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03/19/13- Prensa Latina (Habana) - DIRECT FROM HAVANA, PM

LATIN AMERICAN NEWS AGENCY, SA
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Evening Transmission
Tuesday, March 19, 2013    

CUBA NEWS
  Cycling Tour in Cuba in Solidarity With Cuban 5
Computerization of Health is Highlighted at International Congress
XV Cuban Edition of Marathon Terry Fox Rescheduled
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN STORIES
  Petrocaribe  s Contribution in Jamaica Highlighted
Bahamas Posts Tourist Arrivals Record in 2012
Panama Identifies Two More Clostridium-Difficile-Bacterium Cases
Venezuelan Pollster Favors Maduro in Electoral Survey
Dom Rep Apprehends Members in Child Prostitution Ring
Earthquake in Dominican Republic
Ecuadorian FM on Caribbean Tour Before OAS Meeting
Latin American Parliamentarians to Meet in Quito
OTHER INTERNATIONAL STORIES
EU Donates Seven Million Euros for Palestinian Development in Area C 
Violence Wave Suspends Elections in Two Iraqi Provinces
CNN Poll: Obama  s Approval Rate Drops
OECD Warns France About Need to Implement More Economic Reforms
Laos Considers Regional Single Visa to Increase Tourism
Australia to Build Highest Skycraper in Southern Hemisphere
Serbia and Kosovo to Analyze Their Autonomy
Angolan President Receives UAE FM
Expansion of Health Services in Angola
Forum Calls for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in USA
India and Egypt Sign Agreements
Most Zimbabweans for Amendments to the Constitution
Use of Chemical Weapons a Crime, Says Syrian Minister
FULL STORIES
CUBA NEWS
    Cycling Tour in Cuba in Solidarity With Cuban 5
Havana, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) A group of young people carries out a cycling tour of Cuba in defense of the five antiterrorist fighters of the Caribbean island unjustly held in the United States, the national press releases today.

 The tour, started in Punta de Maisi, in the easternmost Cuban region, is included among the actions to demand the release of Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, detained in 1998 for monitoring terrorist groups that from Miami prepare actions against their country.

 The cyclists, five young people from the eastern Guantanamo province, expect during his tour to visit historical and educational sites.

 According to Juventud Rebelde newspaper, the tour includes more than 1,600 kilometers.

 Joshua Gainza, president of La Farola cycling club, told the daily that the objectives of the tour is to join more people to the campaign for the release and return to Cuba of the five antiterrorist fighters.

 Gerardo, Ramon, Antonio and Fernando are still serving harsh sentences, while Rene was forced by U.S. authorities to stay three more years in that northern nation under supervised release after completing his prison term in October 2011.

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Computerization of Health is Highlighted at International Congress
Havana, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Ninth International Conference on Health Informatics was inaugurated here today with a conference on the challenges of Cuba in the application of new technologies in medicine.

 Alfredo Rodriguez, president of the organizing committee, told Prensa Latina that the computerization of the Cuban health system is doing very well compared to global standards.

 " In international events and conferences people get amazed at our accomplishments, Cuba is using the latest technology in integration and functionality," said Rodriguez, whose conference sparked debates.

 He stated that Cubans are very well positioned in relation to other countries in software programming and training in their use, despite the lack of latest technologies.

 According to the expert, the biggest challenge is to achieve and maintain a consistency in these services: Cuba has a network of 53 computerized hospitals, and works in the interconnectedness of all its medical institutions.

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XV Cuban Edition of Marathon Terry Fox Rescheduled
Havana, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Marathon Terry Fox, which Cuban version has the largest attendance worldwide, was rescheduled for next Saturday nationwide without affecting the massive influx of domestic and foreign runners, organizers announced today. According to statements by the director general of Maracuba Marabana Project, Carlos Gattorno, this fifteenth edition of the also called Marathon of Hope this time suffered a change of date from February 9 to coming Saturday and will be unified with the Youth Race, scheduled above for the 31st of this month.
Gattorno, member of the Organizing Committee of this traditional event, recalled that the marathon will begin this Saturday simultaneously throughout the country, at 10:00 local time, which will be broadcast on the radio station Radio Reloj.
Fox died at 22 after suffering cancer for four years, but first he starred in a feat to walk an average of 42 miles a day in 143 days with a prosthesis on his right leg.
The Terry Fox XV will happen again like every year in honor of the famous disabled runner with the goal of raising funds for research against this scourge and will feature a diverse program of activities.

