Barclays' Diamond quits over rate rigging

Barclays' Diamond quits over rate rigging

By Matt Scuffham and Kate Holton
LONDON | Tue Jul 3, 2012 
(Reuters) - Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond suddenly quit on Tuesday over an interest rate-rigging scandal that threatens to drag in a dozen more major lenders but suggested the Bank of England had encouraged his bank to manipulate the figures.
"The external pressure placed on Barclays has reached a level that risks damaging the franchise - I cannot let that happen," said Diamond, 60. The terms of his severance were not announced, though Sky News said the bank would ask Diamond to forfeit almost 20 million pounds ($30 million) in bonuses.

Politicians and newspapers have zeroed in on the scandal - which revealed macho e-mails of bankers

Officials, stars and fans react to the death of Andy Griffith

Officials, stars and fans react to the death of Andy Griffith

By the CNN Wire Staff
July 3, 2012
(CNN) -- Stars, officials and loved ones weighed in Tuesday with their tributes to TV actor Andy Griffith, who died at age 86 in his home state of North Carolina:
-- Cindi Griffith, Andy Griffith's wife: "Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord."

Judge orders woman tried in grandson's gun death

Judge orders woman tried in grandson's gun death

2012-07-02 by usatoday
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) – A 74-year-old Michigan woman accused of shooting her teenage grandson at their suburban Detroit home will stand trial on murder and firearms charges, a judge ruled Monday after a police officer testified the woman emerged from the home screaming, "I murdered my grandson."
Sandra Layne is accused of repeatedly shooting 17-year-old Jonathan Hoffman on May 18 at the West Bloomfield Township condo that she and her husband shared with the boy. Her attorneys say she acted in self-defense. If convicted, she could face up to life in prison.
During Monday's hearing, prosecutors played a tape of Jonathan's call to 911.
"I've just been shot," he tells the emergency operator. "My grandma shot me. I'm going to die. Help."
The operator tries to keep the boy on the line and, a few minutes later, Jonathan began speaking

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks rise as weak data spurs Fed hope

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks rise as weak data spurs Fed hope

Jul 2, 2012
* Surprise contraction in U.S. factory sector dents markets

* Euro slides as euphoria ebbs over debt crisis deal

* Weak European and Asian data also weighs

By Herbert Lash and Leah Schnurr

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Stocks finished higher on M onday as weak U.S. manufacturing data raised speculation the Federal Reserve will again step in to boost the economy, though worries the global economy is deteriorating took the euro and oil lower.

Manufacturing sectors in the United States, the euro zone, China and Brazil all shrank last month as

Physicists Inch Closer to Proof of Elusive Particle

Physicists Inch Closer to Proof of Elusive Particle

By DENNIS OVERBYE
Published: July 2, 2012
Like Moses seeing the Promised Land but not being able to go there, physicists from Fermilab said Monday that its Tevatron, now shuttered but once the most powerful physics machine in the world, had fallen just short of finding a long-hypothesized particle.
Known as the Higgs boson, it explains why things in the universe have mass, and is a cornerstone of modern physics despite never being seen.

The news from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory added more buzz and hype about the long-sought particle as physicists and many others are standing by for an announcement on Wednesday

Airbus says U.S. move robs Boeing of tactical edge

Airbus says U.S. move robs Boeing of tactical edge

Jul 2, 2012
* Airbus exec sees local assembly countering Boeing tactics

* Planemaker hopes for solid increase in U.S. market share

* Sales chief says U.S. output must fit in planned group target

* CEO: room for 46 narrowbody jets a month globally when plant opens

By Tim Hepher

PARIS, July 2 (Reuters) - When it comes to selling jets to domestic U.S. airlines, Boeing may just have lost the precious ability to make the crucial "last phone call," according to the sales chief of its rival Airbus.

Embattled bank executive no longer co-hosting London fund-raiser for Mitt Romne

Embattled bank executive no longer co-hosting London fund-raiser for Mitt Romney

By Matt Viser | GLOBE STAFF JULY 02, 2012
WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney’s campaign says that Bob Diamond, the embattled chief executive of Barclays bank, will no longer be co-hosting a London fund-raiser for the presumptive Republican nominee.

