Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the ratings of nine Danish financial institutions, including the country’s biggest bank, Danske Bank, saying loan books have deteriorated and debt refinancing has become harder. Danish banks suffer from “a weak operating environment, pressurized asset quality and poor profitability,” the rating company said late Wednesday in a statement published out of London.  Danske Bank’s deposit rating was cut two steps to “Baa1” from “A2,” after Standard & Poor’s earlie

BRUSSELS (AP) ― Economic confidence across Europe fell sharply in May, the European Union’s executive branch said Wednesday, in a further sign that the recent escalation in the region’s debt crisis is being felt across the continent. The European Commission said its economic sentiment indicator for the 17 countries that use the euro fell by 2.3 points in May to 90.6 ― its lowest level in around two and a half years. That’s a bigger fall than expected and may be a sign that rising concerns over G

TEL AVIV (AFP) ― The window for dialogue over Iran’s nuclear program is closing, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said on Wednesday, insisting that Washington is under no illusions about Tehran’s agenda in the talks.Speaking at Tel Aviv University a week after world powers held a second round of largely fruitless talks with Iran, Ambassador Dan Shapiro insisted Washington would not continue such dialogue forever.“We don’t intend on continuing talks for talks’ sake. The window is closing,” he told p

LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands (AFP) ― A U.N.-backed court jailed Liberia’s Charles Taylor for 50 years Wednesday for fuelling Sierra Leone’s savage war, known for its mutilations, drugged child soldiers and sex slaves.The former Liberian president, 64, was convicted last month of all 11 counts he faced of war crimes and crimes against humanity for aiding and abetting Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front during the country’s 1991-2001 civil war.In return, he was paid in “blood diamonds” mined by

GENEVA (AP) ― World powers share a belief that Syria could descend into civil war and plan to map out possible ways to avoid such a disaster for the region, a deputy to international envoy Kofi Annan said Wednesday.Jean-Marie Guehenno told reporters after privately briefing the U.N. Security Council, the world body’s most powerful unit, that diplomats are deeply troubled by Syria’s cycle of violence.“I believe that in the council there’s an understanding that any sliding toward full-scale civil

BEIJING (AFP) ― Hundreds of people have been detained in Lhasa after two men set themselves on fire in the Tibetan regional capital on Sunday in protest against Chinese rule, a U.S.-based broadcaster reported.Radio Free Asia said Chinese security forces had rounded up hundreds of residents and pilgrims in the wake of the immolations, the first significant protest in the heavily guarded city since deadly anti-government riots in 2008.It quoted a local source as saying about 600 Tibetans had been

DUBLIN (AFP) ― Ireland is to vote in a referendum Thursday on a key EU pact designed to shore up the troubled eurozone, amid signs that a clear majority will vote to approve it.In the only referendum expected on the fiscal pact, which all 27 EU members have signed except Britain and the Czech Republic, polling stations were due to open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 10:00 p.m.The vote on the German-backed pact, which would penalize countries that sign up if they fail to keep their debts in check, wil

A video clip of a hamster appearing to play dead with its owner has hit nearly ten million views.In the footage, the small rodent falls backwards as a human hand pretends to shoot.Some have shown delight over the video footage, saying that it was “awesome.”Others, on the other hand, were not so impressed. Some viewers responded angrily to the internet posting, saying that the mouse was actually petrified.“It’s actually a shock reaction when scared, which paralyzes it temporarily,” one user said.