Saturday, January 17, 2009

Patrick Swayze was discharged Friday from the hospital entrance where a week earlier with pneumonia, his representative announced.


Annett Wolf said the actor was resting at home. The incident was first reported in a statement to People magazine Wolf.


A publicist preferred not to comment on the situation of Swayze and a message left Wolf has had no response.


Swayze, who suffers from cancer of the pancreas, was hospitalized on January 9 to put under observation for a box of pneumonia.


The actor of 56 years announced in March it was facing a particularly deadly form of cancer. Some reports gave only a few weeks of life, but his doctor said his situation was not so bad.


Swayze told presenter Barbara Walters of ABC, that his fight against cancer has made "going through hell" while looking for a new TV series.


Swayze has been working on the series "The Beast", released this week on the channel A & E. The producers have said they learned about the state of Swayze four hours after learning that A & E decided to purchase the series.


They added that the filming was completed his first season and hoped that Swayze continue participating in the series for its second season.

Twenty Hispanic TV figures, led by Marc Anthony, are ready to offer this Sunday the best of their production as part of the celebrations for the arrival of Barack Obama for president of the United States.


The so-called "Hispanic Gala" will be only one of several dozen parties and ethnic groups have organized to celebrate the start of the government's first black president of the nation.


Organizers confirmed the presence of Jennifer Lopez and the participation of Alejandro Sanz, Paulina Rubio, Luis Fonsi, Don Omar, Angélica Vale, Cucu Diamantes, Yerba Buena, George Lopez, Rosario Dawson, Tony Plana, Rosie Perez, Tony Gonzalez, Wilmer Valderrama , War, Lila Downs, Elida Reyna, Michael Salgado and Mariachi Los Camperos, among others.


The event's musical director, producer Andres Levin of Yerba Buena, said that the show will follow the line of the video "We can Obama, who performed with the participation of most of the artists listed above to support the president's campaign elected and has been viewed more than 300,000 times on YouTube.com.


His group will perform one or two issues and some members of the same accompany Paulina Rubio and Alejandro Sanz later, Levin told the AP in New York. "Marc Anthony plays with his band after this segment and the show closes," he added, but "I have not been confirmed if Jennifer Lopez will sing or what to do."


Cuban Cucu Diamantes of Yerba Buena, revealed that he is "so excited I can hardly sleep."


"Since we began the campaign of Obama's support it and we're super excited," he said from the studio in New York where he recorded his first solo album. "We live the American dream all (Latinos) who came here and were waiting for a change. For me playing in the 'Latin bowl' is amazing ... Many people did not expect a historic change as well, so there is a change to celebrate in which a thought that made history. "


For his part, Rubio told the AP in Mexico that she felt "honored, very happy" to be part of the event, since it saw Obama "I felt immediately connected with me, with me, my mind and spirit."


"We need a change and be part of that change fills me with pride, honor and especially now that I'm at a future time I will have children, so it was impossible not to do so (in the concert and support Obama) "said the singer, who married in 2007 with the Spanish businessman Nicolas Vallejo Nágera.


"We are very excited that the first concert of the year whether to participate in a historic event and belong to someone who supports him and wants him" to Obama, said the so-called Golden Girl.


The gala will be held at Columbus Club Union Station, the most showy of the subway stations in Washington, near the Capitol. This is not a drama but a hall for at least a thousand people, each of which paid $ 200 for the show.


"It was a pretty intense production," said Levin, who believes the biggest challenge was not musical but logistics due to the proximity of the event. Just a few days ago began the tests.


Organizers said the presence of that number of Hispanic artists stressed the "historical nature" of Obama on the assumption of the presidency and the "unprecedented opportunity to unite the Latino community and country."


Ramona Romero, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (the equivalent of the Bar in Latin America), agreed with this assessment.


"This is an important event because it brings together not only artists but all prominent Latino organizations in the country," he said. "It's the way the Hispanic community will be celebrating a great historic shift in U.S. policy."


However, Democrat of New York Congressman Jose Serrano, who according to political circles has been among the Hispanic candidates for the cabinet of Obama seemed to be not very convinced of that assessment.


"Only one party is over," he told the AP on Hispanic Gala.


Marc Anthony stated that this was a "historic conclusion".

