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| Obama to make "last-ditch" push on gun control in Connecticut Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:37 PM PDT  By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is set to make a fresh plea on Monday for a reluctant Congress to pass new gun control legislation - one of his top domestic policy priorities - as he travels to Connecticut, where December's school massacre took place. Initial momentum for tougher gun control laws sought by Obama after the December 14 shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, has stalled in Congress in the face of fierce lobbying by gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association. ... Full Story | Top |
| Man who took Clinton staffers hostage in 2007 re-arrested Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:31 PM PDT  LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - A New Hampshire man who took several members of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign staff hostage in 2007 was taken into custody on Monday on suspicion of leaving a halfway house overnight without permission. Leeland Eisenberg, 52, faces a charge of escape punishable by up to seven years in prison after he was re-arrested in the lobby of a community center in Manchester, New Hampshire, the state's Department of Corrections said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Tribesmen, army deserters clash in Yemen, seven killed Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:28 PM PDT  SANAA (Reuters) - Seven people were killed in clashes between army deserters and tribesmen in south Yemen on Monday, officials and residents said, in another sign of disorder in a country of multiple conflicts next to oil export giant Saudi Arabia. Restoring security in Yemen is a priority for the United States and its Gulf allies to contain threats from al Qaeda militants and separatist tribes to Saudi Arabia and nearby sea lanes where oil tankers pass. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gay rights activists, topless protesters greet Putin Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:22 PM PDT  By Alexei Anishchuk and Thomas Escritt AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin defended Russia's treatment of homosexuals on Monday in Amsterdam, where 1,000 gay rights activists waved pink and orange balloons and blasted out dance music to press home their protest. Western nations need Russia for energy and as a market for exports but are uneasy about Putin's human rights policies and his treatment of opponents in his new Kremlin term. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russian reporter dies five years after savage beating Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:18 PM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian reporter who was savagely beaten in 2008 in what press freedom campaigners said was symptomatic of a culture of fear and impunity under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, died on Monday. Mikhail Beketov, 55, lost three fingers, part of his lower leg and sustained so much brain damage he could no longer speak, died in hospital after food clogged his breathing tube, a foundation set up to help with his medical costs said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Serbia rejects Kosovo deal, begs EU for more time Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:12 PM PDT  By Aleksandar Vasovic and Matt Robinson BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia on Monday rejected a European Union-brokered plan to tackle the ethnic partition of its former province Kosovo, a move that could hurt Belgrade's hopes of starting membership talks with the bloc. But the coalition government called for the "urgent" continuation of negotiations to reach an accord, with the EU set to consider this month whether to recommend the start of accession talks with Serbia. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon seeks change in military law over sex assault decision Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:11 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has decided to ask Congress to change U.S. military law so that senior commanders no longer have the power to set aside jury convictions for major crimes like murder or sexual assault, a defense official said on Monday. The decision follows a month-long review prompted by a controversial decision in which a senior commander in Europe set aside the sexual assault conviction of an Air Force lieutenant colonel, throwing out his one-year prison term and dismissal from the service. The ruling sparked an outcry in Congress, where the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Greens ask U.S. to delay Keystone decision after Arkansas leak Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:09 PM PDT  By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Environmental groups on Monday asked the Obama administration to extend the approval process of the Keystone XL pipeline, using last month's spill of heavy Canadian crude oil in Arkansas as their latest reason to delay the project. The Obama administration is deciding whether to approve the Canada-to-Nebraska leg of TransCanada Corp's proposed pipeline, which would link Canada's oil sands, the world's third richest crude oil deposit, to refineries in Texas. The State Department, which issued a draft environmental assessment of the $5. ... Full Story | Top |
| Beyonce, Jay-Z Cuba trip was OK'd by U.S. Treasury Dept- source Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:08 PM PDT  By David Adams MIAMI (Reuters) - A visit by American pop star Beyonce and rapper husband Jay-Z to Havana last week was a cultural trip that was fully licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department, a source familiar with the trip said on Monday. The longstanding U.S. trade embargo against Cuba prevents most Americans from traveling to the communist-led island without a license granted by the U.S. government. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher dead at 87 Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:04 PM PDT  By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" who transformed Britain and inspired conservatives around the world by radically rolling back the state during her 11 years in power, died on Monday following a stroke. She was 87. Britain's only woman prime minister, the unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led her party to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous term in office for a British premier in over 150 years. ... Full Story | Top |
