Leaders from the 27 member states of the European Union kicked off here on Thursday a two-day summit to deal with economic issues such as unemployment and financial supervision as well as institutional matters like Lisbon Treaty and candidacy of the European Commission chief. Facing swelling joblessness across the EU, the leaders are supposed to [...]

Apple Inc’s Mac computers have steadily gained market share over the years, a winning streak that may be tested by next week’s launch of Microsoft Corp’s new Windows 7 operating system. Few expect the new software to dent Apple’s standing in the market in the long run, given the company’s premium position and the fact [...]

Pope Benedict XVI left for Jordan on Friday on the first leg of a weeklong tour of the Middle East that will include Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Vatican Radio reported. “I wish…to greet all the peoples of those lands. I am eagerly looking forward to being with you and to sharing with you your [...]

The head of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) fired a shot at rival Apple, slamming the notion that smartphones need “apps.” “You don’t need an app for the Web,” RIM chief executive Jim Balsillie said during an on-stage interview at a Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. “We believe you can bring the mobile [...]

“There are only about 200 Irish people in the city, so to be able to get so many joining in our party is very special.” Gerard Michael MacGregor, a film director and one of the organisers of the Irish Film Festival running this week (see page 11), said it was “a chance to have fun, [...]