La Bolsa española cae el 4,19 por ciento por las dudas sobre el referéndum griego

Madrid, 1 nov (EFE).- La Bolsa española, en consonancia con sus homólogas europeas, bajó hoy el 4,19 %, la sexta mayor caída del año, afectada por la intención del primer ministro griego, Yorgos Papandréu, de convocar un referéndum sobre el plan de ajuste impuesto al país por la Unión Europea.
Así, al cierre del mercado nacional, el principal selectivo de la Bolsa española, el IBEX 35, perdió 375,30 puntos, el 4,19 %, hasta los 8.579,60 puntos, con lo que las pérdidas anuales se amplían hasta el 12,98 %.
El citado anuncio hecho por Grecia también impactó hoy en la prima de riesgo española, el diferencial entre el bono español a diez años y el alemán del mismo plazo, que al cierre de la bolsa nacional subía 27 puntos básicos, hasta los 375.
Tras cerrar ayer octubre con un alza mensual del 4,78 % gracias a los nuevas medidas aprobadas por los líderes europeos para atajar la crisis del euro – entre ellas una quita del 50 % para la deuda griega-, la Bolsa española comenzó la sesión de hoy, festiva en España, perdiendo más del 3 %.
La bolsa mostraba así la incertidumbre que supone para los mercados y para la resolución de la crisis de la deuda soberana de la zona del euro la intención de Grecia de convocar un referéndum sobre el acuerdo alcanzado para salvar al país de la quiebra.
Un referéndum que de tener un resultado negativo, según advirtió la agencia de calificación de riesgos Fitch, podría aumentar el riesgo de una quiebra forzada y desordenada, y de una salida de Grecia del euro.
Todos estos miedos hicieron a la Bolsa española, al igual que el resto de plazas europeas, caer fuertemente durante toda la mañana, cuando llegó a perder incluso el 5,29 %, arrastrada sobre todo por el sector bancario.
La posibilidad de que Grecia lleve a cabo un referéndum no sólo fue mal acogida por los mercados, sino también por los organismos internacionales.
Los presidentes del Consejo Europeo y de la Comisión Europea, Herman Van Rompuy y José Manuel Durao Barroso, se mostraron convencidos de que el nuevo rescate a Grecia aprobado la semana pasada por los líderes de la eurozona es la mejor solución para el país, e instaron a Atenas a cumplir sus compromisos con sus compañeros del euro y con la comunidad internacional.
También, el ministro de Fomento y portavoz del Gobierno español, José Blanco, dijo que ésta «no era una buena decisión para Europa».
La agencia Fitch alertó de que «un rechazo del programa de la UE y del FMI recientemente negociado por el Gobierno griego incrementaría el riesgo de una suspensión de pagos soberana forzada y desordenada y (…) de una potencial salida de Grecia del euro».
Pese al pánico instalado en la Bolsa española durante toda la mañana, a media jornada, el mercado español comenzó a reducir las pérdidas y acabó la sesión con una caída del 4,19 %.
Todos los grandes valores del IBEX 35 cayeron hoy: Iberdrola se dejó el 5,44 %; Repsol YPF, el 5,39 %; Santander, el 4,76 %; BBVA, el 3,99 % y Telefónica, el 3,41 %.
No obstante, las mayores caídas del IBEX correspondieron a Mediaset, que bajó el 8,50 %, mientras que Sacyr Vallehermoso se dejó el 6,44 % y Técnicas Reunidas, el 6,32 %.
Por el contrario, Bankia fue la que menos cayó, el 1,50 %, en tanto que Abertis lo hizo el 2,05 % e Indra el 2,38 %.
En el mercado continuo, Prisa destacó al bajar el 10,67 %, en tanto que Bodegas Riojanas fue la que más subió, el 4,15 %.
El efectivo negociado de la Bolsa española superó en la sesión los 5.700 millones de euros.

Palestina Estado miembro de la UNESCO pese a negativa de Estados Unidos

Palestina se convirtió este lunes en «Estado miembro» de la UNESCO con el respaldo de más de un centenar de países y pese al rechazo de Estados Unidos durante una votación nominal en la 36ª Conferencia General en París que los palestinos saludaron como un «momento histórico».

«La Conferencia General admite a Palestina como miembro de pleno derecho», anunció la secretaria general de la 36ª Conferencia General de la UNESCO al cabo de una votación con 107 sufragios a favor (casi todos los latinoamericanos, España, Francia y otros europeos), 14 en contra (Estados Unidos e Israel entre otros) y 52 abstenciones, entre éstas México.

«Este es un momento histórico que le devuelve a Palestina algunos de sus derechos», afirmó al término de la votación el ministro palestino de Relaciones Exteriores, Riyad al Malki, que antes del voto había pedido el apoyo de los delegaciones como «la principal contribución que puedan aportar a la paz».

«Les puedo garantizar que seremos un elemento positivo al servicio de esta organización», afirmó Malki tras agradecer a todos aquellos que dieron un voto favorable a la iniciativa impulsada por el grupo de países árabes.

La directora general de la UNESCO, Irina Bokova, dio la «bienvenida a Palestina» y sostuvo que su admisión es una «marca de respeto y confianza».

«Todo sentimos este momento histórico», aseguró la responsable al cabo de una votación que tuvo lugar en el auditorio principal de la UNESCO en París a las 13H00 locales (12H00 GMT).

La mayoría de los países de América Latina respaldaron la iniciativa excepto México, que se abstuvo, y Panamá, que votó en contra.

Los palestinos necesitaban dos tercios para que la iniciativa impulsada por el grupo de países árabes fuera aceptada. A la votación asistieron 173 países.

Inmediatamente después de la votación, el embajador de Estados Unidos ante la UNESCO, David Killion, reiteró la posición de su país al considerar que es «prematura».

«Hoy es un día triste, cuando una organización decide desconectarse de la realidad», afirmó el embajador israelí ante la UNESCO, Nimrod Barkan, que calificó de «ciencia ficción» la entrada de los palestinos a la UNESCO.

En un auditorio repleto y ante numerosas cámaras de televisión los presentes aplaudieron a los países europeos que apoyaron la iniciativa empezando por Austria, Bélgica, España, Francia, Luxemburgo y Finlandia.

Francia, que días atrás había considerado «prematura» la admisión de los palestinos, afirmó el lunes que «Palestina tiene derecho a convertirse en miembro de la UNESCO».

España lamentó que los europeos no llegaran con una posición común.

México dijo que «este no es el foro competente para una solución duradera» al conflicto israelo-palestino. En cambio Cuba habló de un «momento histórico» y Venezuela le dio la «bienvenida a Palestina».

Brasil reiteró su «posición tradicional a favor de un Estado palestino».

Antes de la votación, el ministro argentino de Educación, Alberto Sileoni, afirmó que su país apoya la «existencia de un Estado palestino».

«La entrada de Palestina eleva la cantidad de Estados miembros de la UNESCO a 195», afirmó la UNESCO al término de la votación, saludada con un cerrado aplauso de los países que apoyaron esta iniciativa que ha sido objeto de intensas presiones por parte de Estados Unidos y de los europeos.

Estados Unidos –que se retiró de la UNESCO en 1984 argumentando que no estaba de acuerdo con la gestión de ese organismo al que regresó en 2003– advirtió en reiteradas ocasiones que podría cortar su aporte económico a la UNESCO, de un 22% del presupuesto bianual, que asciende a 653 millones de dólares.

