It’s two months since Mr. Chavez was due to be newly inaugurated, two months in which his absence from public view has fueled rumors and speculation. The president’s chosen successor, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro addressed a cabinet meeting live on state television. He said a U.S. military attaché was being expelled and he denounced conspiracies, even suggested Mr. Chavez’s illness was brought on by an enemy attack.
Share prices in New York have risen to an old time high. The main share indexes in Wall Street have passed the previous record. Here is Samir Hasan.
The Dow broke its previous record high set in October 2007 before the global financial meltdown. Analysts believe strong European sales and China’s economic growth targets are fueling the Dow’s rally. Recent economic debt in the U.S. is also contributing. The U.S. housing market is seen as recovering and U.S. companies are slowly starting to hire again.
London’s index also rose to its highest closing level for more than five years.
Police in Russia have detained a star dancer from the Bolshoi ballet on suspicion of ordering an acid attack on the company’s artistic director Sergei Filin. The dancer, Pavel Dmitrichenko is been held along with two other men, one who is suspected of carrying out the attack and another who is accused of being his driver. It’s not clear whether they are connected with the ballet company.