"This election marked the turning point for Latinos in terms of political power and civic participation," he said, according to a communique from the organizers. "We have made our voices heard and generated a result for a real change and a better future for our community and our families."

In closing the main fashion show of the year in Rio, the fashion was the least of: everyone's attention was focused on the model, a transgender actress.


Patricia Araujo received a standing ovation after his passage through the gateway for the home fashions B Complex on Friday night at the close of a week of fashion in the city that rejoices in the world with his shock of Carnival celebrations.


Designer B Complex, Beto Neves, said Araujo was a parade to surprise the audience.


"In fashion, the most surprising is cool," he told the daily O Dia.


Globo Television on its website called Araujo, 25, the star of the last parade, and the model Isabeli Fontana told O Dia that Araujo is the biggest. "


Tall and slender, Araujo went to the catwalk wrapped in a long sacón the skin, which was quickly stripped to reveal a black and white short dress to the applause of the hundreds of presents.


"I love that I stormed the press," he said then O Dia. "I always dreamed of being famous."


The legal name of the model is Patricia Oliveira. Araujo is the artistic name.

Barack Obama came to Washington at the end of a tour of the cold Atlantic coast on its way to the assumption, following the historic route of President Abraham Lincoln.

The crowd endured freezing temperatures to greet Obama along the route of 220 kilometers (137 miles) from Philadelphia to the U.S. capital.


Within three days, will take over as the successor to President George W. Bush.


At the start of the tour, Obama promised to bring the country a "declaration of independence, free from prejudice, discrimination and narrow visions.


The trip included a stop in Delaware, to pick the vice president-elect Joe Biden and another for a speech in Baltimore, where he said: "Let us together a better life in our time."


Obama referred to a lineage of the giant appeal in favor of "not easy to our instincts, but to our better angels," in an echo of Lincoln's first speech. It also reviewed the challenges that await them and promised to act "with fierce urgency", a phrase often used by the Reverend Martin Luther King child, civil rights activist.


The triumphant day for the president-elect starts events leading up to his inauguration on Tuesday, as the first black U.S. president.


Aboard an old-style wagon, Obama carried the hopes of a nation that has suffered wars, recession fears and hopes for a better future.


Biden spoke for many when he said he was excited about taking on Tuesday and then, overwhelmed by the challenge presented, he added "I think we should be ready for Wednesday."


Obama was all smiles and confidence during the journey, arriving at each of his stops in search of lessons from history. In Philadelphia, said the risks faced by the men who declared independence from British rule in the United States. In Wilmington, acknowledged the first state to ratify the Constitution. And in Baltimore, paid homage to the soldiers of Fort McHenry, who made off with the British Navy and inspired the poem that became the national anthem.


Obama also said he was aware of the challenges facing his presidency. He spoke of the economic crisis, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, "one that must be completed in a responsible manner, one that should be conducted wisely," and referred to the threat of global warming and dependence on foreign oil to the U.S. .


It also told the crowd gathered in Philadelphia that same idealism shown by the founders of the nation needed to meet the challenges of today.


"We recognize that major challenges will not be resolved so quickly. There will be false starts and setbacks, frustrations and disappointments. And we were asked to show patience while we act with a fierce urgency," said Obama.


In his weekly radio and Internet, Obama said Tuesday that the ceremony is a rite of passage that the country held every four years as an expression of its democratic ideals, and that should not be taken for granted.


"We must remember that our nation was founded in an era of kings and queens, and even today, billions of people around the world can not conceive that their leaders handed over power without struggle or bloodshed," he said.


He added that the presidential succession has taken place "during times of war and peace, prosperity and depression (...) Our democracy has undergone many changes and our people have been many steps toward a more perfect union. What has survived This is peaceful and orderly transition of power. "

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The maker of mobile phones Motorola Inc. said Wednesday it will cut another 4,000 jobs, mainly in its mobile business because it anticipates a loss in the fourth quarter and lower than expected sales.

Analysts are already expecting this new round of job elimination from Motorola, which was beaten by a decline in demand for cell phones even before the economic slowdown.


The company, which fell to fourth place in the market for mobile phones during the third quarter, said it expected to report a loss under generally accepted accounting principles GAAP of between 7 and 8 U.S. cents and revenue between 7000 million and 7200 million dollars in the fourth quarter.