Aún a sabiendas que los palestinos obtendrían la mayoría necesaria, la subsecretaria de Educación de Estados Unidos, Martha Kanter, llamó igualmente a los delegados «a votar junto a nosotros» pues la admisión de Palestina es «prematura» y «contraproducente» para el proceso de paz israelo-palestino.

La entrada en la UNESCO supone una victoria diplomática de consideración para Palestina en su aspiración de convertirse en Estado soberano de la ONU.

Su candidatura en Naciones Unidas será examinada el 11 de noviembre en el Consejo de Seguridad, donde podría enfrentar un veto de Estados Unidos.

La votación en la UNESCO se produce tras un fin de semana violento en la Franja de Gaza, donde 12 palestinos murieron en ataques israelíes en campos de entrenamiento y un israelí murió por el disparo de un obús.
Fuente: .noticias.com.ve

Cristina Kirchner viaja a la cumbre del G-20, donde se reunirá con Obama

La Presidente partirá esta tarde hacia Cannes, donde se celebrará el jueves y viernes la cumbre de los líderes del Grupo de los 20. En este marco, la jefe de Estado mantendrá un encuentro con el presidente norteamericano. La delegación argentina estará integrada además por Héctor Timerman y Amado Boudou.
De acuerdo a la agenda oficial, la presidenta viajará hoy por la tarde a Cannes, para participar de la Cumbre que se extenderá entre el jueves y el viernes.

En ese marco, el Gobierno tiene gran expectativa por la reunión que la presidente reelecta mantendrá con el mandatario de los Estados Unidos, Barack Obama.

El Gobierno precisó que los Estados Unidos «solicitaron» a través de la oficina de América Latina en la Casa Blanca el encuentro bilateral de los presidentes.

Según la prensa europea, las autoridades de la Eurozona intentarán en la Cumbre cosechar apoyos de países industrializados y emergentes para salir de la crisis.

En ese marco, el presidente de la Unión Europea, Herman Van Rompuy, y el jefe dela Comisióneuropea, José Manuel Barroso, señalaron en un carta que «es necesario que todos los socios del G20 actúen de manera conjunta en un espíritu de responsabilidad y con objetivos comunes» para «restablecer la confianza a nivel mundial, apuntalar un crecimiento duradero, crear empleos y mantener la estabilidad financiera».

Otras cuestiones que al parecer se tratarán en la cumbre será la crisis política en países árabes, el proceso de paz en Medio Oriente y analizar el programa nuclear iraní, dado que la Agencia Internacional de Energía Atómica (AIEA) tiene previsto publicar a mediados de noviembre un informe sobre el proyecto.
Fuente: infobae.com

Los inversores pagan hasta casi $5 por el dólar

Hoy, todos aquellos que efectúan la operatoria a través del mercado de capitales (eludiendo los controles cambiarios) pueden hacerlo a un tipo de cambio implícito que está al borde de los $5 y pagar un costo en pesos del 15% del monto a retirar del país. Los títulos más elegidos son el Boden 2012 y el 2015 y las acciones de empresas como Galicia, Tenaris, Petrobrás, Francés y Telecom.
Las nuevas disposiciones emitidas por el Banco Central para el mercado cambiario dificultaron la fuga que realizan los inversores mediante el arbitraje de títulos y elevaron sus costos. A tal punto que hoy todos aquellos que efectúan la operatoria a través del mercado de capitales (eludiendo los controles cambiarios) pueden hacerlo a un tipo de cambio implícito que está al borde de los $ 5 y pagar un costo en pesos del 15% del monto a retirar del país.

Los operadores consultados por El Cronista explicaron que el negocio no perdió volumen a pesar del mayor esfuerzo del Banco Central por erradicarlo. El jueves pasado, el organismo había resuelto que, a partir de entonces, quienes compraran más de U$S 250.000 anuales deberán determinar con qué flujo de ingresos adquieren las divisas. La medida, a pesar de que se advirtió que recaería sobre un tercio del mercado minorista, no tuvo ningún impacto en el volumen de las operaciones.

Los títulos elegidos para realizar el contado con liqui son los nominados en moneda extranjera de mediano plazo, como el Boden 2012 y el 2015, y las acciones que tienen sus respectivos ADR en el exterior, como Galicia, Tenaris, Petrobrás, Francés y Telecom. El tipo de cambio implícito entre los precios locales y los que tienen esos mismos activos en Nueva York se ubicó el último viernes en los $ 4,89. Son 60 centavos más que el dólar mayorista que se esmera en dejar congelado el Banco Central ($ 4,236).

Suspenderían las remesas de utilidades al exterior

Según adelanta hoy el diario El Cronista.com, se estudia la suspensión de hasta 180 días de las remesas que envían al exterior las empresas multinacionales y los bancos extranjeros. En particular la medida recaería en empresas petroleras y mineras que han sido obligadas a liquidar el total de sus exportaciones en el país luego de las normativas del BCRA de la semana pasada.
En su cruzada en contra de la compra de dólares, que el Gobierno inició con la aplicación del Programa de Control de Operaciones Cambiarias, los técnicos del Ministerio de Economía, la Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos (AFIP) y el Banco Central (BCRA) estarían trabajando para implementar más normas para evitar la fuga de divisas al exterior, informa hoy el diario El Cronista.com

Entre esas medidas, se estudia la suspensión de hasta 180 días de las remesas que envían al exterior las empresas multinacionales y los bancos extranjeros.

En particular la medida recaería en empresas petroleras y mineras que han sido obligadas a liquidar el total de sus exportaciones en el país luego de las normativas del BCRA de la semana pasada.

La idea de frenar las remesas por hasta 180 días sería para que el Gobierno no pierda más reservas internacionales y llegue tranquilo a mayo próximo, cuando se empiecen a liquidar con fuerza los dólares por las exportaciones de soja y derivados.

Una de las mayores preocupaciones del Gobierno pasa por el aumento de las remisiones de utilidades al exterior que viene creciendo durante la gestión de la presidenta Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Los números del Balance de Pagos que publica el Indec muestran que en 2007 se remitieron utilidades y dividendos al exterior por unos U$S4.948 millones. Esa suma pasó a U$S6.882 millones en 2008 cuando estalló la crisis del campo. En el 2009 el valor llegó a los U$S7.159 millones, en tanto que para este año se estima un récord de unos U$S10.000 millones.

