Tag Archives: first

Berlusconi Comes Under Attack — from His Wife

Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are adding new luster to the role of the 21st century First Lady — with their style and smarts, they complement and sometimes even outshine their high-profile husbands. Other recent First Ladies, such as Hillary Clinton and Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner, have used their experiences in the halls of power to launch themselves into political offices of their own. But Veronica Lario, wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has a different approach to this historically supporting part

Share

Japan’s jobless rate rises as output grows

Unemployment in Japan rose to 4.8 percent in March, its highest level in four years and a nearly half-point rise from February, the government reported Friday. Household spending in the world’s second largest economy fell 0.4 percent in March, as the government predicted unemployment could rise to 5.2 percent in the next fiscal year.

Share

Azerbaijan gunman kills 12 at university

A gunman killed 12 people Thursday at a university in Baku, the capital of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, before killing himself, the country’s interior ministry said. The WHO is troubled because in one of the 10 cases in Spain the virus was transmitted from person-to-person within the community. The other nine infected people had returned from Mexico, where the crisis is most severe, according to WHO spokesman Dick Thompson

Share

Vela given all-clear after swine flu scare

Arsenal’s Mexican striker Carlos Vela has been given the all-clear to join up with their squad for the Champions League semifinal against Manchester United after a swine flu scare. Vela had been visited by some Mexican friends last week and was told to stay away from training while he underwent urgent medical checks. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Press Association: “It looked to be a massive problem because we were asked to keep him at home and not get him to the training ground

Share

Will Chinese consumers rescue world economy?

When CEOs and professional investors in developed economies go to bed these days, some may pray for protection from markets in turmoil, share prices in the cellar and angry financial gods bringing fire and brimstone with every check of their Bloomberg terminal or the front pages of The Wall Street Journal. “Spend, China,” they whisper.

Share

Can Alabama Spark a Democratic Revival in the South?

Late on a recent Monday afternoon, Artur Davis, the Alabama congressman, stood before a racially diverse crowd of casually dressed men and women in the vast main hall of Rainbow City’s community center. The talk centered on how to bring jobs to Alabama’s economically depressed northeastern corner, bolstering parental responsibility, making college more affordable, and, simply, hope

Share

Why Michelle Obama inspires women around the globe

Heather Ferreira works in the slums of Mumbai, India, where she has watched thousands of women live under a "curse." (CNN) — Heather Ferreira works in the slums of Mumbai, India, where she has watched thousands of women live under a “curse.” The women she meets in the squalid streets where “Slumdog Millionaire” was filmed are often treated with contempt, she says.

Share

BP profits slump by 62 percent

British oil giant BP announced Tuesday that its profits for the first quarter of 2009 have fallen by 62 percent. In a statement on its Web site, BP said its replacement cost profit — an oil industry measure of profitability — was $2.4 billion, compared with $6.2 billion a year ago. The decline was blamed on falling oil prices, which have dropped to around $41 a barrel from July’s record high of $147 a barrel.

Share