Analysts, on average, projected earnings of 7500 million dollars, according to Reuters Estimates.


Motorola said that the 4000 cut jobs and other cost reduction measures, will help save an additional $ 700 million in 2009, bringing the total savings of $ 1500 million, including a plan announced in October.

In that month, the company outlined a plan to cut 3000 jobs, mainly in its mobile devices unit.

The United States is coming to give thousands of millions of dollars to the bank Bank of America, reported Wednesday that the newspaper Wall Street Journal, which would make it the second bank that requires a second round of government assistance.

Bank of America is struggling to digest the purchase of January 1 of brokerage Merrill Lynch & Co, said the daily quoting sources close to the subject.


Shares of the bank gave more than 5% in electronic transactions, to its lowest level since 1991.

Merrill Lynch's losses in the fourth quarter of 2008 were greater than anticipated, so that Bank of America began to talk with the U.S. Treasury in mid-December, the newspaper added.


The terms of government aid are being outlined and the details would be revealed with the results of the bank report scheduled for January 20.

A possible agreement would protect the Bank of America Merrill toxic assets, limiting potential losses because of them.


The talks were led by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, who fear that Bank of America fails to realize the agreement, which would leave Merrill Lynch with a partner.

The Bank of America spokesman Scott Silvestri, and the White House declined to comment. The Treasury also addressed the issue.

President Hugo Chávez announced that the grant will be awarded the gold mine's largest country into a joint venture between the Venezuelan state mining company and a Russian in an apparent attempt to secure new sources of revenue at a time that international oil prices fall.

VenRus, a joint venture formed last year between the Russian company Rusoro Mining Ltd and a state mining conglomerate, this year will operate the mine Las Cristinas, Chavez said Tuesday in a speech on the occasion of the release of its annual report .


A spokesman for Rusoro, based in the Canadian city of Vancouver, on Wednesday declined to comment on the deal.

Granting VenRus apparently ignored an exclusive contract that the Venezuelan government in 2002 gave the Canadian company Crystallex International Corp. to operate four sections of the mine.


Crystallex was awaiting a final environmental permit to begin the excavation, which Venezuelan authorities denied him in May alleging that affects the natural resources of the area. On Wednesday, the company said it had not been informed of any change in its exclusive rights.

The action would mean that the Venezuelan state assumes control of the country's gold reserves - a potentially lucrative - said Pavel Gomez, professor at the Institute of Higher Administration Studies (IESA) in Caracas.


Chavez has said it hopes to develop resources such as gold and diamonds allowed to continue its comprehensive spending when oil prices collapse.

Crude generates about half of government revenue and 94% of the entrances to the country exports. The precious metals sector in the country has been largely controlled by a handful of private foreign companies.


Chavez now with VenRus will be granted five of the largest gold concessions in Venezuela, including four in Las Cristinas, which has an estimated 998 metric tons of gold, and another in the mine Brisas del Cuyuní.

The measure would help Venezuela to raise its gold production to 8.2 metric tons in 2009, he added. South Africa, one of the main sources of gold in the world, produced 249 metric tons in 2007.


Rusoro, which was founded by a group of Russian private investors in Canada, has recently increased its presence in Venezuela, based on the purchase of the Venezuelan subsidiary of US-Idaho Hecla Mining Corp. for $ 25 million in mid-2007 .

He also offered to buy all outstanding shares and all units of the U.S. company Gold Reserve in Spokane, Washington, which has granted Brisas.


Gold Reserve refused the offer, there is a dispute to end the hostile acquisition is in progress. The Superior Court of Ontario, Canada, will hear his case on February 4, according to a statement from the company's website. The president of Gold Reserve, Douglas Belanger, did not return calls for comment.

Venezuela also plans to partner with an international initiative to control trade in diamonds known as the Kimberley Process in order to exploit its reserves of diamonds, said Chavez.


Venezuelan diamonds have been excluded from major world markets, and he left the Kimberley Process last year, which has the aim of forcing participants to certify the origin of diamonds to be traded to stem the flow of diamonds conflict zones.

Consumer prices in Panama were made in December for the second consecutive month due to a drop in energy costs, transportation and fuel offset rises in food, the government said Wednesday.

