Italy PM Monti says he will resign when budget passed

ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti announced on Saturday that he would resign once the 2013 budget is approved, potentially bringing forward an election due early next year and fuelling speculation that he might run.The surprise announcement came two days after Silvio Berlusconi‘s party withdrew parliamentary support for the technocrat government and hours after Berlusconi said he...

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Election underscores Ghana’s democratic reputation

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Voters in Ghana selected their next president Friday in a ballot expected to mark the sixth transparent election in this West African nation, known as a beacon of democracy in a tumultuous region.Proud of their democratic heritage, residents of this balmy, seaside capital trudged to the polls more than four hours before the sun was even up, standing inches apart in queues that...

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Big-data analytics company Cloudera raises $65 million

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Cloudera, a distributor of software that helps companies analyze big data, said it has raised $ 65 million in new funding.The company is part of a growing group of businesses that help dig into the vast trove of data created by digital sources such as sensors, posts to the Internet, pictures and videos.The field caught investor attention when Splunk, another data analytics...

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“Gangnam Style” singer Psy apologizes for past anti-U.S. songs

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The South Korean pop singer behind the viral smash hit “Gangnam Style” apologized on Friday for past concerts featuring anti-American lyrics, ahead of a holiday performance to be attended by U.S. President Barack Obama and his family.Psy issued the apology after reports surfaced in the United States on Friday about his participation in two performances critical of the U.S....

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Roche breast cancer drug extends overall survival

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss pharma group Roche‘s drug Perjeta significantly extended the lives of women with an aggressive and incurable form of breast cancer compared to a placebo, according to new data from a late-stage study presented on Saturday.The detailed data presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium found that the risk of death was reduced by 34 percent in women treated with a combination...

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S.Africa’s rand firms with emerging market currencies

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa‘s rand firmed slightly against the dollar on Friday as positive U.S. jobs numbers boosted the currencies of several emerging market countries on the hopes they would benefit from a more buoyant American economy.The rand was 0.29 percent firmer at 8.6577 against the dollar at 1619 GMT from New York’s Thursday close of 8.6850.“The good jobs numbers fundamentally...

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Ghana election, test of democratic reputation

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Voters in Ghana were selecting their next president and a 275-seat parliament in elections Friday, solidifying the West African nation‘s reputation as a beacon of democracy in the region.Some 14 million people are expected to turn out. President John Dramani Mahama, in office for only five months, is running against seven contenders. A former vice president, Mahama became president...

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AP Interview: Jackson, cast discuss ‘The Hobbit’

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Many fans are eagerly anticipating a return to the fictional world of Middle-earth with next week’s general release of the first movie in “The Hobbit” trilogy. Director Peter Jackson and the film’s stars speak to The Associated Press about making “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey“:— Jackson on shooting at 48 frames per second instead of the standard 24: “We’ve seen...

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Strong quake hits off Japan near Fukushima disaster zone

TOKYO (Reuters) – A strong quake centered off northeastern Japan shook buildings as far away as Tokyo on Friday and triggered a one-meter tsunami in an area devastated by last year’s Fukushima disaster, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or serious damage.The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, the U.S. Geological Survey said, adding that there was no risk of a widespread tsunami.The...

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Euro falls on grim economic outlook, U.S. data eyed

LONDON (Reuters) – The bleak outlook for the European economy knocked the euro and stalled gains the region’s share markets on Friday, as investors waited to see if nonfarm payrolls data in the United States might affect its monetary policy plans.A day after the European Central Bank cut its forecasts for growth across the 17-nation euro area next year, Germany’s Bundesbank said there was a chance...

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