McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) is running out of quick-fix strategies for stemming declines in U.S. restaurant sales inflicted by tougher competition for customers who are pinching pennies in a weak economic recovery. The world's largest restaurant chain by revenue welcomed customers on Christmas Day and shifted the limited offering of its cult favorite McRib sandwich into
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Flight Safety Foundation warns against use of illegal airport in occupied Cyprus The illegal airport in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus is not an internationally recognized airport and therefore it is unknown whether it fulfills the necessary provisions of international regulations and safety standards. This is underlined in a press release issued by the
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Germany wants Britain to remain a full member of the European Union but London cannot expect just to pick and choose the aspects of membership that it likes, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Wednesday. Westerwelle was speaking shortly after British Prime Minister David Cameron promised in a long-awaited speech to give Britons a straight
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* British leader gives long-delayed speech on Europe * Promises a referendum on UK membership of EU * Cameron says wants new settlement with European Union * Risks upsetting the United States and European neighbours * Speech may also widen splits within ruling coalition Prime Minister David Cameron promised on Wednesday to give Britons a
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Some 28 million viewers worldwide watched Oprah Winfrey's two-part interview last week in which cyclist Lance Armstrong finally admitted he had been taking performance-enhancing substances for years, Winfrey's OWN cable TV channel said on Tuesday. OWN said that 12.2 million Americans and 15 million people overseas watched the encounter over two nights and various airings
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Singer Shakira gave birth to her first child, a boy, on Tuesday in Barcelona, the Colombian pop star said on her website. The "Hips Don't Lie" singer and her boyfriend, the Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique, named the six-pound, six-ounce (three kilograms) boy Milan. "Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn) means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in
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Hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in Israel's parliamentary election, shrugging off surprise losses to centre-left challengers and vowing to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, Tuesday's vote, which also disappointed religiously inspired hardliners, may deflect the premier's focus on confronting Tehran and resisting Palestinian demands as Israel's secular middle-class demanded new
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Asian shares retreated from multi-month highs on Wednesday amid caution as the earnings season gathers pace, with Tokyo stocks falling to three-week closing lows in response to a firm yen. "Asian markets have been climbing steadily and it's natural for investors to want to book profits as the region's earnings season begins in full force
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Prime Minister David Cameron will promise on Wednesday to give Britons a straight referendum choice on whether to stay in the European Union or leave, provided he wins an election in 2015. Cameron will end months of speculation by announcing in a speech the plan for a vote sometime between 2015 and 2018, shrugging off
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Never mind President Barack Obama's inauguration address or what Michelle Obama was wearing at the ball. Was Beyonce lip-synching the U.S. national anthem on Monday, or wasn't she? The Grammy-winning singer remained silent on Tuesday amid a media storm over whether she was lip-synching, singing over her own pre-recorded track, or performing live when she
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