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02/27/13 -  Prensa Latina (Havana) - DIRECT FROM HAVANA, PM

LATIN AMERICAN NEWS AGENCY, SA
P R E N S A   L A T I N A
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plcomercial@prensa-latina.cu Evening Transmission Feb 27, 2013

CUBA NEWS
Cuba Makes History, Qualifying for Turkey 2013 World Cup Soccer
FARC Gives Support to Peasant and Worker Struggle in Colombia
Cuba Confronts Demographic Challenge
Baseball: Cuban Pitchers Improve in Victory Over Japan
Cuba Condemns US Disrespect for World Trade Rules
 
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN STORIES
Correa Urges Political Opposition to Accept Defeat with Dignity
Dominican Republic to Export 40, 000 tons of Sugarcane to Europe
Owners of Burned Brazilian Nightclub Accused of Homicide
Correa Defended Ecuadorian Sovereignity Against Chevron
Ecuador Participates in Colombian Tourism Fair
Bahamas Apprehend Nearly 100 Haitian Illegal Immigrants
Alarm in Guatemala for Murders Committed by Minors
UN Millenium Goals World Conference in Colombia
Rebel Camps Destroyed in Peru
Tremor Rocks Ecuador
International Support to Mexican Workers Emphasized
Debate for Creation of Secret Police Unit Increases
Venezuelan Conductor  Awarded Ibero-American Music Prize
Historical Cultural Ties Between Cuba and Mexico Highlighted
Actions for Public Health Stressed in the Dominican Rep
Uruguayan Experts and Students Build Satellite
 
OTHER INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Syphilis Affects More Than One Million Pregnant Women Worldwide
Cuban Anti-terrorist Cartoons to Tour U.S. Cities
China and USA Exchange Criteria on Korean Peninsula
Media Fostering Cold War in Syria, Says Information Minister
Lackland Rape Victim Talks of Ordeal of Military Women
Breast Cancer Rates in Young Women Rising
Anticorruption Organization Criticizes FIFA Reforms
Recession Danger Threatens United Kingdom
Bill Wyman: Photos in New Art Exhibition in London
McCartney Murder Police Arrest Man
Putin calls to Strengthen and Renew Russian Defense
Libya's Former PM Tortured to Near Death Says Lawyer
Spanish Painter Sorolla Works to Exhibition in the United States
Protest in Afghanistan Against US Military
Bank Deposits in Spain Fall after Two Months of Increase
Scientists Block Ebola and HIV Entry into Immune System Cells
Ban Ki-moon Urges Solution Between Israel and Palestine
Prehistoric Fish with a Bite Like a Circular Saw
Syrian Rebels Torture Children to Blame Government
Mediators Condition Sanctions Against Iran
Nanotechnology in Conservation of Cultural Heritage of Humanity
European Women Earn 16 Percent Less than Men
UN Welcomes Iran/Group 5+1 Progress

 FULL STORIES CUBA NEWS
Cuba Makes History, Qualifying for Turkey 2013 World Cup Soccer

Mexico, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Cuba achieved a historic victory against Costa Rica (2-1) at the quarter finals of the CONCACAF Youth Championship for U-20 teams, held at the Mexican Puebla stadium and qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time.
Aricheel Hernandez was the star of the Cuban team, led by Raul Gonzalez, scoring two goals, which gave the team a ticket to the FIFA World Cup Turkey 2013, in a game that took longer than expected, almost until the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The Cuban team was a big surprise from the beginning, achieving victory three times, against Canada (2-1), Nicaragua (3-0) and Costa Rica (2-1).
On Friday, in the first semifinal competition of the CONCACAF championship for U-20 teams, the Cuban team will play against the United States, which also managed to qualify on Tuesday for the World Cup, defeating Canada (4-2).
The Mexican and Jamaican teams will meet in the CONCACAF championship, also seeking a ticket to the FIFA World Cup in Turkey.
Panama and El Salvador will also meet today.
The semifinals will be held on March 1 and the games for the third and final position will take place on March 3.
sus/sa/iom/tgj/smp

FARC Gives Support to Peasant and Worker Struggle in Colombia

Havana, Apr 27 (Prensa Latina) The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) expressed their solidarity today with the struggle carried out by peasants, coffee growers, cocoa workers, vendors, coal merchants, and transportation workers in defense of their rights.
Ivan Marquez, head of the FARC-EP delegation involved in peace talks with representatives of the Colombian government, criticized Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who in his inauguration speech promised prosperity for farm workers.
"Those farmers are currently being attacked with bullets and teargas by Mobile Anti-Riot Squads in the country's towns and on its highways," Marquez said.
While the coffee growers' express their discontent due to neglect of the sector, the government is refusing to negotiate.
The FARC-EP rejected Colombia's Ministry of Agriculture's justifying its brutal repression by saying that it is the FARC who are stirring up and aggravating people's feelings.
The FARC-EP reiterated today its proposal that small and medium coffee farms be the focus of immediate protective measures, such as subsidies and compensation aimed at overcoming the structural crisis in the sector, said Marquez.
The parties are immersed in the sixth round of peace talks which began in Havana on November 19, under the format of three days of talks followed by one day of recess. The land issue is at the heart of the attempt to end decades of conflict in the South American country.
In addition to the agricultural issue, the agenda agreed to by the FARC-EP and the government includes political participation, an end to the conflict, the drug trafficking problem, care for victims, and verification and signing mechanisms for any agreement reached at the negotiation table.
sus/sa/iff/joe

Cuba Confronts Demographic Challenge

Havana, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Cuban authorities are studying a strategy to address the demographic challenge that combines the population aging and low birth rates, media reported Wednesday.
Ministers and heads of agencies involved in the issue make up a high level committee whose mission is to propose a comprehensive strategy for the country to address that issue.
Ministers of Labour and Social Security, Economy and Planning, Health, Education, Culture, among others, say there are economic, social, cultural and biological agents present in the subject.
The Cuban budget allocates resources to boost measures to care for seniors and encourage birth, Granma daily said on its website.
These measures include actions to reduce the risk of female infertility and increase the attention to infertile couples.
The maintenance and repair of childcare centers, senior care homes are part of the plan, with national and local impact.
Annual health screenings for seniors, as well as the purchase and production of prosthetics, walkers, collars, wheelchairs and other equipment, will benefit this population sector.
According to projections, 30 percent of the Cuban population will exceed 60 years by 2030. Today, life expectancy is around 78 years.
At the same time, fertility levels maintained its downward trend. Cuba has nor covered the population replacement race since mora than 30 years.
The demographic challenge impacts the social, economic and family life, and the safety, welfare, health services, in the revival of the labor force and even the country's defense.
sgl/ gpm-mgt/ool