Diamond, a Concord, Mass., native who oversees one of the world’s largest banks, has been embroiled in a rate-fixing scandal in Britain that is threatening to expand.

The bank’s chairman resigned on Monday, and some in Parliament have been calling on Diamond to

Microsoft takes $6.2 billion charge, slows Internet hopes

Microsoft takes $6.2 billion charge, slows Internet hopes

Jul 2, 2012 6:28pm EDT

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp admitted its largest acquisition in the Internet sector was effectively worthless and wiped out any profit for the last quarter, as it announced a $6.2 billion charge to write down the value of an online advertising agency it bought five years ago.

The announcement came as a surprise, but did not shock investors, who had largely forgotten Microsoft's purchase of aQuantive in 2007, which was initially expected to boost Microsoft's online advertising revenue and rival Google Inc's purchase of DoubleClick.

The company's shares dipped slightly to $30.35 in after-hours trading, after closing at $30.56 in

Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Griffin & More Are 'Proud' of Anderson Cooper

Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Griffin & More Are 'Proud' of Anderson Cooper

BY EVAN LAMBERT
Monday July 02, 2012
anchor and daytime talk show host.

"I'm proud of you, @AndersonCooper," Ellen DeGeneres, who came out years ago, wrote on Twitter.

Neil Patrick Harris also gave the newsman his good wishes, writing, "Good for you, @AndersonCooper. You're awesome."

Both messages have been re-tweeted almost 5,000 times.

On Monday, Cooper wrote an open letter to his longtime friend Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast saying, "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."

Mark Cavendish wins second stage of Tour de France

Mark Cavendish wins second stage of Tour de France

The British sprinter picks up his 21st career stage victory at the Tour de France. Fabian Cancellara remains the race's overall leader.
Associated Press
July 2, 2012
TOURNAI, Belgium -- Mark Cavendish led a tight sprint to the finish Monday to win the second stage of the Tour de France, while Fabian Cancellara retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after the mostly flat ride across Belgium.

Hardly a Speck of a Fly, but Able to Decapitate

Hardly a Speck of a Fly, but Able to Decapitate

By SINDYA N. BHANOO
Published: July 2, 2012
Scientists have discovered the world’s smallest known fly: a tiny, parasitic native of Thailand that appears to decapitate its host ants.
“Here’s something barely visible to the naked eye and it has wings, eyes and complete organ systems,” said the insect’s discoverer, Brian V. Brown, curator of entomology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

The fly, Euryplatea nanaknihali, is less than two-hundredths of an inch long — one-fifteenth the size of a housefly and one-fifth that of a fruit fly. It was collected as part of the Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research, a project involving more than 100 scientists around the world. Dr. Brown describes it in the July issue of Annals of the Entomological Society of America.

Five millionth 'test tube baby'

1 July 2012

Five millionth 'test tube baby'

By James Gallagher
Health and science reporter, BBC News, Istanbul
Five million "test tube babies" have now been born around the world, according to research presented at a conference of fertility experts.

Delegates hailed it as a "remarkable milestone" for fertility treatments.

The first test tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in the UK in July 1978. Her mother Leslie Brown died last month.

Eastern U.S. swelters with heat wave, power outages

Eastern U.S. swelters with heat wave, power outages

By Ian Simpson
WASHINGTON | Mon Jul 2, 2012
(Reuters) - Relentless heat gripped much of the eastern United States for a fourth straight day on Monday, with about 2.1 million homes and businesses without power after violent storms and soaring temperatures killed at least 18 people.

Power companies warned it could take several days to restore electricity completely in some areas as much of the United States sweltered in a heat wave. Two hundred and eighty-eight temperature records were set nationwide on Sunday.

Quick facts on storms, summer heat in eastern US

Quick facts on storms, summer heat in eastern US

By The Associated Press Jul 1, 2012

Millions are staring down the prospect of several more days without electricity in the middle of a heat wave after severe storms over the weekend.
Food is beginning to spoil, and many people have to charge modern conveniences like cellphones in their cars or at libraries. Utility companies say they are bringing in crews from around the country to help, but they still say it could be several days before everyone has electricity again.
By Sunday evening, the number of those without power had dipped to about 2.7 million customers, down from more than 3 million at the peak of the outages.
DEATHS
Authorities have confirmed at least 17 deaths related to the storms that swept across the eastern U.S.

