Europe's banks on the brink - LONDON, May 17 (IFR) - The euro zone crisis was in full swing when Jean-Claude Trichet took the podium in Berlin last October 6 for his final press conference as president of the European Central Bank. Having helped create one of the longest periods of price stability in the history of central banking, Trichet was closing out his eight-year reign under siege. Soaring oil prices had made a ...

NASCAR's pit crews get their chance to shine - DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) Carl Edwards loves plenty of things about NASCAR's All-Star week. One of his favorites, though, is seeing his crew members in the spotlight instead of himself.

State rescue may be beginning of end for Spain's Bankia - MADRID (Reuters) - Bankia SA's black hole may be so big that Madrid's only option for the Spanish bank will be to wind it down. Spain's government plans to clean up, downsize and sell Bankia within three years, but the strategy could be short-lived as the bank's capital gap may be larger than the 15 billion euros ($19.1 billion) so far identified, government and financial sources say. "The bank ...

Myanmar hopes for U.S. sanctions move to boost economy - NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - A further lifting of U.S. sanctions on Myanmar, which could come during a visit by officials to Washington this week, would be crucial to opening its long-isolated economy, a senior Myanmar government official said. Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin meets U.S. officials on Thursday, stoking expectation the United States might announce a further lifting or ...

Euro, U.S. stocks fall on ECB, Fed minutes - NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks and the euro slid on Wednesday on news that some Greek banks face emergency funding needs, while minutes from the Federal Reserve's April meeting showed U.S. economic prospects remain sobering. The European Central Bank stopped funding operations for some Greek banks as they are undercapitalized, the ECB said, confirming a Reuters report that had fanned concerns ...

HTC One S now available in Canada - HTC's Thinnest Smartphone Delivers an Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound and Iconic DesignTORONTO, May 17, 2012 /CNW/ - HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today announced the highly anticipated ...

Ireland's Taylor books London boxing berth - QINHUANGDAO, China (Reuters) - Ireland's boxing queen Katie Taylor booked her place at the London Olympics without throwing a punch at the women's world championships on Wednesday. The three-times world and five-times European lightweight champion went through to the last four when her Romanian opponent Mihaela Lacatus withdrew with a neck injury. Due to regional quotas limiting Europeans to ...

U.S. launches ambitious Alzheimer's plan with research push - CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. government launched a national plan to address Alzheimer's disease on Tuesday with funding for a first prevention study in high-risk patients and tests on an insulin nasal spray that has shown promise in earlier studies. The trials, funded by grants of $16 million and $7.9 million respectively, are initial steps in the National Alzheimer's Plan, a sweeping effort to ...

Facebook’s biggest problem is that it’s a media company - Facebook's advertising woes, including the highly publicized departure of General Motors, reinforce the fact that while Facebook may function like a social network, on the business side it looks almost ...

U.S. housing, industrial data point to steady growth - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Groundbreaking for U.S. homes rebounded in April and factory activity gained momentum, suggesting a moderate pickup in economic growth early in the second quarter. The reports on Wednesday were the latest in a series to dampen fears that the recovery in the world's largest economy was stagnating after tepid job growth last month. The Commerce Department said housing starts ...