Local & State

Six charged with unemployment benefits fraud

Five Upstate residents and one Midlands man have been charged with fraudulently receiving more than $10,000 each in unemployment benefits, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce’s Office of General Counsel said Monday. The following were arrested: Daryl T. Jefferson, 36, of Sumter County; Sharon E. Gilmore, 41, and Thomasenia H. Shivers, 56, of York County; Janie D. Gilstrap, 55, and Mario D. Gonzalez, 53, of Greenville County; and Thomasina D. Hicks, 28, of Pickens County.

Nation & World

EU bans sale of cosmetic products containing ingredients tested on animals

BRUSSELS The European Union is banning the sale of new cosmetic products containing ingredients tested on animals. The 27-country bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission, said Monday the ban will take effect immediately. Animal rights groups cheered the news, but industry trade body Cosmetics Europe said the ban comes too early and “acts as a brake on innovation.” The EU has banned animal testing of finished cosmetic products since 2004. The ban on cosmetics containing animal-tested ingredients was first decided four years ago but initially left loopholes for certain tests following resistance from cosmetics companies. While the industry’s rabbits and guinea pigs will now be spared, consumers are unlikely to notice immediate changes; products containing ingredients tested on animals before the ban can remain on the shelves.

Research In Motion will launch its touchscreen smartphone

TORONTO BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion will launch its new touchscreen smartphone in the U.S. with AT&T on March 22. The release will come several weeks after RIM launched the much-delayed devices elsewhere. AT&T said Monday said the Z10 will be available for $199.99 with a two-year contract. Sales of the device began in the U.K. and Canada shortly after RIM unveiled the phone in late January. RIM has said U.S. carriers needed more time to test the devices. The redesigned BlackBerry is RIM’s attempt at a comeback after the pioneering brand lost its cachet not long after Apple’s 2007 release of the iPhone.

Another good day for stocks

NEW YORK Stocks closed higher on Wall Street for a seventh straight day, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average further into record territory. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 50 points to 14,447 on Monday. The Dow broke through its all-time high last Tuesday and has set a record every day since then. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 5 points to 1,556. The S&P is now just eight points below its own record. The Associated Press contributed.