Cuban lawmakers meet to consider economy, budget

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban lawmakers are holding the second of their twice-annual sessions with a year-end report expected on the state of the country’s economy.Legislators are also to approve next year’s budget.Cuban leaders have sometimes used the parliamentary gatherings to make important announcements or policy statements.Observers will be watching for word on the progress of President Raul Castro‘s...

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Fandango launches Oscar-themed web series with Dave Karger

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Fandango is elbowing into the Oscar horse race.The movie-ticket seller launched its first original digital video series Wednesday, “The Frontrunners,” which will cover the major contenders for the top awards. The show will feature conversations with a star-studded group of Oscar hunters that includes Richard Gere (“Arbitrage”), Amy Adams (“The Master”), Hugh Jackman (“Les...

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Rock legends take to New York stage for storm Sandy victims

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Alicia Keys were among the musical stars headlining an all-star benefit concert for victims of Superstorm Sandy on Wednesday, in what producers promised was “the greatest line-up of legends ever assembled on a stage.”Organizers said the “12-12-12″ concert at New York‘s Madison Square Garden was being distributed to nearly 2 billion people...

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Venezuela’s Chavez in delicate state after surgery

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in stable but delicate condition after his latest cancer surgery, the government said on Wednesday in a somber assessment that could indicate an end to his 14-year rule.“Having been through a complex and delicate surgery, he is now in an equally complex post-operation process,” Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said on national television....

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Fed ties rates to jobs recovery, adds to stimulus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Reserve, announcing a new round of monetary stimulus, took the unprecedented step on Wednesday of indicating interest rates would remain near zero until unemployment falls to at least 6.5 percent.It was the latest in a series of unorthodox measures taken by central banks around the world to battle erratic, sub-par recoveries from the financial crisis and recession...

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The Hobbit: Richard Armitage Talks Preparations For Playing Thorin Oakenshield

British actor Richard Armitage admitted it wasn’t a walk in the park to play a J.R.R. Tolkien character in Peter Jackson’s reimagining of “The Hobbit,” the first installment of which is on its way into theaters.Upon touching down in New Zealand, where the trilogy was shot, the cast had a lot of character preparation to do.PLAY IT NOW: Martin Freeman Discusses The Hobbit’s ‘Good Chemistry’ & Playing...

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Panasonic may sell Sanyo digital camera business: source

TOKYO (Reuters) – Panasonic Corp may sell its Sanyo digital camera business to Japanese private equity fund Advantage Partners by the end of March, a source familiar with the plan said.A final decision on the sale will be made by the end of the year, the source said on condition he was not identified.Advantage Partners will pay several hundreds of millions of yen for the business, which makes digital...

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Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar dies at 92

NEW DELHI (AP) — Ravi Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over a 10-decade career, died Tuesday. He was 92.A statement on the musician’s website said he died in San Diego, near his Southern California home. The musician’s foundation issued a statement saying that...

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Idaho chooses state-based insurance exchange under “Obamacare”

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – Idaho Governor Butch Otter reluctantly opted on Tuesday for a state-based health insurance exchange under terms of President Barack Obama‘s healthcare overhaul, complaining it would do little to cut costs while inflating government.Idaho was one of several Republican-led states that delayed compliance with the Affordable Care Act until after the November 6 presidential election...

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Oil price rises on Fed stimulus hopes

BANGKOK (AP) — The price of oil rose Wednesday as investors anticipated that new measures to perk up the U.S. economy will be announced at the end of the Federal Reserve‘s policy meeting.Benchmark crude for January delivery was up 8 cents to $ 85.87 per barrel at midday Bangkok time on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 23 cents to finish at $ 85.79 per barrel in New York on Tuesday....

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