Kelly Rowland joins Demi Lovato on The X Factor USA
Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland has confirmed that she will join the judging panel for the next series of The X Factor USA.
She will star alongside Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell who have already signed on to the show.
"It's taken more than a decade but I'm delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!)," said Simon Cowell who also produces the series.
The fourth judge has also been named as Latin pop star, Paulina Rubio.
"Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel," added Simon.
"It just feels like the time to do something different."
Previously Kelly Rowland has featured on the British version of The X Factor, alongside judges including Louis Walsh and Tulisa.
"I am very excited to be reuniting with Simon Cowell and The X Factor family," she said.
"It feels great to be able to take this journey here at home in the States!"
She recently reunited with her Destiny's Child co-stars, Beyonce and Michelle Williams, to perform at this year's Super Bowl half time show.
George Michael 'lay bleeding on M1'
Pop legend George Michael lay bleeding on the M1 after a car crash, a woman who stopped to help him has said.
Katherine Fox, 23, from Dunstable, sat with the former Wham! star after the smash near St Albans last week.
She stopped her car to help the stricken singer after "seeing a body lying in the road".
But the receptionist has admitted that until she read the BBC News website later on, she had no idea who it was she had acted Good Samaritan for.
Ms Fox waited for the emergency services with Michael, 49, after the Range Rover in which he was a passenger was involved in the crash near junction 6A in Hertfordshire last Thursday.
He was airlifted to a specialist trauma centre in London for treatment to head injuries.Ms Fox described how she was on her way home from work, when the traffic in front of her started to slow down.
"I was driving in the third lane of the motorway and had to slam my brakes on and go between the third and fourth lane," she said. "At that point I looked back and saw a body lying in the road so I stopped my car because no-one except the car behind me had stopped."
She said she reversed her Mini so that Michael was "protected" between her vehicle and another, got out and went into "caring mode".
Ms Fox said the singer was already being comforted by another man, who she believed had been in the car with him.
She said although there was "blood everywhere", Michael was conscious.
Apple's Tim Cook defends tax strategy in Senate
The technology giant Apple has been defending itself against accusations that it's avoided paying tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits.
Chief executive Tim Cook told a US Senate committee Apple paid all the taxes it owed, complying with both the law, and the spirit of the law.
He said last year it paid $6bn to the US Treasury, a tax rate of about 30%.
Earlier, the head of a Senate committee panel accused Apple of "exploiting an absurdity" in its tax payments.
Apple's grilling comes as leading global brands are under growing scrutiny over their tax methods.
Google, Amazon and Starbucks have all appeared recently in front of UK politicians to answer questions about their affairs.
One country where Apple has a favourable tax regime is the Republic of Ireland.
Apple's appearance comes just a day after the same panel branded Apple's complex structure the "Holy Grail of tax avoidance".
On Monday, the Subcommittee said Apple had used "a complex web of offshore entities" to avoid paying billions of dollars in US income taxes. But it said there was no indication the firm had acted illegally.
Mr Cook told the panel that a "dramatic simplification" of US tax laws was required, and said the firm believed that reform should be "revenue neutral". Apple has been accused by The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which has been examining "methods employed by multinational corporations to shift profits offshore", of being "among America's largest tax avoiders".
Committee member John McCain said although the action taken by Apple was legal, it could be unfair to other companies: "My question is, couldn't one draw the conclusion that you and Apple have an unfair advantage over domestic based corporations and companies, in other words, smaller companies in this country that don't have the same ability that you do to locate in Ireland or other countries overseas?"
Mr Cook said he believed Apple was one of the largest taxpayers in the US, having paid $6bn in federal corporate income tax in the 2012 fiscal year. Mr McCain said: "Apple claims to be the largest US corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America's largest tax avoiders."
Apple has a cash stockpile of $145bn (£95bn), but the Senate committee said $102bn of this was held offshore.
