Chavez says he is free of cancer after treatment in Cuba (AFP)

CARACAS (AFP) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was back home Sunday after undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Cuba, declaring himself free of "malignant cells" and ready to resume his full work schedule.

"I returned in better condition than I was in when I left," Chavez declared as he stepped off the plane.

The 56-year-old leader underwent an operation in Cuba a month ago for a cancerous tumor in his pelvic area.

Once back in Venezuela, Chavez joined national celebrations of the birth of Simon Bolivar, a military and political leader in the country before his death in 1830.

"Today and forever Bolivar lives in us, our ideas, and our behavior every day," Chavez wrote on his Twitter account early in the day, saying Bolivar's legacy "must live on."

Bolivar is an inspiration for Chavez, who calls the Bolivarian revolution was the "second and definitive" independence for Venezuela.

The current Venezuelan president was coming home after spending time with another of his political heroes, Fidel Castro.

Castro visited Chavez during his treatment in Cuba and delivered the news that the cancer was not malignant, Chavez said at a rally.

"I underwent imaging studies... and in the afternoon, Fidel came to visit me and said three words: 'You have nothing,'" added Chavez.

The 56-year-old Chavez has often said he sees Castro as a father figure. Cuba and Venezuela have strengthened ties since Chavez came to power in 1999.

After being welcomed at the airport by members of his cabinet and top military officials late Saturday, Chavez expressed confidence for a quick recovery.

"I underwent examinations and I must tell you that doctors did not find any malignant cells in any part of my body," the president told local television.

He cautioned, however, that there was a risk of relapse and predicted new medical procedures he did not identify.

"We will conquer this disease with the help of God and medical science in order to continue paving the way for a new motherland," he promised.

The leftist president, known for his flamboyant political style, said Venezuela "cannot lose its way" or "become a colony" again but did not elaborate.

On Friday, Chavez said he had "successfully" finished a first round of chemotherapy and was preparing for the second round, but did not disclose his treatment schedule.

"There will be several rounds in order to win this battle and eliminate all risk of malignant cells." He also vowed "unsurpassable" courage in his battle against the cancer.

The Brazilian official news agency reported earlier this month that Chavez will undergo new cancer treatment in Brazil after his treatment in Cuba.

Chavez spoke with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to work out details of the treatment that will take place at a Sao Paulo hospital, Agencia Brasil reported without disclosing its sources.

The Venezuelan president had asked the National Assembly for permission to travel to Cuba to continue treatment following the June 20 operation.

To lawmakers, he described the chemotherapy as the "second stage of this slow and complex process of recovery."

Though the National Assembly unanimously approved his travel request, needed for the president to leave the country for more than five days, opposition leaders insisted it was unconstitutional for Chavez to continue to exercise executive authority from Cuba.

Critics of the president have demanded more details about his cancer, as well as answers to why he cannot be treated in Venezuela, where authorities say they have created a quality health care system.

The Venezuelan government has not disclosed the extent of Chavez's cancer or provided any other details about the disease.

Cuba, the America's only one-party communist regime, is Chavez's closest regional ally.

Chavez, in power since 1999, is his party's candidate for the 2012 presidential election, seeking a third six-year term in office.

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Daniel Baldwin says wife needs treatment (AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. – Actor Daniel Baldwin said Friday that his decision to file for divorce says nothing about how he feels about his wife, but it's an attempt to encourage her to get treatment for alcoholism.

Baldwin told Portland television station KOIN that his 41-year-old wife, Joanne, "ripped the house to shreds" Sunday morning as the children screamed and cried. He filed for divorce and was granted a restraining order this week.

The couple have lived in the affluent Portland suburb of Lake Oswego since last year.

Baldwin — brother of actors William, Stephen and Alec Baldwin — said he was torn about how to handle his wife's behavior, but it has to be her own decision to get sober. He said he's focused on keeping their children safe.

"I want nothing more than for her to get help, and I want nothing more than to go into those family programs and hold her hand during it, should she decide to do that," Baldwin said.

Joanne Baldwin is on probation for a drunken driving conviction and prohibited from drinking alcohol, her husband said. She has been accused of violating the terms of her probation and is jailed in Lake Oswego. A hearing is scheduled next week.

The Lake Oswego Municipal Court says she has no attorney listed.

Baldwin said he's open to dropping his divorce filing if his wife shows improvement.

"I wanted her to know how serious it was, and along with the order of protection I filed for divorce," Baldwin told the television station. "That can be changed, but it would require an immediate about-face and a plan of action."

Baldwin discussed his own struggles with addiction and said it's dangerous for him to be around his wife's alcohol abuse while he tries to maintain his own sobriety.

Baldwin acted in television series in the 1990s, including a leading role on the NBC series "Homicide: Life on the Street" and the movie "Car 54, Where Are You?"

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Information from: KOIN-TV, http://www.koin.com/

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Indian film star Rajnikanth home after treatment (AP)

NEW DELHI – News reports say Indian movie star Rajnikanth has returned home after staying several weeks in a hospital in Singapore where he was being treated for a kidney ailment.

