Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the decision to strike a deal with the Taliban for the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was unanimous in the White House.
Barack Obama’s administration had to act quickly and without first consulting Congress, he added.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the decision to strike a deal with the Taliban for the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was unanimous in the White House
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed after five years in captivity, in exchange for five Taliban figures from Guantanamo Bay.
The White House is required to notify Congress 30 days before transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay but thought waiting was too risky.
Chuck Hagel was speaking the day after a welcoming party in Sgt Bergdahl’s home town of Hailey, Idaho, was cancelled, and amid suspicions that he deserted his post.
Organizers said the event was called off because of a large increase in the number of expected attendees.
Several commentators and soldiers have branded Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl a deserter and called for him to be punished.
D-Day veterans are returning to the Normandy “killing field” ahead of Friday’s 70th commemoration attended by world leaders in France.
More than 650 British veterans are expected at the Sword Beach ceremony on Friday, and many will sail on HMS Bulwark from Portsmouth to Normandy on Thursday.
Former troops, cadets and serving members of the armed forces will earlier parade in Portsmouth.
In France, Prince Charles is to attend a memorial service to mark the taking of the strategic Pegasus Bridge.
D-Day veterans return to Normandy killing field on 70th anniversary (photo Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh will mark the D-Day anniversary during a state visit to France which begins later in Paris.
The towns may have French names, but the five Allied landing beaches are still known as Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword.
It is 70 years since D-Day, the biggest amphibious assault in military history.
On Thursday, Prince Charles will be at Pegasus Bridge, a strategic crossing which British troops captured within minutes of landing in gliders just after midnight on June 6, 1944. A mass parachute drop will take place in Ranville, the first village to be liberated.
On the anniversary itself, the Queen will head an international service of commemoration attended by royals, presidents and prime ministers.
Hundreds of veterans are here, but their numbers are dwindling. The youngest are well into their 80s. This will be the last significant anniversary most will witness.
Their stories of heroism and sacrifice, success and disaster will soon fade from living memory.
About 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel in the initial D-Day assault on June 6, 1944, paving the way for the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Heads of state from 17 nations are to attend the international ceremony at Sword Beach on Friday, the easternmost of the five landing sites.
Donald Sterling has agreed to sell LA Clippers for $2 billion and drop his lawsuit against the NBA, his lawyer says.
Donald Sterling’s lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, told reporters his client had “made an agreement with the NBA to resolve all their differences”.
Former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer is set to buy LA Clippers in a record sale.
Donald Sterling was fined $2.5 million and banned for life from the league after racist comments he made became public.
Donald Sterling has agreed to sell LA Clippers for $2 billion and drop his lawsuit against the NBA
The NBA announced the ban and fine soon after an audio recording of Donald Sterling emerged in the US media in April, in which he was heard asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor to bring them to games.
In a subsequent interview with CNN, he said he apologized for a “terrible mistake” and insisted he had been “baited” into making the remarks.
But last week he sued the NBA in federal court, alleging it had violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording.
He also sued for damages for the forceful termination of his ownership, but Maxwell Blecher said on Wednesday this lawsuit was now dismissed.
The other team owners in the league will vote on this proposed sale in mid-July, Donald Sterling’s legal team said.
If they approve the sale, it will be a record sum for a team that cost Donald Sterling about $12 million in 1981.
Last week, Steve Ballmer said in a statement he was honored to have his name put forward to the NBA for approval.
Three police officers were shot dead and two wounded in the Canadian city of Moncton.
Police said they were searching for Justin Bourque, 24, who was “armed and dangerous”, and tweeted a picture of a suspect with weapons.
Officials have warned people to stay inside and lock their doors.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the officers were shot responding to reports of an armed man wearing camouflage clothing.
That initial call was at 19:20 local time.
Moncton police said they were searching for Justin Bourque who is armed and dangerous
The two wounded Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, a police spokesman said.
Mayor George LeBlanc said: “This is a terrible loss and a tragedy for the families.”
Officers have blocked off a number of roads in Moncton and traffic is reported to be backed up on major routes across the city.
Drivers have been asked to stay away from the area.