The General Accounting Office said the consumer price index fell 0.4 percent in December. Prices in November fell 0.6 percent.


The prices of housing, water, electricity and gas decreased by 6 percent in December, while transport costs fell by 2.3 percent. However, food rose by 1.4 percent.

Inflation to 12 months to December was 6.8 percent. No comparative figures were available.


Panama, which uses the dollar as local currency, traditionally enjoyed lower inflation as the United States.

But last year, a rise in global food prices and fuel, coupled with strong domestic demand led inflation rates to their highest levels since the beginning of the 1980s.


In recent weeks, government workers and pensioners took to the streets to protest the hike in the cost of living.

In the 12 months ended in December, food prices grew by 14.9 percent and transportation 10.2 percent, mainly due to high food prices and oil for most of the year.


The President Martín Torrijos, who faces presidential elections in May, has sought to alleviate the discontent of the people by giving subsidies to energy and food to the poorest families.

The outgoing government on Wednesday, Bush faced pressure from Democrats not to put in place a free trade agreement with Peru, the Andean country to meet the important obligation to strengthen workers' rights.


"We urge you to resist setting any artificial deadline on this issue closely and to consult Congress before taking any decision on this matter," said the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States, Charles Rangel.

Rangel, a Democrat from New York, made his appeal in a letter to the United States Trade Representative, Susan Schwab.


The letter was also signed by Representative Sander Levin, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the panel's trade subcommittee.

Congress approved the free trade agreement for more than a year and the Bush administration has been working with the Government of Peru to the pact between force.


The Peruvian Trade Minister Mercedes Araoz, has expressed concern that it could take another year to implement the agreement if not done before President George W. Bush leaves office on Tuesday January 20.

The next government of President-elect Barack Obama "is more engaged in their internal problem that its international trade relations (...) There are also protectionist positions of influence within the Democratic Party," said Aráoz.


The Peruvian Congress voted Tuesday in favor of giving special powers to President Alan García time to reform laws in the coming days so that the rules of the country meet the requirements of the agreement, and to strengthen the law to protect the Amazon rainforest to calm the concerns of Washington.

Levin and Rangel acknowledged that Peru has recently taken several steps to resolve the outstanding issues, but said they were "particularly concerned" that Bush let the pact comes into force before that Peru complies with the obligation to strengthen workers' rights .


"Specifically, in 2007, Peru agreed to do and actually made changes, its legal framework to end the outsourcing (or" outsourcing ") as a means to undermine the ability to create a union," said the lawmakers .

"In 2008, however, Peru has adopted new laws and regulations that open gaps in the framework of 2007, including a vague exception applies when the labor department of Peru considers' reasonable 'to do," he added.


Schwab told reporters Tuesday that Bush expected to certify to Peru as the seventeenth member with a free trade agreement with the United States.

When Bush came to power, the U.S. had FTAs with Mexico, Canada and Israel.

Israeli forces fired shells into Lebanese territory on Wednesday in response to a rocket attack, Lebanese security authorities reported.

This is the second such clash between the two countries since Israel began on December 27 in its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and the south could trigger a new battle front in the north.


Nobody was injured after a rocket exploded in unpopulated areas near the Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona. Despite this was ordered residents to take shelter in bomb shelters, police said. On the Lebanese side there were no immediate reports of injuries.

The area has experienced an almost total peace since the summer of 2006 when Israel fought a war against the Islamist group Hezbollah, which lasted 34 days in which more than 1,000 people died in Lebanon and about 160 in Israel.


Lebanese officials reported that several rockets were fired on Wednesday and at least one of which exploded early on Lebanese territory. Israel responded by launched at least eight artillery shells against the source of the rockets near the village of Kfar Hamam, according to officials.

Israeli helicopter gunships carried out reconnaissance flights over the border while highly controlled Lebanese troops and peacekeeping forces sent patrols, Lebanese officials said on condition of anonymity because they had no authority to make statements to the press.


Residents in the region to remove children from schools for fear of the increase in attacks.

The area from where rockets were fired is controlled by the Lebanese army and the peacekeeping forces of the UN.


On Thursday, four rockets were fired into northern Israel, from the opposite side of the border near the Mediterranean coast. Israel also responded with a number on that occasion.