Arranca el debate por la despenalización del aborto

Se reúne una comisión de Diputados. La iniciativa con más apoyo propone la interrupción voluntaria hasta la semana 12. La Comisión de Legislación Penal de la Cámara de Diputados se reunirá hoy para tratar los diferentes proyectos presentados que contemplan la despenalización del aborto.
La reunión se realizará, a las 15.30, en la Sala 1 del Edificio Anexo de la Cámara, donde se estima que la discusión será intensa entre quienes promueven la modificación al Código Penal y los sectores que se oponen a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo, entre ellos la Iglesia.
La iniciativa. El proyecto respaldado por 50 legisladores y promovido por la Campaña Nacional por el Derecho al Aborto Legal, Seguro y Gratuito propone que la gestación pueda finalizarse voluntariamente en las primeras 12 semanas.
Por su parte, otros diputados contemplan iniciativas que pretenden reglamentar el aborto no punible tal como está establecido en el Código Penal, mientras que algunos más se oponen a cualquier práctica de este tipo.
Optimismo de Merchán. El inicio de las discusiones llevó a la diputada Cecilia Merchán a manifestar su optimismo.
“El sólo hecho de que se discuta en el Congreso de la Nación este tema, históricamente cajoneado, es de por sí un motivo para celebrar. Además, el proyecto es un ejemplo de construcción ciudadana y democrática: en él se manifiesta el consenso de todas las organizaciones que componen la Campaña Nacional por un Aborto Legal, Seguro y Gratuito”, sostuvo Merchán.
Propuestas. Con motivo de la reunión, diferentes agrupaciones sociales, en su mayoría feministas, se movilizarán al Congreso Nacional para seguir el debate en la Comisión que preside el diputado Juan Carlos Vega, integrante del bloque Coalición Cívica.
El legislador promovió el encuentro pero evitó confirmar la presencia de los 16 diputados necesarios (de los 31 que forman parte de la Comisión) para garantizar el quórum.
La agrupación Las Juanas, una de las integrantes de la Campaña Nacional por el Derecho al Aborto Legal, Seguro y Gratuito, indicó que el martes será «un día histórico para quienes desde hace años» luchan por esta situación.
«Es la primera vez en la historia de nuestro país que el debate se da puertas adentro del Congreso», señaló la organización, aunque destacó que antes se concretaron dos audiencias publicas convocadas a fines de 2010 y mediados de este año.
En esas oportunidades disertaron las especialistas internacionales Marianne Mollman, representante de Human Rights Watch, y Luz Patricia Mejía, relatora de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.
Iglesia. Semanas atrás, en tanto, el arzobispo de La Plata, monseñor Héctor Aguer, consideró que la despenalización del aborto es una cuestión «innegociable» para la Iglesia.
Según las organizaciones que integran la Campaña por el aborto, es «urgente y necesario» que se debata y apruebe la ley de interrupción voluntaria de embarazos porque esta práctica clandestina es la principal causa de mortalidad materna. En Argentina se realizan por año entre 500 mil y 700 mil abortos, y cada dos días muere una mujer por esta situación.
Además, 80 mil mujeres por año llegan a las guardias de los hospitales públicos por complicaciones post aborto.
El 9 de octubre pasado, con motivo del Encuentro Nacional de Mujeres realizado en Bariloche, las asistentes reclamaron la urgente sanción de una norma en el Congreso que contemple el aborto seguro, legal y gratuito.
Fuente: lavoz.com.ar

La victoria de Cristina Kirchner es la postal de la tragedia para el periodismo

Finalmente, Cristina ganó. Nada nuevo bajo el sol, solo lo que se preveía. La gente festeja… ¿la gente festeja? Bueno, algunos al menos lo hacen.

No es el caso de este periodista, ni de quienes trabajan en este medio. El motivo es bien sencillo: desde que el kirchnerismo ha llegado al poder, los hombres de prensa hemos sufrido un hostigamiento fuera de lo común, a través de incesantes inspecciones, querellas penales, manipulación de la pauta oficial, hackeos informáticos y hasta amenazas directas e indirectas. Nada le ha faltado al oficialismo a la hora de hostigar al periodismo (puedo hablar in extenso en primera persona acerca de cada uno de esos tópicos).
Pretender en estas horas que alguien que ejerce el periodismo independiente se alegre por el triunfo del kirchnerismo, es ingenuo. Hay respeto desde este espacio, sí; especialmente hacia aquellos que votaron la continuidad de este modelo. Pero no más que eso.
Bastante han debido purgar los periodistas no oficialistas por los caprichos de un Gobierno que no tolera la crítica, que protege al extremo la corrupción de sus propios funcionarios y que solo escucha los dictados de su propio relato.
¿Le hace bien a la democracia semejante situación? ¿Acaso debe callar el periodismo frente al delito?
Si no hubiera habido prensa crítica en estos años, si solo existieran medios adictos al oficialismo, ¿hubieran explotado públicamente escándalos de la talla de Skanska, Southern Winds, Shocklender-gate, triple crimen, Antonini Wilson, mafia de los medicamentos, Indec, Inadi y tantos otros? ¿Qué tan saludable para el republicanismo argentino hubiera sido que todo ello no saliera a la luz?
Si avanza en la Argentina la idea de un periodismo militante, como quiere el kirchnerismo, donde los hechos fácticos pierden relevancia frente al avance de la “construcción del relato”, se diluye por completo la idea de lo que debe ser la prensa por definición. Paradójicamente, quien ha brindado uno de las mejores descripciones del “deber ser” de la profesión periodística ha sido Horacio Verbitsky, actualmente uno de los escribas más eficaces del poder K. “Periodismo es difundir aquello que alguien no quiere que se sepa. El resto es propaganda», advirtió Verbitsky antes de que los Kirchner llegaran al poder.
Esa frase tendría que estar enmarcada en la memoria de quienes hoy deshonran a la profesión a cambio de paladas de dinero proveniente de la pauta oficial. Hace unos años eran pocos periodistas, pero hoy abundan a través de varias docenas de medios de comunicación, especialmente aquellos vinculados a empresarios oficialistas como Sergio Szpolski, Gerardo Ferreyra, Rudy Ulloa Igor, Matías Garfunkel, Raúl Moneta, Daniel Vila y tantos otros.
La mayoría de esos colegas no duda en mentir cada día a efectos de agradar al poder de turno, a través de sitios como Télam, Radios Nacional, Belgrano y Del Plata; diarios El Argentino, Página/12, Tiempo Argentino y Miradas al Sur; y revistas El Guardián y Veintitrés. También hay muchos otros medios y programas de televisión —algunos de ellos producidos por Diego Gvirtz— que se encargan de hacer el mismo trabajo sucio. Siempre por dinero, ojo, jamás por ideología.
La prueba de ello es que esos conglomerados están al tope de quienes cobran dinero en concepto de propaganda del Estado. Peor aún, la mayoría de esos medios no podría subsistir si no los financiaran con grandes sumas de dinero.
En sentido proporcional al chupamedismo, quienes trabajan allí, jamás serán víctimas de amenazas, aprietes o querellas judiciales por parte del poder. Todo será color de rosa.
Es cómoda la situación de esos periodistas, pero también es egoísta. Solo les interesa su propio bienestar personal, aunque la sociedad explote ahogada por la corrupción imperante. Hay que mencionar que esto finalmente resultará cual búmeran que les volverá en contra más temprano que tarde. Solo hay que tener paciencia y memoria.
Finalmente, de más está aclarar que los que estamos alejados de esa postura, sufrimos el ataque permanente y hasta el intento de ahogo financiero por parte del poder de turno. Quienes siguen día a día lo que se publica en este sitio —nacido en el «lejano» 2003— han podido apreciar en más de una oportunidad de qué se tratan esos embates oficiales. A quienes recién lo conocen, basta que utilicen el buscador del mismo, ya que gran parte de esos ataques han sido denunciados judicial y periodísticamente.
En fin, es el precio a pagar por la coherencia del trabajo honesto y sin cambios de discurso. Es acaso el castigo que los periodistas independientes deberemos soportar durante otros cuatro años.
Por ello, la pregunta se torna inevitable: la victoria de Cristina, ¿merece algún tipo de festejo?