In a statement, New Brunswick Premier David Alward said he was “shocked and saddened”.
“I would ask New Brunswickers, particularly in those areas identified by police, to follow the situation as it develops and to listen to the advice of police,” he said.
Witnesses said they heard the first shots in north-west Moncton at about 20:00 local time. More shots were reported about two hours later.
Correspondents say such violence is rare in Canada, particularly on the east coast.
Rihanna and Drake turned up at New York’s VIP Room late Sunday night but avoided making contact.
“They really did not interact at all,” a source told E! News.
Rihanna and Drake turned up at New York’s VIP Room late Sunday night but avoided making contact
“She looked at him a few times and would smile, but they didn’t speak or even come near each other. Both stayed late, until around 4 a.m., but they did not leave together. Both went their separate ways.”
Drake, who had just performed at the Hot 97 Summer Jam concert, was spotted in the DJ booth as Rihanna sat at a nearby table.
Rihanna and Drake’s on-off romance hit the skids earlier this month after a purported argument.
“He is too in love with her, which has always been the problem,” an insider explained to Us Weekly.
“They have been fighting, but that could all change any day now. It is how it always is with them.”
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has agreed to a $105 million settlement with 44 US states and the District of Columbia over allegations it mispromoted three drugs.
The drugs are asthma medication Advair and anti-depressants Paxil and Wellbutrin.
GSK has agreed to a $105 million settlement with 44 US states and the District of Columbia over allegations it mispromoted three drugs (photo Alamy)
The pharmaceutical giant did not admit any wrongdoing, and said the charges came from past issues.
As part of the settlement, GSK must extend its Patient First Program until 2019, which prohibits financial incentives to its sales people, and it is prohibited from paying doctors to speak about GSK’s products or attend conferences.
“This settlement requires GSK to pay a significant penalty and imposes strong new rules designed to prevent future misrepresentations of GSK products,” said California attorney general Kamala Harris in a statement.
GSK insists that many of these practices are already in place.
President Bashar al-Assad has won a third term in office after securing 88.7% of votes in Syria’s presidential election, the parliamentary speaker has announced.
Earlier, Syria’s constitutional court put the vote turnout at 73.47%.
Voting took place in government-controlled areas, but not in parts of the north and east held by rebels.
Tens of thousands of people have died in three years of civil war in Syria, with millions more displaced.
Bashar al-Assad’s key challengers, Hassan al-Nouri and Maher Hajjar, received 4.3% and 3.2% of the vote respectively.
It was the first time in decades that more than one person – outside of the Assad family – had been allowed to stand as presidential candidate.
President Bashar al-Assad has won a third term in office after securing 88.7 percent of votes
Bashar al-Assad’s critics and the Syrian opposition in rebel-held areas have dismissed the election as a farce, arguing that it has no credibility in the midst of a civil war.
The opposition’s allies in the West also denounced the ballot, with US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to neighboring Lebanon, describing it as “meaningless”.
The results of the election were announced by parliamentary speaker Mohammad al-Laham on Wednesday.
“I declare the victory of Dr. Bashar Hafez al-Assad as president of the Syrian Arab Republic with an absolute majority of the votes cast in the election,” he announced in a televised address.
Celebratory gunfire erupted in the Syrian capital Damascus after the results, with reports of at least three people killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Syria’s constitutional court had earlier announced that some 11.63 million Syrians voted out of a total of 15.85 million eligible to cast a ballot.
The win is likely to boost Bashar al-Assad’s supporters. The government side has recently made significant military gains and rebel groups are fighting among themselves.
But the vote has faced sharp criticism from the US and its allies.
“You can’t have an election where millions of your people don’t even have an ability to vote,” Secretary of State John Kerry said.
The EU joined the US in condemning the election, saying in a statement that it could not be considered “a genuinely democratic vote”.
Also on Wednesday, a delegation of officials visiting Damascus from more than 30 countries, including Iran, Russia and Venezuela, issued a statement in support of the “transparent and free” elections, the Associated Press reports.
