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 ...
As President Christian Wulff remains mired in allegations of impropriety, anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) has called for politicians to use the case as a chance to open up German politics. “We are very concerned that people seem to be starting to think that all politicians behave like Wulff, and that would be fatal,” Christian Humborg, TI Germany’s managing director told The Local. “I think the Wulff affair is a wonderful opportunity for German politicians to react to the cynical attitude that this is normal, and improve things,” he said. He said the fact that the authorities were investigating whether Wulff and his ...
Hollywood funnyman Jim Carrey has defended Tiger Woods following the sportsman’s highly-publicised sex scandal. “No wife is blind enough to miss that much infidelity,” Jim wrote on his Twitter page. The golf ace is fighting to save his marriage to wife Elin after alleged affairs with over ten women came to light. “Elin had 2 b a willing participant on the ride 4 whatever reason. kids/lifestyle. Tiger Woods owes nothing... [more]
Tiger Woods has vowed to take time off “to re-evaluate things” after finishing fourth at the US Masters – his first competition since returning to golf. And although Woods equalled a Masters record with four eagles, the American struggled to a final-round 69, as countryman Phil Mickelson won the tournament. “I finished fourth. Not what I wanted,” Woods said on his first public performance since the revelations... [more]
The French model who is alleged to have had an affair with England captain John Terry says she was made to look like a “prostitute” by the media. Vanessa Perroncel said Britain’s tabloid press “went mad” as the clamour for an interview went into overdrive. The 34 year old said she was deeply hurt by some of the claims made about her. Ms Perroncel, who has a three-year-old son with Terry’s former team-mate... [more]
The father of England footballer John Terry has been charged with dealing cocaine, sources said. Ted Terry, 55, is due to appear in court next month accused of supplying a class A drug. An Essex police spokeswoman said: “A 55-year-old man from Chafford Hundred has been charged with supply of cocaine, a class A drug, and has been bailed to appear before Basildon magistrates on May 13.” Terry was arrested following an alleged incident... [more]
Tiger Woods has teed off at The Masters in Augusta – his first competitive event for five months after taking time off following his sex scandal The world number one has not been in action since he crashed his car in Florida on November 27, which led to revelations about his private life. As he was introduced at The Masters, the American received a big cheer from the crowd gathered around the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club. Woods... [more]
Manchester United have been knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich despite winning 3-2 at Old Trafford. Bayern advance to the semis on the away goals rule. They will meet Lyon Wayne Rooney was sensationally named in Manchester United’s starting line-up to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals at Old Trafford tonight. Rooney’s fitness has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he limped... [more]
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has revealed she is fighting breast cancer. Navratilova said the disease was detected in February after a routine mammogram revealed a cluster in her left breast. “I cried,” Navratilova, 53, told US magazine People. “It knocked me on my ass, really. I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it’s completely out of my hands.” The nine-times Wimbledon... [more]
Holders Barcelona qualified for the Champions League semi-finals here on Tuesday, beating English side Arsenal 4-1 in their quarter-final second leg match to win 6-3 on aggregate. Argentinian star Lionel Messi scored all four goals – the first time he has achieved that feat – to set up a semi-final with Italian champions Inter Milan, who beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 – 2-0 on aggregate – earlier on Tuesday. Danish international... [more]
Today is Tuesday, April 6, the 96th day of 2010. There are 269 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 6, 1909, American explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson and four Inuits became the first men to reach the North Pole. On this date: In 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized by Joseph Smith in Fayette, N.Y. In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Shiloh began in Tennessee as... [more]
While acknowledging he made some “incredibly poor decisions” in his personal life, Tiger Woods still thinks he can win the Masters — even coming back from a five-month layoff. “Nothing’s changed,” Woods said Monday during an extraordinary 35-minute news conference at Augusta National. “I’m going to go out there and try to win this thing.” Woods entered the interview room with a smile on... [more]