Christian Sanz

Crece la violencia y la inseguridad en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires


Desde mediados de la década del 90, la Argentina comenzó a sufrir un período de retracción económica con graves crisis institucionales que determinaron, por ejemplo, la declaración de quiebra en el año 2002, con una devaluación de la moneda, el peso. Durante esa época y al día de hoy, la economía generó una gran cantidad de pobres y ello, a su vez, incrementó la violencia y la delincuencia en la sociedad.

Ante esto, en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Eugenio Burzaco -el jefe de la Policía Metropolitana que depende exclusivamente del Gobierno porteño- reconoció que han crecido los niveles de violencia y a su vez se han incrementado la violencia y los casos de muerte en esos asaltos.

Bullrich aseguró que los delitos con cada vez más violentos y las fuerzas de seguridad locales no cuentan con la cantidad de efectivos policiales suficientes para contener los hechos de inseguridad. Según las estadísticas oficiales, en los últimos 60 días se registraron 14 asesinatos en ocasión de robo. Para los porteños, la inseguridad es la principal preocupación, incluso antes que la crisis económica.

Fuente: absolut-argentina.com

Las operaciones inmobiliarias y la compra de autos están en problemas por el dólar


Ahora temen que haya un fuerte impacto en las ventas en este tipo de casos. Ayer, los bancos dijeron que casi no se cerraron operaciones inmobiliarias por la imposibilidad de vender dólares. La gente aún está desconcertada por esta situación y por las dudas dilata operaciones de compra venta.
Las medidas arrancaron ayer ya con muchos problemas que no se tuvieron en cuenta al momento de la decisión. Los bancos oficiales casi no realizaron ayer operaciones de compra y venta de inmuebles y autos porque no hay posibilidad para venderles los dólares que necesitan los tomadores de los préstamos.

«El 25 por ciento de las operaciones que estaban pactadas con un crédito hipotecario se terminaron firmando porque el vendedor aceptó recibir el porcentaje que financiaba el banco en pesos. Por el resto de las escrituras que quedaron en suspenso tuvimos que elevar un pedido al Banco Central y confiamos en que finalmente se van a poder cerrar cuando se contemplen estas situaciones especiales», reconocieron en el Banco Ciudad en Buenos Aires, según lo publicado hoy por Diario La Nación.

Esto se ha presentado tanto en los casos en donde era necesario un crédito hipotecario como cuando las operaciones iban a realizarse en efectivo. Todas fueron postergadas ya que los compradores llegaban a la mesa de negociación sólo con una parte de los fondos en pesos para concretar la compra en el momento.

En otra entidad, además se quejaron de que los nuevos controles exigidos por la AFIP en muchos casos implican repetir trámites que habían sido realizados por los propios bancos en el momento de definir el otorgamiento o no de los créditos.

«Para aprobar un préstamo hipotecario trabajamos con un sistema de calificación y evaluación de los clientes que ahora dejó de tener utilidad», explicaron en un banco.

Entre los operadores inmobiliarios por el momento reina la cautela y reconocen que el problema no es tan grave debido a que más del 95% de las operaciones de compra y venta de inmuebles se realizan con fondos propios y sin la participación del crédito hipotecario.

Tsonga hits back to beat Del Potro in Vienna final

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bounced back from a set behind and a service break down to beat Juan Martín del Potro for the first time and win the Vienna ATP tournament.
The Frenchman’s 6-7 6-3 6-4 win also kept him on course for a place in the season-ending World Tour finals in London next month, moving him to seventh place in the 2011 rankings ahead of Mardy Fish.
Top-seeded Tsonga crashed 25 aces on his way to a first win in four meetings over the former U.S. Open champion, who has been fighting his way back to form after being plagued by a wrist injury last year.
«That was really tough,» said Tsonga. «Juan Martin played very well.
«I lost a little motivation after losing the first set but fortunately I got it back quickly.»
Neither player managed to break serve in the first set and, having fought back from a break point down in the tiebreak, Tsonga then served a double fault to hand Del Potro the opportunity.
The Argentine duly took it when Tsonga over-hit a forehand.
Del Potro appeared to be heading for a win when he broke in the third game of the second set, but Tsonga replied in the next game in what appeared to be the turning point of the match.
The Frenchman broke again in the sixth game when, having missed one break point, he was handed another by a Del Potro double fault and gleefully seized it with a stunning forehand drive down the line.
In the third set, the 26-year-old served nine aces and broke in the seventh game to claim his second ATP title of the year following his win in Metz.
buenosairesherald.com

Israeli leader warns Gaza militants: Those who attack Israel are risking their lives

JERUSALEM — With rockets falling on southern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday issued a tough warning to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, saying that those who attack his country are risking their lives.

Netanyahu delivered the threat in a policy speech to Israel’s parliament. He spoke shortly after his foreign minister urged Israel to go even further and topple the Islamic Hamas regime in Gaza, a scenario that would require a lengthy and dangerous military operation.

The Israeli military has been battling rocket-firing Palestinian militant squads for several days. The fighting has killed at least 10 Palestinian militants and an Israeli civilian. It is the worst Israeli-Palestinian violence in months.

He vowed to act with “strength and determination” and warned: “Whoever attacks Israel is risking his life.”

In his speech, Netanyahu praised Israel’s new rocket defense system, Iron Dome, which has shot down several incoming rockets.

“But our defense strategies cannot be based on defensive measures alone,” he said. “It has to include an offensive capability as well. That is the foundation of our deterrence.”

Despite Egyptian efforts to mediate a cease-fire, Palestinian rockets continued to strike Israel on Monday, including at least four projectiles that exploded shortly after Netanyahu’s speech. There were no reports of injuries or damage. One, headed toward the southern city of Beersheba, was shot down by the Iron Dome system, the military said.

The Hamas militant group, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in past violence, has not been directly involved in the latest rocket fire. Nonetheless, Israel says the group, which has ruled Gaza since overrunning the territory in 2007, is responsible for all attacks from the territory.

The attacks have disrupted life in southern Israel, forcing schools and universities to close. About 1 million Israelis live in range of rockets from Gaza.

Netanyahu’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, told his Yisrael Beitenu Party on Monday that the continued attacks are intolerable. “Israel’s goal should be to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza,” he said.

Lieberman is known for making harsh statements, and there was no word on whether he was voicing government policy or an individual opinion. Netanyahu’s office declined comment.

In Gaza, Hamas officials condemned the Israeli threats.

“These remarks reflect the brutal attitude and mentality of the enemy leadership, which does not respect the calm and all the efforts that have been made in this regard,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

He urged the international community to pressure Israel not to launch “any crazy adventure” in Gaza.

Despite the tough Israeli threats, removing Hamas would not be easy. Israeli defense officials say any such operation would require Israel to reoccupy Gaza, take months and could involve heavy casualties.

Since seizing control of Gaza, Hamas has smuggled in a formidable arsenal of weapons that include rockets capable of striking deep inside Israel, as well as anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, according to Israeli assessments.

Israeli defense officials have confirmed that contingency plans have been drawn up for a broad invasion of Gaza to topple Hamas. But they said this is a worst-case scenario, and the preference is to restore the calm that has largely prevailed since an Israeli offensive in 2009.

Israel captured Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war, but withdrew all troops and settlers from the area in 2005.

“I don’t rule out that at some point we might find ourselves required to embark upon a full-fledged operation (in Gaza),” Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Army Radio. “(But) I am not one of those people who miss returning to Gaza.”

