France urges Mali to step up talks with rebels

PARIS (AP) — France‘s president called Thursday for stepped-up talks between Mali’s government and any leaders from its breakaway north “who reject terrorism,” even as African nations geared up for a possible military operation against Islamic extremists there.President Francois Hollande‘s comments suggested a growing openness to dialogue with the extremists,...

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‘Journey,’ ‘Assassin’s Creed III’ among Spike Video Game Awards nominees

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The artsy downloadable game “Journey” leads the pack of nominees for this year’s Spike Video Game Awards.The PlayStation 3 game received seven nods in such categories as best graphics, independent game, original score and game of the year. Other game of the year nominees are “Assassin’s Creed III,”...

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Why David Geffen is getting the “American Masters” treatment

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – David Geffen is not a singer. Nor is he a movie star. Nor is he a writer.Thus he would seem an odd subject for “American Masters,” a series devoted to artists ranging from Willa Cather to Woody Allen. Yet series creator Susan Lacy claims that the mogul has had a profound impact on American...

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Feds probe FedEx, UPS over online drug shipments

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — FedEx and UPS have disclosed they are targets of a federal criminal investigation related to their dealings with online pharmacies, which are at the center of an international crackdown on prescription drug abuse.The shipping companies made the disclosures in regulatory filings over the last several weeks. FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald...

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MPs raise doubts over bank sales

16 November 2012 Last updated at 02:14 ETA parliamentary committee has said the Treasury’s sale of Northern Rock in 2011 was “fortunate”, and Lloyds and RBS may not be sold “for many years”. A Public Accounts Committee report noted that while the Rock’s sale was “well-handled”, taxpayers were still set to lose £2bn on...

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Egypt recalls envoy to Israel after Gaza strike

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt has recalled its ambassador to Israel after an Israeli airstrike killed the military commander of Gaza‘s ruling Hamas.In a statement read on state TV late Wednesday, spokesman Yasser Ali said that President Mohammed Morsi recalled the ambassador and asked the Arab League‘s Secretary General to convene an emergency ministerial meeting...

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Billy Joel, Rihanna fight Pandora over compensation

(Reuters) – Some of music’s most notable names including Billy Joel, Rihanna and Missy Elliott have signed an open letter to Pandora Media Inc opposing the online music company‘s push to change how artists are compensated.Pandora is currently lobbying lawmakers in U.S. Congress to pass the “Internet Radio Fairness Act,” which would change regulation of...

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France avoids recession; GDP up 0.2 pct in Q3

PARIS (AP) — France‘s economy narrowly avoided a recession, growing slightly in the third quarter, according to official statistic released Thursday.The French economy hasn’t recorded growth since the third quarter of last year and had been widely expected to start its slide into recession in the third quarter — technically defined as two consecutive quarters...

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Rolling Stones add fifth date to anniversary tour

LONDON (Reuters) – The Rolling Stones have added a fifth date to their 50th anniversary tour later this year, the band announced on its website.In between two shows at London‘s O2 Arena starting on November 25 and two more at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ opening on December 13 the veteran quartet will play the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on...

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Diabetes cases hit record and half go undiagnosed

LONDON (Reuters) – Diabetes is running at record levels worldwide and half the people estimated to have the disease are, as yet, undiagnosed, according to a report on Wednesday.The number of people living with diabetes is now put at 371 million, up from 366 million a year ago, with numbers expected to reach 552 million by 2030, the International Diabetes...

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China rails against protectionism at party congress

BEIJING (Reuters) – China‘s top trade and investment officials are railing against what they call a rising tide of global protectionism that blocks its major companies from expanding overseas and further integrating into the global economy.The officials, speaking on the sidelines of a week-long Communist Party Congress, said protectionism was emerging...

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Canada seen needing to spell out rules for natural gas projects

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – The fate of a handful of liquefied natural gas projects planned for Canada’s Pacific coast may depend on the Canadian government‘s willingness to spell out rules for foreign investment in the country’s energy sector, according to a study released on Thursday.Apache Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Petronas, BG Group Plc and others...

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Lakers intrigued by chance to play for D’Antoni

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Pau Gasol got home from the game and read about it on Twitter, while Dwight Howard got a midnight message on his BlackBerry. They shared most Los Angeles Lakers fans’ mix of surprise, trepidation and anticipation.Just when everybody thought the Lakers were getting back together with Phil Jackson, they switched course in the middle...

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‘Sesame Street’ Elmo puppeteer takes leave amid sex scandal

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The puppeteer and voice behind the character Elmo on “Sesame Street” has taken a leave of absence from the children’s television show following allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy, producers said on Monday.New York-based Sesame Workshop said in a statement that its own inquiry concluded that the...

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Nesquik Recall Q and A: Are Your Kids Safe?

Nestlé announced late last week a recall of Nesquik for possible Salmonella contamination. Promoted by the Nesquik Bunny, the chocolate milk flavoring is consumed primarily by children. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your kids are safe from this Salmonella risk.How Do I Know If My Nesquik Is Part of the Recall? The...

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Thompson takes helm at NYTimes, faces stiff challenges

(Reuters) – Mark Thompson reported to work as the New York Times Co chief executive on Monday, confronting challenges ranging from making the publisher less dependent on advertising to trimming costs and figuring out what to do with its pile of cash.Thompson is also dealing with questions pertaining to a series of scandals at the BBC, where he served as...

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BBC must reform or die, says Trust chairman

LONDON (Reuters) – The BBC could be doomed unless it makes radical changes, the head of its governing trust said on Sunday, after its director general quit to take the blame for the airing of false child sex abuse allegations against a former politician.Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust, said confidence had to be restored if the publicly funded corporation...

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China’s Alibaba Group Q2 net profit doubles: SEC filing

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China‘s Alibaba Group more than doubled its April-June net profit and grew sales by 71 percent for the period, proving the country’s largest e-commerce firm has shrugged off intensifying competition in the sector.Yahoo Inc which sold a partial stake in Alibaba back to the privately-owned group in September, still holds 24 percent of...

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BBC head says broadcaster must reform or die

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain‘s BBC could be doomed unless it makes radical changes, the head of its governing trust said, after its director general quit to take the blame for the airing of false child sex abuse allegations against a former politician.BBC Trust chairman Chris Patten said on Sunday confidence had to be restored if the publicly funded corporation...

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Protective eye gear cuts field hockey injuries

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Fewer high school field hockey players get head and face injuries when they’re required to don protective eyewear, according to a new comparison of states with and without those policies in effect.Researchers were looking into worries that the equipment, while preventing eye injuries, might encourage players to get more physical...

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Asian shares held back by weak Japan GDP, U.S. fiscal cliff

TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian shares were capped on Monday as investors’ concerns about the fiscal crisis in the United States and Greece’s bailout program dented optimism over the growth prospects of the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China.Adding to the uncertainty, Japan reported that its economy shrank 0.9 percent in July-September...

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