Articles

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (21/JUL/2013.) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today announced that initiated contacts with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), for the release of U.S. citizen Sutay Kevin Scott, who was captured on June 20 in a jungle area in the south.

"We contacted the Colombian government, the U.S. Embassy, the former senator Piedad Cordoba and the FARC, to announce the willingness to facilitate this release," said ICRC spokesman in Colombia, Edgar Alfonso.

SANTIAGO, CHILE (10/JUL/2013.) - The Chilean Health Ministry confirmed today that 33 people have been killed by the influenza A H1N1 this year, 12 of them in recent weeks by an outbreak in the Tarapaca region in the north of the country.

This is according to the minister, Jaime Mañalich, who has stressed out that the outbreak is under control.

"Today it appears, and I say this with extreme caution. During Epidemiological Week number 27 is controlled, we have no new serious cases," said the minister.

A month ago, the guards here at Guantanamo Bay gave me an orange jumpsuit. After years in white and brown, the colours of compliant prisoners, I am very proud to wear my new clothes. The colour orange is Guantanamo’s banner. Anyone who knows the truth about this place knows that orange is its only true colour.

LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN (09/JUL/2013.) - The U.S. intelligence ex-technician Edward Snowden has not formally accepted the offer of asylum by the government of Venezuela, as reported on Tuesday b the WikiLeaks website, after a Russian lawmaker sparked a great deal of confusion about the legal status of the consultant confined in a Moscow airport.

"Edward Snowden has not formally accepted asylum in Venezuela. Pushkov - Russian lawmaker already deleted his post in Twitter," WikiLeaks said on its own account in the social network.

Brazil increased its military spending by 34% between 2011 and 2012. The number was released by the Ministry of Defence. Many of the resources were considered strategic programs such as the development of submarines for the Navy, fighter aircraft modernization and development of transport aircraft KC-390, which is not yet available. Other areas that received an injection of resources included updating aerial gunnery system and recovery of damaged equipment.

According to the report overall industry expenses were 3,250 million in 2011 and amounted to 4,350 million in 2012.

Unemployment has shown its darker side, becoming perhaps the biggest economic and social problem worldwide. The current situation is not very different from the Great Depression of the 1930s, when millions of people were left without work.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (01/JUN/2013.) - The presidents of Russia and the U.S., Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, have instructed their security services to find a solution to the case of the CIA ex-technician Edward Snowden, today announced Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council.

The presidents "have no solution that satisfies each of the parties and therefore have instructed the director of the FSB (former KGB) Alexander Bortnikov and FBI Director - Robert Mueller to be in constant touch and to find a solution", Patrushev said to the television channel "Rossiya 24".

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES (26/JUN/2013.) - The U.S. economic performance during the first three months of the year was weaker than initially reported to register a growth of just 1.8 percent, reported the Commerce Department.

The figure represented a substantial retreat from the 2.5 growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which was first reported by the Commerce Department last April.

However, the figure was placed above the paltry 0.4 percent that was reported during the fourth quarter of 2012.

QUITO, ECUADOR (27/JUN/2013.) - Ecuador's government announced on Thursday that it waives tariff preferences it receives from the United States due to the pressures of the case of former U.S. spy Edward Snowden, who sought asylum at the South American country.

The communications secretary of the Presidency of Ecuador, Fernando Alvarado said Ecuador "does not accept pressure or threats from anyone, and does not trade the principles for the mercantile interests, however important they may be".

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES (26/JUN/2013.) - The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have begun to move weapons to Jordan as part of the U.S. plan to strengthen the forces fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, said today The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The journal, quoting diplomatic sources and the U.S. intelligence, said the CIA conducted training work in the secret facilities located in Jordan to prepare moderate Syrian rebels, who are fighting with General Salim Idris, the main rebel commander backed by Washington.