Hamas lost hundreds of men during the 2009 Israeli offensive and has largely maintained calm since then.

The group is also waiting for Israel to free more than 500 Palestinian prisoners in a second phase of a swap for a long-held Israeli soldier. A protracted cycle of new violence could endanger that release, which was a major political coup for Hamas among the Palestinian people.

On Monday Israel sentenced a Palestinian lawmaker to 30 years in prison. Jamal Tirawi was convicted of involvement in a 2002 attack that killed an Israeli woman and wounded dozens of others.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: washingtonpost.com

Reformed skinhead endures agony to remove tattoos

Julie Widner was terrified — afraid her husband would do something reckless, even disfigure himself.
«We had come so far,» she says. «We had left the movement, had created a good family life. We had so much to live for. I just thought there has to be someone out there who will help us.»
After getting married in 2006, the couple, former pillars of the white power movement (she as a member of the National Alliance, he a founder of the Vinlanders gang of skinheads) had worked hard to put their racist past behind them. They had settled down and had a baby; her younger children had embraced him as a father.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE — A reformed skinhead, Bryon Widner was desperate to rid himself of the racist tattoos that covered his face — so desperate that he turned to former enemies for help, and was willing to endure months of pain. Second of two parts.
___
And yet, the past was ever-present — tattooed in brutish symbols all over his body and face: a blood-soaked razor, swastikas, the letters «HATE» stamped across his knuckles.
Wherever he turned Widner was shunned — on job sites, in stores and restaurants. People saw a menacing thug, not a loving father. He felt like an utter failure.
The couple had scoured the Internet trying to learn how to safely remove the facial tattoos. But extensive facial tattoos are extremely rare, and few doctors have performed such complicated surgery. Besides, they couldn’t afford it. They had little money and no health insurance.
So Widner began investigating homemade recipes, looking at dermal acids and other solutions. He reached the point, he said, where «I was totally prepared to douse my face in acid.»
In desperation, Julie did something that once would have been unimaginable. She reached out to a black man whom white supremacists consider their sworn enemy.
Daryle Lamont Jenkins runs an anti-hate group called One People’s Project based in Philadelphia. The 43-year-old activist is a huge thorn in the side of white supremacists, posting their names and addresses on his website, alerting people to their rallies and organizing counter protests.
In Julie he heard the voice of a woman in trouble.
«It didn’t matter who she had once been or what she had once believed,» he said. «Here was a wife and mother prepared to do anything for her family.»
Jenkins suggested that Widner contact T.J. Leyden, a former neo-Nazi skinhead Marine who had famously left the movement in 1996, and has promoted tolerance ever since. More than anyone else, Leyden understood the revulsion and self-condemnation that Widner was going through. And the danger.
«Hide in plain sight,» he advised. «Lean on those you trust.»
Most importantly, Leyden told him to call the Southern Poverty Law Center.
«If anyone can help,» he said, «it’s those guys.»
AP

Ibero-American summit calls for dialogue on Falklands/Malvinas Islands’ sovereignty

Nations from the Ibero-American bloc reaffirmed the need for the resumption of Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty negotiations and called on the UK to avoid carrying out “one-sided” actions, such as exploiting resources and military action.

“The Heads of State and governments of the Ibero-American countries reaffirm the need for the Argentine Government and that of Great Britain to resume as soon as possible, the negotiations to find a solution as soon as possible, to the sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and adjoining maritime spaces” based on the principle of territorial integrity stated the resolution put together at the 21st summit of Ibero-American leaders that took place Friday/Saturday in Paraguay.

The Declaration recalls the UN and OAS statements in support of negotiations and underlines “the permanent willingness for dialogue showed by Argentina” and insisted that “unilateral actions referred to exploitation of resources do not help to reach to a definitive solution to the territorial dispute”.

Further on it points out to the military exercises undertaken by the UK “including the firing of missiles from the Malvinas Islands territory” is “incompatible with the constant policy of finding a peaceful solution to the territorial controversy”

The statement supported by the heads of state and government from all Ibero-Latin American nations underlines the succession of UN General Assembly resolutions which call on the Secretary General to proceed with his “good offices” contacts so that negotiations can resume to find as soon as possible a peaceful solution to the dispute.

The summit convened under the goal “Transformation of the State and Development” in its final declaration also made reference to the international financial crisis, social inclusion and social universal protection with the State playing a leading role in eradicating poverty.

A special mention was made to the need to put an end to the economic and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.

The Ibero American summit brings together Spain, Portugal and Andorra and all Latin American nations. The Ibero Latin American Secretariat operates from Spain and its secretary general is Uruguay’s Enrique Iglesias.

This Asuncion meeting was not particularly successful since eleven heads of government and state did not show up, the Spanish leader is a lame duck since most probably his party will be ousted from office in the November 20 elections. For Paraguay it was particularly frustrating since none of the leaders of Mercosur full members (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) attended.

Source: Mercopress

Financial turmoil grips two more ‘green energy’ companies receiving federal loan guarantees

Two “clean energy companies” which Barack Obama and Harry Reid have touted as creators of “green energy jobs” have joined Solyndra on the growing list of federal loan recipients facing financial turmoil and default. And a new poll indicates that voters don’t support the idea of agenda-driven federal loans to chosen corporations.
Beacon Power Corp., a Massachusetts based energy storage company, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday, just one year after the company received a $43 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy.
And The New York Times reports that Nevada Geothermal Power, another recipient of millions in DOE loan guarantees, is struggling financially: Its auditor reported last week that he has “significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
Nevada Geothermal received a DOE loan guarantee of $79 million, plus at least $66 million in grants.
The controversial DOE loan program has already produced an even bigger default: Just two months ago, solar panel manufacturer Solyndra filed for Chapter 11 protection after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee, effectively leaving taxpayers on the hook for the whole amount.
Executives, board members and investors involved with all three companies are closely linked to Obama, Reid and other prominent Democrats. Kai Anderson, a lobbyist for Nevada Geothermal’s partner corporation, Ormat Technology, is a former Senate aide to Harry Reid. Ormat’s CEO Paul Thomsen is another former Reid aide.
Beacon Power’s bankruptcy and the financial turmoil at Nevada Geothermal, hard on the heels of Solyndra’s bankruptcy filing, creates additional political humiliation for the Obama administration. Obama got considerable political mileage early in his presidential term by announcing the loans for creation of “green energy” jobs.
A new survey commissioned by Heritage Action for America reveals that public attitudes about energy are not supportive of these grand plans.
Nearly three quarters of voters (72 percent) oppose the federal government choosing which companies within a particular industry will receive financial subsidies, with a majority (53 percent) strongly opposed.
Nearly two thirds (65 percent) of respondents agreed that Solyndra’s bankruptcy demonstrates why the federal government should not pick winners and losers in the marketplace, regardless of the industry or company involved.
And six out of ten respondents told pollsters that when private investors don’t want to risk losing their money investing in a company, the government shouldn’t invest in it either.
Obama supporters’ defense in the early days of the Solyndra scandal was that more than 90 percent of Energy Department loans were not in default. But most of those loans are only in the beginning stages of 20- or 30-year terms. The Beacon Power and Nevada Geothermal cases may point to still more defaults coming in the future.
Much like George Kaiser and other Solyndra investors and executives, Beacon Power’s CEO and other executives donated generously to Obama and other Democratic Party candidates. But unlike with Solyndra, they gave zero dollars to Republicans.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Beacon Power president and CEO F. William “Bill” Capp donated $500 to Obama’s presidential campaign. He also donated to Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Niki Tsongas, and to the failed Massachusetts Senate campaign of Democrat Martha Coakley, whom Republican Scott Brown defeated in a special election for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s open Senate seat.
Beacon government relations director Matthew E. Polimeno donated $750 to Rep. Tsongas and $250 to Coakley. Beacon Power CFO James M. Spiezio also donated $250 to Coakley.
Through their companies, these donors were rewarded with $17,200 of Energy Department funds for every dollar they donated to Democrats.
Since Nevada Geothermal’s parent corporation is based in Canada, it would be unusual to see political contributions from the company’s executives to American candidates. But the Center for Responsive Politics also reports that Nevada Geothermal vice president of development and operations Max Walensiak donated $500 to Harry Reid’s successful Senate re-election campaign.
Read more stories from The Daily Caller.