It appears Angelina Jolie remained unfazed by Vitalii Sediuk’s attack on Brad Pitt last week as she said that her security arrangements will not change following the red-carpet incident.
“People like that are an exception to the rule,” she told the Associated Press.
“Most fans are just wonderful.”
Brad Pitt previously told People magazine Vitalii Sediuk was a “nutter” after attacking him at the premiere of Angelina Jolie’s new movie, Maleficent.
Angelina Jolie has said her security arrangements will not change following Vitalii Sediuk’s red carpet prank on Brad Pitt (photo Walt Disney Company)
Vitalii Sediuk, 25, was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend counseling.
He pleaded no contest to battery and unlawful activity charges after the incident on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian TV presenter was also ordered to stay away from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Angelina Jolie is in Shanghai to promote Maleficent, in which she plays the villain from Sleeping Beauty.
When asked if the incident had made the couple more wary of fans, Angelina Jolie said: “No, no… we’ve had a wonderful experience over the years and are very grateful for their support and it will not change the way we behave.”
Angelina Jolie told the press conference she was proud of the way Brad Pitt had handled the situation: “He is fine. He was fine that night. He’s a very strong man and he handled the situation perfectly, so he’s good.”
The Central African Republic (CAR) has banned the use of mobile phone text messages.
The move is aimed at helping to restore security after more than a year of deadly ethnic and religious violence.
The ban comes after days of violent demonstrations in the capital, Bangui, and a mass text campaign calling for a general strike.
The Central African Republic has banned the use of mobile phone text messages
The protesters want the transitional government that came to power in January to resign.
The CAR conflict began last year as mainly Muslim Seleka rebels, led by Michel Djotodia, seized power in the majority Christian country.
Michael Djotodia resigned as president in January under diplomatic pressure, but a interim government and French and African peacekeepers have failed to stop the violence between Christian and Muslim militia groups.
Mobile phone users in CAR now get a message in French saying “SMS not allowed”.
“On the instruction of the prime minister… in order to contribute to the restoration of security in the country, the use of SMS by all mobile phone subscribers is suspended,” Reuters news agency quotes the telecommunications ministry statement as saying.
According to the French news website Jeune Afrique, a letter was sent to CAR’s four phone mobile operators ordering them to suspend their SMS texting service until further notice.
German federal prosecutor Harald Range will investigate allegations by Edward Snowden that the US government bugged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone.
Harald Range told the German parliament’s legal affairs committee that an investigation would be held against “unknown” persons.
Angela Merkel has publicly asked for an explanation for the alleged spying by the NSA.
The inquiry was announced as President Barack Obama visited Europe.
German federal prosecutor Harald Range will investigate allegations by Edward Snowden that the US government bugged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone
“Sufficient factual evidence exists that unknown members of the US intelligence services spied on the mobile phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel,” Harald Range said on Wednesday.
At the same time, he said he had decided against opening an investigation into claims of wider NSA surveillance of German citizens, AFP news agency reports.
Pressure for a wide-ranging investigation had been growing, correspondents say.
Angela Merkel and Barack Obama are due to meet in Brussels at a G7 summit on Wednesday.
Barack Obama told Angela Merkel last month that he was “pained” that Edward Snowden’s disclosures had strained the US-German relationship.
He said he had directed US intelligence agencies to weigh the privacy interests of non-Americans as well as US citizens and residents, “in everything that they do”.
Angela Merkel has proposed establishing a European communications network to avoid emails and other data automatically passing through the US.
On Wednesday, Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said he would not “evaluate” or comment on the prosecutor’s decision.
“The government didn’t exert any influence on the prosecutor,” he said in quotes carried by AP news agency.
Meanwhile, US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters he believed dialogue between the two allies would be more effective than an investigation.
“We believe we have an open line and good communication [with Germany],” he said.
Some German lawmakers have also called for Edward Snowden to be invited to Berlin to testify in parliamentary inquiry into NSA surveillance.
However, German government has opposed this, fearing it would damage bilateral ties.
Two Ukrainian military bases in the eastern region of Luhansk have been taken by separatist rebels as fighting continues near the rebel-held town of Sloviansk.
