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WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the Republican National Committee on Saturday scolding one of his potential successors circulated among members for a CD that included a song entitled "Barack the black magic."

Chip Saltsman, who aspires to the post, sent committee members a CD of 41 tracks on the right-wing comedian Paul Shanklin, which includes the controversial song about the president-elect Barack Obama.

"The elections of 2008 were a wake-up call for Republicans to attract more people to our party," said the president of NBC, Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, said in a statement. "I am outraged and dismayed that anyone thinks that this is appropriate since it obviously does not lead us in the right direction."

The song originated in the radio program's wing commentator Rush Limbaugh, alluding to an opinion column in the newspaper Los Angeles Times by David Ehrenstein, entitled "Obama the 'Black Magic'" (Obama, the black magic). Ehrenstein argues that by voting for Obama, whites relieve their feelings of guilt for the evils of racism.

The parody takes the music of "Puff, The Magic Dragon", a popular nursery rhyme.

"Paul Shanklin is an old friend and I think that members of the NBC have enough sense of humor and wisdom to recognize that their songs for the program of Rush Limbaugh parodies policies are happy," said Saltsman to The Hill, a newspaper in Washington that published a note on the CD on Friday.

Saltsman led the presidential campaign of former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli Hunts launched on Saturday and the morning of Sunday, more than 100 tons of bombs on security installations in Gaza, which left at least 230 Palestinians dead, in what represents one of the Offensive bloodiest in decades in the conflict in the Middle East.

The Israeli government said that the attack marked the beginning of a campaign to halt rocket attacks and mortars that have traumatized southern Israel.

Killed at least 230 Palestinians, mostly militia members, and over 400 were injured in one of the bloodiest days in decades of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians. The Israelis were killed and six wounded.

The assault triggered unprecedented protests throughout the Arab world. Many Western allies of Israel called for restraint, although the United States blamed Hamas for the fighting.

But there was no end in sight. The first round of attacks began around noon on Saturday, followed by successive waves that continued until the early hours of Sunday.

Israel hinted it would pursue the leaders of Hamas, and the militiamen were still firing a barrage of rockets. Armored units and infantry moved toward the Israeli border with Gaza in preparation for a possible ground offensive, officers said on condition of anonymity imposed by military regulations.

In the first attack Sunday morning, Israeli aircraft destroyed a mosque near the Shifa hospital in Gaza city, Palestinian sources said. There were no initial reports of casualties and the army made no statements.

In a televised statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the aim was to "provoke a fundamental improvement in the security situation of the inhabitants of the south," adding that "could take some time."

The attacks caused great panic and confusion in Gaza, while clouds of black smoke rose over the territory, ruled by Hamas for about 18 months. Some of the Israeli missiles fell in densely populated areas at a time when children were leaving school, and women took to the streets searching frantically for their children. At least 15 civilians died, according to the sources.

The militiamen often operate against Israel from civilian areas, which has caused great mortality in the population over the reprisal of the Jewish state. On Saturday night, Israeli forces flooded the phones of people in Gaza with messages in Arabic that called for moving away from the houses where they might have caches of weapons of the militiamen.

The offensive began eight days after the end of a six-month truce between Israel and the militia. According to the Israeli army, militiamen fired about 300 rockets and mortars against Israeli targets last week and 10 times that number throughout the year.

"There is a time for calm and there is a time to fight, and now it's time to fight. The operation will be expanded if needed," said the Israeli minister of defense, Ehud Barak, during a press conference.

The leaders of the Jewish state had threatened a large-scale offensive.

Hamas said that it will avenge, not only with rocket attacks, but sending suicide commandos to Israel. "Hamas will continue the resistance until their last drop of blood," said Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, told a radio station in Gaza.

When asked whether Israel could now continue their attacks against political leaders in Gaza, the military spokeswoman Avital Leibovitz said: "Any installation of Hamas is a target."

In the main complex of security forces in Gaza City, they found the bodies of more than a dozen uniformed police officers lying on the floor. A survivor lifted the official rate, in a defiant show of faith to the Muslim style. The police chief in Gaza was among the dead.

Protests erupted into Israel, both in the West Bank, the other Palestinian territory _ controlled by the moderate president Mahmud Abbas _, as elsewhere in the Arab world.

Abbas said in a statement that condemned "this aggression" and called containment, said one adviser, Nabil Abu Rdeneh.

