New York's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg had to endure two hours of attacks on his honesty yesterday, on subjects ranging from his bid to overturn term limits to his handling of the resignation of a deputy mayor, as he appeared in the witness box at the trial of a man accused of embezzling more than $1m from him.

Ker-ching. Is that the sound of cashing in we hear? Not that Jim O'Neill, the Goldman Sachs economist, is in need of the money, but presumably Penguin is chucking him a few quid for a new book on the Bric economies. It's a decade since O'Neill came up with the Bric idea – the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China – and his prediction that they were about to become the world's economic powerhouses looks ever more prescient by the day. Penguin's Joel Rickett crows: "Jim O'Neill is one of the world's most influential economic thinkers – no wonder he has been described as Goldman Sachs'rock star."

The death toll is 13 and the cost will run into tens of billions of dollars, but the storm was not as severe as many had feared

New York City's mayor has told residents who need to evacuate ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irene that they should do so immediately.

Alec Baldwin, the actor who these days is most associated with the comedy show 30 Rock, is speaking openly about seeking the keys to a new address – Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence in New York City.

Timothy Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, may leave office later this year, it was reported yesterday.

George Soros, the man who made more than $1bn by betting against sterling on Black Wednesday in 1992, predicted yesterday that weaker nations would have to leave the euro.

Liverpool have generated some interest in selling naming rights for a proposed new stadium but a senior official insists a final decision on whether to move or redevelop Anfield has yet to be taken.

More than 1,000 women are raped every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a US study shows.

The Place Prize for Dance, which was founded in 2004, is unpredictable without being exciting. Unusually, it's a commissioning prize: 16 semi-finalists are chosen to create new works. Sponsored by Bloomberg, the prize offers £25,000 to the main winner, plus an audience prize of £1,000, awarded at each of the 10 finals performances. As a system, it does support new creations, but what goes into the final is the best of a small pool. The finalists tend to be choreographers who have begun to make names for themselves: it's neither the shock of the new nor the stars of the field.

Alisher Usmanov, the Russian industrial magnate, says he has no intention of selling his stake in Arsenal to Stan Kroenke. Usmanov confirmed yesterday that he will keep his 27 per cent holding after the American secured a controlling interest in the club earlier this week.

Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov insists he will not sell his stake in Arsenal after fellow shareholder Stan Kroenke triggered a mandatory buyout offer for the club.