mrs. Universe’s husband assassinated in northern Colombia

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:10:00 -0400

The husband of Mrs. Universe, Colombia’s Layla Martinez, has been killed in the northern city of Barranquilla, local media reported Friday, adding that the victim was a member of drug cartel ...

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, ...

FARC peace talks blog hacked and deleted

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:40:26 -0400

Ivan Marquez '; announced the hack in Havana where rebel and government negotiators are gathered to seek a negotiated end to the country’s half-a-century armed conflict. ';The blog and all the information we have been constructing over the past few months, through which we publish our press statements related to the [peace talks] table, has virtually been disappeared,'; ...

Colombia calls for calm after 6 reported dead of swine flu

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:40:18 -0400

Colombia’s health minister called for calm after six people died of swine flu in the north and south of the country. According to the minister the deaths do not constitute an ...

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 ...

Colombia dominates Giro d’Italia stage Uran climbs to 2nd in classification

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:37:03 -0400

Colombian cyclist Rigoberto Uran, acting team leader of Sky, climbed to second place in the general classification of the Giro d’Italia following an excellent performance in a harsh 20th ...

We dont want a divided Argentina Macri

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:36:09 -0400

Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri presided over the flag hoisting ceremony as part of the official National Day rallies in Argentina’s capital city. "A divided Argentina is not what we want," the PRO party leader told reporters. Macri added that "there is a lot to improve and change" in the country and said he whished the pro-national government organizations that ...

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 ...

Black Widow Suicide Bomber Wounds 12 in Russia

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

Police say the bomber detonated her explosives in the central square in Makhachkala, Dagestan's capital. At least two of the wounded are in critical ...

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 ...

Looking for a clear day to see into Argentina

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:36:37 -0400

CAMBRIDGE, England - On a clear day you might see Argentina, but more often Argentines cloud the view. How else can it be explained from here that a man who reached office ten years ago with 22 percent of the vote now, in death, is the subject of reverential anniversary celebrations organized by a government transformed into a family business. It is not easy to celebrate this tenth year, and ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ecuadors Correa to seek reelection

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:17:52 -0400

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Tuesday that he was ready to run again as candidate of the ruling Alianza Pais party in next year's presidential elections. "The family supports me and knows that we have a responsibility to the country," Correa told a gathering of the Ecuadorian Association of Radio-broadcasters in the port city of Guayaquil. "Without the support of ...

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, ...

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 ...

Ecuador’s Correa begins third presidential term with high popularity

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:40:43 -0400

Ecuador's Rafael Correa began his third term as president on Friday under seemingly ideal conditions: extremely high popularity, a more than two-thirds majority in Congress, a stable economy and a badly splintered opposition.The combative leftist economist used the opportunity to bash a few of his favourite targets: The Organization of American States, the Inter-American Commission on Human ...

Andres Oppenheimer While Pacific Alliance thrives Mercosur withers

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:35:36 -0400

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos may not have been hallucinating when he said last week that the Pacific Alliance — the bloc made up of Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile — “is the new economic and development engine of Latin America and the Caribbean.”Indeed, the Pacific Alliance, which was officially launched only one year ago, is growing rapidly and becoming a ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ecuadors Correa sworn in for new term

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:15:42 -0400

ECUADOR'S President Rafael Correa has been sworn into office for an unprecedented third term. The left-wing leader and ally of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has a high popularity rating and his party controls Congress. Correa first took power in 2007 and will serve what he says is his last term until 2017. A number of leaders from the region and Europe attended Friday's ...

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 ...

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. ...

Honduran gangs to announce truce to cut violence

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:02:26 -0400

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

President Correa Took Oath in Ecuador

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

Quito, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, swore today his new mandate ending in 2017, before the president of the National Assembly, Gabriela Rivadeneira. Correa, from Alianza Pais Movement, reached the presidency again, after being reelected with 57 percent of the vote. For the new period, the Correa government aims to consolidate and expand the achievements of the ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ecuador President Outlines Plans During Inauguration Ceremony

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:32:32 -0400

Ecuador president Rafael Correa. (Photo: Cortesia Andes) During his inauguration ceremony, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa outlined a number of policies the Alianza Pas (AP) government plans to implement during his second term in ...