Baseball: Cuban Pitchers Improve in Victory Over Japan

Osaka, Japan, Feb 27 (PL) After several uncertain performances, the Cuban relief pitchers managed to drive the baseball team to a victory 3-2 against the Hanshin Tigers, in a warm up match before the World Classic III.
Good works of Yander Guevara, the veteran southpaw Norberto Gonzalez, the eventual winner, and the fast Vladimir Garcia fast, let Victor Mesa´s team arrive at safe harbor against the Japanese professional box.
Just the night before, the Hanshin Tigers beat the Japanese squad that will participate in the Classic 1-0, which increased the atmosphere of doubt and scepticism about the prospects of the premises.
With a sacrifice fly, first baseman José Dariel Abreu brought the winning run in the legs of Jose Miguel Fernandez in the fifth inning, when the slugger Frederich Cepeda had drawn the match with a two RBI.
Things did not start well for Cubans when the starter right-hand pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne endured two runs at the startup by a hit by Matt Murton. Yander Guevara came to the rescue and held his opponent batting attack until the fifth.
Then came Norberto Gonzalez, who is in the Classic for the third time, and reached the triumph, with the help of Vladimir Garcia at the end.
We are able to move forward, we can get to San Francisco, home of the decisive stage of the competition, and discuss the title, told reporters José Dariel Abreu.
sgl/Ycf/ale/ft

Cuba Condemns US Disrespect for World Trade Rules

Geneva, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Cuba deplored here today US disrespect for international law and for the decisions of the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization.
Cuerpo : 	Speaking during a DSB meeting, Cuban Ambassador to Geneva-based international bodies, Anayansi Rodriguez, said that Washington continues doing nothing to implement OSD resolutions.
She recalled that 11 years have passed since the DSB ruled the incompatibility of "Section 211 of the US Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998" with the Agreement on trade-related and Paris Convention-related Aspects of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Cuba considers unacceptable this situation of prolonged illegality and insubordination to decisions of the WTO's top jurisdiction body," said Rodriguez.
Section 211 is one of the many rules underpinning the US economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba and US authorities base on it to justify and protect the robbery of the Havana Club brand in that territory.
"It also has the peculiarity that it not only affects the interests of Cuban businesses, but also those from other WTO member countries, like French company Pernod Ricard," she denounced.
Those unilateral policies are rejected in many forums, said Rodriguez, who recalled that in the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union a declaration was adopted stating that the blockade represents a serious threat to multilateralism.
A group of countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina, China, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, South Africa and Mexico, supported Cuba's statement, according to a note from the Cuban mission in Geneva.
sgl/ef/rma/mgt/car

 LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN STORIES
Correa Urges Political Opposition to Accept Defeat with Dignity

Quito, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Ecuador's President-Elect Rafael Correa advised the political opposition to accept with dignity their defeat in the recent elections, and called his supporters to prepare starting now for the 2014 local elections.
"It is clear we have 16 assembly members out of 20 seats in Guayas. It is better that the party bureaucracy gracefully recognize its February 17 defeat," Correa said during a visit to the Provincial Electoral Delegation of that coastal province.
He also said he was prepared to have the vote recounted and reviewed, in the wake of doubts expressed by the Patriotic Society Party and Social Christian Party, which claim a number of inconsistencies in polling results from the Intermediate Elelctions.
Correa highlighted the union of militants from the Alianza PAIS Movement, and thanked the provincial director, Maria de los Angeles Duarte, and national director, Galo Mora, for their work in Guayas.
The head of State showed himself to be cautious about the beginning of the electoral work to win the Guayaquil mayor's seat in the 2014 local election to elect mayors and governors.
Correa also stated that, since 2006, the ruling Alianza PAIS Movement has been working on training new leaders, to continue with the project of the Citizen Revolution and other changes, to consolidate and make changes in the country irreversible.
sus/sa/iff/prl

Dominican Republic to Export 40, 000 tons of Sugarcane to Europe

Santo Domingo, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Dominican Republic this year plans to export about 40,000 tons of sugarcane for the European market, said official sources quoted by the media today.
According to the director of the Dominican Sugar Institute, Casimiro Ramos, that will be the first time the country sends such a quantity to that destination.
The official said the 2012-2013 sugar harvest will exceed production expectations.
It was estimated a production of 540,000 tons, he said, but the real number should be increased to 60,000 additional tons.
Ramos also said Dominican Republic will accomplish with a quota of 188, 900 tons for the U.S. market.
Our country is self-sufficient in sugar production, and the Government will make the necessary contributions for an increasing consolidation of this industry, Ramos said.
Sc/ale/dsa

Owners of Burned Brazilian Nightclub Accused of Homicide

Brasilia, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Today, one month after a fire in a nightclub in the Brazilian city of Santa Maria, which left 239 dead, prosecutors announced they will accuse of planned homicide the owners of that facility.
We have information showing that the owners of the nightclub Kiss, Elissandro Spohr and Mauro Hoffman acted irresponsibly and with negligence and ignored many security issues, highlighted the prosecutor Joel Dutra.
He noted that the decision to charge the owners of the nightclub is based on fact that it is assumed the risk of killing and suffocation, which caused the death of 239 young people last January 27 that is considered a crime in Article 121 of the penal code.
Dutra said that there is consensus among the prosecutors involved in the investigation of this tragedy, the worst recorded in Brazil in the last 50 years.
It is also under investigation the responsibility of the Fire Department of the City and Prefecture, because the club was working with the security certificate expired, he said.
Recent surveys conducted in the nightclub revealed that the smoke caused by the burning of plastic foam covering the roof of the facility took just five minutes to spread throughout the room, which led to a high number of victims.
Police Delegate Marcellus Arigony recalled that four people, the two owners of the club and two members of the band who used a flare in the center, remain detained.
So far, still 22 injured remain under medical attention, 20 are in hospitals in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul and two in Santa Maria clinics.
sc/tgj/lgo