Separatists seized a border guard base after days of fierce combat, and a National Guard base after an attack which began on Tuesday.
An apparent air attack in Luhansk city on Monday killed a number of civilians.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring Donetsk region, troops are closing in on the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk.
Pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, declared independence after holding referendums last month which were declared illegal by the government in Kiev.
Two Ukrainian military bases in the eastern region of Luhansk have been taken by separatist rebels as fighting continues near the rebel-held town of Sloviansk
The rebellion began amid the turmoil which followed the downfall in February of the elected Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, whose pro-Moscow policies sparked mass street protests in Kiev during the winter.
Reports of casualties in the fighting in Luhansk could not be verified independently.
Ukraine’s border service announced on its website that the personnel in the base of the Luhansk border detachment had been “redeployed to safer places” as a result of sustained attacks by large rebel forces.
The National Guard base came under sustained fire from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, machine-guns and assault rifles on Tuesday after the soldiers rejected an ultimatum from a large rebel force to surrender, according to a report on the National Guard’s website.
Three soldiers were wounded and all of the base’s vehicles and its headquarters building were destroyed in the fighting, the statement said. The garrison, it added, had now been “redeployed to a different, safe place”.
However, a rebel spokesman told Russia’s Ria-Novosti news agency the soldiers had surrendered and had been allowed to “go home”.
The Russian news website ura.ru quoted a rebel commander as saying there had been “no battle as such” and the soldiers had simply surrendered after spiking some of their weapons.
Investigations are continuing into the attack on the rebel-held regional administrative building in Luhansk on Monday afternoon. Rebels have accused the Ukrainian air force of killing eight civilians in the attack, and graphic video of bodies at the scene has been posted on websites.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said that, based on available evidence, “these strikes were the result of non-guided rockets shot from an aircraft. The number of casualties is unknown”.
But the Ukrainian authorities deny their planes were involved and suggest the damage was caused by the rebels themselves.
Ukraine’s interim President, Olexandr Turchynov, said in a statement on Tuesday that the northern part of Donetsk region had been “fully cleared” of separatists and the military had started blocking the border with Russia in the north and east of Luhansk region.
Government forces took the town of Krasnyi Lyman, north-east of Sloviansk, after heavy fighting.
President Barack Obama met Ukraine President-elect Petro Poroshenko, and pledged support for plans to restore peace to the country.
Both presidents are in Warsaw to mark 25 years since the fall of communism in Poland.
Barack Obama called Petro Poroshenko a “wise selection” to lead Ukraine, and said the nation could become a vibrant, thriving democracy if the world community stood behind it.
President Barack Obama met Ukraine President-elect Petro Poroshenko, and pledged support for plans to restore peace to the country
Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire sweet manufacturer, was elected in May and will be inaugurated as Ukraine’s president on Saturday.
Barack Obama pledged $5 million of military assistance to Kiev including body armor and night-vision goggles.
The aid follows $18 million promised since early March for food, clothes, radios and other equipment.
Barack Obama has now arrived in Brussels for a meeting of the G7 major industrial nations, the first since Russia was removed from the G8 in protest over its annexation of Crimea in March.
He is expected to attend the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Normandy on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be at the ceremony but the two leaders have no meeting scheduled.
Venice Mayor Giorgio Orsoni is among 35 people arrested in Italy over alleged corruption in connection with new flood barriers built to protect the city.
Giorgio Orsoni and dozens of officials and businessmen are being held over claims of bribery during the public tender process of the Moses project.
Seventy-eight mobile barriers will be used to shut off Venice lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and storms.
Venice is continuing to sink and is hit by flooding on a yearly basis.
Construction of the barriers began 11 years ago but has been hampered by delays in funding due to Italy’s economic crisis.
Mayor Giorgio Orsoni and dozens of officials and businessmen are being held over claims of bribery during the public tender process of the Moses project in Venice
Once finished, the floodgates will extend more than a mile, blocking the three inlets to the lagoon.
Investigators are looking into allegations that 20 million euros ($27 million) in public funds was sent to foreign bank accounts and used to finance political parties, according to reports.
