Press Interpreter

09/26/06 -- The Government increased the monthly bonus to be given to the workers that chose to keep working after completed 40 years of deductions, according to the agreement proposal about the Social Security reform, to which Lusa* had access.

The organisation monitors cases of abuse and violation of children’s rights in armed conflicts of which children become victims

07/25/06 -- Two million children have died in various conflicts in recent years, whereas millions more have been forced to flee their homes, according to the figures given by the UN. The Security Council has recently held a meeting, open to the general public, to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the adoption of the 1612 Resolution, which laid foundation to the system of monitoring and compiling data to prevent abuses and violations of which children become victims in armed conflicts.

• The government obtained parliamentary approval in May 2005 to open a dialogue with ETA* if it laid down its arms.

• The daily "Gara" will publish a new statement by the terrorist organization tomorrow.

03/22/05 -- MADRID -- The terrorist organization ETA has announced a "permanent cease-fire" in a statement sent to Basque Public Television (EITB). "The object of this decision is to motivate a democratic process in Euskal Herria,**" added the "message" delivered "to the Basque people." "Overcoming the conflict, here and now, is possible. This is the desire and the will of ETA," the group affirmed.

03/15/06 -- After an operation in the Rocinha [neighborhood], the arms were located in a track on the "Road of the Canoes" -- It took twelve days of searches in 16 slums of the city, more than five clashes with traffickers and four blockades of access roads to Rio [de Janeiro]. Early last night, after more than nine hours of occupation in Rocinha, in São Conrado, the Military Command of the East (CML)* announced the recovery of the ten rifles and 9mm pistol stolen on March 3 from the Central Establishment of Transports (ECT)** of the Army, in São Cristóvão. According to military officials, the weapons were found with the help of the interception of anonymous reports by the sector of intelligence of corporations.

03/08/06 -- Rio [De Janeiro] -- The army has been carrying out blitzes on four access roads to Rio de Janeiro since the early morning hours on Wednesday, with the collaboration of the Federal Highway Police. The operation is part of the mission to recover ten rifles and a pistol stolen last Saturday from a barracks in the neighborhood of São Cristóvão, in the north zone.

01/29/06 -- At least 66 people died and over 140 were injured in Saturday’s construction disaster in Katowice. An efficient search action ended after many hours on Sunday afternoon.

President Lech Kaczynski announced three days of national mourning.

12/03/05 -- Manfred Nowak, Special Envoy to the UN Human Rights Commission, confirmed yesterday while in Peking that the use of torture is widespread in China. He accused Hu Jintao’s government of obstructing the organization’s work during its twelve day stay.

11/23/05 -- China's marine economy has maintained growth with great momentum in recent years. As disclosed by relevant authorities of the State Oceanographic Bureau, the added value of China's marine industry for the year 2005 is expected to reach 4% of China's GDP of the same period. The "blue economy" has become a new booster of the country's economy.

11/16/05 -- With the support of the international community, the [Guatemalan] government can continue delivering supplies to those affected by Hurricane Stan, assured Roberto González Díaz-Durán.

The availability of food provisions for the next four months lets us affirm that the threat is under control, according to the Coordinator of the Reconstruction Program.

11/10/05 -- SÃO PAULO - The ex-boxer Mike Tyson was charged with assault and battery after attacking a cameraman in a São Paulo nightclub early Thursday morning. At police headquarters, Tyson, the former boxing world champion, admitted the assault on cameraman Carlos Melo, of SBT*, and explained that he had asked photographers not to take any pictures. He will make a court appearance on Friday to receive his sentence, which could be a charitable donation, performance of community service, or payment of a fine.

11/09/05 -- The Secretary of Social Development*, Josefina Vázquez Mota, said that 2 billion pesos will need to be added to the 8.5 billion approved by the National Disaster Fund (Fonden) for reconstruction in Chiapas**. She said that so far the Secretary of the Treasury has already authorized the 380 million [pesos] requested last week as a budget surplus.

10/31/05 -- Madrid -- Princess Letizia gave birth early this morning, via cesarean section, to a baby girl in Madrid's Ruber Clinic. Around 12:30 p.m., the royal couple arrived * at the hospital to see their seventh grandchild. The birth of the first child of the Prince and Princess of Asturias, whose name is Leonor and who is second in the line of succession, reopens the debate over whether an urgent reform to the Constitution is necessary.

11/04/05 -- From the Americans’ point of view holding Al Qaeda prisoners captive in Poland doesn't make sense. The CIA has a range of other, much safer options for where to locate these camps.

Two days after the Washington Post's and Human Rights Watch's revelations about secret prisons in Poland we still don’t have any, even indirect, proof of their existence. Instead we have a scandal reaching ever-widening circles and already seriously harmful to the image of our country.

10/17/05 -- By distributing free strings, the City Party of Enschede tries to hook up unemployed women with single men.

The initiative is a playful reaction at plans of the local Liberal Party VVD to hook up unemployed women with single men with the help of the city, in order for them not to be dependent on unemployment benefits any longer.

10/08/05 -- A court has ruled that by refusing Malgorzata S. the right to an abortion, a hospital forced her to give birth to a child. She is to be paid 6,500 zlotys [about 2,000 US dollars] of compensation.

10/08/05 –- The conflict between Al Qaeda and the West should be solved by peace negotiations under the auspices of an independent mediator, says Dutch princess Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld.

“Western heads of state must take steps. They should talk to Al Qaeda and, in so doing, demonstrate that they can break through the classic enemy image with open talks�, says Irene, thereby distancing herself from the tough talk on the eradication of terrorism used this week by U.S. President Bush.

06/27/05 -- This Monday, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked Minister of Justice
Marcio Tomaz Bastos and Chief Minister of the Federal Investigations Bureau (Controladoria Geral da União) Waldir Pires for a report on the status of the government corruption investigations.** Lula will meet the two Ministers early this afternoon.