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Use of Chemical Weapons a Crime, Says Syrian Minister
Damascus, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Information Minister, Omran al-Zoghbi, described today as a terrible crime and a dangerous escalation of conflict the launching of a missile with chemical substances by insurgents, killing 26 people and wounding another 86. 
In the town of Khan al'Asal, in northern Aleppo province, banned weapons were used and the international community must act and assume its responsibility, as must the countries that fund, arm and shelter terrorists, denounced al-Zoghbi.
For half a century, no chemical weapon had been used publicly this way, from an area where there are Western and Turkish intelligence systems, groups belonging to terrorist Al-Qaeda network and other armed groups, he said.
Ina press conference in this capital, the Information minister warned that the use of chemical weapons by the so-called insurgency represents a dangerous turn in the course of events in Syria, both from the security and the military points of view.
He said medical staff in Aleppo is on maximum alert and most wounded, including those very seriously wounded, are in the University Hospital.
Al-Zoghbi rejected the accusation launched for several months against Damascos that it might use chemical weapons against the population, as stated by the United States and its European partners.
"If Syria would have had chemical weapons, it would never use them on moral, humanitarian and political grounds because we respect the agreements and protocols signed in this regard," he said.
"Our media organizations are interviewing victims and taping their testimonies to reveal to the public opinion the truth of what happened there," he stated.
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN STORIES
    Petrocaribe  s Contribution in Jamaica Highlighted
Kingston, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Since the implementation of the Petrocaribe agreement in 2005, through January 2013, Jamaica has received financial support of 2.4 billion USD from Venezuela, officials said today.

 The CEO of Petrocaribe  s Development Fund Wesley Hughes, who administers the facilities in Jamaica, noted that the resources allocated in this period have helped finance projects at the community and national levels.

 He highlighted two programs that were developed in conjunction with Jamaica's Social Investment Fund for Sanitation from a memorandum of understanding signed in 2011, amounting to 200 million USD.

  ó These programs allowed the modernization of 26 schools located in 11 parishes ó , said Hughes, quoted by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

 He added that about 3,287 students have benefited with the improved of sanitation facilities, including septic tanks, toilets and ramps to facilitate access for people with physical disabilities.

 Another innovation is the construction of 100 toilets and communal showers in several urban areas of Kingston and St. Andrew.

 Hughes noted that the partnership between the two entities is aimed at creating jobs, expanding training opportunities, promoting rural development and creating small and medium enterprises, from Petrocaribe funds.

 He also added that the 2.4 billion USD are a loan payable within 25 years, with an interest rate of one-percent per year, which he described as  ó significant assistance ó  by the Venezuelan government, including the late President Hugo Chavez, to whom Jamaica has a debt of gratitude.

  ó President Chavez was a visionary in driving Petrocaribe, a regional agreement that has benefited many Caribbean countries, especially in these hard times we are experiencing, ó  said Hughes.

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Bahamas Posts Tourist Arrivals Record in 2012
Nassau, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Bahamas   Minister of Tourism, Obie Wilchcombe, has announced that his country posted a record total of 5.9 million visitors in 2012.

 The on-line Caribbean News quoted Obie Wilchcombe as saying that the number of tourists in 2011 was 5.5 million and  íthey are heading to 7 million within two years.

 Addressing the Parliament, Wilchcombe said that preliminary data reveal that the cost of vacationing in the Bahamas increased in 2012, chiefly in cruiser passengers.

 He added that in that period the tourist sector reported a 7.3 percent increase ad predicted that it continue increasing this year.

 Even though, Wilchcombe said that visitors to the country are seeking better service, more entertainment, more culture and lower prices.

