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Anger, drama at Ratko Mladic's genocide trial

2012-05-16T18:12:59Z

Ratko Mladic was a shadow of the swaggering general who once "held Sarajevo in the palm of his hand" during Bosnia's 1992-95 war as his long-awaited genocide trial opened Wednesday. Yet he still managed to inflame Bosnia's festering war wounds with the flick of his hand.

Cannes' female-free directors line-up criticized

2012-05-16T18:08:13Z

At this year's Cannes Film Festival, there are directors in their 30s and their 80s, directors from Europe and North America, directors from Asia and the Middle East — but no women.

War crimes charges against Mladic

2012-05-16T17:25:22Z

who went on trial Wednesday at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands — holds the former Bosnian Serb army commander "individually criminally responsible for planning, instigating, ordering and/or aiding and abetting the crimes charged in this indictment." Mladic is charged with 11 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war. The counts below detail the atrocities during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war that Mladic is accused of commanding.

French prime minister announces new Cabinet

2012-05-16T17:56:18Z

French Socialist Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has completed his first task on the job and named the new Cabinet.

Legion admits it knew of priest's kid, did nothing

2012-05-16T00:16:26Z

The Legion of Christ has admitted that it knew that its most prominent priest had fathered a child several years ago yet the religious order didn't remove him from teaching morality to seminarians and speaking publicly about ethics and other church issues.

Charles Taylor: Sorry for those hurt by war crimes

2012-05-16T16:54:45Z

Convicted war criminal and former Liberian President Charles Taylor said during his sentencing hearing Wednesday that he sympathizes with victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone he helped foment, and asked judges to render their sentence against him in a spirit of "reconciliation, not retribution."

King Kenny dethroned as Liverpool sack Dalglish

2012-05-16T17:23:35Z

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish was sacked as manager of the club on Wednesday in a dramatic move by the club's owners following a disappointing Premier League campaign.

England skipper Strauss in no mood to stand down

2012-05-16T17:05:13Z

England captain Andrew Strauss has insisted he has no desire to rid himself of the pressure of leadership despite a poor run of form with the bat.

FTSE closes down

2012-05-16T16:45:41Z

London equities closed down on Wednesday despite promising data from the US, amid warnings from the Bank of England over the eurozone debt crisis.

Iran talks to continue, both sides see progress

2012-05-15T17:44:11Z

U.N. nuclear negotiators seeking to probe Tehran's nuclear program for signs of secret work on atomic-weapons technology spoke of a good exchange of views Tuesday after talks with Iranian officials, who described the meeting as having made progress.

Cameron says euro zone must make up or break up

2012-05-16T17:07:39Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said the euro zone had to act swiftly to solve its debt crisis or face the consequences of a potential break up. "The euro zone has to make a choice. If the euro zone wants to continue as it is, then it has got to build a proper firewall, it has got to take steps to secure the weakest members of the euro zone, or it's going to have to work out it has to go in a different direction," Cameron told parliament. "It either has to make up or it is looking at a potential break up. ...

BoE cuts growth forecasts, warns on euro crisis

2012-05-16T16:09:12Z

The Bank of England on Wednesday cut its forecast for British growth and warned that the eurozone debt crisis was the biggest threat to recovery, even if a credible solution is found.

Tributes to war reporter Colvin at London service

2012-05-16T15:30:59Z

War reporter Marie Colvin was described as the "bravest of the brave" at a memorial service in London on Wednesday for the Sunday Times journalist who was killed while covering the conflict in Syria.

Police uproot protest camp in Moscow

2012-05-16T14:49:12Z

Russian police dispersed a protest camp in central Moscow that had become a rallying point for President Vladimir Putin's foes, briefly detaining about 20 activists in a show of force that comes as part of a broadening crackdown on the opposition.

Euro crisis leaves door open for more BoE easing

2012-05-16T14:54:49Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The escalating danger from the neighbouring euro zone debt crisis prompted the Bank of England on Wednesday to keep alive the prospect of more help for an ailing economy it said was growing more slowly than expected. At a news conference after unveiling the Bank's latest economic forecasts, Governor Mervyn King also took aim at the euro zone, which is struggling to contain a renewed risk of Greece falling out of the currency bloc. "The euro area is tearing itself apart without any obvious solution," he said. ...

London Metal Exchange rejects NYSE bid: source

2012-05-16T14:07:43Z

The London Metal exchange has rejected a takeover bid by transatlantic exchange operator NYSE Euronext, a source close to the matter told AFP Wednesday.

Historic diamond sold for $9.7 million at auction

2012-05-16T13:15:01Z

Marie de Medici wore it at her coronation as Queen Consort of Henry IV in France in 1610, and now the Beau Sancy diamond is a lavish accessory owned by an anonymous bidder who paid $9.7 million for it at Sotheby's auction.

Ferdinand out of England Euro 2012 squad

2012-05-16T13:36:20Z

Veteran defender Rio Ferdinand was the highest-profile casualty on Wednesday as England manager Roy Hodgson unveiled his squad for the European Championships.

Feel free to insult me, say UK campaigners

2012-05-16T13:29:50Z

An unlikely coalition of MPs and activists came together in Britain on Wednesday to urge people to "feel free to insult me" in a campaign for the repeal of a law banning public insults.

Small business fund looks to fill bank gap

2012-05-16T13:20:40Z

LONDON (Reuters) - A fund set up to support small and medium-sized businesses aims to make around 25 investments this year, its chief executive said, as it looks to fill a gap left by banks cutting funding for thousands of growth companies. Small businesses across Europe have been struggling to attract growth capital as banks, facing higher capital requirements, rein in lending. The Business Growth Fund (BGF) - which has up to 2.5 billion pounds at its disposal - was set up a year ago with money from banks as one of a host of government-brokered measures to ease financing for companies. ...

Beckham to bring Olympic flame to Britain

2012-05-16T13:00:45Z

Football star David Beckham will bring the Olympic flame from Greece to Britain for the torch relay ahead of the London 2012 Games, organisers said on Wednesday.

Fire that killed 6 children sparked by petrol

2012-05-16T00:18:08Z

A house fire that killed six children in the central English city of Derby last week was sparked by petrol poured through the letterbox, police said Wednesday as the children's parents made a distraught public appearance.

Iran's tough nuclear stance masks struggles at top

2012-05-16T07:45:18Z

The negotiating stance from Iranian officials never varies: The Islamic Republic will not give up its capabilities to make nuclear fuel. But embedded in the messages are meanings that reach beyond Tehran's talks with world powers.

Joblessness falls unexpectedly, pay rises slow

2012-05-16T11:49:28Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The number of Britons out of work fell at the fastest pace in nearly a year in the three months to March, official data showed on Wednesday, pointing to some underlying resilience in the economy. Britain slipped back into recession at the beginning of 2012, stoking fears that more people will become unemployed at a time when the government is relying on private firms to make up for the estimated 700,000 jobs it is shedding in the public sector as part of its austerity plan. ...

War crimes judges hear Taylor's sentencing pleas

2012-05-16T11:11:33Z

Convicted war criminal and former Liberian President Charles Taylor told judges at his sentencing hearing Wednesday that he sympathizes with victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone he helped foment, and judges should render their sentence against him in a spirit of "reconciliation, not retribution."