Madonna in D&G kitchen.

Madonna in D&G kitchen.http://aeiou.expresso.pt/madonna- after hit the ‘Enter’, was thinking: Why I don’t put the eyes of Fujimori in my compilation? Ja dis, para grande barco – grande viajem…(i.e. I sayid before: For Long Ship – long journey… I.e. Presidencia de Espanha):

Peru Confirms 25-Year Sentence for Alberto Fujimori, AFP Says. Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Peru’s Supreme Court confirmed a 25-year prison sentence for former President Alberto Fujimori, Agence France-Presse reported, without saying where it got the information. Fujimori’s defense lawyer, Cesar Nakazaki, had asked in November that the sentence for human rights abuses be revoked. Nakazaki also asked for an annulment of Fujimori’s conviction in the kidnappings of a journalist and a businessman in 1992, because he claimed there was not enough evidence to prove that the former leader ordered the abductions, AFP said. Fujimori was sentenced in April on charges of aggravated homicide, aggravated kidnapping, severe injuries and forced disappearance of persons. The son of Japanese immigrants, he fled to Japan in 2000 as his presidency collapsed amid charges of corruption. Japan recognized him as a citizen and denied Peru’s extradition requests. Fujimori later traveled to Chile, where he was detained and later extradited to Peru 2007. Last Updated: January 3, 2010 02:00 EST

Novartis seeks to complete Alcon buy-out. Zurich. Published: January 4 2010 09:12 | Last updated: January 4 2010 15:07. Novartis surprised investors on Monday by saying it would buy out minority shareholders in Alcon, the US eyecare company, for the equivalent of $11.2bn in equity.
The move came alongside a widely expected decision by the Swiss pharmaceuticals group to purchase the remaining 52 per cent of Alcon still held by Nestlé, in the second stage of a two-phase $38.5bn transaction agreed almost two years ago. Assuming Alcon’s 23 per cent minority shareholders accept, the deal would see Novartis investing almost $50bn in cash and shares to become a leader in the high-margin, high-growth eyecare sector by combining its Ciba Vision subsidiary with Alcon’s much bigger operations. Alcon makes Opti-Free contact lens cleaner and also produces treatments for eye infections and glaucoma.
Separately, Nestlé said it would use the proceeds of the sale to launch a SFr10bn ($9.6bn) share buy-back programme. The new scheme would start after completion of a SFr25bn programme designed to return the first part of the Alcon proceeds to shareholders. Nestlé declined to comment on whether the sale might make it more inclined to bid for Cadbury, the UK confectionery group fighting a hostile takeover from Kraft of the US. “This divestment of our interest in Alcon will enable our management to concentrate on accelerating the development of Nestlé’s position as the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company,” said Paul Bulcke, Nestlé’s chief executive, in a statement. Daniel Vasella, Novartis’s chairman and chief executive, justified acquiring the Alcon minorities to provide clarity and simplicity “This is the right time to simplify Alcon’s ownership to eliminate uncertainties for employees and shareholders. It will also allow us to strengthen innovation power by combining R&D efforts and grow our global market presence thanks to our complementary product portfolios,” Dr Vasella said. Analysts had expected Novartis to leave Alcon’s minority shareholders and be content with the 77 per cent control acquired via Nestlé, pending a buy-out offer to the minorities at a later stage. Some analysts had speculated Novartis would sell Alcon its Ciba Vision business to release cash, while retaining a majority holding of the combined eye group. Instead, Alcon shareholders are being offered 2.8 Novartis shares for each Alcon share at an implied price of $153, based on Novartis’s last closing price and an exchange rate of SFr1.04 to the dollar. “I think it’s a very fair and highly attractive offer,” Dr Vasella told the Financial Times in an interview. “There’s no reason to pay a control premium for a minority stake.” Analysts had acknowledged that retaining the minorities would have impeded full integration of the two businesses and added costs – an obstacle recognised by Novartis. “Attaining 100 per cent ownership will also avoid speculation about the minority stake and enable the companies to move faster to achieve the full potential of the combined businesses,” Novartis said. The group said the a full merger would allow cost savings of about $100m a year before tax within three years after closing, largely through avoiding duplications. Issuing new shares would dilute Novartis’s earnings per share by 9 per cent in the first year after closing. Novartis said it had decided to offer the Alcon minorities shares, rather than cash, to preserve resources. The group has already paid Nestlé more than $10bn for its initial 24.8 per cent of Alcon, followed by $28.1bn for the remaining 52 per cent. The price will be financed by existing cash and up to $16bn in new debt. To buy out the Alcon minorities, Novartis shareholders will be asked to approve the issue of about 98m new shares, along with the release of 107m shares held as treasury stock. In afternoon Zurich trading, Novartis shares were down 2.6 per cent at SFr55.00 while Nestlé shares were up 1.5 per cent at SFr50.95. In early New York trading, Alcon stock was 3 per cent lower at $159.21.