Irish banks, bonds hit as EU eyes survival plan

DUBLIN (AP) — Shares in Ireland's banks hit record lows and national borrowing costs reached new euro-era highs as the government presented its latest plans for financial survival to the European Union's economic commissioner, who has the power to order changes.

Investors are shunning Ireland's government and bank debt in expectation that the country will eventually require a bailout by the EU and International Monetary Fund, as happened to Greece in May.

"It is increasingly looking like the European Financial Stability Facility is the most likely scenario," Brian Devine, chief economist at NCB Stockbrokers in Dublin, said Monday after another day when buyers boycotted Irish …

French utility EDF sees 2011 profits triple

PARIS (AP) — Electricite de France's profits last year nearly tripled over 2010's, when sluggish demand in the wake of the global recession forced the utility to set aside billions of euros.

The state-controlled utility's bottom line of €3 billion ($3.9 billion) reported Thursday was also helped by an increase in its nuclear output in France and Britain, where energy produced rose by 3 and 15 percent, respectively. The nuclear output offset a drop in hydropower and exceeded the company's targets for both countries.

But sales were stagnant at €65.3 billion ($85 billion) amid what CEO Henri Proglio called a "troubled environment" that includes Europe's raging debt crisis and the …

RE-IMAGINING THE "INDIAN" AND THE STATE: INDIGENISMO IN COLOMBIA, 1926-1947

Abstract. This article examines the development of indigenismo in Colombia from 1927 to 1947. As a national and state-sanctioned cultural movement, Colombian indigenismo did not achieve the same development and importance as its Peruvian and Mexican counterparts. However, Colombian indigenismo created a cultural and political space mat rediscovered and valorized the indigenous communities and their culture. More importantly, this cultural movement had a significant political impact in that it created links between the new national intellectuals of the 1930s and the social indigenous movement in the southwestern department of the Cauca. The present-day success of the indigenous movement in …

Latin Presidents Move to End Crisis

South American presidents reached a testy compromise Friday to resolve a dangerous crisis triggered by a Colombian military attack in Ecuador, stepping back from a week of insults, troop movements and talk of war.

After an emotional debate followed on live television throughout Latin America, the presidents of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador offered one another stiff handshakes and joined other Latin American presidents in approving a declaration resolving to work for a peaceful end to the crisis.

The statement notes that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe apologized for the March 1 raid that killed 25 people including a senior rebel commander, and that he …

Older workers, hurt by recession, seek new jobs

In these scary economic times, older workers are putting off their retirement and hanging on to a paycheck.

Some retirees struggling to make ends meet are scanning help-wanted ads for the first time in years.

About a week ago, Jeff Rollison, a 60-year-old employee at the General Motors Corp.'s plant in Lordstown, Ohio, told the automaker he was retiring. Now, he's changed his mind.

Rollison is worried that something could happen to his retiree health benefits before he would become eligible for Medicare at age 65. Rollison is the sole breadwinner for himself and his wife. But he also is concerned about his grown children, including a son with three …

James Deering Danielson

James Deering Danielson, a descendant of a once-prominent Chicagofamily, died of cancer Thursday in a Gainesville, Fla., hospital.

Mr. Danielson, 76, was the great-grandson of William Deering,who in 1870 founded Deering Manufacturing in Chicago. The company,which made harvesters and other farm machinery, later became a partof International Harvester Co., with Deering serving as boardchairman.

Mr. Danielson, of Coral Gables and Gainesville, spent 16 yearsin the U.S. Foreign Service and was active in political affairs inMiami. He also spent years restoring art collections and property inSpain, …

Series of earthquakes strike Big Island of Hawaii

WAIMEA, Hawaii (AP) — A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck the north part of the Big Island on Wednesday, and the shaking was followed by a series of smaller temblors.

The first quake struck 13 miles southeast of Waimea at about 2 p.m. Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered at a depth of 11.7 miles. At least a dozen smaller quakes ranging in magnitude from 1.7 to 3.6 followed within an hour.

No tsunami alert was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage. Residents across the island reported feeling light to moderate shaking.

"When you feel a four-and-a-half at close range, it feels …