Correa Defended Ecuadorian Sovereignity Against Chevron

Quito, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa ratified the legitimate defense of national sovereignty in the legal process of 30.000 Amazon applicants against Chevron transnational oil company, which seeks to involve the State.
In a statement released today, the president informed the company asked the Court of Arbitration at The Hague to suspend a sentence against it for about 19 billion USD, for damages caused to the environment and the Amazon population.
Correa said Ecuador will never get on its knees, even less before such an arrogant transnational, and considered that this is an unprecedented, absurd and aberrant case of retroactivity of treaties.
The Official Gazette of the Treaty for the Reciprocal Protection and Promotion of Investments, invoked by the transnational, was set in 1997, five years after Chevron left the country.
The head of state noted that a potential unimaginable suspension of the sentence would mean a reversal of international law, it would compromise national sovereignty, to the level of the European colonialism lived in Latin America in previews centuries.
Therefore, he stated he will turn to the Latin American union to defend Ecuador, and expects to set meetings with the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) in this regard.
He explained this transnational has interests and investments in several South American countries, which have also been affected.
Therefore, the president said, the meeting of the States of the Great Fatherland will be vital in tackling financial capital and neocolonialism.
sgl/Ycf/rmh/prl

Ecuador Participates in Colombian Tourism Fair

Quito, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Some 25 Ecuadorian companies are participating in the 2013 ANATO Tourist Cabinet Fair in Colombia with the purpose of putting a brand called "Ecuador Ama la Vida" (Ecuador Loves Life) into the market.
The Colombian fair will extend up to March 1st and Ecuador will show its cultural diversity there through exhibitions and artistic presentations, pointed out a note of the Ministry of Tourism.
Among the Ecuadorian activities in the Colombian fair, stands out a report on Ecuador as a destination, the gastronomic offers with chefs specialized in chocolate and exponents of music, the painting and traditional dance.
The official statement highlighted that the minister of this sector, Freddy Ehlers, who heads the Ecuadorian representation to Colombia, will fulfil a calendar of meetings with important entities and companies of the tourist sector to talk about topics of combined promotion and alliances.
He added that a fundamental topic to debate will be the socialization of the Conscious Tourism, a new practice in the industry that privileges the respect and love for life.
The Colombian tourist is very representative for the Ecuador, because it occupies the first place as an issuing market for a second consecutive year, with 349, 457 arrivals until December 2012.
sgl/tac rmh/nda

Bahamas Apprehend Nearly 100 Haitian Illegal Immigrants

Nassau, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) Bahamas law enforcement officials say they apprehended nearly 100 illegal Haitian immigrants after they landed at Landrail Point in Crooked Island Tuesday.
Police said that they have so far detained 92 people and "along with residents are continuing their search for the remaining immigrants".
The police did not say how many others entered Crooked Island illegally after the "Haitian sloop" landed late Tuesday.
The arrival of the Haitians comes less than a week after Haiti's Ambassador to The Bahamas, A Antonio Rodrigue met with the Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville to discuss various issues including a "huge" Haitian population.
"That is something that our government is looking at because we definitely want to make sure that we do not have individuals in our country who are stateless, and in order for them to be a part of this country we have to find ways to expedite their citizenship in The Bahamas," he added.
Earlier this month 25 Haitians landed in the north coast parish of Portland, Jamaica. They were repatriated about four days later according to regional news agency CMC.
The arrival of the Haitians comes less than a week after Haiti's Ambassador to The Bahamas, A Antonio Rodriguez met with the Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville to discuss various issues including a "huge" Haitian population.
sgl/rmh/rob

Alarm in Guatemala for Murders Committed by Minors

Guatemala, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Officials and representatives of nongovernmental organizations have expressed alarm over the killings allegedly committed by minors, recently registered in Guatemala.
Cuerpo : 	The sources expressed their views on the social phenomenon after the murder of a taxi driver allegedly committed by a child between 10 to 12 years Tuesday in the area 18 of the capital.
The Minister of the Interior, Mauricio Lopez, said that criminal groups recrui children and teenagers as assassins because the law states that they can not be criminally prosecuted for these acts.
However, the Secretary of Criminal Policy of Public Prosecutions, Alejandro Rodriguez, considered that these situations are isolated because "there are not enough cases that demonstrate that there is a pattern."
Some children, said the children's advocate, Miriam Rodriguez, are forced to perform illegal acts such as stealing, carrying weapons or selling drugs at retail.
A gun in Guatemala can be rented or purchased on the black market for less than a thousand quetzals ($ 126 USD), argued authorities from the Institution
for Public Security Monitoring and Support (Imasp) and the Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (Iepades).
The organized crime groups use children to carry out crimes because they are immune from prosecution, said Veronica Godoy, from Imasp, who urged the State to carry out an urgent discussion about it.
Security cameras recorded on Tuesday a child aboard a Bus who shot twice in the head the driver Jonathan Jimenez, 22, in this capital.
The National Civil Police arrested two sisters aged 13 and 15 years for being the alleged perpetrators of a violent act, killing Cesar Villanueva, 20, last Friday here.
That was the third capture of minors involved in three criminal acts in less than a month in this Central American country, whose murder rate is 32 per 100 000 inhabitants, the highest in Latin America.
sgl/ gpm-rc/rsm

UN Millenium Goals World Conference in Colombia

Bogota, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) A world conference on Progress in the Millennium Development Goals is in session here today, chaired by the director of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark.
The forum, which ends tomorrow, is attended by international experts who will assess the implementation of these goals within the global context, aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development programs.
Prior to the opening of the event, Clark met with Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin to disscuss the vision of Colombia on the subject and the progress of the Post-2015 Agenda, which aims to give continuity to the projects outlined by the UNDP from a multilateral and a common agenda beyond that date.
She also showed great interest in the discussions and progress within the High Level Panel, created by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and comprises by 27 public and private specialists, of which Holguin is part, who will provide suggestions for the design and building of the new Post-2015 Agenda.
sgl/ef/isa/rmh/ag