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Panama Identifies Two More Clostridium-Difficile-Bacterium Cases
Panama, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The panamanian health authorities reported two new cases of infection with the bacterium Clostridium difficile at the regional hospital Rafael Hernandez in the city of David, in the province of Chiquiri.

 Erik Miranda, director-general of the Social Security Fund (CSS), confirmed that the new cases were detected on Monday and they are elderly patients. He also said one of them is a man that was recently hospitalized with diarrhea symptoms.

 The official accepted that they have some patient readmittances and two of them returned to hospital with other pathologies and died, according to the autopsies, although he clarified that they have kept the sick patients in isolation to avoid propagation to other wards.

 He explained that since 2012 in Chquiri, they have reported 60 cases of Clostridium difficile. Since then, 12 people have died in that province, while five others have died in Colon in the same period of time.

 Although the bacterium lives in human beings, the Health Ministry said, few cases have been taken to hospital by the community and more than 50 have been infected in hospitals.

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Venezuelan Pollster Favors Maduro in Electoral Survey
Caracas, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Venezuelan acting President, Nicolás Maduro, has the preference of voters for the elections of April 14, revealed today a study by Hinterlaces pollster.

 According to the result of a survey conducted between March 11 and 16, if the elections were today, Maduro would get the support of 53 percent of those who exercise their right to vote.

 Meanwhile, the opposition Henrique Capriles has the support of 35 percent, hence the Socialist candidate has a 18 points lead.

 Furthermore, regardless of the electoral preference, 61 percent consider that Maduro will win the elections compared to 21 percent of the right-wing candidate.

 The survey done by Hinterlaces, with a confidence level of 95 percent, also showed that 69 percent of respondents considered positive the administration of President Hugo Chavez, who died last March 5.

 In addition, 70 percent said that the Bolivarian Revolution has helped Venezuela.

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Dom Rep Apprehends Members in Child Prostitution Ring
Santo Domingo, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) A court in the Dominican Republic imposed a  coercive measure of 18 months in prison to members of a network dedicated to recruiting minors for prostitution, media sources reported today.

 The three suspects, including a woman,   transported several girls from the northwest province of Santiago to the tourist area of La Romana, in the southeast, to implement the illegal business.

 According to sources, the joint operations of the attorney ó s offices in both demarcations allowed thwart the actions of the defendants.

 During a raid at a bar called La Makina, in La Romana, the children were rescued and received medical and psychological care before returning to their families.

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Earthquake in Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) An earthquake of 4.2 degrees on the Richter scale occurred today at 42 km north of Samaná, capital of the homonymous province of Dominican Republic.

 According to the Seismological Institute of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, the quake was registered at 11:05 local time (15:05 GMT) at a depth of 38 km.

 So far, there are no reports of human or material damage, although the phenomenon was perceived in several parts in the north.

 Last March 2, three earthquakes of 4, 3.4 and 3.8 degrees in the before mentioned scale were also registered in Samana and the neighboring province of Maria Trinidad Sanchez.

 As a member of the Caribbean island of La Española, shared with Haiti,the Dominican Republic is exposed to several tectonic fault.

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Ecuadorian FM on Caribbean Tour Before OAS Meeting
Quito, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño met with high officials from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados prior to the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, to be held in Washington on March 22, reported official sources here.

 The objective of his Caribbean tour is to inform the authorities about agreements reached in Guayaquil by member states on the necessary reforms to the Inter-American Human Rights System.

 Yesterday, Patino met with Prime Minister Ralf Gonsalves (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) and with Foreign Ministers Winston Dookeran (Trinidad and Tobago) and Maxine MacClean (Barbados), an official communiqué said.

 In the meetings, the officials agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and committed to examine thoroughly the Declaration of the Conference of Signatory States of the American Human Rights Convention signed in Guayaquil.

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Latin American Parliamentarians to Meet in Quito
Quito, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Latin American and Caribbean Geopolitical Group (GRULAC), presided over by Fernando Cordero, president of the Ecuadorian parliament, will be in session in this capital on Thursday, prior to the beginning on Friday of the 128th World  Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly.