| Maryland lawmakers approve medical marijuana Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:02 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The Maryland legislature approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes on Monday, and Governor Martin O'Malley has said he would sign the measure and make Maryland the 20th state to legalize medicinal cannabis. The Democratic-controlled state Senate passed the bill by a 42-4 vote. The House of Delegates had approved it last month. The measure allows seriously ill residents to obtain medical marijuana via state-regulated programs administered by academic medical centers. ... Full Story | Top |
| All Syria chemical arms claims need examining: U.N.'s Ban Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:02 PM PDT By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - An advance team of U.N.-mandated experts has gone to Cyprus and is awaiting permission from the Syrian government to investigate allegations of chemical weapons attacks, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday. Syria has asked the United Nations only to investigate what it says was a rebel chemical attack near Aleppo. The opposition blames President Bashar al-Assad's forces for that strike and also wants the U.N. team to look into alleged chemical attacks by the government side elsewhere. ... Full Story | Top |
| Suicide car bomber kills 15 in central Damascus Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:02 PM PDT  By Oliver Holmes and Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - A suicide car bomb killed at least 15 people and wounded 53 in the main business district of Damascus on Monday in what the Syrian prime minister said was a response to army gains against rebels around the capital. The bomb near a school in the Sabaa Bahrat district, which also houses the Central Bank and Finance Ministry, set cars ablaze and damaged buildings, state television footage showed. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate confirms Mary Jo White as SEC Chairman Monday, Apr 08, 2013 12:00 PM PDT  By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Monday confirmed former federal prosecutor Mary Jo White as the new head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency tasked with policing Wall Street and writing new rules of the road for financial markets. White received wide bipartisan support in the Senate thanks to her reputation as a tough former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where she went after mobsters and terrorists. White was nominated in January by President Barack Obama, roughly a month after SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro stepped down from the ... Full Story | Top |
| UAE man jailed 10 months for tweeting on father's trial Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:53 AM PDT DUBAI (Reuters) - A court in the United Arab Emirates sentenced a man to 10 months in jail on Monday after he tweeted details of the trial of his father and 93 other people accused of plotting to seize power in the Gulf Arab state, an Emirati activist said. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said last week that Abdulla al-Hadidi was arrested on March 21 on charges of publishing "in bad faith" false details of a public trial session on the Internet. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. envoy says must fight mistrust for Middle East peace Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:52 AM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he is trying to break down mistrust on both sides of the "festering" conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and would not rush into a new peace process. Making his third visit to the region in less than three weeks, Kerry met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday night and was to sit down to dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night. "I am intensely focused on this issue ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Bissau president implicated in U.S. drugs case Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:51 AM PDT  By Richard Valdmanis DAKAR (Reuters) - Guinea-Bissau's caretaker president may have cooperated with the planners of a doomed cocaine-and-weapons smuggling scheme meant to arm Colombian rebels, according to U.S. court filings reviewed by Reuters on Monday. The documents cast a shadow on international efforts to restore order in the tiny West African state, which has suffered a string of coups since 1974 independence and which has since become a transhipment hub for narcotics bound for Europe. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ceremonial funeral for Britain's Thatcher Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:22 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - The British government said a ceremonial funeral with military honors, a tribute usually reserved for senior members of the royal family, would be held for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 87, who died on Monday. The ceremony is expected to be held at London's St Paul's Cathedral next week. In line with her family's wishes, the occasion will not be a full state funeral, which another former British leader Winston Churchill was given in 1965. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ceremonial funeral for Thatcher Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:21 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - The British government said a ceremonial funeral with military honours, a tribute usually reserved for senior members of the royal family, would be held for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 87, who died on Monday. The ceremony is expected to be held at London's St Paul's Cathedral next week. In line with her family's wishes, the occasion will not be a full state funeral, which another former British leader Winston Churchill was given in 1965. ... Full Story | Top |