UN Millenium Goals World Conference in Colombia

Bogota, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) A world conference on Progress in the Millennium Development Goals is in session here today, chaired by the director of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark.
The forum, which ends tomorrow, is attended by international experts who will assess the implementation of these goals within the global context, aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development programs.
Prior to the opening of the event, Clark met with Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin to disscuss the vision of Colombia on the subject and the progress of the Post-2015 Agenda, which aims to give continuity to the projects outlined by the UNDP from a multilateral and a common agenda beyond that date.
She also showed great interest in the discussions and progress within the High Level Panel, created by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and comprises by 27 public and private specialists, of which Holguin is part, who will provide suggestions for the design and building of the new Post-2015 Agenda.
sgl/ef/isa/rmh/ag

Rebel Camps Destroyed in Peru

Lima, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The Joint Armed Forces Command said today that Army and Police forces destroyed several rebel camps in the lush mountain jungles of Vizcatan, in central Peru.
An official communiqué indicates that the operation against elements described as terrorist criminals started last Saturday and had air back-up. There were three clashes, with au unidentified female rebel killed.
Actions carried out in the valleys of rivers Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro (Vraem) involved representatives from the Justice Ministry, with human rights and legality fully respected.
The Joint Command said to have ordered a continuation of operations in Vraem, in central Peru, where a faction of Sendero Luminoso is said to be in operation.
Sendero Luminoso called on its members to give up weapons twenty years ago.
sgl/ef/rma/mgt/mrs
Tremor Rocks Ecuador

Quito, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) The Geophisic Ecuadorian Institute reported today a quake of 5.2 gmagnitude in the Richter Scale in the amazonic province of Zamora Chinchipe, with no victims or damages up to now.
The location was pinpointed 29.9 kilometers of depth or 41 kilometers from the city of Yantzaza, at 10:56 hours (15:56 GMT),in an lightly populated of the country and was felt in the southern city of Loja.
Others cities hit were Guaizimi (52.6 kilometers to the northeast), Zamora, the provincial capital and Loja.
Zamora Chinchipe is a province located in the ecuadorian amazonic region,
sgl/ ls/prl


International Support to Mexican Workers Emphasized

Mexico, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The international support given today to Mexican workers was highlighted by Humberto Montes Oca, secretary of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Electricians Union (SME).
 The leader said at a press conference that the campaign called Day of Action in Solidarity with the Mexican Democratic Labor was conducted in 19 countries and many cities from February 19 to 24.
 He added that through various activities, the participants expressed their support for various struggles of Mexican workers.
 Among these reasons are the claims for justice for dismissed electricians, for the death of miners at Pasta de Conchos, the challenge to laws affecting workers and to reject neoliberal measures.
 The EMS manager also referred to activities they will carry out in the coming days to require solution to the demands of  workers who were laid off from Luz y Fuerza Company, which closed in 2009.
 He announced marches to the Interior Ministry, to the Zocalo and others that will leave from four states to Mexico City.
 sgl/ef/isa/rmh/jgs

Debate for Creation of Secret Police Unit Increases

Port Spain, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The creation of an ultra- secret police unit is keeping the politicians of Trinidad and Tobago in an intense debate, while the voices demanding the resignation of the local National Security chief, Jack Warner, increase in this Caribbean island.
 Independent senator Helen Drayton was the last one joining the controversy, supporting the initiative, but she said that she should not keep herself hidden.
 Drayton considered the nature of the national security requires silence sometimes, but that is not any kind of obstacle to be transparent.
 This weekend, General Prosecutor Ramesh Lawreance Maharaj strongly criticized the government and asked for Warner ó s resignation, saying that the Constitution forbids any police unit to be under the control, influence or supervision of any minister or any member of the Trinitarian Cabinet.
Maharaj also said that the Magna Carta grants exclusive power to appoint the police executives to the Police Service Commission.
  ó It looks like it is an illegal unit, and this is something the Prime Minister ((Kamla Persad-Bissessar) should not hide.  She has the obligation to permit this matter to be investigated openly, ó  Maharaj said.
 Warner took the whole responsibility for the unit, which was comprised by 35 people, among police members, army members, members of the coast guard and from other entities.
 Retired inspector Mervyn Cordner, chief of the group, said the unit was working for six months, between June and December 2012, but it closed because of the lack of financial support.
 sgl/ef/tac/ls/rob

Venezuelan Conductor  Awarded Ibero-American Music Prize
      
Caracas, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) The municipal foundation for culture of Cadiz city government, in Spain, has awarded orchestra director Jose Antonio Abreu for his work in the national System of Venezuelan Youth and Children's Orchestras.
 The jury emphasized the work carried out by the musician, founder and director of the Venezuelan system of orchestras and choirs.
 The initiative, echoed in over 25 countries, has been working for 38 uninterrupted years.
 In this new stage of the system, it is expected the strengthening of social inclusion and the teaching of values.
 Among the recognitions obtained by Abreu, there are the Right Livelihood Award, in 2001; the World Culture Open Creative Arts Award, in 2004; Japan's Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon, in 2007; Canada's Glenn Gould, in 2008; Erasmus Prize, in 2010, among others.
 Over 10 years ago, the Cadiz City Government created the Cortes de Cadiz Prize to award the work carried out by researchers, creators and personalities in the field of science, politics and arts.
 The award will be presented on the 16 of March.
 sgl/ ale/ema 


Historical Cultural Ties Between Cuba and Mexico Highlighted

Mexico, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) President of Council for Culture and Arts in Mexico (Conaculta), Rafael Tovar, and Cuban Ambassador, Dagoberto Rodríguez, highlighted here the historical cultural ties between the two countries.
 The press office of the Mexican Embassy in Havana reported on Wednesday on a meeting held at the Palace of Fine Arts.
 Rodriguez told Tovar the interest of the authorities of the Ministry of Culture to receive him in Cuba, which was accepted with pleasure, according to the text.
 sgl/ ef/gpm/jf/jgs

Actions for Public Health Stressed in the Dominican Rep.

