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| Russia welcomes Kerry's confirmation as U.S. secretary of state Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:25 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday welcomed the U.S. Senate's confirmation of John Kerry as the next secretary of state and suggested his appointment could improve ties that have been badly strained over the past year. Cordial comments by the Foreign Ministry spokesman at a weekly briefing may signal Russia wants to ease tensions caused by disagreements over issues including human rights and Syria as President Barack Obama's second term get under way. ... Full Story | Top |
| Malian president offers Tuareg rebels talks Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:24 AM PST  TIMBUKTU, Mali/PARIS (Reuters) - Mali's president offered talks to Tuareg rebels on Thursday in a bid for national reconciliation after a French-led offensive drove their Islamist former allies into desert and mountain hideaways in the country's vast north. France's three-week ground and air campaign has dislodged al Qaeda-linked fighters from northern Mali's major towns, ending the first phase of an operation designed to prevent Islamists using the region as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring West African countries and Europe. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry likely to move cautiously on Middle East peace Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:21 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has hinted it might try Middle East peace-making once again, but Secretary of State-designate John Kerry is likely to move cautiously, in contrast to U.S. President Barack Obama's failed, high-profile first-term initiative. While the possibility of another failure may hang over the White House, Kerry suggested this week that time was running out for a two-state solution with Israel living alongside a sovereign Palestinian state. He said it would be "disastrous" if it did. ... Full Story | Top |
| Freeing Kurdish activists would help Turkey peace moves: watchdog Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:17 AM PST ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Freeing thousands of Kurdish activists from Turkish prisons could help a fledgling peace initiative to end a three-decade-old insurgency, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. Anti-terrorism laws have allowed Turkish courts to jail people engaged in non-violent action, especially those seeking greater Kurdish rights, New York-based HRW said in its 2013 World Report, which examined more than 90 countries. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise" Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:13 AM PST  BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria protested to the United Nations on Thursday over an Israeli air strike on its territory and warned of a possible "surprise" response. The foreign ministry summoned the head of the U.N. force in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to deliver the protest a day after Israel hit what Syria said was a military research centre and diplomats said was a weapons convoy heading for Lebanon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Income surge puts consumers in better shape Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:12 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American income growth surged in December as companies rushed to make dividend payments before higher tax rates set in, while buoyant wage growth also gave a lift to households. U.S. personal income rose 2.6 percent last month, the biggest increase in eight years, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. While much of the gain was due to special payments aimed at beating tax increases due to begin this month, wages still grew at one of the faster rates seen last year. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. challenges Anheuser-Busch InBev's purchase of Grupo Modelo Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:11 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Anheuser-Busch InBev SA from buying the half of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo that it does not already own, saying the $20.1 billion deal would lessen competition in the U.S. beer market. Trading in Constellation Brands , which would have become sole owner of the company that distributes Modelo's Corona beer in the United States if the transaction had been approved, was halted after it dropped 23.8 percent. AB InBev shares dropped as much as 8. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. chides Iran on plan to speed up nuclear fuel work Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:59 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that Iran's installation of advanced uranium enrichment machines would be a "provocative step" in further violation of United Nations resolutions against Tehran's nuclear program. Iran, in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it would introduce new centrifuges to its main enrichment plant near the central town of Natanz, according to an IAEA communication to member states seen by Reuters. "This does not come as a surprise," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Defiant Iran plans to speed up nuclear fuel work Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:59 AM PST  VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has announced plans to install and operate advanced uranium enrichment machines, in what would be a technological leap allowing it to significantly speed up activity the West fears could be put to developing a nuclear weapon. In a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran said it would introduce new centrifuges to its main enrichment plant near the central town of Natanz, according to an IAEA communication to member states seen by Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain struggles in push to ease Syria arms embargo Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:59 AM PST  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain's call to amend a European Union embargo on arms sales to Syria to help opponents of President Bashar al-Assad met opposition on Thursday when EU governments warned it could allow weapons to end up in the wrong hands. A package of EU sanctions against Syria comes up for renewal at the start of March, and Britain, backed among others by France, has said EU rules should be eased to allow some equipment to be sent to the rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia's 2012 crackdown worst since Soviet era -rights group Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:57 AM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Authoritarianism increased last year in Russia to levels unseen since the Soviet era with a raft of harsh laws curbing political freedoms and harassment of opposition activists and critics, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. The crackdown coincided with the return of Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin and the appointment of his predecessor and protégé, Dmitry Medvedev, as prime minister, according to the New York-based group. "Since Putin's return ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Child held hostage for third day after Alabama shooting: police Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:52 AM PST  MIDLAND CITY, Alabama (Reuters) - A standoff stretched into a third day on Thursday with an Alabama man accused of fatally shooting a school bus driver and then taking a young boy hostage in an underground bunker equipped with electricity and food. Law enforcement authorities remained tight-lipped about the delicate situation playing out in Midland City, a small town in the southeast corner of Alabama. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunman kills Pakistani Sunni leaders in apparent tit-for-tat hit Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:49 AM PST  KARACHI (Reuters) - A gunman on a motorcycle shot dead three Pakistani Sunni Muslim leaders on Thursday, police said, in the latest apparent tit-for-tat killing in the southern financial hub of Karachi. Conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite militants has been blamed for many recent killings in Pakistan's largest city. At least 217 people have been killed this month, police sources say, but they do not know how many qualify as "target killings", the official term for assassinations. "Three persons riding a bike intercepted (the victims')vehicle ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Arab-American groups call Coke Super Bowl ad ''racist'' Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:46 AM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Arab-American groups have sharply criticized a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad depicting an Arab walking through the desert with a camel, and one group said it would ask the beverage giant to change it before CBS airs the game on Sunday before an expected audience of more than 100 million U.S. viewers. "Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombia rebels free seized oil workers, kill four soldiers Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:45 AM PST BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Thursday freed three oil contractors kidnapped a day earlier, military sources said, though the guerrillas killed four soldiers in the south as they step up pressure during peace talks. The kidnappings and other violent incidents came days after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, made clear during peace negotiations in Cuba that it would continue to capture armed forces, possibly hampering the talks. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. rights inquiry says Israel must remove settlers Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:43 AM PST  GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. human rights investigators called on Israel on Thursday to halt settlement expansion and withdraw all half a million Jewish settlers from the occupied West Bank, saying that its practices could be subject to prosecution as possible war crimes. A three-member U.N. panel said private companies should stop working in the settlements if their work adversely affected the human rights of Palestinians, and urged member states to ensure companies respected human rights. ... Full Story | Top |
| Palestinians feel vindicated by UN rights report on Israel Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:43 AM PST RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians welcomed a U.N. Human Rights Council report on Thursday highly critical of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying it vindicated their struggle against Israel. The U.N. investigation, which was boycotted by the Jewish state, urged Israel to halt settlement construction unconditionally and begin removing all 500,000 Israeli settlers from occupied territory immediately. "This is incredible. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama might back territorial tax system, business chief says Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:40 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The president of a group of more than 200 CEOs said on Thursday that President Barack Obama had told the business community last month he might back a territorial tax system, which would exempt offshore profits from taxation. Corporate America is pushing for the United States to move to such a regime, which they say would make domestic business more competitive. ... Full Story | Top |
| Massachusetts Representative launches bid for Kerry's Senate seat Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:39 AM PST  BOSTON (Reuters) - Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, a former ironworker, on Thursday officially launched a bid for U.S. Senate, seeking the seat being vacated by John Kerry who was confirmed this week as the new U.S. Secretary of State. Lynch will face off against fellow House member Edward Markey in an April 30 primary ahead of a June 25 special election to choose a permanent successor to Kerry. In an online video, Lynch's campaign gives a broad-brush biography of the former ironworker, who grew up in public housing and ran a local union before going into politics. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameron says Britain will train Libyan security forces Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:34 AM PST  TRIPOLI (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron used a surprise visit to Tripoli on Thursday to pledge Britain's help in training Libya's security forces, part of broader European efforts to counter Islamic militancy in North Africa. In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers approved the outline of a mission to help Libyan authorities tighten border security to combat arms-smuggling and stop militants crossing the border. The training and advisory mission is expected to involve about 70 civilian experts and to be launched by summer. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian rebels make slow headway in south Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:29 AM PST  AMMAN (Reuters) - The revolt against President Bashar al-Assad first flared in Deraa, but the southern border city now epitomizes the bloody stalemate gripping Syria after 22 months of violence and 60,000 dead. Jordan next door has little sympathy with Assad, but is wary of spillover from the upheaval in its bigger neighbor. It has tightened control of its 370-km (230-mile) border with Syria, partly to stop Islamist fighters or weapons from crossing. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chief gravely concerned by report of Israeli air strike in Syria Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:28 AM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "grave concern" on Thursday over reports that Israeli jets bombed an apparent convoy of weapons near the Lebanese border and urged respect for the sovereignty of countries in the region. Diplomats, Syrian rebels and regional security sources said on Wednesday that Israeli jets bombed a convoy near the Lebanese border, apparently hitting weapons destined for militant group Hezbollah. Syria denied the reports, saying the target of the air strikes had been a military research center northwest of Damascus. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria says Israel responsible for air raid results Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:28 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said on Thursday Israel and its allies bore responsibility for the results of the Israeli air raid near Damascus and said it had the right to defend its sovereignty. "Syria holds Israel and those who are protecting it at the Security Council responsible for the results of the attack and confirms its right to defend its land and sovereignty," state television quoted a letter from the Foreign Ministry to the United Nations as say saying. (Reporting by Mariam Karouny; Editing by Alison Williams) Full Story | Top |
| Syria summons U.N. Golan commander to protest Israel attack Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:28 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria summoned the head of a United Nations mission in the Golan Heights on Thursday to protest against an Israeli air raid which Damascus said is a violation of a disengagement accord that followed the last major war between the two countries. State media said Major General Iqbal Singha, head of the UNDOF peacekeeping force, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry where the protest was delivered. Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda calls on Iraqi Sunni protesters to take up arms Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:25 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's Iraqi wing on Thursday urged Sunni protesters to take up arms against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, adding fuel to growing sectarian unrest in the world's fastest-growing oil exporter. Al Qaeda's local affiliate Islamic State of Iraq said "peace and patience" were useless for dealing with the Shi'ite-led government they see as oppressors of Iraq's Sunni minority. ... Full Story | Top |
| Serbia PM orders inquiry into "Basic Instinct" fake TV interview Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:24 AM PST BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's prime minister, who was flashed by a model without underwear masquerading as a television interviewer, has launched an investigation into how he became the target of the prank, an aide said on Thursday. The video of Ivica Dacic being interviewed by a brunette former model from Croatian Playboy, who uncrosses her legs in a scene reminiscent of actress Sharon Stone in the film "Basic Instinct", has been viewed 2.7 million times on YouTube. ... Full Story | Top |
| Soccer-Police-free matches are big worry for Portuguese referees Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:14 AM PST LISBON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Portuguese match officials fear government spending cuts that leave Premier League and amateur games without police protection are a threat to their safety and the future of their profession, the head of the referees' association (APAF) said on Thursday. In October, the government brought in a new transitional law that means it is now up to individual clubs to decide whether police oversee matches. The clubs and the state used to split the fees for a police presence in stadiums and it cost the public coffers around five million euros ($6.79 million) per season. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian FARC rebels free three kidnapped oil workers: sources Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:08 AM PST BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Thursday freed three oil contractors working for Canada's Gran Tierra Energy who had been kidnapped a day earlier, military sources said. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta) Full Story | Top |
| REFILE-Arab-American groups call Coke Super Bowl ad 'racist' Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:07 AM PST LOS ANGELES, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Arab-American groups have sharply criticized a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad depicting an Arab walking through the desert with a camel, and one group said it would ask the beverage giant to change it before CBS airs the game on Sunday before an expected audience of more than 100 million U.S. viewers. "Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC. ... Full Story | Top |
| Breivik says is being tortured in Norwegian prison-lawyer Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:07 AM PST  OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik says he is being tortured in prison because he is held in isolation and subjected to body searches, and has made a formal complaint to police about his treatment, his lawyer said on Thursday. Police will now investigate the complaints made by Breivik against Norwegian Justice Minister Grete Faremo and Knut Bjarkeid, director of the maximum security Ila prison on the outskirts of Oslo where he is being held. "Breivik has made a complaint to the police of torture," his lawyer, Tord Joret, told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Republican maverick Hagel forged bond with Obama over Iraq Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:05 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - From his lonely position as an early Republican critic of the Iraq war, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel sometimes lectured his more timid Senate colleagues. "If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes," he told them. President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary began a Senate confirmation process on Thursday that revived the contentious relations the fiercely independent Vietnam war veteran had with fellow Republicans over his political career. "I'm proud of my record," Hagel declared before the Armed Services Committee. "I'm on the record on many issues. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senators attack Obama's defense chief nominee, question judgment Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:03 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers clashed with Chuck Hagel on Thursday at a hearing over his nomination to become the next U.S. defense secretary, attacking his judgment on war strategy and occasionally putting him on the defensive during a heated session. Critics in Congress have sought to portray Hagel, a former Republican senator and decorated Vietnam War veteran, as soft on Iran and anti-Israel, charges Hagel strongly denied in testimony at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Consumer bureau seeks input on bank products for students Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:54 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The consumer bureau said on Thursday it wants information on college and university-affiliated banking products as it seeks to better understand the types of financial services that are marketed to students. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said it is interested in what information schools give financial firms as part of agreements to offer identification cards that double as debit cards. These cards are also used to access loans and scholarship funds, and school-sponsored bank accounts. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rome court summons Bank of Italy over Monte Paschi Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:51 AM PST  ROME (Reuters) - A court in Rome has summoned Bank of Italy officials for questioning on the state bailout of Monte dei Paschi, as scandal spread over the trading that plunged the world's oldest bank into trouble. The Lazio regional administrative court said in a statement on Wednesday that it had called Deputy Governor Fabrizio Saccomanni and Luigi Federico Signorini, the official in charge of bank supervision, to a hearing on Saturday. The central bank said they would not attend, but would be represented by counsel. ... Full Story | Top |
| BOI did not try to stop ex-Monte Paschi chief leading bank lobby-new head Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:51 AM PST ROME (Reuters) - The Bank of Italy made no effort to stop the re-appointment of former Monte dei Paschi chairman Giuseppe Mussari as head of the Italian Banking Association last year despite turmoil surrounding the troubled lender, the new head of the association said on Thursday. The comment to Reuters by Antonio Patuelli, confirmed as new head of ABI on Thursday, underlines the growing question over why the Italian central bank did not take tougher action against the former management of Monte Paschi despite being aware of serious problems at the bank. ... Full Story | Top |
| UN says unable to verify Syria complaint about Israeli planes Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:38 AM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. peacekeepers in a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel were unable to verify a Syrian complaint that Israeli planes had flown over the Golan Heights area, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday. "UNDOF (the peacekeeping mission) did not observe any planes flying over the area of separation and therefore was not able to confirm the incident. UNDOF also reported bad weather conditions," U.N. spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler) Full Story | Top |
| Greek transport workers, doctors strike over austerity Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:35 AM PST ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek train and ferry services stopped and hospital staffing was cut to a minimum on Thursday as transport workers and doctors protested against spending cuts imposed to meet the country's bailout terms. As the economy enters a sixth successive year of recession, demonstrations and strikes have surged again over the latest round of measures. Public transport in Athens was disrupted as bus, trolley bus and railway workers stopped work while ships and ferries stayed docked at ports after seamen began a 48-hour strike. ... Full Story | Top |
| Users increasingly use Internet to buy drugs: EU report Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:23 AM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Virtually any kind of illegal drug can be bought on the Internet and delivered by post to users who no longer need to make direct contact with dealers, an EU study published on Thursday said. It gave no statistics on online drug sales, which are normally conducted on so-called "darknets", or anonymous computer networks. The report, compiled by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol, the pan-European police agency, said increased globalization and communication technology made it harder to track drug routes. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russian city getting back Stalin's name for war commemorations Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 09:17 AM PST VOLGOGRAD, Russia (Reuters) - The Russian city of Volgograd will bear Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's name again on Saturday when it marks the 70th anniversary of the epic battle that turned the tide in World War Two. Local lawmakers adopted a decision to use the name Hero City Stalingrad at events commemorating the 1942-1943 battle on Saturday and on four other days every year including May 9, when Russia marks the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. ... Full Story | Top |
| Lawmakers seek mortgage settlement documents from regulators Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 08:48 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers on Thursday asked bank regulators to turn over documents related to the $8.5 billion settlement that ended a government-mandated review of crisis-era foreclosures, saying transparency was needed to boost confidence in the settlement. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Elijah Cummings, both Democrats, said the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) must address concerns that financial institutions have not been held accountable for misdeeds during the 2007-2009 U.S. financial crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
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