Mr Cook also told the hearing that Apple considered itself an American firm, and was one that had created jobs across the country.
"We are proud to be an American company, and equally proud of our contribution to the American economy," he said.
In its report into Apple, the subcommittee's chairman Carl Levin said: "Apple wasn't satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven.
"Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere." Apple has stated: "Apple does not move its intellectual property into offshore tax havens and use it to sell products back into the US in order to avoid US tax.
"It does not use revolving loans from foreign subsidiaries to fund its domestic operations; it does not hold money on a Caribbean island; and it does not have a bank account in the Cayman Islands."
It added that it had "substantial" foreign cash because it sells the majority of its products outside the US, and these foreign earnings were taxed in the jurisdictions where they were earned.
British inflation eases by more than expected
Official figures show that consumer price inflation in Britain eased in April, largely on the back of lower fuel prices and airfares. The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that the annual rate fell to 2.4 per cent in April from 2.8 per cent the previous month. The fall was bigger than anticipated — the consensus in the markets was for a more modest fall to 2.6 per cent.
Inflation nevertheless remains above the Bank of England's target of 2 per cent. The drop in inflation hit the pound, as investors speculated that it may prompt the central bank to enact another monetary stimulus soon. After the figures were released, the pound was trading 0.5 per cent lower at $1.5190. Prior to their release, the pound was trading around the $1.5213 mark.
Souce-AP
Obama opposes bill on Keystone pipeline
The White House says President Barack Obama opposes a House of Representatives bill that would speed approval of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas. The White House said Tuesday that the bill “seeks to circumvent longstanding and proven processes” by removing a requirement for a presidential permit. The legislation also says no new environmental studies are needed.
Republicans say the bill is needed to ensure the long-delayed pipeline is built. The project would carry oil from tar sands in Canada to refineries along the Gulf Coast. Opponents say the pipeline would carry “dirty oil” that could trigger global warming. Supporters say it would bolster North American energy resources. Canada’s prime minister has said the project “absolutely” must go forward.
A House vote is expected Wednesday.
Sorce-AP
Former Saab Automobile chiefs arrested for accounts fraud
Three former top executives from carmaker Saab Automobile have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of accounting fraud.
The three are "suspected of aggravated attempts to avoid tax controls", according to Swedish prosecutor Olof Sahlgren.
Mr Sahlgren alleged that the trio falsified parts of Saab Automobile's accounts between 2010 and 2011.
The crimes carry potential prison sentences of up to four years.
The prosecutor did not identify the three, who worked for Saab Automobile during the period it was owned by Dutch luxury car maker Spyker.
Spyker bought the Swedish firm from General Motors in 2010. However, Spyker failed to reinvigorate the loss-making brand, and Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy in December 2011.
The carmaker was then sold to National Electric Vehicle Sweden, a Hong Kong based firm, which is planning to make electric cars that carry the Saab badge.
Saab Automobile is not part of Saab Group, which makes fighter jets and other defence and security equipment.
HK Mercantile Exchange in police and regulator probe
Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange, which trades commodities, is being probed by the police and market regulators over alleged financial irregularities.
The Securities and Futures Commission initiated an investigation of the two-year old market on 15 May, before referring the case to the police.
On Monday, the bourse shut down because it lacked sufficient trading revenues and returned its operating licence.
Revenues have fallen this year amid strong competition from rival markets.
''Trading revenues have not been sufficient to support operating expenses and, as a result, its inability to meet the required regulatory financial conditions,'' the Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange (HKMEx) said in a statement
''While trading on the Exchange will discontinue, HKMEx as an organisation will continue to operate with its existing staff, and will focus on developing new products including renminbi-denominated precious and base metals contracts that will better meet customer needs.''
The Securities and Futures Commission said in a statement that "the suspected irregularities are serious ones" which led it to withdraw permission for the HKMEx to use automated trading services.
HKMEx had traded gold and silver future contracts, but saw business tumble this year as demand for the precious metals fell in Asia.