 With a tight agenda, GRULAC meeting will take place in the Quorum Conference Center in Cumbaya, in the outskirts of the capital city, the day before to the opening of the world event that summoned 1,200 delegates.

 The 128th UIP Assembly will be opened on Friday by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa before 43 parliament presidents and will focus on the topic: From endless growth to development with aims, good living, new approaches, new solutions.

 The delegates will contribute ideas about how efficiency, quality and good direction by democratic States will influence in a world-development context after 2015, the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals and people's welfare in general.

 They will also tackle other important international issues, including how parliamentarians could protect the lives of civilians, an issue included appropriately in an urgent-point proposal about Syria.

 Other proposals to be discussed about the urgent point include protection of the human rights of homosexuals, punishment to deliberate destruction of world cultural heritage and about the rights of disabled children.

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OTHER INTERNATIONAL STORIES
 EU Donates Seven Million Euros for Palestinian Development in Area C
Brussels, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The European Union (EU) agreed today to provide $7 million euros ($9 million USD) to support the Palestinian presence and promote economic development in the disputed Area C of the West Bank, which is controlled by Israel.



 The agreement was signed in Brussels by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who is here to attend a meeting with the donor group for the Palestinian people.

 Ashton said at a press conference that the agreement aims to support the Palestinian presence and promote social and economic development in Area C.

 "I hope to work constructively with all partners for a significant change in Area C," Ashton added.

 According to Ashton, the bloc intends to focus its efforts in that territory, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in order to promote sustainable economic development and the strengthening of social cohesion.

 Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prime Minister thanked the EU for its funding for projects in Area C, which is important to the political and economic viability of the future Palestinian State.

 For that reason, he thanked the EU for the approval of its bilateral cooperation plan with the Palestinian Authority.

 The so-called Area C, with various natural resources and agricultural land, is an area controlled by Israel, which has carried out several evictions in Palestinian residential areas.

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Violence Wave Suspends Elections in Two Iraqi Provinces
Baghdad, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Iraqi government suspended today provincial elections in Ninive and Al Anbar amid the attacks that have killed over 50 people, according to provisional figures.

 The wave of explosions caused by car bombs and suicidal attackers began in the morning and since then, the death toll and the figure of those injured have increased from 13 to 23 and then to 56, according to official reports that note nearly 171 people were injured, many of them are in serious conditions since the attacks occurred in crowded places such as bus stops and restaurants.

 The attacks occurred prior to the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion to overthrow the government of Saddam Hussein, and its consequences have been devastating for the country.

 A different attack was registered in Kirkuk city, where violence has prevailed through dynamite and armed attacks against officials and pro-governmental militias, as well as against members of the Army and the Police.

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CNN Poll: Obama  s Approval Rate Drops
Washington, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Less than half of US citizens consider that US President Barack Obama is doing a good job in office, the latest CNN/ORC International poll revealed today.

 According to the poll, 47 percent of those surveyed approved of the job the president is doing in office in the third week of March, down eight points since the start of the year.

 Also, this is the first time since September 2012 that Obama has obtained a job approval rating of less than 50 percent, while  41 percent of those surveyed have a favorable impression of the Republican Party.

 The same poll showed that 48 percent of those surveyed disapproved the bipartisan government system prevailing in the U.S.

 More than 55 percent of the surveyed said that Obama is not doing enough to collaborate with his political opponents in negotiations to resolve the country  s debt problem.

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OECD Warns France About Need to Implement More Economic Reforms
Paris, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned France today the economy growth will be less than expected, a situation that will force to implement more budget reforms.

 In a report made public in Paris by the organization, a slight 0.1 percent increase of the Gross Domestic Product is expected this year, instead of the 0.3 percent estimated by a previous study.

 The lack of growth will increase the fiscal deficit and new austerity measures will be needed, noted OECD, but warned about the risks of implementing more drastic cuts in social expenses though.

 According to OECD estimates, the GDP will show a recovery in 2014 with a 1.3 percent increase.

 The only good news for the government of Francois Hollande is that the growing unemployment rate could stabilize in December by 11,25 percent of the working-age population.

