ROONEY MARA will become a big screen star on both sides of the Atlantic this weekend, having accepted the poisoned chalice that is Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

THAI authorities have arrested an American citizen on charges he insulted the country’s monarchy, in part by posting a link on his blog four years ago to a banned book about the Southeast Asian nation’s ailing king.

An unexpected rise in new claims for unemployment benefit pushed Wall Street stocks slightly lower today as investors remained worried about a lack of hiring.