National / International News

A Bulgarian man sets fire to himself outside parliament in Sofia, the fourth such act in a month, after weeks of protests against austerity.

Oscar Whisky and Reve de Sivola top the market for the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday.

White smoke emerged from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel signaling the selection of a new pope.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

A Church of England priest used the respectability of his cassock to groom and sexually abuse boys along with his organist, a court hears.

Decades after its eradication, the "breakbone fever" has become endemic again in the Florida Keys. Scientists say that Floridians infected during a recent outbreak didn't catch the virus abroad but rather got a dengue strain that's unique to Key West.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The Education Secretary Michael Gove had not been told about claims of bullying by his advisers, a senior civil servant has told MPs. But a Labour MP has pressed for more answers.

The Federal Reserve's bond and mortgage purchases have kept long-term interest rates low, but they haven't done what the Fed intended -- which was to help would-be home buyers get affordable mortgages.

Instead, they've fueled a new round of speculation by investors and real estate developers. And that's meant a new generation of Americans has become renters rather than owners.
   
Yes, home sales and prices have been rising, which in turn has created lot of construction jobs and made some home-owners feel a bit wealthier. All good for the economy, at least for now.

But the housing market hasn't turned around because banks are issuing lots of new mortgages. Lending standards are still tight, and banks are reluctant to lend -- especially to younger. Unemployment remains high among millennials -- more than 8 percent even for recent college graduates. And their student debts keep mounting. As a result, the number of first-time home buyers is still shrinking, and young buyers now make up their smallest share of the housing market in more than a decade.

The rise in home prices and construction is being fueled instead by big investors -- many of whom are paying cash and have no intention of living in the homes they buy or build. They're getting a high return on investment by borrowing at rock-bottom rates and then turning the properties into rental units, which young individuals and families are moving into in record numbers.

Last month, a Pew Research Center survey found that the share of millennials who own their homes has fallen from 40 percent to 34 percent since the start of the recession, with a similar decline in residential debt.

Overall, the percent of Americans owning their homes continues to drop, while the percent renting is growing.

The housing market may be bouncing back, but not homeownership. And that's a big change for an economy and society once based on the ideal of owning your own place.

The survey doesn't just pose a simple yes or no question on whether the Scouts should lift its ban on gay members and leaders. Instead it seeks answers using detailed hypotheticals.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Scientists reveal insights into a peculiar, phallus-shaped creature found in Canada.

On the second day of their conclave, 115 Roman Catholic cardinals settled on their selection. Now, the new pontiff faces the challenge of leading a church that is confronting many challenges. His chosen name honors a saint known for works of mercy and a simple lifestyle.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Dave Lee Travis, the former Radio 1 DJ and Top of the Pops presenter, is arrested over further allegations of sexual assault.

More than 100 customs officials and police officers from Northern Ireland are involved in a huge cross-border operation against illegal fuel laundering and organised crime.

The prince's dream of reintroducing European bison, or wisent, into Germany's most densely populated state will soon be reality. It will be the first time in nearly 300 years that these creatures will roam Western Europe. But not everyone is as excited as the prince.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Manchester City footballer Carlos Tevez is charged with driving while disqualified and driving without insurance, Cheshire Police says.

Iron Maiden's former drummer, Clive Burr, dies at the age of 56 after suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Vicky Pryce, imprisoned for eight months along with her ex-husband and former Lib Dem minister Chris Huhne, is "very frail", her brother says.

Any attempt by the UK to arm Syrian rebels would be a breach of international law, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warns.

A man accused of starting a fire which killed six of his children tells jurors he is "ashamed" of a threesome he had hours before.

The European Parliament votes against radical reforms that would have tied farm subsidies more closely to protection of the environment.

Life in the Nigerian city gripped by a bloody insurgency