May 10, 2011
Abdul joins Cole on US X Factor
Paula Abdul is to join the panel of the US X Factor, alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Antonio LA Reid. The singer, 48, took part in the show's first judging session on Sunday. "This show would never have been the same without Paula," said…
May 10, 2011
West Side Story playwright Arthur Laurents dies
Arthur Laurents, writer of such classic stage musicals as West Side Story and Gypsy, has died in New York aged 93. The director and screenwriter died at his Manhattan home from complications of pneumonia, his agent said. Born in Brooklyn, the…
May 10, 2011
China’s trade surplus beats forecasts, as yuan in focus
China's trade surplus was nearly four times bigger than expected in April, with exports far…
May 10, 2011
Republic of Ireland to get ‘EU loan rate reduction’
Ireland is to get an interest rate cut on the emergency loans it has acquired from EU bodies, the BBC has learned. Currently, Ireland pays an average rate of 5.8% on loans agreed with the IMF, fellow Eurozone countries and a special fund set up by…
May 10, 2011
Shares fall on fears Greece needs new bail-out
European stock markets have fallen on continuing concerns that Greece may require a new financial bail-out deal. The falls follow comments on Friday by Jean Claude-Juncker, chairman of the eurozone finance ministers, that Greece may need a…
May 10, 2011
Oil price bounces after record fall
Crude oil prices have recovered after last Thursday's commodity market rout. Brent crude futures rose 6.5% on Monday to over $116 a barrel, still well below their recent peak of more than $126. The relief rally comes after a week-long 17% decline in…
May 10, 2011
US tells China to look to its own consumers
US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has called on China to rely more on its own spending and less on exports. "The challenge is to lay the foundation for a new growth model, driven more by domestic demand," he advised his Chinese counterparts. His…
May 10, 2011
Libya: Misrata rebels ‘push back troops’
Rebels in the Libyan city of Misrata say they have pushed government troops back from its…
May 10, 2011
Memphis flooding: Thousands of homes evacuated
The southern US city of Memphis is coping with flood levels not seen since the 1930s, which have forced people from at least 1,300 homes. The Mississippi River was expected to crest at 48ft (14.6m) late on Monday or early on Tuesday in the…
May 10, 2011
IMF: N. Zealand Quakes More Costly Than Japan’s Disasters
The International Monetary Fund says earthquakes that struck New Zealand in September and February are likely to hurt that country's economy more than the recent disasters in Japan will affect Tokyo's economy. The IMF estimated that rebuilding…