The Daily Caller

Hamilton too hard on himself, says McLaren boss

McLaren have told Lewis Hamilton to be less hard on himself after an inaugural Indian Grand Prix that again had the 2008 Formula One champion apologising profusely to team and sponsors.
The Briton collided with Ferrari’s Braziian Felipe Massa during the race, their sixth clash on track this season, after being demoted three places on the starting grid for ignoring warning flags in practice.
Race stewards ruled Massa was to blame for Sunday’s collision, handing him a drive through penalty, but Hamilton remained contrite about his own general performance over the weekend.
«I’ve had to apologise to the team,» the 26-year-old told television reporters after the race.
«I’m sorry for the team, they always do a great job every weekend, so to disappoint them like this … Just big apologies to the team, my sponsors, after yet another disastrous race. It’s been an eventful year.
«I just can’t apologise enough to my team for the negativity that surrounds me nowadays,» added Hamilton, who finished the race in seventh place and made a quick getaway afterwards.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh felt Hamilton should be easier on himself.
«Yes I do, frankly,» he told reporters. «I’ve told him that on several occasions. Don’t apologise. You’re a racing driver. If you’ve made a mistake accept it, learn from it, move on.»
buenosairesherald.com

Thai PM warns flood impact to last three months

Thailand’s prime minister has warned that it will take the country three months to recover from the worst floods in decades, even though the capital’s central districts have thus far escaped being inundated.

Large swathes of Thailand are still under water as efforts to divert huge volumes of water away from Bangkok during Monday’s peak tides proved largely successful.

Yingluck Shinawatra, prime minister, said: “We expect after the water recedes that the industrial estates will recover within three months if we can release the water and recover the machinery quickly.”

Pichai Naripthaphan, energy minister, said the government would allocate 100bn baht ($3.22bn) to help rebuild key industrial estates and 800bn baht to revamp the country’s water management system, which failed to protect vast swathes of northern and central Thailand from the surge.

The Thai government had warned that the whole of Bangkok, which accounts for about 40 per cent of the nation’s economic output, could be inundated between Saturday and Monday when a high tide in the city’s main Chao Phraya river slowed the run-off from the worst floods to hit Thailand in 50 years.

On a visit to badly flooded areas in the north of the city, Korn Chatikavanij, former finance minister and a member of the opposition Democrat party, said that while it was too early to “count our chickens”, the situation appeared to be stabilising.

“There’s still a very big body of water on our northern border, but so long as the [flood] barriers aren’t breached, we should be OK,” he told the Financial Times.

But the Thai Red Cross and other aid organisations have warned that the flood waters may not drain away for weeks, increasing the risk that water-borne and insect-borne diseases could spread.

Nearly 400 people have been killed by the flooding in the country since July, when heavy monsoon rains began pounding the region. More than 1,000 factories have been closed, leading to global shortages of hard-disk drives and car parts. A quarter of the rice crop has also been destroyed in the world’s biggest rice-exporting nation.

Honda on Monday withdrew its earnings guidance for this financial year and reported a sharp fall in quarterly profit, after the floods forced it to shut a car factory that produces 5 per cent of its global output.

The Thai central bank last week slashed its gross domestic product growth forecast for this year to 2.6 per cent from 4.1 per cent and warned that output could be downgraded again.

While the heart of Bangkok was largely spared, conditions in the north and west of the city remained bleak, with a number of districts submerged in a metre or more of increasingly dirty water and many people running short of food and drinking water.

Several minor scuffles broke out between police and residents who wanted to knock down hastily constructed dykes that were protecting the city centre but causing flood waters to accumulate in their neighbourhoods.

The floods have provided the first big test for Ms Yingluck, a political novice who became Thailand’s first female prime minister in August. She has faced increasing criticism over the perceived lack of co-ordination in her government’s response to the disaster.

By Ben Bland in Bangkok

Source: ft.com

‘Arbolitos’ flee the City after tough AFIP crackdown on capital flight

The traditional “arbolitos” (people who illegally exchange currency on the street at a higher rate) where nowhere to be seen in downtown Buenos Aires on Monday since the practically “fled” the City due to the stricter controls enacted by the Government targeting capital flight and tax evasion and an increased amount of police officers in the streets.

There was also no clear exchange rate in the informal market today, but the dollar fluctuated between 4.55 and 4.70 pesos.

The new measures enacted by the AFIP tax agency force people trying to buy foreign currency to show where they got their money, based on their wealth and income.

Currency exchange operators said that the AFIP resolution created doubts inside the market and pushed all “arbolitos” away from the City.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Unión draw Tigre in Santa Fe

Unión drew 1-1 with Tigre during the match held at Santa Fe province for the thirteenth round of the Apertura Tournament.

Tigre’s Nelson Carrasco opened the score at 23′ of the first half, but only four minutes later, Juan Avendaño managed to net Unión’s goal and tie the result.

Unión: Enrique Bologna; Renzo Vera, Juan Pablo Avendaño and Nicolás Correa; Fausto Montero, Nicolás Bruna, Marcelo Sarmiento and Jorge Velázquez; Paulo Rosales and Juan Pablo Pereyra; Fabricio Núñez. Coach: Frank Kudelka.
Tigre: Javier García; Norberto Paparatto, Mariano Echeverría and Juan Blengio; Martín Galmarini, Emanuel Pío, Román Martínez and Gastón Díaz; Diego Morales; Carlos Luna and Ezequiel Maggiolo. Coach: Rodolfo Arruabarrena.
Stadium: Unión
Referee: Federico Beligoy
buenosairesherald.com

Is Mexican cartel the next ‘Anonymous’ target?

Could a Mexican drug cartel be the next target for a group of hackers known for online attacks against banks and government institutions?

A video purportedly from the international hacker ring Anonymous threatens the Zetas, warning that the names, photographs and addresses of cartel supporters can be published «if necessary.»

«We cannot defend ourselves with a weapon,» a masked man says. «But we can do this with their cars, homes, bars and whatever else they possess. It will not be difficult. All of us know who they are and where they are located.»

The man, wearing a suit and tie, claims the notoriously violent drug gang has kidnapped an Anonymous associate in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

«We demand his release,» says the man, who uses Mexican slang but speaks Spanish with a Castilian accent.

It’s unclear whether Anonymous is behind the October 6 video, which does not mention a victim’s name or provide details about the alleged abduction. The hacking group has no clear leader, and no official website.

