US says hunger strike grows to 21 at Guantanamo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Guantanamo Bay prison spokesman says 21 men are on hunger strike in a widening protest at the U.S. base in Cuba.

Navy Capt. Robert Durand says eight men are being fed with a liquid nutrient mix to prevent dangerous weight loss. Two men are at the prison hospital being treated for dehydration. The military says none are in immediate danger from the strike.

Lawyers for prisoners say the men are protesting their indefinite confinement and what they consider intrusive searches of their Qurans.

Durand said previously that only a handful of prisoners met the military definition of hunger strike, which includes missing nine consecutive meals. The number grew to 14 on Friday and reached 21 on Monday. Lawyers say the strike is more widespread than the military acknowledges.

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Brazil's GDP grows 0.9 percent in 2012

SAO PAULO (AP) — The Brazilian government says the country's gross domestic product grew just 0.9 percent in 2012. It's the worst result since 2009, when the economy contracted 0.3 percent.

In 2011, GDP grew 2.7 percent and in 2010 it expanded 7.5 percent.

The IBGE statistics bureau says Friday on its website that the service sector posted the best performance last year, growing 1.7 percent. Industrial output dropped 0.8 percent and agricultural production fell 2.3 percent.

The IBGE says the country's GDP totaled 4.4 trillion reals ($2.2 trillion) last year, while per capita GDP amounted to 22,400 reals ($11,200).

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