Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston was found dead Saturday at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel, officials said. She was 48. The entertainer, whose incredible talent was discovered at an early age, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton hotel despite resuscitation efforts, a police spokesman said. Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent" and that the cause of her death is being investigated. Houston's bodyguard found her body, said Courtney Barnes, publicist for hip-hop artist Ray J, who was dating the pop diva. According to her official website, Houston sold ...
Yahoo Inc Chairman Roy Bostock and three other directors will step down as the struggling company ploughs ahead with an internal overhaul, including discussions on dealing with its stakes in China's Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan. The corporation - once a Web powerhouse but now agonizing over a range of options to revive flagging growth - on Tuesday said it appointed former Rovi Corp CEO and International Business Machines Corp veteran Alfred Amoroso and ex-eBay COO Maynard Webb as independent directors. Yahoo's board has come under fire from investors impatient with the company's persistent inability to effect a turnaround, and frustrated with the apparent indecisiveness of stakeholders over ...
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has vowed to fight an "anti-business culture" in Britain, warning that a row overexecutive pay and bonuses threatens the country's fragile economic recovery. "Let me say something about the row over bonuses and pay," Osborne said in a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses. "Of course rewards for failure are unacceptable -- and those who believe in the free market are the first to say so. But a strong, free market economy must be built on rewards for success." The Labour Party has heaped pressure on the ruling coalition to curb excessive pay for top executives, using a House of Commons debate to demand the return ...
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Tuesday he is resolved to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Russia at an annual rally calling for the return of all four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido in northern Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported. "We'll continue to make steady and determined efforts to move ahead with negotiations," Noda said, stressing the need to sign a peace treaty with Russia. The four islands - which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories - has been the subject of a territorial dispute between the two nations since the end of World War ...
Amanda Knox's Italian lawyer has filed an appeal of her slander conviction in Italy, a Knox family spokesman inSeattle said Monday. In October, an Italian appeals court overturned the young Seattle woman's murder conviction in the 2007 death of her British roommate in Perugia. But the same court upheld Knox's conviction for slander — for falsely accusing bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba of involvement in the slaying. Lumumba was freed after two weeks in prison for lack of evidence. Knox later said she was "manipulated" during her lengthy police interrogation. An appeal of the slander conviction was filed Monday, Knox family spokesman Dave Marriott confirmed. He doesn't know when the Italian ...
The Dutch railway will remain 'vulnerable' during wintry weather but Dutch Rail (NS) and track operator ProRail did not help matters during the current cold snap by the late introduction of schedule adjustments to cope with the conditions, transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told parliament in a briefing on Tuesday. The NS and ProRail assumed on Thursday of last week that there would be three to five centimetres of snow. When the forecast was increased on Friday morning to between 10 and 15 centimetres, it was too late to change the timetables automatically, Schultz van Haegen told parliament. Drivers and conductors ...
Greece can leave the eurozone without damaging monetary union, European digital affairs commissioner Neelie Kroes says in an interview with the Volkskrant on Tuesday. Kroes, a member of the Dutch ruling right-wing Liberal party VVD, is not a supporter of Greece exchanging the euro for the drachma, but says: 'It is absolutely not a case of man overboard if someone leaves the eurozone.' The commissioner is very critical of the new Greek government and says they are not fulfilling their promises. 'Too few spending cuts, too little restructuring,' she says. She says the Greeks should follow the example of Italy where the new ...
Mitt Romney hopes his presidential campaign hasn't ignored Rick Santorum's aggressive attacks for too long, as caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota on Tuesday could reshuffle the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum largely bypassed Florida and Nevada to blanket the two caucus states with criticism of Romney and lay the groundwork among conservatives who have great sway in the process. RivalNewt Gingrich praised Santorum's strategy as shrewd even as he signaled he had no interest in exiting the four-way race, which also includes Ron Paul. "I think that Santorum's going to have a pretty good day," Gingrich told reporters on the eve of the caucuses. "He targeted differently than I ...