Giorgio Orsoni, 67, has been placed under house arrest while he is investigated for corruption, extortion and money laundering, Italy’s Ansa news agency reports.
His lawyers say the allegations against him are “hardly credible”, according to AFP news agency.
Prosecutors have also requested the arrest of a former governor of the Venice region, Giancarlo Galan, an ally of former PM Silvio Berlusconi.
Giancarlo Galan, who is currently protected by parliamentary immunity, launched the so-called Moses project – or The Experimental Electromechanical Module (MOSE) – in 2003 with Silvio Berlusconi.
Among those detained on Wednesday as part of the three year-long corruption inquiry are the regional head of the ruling Democratic Party, Giampiero Marquis, regional councillor for infrastructure Renato Chisso, and the president of a co-operative involved in the long-running project, reports say.
Some 100 other people are also said to be under investigation.
The operation comes after the arrest of Giovanni Mazacurati, the former head of the consortium building the barriers, over alleged contract rigging last year.
The massive Moses scheme has reportedly cost some 5.4 billion euros ($7.4 billion) and was due for completion this year but has been repeatedly hit by delays.
Some Venetians argue the project is a waste of money and there is no guarantee it will work.
In 1966, some 5,000 people were left homeless when flood levels in the city reached 6ft, causing immense damage.
A video showing the moment Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to US forces after five years in captivity in Afghanistan has been released by the Taliban.
The footage shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl sitting in a pick-up truck, before being walked to a helicopter in Khost province.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed on Saturday in exchange for the release of five Guantanamo Bay detainees.
The deal has caused controversy in the US, with Republicans warning it could put American lives at risk.
The Taliban video shows the moment Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to US forces
The US army has said it would review the circumstances surrounding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s capture in 2009.
General Martin Dempsey, also raised the possibility that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl could be prosecuted if he had abandoned his post before his seizure.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, from Hailey, Idaho, is in a stable condition in a military hospital in Germany.
The video, released on Wednesday, shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl dressed in traditional Afghan clothing as he sits waiting in the truck.
Several armed men with covered faces are seen standing next to the vehicle and on the hillside.
A Black Hawk helicopter then lands and the Taliban fighters – one of whom carries a stick with a white flag – lead Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to a meeting point where he is being taken away by US forces.
The exchange took place in Ali Sher district of Khost province near the Pakistan border.
The circumstances of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s capture remain unclear, with speculation he may have walked away from his base out of disillusionment with the US campaign.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s parents – who have relentlessly campaigned for his release – earlier confirmed they still had not spoken to their son.
A man has been arrested after V. Stiviano – the girlfriend of embattled LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling – was allegedly attacked by two men outside a Manhattan hotel Sunday.
Dominic Diorio, 40, of Old Bethpage, is charged with third-degree hate crime and aggravated harassment, according to the NYPD. He’s scheduled to be arraigned later Tuesday or early Wednesday.
It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney. Police haven’t indicated whether they’ve identified another suspect in the attack.
V. Stiviano claims she was attacked by two white men in New York City
V. Stiviano’s lawyer Mac Nehorary told NBC News Monday that she was leaving a restaurant near the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District when two men approached her and “punched her on the right side of her face several times.”
According to RadarOnline, V. Stiviano, who has described herself as black and Mexican, was attacked by two white men who hit her and yelled racial slurs at her.
Last month, V. Stiviano was also the target of an apparent burglary attempt.
V. Stiviano gained notoriety after a recorded conversation between her and Donald Sterling was posted online by TMZ Sports in which Sterling can be heard criticizing Stiviano about bringing black friends to Clippers games.
Rihanna’s Rogue perfume poster will be restricted to areas where children are unlikely to see it, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.
The image shows Rihanna sitting on the floor with her legs raised against a bottle of Rogue scent.
Rihanna presented Rogue, her fourth fragrance for women, in September 2013
Rihanna presented Rogue, her fourth fragrance for women, in September 2013.
The fragrance was announced as sensual oriental, containing accords of lemon blossom, cyclamen, jasmine, rose, plum and suede over a base of musk, woods, patchouli, vanilla and amber.
