GlaxoSmithKline Plc. has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges and has to pay $3 billion to settle the largest case of healthcare fraud in U.S. history. The Justice Department says GSK pleaded guilty to promoting two popular drugs for unapproved uses and to failing to report important safety data about a diabetes drug to the… Continue reading GlaxoSmithKline fined $3BN in US biggest ever healthcare fraud case
Category: Front Page
Front Page news
Enrique Pena Nieto wins Mexican presidential poll
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Mexico’s old ruling party, is set to return to power as early official results indicate its candidate Enrique Pena Nieto has won the presidential election. Enrique Pena Nieto, 45, is on some 38%, several points ahead of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has not conceded. Thousands of police were on duty… Continue reading Enrique Pena Nieto wins Mexican presidential poll
Higgs boson finding to be announced by CERN scientists
Scientists at CERN in Switzerland will announce that the elusive Higgs boson “God Particle” has been found at a press conference next week, according to new reports. Five leading theoretical physicists have been invited to the event on Wednesday – sparking speculation that the particle has been discovered. Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider are… Continue reading Higgs boson finding to be announced by CERN scientists
Marcus Agius, Barclays Bank chairman, resigns after scandal
Marcus Agius, Barclays Bank chairman, has confirmed his resignation, as the bank promises a “root and branch review” following the inter-bank lending rate-fixing scandal. In his statement, Marcus Agius said: “The buck stops with me.” Last week Barclays was fined £290 million ($450 million) for attempting to manipulate the Libor inter-bank lending rate. Barclays’ chief… Continue reading Marcus Agius, Barclays Bank chairman, resigns after scandal
Euro 2012: Spain wins final after beating Italy with 4-0
Spain wins Euro 2012 final after beating Italy with 4-0 and claiming a successive European crown to add to their 2010 World Cup triumph. Vicente del Bosque’s side staged a compelling claim to be the greatest international side of all time as the Euro 2012 final was transformed into an exhibition with Italy – who… Continue reading Euro 2012: Spain wins final after beating Italy with 4-0
Mexico: polls open for presidential election
Mexico has opened the polls in a presidential election dominated by the economy and war on drugs. Ex-governor Enrique Pena Nieto – seen as the frontrunner – is attempting to win the presidency back for the PRI party that ruled for decades. His main opponents are left-wing politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and Josefina Vazquez… Continue reading Mexico: polls open for presidential election
Turkey scrambles fighter jets to Syria border
Turkish army has scrambled six F-16 fighter jets near its border with Syria after Syrian helicopters came close to the border. Six jets were sent to the area in response to three such incidents on Saturday, the statement said, adding that there was no violation of Turkish airspace. Last month, Syrian forces shot down a… Continue reading Turkey scrambles fighter jets to Syria border
Bob Diamond, Barclays Bank boss, says he will not resign
Bob Diamond, the boss of Barclays Bank, has insisted he will not resign after staff rigged the key lending rate between banks. Bob Diamond was speaking at a meeting of analysts at US bank, Morgan Stanley. And in a letter agreeing to give evidence to MPs, Bob Diamond condemned the inappropriate behavior of a “small… Continue reading Bob Diamond, Barclays Bank boss, says he will not resign
EU Brussels Summit: eurozone agrees on bank recapitalization
EU leaders at Brussels summit have agreed to use the eurozone’s bailout fund to support struggling banks directly, without adding to government debt. Speaking after 13 hours of talks in Brussels’, EU chief Herman van Rompuy also said a eurozone-wide supervisory body for banks would be created. Officials said the plans could be finalized during… Continue reading EU Brussels Summit: eurozone agrees on bank recapitalization
Shenzhou 9 capsule returns to Earth
Shenzhou 9 spacecraft carrying three Chinese crew members has returned to Earth following a 13-day mission. Images of the capsule landing in Inner Mongolia at 10:05 local time (02:05 GMT) were shown live on television. The astronauts carried out a successful manual docking with the Tiangong-1 laboratory module and performed a series of experiments while… Continue reading Shenzhou 9 capsule returns to Earth
ObamaCare healthcare reform law is constitutional, rules US Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare reform (ObamaCare) act is constitutional. The court upheld a core requirement known as the “individual mandate” that Americans buy insurance or pay a fine. Of the nine justices on the bench, Chief Justice John Roberts’ vote was decisive in the Supreme Court’s 5-4… Continue reading ObamaCare healthcare reform law is constitutional, rules US Supreme Court
EU seeks new strategy for euro at Brussels summit
EU leaders at Brussels summit are examining how to ease the eurozone debt crisis amid competing visions about how to revive the worst-hit economies. As the Brussels summit opened, French President Francois Hollande made a new plea for EU solidarity and Spain warned that its borrowing costs were too high. German Chancellor Angela Merkel scorned… Continue reading EU seeks new strategy for euro at Brussels summit
ObamaCare reform bill faces Supreme Court judgement
Barack Obama’s wide-ranging healthcare reform bill, which is seen as a key achievement of his presidency, is facing its moment of judgement in the US Supreme Court. The law, dubbed ObamaCare, passed in 2010, requires all Americans to obtain health insurance or face a penalty fine. But conservative opponents of the president say that “mandate”… Continue reading ObamaCare reform bill faces Supreme Court judgement
