It has sought to become influential in the region by supporting the principle of integrating Latin American countries into an autonomous group, independent of the United States or any world power.

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But a bigger leap was just announced: The jointly funded Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation and Assessment (ASTRAEA) group in the U.K. is going to begin autonomous flight trials using a 19-seat Jetstream 31 commuter aircraft.

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As a group of islands they are fully autonomous in internal affairs and constitutionally equal with the Netherlands.

UNESCO: Introduction

The group also operates on a system of autonomous profit centers.

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The National Autonomous University of Honduras said that only people murdered in San Pedro Sula were tallied in the group's report -- and that in fact the actual murder rate in the city is even higher.

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Writing in Evolution and Human Behaviour Victoria Reyes-Garcia, of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and her colleagues describe a study they carried out on the Tsimane', a group of Amerindians who live in Bolivia's slice of the Amazonian rainforest.

ECONOMIST: Your parents were right. Patience is a virtue