More details about MPs' expenses from from April 2008 to June 2009 have been published by the House of Commons.The information focuses on claims for second homes in London and includes the details of a number of MPs from Northern Ireland.Most of the claims by NI MPs are for expenses like utility bills, mortgage payments, and TV licences and are unlikely to prove controversial.It is the second tim
OSLO – A humble US President Barack Obama said on Thursday that others may be more deserving of the surprise Nobel Peace Prize he was due to formally accept later in the day. I have no doubt there are others who may be more deserving, Obama said at a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, adding that he had been surprised to be named as the prize winner i
NEW YORK – A U.S.citizen who served as Bosnian ambassador to the United Nations cannot be extradited even though he is accused of embezzling more than $610,000 from the government of the war-torn Balkan nation, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.The ruling by the 2nd U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals is a loss for U.S.prosecutors and overturns a decision ordering that Muhamed Sacirbey, 53,
WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Canada has not shipped any of its new flax crop to its top market, the European Union, because of concerns about genetically modified (GMO) material, the Flax Council of Canada said on Wednesday.And the window of opportunity is closing as the crop's most important port nears closure for the winter.The European Union, which traditionally buys 70 percent of Canada's flax
WASHINGTON – Call it the $4 billion boycott.By boycotting a key House committee vote last week and threatening to abandon support for banking regulations, members of the Congressional Black Caucus got $4 billion added to legislation to overhaul government oversight of Wall Street.House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., this week inserted $3 billion to the legislat
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have issued a joint call for urgent global reform of financial markets.Writing in the Wall Street Journal, they say a one-off tax on bank bonuses should be considered a priority .The two leaders say it is simply not acceptable for taxpayers to cover the cost of bank failures but not benefit from their successes.The articl
NEW HAVEN, Conn.– A group of white firefighters who persuaded the U.S.Supreme Court to sanction their promotions over black colleagues are receiving their new badges Thursday in a ceremony that provides symbolic recognition of their victory.The high court ruled in June that New Haven officials violated white firefighters' civil rights when they threw out 2003 test results in which too few m