Several hundreds of angry Jordanians protested against a UN compound in Amman. "Hamas, goes on! You're the gun, bullets us," was one of the heckling. Several protesters waved the characteristic green banners of Hamas.

In Beirut, dozens of youths took to the streets and burned tires. At al-Yarmouk camp on the outskirts of Damascus, dozens of Palestinians also protested the attack, promising to continue their struggle against Israel.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Vatican, UN Secretary General and special envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair called for an immediate restoration of calm. The Arab League called an emergency meeting for Sunday to discuss the situation.

In Washington, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said: "The continuing attacks by Hamas against Israel must cease if we want to end the violence. The United States called on Israel to avoid civilian casualties in their attacks against Hamas in Gaza."

CARACAS (AP) - President Hugo Chávez said on Saturday that Venezuela is revoking some concessions to mine for gold, controlled by wealthy businessmen.

Chavez did not mention the specific companies that would be affected, but added that Venezuela is diversifying the economy to not depend so much on oil, in the midst of this crisis of global capitalism ", one of whose purposes is" the fall in oil prices, which is already below 30 dollars per barrel. "

"Next year we will double the production of gold," added the president. "We recovered some concessions that had given the previous governments, and are still in force around richies, who take the gold and was carried by exploiting the miners."

Last month, the Mines Minister, Rodolfo Sanz, Venezuela announced plans to revoke the award of the largest gold mine in the country, operated by Crystallex International Corp.., Based in Canada. Sanz said that the mine Las Cristinas would operate under control of the state starting next year.

"Following the financial crisis that has spread globally, it is necessary to try to recover our gold to increase our international reserves," said Sanz to state radio.

In recent months, the Chavez government has had various confrontations with international companies for the extraction of gold, but the situation has worsened with the collapse of oil prices, something that has reduced government revenues.

Light crude oil prices and low sulfur content have collapsed to less than a quarter of those seen in July, from 147 dollars per barrel. Oil accounts for 94% of Venezuelan exports and almost half the government budget.

"That is going to hit us without a doubt, in the coming years," acknowledged Chavez, who affirmed however that his country will take advantage of this impact and turn it into something "positive".

The president has indicated that the effects of the crisis will be well before the resentful "oligarchy" capitalist, and not for the poor, those who benefit from social spending.

"It is not going to stop social investments - in health, education and missions. That is something sacred for us," he said.

"We are talking about the economy ... preparing for the crisis that continues plunging the world ... to move forward in our productive economy."

Crystallex did not respond to the calls that were made on Saturday, looking for a reaction. But the company reported earlier this month, said in a statement, which has not received an official communication regarding the changes in the control of Las Cristinas.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A spectator exasperated by the noise that was a family sitting near him in a theater the night of Father Christmas shot in the arm, police reported.
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James Joseph Cialella, 29, told the family that was quiet and threw popcorn at the child. The victim told police who stopped to see Cialella was close to his family and was shot.



The police called the United Artists movie Riverview Stadium in Philadelphia found Cialella with his gun, a .380-caliber pistol under his belt.

Cialella was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges. Was in prison on Saturday. The police said that bail was set, but did not know the amount.

Lt. Frank Vanore said it was "shocking that make noise during a movie causing such a level of violence."

The injured, 31, was hospitalized and his condition was stable. His name was not released.

The film was premiered at the recent "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", according to the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.

HAVANA (AP) - The Cuban parliament on Saturday approved a new Social Security Act which increased the retirement age in five years.

Led by President Raúl Castro, the last meeting of 2008 of the Assembly of People's Power voted unanimously to implement the standard by which men are welcome to retirement at age 65 and women at 60, indicated media local press.



The initiative was presented during periods of debate July - backed by Castro - and then agreed to submit it to workers in assembly with the help of the union and the Ministry's branch in order to raise awareness for those affected.

According to a report from the official press, with unique access to the plenary of more than 500 deputies, some three million employees were consulted on the rule and they made proposals about 900,000.

It was noted that the increase in the retirement age will be done gradually over 7 years, from 2009 until 2015, with the goal of affecting as little as possible to workers nearing retirement age today.

The rule also includes the basis for the calculation of what will become the new pensioners and extended the protection of orphaned more than 17 years, provided they are studying.