Spain Beats Italy 4-0 to Clinch Third Straight Soccer Trophy

Spain Beats Italy 4-0 to Clinch Third Straight Soccer Trophy

Tariq Panja, ©2012 Bloomberg News
Published 06:47 p.m., Sunday, July 1, 2012
July 2 (Bloomberg) -- Spain beat Italy 4-0 last night to become the first nation to retain soccer’s European Championship title and the only one from the continent to win three straight major competitions.

David Silva, Jordi Alba, and substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata scored at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium for the 2010 world champion, which started its winning treble at Euro 2008.

Mexico's old rulers claim presidential election win

Mexico's old rulers claim presidential election win

By Mica Rosenberg and Daniel Trotta
MEXICO CITY | Sun Jul 1, 2012
(Reuters) - Mexican opposition candidate Enrique Pena Nieto's campaign team claimed victory in the country's presidential election on Sunday after exit polls showed him winning by a comfortable margin.
Pena Nieto, 45, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), led by between 8 and 11 percentage points in exit polls published by three of Mexico's main television networks after voting ended on Sunday night.

Shortly afterward his campaign manager, Luis Videgaray, declared victory.

"It is a resounding triumph," Videgaray told Milenio television, adding that he was hopeful the PRI would have a majority in the Senate and possibly in the lower house of Congress, too.

Chairman of Barclays Is Expected to Resign

Chairman of Barclays Is Expected to Resign

BY MARK SCOTT AND MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED
JULY 1, 2012,
LONDON — Marcus Agius, the chairman of Barclays, is expected to resign on Monday, less than a week after the big British bank agreed to pay $450 million to settle accusations that it had tried to manipulate key interest rates to benefit its own bottom line.

Bristol-Myers to Acquire Amylin for $5.3 Billion

Bristol-Myers to Acquire Amylin for $5.3 Billion

By Meg Tirrell, Ryan Flinn and Jeffrey McCracken on July 01, 2012
Bristol-Myers (BMY) (BMY) Squibb Co., which failed to get U.S. approval for a new diabetes treatment in January, will pay $5.3 billion for Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMLN) (AMLN), the maker of two drugs on the market for the disease.

A Summer Storm’s Disruption Is Felt in the Technology Cloud

A Summer Storm’s Disruption Is Felt in the Technology Cloud

By QUENTIN HARDY
Published: July 1, 2012
The cutting edge of the Web just bled a little.

On Friday night, lightning in Virginia took out part of Amazon’s cloud computing service, called Amazon Web Services, which hundreds of companies use for data storage and computation. Well-known sites like Netflix, Pinterest and Instagram were not accessible for hours. There was little information for customers about what had happened, or even whether user data was safe.

The Amazing Spider-Man Off to "Healthy" Box-Office Start—Yes, Already

The Amazing Spider-Man Off to "Healthy" Box-Office Start—Yes, Already

by JOAL RYAN
Jul 1, 2012
The Amazing Spider-Man is off and flying.

In 13 overseas markets this weekend, the superhero reboot grossed an estimated $50.2 million.

"This is a very healthy start," BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino said Sunday.

RELATED: Amazing Spider-Man has no shortage of leaks

Moviegoers in India, Korea, Japan and elsewhere got the jump Friday on U.S.-based Spider-Man fans, who can't catch the film Stateside until midnight Tuesday at the earliest.

In India, The Amazing Spider-Man scored the biggest opening ever for a Hollywood film, its studio said. In Korea, the reboot bested the debut there of The Avengers. In Japan, it accounted for nearly all of the country's Saturday and Sunday ticket sales.

Sprinters Agree on Runoff to Determine Olympic Berth

Sprinters Agree on Runoff to Determine Olympic Berth

By MARY PILON and KEN BELSON
Published: July 1, 2012
EUGENE, Ore. — After a week of waiting amid a swirl of rumors, Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh chose a Monday runoff to decide who would claim the final spot to represent the United States in the women’s 100 meters at the Olympics. Their decision ends one of the stranger finishes in track history, one that involved two runners who train together, share a coach, run in the same races and finished tied with an Olympic berth at stake.
Discussions involving the runners, their coach, USA Track and Field officials and others began Saturday and continued on Sunday. It was announced Sunday afternoon, on the last day of the Olympic trials, that the runners had agreed to the runoff, which will be held Monday night.

