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Showing posts with the label Argentina Gist

Philip Seymour Hoffman: '70 bags of heroin' in dead actor's home

New York City police have found up to 70 bags of suspected heroin inside actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's home a day after his death, US media report. The Oscar-winning star, 46, was found dead at his Greenwich Village home on Sunday with a syringe in his arm. A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out on Monday. Police suspect Hoffman died of an overdose. The lights along theatre marquees on New York's Broadway were to be dimmed on Wednesday in honour of Hoffman. The actor earned three Tony award nominations for his work in New York theatre.

Italy Camorra mafia clan boss Mario Riccio arrested

Police in Naples have detained Camorra clan boss Mariano Riccio, aged 23 and described as one of the 100 most wanted men in Italy. He is facing a 16-year jail sentence for drug trafficking and is seen by investigators as a key figure in a war for control of the mafia drug trade. Riccio was seized outside the city and police said he did not resist arrest. Separately, 29 suspected Camorra members have been arrested in Rome in connection with fraud and extortion. They have been linked to the Zaza clan in the western Fuorigrotta area of Naples. The Camorra is a formidable mafia network based in the Naples area, which is believed to have extended its influence to Rome and as far north as Florence. Mario Riccio, believed by police to head another clan called the Amato-Pagato, has been on the run since 2011. He was reportedly arrested at a house north of Naples,

What is Dangerous Sex?

*. About 0.1% of ER admissions to University Hospital Bern come about as a result of sex *. Between 2000 and 2011 the hospital recorded 445 such cases *. Of these, 308 cases (69%) were male *. Most of the patients (78%) were younger than 40 *. A total of 276 (62%) had a possible infection *. Fifty-five cases (12.4%) were neurological, including headache, amnesia and bleeding between the brain and skull *. Two patients had cardiovascular emergencies and no penile fractures were recorded Source: "Sexual activity-related emergency department admissions: eleven years of experience at a Swiss university hospital", Journal of Emergency Medicine "I must tell you it is no myth," wrote one woman who asked to remain anonymous. "It happened to my late husband and myself one night. He literally could not withdraw i.e. was 'stuck'. I attributed it to the intensity of the vaginal muscle response during orgasm." Another correspondent, who asked to be referred t...

Kiribati: Tiny island's struggle with overpopulation

The Pacific island chain of Kiribati is one of the most densely settled places on Earth. The BBC's Julian Siddle investigates how the island is dealing with its overpopulation problem. Kiribati is perhaps best known as one of the countries most likely to disappear due to climate change. Most people who live on Kiribati's main island - South Tarawa - rely on the surrounding seas for their livelihoods. The ocean is also the greatest threat to their future survival: No land on this island sits more than 2m (6ft 6in) above sea level, so rising seas could prove devastating. We have contamination from housing, agriculture, from people holding pigs, the sanitation practices Peter Sinclair, Secretariat of the Pacific Community But that's not the only challenge facing this Pacific nation. Stretching over 3.5 million sq km (1.35 million sq mi) of the ocean, Kiribati consists of several islands spread across a territory of similar size to India, but most of the population is concentr...

Who are the Pakistani Taliban?

*. With its roots in the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Taliban movement came to the fore in 2007 unleashing a wave of violence *. Its leaders have traditionally been based in Pakistan's tribal areas but it is really a loose affiliation of militant groups, some based in areas like Punjab and even Karachi *. The various Taliban groups have different attitudes to talks with the government. Some analysts say this has led to divisions in the movement *. Collectively they are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Pakistanis and have also co-ordinated assaults on numerous security targets *. Two former TTP leaders, Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud,

Pakistan: Taliban criticise peace talks delay

Pakistani Taliban negotiators have condemned the failure of government representatives to meet them in Islamabad, as preliminary peace efforts got off to a chaotic start. The government side said before talks began they wanted clarification from the team named by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The two sides had been due to start charting a "roadmap" for talks. The militants have been waging an insurgency inside Pakistan since 2007. Many observers were puzzled by the government side's approach. The Taliban swiftly made clear there were to be no additions to their team, and urged the government side to begin talks and see for themselves whether the team had a mandate. There is more scepticism than hope as the government and the Pakistani Taliban prepare to hold preliminary peace talks. There are three reasons for this. First is the reluctance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to confront the Taliban militarily despite a public wave of anger against them. Second, few an...

Microsoft names Satya Nadella to replace Steve Ballmer

Technology giant Microsoft has said Satya Nadella will succeed Steve Ballmeras its next chief executive. Mr Nadella is currently Microsoft's head of Cloud and Enterprise, which builds and runs the firm's computing platforms and developer tools. In August, Mr Ballmer said he would retire within 12 months. Leaders from a range of industries are rumoured to have been considered for the post. Microsoft also said founder Bill Gates would step down as chairman. Mr Gates will take up a new role as technology adviser and will also retain a seat on the board, Microsoft's lead independent director John Thompson is to take over from Mr Gates as the company's chairman. I couldn't be more honoured to have been chosen to lead the company Satya Nadella, Microsoft chief executive Mr Thompson led the search committee for Microsoft's new chief executive, and said last year that more than 100 possible candidates had been identified. 'Proven leader' Mr Nadella, 44, is Mi...