Press Trust of India reports that the 60-year-old actor arrived in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Thursday. PTI says scores of fans were at the airport to greet the star.

Three hospital stays in April interrupted the shooting of his latest film, "Rana," before Rajnikanth left for Singapore in late May.

Rajnikanth's real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. He has acted in more than 175 films since 1975. Many are in the Tamil and Telugu language films in southern India.

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Tiger Woods' gets bio treatment in comic book (AP)

PHILADELPHIA – Golfer Tiger Woods is the latest celebrity and athlete to get his own unauthorized biography in a comic book.

Publisher Bluewater Productions Inc. said Tuesday that it will release its one-shot issue "Fame: Tiger Woods" on Wednesday in book stores, comic book shops and online, as it expands its already burgeoning line of biography comics that have profiled people from politics to music to film.

Those profiled so far have included first lady Michelle Obama, singer Lady Gaga, Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Written by C.W. Cooke and illustrated by Marcelo Salaza, the 32-page issue is part of the Vancouver, Wash.-based company's look at celebrity culture and how those in it rise from obscurity to notoriety and deal with life in the public eye.

"Tiger Woods is, in most respects, the most famous golfer of all time. He may have had some recent troubles, but his life is one filled with very interesting tidbits," said Jason Schultz, Bluewater's executive vice president.

Woods, 35, was the former world No. 1, but recently tumbled to No. 17, his lowest spot in 14 years.

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Online:

http://www.bluewaterprod.com

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Medvedev wishes Chavez well in cancer treatment (AFP)

CARACAS (AFP) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday called his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez to wish him well in his cancer treatment, and to announce his foreign minister's visit to Caracas in August, officials here said.

In the telephone conversation, Medvedev wished his leftist South American ally "good health and a speedy recovery."

Chavez assured him he was making a "swift recovery" due to a strict rehabilitation regime, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said in a statement.

Medvedev also used the call to announce his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's official two-day visit to Caracas starting August 22.

The two countries have enjoyed enjoyed warm relations in recent years, including burgeoning energy and defense weapons deals,such as the 2007 multi-billion-dollar weaponry deal that included Caracas' purchase of Sukhoi jets.

During nearly a three week long stay in Cuba last month, Chavez underwent surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed.

Chavez has not said exactly what type of cancer he has or if he is still undergoing chemotherapy sessions. Venezuelan officials have said only that it was in his pelvic area, leading some to suggest it could be colon cancer.

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Caramoor gives 'Pinafore' bel canto treatment (AP)

KATONAH, N.Y. – Mention "bel canto" opera and you might think of Bellini's "Norma" or Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor." But "HMS Pinafore"? Never!

What, never? Well ... hardly ever.

Because that's exactly how Will Crutchfield, director of opera at Caramoor, asked the audience to think about Gilbert and Sullivan's nautical romp as it opened the 2011 International Music Festival on Saturday night at this outdoor venue an hour north of New York City.

With Crutchfield conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's and a cast of operatically trained voices, the evening indeed fit at least the literal translation of "bel canto," which is Italian for "beautiful singing."

It was a joy to hear this affectionate satire of the class system aboard a British war ship performed with such high musical values, from soloists to chorus to instrumentalists. And the simple but clever direction by Steven Tharp made the concert performance at the Venetian Theater more engaging than many a fully staged production.

Less persuasive, perhaps, is the case Crutchfield made for regarding "Pinafore" as a direct descendant of the "bel canto" style of Italian opera of the 18th and early 19th century, known for its emphasis on vocal technique, including trills, runs and other elaborate decorations.

True, as he points out in a program note, both collaborators were heavily influenced by these operas. Gilbert's first comic verse was a rewrite of an aria from one, and the young Sullivan transcribed piano-vocal arrangements of many of the operas for a music publisher.

Several numbers in "Pinafore," which premiered in 1878 and became the team's first smash hit, do hearken back to a bygone era. Among these are the two arias for Josephine, the captain's daughter who loves a common sailor but is wooed by the first lord of the admiralty.

Still, these efforts are not Sullivan's most inspired, sounding like slightly faded imitations. It's elsewhere in the score that his inimitable gift for melody comes most to the fore — in the captain's song ("I am the captain of the Pinafore ..."); the rollicking trio "Never mind the why or wherefore" or the intricate choral harmonizing of "A British tar."

In a uniformly strong cast, two singers stood out. Tenor Robert McPherson sang with unforced sweetness and impressive power as Ralph Rackstraw, the "common sailor" who turns out to have been nobly born. Vanessa Cariddi brought a burnished, imposing mezzo-soprano — and an alluring physical presence — to the role of Little Buttercup.

Soprano Georgia Jarman sailed through Josephine's difficult role, complete with interpolated decorations and high notes, though her diction wasn't always as crisp as that of her cast mates.

Scott Bearden used his ample baritone and good comic skills to make a memorable figure of Dick Deadeye, the eyepatch-wearing villain.

