Moody's Investor Service is cutting its credit ratings on 28 Spanish banks, saying the weakening financial condition of Spain's government is making it more difficult for that country to support its lenders.Moody's also said the banks are vulnerable to losses from Spain's busted real estate bubble.The announcement from Moody's came on the same day that Spain's government formally asked for help fr

The giant tortoise Lonesome George, whose failed efforts to produce offspring made him a symbol of disappearing species, was found dead on Sunday, officials at the Galapagos National Park announced.Lonesome George was believed to be the last living member of the Pinta island subspecies and had become an ambassador of sorts for the islands off Ecuador's coast whose unique flora and fauna helped ins

Islamist Mohammed Morsi was declared the winner Sunday in Egypt's first free presidential election in history, closing the tumultuous first phase of a democratic transition and opening a new struggle with the still-dominant military rulers who recently stripped the presidency of most of its powers.In Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the uprising that ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak, joyo

Italy won the semifinal place its dominating play deserved, though it took a penalty shootout to overcome England's resistance Sunday at the European Championship.Alessandro Diamanti scored the decisive penalty to give Italy a 4-2 shootout victory after a 0-0 draw, setting up a semifinal match against three-time champion Germany on Thursday in Warsaw, Poland.Mario Balotelli, Andrea Pirlo _ with an

An administrative court on Friday ruled in favor of five large retailers over new ordinances by two ward offices in Seoul that prohibit them from doing business on Sunday to protect small, family-run stores.The ruling by the Seoul Administrative Court marked the first of its kind putting a brake on a government-wide move to restrict operating hours of big retailers, also known as "super supermarke

Officials at the Houston Zoo said the "Apps for Apes" program, which provides apes with iPad apps designed for children, helps mentally stimulate the primates.Zookeepers said the facility is the first in Texas to participate in the "Apps for Apes" program, which was developed by New York primate advocacy group Orangutan Outreach and pioneered at zoos in Wisconsin and Toronto. The program helps to

A Utah police officer who was fired after attending a high school party in a skimpy Speedo bathing suit will be reinstated, officials ruled.The Provo Civil Service Commission said Wednesday it has decided to reverse the May 10 firing of Provo police school resource officer Cody Harris, who was let go after showing up to a "Princess and the Frog" themed birthday party at Provo High School in a gree

일본에서 아이코닉(ICONIQ)이란 이름으로 활 동 중인 슈가 출신의 가수 아유미(27)가 톱가수 각트(GACKT•38)와 연애 중이라고 산케이스포츠 등 주요 신문들이 22일 전했다.신문들은 22일 발매되는 주간 잡지 ‘프라이데이’에 고급 레스토랑에서 식사 등 데이트를 즐기는 두 사람의 사진이 게재됐다며 이들은 지난해 야외 음악페스티벌 에 이-네이션(a-nation)에 함께 출연한 걸 계기로 가까워졌다고 덧붙였다.두 사람의 소속사인 에이벡스(avex)측은 “사생활은 자신에게 맡긴다”며 연애설을 부정하지 않았다고 한다.한편, 국내 활동을 접고 2009년 12월 일본에서 솔로 가수 아이코닉으로 데뷔한 재일교포 가수 아유미는 재일교포 3세 축구스타 이충성(일본명 리 타다나리)과 교제했으나 지난해 6월 자신의 트위터를 통해 결별을 고백한 바 있다. Ayumi linked to Japanese rock starSouth Korean singer Ayumi is rumored to be in

Moody's Investors Service lowered the credit ratings of 15 major banks Thursday, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking.The ratings agency said it was especially concerned about banks with significant financial markets businesses because those markets have become so volatile. Some of the largest Europ

A boat carrying about 200 people capsized south of Indonesia and scores were feared drowned Thursday in an apparent attempt to reach Australia to seek asylum. Indonesian and Australian navies launched efforts to rescue survivors.Australian Broadcasting Corp. cited the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as reporting that an Australian navy ship and a cargo ship had rescued 73 survivors. The autho

South Korea, the United States and Japan started two-day trilateral naval drills on Thursday in waters south of the Korean Peninsula as North Korea bristled at the exercise as a "reckless provocation." The maneuvers off the southern island of Jeju are aimed at improving interoperability and communications between the navies of the three nations to facilitate cooperative disaster relief and maritim

A former gangster has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife, brother and brother-in-law in order to receive insurance money after disguising their deaths as accidents, police said Thursday.The 46-year-old man surnamed Park is also accused of trying to kill his lover's husband, who was left with a disability after two years in the hospital, according to police at the Seoul Metropolitan Pol