«One thing that’s important to remember is that Anonymous is not an organization. It does not have a hierarchy. Basically it’s a collective of people who self-identify,» said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical intelligence for the STRATFOR global intelligence firm. «Not everybody agrees and not everybody participates.»

Stewart said the video «absolutely» appears authentic.

«It’s part of the dynamic we’ve been watching with Anonymous activities in Mexico,» he said, noting that the video was similar to others the group has released and expresses similar sentiments. «It seems like they’re speaking up as the voice of those people who are in fear.»

In recent months, Anonymous has claimed responsibility for «paperstorm» campaigns, dropping fliers accusing officials in the Mexican state of Veracruz of corruption and connections with cartels.

The video purportedly posted by Anonymous this month says the alleged abduction occurred during a «paperstorm» campaign.

An Anonymous source told CNN that there were discussions about three weeks ago in Anonymous’ main online chat portal that suggested that members based in Mexico were going to target the Zetas.

The source said that Anonymous Mexican members claimed in online discussions to have information about politicians in Mexico who were corrupt and working with the Zetas. Anonymous members in Mexico appeared, based on their portal chats, to want to make this information available online, the source said.

On Monday, a Facebook page purportedly connected with a Latin America branch of Anonymous said the attack targeting the Zetas had been put on hold because of security and political concerns.

«We are searching for alternative actions,» said the post on The Anonymous Link’s page. CNN was unable to independently verity the website’s claim.

It’s too soon to tell whether Anonymous, which normally uses Internet attacks to disrupt website traffic, can combat the ruthless violence of drug cartels, Stewart said.

«This is like one of those 1950s horror movies, the Werewolf versus Frankenstein. They’re incompatible creatures that do warfare in different ways,» Stewart said.

Even if members of Anonymous use virtual weapons, he said, they could sustain real-life wounds.

«If they get identified as part of this, they could be beheaded,» he said.

As social media become an increasingly common battleground in Mexico’s drug war, the viral video fueled debate online.

Twitter was abuzz with word of the possible threat Monday, with some posts under the hashtag #OpCartel saying Anonymous had called off its plans to target the Zetas, and others questioning the legitimacy of the video.

«Was the #OpCartel Anonymous Hackers vs. Zetas story a highly publicized hoax?» SYoungReports wrote.

Other Twitter users criticized the group.

«Bits and bytes won’t work against bullets,» said a post on the Twitter account of Angeliner4life. «Don’t be dumb, you are messing with real killers.»

The most common mode of operation for Anonymous is launching distributed denial-of-service attacks, in which multiple people use scripts to access a website repeatedly, slowing it badly or shutting it down, if its servers can’t handle the traffic.

In the past few years, Anonymous has taken credit for disrupting a number of prominent websites, including those of PayPal, Master Card, Visa and the Church of Scientology.

Last month the group claimed it was targeting the Mexican government, launching attacks on a range of official websites, including those of Mexico’s defense and public safety ministries.

Online posts have become some of the loudest voices reporting violence in Mexico. In some parts of the country, threats from cartels have silenced traditional media. Sometimes even local authorities fear speaking out.

Last month attackers left ominous threats mentioning two websites on signs beside mutilated bodies dangling from a bridge in northern Mexico.

The message was clear: Post something we don’t like online and you’re next. «I am about to get you,» one sign said.

It was unclear who the two brutally slain victims were, or whether they had any connection to social media. But analysts said that case showed the prominent role technology has come to play in describing and denouncing violence in Mexico.

Source: CNN

Some birth control shows higher clot risk: US

Some birth control products, including contraceptive pills, rings and patches for women, carry a significantly higher risk of blood clot than low-dose medications, US regulators said Thursday.
The US Food and Drug Administration said in its review of studies that have included more than 800,000 women that the higher risks are posed by products such as the pill Yaz, the transdermal Ortho Evra patch, and the NuvaRing vaginal insert.
All three methods are «associated with an increased risk of VTE (deep venous thrombosis) relative to the standard low-dose» pills, the FDA said.
Featured in the study were pills that contain drospirenone, as opposed to another type of progestin known as levonorgestrel. Some brand names include Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, Ocella, Loryna, Gianvi, Safyral, Syeda and Zarah.
Yaz is the second biggest selling product made by the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, with 1.56 billion in global sales.
NuvaRing is a once-a-month vaginal insert made by Merck pharmaceuticals, and the weekly Ortho Evra patch is made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
The finding about clot risk associated with patches and rings are new and need to be replicated, the FDA said. A full discussion on the matter is scheduled for December.
These «continuous exposure» birth control methods «potentially result in higher sustained exposure to estrogen and hence, increased thromboembolic risk,» the FDA warned.
The European Medicines Agency concluded on May 27 that such birth control pills carry a higher risk of venous thromboembolism and that warning labels should be updated accordingly.
However it noted the overall risk of blood clot from any birth control method remains small and stopped short of advising women to stop taking pills containing drospirenone.
The pills have been the focus of numerous lawsuits, including one lodged earlier this year on behalf of a teenager who died from a blood clot allegedly linked to the German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer’s Yaz contraceptive.
Michelle Pfleger, an 18-year-old college student in North Carolina, died of cardiac arrest last September after taking Yaz, also known as Yasmin or Ocella, to treat acne, according to the complaint.
Two studies out this year in the British Medical Journal found that drugs like Yaz and Yasmin increase the risk of serious blood clots three-fold or two-fold compared to earlier-generation oral contraceptives.
The official Yaz website says the drug is associated with «increased risks of several serious side effects, including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack.»
According to Glenn Jacobowitz, vice-chair of the division of vascular surgery at New York University, doctors have been aware of the risks of Yaz and similar pills for some time.
«The information on NuvaRing and Ortho Evra would be a new, but similar finding. This is certainly worrisome, particularly for women over age 35 and for smokers,» he said.
Relaxnews

Boudou reassures foreign currency buyers

Economy Minister Amado Boudou reiterated today that the new rules for foreign currency purchase in effect today are aimed towards discovering the “origin” of funds as opposed to the “destination” of the money.

Boudou remarked everything is “in order” and assured buyers are to remain “unconcerned.”

“New rules take same time as a credit card approval for an ordinary sale,” said the minister. “We’ve been working to fight money laundering, which has to do with battling the informal economy, the black market, and this is a measure in that sense,” Boudou stressed.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Use of public service gains 10.7% in September

The use of public service registered a 10.7 percent increase during September year-on-year, according to the Indec national statistics bureau.

During September, the sectors that increased the most were telephone services (22.1 percent), tolls (5.5 percent), and Electricity, gas and water (3.1 percent).

Compared to August, the index reported that the use of services rose 1.04 percent, while it climbed 11 percent during the first nine months of the year.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Estudiantes face Racing, half time

Estudiantes de La Plata currently tie without goals with Racing Club for the thirteenth round of the Apertura Tournament.

Estudiantes: Damián Albil; Gabriel Mercado, Germán Ré, Leandro Desábato and Juan Camilo Domínguez; Mariano González, Rodrigo Braña, Juan Sebastián Verón and Facundo Coria; Gastón Fernández and Mauro Boselli. Coach: Miguel Angel Russo.
Racing: Sebastián Saja; Iván Pillud, Matías Martínez, Matías Cahais and Lucas Licht; Agustín Pelletieri, Claudio Yacob and Luciano Aued; Giovanni Moreno; Gabriel Hauche and Teófilo Gutiérrez. Coach: Diego Simeone.
Stadium: Quilmes (Estudiantes).
Referee: Patricio Loustau.
buenosairesherald.com

CFK-Obama meeting is ‘opportunity for more positive relationship,’ US Gov’t says

The US Government confirmed that president Barack Obama is scheduled to meet privately with President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on Friday. The meeting will take place in Cannes, France, one day after the G20 Summit begins.