Santo Domingo, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The Dominican public health network doubled its services to the population during the last six months, said today the president Danilo Medina when accounting to Congress.
 However, this figure contrasts with complaints from various sectors about the treatment received by patients in hospitals or care homes, and poor hygiene and sanitation facilities abandonment.
 This year we will put into operation 70 new Primary Care Centers units and 19 first level diagnostics facilities, announced Medina, who referred to the increase in beds for patients.
 Our commitment to reduce maternal and infant mortality has also been translated into concrete actions, Medina said before mentioning the intensification of emergency obstetric services in hospitals.
 Medina, in office since August 16, assured they eliminated charges in 36 patients and hospitals by the end of 2013 this will occur in almost all hospitals.
 He said they are designing a Fund for High-Cost Illnesses, which will enter into force on the current year.
 Medina reaffirmed the promise of including 1.3 million of Dominicans more in the Family Health Care system.
 sgl/ef/isa/mgt/dsa 

Uruguayan Experts and Students Build Satellite

Montevideo, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) A satellite built by Uruguayan entities will be tested in the United States to determine its capacity to enter operations, said Wednesday the Ministry of Communication of the Presidency.
 The satellite will be tested in the second half of this year at the University of California.
 If controls are favorable, this would be the first Uruguayan technology in space, said Carolina Cosse, president of the state-owned communications company Antel, who developed the device along with the University of the Republic (UdelaR).
 Cosse said that the project Antel-Sat will culminate in the first half of the year, following a scientific and technological cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Engineering UdelaR, which also included a robotics project.
 In the project, agreed in 2012, Antel technicians and engineers and students from Faculty of Engineering worked in the laboratory prototype of the satellite, which is now almost completed.
 Cosse explained that this satellite prototype will allow to have "photographic and infrared information of our country, but much more important is the development of engineering technology to achieve national technology apt to be in space." 
The project includes the development of the structure, energy and communications systems, controls, launch and operation, as well as the installation of two ground stations.
 sgl/ef/gpm/ls/jl 


                                 OTHER INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Syphilis Affects More Than One Million Pregnant Women Worldwide

Washington, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) More than one million pregnant women worldwide suffer from syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that causes spontaneous abortion, low birthweight, premature birth and even the death of the baby, in some cases.
According to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, it is noteworthy that the vast majority of these females had prenatal medical consults, but did not receive treatment for the condition.
"Two-thirds of the harmful effects occurred in women who were given prenatal care, but were not treated for syphilis," concludes a research study led by Lori Newman, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, from the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Hence, the study's authors call on all countries to ensure that guaranteed quality tests for syphilis are available in all prenatal clinics and that care in these units be improved." The infection, if not treated in a timely manner is serious, however, it is preventable and easily cured once it is acquired through unprotected sex.
sus/sa/abo/ale/vm

Cuban Anti-terrorist Cartoons to Tour U.S. Cities

Washington, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) An exhibition of political cartoons drawn by Gerardo Hernandez, one of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters unjustly held the United States since September 12, 1998, will tour several northern cities in March.
The traveling exhibition, which begins on March 2 in New London, in Connecticut, will continue with a stop from March 15 to 23 in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Later, Hernandez' cartoons will return to Connecticut, but to the city of Hartford, between March 28 and April 1, according to a release sent to Prensa Latina by the International Committee to Free the Five, organizer of the initiative.
The tour is sponsored by the 26 de Julio Coalition, the Provenance Center, the Studio Arts Program at Trinity College, and the Greater Hartford Coalition on Cuba.
Activities to support Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, detained almost 15 years ago in Miami are increasing within the United States.
The Cuban Five, as those anti-terrorist fighters are known worldwide, monitored the activities by violent groups of Cuban origin based in South Florida, where for more than five decades they have organized, financed and executed terrorist plots against Cuba, killing more than 3,400 people on the Caribbean island.
sus/sa/iff/dfm

China and USA Exchange Criteria on Korean Peninsula

Beijing, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry exchanged opinions via telephone about the situation on the Korean peninsula, according to reports published today.
The conversation was held last night and both officials discussed bilateral relations and the panorama in that neighboring region, where many tensions exist between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea, according to official reports distributed in this capital.
Beijing's government insists that the problem should be analyzed by the sides involved, which are responsible for finding a solution to the complex nuclear issue in that area of conflict, neighboring China, Russia and Japan.
Tension increased after February, when North Korea carried out its third underground nuclear explosion, despite U.N. warnings and Security Council resolutions that prohibited such tests.
Previously, the DPRK put an artificial satellite into orbit, propelled by a domestically manufactured rocket, which also caused U.N. condemnation.
However, the North Korean authorities insist that their country has the right to make progress in science and technology and to develop those means with peaceful aims, which are so important for the nation's development.
sus/sa/iom/tgj/ir

Media Fostering Cold War in Syria, Says Information Minister

By Luis Rene Brizuela Bringuez
	
Damascus, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi asserted that most of what is occurring in Syria is the result of a media war, which has been turned recently into an instrument to unleash and justify all conflicts against countries.
Interviewed by Prensa Latina news agency, Al-Zoubi explained that the coordination among different global media consortia, which specialize in distorting facts and manipulating the truth, is not occurring by chance.
In his opinion, the historic period that the Middle East is going through, with its population demanding political-social reforms, has been used by governments and western media outlets to overthrow governments and change the regional geopolitical map to meet their interests.
The top official said that armed groups seeking to overthrow the Government are following a plan that has been meticulously calculated to destroy the national infrastructure little by little.
The well publicized "revolution in Syria" is nothing more than a struggle between a sovereign State and terrorists supported by intelligence agencies that are financing, training and arming them to spread death in our country, he said.
Their final objective is to destroy the civic model that Syria represents, thanks to its religious, ethnic and cultural diversity, he said.
He also said that thousands of mercenaries belonging to armed groups are entering Syria through the borders with Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.
However, the State retains its capacity to fight them, through the cohesion of the Syrian Arab Army, said the official.
He also warned about the danger represented by support to Jihadist groups, which are calling for Jihad or Holy War in Syria, because their advance ultimately endangers the Europe that is giving them so much support today, he said.
He referred to the steps taken by the Government to implement the Political Program, which seeks to put an end to the dispute underway for almost two years.
In this regard, he insisted that Damascus has suggested that all sides involved, with no exception, sit down at the negotiation table, even the insurgents that lay down their arms, with the single condition of accepting dialogue as a premise to put an end to the violence in the country.
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Lackland Rape Victim Talks of Ordeal of Military Women