| French photographer escapes Afghan kidnappers after four months Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:19 AM PDT By Hamid Shalizi and Dylan Welch KABUL (Reuters) - A French photographer kidnapped in Afghanistan four months ago fled his captors on Monday and was now safe in the hands of officials from his embassy, the Afghan Interior Ministry said. A second French hostage in Afghanistan was freed by his captors, a spokesman for France's foreign ministry said, without providing any details. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU's Ashton urges Serbia to make last effort to seal Kosovo deal Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:13 AM PDT  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday she regretted Serbia's rejection of an EU-brokered plan to tackle the ethnic partition of its former province Kosovo and urged Belgrade to make a last effort to reach a deal. Serbia's decision earlier on Monday to reject proposals hammered out in talks mediated by Ashton could hurt its hopes of starting membership talks with the EU. "I believe that all the elements for an agreement on northern Kosovo are on the table ...," Ashton said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Beyonce, Jay-Z Cuba trip was OK'd by US Treasury Dept - source Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:12 AM PDT  MIAMI (Reuters) - American pop star Beyonce and rapper husband Jay Z visited Havana last week on a cultural trip that was fully licensed by the United States Treasury Department, according to a source familiar with the trip. Beyonce and Jay Z celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in the Cuban capital, where big crowds greeted them as they strolled hand in hand through the city and posed for pictures with admiring Cubans. The longstanding U.S. trade embargo against Cuba prevents most Americans from traveling to the island without a license granted by the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Thatcherism: the radical ideology that became the global norm Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:11 AM PDT By Jeremy Gaunt LONDON (Reuters) - More than three decades after Margaret Thatcher became Britain's prime minister, her economic legacy - reviled and revered - still ripples across the world. Whether it is euro zone finance ministers demanding debt-laden countries privatize state-run companies, U.S. politicians seeking spending cuts and curbs on unions, or Britain itself putting its Royal Mail on the auction bloc, the tenets of Thatcherism, for better or worse, are alive. Thatcher, who died on Monday aged 87, stood for deregulation, a smaller state, free markets and privatization. ... Full Story | Top |
| Thatcher hailed for changing political landscape of the world Monday, Apr 08, 2013 11:04 AM PDT By Kevin Liffey LONDON (Reuters) - Loved or loathed in death as in life, Margaret Thatcher left no one indifferent, finding some of her most ardent admirers among her political opponents. "Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world. Margaret was such a leader," said Tony Blair, the centre-left Labour leader who brought his own party back to power not least by heeding the lessons of "Thatcherism". ... Full Story | Top |
| Thatcher not mourned by all as some Britons party Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:58 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Controversial in life, British ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher continued to divide the nation in death, with somber plans for a funeral and eulogies rejected by some in favor of celebrations and parties. As Britain buzzed with the news on Monday afternoon that the "Iron Lady" had died, not everyone was in mourning. In Brixton, south London - the scene of fierce rioting in the 1980s, blamed on deep social divisions as well as racial tensions - a hastily convened party was gathering pace. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama leads U.S. tributes to Margaret Thatcher Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:55 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama led an outpouring of U.S. affection for late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on Monday, saying "America has lost a true friend" who helped win the Cold War. Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" of British politics, died on Monday after a stroke. She was an important ally to American leaders throughout the 1980s, developing close ties with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and was embraced as a soul mate by U.S. conservatives. ... Full Story | Top |
| France's Giscard hails "untameable" Thatcher Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:51 AM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - Margaret Thatcher was a formidable politician who made Britain shine around the world but in person had a tendency to crush people whom she considered weak, former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing said on Monday. A contemporary of Thatcher's on the world stage, Giscard d'Estaing said he had "fond" memories of Thatcher as an "untameable" character whom he admired for the frankness with which she defended Britain. She died on Monday aged 87. "She had an unshakeable will, an untameable character," Giscard d'Estaing told French media. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hair Club, Bosley hair company settle FTC charges Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:48 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bosley Inc, which markets treatments for balding men, has settled charges that it gave sensitive business information about products and prices to a competitor with which it later decided to merge, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Monday. The FTC said Bosley's chief executive officer traded information with the Hair Club CEO about new products, price floors for surgical hair transplants and planned expansions. Bosley's corporate parent, Japan's Aderans Co Ltd , said in July that it would buy Hair Club for Men and Women for $163.5 million. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin says Russia does not discriminate against gays Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:40 AM PDT AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Russia does not discriminate against homosexuals, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Amsterdam on Monday where he was greeted by gay rights and other activists critical of Russia's track record. "In the Russian Federation - so that it is clear to everybody - there is no infringement on the rights of sexual minorities," Putin told a press conference. "These people...enjoy all the same rights and freedoms as everyone else." (Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk in Amsterdam and Alissa de Carbonnel in Moscow; Writing by Sara Webb; Editing by Michael Roddy) Full Story | Top |
| Falkland Islands mourn Thatcher, Argentines bitter over past Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:37 AM PDT By Hilary Burke and Karina Grazina BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Falkland Islanders mourned Margaret Thatcher on Monday, revering her as their liberator after a 1982 invasion by Argentine forces, but many Argentines bitterly recalled her role in defending the South Atlantic territory. Flags flew at half-staff on the Falklands after news of Thatcher's death on Monday aged 87. The head of the local legislative assembly said it was a day of great sadness and another resident praised her as "our Winston Churchill. ... Full Story | Top |
