The U.S. radio program "This American Life" has retracted an episode critical of working conditions at a Chinese factory that makes iPhones and iPads for Apple Inc, saying it had contained "numerous fabrications." The retracted episode, which aired on Jan. 6, was based heavily on a one-man theatrical show by actor Mike Daisey: "The Agony

Titleholders Barcelona will have to again face seven-times winners AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals after a draw which also cleared the way for a final against their eternal rivals Real Madrid. Rank outsiders APOEL Nicosia, taking Cypriot football into unchartered territory, were handed a glamorous last-eight tie on against Real as they continued

 * ECB's Orphanides loses ally; Government denies rift *  Cyprus finance minister Kikis Kazamias resigned for health reasons on Friday, just eight months after he was appointed in the previous cabinet reshuffle. The announcement means Central Bank Governor and ECB Governing Council member Athanasios Orphanides has lost a key ally in the Cypriot government that

Cypriot finance minister Kikis Kazamias, credited with spearheading an austerity drive pulling Cyprus back from the brink of an international bailout, has resigned for health reasons, the government said on Friday. The announcement means Central Bank Governor and ECB Governing Council member Athanasios Orphanides has lost a key ally in the Cypriot government and is

President of Cyprus Demetris Christofias will announce on Monday, his decisions for a limited Cabinet reshuffle, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said here today in a written statement. Stephanou also pointed out that newspaper reports saying that Finance Minister Kikis Kazamias has resigned because of disagreements with the President do not correspond to reality. ''The Minister

The world's biggest electronic payment system on Saturday will cut off Iranian banks blacklisted by the European Union in an attempt to further strangle Tehran's ability to finance a nuclear program. Belgium-based SWIFT, which facilitates the bulk of global cross-border payments, said it would disconnect designated Iranian financial firms from its messaging system on Saturday

Syrian forces pressed their military offensive in the northern province of Idlib, driving 1,000 refugees across the Turkish border as the bloody revolt against President Bashar al-Assad entered a second year with no sign of political solution. Forty-five civilians were killed in the frontier province, including 23 whose bodies were found with their hands tied