The result is a compromise that allows USA Track and Field, the sport’s national governing body, to send a final roster of team members to the United States Olympic Committee on Monday, while also giving Felix and Tarmoh an additional day to rest after their 200-meter final Saturday night. Though a winner-take-all race, presumably in front of a smaller crowd, may lessen somewhat the pressure on the athletes, it may be offset by NBC Sports Network’s decision to televise the race live; coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Blake Wins 200 Meters, Goes 2 for 2 Vs Bolt

Blake Wins 200 Meters, Goes 2 for 2 Vs Bolt

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer
KINGSTON, Jamaica July 2, 2012
No posing, no salutes, no fist pumping. Yohan Blake simply paced in front of the jam-packed grandstand at National Stadium and stared up into the crowd, letting all those fans soak in a nice, long look.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the man to beat at the London Olympics.

In a result that can no longer be considered a surprise, Blake beat Usain Bolt in the 200 meters at Jamaican Olympic trials Sunday, finishing in 19.80 seconds to edge the world-record holder by 0.03.

When it was over, Bolt was the first one to approach his training partner and buddy and give him a big bear hug. Moments later, Bolt was down on the ground, getting his right hamstring stretched out, while Blake was celebrating — rather modestly — in front of the grandstand.

Remnants of an Ancient Kitchen Are Found in China

Remnants of an Ancient Kitchen Are Found in China

By SINDYA N. BHANOO
Published: June 28, 2012
Fragments of ancient pottery found in southern China turn out to date back 20,000 years, making them the world’s oldest known pottery — 2,000 to 3,000 years older than examples found in East Asia and elsewhere.
The ceramics probably consisted of simple concave vessels that were likely used for cooking food, said Ofer Bar-Yosef, an archaeologist at Harvard and an author of the study, which appears in the journal Science.

“What it seems is that in China, the making of pottery started 20,000 years ago and never stopped,” he said. “The Chinese kitchen was always based on cooking and steaming; they never made, as in other parts of Asia, breads.”

Man plagued by porn-induced headaches

Man plagued by porn-induced headaches

A 24-year-old bachelor in India got severe headaches whenever he tried to watch an X-rated movie. But not from actually having sex
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012
A terrible headache probably isn't the sensation people are hoping for when they turn on a porn video.
But unfortunately for a 24-year-old bachelor in India, that's exactly what has happened for the last two years whenever he tried to watch an X-rated movie.
According to a case study on the man, who is unnamed, he experiences "severe, exploding" headaches that develop gradually and peak about 10 minutes into a sex scene.
"The intensity was so severe that he had to abort watching," researchers from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in New Delhiwrote wrote in the study, published this month in the journal

Obama tours devastation of Colorado wildfire

From: To: Date: Date:

Obama tours devastation of Colorado wildfire
By Keith Coffman and Jeff Mason
Jun 29, 2012
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday described as a "major disaster" a Colorado wildfire that has destroyed 347 homes and forced the evacuation of 35,000 people near the state's second-largest city, as he toured the devastation left by the blaze.
Before landing, Air Force One flew over part of the Rocky Mountains where smoke could be seen rising from the areas ravaged by what officials say is the most destructive blaze in state history. At least one death has been blamed on the fire.

The blaze had roared unchecked on Tuesday night through communities in the northwestern corner of the city and threatened the U.S. Air Force Academy campus.

Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau

From: To: Date: Date:

Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau

• Federer wins 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-1 in five-set epic
• Swiss last failed to reach grand slam fourth round in 2004
Kevin Mitchell at Wimbledon
 29 June 2012
For the second year in a row at Wimbledon, Roger Federer went to five sets against a Frenchman but this time there would be no slip-ups. "My God, it was brutal," said the normally stress-free Swiss after 204 minutes of high drama under the roof on Centre Court in which he first flirted with the humiliation suffered the night before by Rafael Nadal then gathered all his reserves of energy and skill to outlast the dangerous Julien Benneteau and go through to the fourth round.