Washington, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) One in every 3 military women in United States is sexually assaulted according to the Pentagon.
The New York Times points out the case of Virginia Messick who was seaxually asaulted at the Air Force Base in Lackland,an Antonio,Texas.
After leaving the Air Force, Ms. Messick is the first victim of a still-unfolding sexual assault scandal at Lackland to speak publicly about what she has endured.
Since accounts of sexual violence at the base began to surface in late 2011, it has emerged as the largest such episode in Air Force history.
Ms. Messick, now 21, is one of 62 trainees identified as victims of assault or other improper conduct by 32 training instructors between 2009 and 2012 at Lackland, the base served as Air Force's basic training center for enlisted personnel.
So far, seven Air Force instructors have been court-martialed, including Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, now serving a 20-year sentence for crimes involving 10 women, including Ms. Messick.
Eight more court-martial cases are pending. Fifteen other instructors are under investigation, and two senior officers have been relieved of command.
While Air Force officials say they have taken steps to better protect their most vulnerable personnel, including appointing a female commander to oversee basic training and tightening supervision of instructors, critics say they do not go far enough in addressing an issue across the military: a high rate of sexual assaults that are often not reported because women fear reprisals.
None of the victims at Lackland told Air Force officials of the attacks, and the episodes came to light only when a female trainee who had not been assaulted disclosed what she knew.
In response to the growing outcry over sexual violence, the Pentagon last year ordered that charging decisions in sexual assault cases be determined by more senior commanders than in the past, but the directive stopped short of taking the decision out of the chain of command.
While more than 3,000 sexual assault cases were reported in 2011 throughout the military services, Leon E. Panetta, the departing defense secretary, has said the real figure could be as high as 19,000.
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Breast Cancer Rates in Young Women Rising

Washington, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) A new study is suggesting that there is a rise in the number of young American women diagnosed with advanced, incurable breast cancer.
The number of American women ages 25 to 39 diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer - cancer that has already spread to other organs-rose by around 3.6 percent a year from 2000 to 2009, according to a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.
The trend began in the 1970s, although the most rapid increases occurred in the last decade, the study says.
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Anticorruption Organization Criticizes FIFA Reforms

Berlin, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Anticorruption organization International Transparence strongly criticized the reforms announced by the International Soccer Federation (FIFA) this week, considering they were insufficient.
The world of politics and the public opinion should not be happy with such a reform and FIFA might say that it is doing something, but in practice, these are just symbolic changes, said Sylvia Schenk, a member of the IT Directing Board Wednesday.
The German executive said FIFA needs a renovation, and added that her organization keeps the opinion that a real renovation cannot be possible without a revision of what happened in the past, precisely because all the people that can take a decision, are still in their respective posts.
FIFA announced a series of changes Tuesday, among them a limit of age to the president of the organization for 12 years instead of the 8 years mentioned at the beginning.
These reforms are coming in a moment in which FIFA is in the middle of a corruption scandal.
The reforms will be debated and voted for approval in a congress scheduled for May 31 in the Mauritius Islands.
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Recession Danger Threatens United Kingdom

London, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The danger of a new recession threatens the United Kingdom, after being confirmed today that the economy of the country contracted 0.3 percent in the third quarter of 2012.
This first revision of the figures by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), corresponds with the one registered last month by the entity.
On the other hand, the ONS said that in annual terms, the British economy grew more than expected by the experts in 2012, after revisions corresponding to the fourth quarter of the previous year in diverse sectors.
Nevertheless, the experts fear that if the fall of the Gross Domestic Product between January and March of this year is repeated, the country enters in a new recession, defined as two serial quarters of economic contraction.
The United Kingdom left the recession officially in the third quarter of 2012, after nine serial months of contraction.
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Bill Wyman: Photos in New Art Exhibition in London

London, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina)The photographic work of former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is being given an artistic twist for a new show at a London gallery Rook&Raven until march 31.
Wyman, whose photographs were first exhibited in 2011, has handed over some of his prints to artists including the great cartoonist Gerald Scarfe who will rework and use them as the basis for new pieces.
Another is the young artist James Mylne, who produces photorealistic work using ballpoint pens.
Also Dale Marshall, Penny y Pam Glew, who will use other forms of art.
Since leaving The Rolling Stones in 1993, Wyman's activities have included amateur archaeology and gastronomy - he has owned several restaurants.
He has also written several books and is touring with his band.
Wyman reunited with his former band briefly for their 50th anniversary show at the O2 Arena in London and his pictures of the Rolling Stones are the most popular.
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McCartney Murder Police Arrest Man

Dublin, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) Police probing the murder of Robert McCartney in Northern Ireland have arrested a man.
Mr McCartney, 33, was stabbed to death outside a Belfast bar in 2005. His family blamed members of the IRA for the killing but nobody has been convicted.
The suspect, 51, was detained in Jonesborough in South Armagh on Wednesday and a property in the village was searched.
Mr McCartney was stabbed on the 30th of january 2005 outside Magennis' bar.
His murder had major repercussions for Sinn Fein, which at the time was involved in delicate political negotiations the incident force the organization to expeled 7 of its members.
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Putin calls to Strengthen and Renew Russian Defense

Moscow, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Minister of Defense, Serguei Shoigu, defined today as the main task of the Russian Armed Forces the strengthening of the country´s defensive capacity, in face of threats to the national strategic interests.
Cuerpo : 	Shoigu exposed military priorities during an extended ministerial meeting with the attendance of president Vladimir Putin.
Putin took advantage of the occasion to highlight Russia´s strategic interests are being threatened by plans of Arctic and cosmos militarization as well as the United States anti-missile shield, and the country needs strong and renewed armed forces, he affirmed.
There are systematic attempts, he indicated, of altering the strategic balance in one or another way and mentioned the start of the second phase of the anti-missile system, while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization keeps exploring the ground to advance east, he warned.
According to the head of State, the present geopolitical world situation demands that the Russian army reaches a totally innovative technological level in the next few years.
During the celebration of the Day of the Homeland Defense on the 23rd, Putin reaffirmed as main priority for the military the defensive development of the country.
The contemporary world is, unfortunately, very far from having a quiet and secure development. New conflicts are being added to the old ones, equally complex.
Instability grows in extensive regions of the world, reflected the President in his speech on the commemoration.
He demanded the Ministry of Defense to equip the troops with new weapons and to carry out strictly with the State rearming program.
Putin said that by 2015, the weight of last generation weapons should represent 30 per cent of total volume and toward 2020, reach 70 per cent.
Besides equipping the Army with modern weapons and technology, Putin indicated that over the next two years, a system of advanced research and innovations in the military science and technologies will be created.
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Libya's Former PM Tortured to Near Death Says Lawyer

