National / International News

The communications director of the world's oldest bank, Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena, is found dead in an apparent suicide.

This note comes with a little bit of 'ewwww' attached.

The acting president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, said today the body of his late predecessor Hugo Chavez will be permanently displayed in a glass casket so that -- and this is a quote -- "his people will always have him."

Not the first time -- think Mao and Lenin and Ho Chi Minh.

But still. Eww.

Manager Neil Lennon admits it will be difficult for Celtic to retain the key players who have impressed in Europe.

The full story of alleged neglect and fraud at care homes in south Wales "needs to be told", an MP says.

So here’s a little mystery, Wall Street style. What gives with the NASDAQ? The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are at or near historic highs. But the NASDAQ -- the index that tracks mainly tech stocks -- isn’t reaching the same height.

It’s true the NASDAQ did reach a 12-year high this week. It’s just nowhere near its historic level. And given the stratospheric height it reached during the 1990’s tech bubble,  some analysts think that’s a long time off.

“Whether it’s Intel, or Microsoft, the old school, which used to be the high-flying names, are just sort of stuck in the mud,” says analyst Art Howard with Lazard Capital Markets.

And Apple -- which is so big that its fortunes can sway the entire NASDAQ has seen its shares drop 22 percent this year alone.

Economist Nela Richardson, with Bloomberg Government,  says given high unemployment and sluggish business investment, she questions this whole record setting run-up.

“I think how on earth can this economy support the rally that we are seeing in the financial markets,” she says.

Richardson says from where she sits, the slower-moving NASDAQ seems to be a much more accurate economic barometer.

Hundreds of jobs are to go at a Warwickshire coal mine hit by an underground fire last month.

The Queen's Speech, containing the government's legislative programme for the year ahead, will take place on 8 May.

Shares in insurance firm Aviva sink 15% after it cuts its dividend by more than a quarter in order to finance a turnaround strategy.

Every year thousands of parents have to help with a costume for their child for World Book Day. It isn't easy.

Welsh pop singer Bonnie Tyler says she is "honoured" to be the UK's representative at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden.

New York City's Chief Digital Officer, Rachel Haot, began in the city's startup world and rose to prominence quickly. Now, she's a member of Mayor Bloomberg's administration and is advocating for more private-public collaboration in making New York a tech mecca that rivals Silicon Valley.

As part of that mission, Haot is focusing on five key areas: Internet access, technology education, open data and innovation, engagement, and developing New York's tech industry.

Hoat's goal, as she puts it, is "to fully realize New York City's digital potential and make sure that all New Yorkers are part of its digital future.” But she feels the city can always do more, especially when it comes to bringing more diversity to the tech sector.

"We still have a long way to go," says Haot. "The good news is that, for example, we have more female founders of startups in New York City than any other city in the world -- more than Silicon Valley, more than London. That's a very exciting and promising step."

Click on the audio player above to hear more of Haot's thoughts on the demographics of tech. And visit WeareMadeInNY.com to find out more about New York City's tech community.

Sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats appear to increase the risk of dying young, a study of half a million people across Europe suggests.

Pesticides are being sprayed from the land and air in an effort to eradicate a huge swarm of locusts that is threatening crops in southern Israel and Gaza.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev tells the BBC laws passed in Russia by President Vladimir Putin are an "attack on the rights of citizens".

The government may need to borrow more to fund capital spending if the UK's economy is to recover, Business Secretary Vince Cable suggests.

Troubled bank may be able to sell off branches sooner than expected

Business groups have warned of continuing tough conditions in the UK economy, ahead of the latest rates announcement from the Bank of England.

Austerity cuts have affected the Welsh government's decisiveness and it must be more agile and 'restless' to perform better, says Wales' top civil servant.

Schoolgirl Zoya Anwar, who went missing for more than a week, is found in Birmingham city centre.

Fatboy Slim - aka Norman Cook - becomes the first DJ to "play" the Houses of Parliament.