Brazilian takes helm of WTO

Geneva, Switzerland – BRAZIL'S Roberto Azevedo will take the helm of the World Trade Organization, diplomats said yesterday, confirming the Latin American giant's new status as a global power. Azevedo, currently Brazil's ambassador to the 159-nation WTO, narrowly pipped the former Mexican trade chief and heavyweight negotiator Herminio Blanco in a final round, sources familiar with the closed-door contest said, after seven other candidates stumbled earlier in the race. Azevedo and Blanco's aides emerged tight-lipped from a meeting with Pakistan's ambassador Shahid Bashir, who heads the WTO's governing body, the General Council.