Baritone Jorell Williams was a smooth-voiced captain, and baritone Jason Plourde was a properly haughty first lord — though his youthful look made it difficult to see why Josephine would find him so repulsive.

After this delightful detour, Bel Canto at Caramoor gets back to its mainstream repertory in its second offering of the season, Rossini's "William Tell," to be performed July 9 and 15.

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Congressman Weiner seeks treatment after sex scandal (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner defied calls on Saturday from party leaders to resign and said he would instead seek treatment and a leave of absence after being snared in an Internet sex scandal.

The 46-year-old New York congressman announced his plans shortly after House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi publicly urged him to go for help, but also to step down.

Weiner's determination to remain, bolstered by support from his New York City constituents, has angered Democrats. They say his inappropriate online exchanges with women have hurt the party as it seeks to regain control of the House of Representatives from Republicans in next year's elections.

In a brief statement, the congressman's spokeswoman, Risa Heller, indicated Weiner would remain in office at least until he receives professional help at an undisclosed facility.

"Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person," Heller said.

"In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well."

"Congressman Weiner ... has determined that he needs this time to get healthy and make the best decision possible for himself, his family and his constituents," Heller said.

Earlier on Saturday, Pelosi and other House Democrats called on Weiner to step down, frustrated by his refusal to step aside after admitting on Monday to inappropriate Internet relations with at least six women.

Democrats appeared to coordinate their statements to add pressure on the seven-term lawmaker to resign for his Internet exchanges with women, which included lewd pictures of himself, and then lying about it.

"Congressman Weiner has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the recognition that he needs help," Pelosi said in a statement.

"I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a Member of Congress," Pelosi said.

Pelosi issued her statement after she was made aware of Weiner's "intention to take a leave of absence in order to seek treatment," an aide said.

Weiner, a fiery liberal re-elected last November with 61 percent of the vote, says his behavior was wrong but that he violated no laws.

Generally, all it takes to get a leave of absence, as Weiner plans to do, is to formally advise the House speaker. "You ask for it, you get it," an aide said.

'DISTRESSING AND SADDENING'

Weiner's political mentor, New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, said: "For those of us who are longtime friends of Anthony Weiner his wrongful behavior is distressing and saddening. It's clear he needs professional help and I am glad he is seeking it."

Pelosi has requested an ethics investigation to determine what, if any, House rules Weiner may have broke in his Internet exchanges. Such a probe could take months, even up to a year.

Democratic Party Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and House Democratic campaign committee chair Steve Israel were among the other party leaders on Saturday to call on Weiner to resign.

"This sordid affair has become an unacceptable distraction for Representative Weiner, his family, his constituents and the House - and for the good of all, he should step aside and address those things that should be most important - his and his family's well-being," Wasserman Schultz said.

Assistant House Democratic Leader James Clyburn repeated his call for House Democrats to address the issue when the House returns next week from a one-week recess.

A Democratic aide said they could pass a resolution urging Weiner to resign. While it would not be binding, it would show that Weiner faces a solid wall of opposition in his own party.

A poll this week found support for Weiner among his constituents.

According to a NY1-Marist poll, 56 percent of adults in his district believed he should stay in office, while 33 percent said he should quit.

The telephone survey of 512 adults was conducted on Wednesday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Patrick Egan, a political science professor at New York University, said the poll results were not particularly surprising. "This isn't Kansas, Utah or Alabama. This is New York where people are more forgiving of such things," he said.

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Rep: Amy Winehouse checks into treatment program (AP)

NEW YORK – A representative for Amy Winehouse says the singer has checked into a treatment program in London.

Spokesman Chris Goodman said Friday that the 27-year-old songstress wants to be sure she's ready to perform in Europe this summer.

The rep says she'll stay at the clinic on "doctors' advice." It was not clear what treatment she'll get at the Priory Clinic. It offers treatment for a range of psychiatric problems, as well as drug and alcohol addiction.

Winehouse's breakthrough disc, 2006's "Back to Black," won her five Grammy Awards and helped her achieve worldwide stardom, but her music has been overshadowed by drug use and legal run-ins.

Winehouse has not released much music since, but she performed a short tour in Brazil in January.

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Evangelist Billy Graham responding to pneumonia treatment (Reuters)

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Evangelist Billy Graham continues to respond well to the treatment he has been receiving for pneumonia, hospital officials in Asheville, North Carolina, said on Saturday.

No discharge date has been set for 92-year-old Graham, who has been hospitalized since Wednesday.

Although somewhat weakened by his condition, his response to antibiotic treatment has been "excellent," Mission Hospital officials said. They listed his condition as fair.

The overnight nurse who cared for the evangelist said that he had a good night, and was as "sharp as a tack."

Arguably the best-known American evangelist, Graham has preached the Christian gospel to millions worldwide and has given spiritual advice to numerous U.S. presidents.

His wife, Ruth, died in June 2007.

(Writing by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Mary Wisniewski)

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