The two men were found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft in a 12-storey building, as if dumped there, one sprawled on top of the other.

THE death of Jeffry Picower, accused of profiting more than $7 billion (€7.7bn) from the investment schemes of his longtime friend Bernard Madoff, will make it more difficult for suing investors to recoup their money, attorneys have said.

A huge handmade work on the life and work of Michelangelo, billed as the world’s most expensive, most beautiful new book, has arrived at the New York Public Library, fresh from publication in Italy.

Renowned author Colm Toibin has been appointed as a member of the Arts Council, it was confirmed today.

Google plans to begin letting consumers download and print free of charge classic novels and many other, more obscure books that are in the public domain, it was announced in the US today.

A group of academic publishers is challenging Google’s plan to scan millions of library books into its web search engine index, highlighting fears the ambitious project will violate copyrights and stifle future sales.

Stacks of hard-to-find books are being scanned into Google’s widely used Internet search engine in its attempt to establish a massive online reading room for five major libraries.

Nearly 1,000 protesters were arrested across Manhattan as swarms of activists massed in the streets for marches to the site of the Republican convention – by far the biggest day of arrests since the demonstrations began last week.