Daily Headlines: January 28, 2010

* U.S.: One year and one day ago we wondered if “Ugly Betty” would soon be cancelled. 366 days later we received the unfortunate answer.

* El Salvador: The Salvadoran government lodged a formal complaint against Mexico related to the death of three migrants.

* Cuba: Should the Obama administration put a stop to TV and Radio Marti broadcasts to Cuba?

* Latin America: Mexican archeologists found an 1100-year-old tomb in Guatemala that could reveal important details on Mayan culture.

Image – News.com.au
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, ABC News, Washington Post, Javno, MSNBC

Bye-bye (Ugly) Betty?

As someone who loved the first season of “Ugly Betty” and has been indifferent at the sophomore season, news like the following isn’t a surprise:

The network has bumped "Betty” from her regular Thursday 8 p.m. time slot to showcase instead its sitcoms "Samantha Who?"starring Christina Applegate and "In the Motherhood,” a new show starring Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines.

"Ugly Betty,” starring actress America Ferrera, hits the bench on March 26 and won't return until sometime in June after the regular TV season has ended, reports Entertainment Weekly.

On the surface, going on a three-month hiatus shouldn’t equal the kiss of death for the acclaimed series. Yet “Ugly Betty” has suffered from sagging ratings over the past year; 7.5 million viewers watched the series in mid-January 2009, a drop of over 2 million compared to the same period in 2008. As TV critic Verne Gay noted, “Ugly Betty” is “just one more victim of the '07-'08 (Writers Guild of America) strike - a show that soared before and flopped after".

Despite the somber news there has been one ray of sunshine for “Ugly Betty”: the series was nominated for the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards.

(Hat tip: Vivirlatino).

Image- Canada.com
Online Sources- Vivirlatino, New York Daily News, AHN, Reuters, newsday.com, TV by the Numbers

”Ugly Betty” cast against Prop 8

Mexican actor Eduardo Verástegui recently gave his public support to California's Proposition 8, a proposal that would bar gay marriage statewide. Not to be outdone, several actors from TV series “Ugly Betty” have voiced their views against the ban:

The battle over Prop 8 has gotten increasingly contentious with Election Day only a week away. One of the major proponents of the ban is the Mormons with one report claiming that it represents their “most vigorous...political involvement since the late 1970s, when it helped defeats the Equal Rights Amendment.” Meanwhile several major firms like Apple, Google, and Levi’s have backed the push against Prop 8.

(Hat tip: Vivirlatino).
Sources- The Latin Americanist, California Voter Guide, Vivirlatino, YouTube, AP, Salt Lake Tribune

Daily Headlines: September 19, 2008

* China: Apparently viewers think that the titular character in the Chinese version of “Ugly Betty” is too unattractive.

* Peru: Officials received the first shipment of One Laptop Per Child computers with Windows XO installed.

* U.S.: Boxer Oscar Diaz woke up and is slowly recovering from a two-month coma he fell into after collapsing during a bout.

* Brazil: Is the return of the Fourth Fleet a sign that Brazilian offshore oil fields are in danger of being taken over by the U.S.? Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thinks so.

Image- clarin.com (Ana Maria Orozco as the main character from the original Colombian version of “Ugly Betty".)

Sources- Guardian UK, engadget, ESPN, AFP, Reuters, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: April 28, 2008

* U.S.: Congrats to “Ugly Betty”; the sitcom won outstanding comedy series for the second straight time at the GLAAD Media Awards.

* Argentina: The Turkish government is peeved at Argentina over a bill regarding Armenian victims of genocide.

*Paraguay: Who does unmarried president-elect Fernando Lugo choose as his First Lady? How about his older sister.

* Mexico: Opposition legislators ended a 16-day suspension of Congress while thousands of protestors marched against the government’s proposed oil reforms.

Image- Sydney Morning Herald

Sources- BBC News, Reuters India, Today’s Zaman, International Herald Tribune

How Do You Say La Fea Mas Bella in Chinese?

Chou Nu Wu Di.
Colombian Betty la Fea launched Mexico's la Fea Mas Bella and here in the U.S. we have Ugly Betty. I've even seen an Indian version on my neighbor's television. Mexico’s Grupo Televisa began production on the Chinese version of La fea más bella.

According to Televisa, the drama could extend for as long as 400 episodes, and it has been “adapted to Chinese tastes” to make sure its content doesn’t offend the locals.

I think the whole original premise is pretty damn offensive, I mean in the end, the fea becomes bella and gets her man. Pero I hate on novelas like that.

Source : Mi Blog es Tu Blog

Daily Headlines: September 3, 2007 – Afternoon Edition

* Hundreds of tourists in Honduras were evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Felix reaching land tomorrow morning.

* Coming this season to “Ugly Betty” – Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham.

* Seven people died during a shootout between police and gangs at a Rio de Janeiro slum.

* Work is beginning on an expansion of the Panama Canal.

* A senior Colombian guerilla commander was killed in combat according to the country’s defense minister.

Sources- BBC News, Monsters & Critics, Canadian Press, Xinhua, International Herald Tribune

Image- The Telegraph

Daily Headlines: July 21, 2007

* Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promised a full investigation of Tuesday’s deadly accident of TAM Flight 3054 while criticism grows against the government.

* Big congrats to “Ugly Betty” who was the top comedy series by receiving eleven Primetime Emmy nominations.

* Immigrants in the U.S. anxiously await a massive increase in fees for most services which is set to begin on July 30^th.

* Hundreds of thousands of protestors marched in La Paz, Bolivia to demonstrate against plans to move the country’s capital from La Paz to Sucre.

* Despite U.S. swimmers leading the country’s medal surge at the Pan American Games, all eyes have been on Brazil’s Thiago Pereira who earlier today broke Mark Spitz's 40-year-old record for most gold medals at a single Games.

Sources- The Scotsman, Reuters, The Latin Americanist, E! Online, MSNBC, CNN, Taipei Times, International Herald Tribune

Image- BBC News