In addition stipulated that retirees can return to work to receive their social security payments and wages.

The new rules respond to the need to adapt to the demographic reality of the island, which began aging dramatically and has a low birth rate.

According to local media, as a result of the aging population will have Cuba in 2025 about 770,000 fewer people of working age today. In 1970 there were 7.1 workers for every retired last year, this ratio dropped to 3.1 and in 2025 will be 2.3, serious problem in a nation with low rates of productivity.

CHICAGO (AP) - The rains and a rapid rise in temperatures on Saturday caused some flooding in central Colombia, after the area was battered for days by a cold snap that left a covering of snow and ice.

The cold and slippery roads were identified as the cause of at least 44 deaths this week: 11 in Indiana, eight in Wisconsin, five in Ohio, five in Michigan, four in Kentucky, four in Missouri, two in Kansas, and one in Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa, Massachusetts and West Virginia.

The thick layer of ice on the roads has melted mountain snow and turned into puddles and water currents.

"We are emerging from a problem, ice, with another to suffer flooding," said Marisa Kollias, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings Saturday for parts of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri. Up to five centimeters (two inches) of rain fell in two hours during the night in central and western Illinois, reported the service on Saturday.

And then that the air was warm with the cold, the weather service posted tornado warnings for parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

The intense winds left 42,000 people without electricity in the west of Missouri. The problem was resolved in large part to Saturday night.

After icy temperatures recorded in several locations this week, the thermometer marked on Saturday, even five degrees above zero centigrade (40 Fahrenheit), the agency said. However, heavy snowfalls were expected in Michigan for Sunday night.

The service said the Chariton River had overflowed and caused minor flooding in Chariton, Iowa. He said that floods were reported in parts of Missouri.

By Saturday night, the rain stopped, and an ice storm hit much of Iowa.

Near Chicago, the Cook County offered sandbags to protect communities in need of low-lying areas, said the county government spokesman Sean Howard.

Hundreds of people spent the night at Midway Airport in Chicago, where all flights on Friday night were canceled because of fog. There were also 400 cancellations at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, the second most transited the country.

The president-elect of the United States, Barack Obama, on Friday praised the decision by the outgoing president, George W. Bush to support the automotive industry with a package of U.S. $ 17,000 million.

Obama warned, however, the three major automotive companies (General Motors, Ford and Chrysler) not wasting this opportunity, to make a reform of poor management practices and move forward in the development of less polluting cars.



President George W. Bush justified the decision to offer financial assistance to the automotive industry because, otherwise, its collapse would seriously the economic crisis facing the country.

The president stressed that allowing the industry fell into bankruptcy would not be "a responsible action."

In the short term the car manufacturers will receive U.S. $ 13,400 billion package of U.S. $ 700,000 million approved to rescue Wall Street. The rest will arrive before the end of March.

However, Bush noted that the companies have to make tough decisions, as the industry needs to change. The reform will require "significant concessions from all players in the automotive industry," said the president.

The BBC correspondent in Washington, Kevin Connolly, said that the high salaries paid by the three major U.S. companies compared with their competitors, in addition to the benefits of their pension plans and health care for retirees, are among the aspects that Manufacturers will have to deal with, in exchange for receiving the money.

Plan rejected

The companies had originally requested the government about U.S. $ 34,000 million in soft loans to stay afloat, but not even an agreement between the House of Representatives and the White House for only U.S. $ 14,000 million managed to overcome the reluctance in the Senate.

Precisely, the last hope for the automotive era that finally the government decided to assist them with a financial rescue fund of U.S. $ 700,000 million that was approved for the rescue of banks and investment funds.

All the automotive companies have announced production cuts since the economic crisis caused a decline in sales.

On repeated occasions, Chrysler, Ford and GM warned that millions of jobs would be lost if the government did not approve an aid package.

The reporter economic issues from the BBC, Mark Gregory, said that without the aid package Chrysler and GM probably would have been declared bankrupt in a few weeks.

Gregory added that not everyone thought the breakup of the companies would have an effect as devastating as suggested by the automotive sector.

Under the rules for U.S. companies that fall into bankruptcy are given the opportunity to renegotiate their debts.

Our correspondent says that many Republicans think they would have been better in the long run, let broken to create conditions that would facilitate decision-making tough, especially the cut in wages, which would allow companies to maintain a truly competitive level.

