US entertainment giant Disney is to cut 650 jobs worldwide as part of plans to produce fewer adult-oriented films and concentrate on family blockbusters. The firm is to reduce its film output from about 18 to 12 movies a year, with only two or three from adult-oriented subsidiary Touchstone Pictures. Touchstone releases do not match Disney films' profits or provide the same marketing tie-ins, the company said. The Pirates of the Caribbean sequel has been a huge success for Disney. A hit like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest can spawn other products including video games and action figures. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk censor News |
Editor - 08:58:00 07-19-06 |
South Carolina woman charged with killing baby 18 years ago |
Eighteen years after her 8-month-old baby died, a mother walked into a police station and told officers she killed her son while staying at a home for unwed mothers, police said.Elaine Teresa Patterson, 43, was charged with murder Tuesday."She just decided she had enough," said Greenville Police spokesman Lt. Mike Gambrell.The baby, Bill Rhinehart III, was born premature and spent five months in hospitals before coming home. Patterson was not married and left with her son after her mother told her she should go to a home for unwed mothers in Greenville, Gambrell said.Not long after she arrived, Patterson told police she held her son against her breast until he stopped breathing, Gambrell said.Patterson then called 911 and told paramedics she woke up and found her son unconscious, police said. He died in the hospital three days later on May 26, 1988.... http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-19-babydeath-18yearslater_x.htm?csp=34
full News |
Editor - 08:50:00 07-19-06 |
Coalition 'retakes Taleban towns' |
US-led and Afghan forces say they have retaken two Taleban-held towns in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Taleban fighters had seized the areas of Garmser and Naway-i-Barakazayi earlier in the week. Two Afghan soldiers were slightly hurt in the operation, the US-led coalition said. There have also been reports that many locals have fled the area. Some 10,000 US-led troops are fighting the Taleban and their allies. Hundreds of people have been killed this year. General Rahmatullah Roufi, an Afghan army commander, told the Associated Press that hundreds of troops had battled Taleban fighters before entering Garmser on Tuesday. "Our troops launched an attack on Garmser and thank God we captured it," he said. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5189316.stm
full News |
Editor - 08:48:00 07-19-06 |
Oil-fueled inflation is a key Bernanke worry |
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday that record high oil prices are a concern, but that a slowing economy should moderate inflation down the road.Still, he didn't close the door to further interest rate increases.Delivering his second economic report to Capitol Hill, Bernanke also stressed that these are difficult and uncertain times for Fed policymakers, saying the climate of slowing growth and rising inflation puts the Fed in a tricky spot in terms of setting interest rates. "The recent rise in inflation is of concern" to Fed policymakers, Bernanke said in prepared remarks to the Senate Banking Committee. He said that possible increases in the prices of oil as well as other raw materials "remain a risk to the inflation outlook."... http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/fed/2006-07-19-bernanke_x.htm?csp=34
full News |
Editor - 08:35:00 07-19-06 |
Cruise Ship Evacuating More Than 1,000 Americans From War-Ravaged Lebanon Sails for Cyprus |
An eight-deck cruise liner carrying more than 1,000 Americans sailed out of Beirut's port Wednesday, the first mass U.S. evacuation from Lebanon since Israeli airstrikes started more than a week ago. Dozens of Americans waved from the top decks of the Orient Queen as the luxury ship blew its horn. U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman waved back from the dock below. "We expect this to go on for the next week until every American who has asked us for help to leave, gets to leave," Feltman said. Many of those aboard were relieved to depart, after complaints of slow action by the United States compared to European countries that sent cruise ships, ferries and warships over the past three days to move out thousands. ... http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2210841
full News |
Editor - 08:33:00 07-19-06 |
Israeli air raids kill 57 |
Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed 56 civilians and a Hizbollah fighter on Wednesday, the deadliest toll of the eight-day-old war, as thousands of villagers fled north and more foreigners were evacuated. Israeli troops crossed the border to raid Hizbollah posts and Hizbollah television said three Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in clashes with the Shi'ite Muslim guerrillas.Israeli medics said earlier two Israeli soldiers had been wounded in the fighting. The army had no immediate comment. Security sources in Lebanon said the clashes occurred during one of three cross-border incursions by Israeli forces.More Hizbollah rockets fell on the Israeli city of Haifa and one hit an empty seafront restaurant. A few people were hurt.Hizbollah said it had also rocketed an Israeli air force base at Ramat David, about 35 km (22 miles) inside Israel, and the town of Nahariya. The Israeli army said no base was hit.... http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060719/ts_nm/mideast_dc
full News |
Editor - 08:31:00 07-19-06 |
|
post The Good, The Bad and The Ugly |
|