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Laos Considers Regional Single Visa to Increase Tourism
Vientiane, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Laos plans to follow the steps of Cambodia and Thailand that agreed a single visa to attract more foreign visitors and give a favorable upturn to the increasing tourist industry in the Indochina peninsula.

 The consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Relations said to Vientiane Times journal that a delegation will be sent to Phnom Penh to study this bilateral experience and the procedure to facilitate the flow of travelers.

 During the fifth meeting of Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) that took place last week in this country, representatives of tourism in the mentioned nations together with Myanmar and Vietnam joined to discuss the single visa issue.

 President of ACMECS, Kissana Vongsay said that the generalization of this initiative could help to promote the concept  ó five countries, one destination. ó  

Particularly to Laos, this kind of visa would be an incentive for more people to visit the country and was already considered in the Tourism Forum of the South Asian Nation Association (Asean) in November 2012 in this capital city, said the executive of the National Association of Travel Agents, Khamtanh Keungpan Nha.

 Without direct flights from many tourist senders, Laos may benefit from the visas granted in other regional countries and fall within the destination circuits, said experts on the leisure industry.

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Australia to Build Highest Skycraper in Southern Hemisphere
Canberra, Mar 20 (Prensa Latina) The highest building in the southern hemisphere, 1,109 feet high, will be built in Melbourne, Australia, reported today its creator, architect Nonda Katsalidis.

 The 108-story skycraper, named Australia 108 and inspired in the national flag, will be home to a 300-room hotel and residential floors, said Katsalidis in a report released by ABC network.

 The work is scheduled to be completed in four years and a half, said the architect.

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Serbia and Kosovo to Analyze Their Autonomy
Belgrade, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Serbia and Kosovo will analyze tomorrow the autonomy of the Kosovo Serb community in the seventh round of talks between both sides in Brussels, the media announced today in this capital.

 Sponsored by the European Union (EU), Belgrade and Pristina should decide during the talks the kind and degree of competence of autonomous authorities for around 20,000 Serbians concentrated in the northern area of the province of Kosovo, among other issues.

 Serbia is demanding that the government consider political and legal privileges in the municipalities where Kosovo Serbs are the majority, something that Pristina has objected so far.

 In case that an agreement is reached in tomorrow's round of talks in Brussels, Serbia could be closer of an agreement for stability and cooperation with the EU, said in Pristina the Commissioner for Extension of the Community bloc Stefan Fuele, who met yesterday with the Serbian government.

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Angolan President Receives UAE FM
Luanda, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) President José Eduardo dos Santos and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussed here today the prospects for economic, financial and political cooperation between both states.

 At the end of a meeting with President Dos Santos at the Presidential Palace, the UAE Foreign minister said Dos Santos hoped to keeping alive the will to boost bilateral collaboration.

 In remarks to journalists, the visitor also considered worrying the situation of instability in regions like the Horn of Africa, home to Somalia, which affects regional maritime security, thus hitting petroleum exporting countries like Angola and the UAE.

 A note from the Angolan Foreign Ministry said the UAE representative ó s stay in Luanda is part of relations of cooperation between the two countries.

 Other objectives include examining business opportunities between Angola and the UAE in fields like agriculture and oil, and discussing issues like security in the Horn of Africa and the impact of climate change on Africa.

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Expansion of Health Services in Angola
Luanda, Mar, 19 (Prensa Latina) Health services expand in Angola, reaching municipalities while creating the infrastructures, said today the Minister of Health, Jose Van Dunem.

 After an extended council of this institution in the southern province of Benguela, the minister of health highlighted that in 2012 this African country modernized 198 health units and built 256 doctor's offices.

 He also said that municipalization, which brings medical assistance to towns and neighborhoods has as main objectives the promotion and protection of human health and the diagnosis, treatment and improvement of basic infrastructure, he said.

 National policy on health, that includes the human resource formation, prioritizes the medical assistance of the most vulnerable people, the elderly, children and women.