Trípoli, 27 Feb (Prensa Latina) Libya's former Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi has been badly beaten by prison officers who tortured him in a Libyan prison, where he has been confined since 2012, his lawyer says.
According to Mahmoudi's defense attorney, the ally of late Muammar Gaddafi is in critical condition and can die from the injuries he received during tortures.
In September 2011, al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi fled for Tunisia, fearing revenge from Libyan rebels.
He was later arrested and deported back to Libya, where a court convicted the official of "threatening national security," a charge Mahmoudi denied.
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Spanish Painter Sorolla Works to Exhibition in the United States

Washington, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) An exhibition of the late Spanish painter Sorolla (1863-1923), inspired by the artist's views on USA, will tour several cities in the country as part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Sorolla visited USA twice, the first time was in 1909, to see cities like New York, Boston and Washington. There he met some friends, admirers of his work, who commissioned him many works.
Titled "Sorolla and America", the exhibition, which will showcase unreleased works, will open on 8 December in the Meadows Museum in Dallas and then will be in San Diego, Florida.
Sponsored by the Sorolla Museum Foundation, which perpetuates the artist's work, the exhibition will showcase four drawings for his book "Running down the beach," found in the Brooklyn Museum.
In recent statements to the press, his granddaughter, Blanca Pons-Sorolla member of the foundation that bears the name of the author of "The Fisherman" (1904) and "Walk on the Beach" (1909), highlighted a number of worldwide activities to commemorate the anniversary of one of the most universal painters, in Febrery. 27.
His native Spain, celebrate the event with an extensive program of activities. Museums of Valencia, Castellon and Alicante will exhibit some of his pieces.
The foundation is also working on the valuation of more than 5,000 drawings and editing letters from Clotilde, his wife, muse and model for several years.
Considered one of the most prolific Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla was also a graphic artist, and more than 2,000 pieces of his vast oeuvre has been t cataloged.
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Protest in Afghanistan Against US Military

Kabul, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Around 500 Afghans marched today in the capital of the province of Wardak to demand immediate withdrawal of the US military men, who according to reports, tortured and assassinated innocent civilians.
The demonstrators were carrying signs that read: "Death to the (US) special forces, "Death to America" and Death to Obama," Khaama Press news agency reported.
If they rule out our demand (that the US soldiers withdraw from Wardak), we will join the insurgent Taliban movement, said one of the demonstrators.
Another participant, Haji Abdul Qadim told the media that if the situation remains as it is (outrages by the occupying troops), the population would join the insurgency to face up to the abuse and violations by the US military men.
Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi announced on Sunday that the Pentagon's soldiers should abandon in two weeks the provinces of Wardak and Logar, where there have been reports of misconduct.
Afghan President Hamai Karzai's demand could complicate the negotiations with the White House, regarding the promise of withdrawing its troops from this Asian nation by the end of 2014.
Residents and officials from Wardak explained that small units of Afghans, trained by the US Special Forces, are operating illegally on their own and have arrested, tortured and assassinated innocent people.
Karzai's demand is because the occupying International Security Assistance Force has ruled out those complaints and reports by the populations of those provinces.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's command has put forward that it has not found so far any evidence of the reported bad behavior of its subordinates and that a commission composed of its experts and Afghan personnel would investigate the reports of the extrajudicial arrests, tortures and assassinations of civilians.
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Bank Deposits in Spain Fall after Two Months of Increase

Madrid, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Family and businesses deposits in Spanish banks have fall in January to 8.247.000 euros compared to December, after having two consecutive months of rises, informed today the Bank of Spain.
According to data provided by the central institution, the provisions of financial institutions totaled 1.457 billion euros in January 2013, compared to 1.551 billion a year ago.
In January 2011, banking deposits were reduced to 93.782 million euros, said the supervisor.
The certified fall in the first month of this year interrupts a positive series which began in October, and it is related to the general decline in profitability that institutions provide for these products.
After slightly reducing its volume in October, bank deposits grew in November and December and now and as happened in September, they fall into a collapse.
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Scientists Block Ebola and HIV Entry into Immune System Cells

London, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) European scientists blocked the entry of HIV and Ebola virus in a type of immune system cells of mammals, the journal Nature Communications published.
Through nanotechnology, researchers prevented both virus to interact with dendritic cells present in the mucosa and vital in the initiation of immune responses in the organisms.
Specialists modified outer layer of protein structure of a harmless virus with the same sugars which are present on the surface of HIV and Ebola, said the article.
The sugars interacted with the cellular receptor, the body's defense mechanism, preventing the viruses to used this receptor to enter cells, infecting and spread the disease, the publication said.
Experts estimate that human trials can take up to ten years, because the investigation is in the first phase, and scientists now manage the next step: working with small animals.
Experts estimate that the first human trials could begin in ten years, because the research is in the first phase, and scientists now arrange the next step: working with small animals.
According to analysts, the sugar-coated virus particles are a promising line of work and could be used to combat HIV infection and Ebola virus, comprising of components of microbicides.
Scientists also believe that these particles can become vehicles capable of delivering a drug to the damaged cells in cancer treatments.
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Ban Ki-moon Urges Solution Between Israel and Palestine

United Nations, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said today that the 2013 will be decisive for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and the end of 45 years of Israeli occupation.
He also reiterated his demand to Tel Aviv to cease building settlements in the Palestinian territories for being one of the greatest impediments to an eventual peaceful solution.
In a message to an international seminar held in Rome on assistance to the Palestinian people, the head of the UN stressed that these Israeli actions can not prejudge the outcome of negotiations, stalled since October 2010.
A failure to achieve tangible progress in the crisis will only mean more suffering, violence and instability in the entire region, he warned.
Ban warned of the severe financial situation in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and jeopardizes the significant achievements made in institution creation led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
In this regard, he called on donor countries, including the Arabs, to fulfill their promises and increase support to the PNA, and asked Israel to transfer resources belonging to the PNA for taxes and customs.
He also demanded the lifting of the six-years blockade by Israel on Gaza and said that the humanitarian situation in that territory is a priority for the UN.
Moreover, Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the recent death of Palestinian Arafat Jaradat, who was a prisoner in an Israeli jail under the so-called administrative detention, without charge or trial. He also required an urgent, transparent investigation resolve the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Jaradat died last Saturday at the Megiddo prison following his arrest five days earlier by throwing stones at Israeli troops in the West Bank and his body showed signs of torture, according to Palestinian sources.
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Prehistoric Fish with a Bite Like a Circular Saw

London, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) A fish with resemblance to a shark that lived 270 million years ago had a bite like the action of a circular saw, reported the journal Biology Letters.
When biting, the helicoprion´s teeth turned backwards the same way the saw does, described researchers of the Idaho State University in the United States, who reconstructed the three-dimensional aspect of the animal. With a size exceeding seven meters, the fish lacked of protruding teeth on the upper jaw, but the ones on the lower jaw were in spiral, which makes possible it was only able to capture soft preys, such as squids.
Its teeth with 15 to 18 pieces is one of the most unique in the animal kingdom and was a mystery for years, experts explained in the publication of the Royal Society of Great Britain.
Although helicoprion has been linked to sharks, it is related to the chimaeriformes, a subclass of cartilaginous fish.
Experts from the Natural History Museum of Idaho now create life-size reconstruction of a copy of almost four meters.
sgl/ef/ycf/rmh/mor

Syrian Rebels Torture Children to Blame Government

Mexico, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) The international support given today to Mexican workers was highlighted by Humberto Montes Oca, secretary of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Electricians Union (SME).
 The leader said at a press conference that the campaign called Day of Action in Solidarity with the Mexican Democratic Labor was conducted in 19 countries and many cities from February 19 to 24.
 He added that through various activities, the participants expressed their support for various struggles of Mexican workers.
 Among these reasons are the claims for justice for dismissed electricians, for the death of miners at Pasta de Conchos, the challenge to laws affecting workers and to reject neoliberal measures.
 The EMS manager also referred to activities they will carry out in the coming days to require solution to the demands of  workers who were laid off from Luz y Fuerza Company, which closed in 2009.
 He announced marches to the Interior Ministry, to the Zocalo and others that will leave from four states to Mexico City.
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Mediators Condition Sanctions Against Iran

Moscow, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated today that the sextet of international mediators proposed Iran to ease the sanctions in exchange for actions leading to suspend uranium enrichment.
 In Ryabkov´s opinión, the reprisals imposed by the Un Security Council will be eased Ander certain conditions, a step described as important by him in an assessment of the fourth round of negotiations with Tehran, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
 In remarks to agency ITAR-TASS, Ryabkov said that on the second day of the negotiations, Iran presented its first reactions and considerations in response to the package of initiatives from Baghdad.  ó We took that material to study it and work on it, ó  he said.    He added that the sextet put forward a series of measures to build mutual confidence.
 Ryabkov made clear that the sanctions would be eased and the Security Council would not apply additional punishment only if Tehran cuts off uranium enrichment up to 20 percent and research in the Fordow nuclear plant.
 The parties agreed on meeting again in Istanbul on March 18, and then hold another round of talks in Kazakhstan on April 5-6.
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Nanotechnology in Conservation of Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Rome, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Experts from nine countries develop a scientific project for the application of nanotechnology in the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage of humanity.
 Nano for Art Project promotes the use of nanoparticles in the protection and rescue of work of art, based on technology developed by Dr. Piero Baglioni, from the University of Florence, Italy.
 Italy, Spain, UK, France, Denmark, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia and Mexico are involved in the research promoted by Research Center for Colloids and Nanoscience at the university.
 Baglioni, Doctor in Physics and Chemistry, said the project was found in Florence at the beginning of last year and should be completed in 2014, with the validation of the technology.
 The professor used this method in the consolidation of the murals of the archaeological site of Calakmul, in the pre-Hispanic murals of Cacaxtla, Cholula, Tlatelolco, Mayapan and other regions of Mexico.
 The innovative technology was also applied in the cleaning of the frescoes of Masaccio, Lipi and Masolino at the Brancacci Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.
 This was also used in removing silicone resins of the cave murals of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel.
 Nanotechnology is the field of applied science that is dedicated to the control and manipulation of matter at the level of atoms and molecules.
 Its use has spread to several areas of society, such as medicine, technology, agriculture, biology and others.
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European Women Earn 16 Percent Less than Men

Brussels, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) Women of the European Union must work 59 days more than men to receive the same salary, because they earn on average 16.2 percent less, according to data released today by community organizations.
 These figures were published on the occasion of the European Day for Equal Pay, to be held tomorrow in the EU, aimed at raising awareness of the gap that still exists between men and women.
 According to the vice president of the European Commission (EC), who is also responsible for Justice, Viviane Reding, the celebrations will remember the conditions of wage inequality that women still face in the labor market.
 She added that although the gap narrowed in recent years, the change is due primarily to the reduction of the men salaries given the effect of the crisis, especially in traditionally male sectors such as construction and engineering.
 The principle of equal pay for equal work is included in the EU Treaties since 1957 and they must be implemented everywhere.
 The EC wants to support companies in reducing the wage gap through the Equality Pays Off Project, which aims to improve the women working potential, as well as contribute to increase the average employment rate to 75 percent .
 As part of the initiative, a business forum for some European 150 companies to discuss best practices for promoting gender equality and stop the causes of the pay gap will be held on 21 March in Brussels.
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UN Welcomes Iran/Group 5+1 Progress

United Nations, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed today the agreement reached by Iran and the Group 5=1 for new talks about the Iranian nuclear program.
 The UN secretary general met in Vienna with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, with whom he discussed the issue, as well as the crisis in Syria and other regional topics, according to the UN official spokesman Martin Nesirky.
 In a communiqué, Nesirky said Ban feels encouraged because of the setting of dates and venues to continue the contacts, as agreed in the talks held recently in Almaty, Kazakhstan, attended by Iran and the representatives of the five permanent members of the Un Security Council (the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China) plus Germany.
 According to Nesirky, Ban highlighted the need to speed up the negotiations and also for Iran to  ó gain international trust. ó  
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