Reuters - The International Monetary Fund sees the world economy contracting by between 0.5 and 1 percent in 2009, Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in an interview published on Wednesday.
Reuters - A pilotless U.S. drone aircraft fired a missile in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 12 people, a security official and residents said.
AFP - North Korea threatened Wednesday to shoot down any US spy planes violating its airspace to monitor an imminent rocket launch, as a think-tank cautioned that any international over-reaction to the event could spark a war.
AP - The West Michigan Whitecaps say they have no plans to put a warning label on an enormous new hamburger they’re selling this season despite a vegan advocacy group’s request to do just that.
AP - It could take weeks before health officials know exactly which pistachio products may be tainted with salmonella, but they’ve already issued a sweeping warning to avoid eating the nuts or foods containing them.
AP - LeBron James refuses to let the Cavaliers lose.
AP - Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding “unintentional errors” the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee. The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that the administration released. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.
AP - Benjamin Netanyahu, taking office as Israel’s new leader Tuesday, promised to seek “full peace” with the Arab and Muslim world, but refused to utter the words the world was waiting to hear: “Palestinian state.” The well-spoken, U.S.-educated hawk took pains to portray himself as a pragmatist, telling a packed parliament that Israel does not want to rule the Palestinians.
AP - He doesn’t know exactly what the Obama administration wants him to cut, but Fritz Henderson, the new CEO of General Motors Corp., isn’t waiting around to find out. Cut deeper. Work harder. Move faster. That’s how he described the ailing automaker’s urgent effort to meet a June 1 deadline to fix its debt-ridden balance sheet, cut billions in costs and take other steps to transform itself into a profitable entity.
AFP - North Korea threatened Wednesday to shoot down any US spy planes if they violate its airspace to monitor an imminent rocket launch, in a statement carried by state radio.