World's largest wine consumers

*. France, US - both 12% *. Italy, China - both 9% *. Germany - 8% *. UK, Russia - both 5% *. Spain, Argentina - both 4% *. Source: Morgan Stanley The report by Morgan Stanley's analysts Tom Kierath and Crystal Wang says global wine consumption has been rising since 1996 (except a drop in 2008-09), and presently stands at about 3bn cases per year. At the same time, there are currently more than one million wine producers worldwide, making some 2.8bn cases each year. The authors predict that - in the short term - "inventories will likely be reduced as current consumption continues to be predominantly supplied by previous vintages" And as consumption then inevitably turns to the 2012 vintage, the authors say they "expect the current production shortfall to culminate in a significant increase in export demand, and higher prices for exports globally". They say this could be partly explained by "plummeting production" in Europe due to "ongoin...

Nazi Erich Priebke to be buried 'in secret location'

Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke, who died under house arrest in Rome last week, is to be buried in a secret location, his lawyer has said. On Wednesday, his coffin was seized by the Italian authorities and taken to a military base near Rome after a funeral was halted amid angry protests. Rome city authorities had banned any burial in the city. Priebke was extradited from Argentina and jailed for life in Italy over the 1944 killing of 335 civilians. "The agreement satisfies the family and ethical and spiritual requirements," said his lawyer, Paolo Giachini, adding that there would be "a small ceremony for relatives" following the funeral. The whereabouts of the burial are unknown but Mr Giachini is reported as saying that "we had contacts to bury the coffin of Priebke both in Italy and in Germany". A cardiologist has offered to have the remains interred in his family's grave near Verona, but the local mayor is said to be against the proposal. The...

Argentina President Cristina Fernandez surgery 'went well' =>

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has undergone surgery to treat bleeding on her brain, at a hospital in Buenos Aires. The operation, which has lasted about two hours, "went very well" said her spokesman, Alfredo Scoccimarro. Ms Fernandez, 60, is expected to remain in intensive care for the next 48 hours and stay in hospital until next week. She was ordered to rest for at least a month after doctors discovered the subdural haematoma. "The president is in good spirits and is already in her room," said Mr Scoccimarro. The president's leave of absence means she will have to suspend campaigning for congressional elections. Analysis ByIgnacio de los Reyes BBC Mundo, Buenos Aires Although her condition is not life threatening, there has been speculation about President Fernandez's illness as the Argentine government hasn't provided any further details about the cause of the bleeding. It is still unclear how the president's leave ...

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez to have surgery =>

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will undergo surgery on Tuesday to treat bleeding on her brain, doctors have said. Ms Fernandez, 60, was earlier ordered to rest for a month after doctors discovered the subdural haematoma. It was diagnosed as she was undergoing tests for another condition on Saturday. This means Ms Fernandez will have to suspend campaigning for congressional elections. The break from campaigning is considered awkward for the president as some opinion polls have suggested the government could lose control of Congress in the poll on 27 October. While her party has done well in the primaries on a nationwide level it has failed to win a key seat in the province of Buenos Aires, where her rival and former cabinet chief Sergio Massa beat Ms Fernandez's candidate. Medical experts say recovering from this type of surgery is a long process, and her lay-off is now likely to be longer than a month. Analysis ByIgnacio de los Reyes BBC Mundo, Buenos A...

Doctors prescribe a month's leave for Argentine president=>

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been ordered to take a month off work after bleeding was found on her brain. Ms Fernandez, 60, was undergoing medical checks for another condition when the bleeding - a subdural hematoma - was discovered. Vice-President Amado Boudou is flying back from France to take over her duties. Ms Fernandez has been campaigning ahead of congressional elections. The break from campaigning is considered awkward for the president as some opinion polls have suggested the government could lose control of Congress in the poll on 27 October. Her spokesman, Alfredo Scoccimarro, issued a statement saying her doctors had carried out a brain scan in August after a previously undisclosed trauma - thought to be caused by a fall. However, they found nothing untoward. On Saturday, she went to hospital for checks for an irregular heartbeat and also complained of headaches. A further scan revealed the subdural hematoma - bleeding between the bra...

Argentina loses $1.3bn debt court appeal.

Argentina has been told again it must pay back more than $1.3bn (£830m) to a group of investors - 11 years after its record debt default. A New York appeals court unanimously rejected every Argentine argument against the payout. The decision is the latest twist in the long-running legal saga. Argentina refuses to pay anything to investors who declined to participate in a previous debt reduction deal involving most of the nation's lenders. "What the consequences predicted by Argentina have in common is that they are speculative, hyperbolic and almost entirely of the Republic's own making," the judges said in their decision. But the appeals court held off forcing Argentina to pay pending an appeal to the Supreme Court - which is considered unlikely to hear the case, but puts off any decision to 2014, well after Argentina's congressional elections in October. The appeal came after a Manhattan court ruled last February that Argentina had violated its contractual...