The firm has also had to contend with stiff competition from rivals such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the London Metals Exchange.
The chairman and majority shareholder of the HKMEx is Barry Cheung, who is also a prominent political adviser. He sits on Hong Kong's Executive Council, the territory's governing body.
Mr Cheung has taken a leave of absence from his public service commitments, and says he will co-operate fully with the police investigation.
Source-BBC
Iran's Ahmadinejad to contestbar on ally Mashaei
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he will contest the disqualification of his ally Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei from next month's presidential poll.
Mr Mashaei and ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani have been excluded by the Guardian Council, which vets election candidates.
The eight men cleared to stand are all considered conservatives.
The Guardian Council is loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"In my opinion there will be no problem with the leader [Khamenei] and I will take up this issue until the last moment with him," Mr Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
"I am hopeful the problem will be solved," he added.
However, Mr Rafsanjani will not contest his disqualification, his campaign manager was quoted as saying.
Mr Rafsanjani, who was president between 1989 and 1997, had been seen as a candidate who could win the support of pro-reform and centrist politicians, whose two leaders from the last election are under house arrest.
Vodafone hit by turmoil in Europe as sales fall
Mobile giant Vodafone's full-year sales have slipped for the first time in eight years after tough economic conditions in Europe hit revenues.
Annual revenues fell 4.4% to £44.4bn, after the firm cut prices in Europe in an attempt to retain customers.
In Italy service revenue fell 12.8%, while in Spain it dropped 11.5%.
Vodafone said it had written down the value of its businesses in Italy and Spain by a further £1.8bn, taking the total writedown for the year to £7.7bn.
The writedowns meant that earnings after taxation plunged to £673m in the group's financial year to the end of March, compared with £7bn in 2011-2012.
"We have faced headwinds from a combination of continued tough economic conditions, particularly in Southern Europe, and an adverse European regulatory environment," chief executive Vittorio Colao said.
However, Mr Colao said he remained "very excited" about Vodafone's longer term prospects.
Verizon Wireless, the US mobile operator 45%-owned by Vodafone, was the one bright spot in the results. Vodafone received a 30.5% year-on-year rise in the profits from its stake to £6.4bn.
There has been speculation over whether Vodafone will sell off its stake in Verizon Wireless, worth an estimated £88bn, an amount almost equal to Vodafone's total market capitalisation.
However, on a conference call following the results Mr Colao said that he had "nothing new to announce" about its stake in Verizon Wireless, and added that it was a "fantastic asset".
Vodafone hit by turmoil in Europe as sales fall (2)
Mobile giant Vodafone's full-year sales have slipped for the first time in eight years after tough economic conditions in Europe hit revenues.
Annual revenues fell 4.4% to £44.4bn, after the firm cut prices in Europe in an attempt to retain customers.
In Italy service revenue fell 12.8%, while in Spain it dropped 11.5%.
Vodafone said it had written down the value of its businesses in Italy and Spain by a further £1.8bn, taking the total writedown for the year to £7.7bn.
The writedowns meant that earnings after taxation plunged to £673m in the group's financial year to the end of March, compared with £7bn in 2011-2012.
"We have faced headwinds from a combination of continued tough economic conditions, particularly in Southern Europe, and an adverse European regulatory environment," chief executive Vittorio Colao said.
However, Mr Colao said he remained "very excited" about Vodafone's longer term prospects.
Verizon Wireless, the US mobile operator 45%-owned by Vodafone, was the one bright spot in the results. Vodafone received a 30.5% year-on-year rise in the profits from its stake to £6.4bn.
There has been speculation over whether Vodafone will sell off its stake in Verizon Wireless, worth an estimated £88bn, an amount almost equal to Vodafone's total market capitalisation.
However, on a conference call following the results Mr Colao said that he had "nothing new to announce" about its stake in Verizon Wireless, and added that it was a "fantastic asset".