YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Palace: Taxpayer cost of UK monarchy up slightly

    LONDON (AP) — Buckingham Palace says the taxpayer cost of supporting the British monarchy rose slightly for the financial year that ended March 31.

    The amount has gone up 200,000 pounds ($320,000) to a total expenditure of 32.3 million pounds.

    Much of this rise is attributed to high travel costs.

    The cost of celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee also strained finances.

    The palace released figures Monday indicating that cost-cutting has been implemented on a number of fronts.

    It cites a pay freeze, a reduction in the cost of operating the palace press office, and delays to planned property maintenance as factors helping keep costs down.

    Loading...
    • Copper reserves at China's Sicomines in Congo less than hoped

      KINSHASA (Reuters) - Copper reserves at a mine owned by Sicomines, a miner at the centre of a $6 billion resources for infrastructure deal between China and Democratic Republic of Congo, have fallen more than 30 percent short of expectations, a senior Congolese official said. Congo agreed in 2008 to cede mining rights to Sicomines, a joint venture between China's Sinohydro, the China Railway Group Ltd and Congolese miner Gecamines, in exchange for the building of roads, schools, railways, hospitals and dams. ...

    • Cycling-Road-Giro d'Italia points classification after stage 18

      May 23 (Infostrada Sports) - Points Classification Giro d'Italia after Stage 18 on Thursday 1. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) 113 2. Cadel Evans (Australia / BMC Racing) 109 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) 103 4. Carlos Betancur (Colombia / AG2R) 94 5. Mauro Santambrogio (Italy / Vini Fantini) 89 6. Giovanni Visconti (Italy / Movistar) 86 7. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Team Sky) 86 8. Elia Viviani (Italy / Cannondale) 72 9. Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania / Garmin) 65 10. Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy / RadioShack) 61

    • No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

      Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes. One of them was his response when asked, “How’s your wife?” “Compared to what?” he’d say.

    • Trayvon Martin texts, photos: Might they change Zimmerman trial?

      Ultimately, many of the photos and cellphone records of Trayvon Martin released online Thursday by George Zimmerman’s defense attorneys – indicating that the slain teenager smoked marijuana, got into fights at school, and had an interest in, and perhaps access to, guns – may be ruled inadmissible in court. But they are already making the rounds in the court of public opinion, which can influence everything from fundraising efforts to the mind-set of potential jurors in Mr. Zimmerman's murder trial.

    • Woman accused of contaminating daughter's IV tubes

      TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A prosecutor says a woman on trial in Tucson contaminated her hospitalized infant daughter's intravenous lines in an attempt to get attention from the girl's father.

    • Rare Superman comic found in house insulation

      It's considered the Holy Grail of comic books: Action Comics No. 1 from 1938, featuring the debut of Superman. And David Gonzales found one mixed in with old newspapers insulating a wall in a house he ...

    • 5.7-magnitude earthquake shakes Northern Calif

      GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was widely felt as it rattled Northern California Thursday night, breaking dishes and shaking mirrors off walls. But authorities said there were no immediate reports of injury or serious damage.

    • Abercrombie & Fitch: What's wrong with selling just to 'cool people'?

      Abercrombie & Fitch, one of the top sellers of young adult clothing in America, is again mired in controversy, this time over its refusal to offer plus-size clothes for teens.

    Loading...

    Follow Yahoo! News