The snowstorms and freezing rain have created chaos in much of the United States and Canada. Many were unable to reach their destinations due to the cancellation of hundreds of flights or because of how dangerous it has proven to travel around the highways of the country.



The warnings remain in place in Western U.S. Due to the existence of winter storms in one of the Christmas season most affected by the cold and snow.

According to Andrew Craig, a BBC northwest of the country has been hardest hit by snow, especially in the states of Oregon and Washington.

A little further south east in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, there have been 90 centimeters of snow.

Closure of highways

In the Sierra Nevada of California police had to close the Interstate 80 in a strip of 129 kilometers for several hours.

Thousands of travelers were stranded at many airports waiting for the bad winter weather.

Even in Canada was the first "White Christmas" from coast to coast for the first time in 37 years.

In Washington state collapsed the roof of a school in the city of Olympia because of the weight of the snow.

Across the country, in New Hampshire, the winter wind blew at 50 miles per hour felling of the electrical poles and leaving it without electricity to more than 100 communities.

The airport's worst affected country was the Chicago O'Hare, although there were no delays on Christmas Day.



However, about 100 flights were canceled on Christmas Eve and the city had to enable dozens of beds for travelers.

Similar situations occurred in the airport terminals in Boston, San Francisco, Dallas and New York.

The railway system was also affected with hundreds of passengers experiencing delays of up to 24 hours.

On the highways of the country have also reported 30 deaths due to accidents related to bad weather.

Aircraft of the Israeli air force launched a series of attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of people.




According to reports, more than twenty missiles were aimed at the headquarters of the security forces of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in central Gaza.

Hamas sources said that at least 155 persons were killed and nearly 200 were injured.

The BBC correspondent in Jerusalem, Paul Wood, said that there is no way to verify these figures, in the midst of the chaos that was generated after the bombing.

Wood added that air strikes could be the prelude to a military offensive by land.

The bombing, the most intense it has been carried out on the Palestinian territories recently came days after the end of the truce between Israel and Hamas.

The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, whose faction, Fatah, was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in 2007 - condemned the attacks and called for restraint.

"Operating on terror"

Hamas is pledged to avenge. Shortly after the bombing, Palestinian militants fired rockets into southern Israel, killing a woman in the town of Netivot.

The Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, warned that the army is prepared to deploy a larger military offensive if necessary.



"The operation will continue and be extended when needed, based on the evaluation (the commanders) ... We are facing a period that will not be simple or easy," said Barak, said in a statement.

According to the document, the attacks were intended to eliminate "terror operatives of Hamas," as well as training camps and military hardware stores.

The Israeli government had warned that it would carry out a military offensive in the event of persisting launching missiles from the Gaza Strip by Hamas militants.

The day before, Israel opened its border with Gaza to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

U.S. asked India and Pakistan to avoid an unnecessary escalation of tensions after reports that confirm a movement of troops on the border between the two countries.

"We hope that both sides can avoid steps that lead even unnecessary increase in tension," said White House spokesman, Gordon Johndroe.



Pakistan has made a redeployment of troops in the north-west and some permits were canceled for the troops, according to sources from the army of that country.

The Indian government also recommended its citizens not to travel to Pakistan because of the increased tension following the attacks in Mumbai that left more than 170 people dead.

A spokesman for the Pakistani armed forces described the troop movements as a minimum defensive measure.

Pakistani reshuffling

On the other hand, a senior security official said that a limited number of troops had been withdrawn from non-essential positions on the border with Afghanistan and areas where there were no military operations.

Pakistani media have confirmed that indeed the soldiers were reinforcing positions along the border with India.

The so-called Line of Control that divides the disputed Kashmir region as well as the towns of Kasur and Sialkot are named in the reports.


India continues to insist that the attacks in Mumbai were carried out by the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (or Army of the Pure) and suggests that Islamabad has taken only superficial steps against it.



The government of Pakistan said that India has not provided sufficient evidence to enable it to justify stronger actions.

The Pakistani authorities fear that India may launch air strikes against suspected bases of the militants.

A military official said that Pakistan has reduced air operations against Taliban militants in the northeast, near the border with Afghanistan to deploy aircraft to the vicinity of the border with India.


Any significant reduction of military presence on the Afghan border to worry about the United States, which relies on Pakistan to curb cross-border attacks by the Taliban against NATO forces.