In 2011, his spirit and body were shattered by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals. Last night, the stakes were just as high – even though the tournament is not out of the first week – because there is a creeping perception that the Federer-Nadal duopoly is slowly giving way under pressure from below.

Top Obama aide to Congressional Democrats: ‘Go on offense' on taxes

From: To: Date: Date:

Top Obama aide to Congressional Democrats: ‘Go on offense' on taxes

By Olivier Knox

abc news

June 30, 2012


A top advisor to President Barack Obama urged Congressional Democrats on Friday to "go on offense" against Republicans on the issue of taxes and argued that the Supreme Court ruling upholding the incumbent's signature health care law should be the "clear and final" word on the issue.

In a memo made public by the White House, David Plouffe accused Republicans of "trying to misrepresent" Obama's record on taxes.

Romney ad features Hillary Clinton attacking Obama

Romney ad features Hillary Clinton attacking Obama

By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY
Jun 29, 2012

Mitt Romney's latest ad attacking President Obama features a cameo appearance from Hillary Rodham Clinton slamming the man who's now her boss.
You'll recall that Clinton and Obama engaged in a hard-fought and sometimes bitter Democratic primary battle four years ago. Now, Obama is in the White House, and she's his secretary of State.

Russia-US still split ahead of talks

Syria conflict: Russia-US still split ahead of talks

by bbc news
29 June 2012
Areas of "difficulty and difference" remain between Russia and the US ahead of key talks on the crisis in Syria, a US official says.

The state department spokesman played down chances of a deal at the talks, to take place on Saturday in Geneva.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier met US counterpart Hillary Clinton, and said there was a "very good chance" of finding common ground.

More than 100 people have been killed in Syria since Thursday, reports say.

What's new in Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean'

What's new in Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean'

Google showed off Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean,' its latest phone and tablet operating system, at its I/O developers conference on Wednesday. Jelly Bean's new features include better support for voice commands, a smoother interface, a predictive keyboard, and Google Now.


By Jeff Ward-Bailey / June 29, 2012
With all the emphasis on hardware at the Google I/O keynote on Wednesday, it was easy to overlook the software powering the Nexus devices on display: Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean," the successor to the current "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system.
The biggest new feature has to do with the way handles voice commands. You can now ask specific questions of Google, and it'll try to display the answer on a grey-bordered "Card," showing search results, maps, weather forecasts and the like depending on what question you asked. In some ways it's like Apple's Siri virtual assistant, except that the voice recognition takes place offline (the software itself can interpret queries, rather than streaming them up to Google's servers for analysis).

Pregnant Adele's Boyfriend Simon Konecki: Five Things You Don't Know

Pregnant Adele's Boyfriend Simon Konecki: Five Things You Don't Know

Celebrity News June 29, 2012
By Beth Anne Macaluso
The usually unlucky-in-love Adele has changed her tune about romance -- with a little help from her boyfriend of six months, Simon Konecki.
The pair first went public during a PDA-packed trip to the Everglades in early January, and a source told Us Weekly at the time that Konecki, 37, was just what Adele needed after her toxic former flings. "Simon is a nice guy and would never use her," the insider explained. "He likes her for who she is." (Adele and Konecki made their formal debut together at the Grammys in February, when he attended as her date.)
On Friday, Adele took to her website to share even happier news with fans -- she and Konecki are expecting their first child together.
Gushed the "Rumor Has It" singer, "We're over the moon and very excited!
Here, Us rounds up five need-to-know facts about Simon Konecki:
1. He's deeply committed to social and environmental justice
Konecki is a co-founder of British charity Drop4Drop. Their stated mission? "To help alleviate the global water crisis, by . . . delivering efficient and accountable clean water projects across the developing world," their website declares.

2012 Tour de France: Top contenders

2012 Tour de France: Top contenders

June 29, 2012
by espn
PARIS -- A look at some of the top contenders at the 2012 Tour de France:
Cadel Evans, 35, Australia, BMC Racing Team
The defending champion and twice runner-up has every chance of repeating, backed by a strong team that includes rising American star Tejay van Garderen and veteran George Hincapie, who's starting his record-setting 17th Tour de France. Evans' spring classics campaign was hampered by poor health, including a sinus infection and a leg injury. But the 2009 world champ has bounced back, adding a