New York, Aug 1 (DPA) US stocks closed mixed Friday to end one of its best months in years, after government figures showed a smaller-than-expected contraction of the world’s largest economy in the second quarter of the year.

The economy shrank at a 1-percent annual rate April-June period, according to a preliminary estimate by the US Commerce Department. The figure signals that the longest US recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s has eased.

But first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) contracted a revised 6.4 percent, the worst three-month stretch in 27 years, Friday’s report said. That figure was updated from a 5.5-percent drop reported last month.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 17.15 points, or 0.19 percent, to 9,171.61. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 0.73 points, or 0.07 percent, to 987.48. But the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index was down 5.8 points, or 0.29

percent, to 1,978.5.

The Dow climbed 8.6 percent in July, its best month since 2002. The S&P 500 gained 7.4 percent during the month and the Nasdaq 7.8 percent.

All stocks have risen sharply on signs of a stabilizing economy since US indices reached 12-year lows in early March.

The US currency rose against the euro to 70.14 euro cents from 70.09 euro cents on Thursday. The dollar fell against the Japanese currency to 94.70 yen from 95.48 yen.

Manila, Aug 1 (DPA) Philippine democracy icon and former president Corazon Aquino died Saturday after battling colon cancer for more than one year, her family said. She was 76.

Cory, as the people fondly called her, had been hospitalized in the Makati Medical Centre in Manila since late June after her health deteriorated and the cancer spread to other parts of her body.

“Our mother peacefully passed away at 3.18 a.m. Aug 1, 2009 of cardio-respiratory arrest,” Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said.

“She would have wanted us to thank each and everyone of you for all the prayers and your continued love and support,” he added. “It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country.”

The entire nation has been offering prayer vigils for Aquino, who led a four-day bloodless people power revolution in 1986 that toppled the dictatorship of the late Ferdinand Marcos.

Yellow ribbons have been tied on street lamps, trees, fences and buildings throughout the Philippines to honour the late president. Yellow was Aquino’s symbol in her fight against Marcos.

San Francisco, Aug 1 (DPA) Internet surfers have downloaded the open source Firefox browser more than one billion times, the software’s distributor, the Mozilla Foundation, said Friday.

The browser is the strongest current rival to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which once controlled over 90 percent of the browser market but has seen its dominance steadily eroded by Firefox.

Firefox now accounts for some 22.5 percent of all active browsers, compared to Microsoft’s 65 per cent share, according to the tracking firm Net Applications.

Firefox, which grew out of the now defunct Netscape browser in 2004, reached the 500 million download mark just 17 months ago. Its rapid adoption since then could be further accelerated by Microsft’s decision to offer users a choice of browsers on all PCs sold in the EU to avoid anti-trust problems by regulators there.

Last year, the foundation set a new world record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours when the third version of Firefox was downloaded more than 8 million times.

Kolkata, Aug 1 (IANS) The Congress Friday bowed to the Trinamool Congress’ demand and agreed to concede both the seats in the coming West Bengal assembly by-polls to the Trinamool.

The Congress, which earlier demanded one of the two seats in Kolkata – Bowbazar and Sealdah – which are slated to go to the polls Aug 18, agreed to withdraw its candidates from both the constituencies following instructions from the party high command.

“In 2006, we won both the seats. So we wanted to nominate our candidates. We were even prepared to give one to Trinamool. But Trinamool did not agree. So we are withdrawing candidates from both the seats so that the anti-left front votes are not divided,” state Congress working president Subrata Mukerjee told IANS Friday night.

Asked whether his partymen will campaign for the Trinamool candidates, Mukherjee replied: “If those who are contesting want us, then we will campaign”.

Kolkata, July 31 (IANS) Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly Friday made his debut in cricket administration – questioning several decisions of the Jagmohan Dalmiya regime during a nearly hour-long address at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Annual General Meeting (AGM) here.

Dalmiya, as expected, was elected uncontested for another term of the cash-rich body. He later said the CAB was planning to come out with a masterplan under Ganguly’s guidance on making full use of the services of former players for the benefit of Bengal cricket.

“Ganguly raised pertinent questions regarding several issues. It was because of his presence that for the first time, the CAB AGM lasted two and a half hours. We had a very good meeting. There were discussions on a host of cricketing issues. This is good for Bengal cricket,” said union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed.

Ganguly attended the AGM as a nominee of Mohammedan Sporting club, while the union minister booked his berth in the meeting from another outfit Ariadaha.

Ahmed disclosed that after Ganguly’s speech, Dalmiya requested the cricketer to sit separately with him.

“Ganguly has brought in new thinking in the CAB. The Association should properly utilise his vast experience and cricketing knowledge which will benefit Bengal and young cricketers,” Ahmed said.

Welcoming Ganguly in cricket administration, Dalmiya said his, “cricketing experience will help us. The way he came forward I will call him to work on Bengal cricket development together/.”

He said the CAB would use Ganguly for coaching and related planning.