 Despite the improvement of health indicators, Angola shows a high infant and maternal mortality rate, together with an elevated incidence of infectious and parasitic diseases, warned recently the Secretary of State for Health Carlos Alberto Masseca.

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Forum Calls for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in USA
Washington, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Feminist and pro-immigrant organization We Belong Together (WBT) in Washington today completed its second day of community activism to demand comprehensive reform for the benefit of millions of undocumented foreigners.

 In the United States, immigrant women are subject to an almost total lack of civil rights and resource-poor legal protection, according to testimony from experts and victims of this situation, the organization said in a public statement.

 We call on the administration of President Barack Obama and federal lawmakers to prioritize the demands of women and dictate an appropriate plan for solving the immigration dilemma in this country, says the group.

 We Belong Together is an initiative of the National Alliance of Domestic Workers and the National Forum of Asian-American women, which also involved other feminist and civil rights organizations from a dozen states.

 It is obvious that the current immigration system is not working properly, it needs a comprehensive reform that includes a fair process which takes into account that immigrant women should have the same opportunities, they and their families, said Ai-Jen Poo, one of the WBT delegates.

 Among other demands, the forum asked Washington to keep immigrant families together, recognize the contributions of women's work, protecting survivors of violence and human trafficking, and legally protect immigrant families with fewer resources.

 Obama met last February with representatives of trade unions and the private sector to look for support for new projects related legislative illegal immigration and the Hispanic community in the United States.

 He also met at the White House with representatives of industrial corporations, with whom he discussed the impact of illegal workers, 11 million, in domestic in macroeconomic expansion.

 According to reports, Obama outlines a bill that combines increased border security, especially with Mexico, with a possible option of citizenship for some people among the many undocumented.

 One obstacle in the immigration issue is the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, who opposes the idea of citizenship and considers this variant as a virtual amnesty for illegal foreigners.

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India and Egypt Sign Agreements
New Delhi, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Egypt and India signed today seven agreements in several sectors of common interest, shared views on international issues and explored the possibilities to strengthen their relations, taken them to the strategic partnership status.

 In a press conference at the end of their talks here, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Indian Premier Manmohan Singh said top have agreed also on increasing cooperation in defense and international forums like the United Nations.

 Singh said Morsi ó s visit would be more appreciated as it comes amid a complex situation in Egypt, and expressed confidence that the process of transition in the Arab nation will be  ó an important model to the region and the world. ó  

Morsi said to have agreed with his host to give a new boost to economic, commercial, political, military and cultural exchanges so that they reach the level of strategic partnership.

 The agreements and memorandums of understanding signed by ministers from the two countries include the fields of information technologies, information science security, renewable energy, services, electronics, small and medium-sized businesses, manufacturing industry and fertilizers.

 The two nations also agreed to increase the levels of cooperation in programs of socioeconomic development, education, agriculture, health and defense, and agreed to reaffirm their support to the creation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State and to a negotiated solution to the Syrian conflict.

 They agreed to intensify their efforts on matters affecting developing countries and increase their coordination in the United Nations, the Group of 77, the Non Aligned Movement and other international forums and bodies.

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Most Zimbabweans for Amendments to the Constitution
Harare, Mar 19 (Prensa Latina) Most Zimbabweans who voted yes in the referendum to approve the draft of a new constitution that limited to two consecutive presidential term, the Election Commission announced today.

 In total, 3,079,966 electors voted on Saturday for the change in the constitution and 179,489 voted no, while 56,627 ballots were invalidated, from a total of almost six million people registered.

 The new constitution will now be endorsed by the National Assembly and once endorsed by parliamentarians, it will pave the way for presidential elections later this year.

 Among other changes, the text removes the prime minister position, currently occupied by Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opponent of President Robert Mugabe.

 After finishing the violent 2008 election campaign, the main opposition forces, supported by neighboring countries agreed to establish a national unity government that maintained their differences.

 Charity Charamba, spokesman for the National Police, told reporters yesterday that the referendum went smoothly, even though people tried to alter the order in some parts of the country.

 The spokesman stressed that the police are concerned about the way in which some sections of the media are trying to incite violence in peaceful scenarios.

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