Glencore and Xstrata agreed an all-share merger worth $90 billion (56 billion pounds) on Tuesday in the industry's largest ever deal, creating a commodities powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading. Glencore, the world's largest diversified commodities tradinghouse, will issue 2.8 new shares for each Xstrata share in a deal they said was a "merger of equals." The ratio is a 15.2 percent premium to Xstrata shareholders compared with its share price last Wednesday before word leaked out about the merger talks, a joint statement said. "A merger between Glencore and Xstrata offers a unique opportunity to create a new business model in our industry to respond to ...
US White House hopeful Mitt Romney aims for another big caucus win in Colorado on Tuesday, as his well-oiled campaign machine works to cement his position as the Republican front runner in the US presidential race. Polls suggest he should triumph easily in the western US state -- where he scored 60 percent in 2008 -- although there is a tighter race in Minnesota, where last-placed Rick Santorum is hoping to snatch a win. Romney's main rival, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, is battling to stay in the race after two heavy losses in a row to the former Massachusetts governor, who ...
Barely half a year into her second term at the head of Europe’s biggest economy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has found herself under fire at home and abroad over a whole range of issues, with the Greek debt crisis top of the list. But her actions are largely explained by severe political pressure at home, commentators say. With Greece teetering on the edge of financial meltdown a few weeks ago, Merkel was accused of foot-dragging... [more]
Today is Sunday, May 30, the 150th day of 2010. There are 215 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 30, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Robert Todd Lincoln. On this date: In 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen (roo-AHN’), France. In 1854, the territories... [more]
We will never forget the sacrifices, said Department of Defence State Secretary Espen Barth Eide on Friday, during the marking of the 70th Anniversary to the day of the Allied Victory in the Battles of Narvik in Northern Norway. - We are gathered here on this historic day at this historic place to pay tribute to the tens of thousands of brave allied soldiers who won the first major Allied victory against Nazi Germany, 70 years ago from... [more]
Thailand has cancelled an overnight curfew in Bangkok and several provinces, imposed after last week’s riots and arson attacks, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Saturday. “We will not have to extend it. The situation is under control now,” he told reporters. The curfew was put in place on May 19 after Bangkok suffered the worst riots in the country’s modern history, in which at least 85 people were killed... [more]
Today is Saturday, May 29, the 149th day of 2010. There are 216 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 29, 1953, Mount Everest was conquered as Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tensing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit. On this date: In 1660, England’s King Charles II was restored to the monarchy after an interregnum of 11 years. In 1765, Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act... [more]
For many illegal migrants a Serbian village on the pastoral border with Hungary is the last hurdle blocking their dream of crossing into the European Union and starting a more prosperous life. During the Communist era, the Iron Curtain — in reality, fences topped by barbed wire patrolled by guards authorized to shoot intruders dead — sealed the frontier. Now, around the village of Horgos, only occasional markers denote the... [more]
The UK’s entry is 30 times more likely to score nothing in this weekend’s song contest than win, bookies predict. William Hill is offering odds of 150-1 on the UK emerging champions but 5-1 on the British entry getting no points at all. Ladbrokes is even more pessimistic, offering 175-1 on the UK’s Josh Dubovie winning. They are the same odds as David Beckham dating Cheryl Cole, Switzerland becoming World Cup champions... [more]
European stock markets rose Friday after big gains on Wall Street as China’s expression of confidence in Europe’s ability to restore its financial stability eased worries about the region’s government debt crisis. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.41 percent at 5,216.32, Germany’s DAX rose 0.63 percent to 6,137.47 and France’s CAC-40 was up 0.38 percent at 3,538.72 “Equity markets are pointing higher... [more]
A U.N. human rights experts says the use of drones by U.S. intelligence agencies to target suspected militants in Pakistan and elsewhere lacks accountability required under international law. Philip Alston says the use of drones by the CIA isn’t illegal but needs to be made transparent or transferred to more accountable bodies, such as the military. Alston told Friday that when intelligence agencies take part in hostilities “there... [more]
Australia will start legal action next week to stop Japan hunting whales, officials said Friday, abandoning diplomacy after years of tension over the annual slaughter in waters near Antarctica. Documents will be submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague “early next week”, Australian officials said after repeatedly threatening proceedings in recent months. “We want to see an end to whales being killed... [more]
