Mes: septiembre 2019

(AP) CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez announced Thursday that Venezuelan security forces have arrested a U.S. citizen and suspect he is a mercenary who could be involved in an alleged plot to destabilize the country if the opposition’s candidate loses the upcoming presidential election. Chavez said the Hispanic man was detained Aug. 4 while crossing into Venezuela from Colombia. The president said the man was carrying a U.S. passport with entrance and exit stamps from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya as well as a notebook containing geographical coordinates. The man’s identity was not released. Chavez did not say where he was being interrogated. An official from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas did not answer repeated telephone calls seeking comment on Chavez’s announcement. “He has all the appearance of a mercenary,” Chavez said, speaking during a campaign rally in the coastal state of Vargas. “We are interrogating him.” The man tore up part of the notebook in his possession when he was detained, Chavez said. Chavez suggested, without offering evidence, the American might have been recruited by government opponents to instigate violent protests if opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles loses the Oct. 7 election. Chavez has repeatedly vowed to win re-election and continue trying to steer Venezuela toward socialism. The president has repeatedly claimed the opposition plans to accuse election officials of rigging the vote and refuse to...

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES – The Academy Awards has producers for next year’s awards show, and one of them is the guy who brought you three bad Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker movies. That’s right. Director Brett Ratner is one of the producers. Don Mischer is the other. This will be Ratner’s first involvement with the Oscar show and Mischer’s second: He produced and directed the 2011 Academy Awards telecast and was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the show. Pictures: 2011 Oscar red carpetPictures: 2011 Oscar winners Academy president Tom Sherak made the announcement Thursday. Mischer said in an interview that he’s excited to oversee the Oscars again. “I was just so happy to receive the call from the academy saying we’d like to have you come back,” he said. “It was unexpected and a real delight. More than anything, I’m looking forward to working with Brett.” Ratner said producing the Oscar show is “beyond a dream come true.” “This wasn’t even in my dreams, it’s so far out,” he said. “This is something I never could have imagined.” Ratner has produced and directed both film and television. His credits include “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and the pilot of TV’s “Prison Break.” Mischer is a veteran producer and director of live television events, including Super Bowl halftime shows, Olympics opening ceremonies, the Emmy Awards and this year’s Oscars. Dawn...