Turkey sends rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along its border with Syria
Turkey begins rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns deployment along its border with Syria after last week’s downing of a fighter jet. Columns of military vehicles have been seen moving from military bases to the border, close to where the jet crashed. The F-4 Phantom went down in the sea after entering Syrian airspace and being… Continue reading Turkey sends rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along its border with Syria
Barclays Bank accused of systematic dishonesty by former chief executive Martin Taylor
Martin Taylor, the former chief executive of Barclays, says the bank has engaged in “systematic dishonesty”. It comes after Barclays was fined $450 million for trying to manipulate interest rates at which banks lend to each other. Martin Taylor, who was chief executive of the bank from 1994 to 1998, said that Barclays’ deception looks… Continue reading Barclays Bank accused of systematic dishonesty by former chief executive Martin Taylor
Dinosaurs cold blood theory knocked down
One of the strongest lines of evidence that dinosaurs were cold-blooded, like modern reptiles, has been knocked down. Prior studies of dinosaur bones uncovered what are known as “lines of arrested growth”. The creatures were presumed to be cold-blooded because modern cold-blooded animals show these same lines. But scientists reporting in Nature have studied the… Continue reading Dinosaurs cold blood theory knocked down
TEDGlobal 2012: future city ideas awarded at Edinburgh conference
TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh has honored developers with innovative ideas about how the cities of the future should look. This year’s TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) prize, normally given to an individual, was awarded to an idea dubbed “City 2.0”. Ten projects that are improving city life were selected to benefit from the $100,000 prize fund.… Continue reading TEDGlobal 2012: future city ideas awarded at Edinburgh conference
Australopithecus sediba, an early human ancestor, chewed on bark and leaves
Australopithecus sediba, an early relative of humans, chewed on bark and leaves, according to fossil evidence. Analysis of food trapped in the teeth of the two-million-year-old “southern ape” suggests it existed on a unique diet of forest fruits and other woodland plants. The study, in Nature, gives an insight into the evolution of what could… Continue reading Australopithecus sediba, an early human ancestor, chewed on bark and leaves
Queen Elizabeth II and Martin McGuiness in historic handshake in Northern Ireland
The last day of Queen Elizabeth’s two-day visit to Northern Ireland was marked by an historic handshake and a huge party. Her Majesty and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness shook hands for the first time. The meeting between the Queen and Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister took place at a charity event in Belfast on Wednesday… Continue reading Queen Elizabeth II and Martin McGuiness in historic handshake in Northern Ireland
Colorado Springs wildfire: more than 32,000 evacuated as Waldo Canyon under threat
More than 32,000 people in Colorado Springs, US, were forced to flee their homes as a raging wildfire threatening the city doubled in size overnight. Traffic and smoke choked the streets as people hurried to evacuate the city and the nearby US Air Force Academy. Over 800 firefighters are battling fire over 15,324 acres (6,201… Continue reading Colorado Springs wildfire: more than 32,000 evacuated as Waldo Canyon under threat
World’s biggest McDonald’s restaurant built next to the Olympic stadium in London
The biggest McDonald’s restaurant on the planet has been built in London, right in the middle of the Olympic park. The vast two-storey restaurant will serve up to 1,200 customers an hour and sell $5 million of fast food during Olympic Games. At 3,000 sq ft the building, next to the Olympic Stadium, is bigger… Continue reading World’s biggest McDonald’s restaurant built next to the Olympic stadium in London
Baby box becomes a phenomenon in Europe
Baby boxes, where parents can leave an unwanted baby, common in medieval Europe, have been making a comeback over the last 10 years. Supporters say a heated box, monitored by nurses, is better for babies than abandonment on the street – but the UN says it violates the rights of the child. It is an… Continue reading Baby box becomes a phenomenon in Europe
Turkey warns UN over Syrian threat
NATO members will meet in emergency session after Syria shot down Turkish F-4 Phantom warplane. The act is condemned by Turkey as a “serious threat” to regional peace. In a letter to the UN Security Council, Turkey described the incident as a “hostile act by the Syrian authorities against Turkey’s national security”. Turkey’s deputy prime… Continue reading Turkey warns UN over Syrian threat
Cyprus to apply for financial assistance from eurozone
Cyprus has told the European authorities that it intends to apply for financial assistance. Cyprus is the fifth eurozone member to do so. It said it needs help to shore up its banks, which are heavily exposed to the Greek economy. The announcement came on another day of nervousness about the single currency. Shares in… Continue reading Cyprus to apply for financial assistance from eurozone
Arizona immigration clause upheld by US Supreme Court
Part of a tough Arizona immigration law giving police powers to check the immigration status of people stopped and arrested has been upheld by the US Supreme Court. However, three of four challenges brought by the Obama administration were upheld by the court. Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer said the “heart” of the law had been… Continue reading Arizona immigration clause upheld by US Supreme Court