| British parliament recalled to pay tribute to Thatcher Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:31 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's parliament will be recalled from a holiday break to hold a special session in honor of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who died on Monday. "To show its respect, the Speaker has agreed to recall Parliament on Wednesday for a special session in which tributes will be paid," said Prime Minister David Cameron, who cut short a visit to Europe to return to Britain after the news of Thatcher's death was announced. ... Full Story | Top |
| Parliament recalled to pay tribute to Thatcher Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:29 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - The parliament will be recalled from a holiday break to hold a special session in honour of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who died on Monday. "To show its respect, the Speaker has agreed to recall Parliament on Wednesday for a special session in which tributes will be paid," said Prime Minister David Cameron, who cut short a visit to Europe to return to Britain after the news of Thatcher's death was announced. ... Full Story | Top |
| Streep voices admiration for "Iron Lady" she played in film Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:28 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Actress Meryl Streep, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the 2011 film "The Iron Lady", praised the former British prime minister on Monday as a pioneer for the role of women in politics. Britain's first and only female political leader died on Monday, aged 87, after suffering a stroke. Streep, 63, described Thatcher as a trailblazer, "willingly or unwillingly", for female political leaders. "To me she was a figure of awe for her personal strength and grit," the American actress said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Against German reunification, but Thatcher was "great" says Kohl Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:26 AM PDT LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany (Reuters) - Helmut Kohl, the chancellor who oversaw the reunification of Germany - a process that was opposed at the time by Margaret Thatcher - hailed the late British prime minister on Monday as "great". "She was a great woman and there was no substitute for her ... She was one of the most exceptionally gifted prime ministers there ever was," Kohl told Reuters TV after news that Thatcher had died at the age of 87. "In many situations and in confrontations with the economy she stood her ground. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mexico backs Japan's bid to join Trans-Pacific trade talks Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:22 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Mexico on Monday gave its support to Japan's bid to join trade talks in the Asia-Pacific region that would create the world's largest free trade zone. Japan asked to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in March and is awaiting a formal decision by the 11 current participating countries, which could come as early as this month. "We express our sympathy, support and backing for the interest that Japan has shown in participating in the TPP," Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said at a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mulroney recalls Thatcher in conservative alliance at G7 Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:12 AM PDT By Randall Palmer OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's Brian Mulroney, a Cold War ally of Margaret Thatcher who died on Monday, recalled an aggressive, articulate and well-prepared colleague who, he said, transformed Britain into a superpower. In an interview with Reuters, Mulroney noted the heavy weighting of conservatives within the powerful G7 group of major nations - including himself, Thatcher, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany. France's Francois Mitterrand, a socialist, also took a hard line on Moscow. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fitch warns Portugal after court rejects austerity measures Monday, Apr 08, 2013 09:55 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Rating agency Fitch warned Portugal on Monday it could demote the nation's debt deeper into junk territory if last week's rejection of austerity measures by its constitutional court disrupts its fiscal repair plans. Fitch currently rates Portugal BB+ with a negative outlook which the firm says historically ends up in a downgrade in around 50 percent of cases. ... Full Story | Top |
| World powers see enough substance in Iran talks to continue Monday, Apr 08, 2013 09:54 AM PDT  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - World powers believe talks with Iran over its contentious nuclear program have been substantial enough for diplomacy to continue, a senior Western diplomat said on Monday, days after a meeting in Kazakhstan failed to yield a breakthrough. "There is enough substance for these negotiations to continue," the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters. "I would not expect a breakdown. ... Full Story | Top |
| Anne Frank's step-sister highlights post-Holocaust traumas Monday, Apr 08, 2013 09:53 AM PDT  By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - As the step-sister of World War II diarist Anne Frank, Eva Schloss was in great demand when she went public with her story of surviving Auschwitz but now she hopes a new memoir will highlight another issue - surviving life after the Holocaust. Schloss, 83, said it was increasingly important that ageing Holocaust survivors pass on their stories while they still can so younger generations understand the suffering Jewish people faced and the consequences of prejudice. ... Full Story | Top |
| Austria feels heat of EU's anti-bank-secrecy drive Monday, Apr 08, 2013 09:47 AM PDT  By John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission warned Austria on Monday that its banking secrecy regime would leave it in a "lonely and unsustainable position" if it did not follow the same rules as other countries in sharing information on foreign depositors. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said he was open for talks on the subject. But Finance Minister Maria Fekter said she would fight "like a lion" to safeguard the country's centuries-old tradition of keeping bank accounts private. ... Full Story | Top |
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