Olympic flame to be lit in ancient home
The Olympic flame will be lit in the ruins of the home of the ancient Games in Greece before starting its journey to London, organisers said Wednesday.A ceremony amid the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia on May 10 will see the flame lit by the rays of the early morning sun.It will then travel through Greece on an eight-day relay before being...
Trinity Mirror to axe a fifth of editorial staff
LONDON (Reuters) - Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror said it will cut almost a fifth of its editorial staff as part of a plan to overhaul the newsroom behind its popular tabloids Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People. The company said in a statement on Wednesday that up to 75 jobs would go from a total editorial staff of 400, under plans to...
Recession risk eases as manufacturing rebounds
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's manufacturing sector unexpectedly returned to growth in January as orders rose for the first time in six months, indicating the UK could skirt recession if the sector continues to recover in coming months. The Markit/CIPS Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 52.1 - the highest level since May - from an...
UN nuclear official: New trip to Iran planned
VIENNA (AP) — A senior U.N. nuclear inspector spoke Wednesday of a "good trip" to Tehran and the agency said his team will return to Iran's capital in late February, indicating progress on attempts to investigate suspicions that Iran is secretly working on nuclear weapons.The International Atomic Energy Agency's announcement of a renewed mission to...
Amy Winehouse's family 'take advice' over inquest
The family of singer Amy Winehouse said Wednesday they were "taking advice" over revelations that the inquest into her death could be declared invalid after the coroner resigned.Suzanne Greenaway, who ruled in October that the "Back to Black" star had died after drinking heavily following a period of abstinence, has quit because she was not qualified...
Flour dumped on top French presidential candidate
PARIS (AP) — A woman who claims she is being watched by police and that her life has been threatened dumped flour on the leading candidate in France's presidential elections during a campaign appearance Wednesday.The woman — who later identified herself to TV cameras as 45-year-old Claire Seguin — ran up to the podium where Socialist Francois Hollande...
British MEP causes furore with Nazi jibe
Outspoken British MEP Nigel Farage stormed out of the European Parliament on Wednesday after its German chairman cut him off in mid-flight for comparing Berlin's ideas for Greece to Nazi control.During a post-EU summit debate featuring top bloc leaders, Farage criticised a leaked German plan for EU control of Greek public spending, saying bailed...