Mario Sorrenti photographed the advertising campaign.
Rogue fragrance is available as Eau de Parfum in three sizes (the largest one is 125 ml).
Dan and Jackie Anderson were posing for pictures with their groomsmen and bridesmaids on their wedding day when the jetty they were standing on collapsed.
While two lucky bridesmaids escaped, the rest of the party got soaked – an hour before the wedding.
Dan and Jackie Anderson were posing for pictures with their groomsmen and bridesmaids on their wedding day when the jetty they were standing on collapsed (photo Megan Fritze)
Videographer Megan Fritze caught it all on tape.
Dan is from Eagan, Minnesota, and Jackie is from Wadena, Minnesota. They met through mutual friends that happened to both be standing on the dock.
As guests arrived for the ceremony in Crosslake, Minnesota, Dan and Jackie Anderson were still drying off, but the wedding went ahead as planned.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has been declared the winner of last week’s presidential election in Egypt.
The former army chief said he wanted “freedom” and “social justice”, echoing the slogan of the 2011 revolution.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi spoke after election officials announced that he had received 96.9% of the vote and his sole challenger, left-winger Hamdeen Sabahi, only 3.1%.
The retired field marshal overthrew President Mohamed Morsi last July.
He has since been locked in a battle with Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which urged a boycott of what it called “the election of blood”.
Liberal and secular activists, including the April 6 youth movement which was prominent in the 2011 revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, also shunned the poll in protest at the curtailing of civil rights.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has been declared the winner of last week’s presidential election in Egypt (photo Reuters)
Some journalists and government officials burst into applause and started dancing after the final results of the election were announced at a news conference in Cairo on Tuesday.
Thousands of Abdul Fattah al-Sisi supporters also celebrated in the capital’s famous Tahrir Square, cheering, singing songs and setting off fireworks.
In a speech broadcast later on state television, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi thanked voters and said he hoped to “be up to your trust”.
He said it was now “time to work”, adding: “Our co-operation in work and construction will lead to prosperity and luxury.”
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, a close ally, declared in a letter published by the Saudi state news agency that it was a “historic day” after a “period of chaos”. He also said he would organize a donor conference to help Egypt “get out of the tunnel” and “overcome its economic crisis”.
The Saudis, along with the UAE and Kuwait, have already promised the military-backed interim government almost $12 billion in financial assistance since Mohamed Morsi was ousted.
The official turnout was 47.45%, far lower than Abdul Fattah al-Sisi had hoped for as an endorsement and only achieved after an additional third day of voting.
Before the election, he declared that he wanted 40 million, or 74%, to cast their ballots to show that there was “consensus on a national level”.
He now faces a wide array of challenges, including fixing the economy, easing poverty and preventing further political crises.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has also promised to restore security in a country where attacks by Islamist militants have left hundreds of security personnel dead over the past 11 months.
The American carmakers reported strong sales figures for May 2014.
Chrysler said sales were up 17%, driven by its Jeep brand which saw sales jump 58% after it introduced new models.
GM reported a 12.6% rise in sales compared with the same period last year.
Ford posted a better-than-expected 3% increase in sales, helped by increasing demand for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) as well as its Fusion sedan.
The carmaker saw its truck sales drop 4% as it cut back on incentives in preparation for the launch of its new F-150 pick-up truck, which is the best-selling vehicle in North America.
The American carmakers reported strong sales figures for May 2014
Ford also said it was shutting down some truck plants for a total of 13 weeks in an effort to plan for the launch and manage inventory of the new truck, which features a lighter body for better fuel mileage.
May is traditionally a strong month for car sales in the US.
This May in particular was helped by an extra weekend, which saw particularly strong sales.
GM shares rose more than 3% on the news, before falling later in the day.
The company appears not to be suffering from a mishandled recall, which resulted in a $35 million fine for the company last month.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Board (NHTSA) said it was the single highest civil penalty ever levied as a result of a recall investigation.
Foreign car makers also saw strong US sales, with Japanese car makers Toyota and Nissan reporting double-digit sales increases.