Ganguly questioned the rationale of the CAB not utilising the services of national selector Raja Venkat, a known Dalmiya baiter, and not inviting him for selection meetings. “There should be no politics over selection of selectors,” a member present at the AGM quoted Ganguly as saying.

He also quizzed the ruling group on whether it had foregone a portion of the Indian Premier League money which could have been utilised for Bengal cricket and emphasised the need for a roadmap for developing the game in the state.

Ganguly also raised questions over the appointment of Roger Binny saying the CAB should have utilised the rich pool of talented former cricketers in the state.

“Why was David da (Utpal Chatterjee), who coached Bengal last year, sacked?” he asked.

“It has now been decided that the CAB will give a letter to Chatterjee thanking him for his services last year,” Ahmed said.

But Ganguly refused to share his views at the AGM with the media apart from giving out some feel-good quotes. “It is a new role. It was a good experience,” he said, after emerging from the meeting.

“I don’t want to discuss that here. I have said whatever I had to say at the meeting,” he said when asked about his views on the coach issue.

Dalmiya’s detractors, who are pinning their hopes on Ganguly taking on the seasoned cricket administrator in the CAB polls next year, were clearly elated with the articulate cricketer’s aggressive stance at the meeting.

“In the past, no one mustered up the courage to look Dalmiya in the eye at the AGMs and assert himself like this,” said long time Dalmiya rival Samar Pal.

Brussels, July 31 (DPA) European Union (EU) member states should ban leaders of the coup in Honduras from travelling to Europe, EU diplomats agreed in Brussels Friday.

“Each member state will monitor that (EU) policy is closely adhered to, including the possibility of restrictions to the entry into their territories by senior officials of the de facto government in Honduras,” a statement from the Swedish government, which currently holds the EU presidency, said.

The statement was approved by EU ambassadors.

The EU has repeatedly called for the restoration of constitutional rule in Honduras, following the June 28 coup which overthrew its president. On July 21, the bloc agreed to suspend all non-humanitarian aid to the Central American state.

London, July 31 (IANS) Hollywood legend Robert Redford has revealed he had to struggle to work with young actress Scarlett Johanson on the sets of his 1998 movie “The Horse Whisperer” as she she “frustrated” him.

The actress was 13 when director Redford cast her to star in the film, and although he acknowledges her acting talent he found it difficult working with her, reports imdb.com.

In the upcoming book “Robert Redford: The Biography”, a crew member from the movie claims the “Lost In Translation” star would constantly interpret her scenes against Redford’s own vision.

The book also alleges that Johansson’s mother influenced the young actress, causing her to constantly talk back to the director – leading to “friction” between the pair on set.

London, July 31 (IANS) American actress-singer Jessica Simpson’s new TV show “The Price of Beauty” is proving to be a costly affair for the bosses, as she is spending $25,000 an episode to ensure she looks good in front of the camera.

The star is set to jet around the world for the new VH1 project, which will examine different beauty regimes in a variety of cultures but TV bosses have been forced to come to grips with the real price of Simpson’s beauty, as a staggering $25,000 is spent on a hair and make-up team for the singer, reports dailystar.co.uk.

“To get her camera-ready each episode will cost $25,000. She insists on using her own hair, makeup and fashion stylists, who are more expensive than JLos,” said a source.

“A budget was approved when the deal was made. All parties were satisfied,” the source added.

London, July 31 (IANS) Spanish actress Penelope Cruz was left shame-faced as she walked down a red carpet in a scarlet suit and blamed losing her luggage on a flight to London for the fashion faux pas.

The “Volver” beauty jetted in to the British capital from Madrid to attend a glamorous event at the city’s Somerset House with her “Broken Embraces” director, Pedro Almodovar and instead of donning a full-length gown for the glitzy bash, Cruz was forced to pull on a red suit she kept in her hand luggage – after the airline she was travelling with misplaced her bags, reports contactmusic.com.

But she wasn’t fazed by blending in with the garish red carpet, and seemed more concerned with the unpredictable English weather.

She told reporters at the event: “I looked up at the sky and said, ‘Don’t you rain on me – I’m Penelope Cruz!’”

However, filmmaker Almodovar was sure a conspiracy was at work – he is convinced an avid fan is behind Cruz’s missing possessions.

“‘I think it’s a plot. I think someone take it (sic). They bring it with him or her to home (sic). I think it was stolen for a fetishist,” he said.

Baghdad, July 31 (DPA) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday condemned the bombings of Iraqi mosques that killed at least 30 people, calling them attempts to undermine the country’s emerging stability.

“Attacks against places of worship cannot be justified by any political or religious cause,” Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement. “These attacks appear to be aimed at provoking sectarian strife and undermining stability in Iraq.”

The attacks targeted five Shia mosques in Baghdad, most of them connected to Shia Muslims led by “imams of the Sadrist Movement” who are loyal to Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, an official security source told the Voices of Iraq news agency.

Ban appealed to the people of Iraq “to remain steadfast” in trying to resolve differences through dialogue with the goal of national reconciliation.