According to US National Security Deputy Advisor Ben Rhodes, the meeting will be “an important opportunity” for both countries to discuss their future relationship after the “up and downs” it’s been going through in the last couple of years.

“We’ve had some up and downs in our bilateral relationship in the last couple of years, but we firmly believe that whenever there’s an election and a leader is reelected, it represents an opportunity to strengthen our relations and establish a base for cooperation,” Rhodes stated.

The White House official also said that the interview will be an opportunity for Obama to “personally congratulate Fernández de Kirchner on her reelection.”

“We see this as an opportunity, after the President’s reelection, to make a turn into a more positive relationship,” he concluded.

A meeting between Obama and Fernández de Kirchner came at the request of the US Government, who in the last couple of days has signaled heavily on their intentions to renew their relationship with Argentina.

President Fernández de Kirchner is scheduled to leave for Cannes on Tuesday at 8 pm, and she is expected to land there by Wednesday afternoon.

Along with the President, Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman and Economy Minister Amado Boudou will also be attending the summit.

The last time Obama and Fernández de Kirchner met face to face was in April, 2010 during the Nuclear Security World Summit in Washington.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Afghanistan truck bomb kills 5, including 3 UN staff, in attack near Kandahar UN office

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Insurgents driving a suicide truck bomb and attacking on foot killed five people, including three United Nations employees, near the offices of the U.N.’s refugee agency in the southern city of Kandahar on Monday, officials said. Afghan forces and the militants exchanged fire for nearly seven hours before the militants were killed.

One insurgent slammed an explosives-rigged pickup truck into a checkpoint near the UNHCR’s offices at about 6:10 a.m., and immediately afterward, three insurgents rushed into area, which houses several international aid organizations, the Interior Ministry said.

The insurgents seized control of at least one building, and the ensuing gunbattle with Afghan and NATO forces lasted until 1 p.m., the ministry said.

The UNCHR said three of its staff were killed and two wounded in the combined assault and bombing. It did not say whether they were Afghans or foreigners.

“This is a tragedy for UNHCR and for the families of the dead and wounded,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “It also underscores the great risks for humanitarian workers in Afghanistan.”

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave a slightly different version of the events.

“A car bomb was exploded at the gate of a local NGO that shares a common wall with the UNHCR compound,” he said in statement. “When the wall collapsed, suicide attackers entered the U.N. premises.”

Ban said: “Three U.N. security guards were killed and two others were wounded. Two security contractors were killed as well.”

The U.N. Security Council condemned the terrorist attack “in the strongest terms” and called on the Afghan government to bring the perpetrators to justice and to take “all necessary steps” to protect U.N. personnel and installations.

In recent days, the UNHCR said the number of refugees returning from Pakistan had dropped sharply because of the deteriorating security situation and lack of opportunities in Afghanistan.

The assault was the second major attack in three days to target foreigner workers or NATO troops in the country, spotlighting the insurgents’ ability to continue to carry out major attacks, despite a 10-year NATO campaign against them. The U.S.犀利士
-led coalition is gradually handing over security responsibilities to its Afghan counterparts and plans to withdraw its combat forces by the end of 2014.

“Despite the insurgency’s failures this past year, it remains capable and, enabled by safe havens in Pakistan, continues to contest (Afghan and NATO) progress in some parts of the country,” German Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, a coalition spokesman in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kabul.

Jacobson also said the coalition and its Afghan partners had made significant gains against the Taliban and that incidents like the bombing in Kandahar were not indicative of the insurgents gaining strength.

“It is not to gain a military victory. It is to gain media” attention, he said.

The blast caused extensive damage to the U.N. agency’s building. Associated Press video showed large chunks of the building’s outer walls and its windows blown out, and the interior was in shambles. The street around the building was strewn with rubble.

The Taliban, for whom Kandahar is a traditional stronghold, claimed responsibility for the attack. Spokesman Qari Yousef said the insurgents were targeting what he claimed was a guest house affiliated with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

The UNAMA does not operate a guest house in the area. The U.N. mission’s mandate is to help the Afghan government with security, governance and economic development.

Following the bombing, five people — four security guards and the district police chief — were killed during the gunbattle with the insurgents, the Interior Ministry said. Six people, including a policeman, were wounded.

The ministry strongly condemned what it described as “an inhuman and un-Islamic terrorist attack against the Afghans.”

UNAMA spokesman Dan McNortan said all of the agency’s staff, both Afghan and foreign, was accounted for.

The attack comes two days after the Taliban launched a brazen midday suicide bombing in Kabul, striking a NATO convoy on Saturday and killing 17 people, including five NATO service members, one Canadian soldier and eight civilian contractors.

Source: AP – washingtonpost.com

Trucking transport union strike spreads to Rosario’s port; grain exports in danger

Argentine Transporters’ Union (FETRA in Spanish) added Rosario’s port to the national strike started last week in demand of an increase of the service tariff. The measure took effect early this morning as union members set a road block at Santa Fe’s main port, impeding access to grain cargos, hence halting all exports.

The union keeps united on its claim of a 30 percent increase for the freight service as they demand increasing the current fee of 22 pesos per ton carried to a minimum of 27.7 pesos.

Almost 80 percent of the grain exports depart from Rosario’s port. Thus, the measure spreads to six ports as ports of Bahía Blanca, Quequén, Necochea, Ramallo, and San Nicolás remained blocked since last Monday.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

7 billion and counting: Should the world adopt a ‘one-child’ policy?

The world population has hit a whopping 7 billion, and researchers suggest it could reach 10 billion within the next century. On the one hand, this means we’re a great success — after all, the goal of any species is to expand and conquer. But, on the other hand, all that expansion means more mouths to feed, which requires more space and energy, which increases the demand on resources and the environment, perhaps too large a demand for Earth to support.
So Life’s Little Mysteries asks: How can we curb this growth? Should there be a global one-child policy, like the one enforced in China?
One child per family
In 1979, in response to two decades of rapid population growth the Chinese government announced a policy that limited each family to just one child (although there are exceptions). The worry was that if growth continued at such a pace, it would be a crushing burden to both society and the economy. [How Many People Can the World Support?]
In terms of limiting population growth, the policy was successful, cutting China’s population by an estimated 250 million to 300 million people, according to Chinese authorities. But this success came with a price. Reports of forced abortion and sterilization abound. And, because of a preference for male children in China, sex-selective abortions have skewed the country’s male-female birth ratio from the natural biological ratio of 105 to 100 to 121 to 100, resulting in millions more young men than women. Socially, the consequences range from mental health problems to kidnapping and trafficking women for marriage.
Social questions aside, does a global one-child policy make sense?
«I don’t think that’s a good idea, frankly,» said John Bongaarts, vice president of the Population Council, a global nonprofit and NGO. «First of all, nobody’s going to accept it. There’s been a massive outcry over the one-child policy in China as coercive, and there’s not a single person that I know that would support it. Plus, you don’t really want the fertility to decline to one child per woman, because you end up in the same problems as Japan has now, and nobody wants that.»

LiveScience.com