Of the major car manufacturers, only Volkswagen saw its sales fall.
Demand for Volkswagen vehicles slumped 15%, partially as a result of a pause before the launch of a new Golf compact car.
David Siegel’s Westgate Resorts announced last month that it has added 1,500 new positions in 2014.
According to a news release, 775 new positions were added in Central Florida.
David Siegel’s Westgate Resorts announced last month that it has added 1,500 new positions in 2014
A spokesman for the timeshare resort company, Frank Blanco, said the hiring represents actual growth in the full-time and part-time workforce and not just seasonal hiring. Frank Blanco said almost half the new positions, 673, are in sales and are based on commission.
“Our total employment currently stands at 8,236. Last year at this time, it was less than 7,000,” he said.
Among the new positions are 150 employees Westgate Resorts took on when it purchased the Cocoa Beach Pier recently, according to the news release.
David Siegel said in the release that Westgate Resorts was in the “best financial position it has ever been in its 44-year existence”.
Wolfgang Bosbach, a political ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, phoned her during a celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, hoping she could answer a question – but in vain.
Twice Wolfgang Bosbach called during RTL’s show, but all he got was the chancellor’s voicemail.
Thwarted by Angela Merkel’s silence he bowed out, winning 125,000 euros. The question was about an East German washing machine.
Wolfgang Bosbach phoned Angela Merkel during a celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
Angela Merkel grew up in the former communist East Germany.
Wolfgang Bosbach, a member of Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), was asked why the East German WM66 washing machine was legendary.
The correct answer was that many owners also used it to stew fruit.
When asked if he wanted to phone a friend, Wolfgang Bosbach suggested the chancellor, explaining that “she’s always happy to see me and hear my voice”.
A correct answer from Angela Merkel would have won him 500,000 euros to spend on good causes.
At the end of the show he received a text back from Angela Merkel saying: “Ok whatever it was, warm greetings from am.”
Wolfgang Bosbach is currently deputy chairman of Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU parliamentary group. He is a specialist in German domestic policy and legal affairs. He joined the CDU in 1972.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that 282 people have been killed by the MERS virus, almost 100 more than initially thought.
The increase came after a national review of hospital data from the time the virus emerged in 2012.
The deputy health minister, who has been criticized for his handling of the crisis, was sacked on Monday.
Cases of the virus, for which there is no known cure, have been confirmed in almost a dozen other countries.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that 282 people have been killed by the MERS virus, almost 100 more than initially thought
Saudi authorities said there had now been 688 confirmed MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) infections in the kingdom. Before the revision the number of cases was believed to be 575.
Health ministry spokesman Tariq Madani said that despite the revised figures, fewer people were now contracting the disease.
“Though the review showed confirmed cases that needed to be added, we are still witnessing a decline in the number of newly registered cases in the past few weeks” he said.
Of those infected, the country’s health ministry said, 53 were still receiving treatment.
Saudi Arabia has registered the largest number of infections of MERS.
MERS virus is from the same family as the common cold, but can lead to kidney failure and pneumonia.
Cases have also been confirmed in Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, the UK and, most recently, the US.
Camels are suspected to be the main source of infection for humans. Saudi authorities have urged citizens to wear protective masks when dealing with the animals.
In April Saudi’s King Abdullah sacked the health minister as the death toll climbed.
Six people, including two teens, were shot and another person was injured at a laundromat on Chicago’s South Side on Monday evening.
The shooting took place around 8:05 p.m. local time, said Chicago Police Department spokesman Ron Gaines.
Six people, including two teens, were shot and another person was injured at a laundromat on Chicago’s South Side
There were no arrests and police were still working to determine the cause of the shooting, Ron Gaines said. A fire department official had earlier said seven people were shot.
Three of the injured were transported to area hospitals in serious to critical condition, including a 14-year old victim, said Larry Langford, a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, Ron Gaines said.
Victims were aged 14 to 52 and two were women, Ron Gaines said. Another victim was 16-years-old, according to the police spokesman.
Rescue workers found many of the victims still lying on the floor of the coin-machine laundromat, its windows shattered in the attack, Larry Langford said.
