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| Daughter says Mandela 'still there', raps media 'vultures' Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 10:43 AM PDT  By Siphiwe Sibeko PRETORIA (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela's eldest daughter lambasted foreign media "vultures" for violating her father's privacy as he lay critically ill in hospital, and said the former South African president was still clinging to life on Thursday. Makaziwe Mandela's outburst came as anxiety increased over the faltering health of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero, admired across the world as a symbol of resistance against injustice and oppression and then of racial reconciliation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Accused Boston Marathon bomber charged in four deaths Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 12:54 PM PDT By Scott Malone and Stephanie Simon BOSTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on charges of killing four people in the largest mass-casualty attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. The 30-count indictment filed in Boston federal court charges the 19-year-old ethnic Chechen with setting off two homemade pressure-cooker bombs in a crowd of thousands at the race's finish line and with committing a carjacking and engaging in a fierce gunbattle with police prior to his April 19 arrest. ... Full Story | Top |
| Closing ranks, Fed officials push back on 'out of sync' markets Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 10:37 AM PDT  By Jonathan Spicer and Alister Bull NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In remarkably similar tones, two influential Federal Reserve policymakers on Thursday sought to dissuade investors that monetary accommodation was fading any time soon, each going so far as to say markets have misinterpreted the U.S. central bank's intentions. The separate speeches from New York Fed President William Dudley and Fed Governor Jerome Powell underscore how uneasily U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama jabs Russia, China on failure to extradite Snowden Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 11:46 AM PDT  By Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal DAKAR (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he would not start "wheeling and dealing" with China and Russia over a U.S. request to extradite former American spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. Obama, who appeared concerned that the case would overshadow a three-country tour of Africa that he began in Senegal, also dismissed suggestions that the United States might try to intercept Snowden if he were allowed to depart Moscow by air. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate poised to pass sweeping immigration legislation Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 10:50 AM PDT  By Richard Cowan and Rachelle Younglai WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate neared passage on Thursday of a landmark bill overhauling the nation's immigration laws amid bipartisan support for a plan to put 11 million people living illegally in the United States on a pathway to citizenship. But the bill may not progress beyond the Senate. The measure was in serious trouble in the more conservative House of Representatives. House Speaker John Boehner has said it will not even be considered in its current form. ... Full Story | Top |
| Consumer spending, jobs data point to lukewarm growth Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 10:09 AM PDT  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer spending rebounded in May and new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, suggesting the economy remained on a moderate growth path. While other data on Thursday showed contracts to buy previously owned homes approached a 6-1/2 year high in May, the data taken together suggested economic activity would probably remain lukewarm and discourage the Federal Reserve from scaling back its monetary stimulus anytime soon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Defense challenges testimony of woman on phone with Trayvon Martin Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 11:49 AM PDT  By Barbara Liston SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A woman who was on the phone with unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin moments before he was shot by a volunteer watchman rejected attempts by a lawyer in a Florida court to depict Martin as the aggressor in a struggle that ended in his death. During an argumentative cross-examination on Thursday at the trial of George Zimmerman, a defense lawyer also suggested to the witness, 19-year-old Rachel Jeantel, that she had embellished her account of the conversation with Martin after news coverage portrayed the shooting as "a racial thing. ... Full Story | Top |
| CFTC charges MF Global, Corzine, O'Brien over brokerage collapse Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 12:21 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators on Thursday settled charges against MF Global over the futures brokerage's collapse, and also charged former Chief Executive Jon Corzine and former Assistant Treasurer Edith O'Brien in connection with the alleged misuse of customer funds. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said MF Global had agreed to settle all charges against it, pay a $100 million penalty, and pay all the funds still owed to commodity customers. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chemical weapons team in Turkey to investigate Syria claims Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 08:40 AM PDT  By Anthony Deutsch and Parisa Hafezi AMSTERDAM/ANKARA (Reuters) - U.N.-appointed inspectors, blocked from entering Syria, are in Turkey to gather information about possible use of chemical weapons in the civil war, officials said on Thursday. The Syrian government and rebels fighting it have accused each other of using lethal chemical agents, including sarin gas, in the two-year-old conflict in which the death toll is estimated at more than 100,000. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt braced for protests as Mursi stands ground Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 12:03 PM PDT  By Asma Alsharif and Alastair Macdonald CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt faces a showdown in the streets after President Mohamed Mursi failed, in an address to the nation, to satisfy the demands of opponents who want to force him from office. Days of brawling between his Islamist supporters and their rivals have already left several dead and scores injured and the camps now plan mass rallies, raising the risk of bigger clashes that the army warns could prompt it to take command again. On Friday, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood and their allies will gather in Cairo, as will some opposition groups. ... Full Story | Top |
| Some gay couples now due to receive benefits under 'Obamacare' Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 09:26 AM PDT  By Yasmeen Abutaleb WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday that same-sex couples are eligible for federal benefits will mean more gays and lesbians can reap the benefits of President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul that take effect January 1, advocates say. In a landmark decision, the court effectively legalized same-sex marriage in California and struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied same-sex couples federal benefits such as healthcare. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria war likely to drag on, Red Cross president says Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 06:28 AM PDT  By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The Red Cross said on Thursday it was planning humanitarian operations for an extended conflict in Syria in the absence of any sign of a political solution and military stalemate between rebels and government troops. Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the aid agency had urged major powers to try to stop all sides from committing violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes. He saw no reason to expect the 27-month-old conflict to end anytime soon. ... Full Story | Top |
| In Africa, Obama lauds democracy but urges progress on gay rights Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 08:13 AM PDT  By Jeff Mason and Daniel Flynn DAKAR (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, kicking off a long-awaited African tour, lauded a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage as a victory for democracy and urged African nations to end discrimination against homosexuals. In only his second visit to Africa since taking office, Obama hailed the advance of democracy there and said he was looking at ways to extend the AGOA free trade agreement, due to expire in 2015, to create more jobs on the world's poorest continent. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry resumes tough Israeli-Palestinian peace drive Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 04:07 AM PDT  By Lesley Wroughton AMMAN (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry's drive to revive Middle East peace talks hit familiar warning signals on Thursday as Israel's prime minister stressed security needs and a Palestinian negotiator denounced Israeli settlement building. Kerry, on his fifth visit to the region, will hold separate talks with Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem over the next three days. ... Full Story | Top |
| China, South Korea push for North Korea talks Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 04:04 AM PDT  By Ju-min Park and Sui-Lee Wee BEIJING (Reuters) - China's president welcomed his South Korean counterpart on Thursday as an "old friend of China" and agreed to make a push for new talks with North Korea on Thursday as two of Asia's newest leaders met for the first time. Park Geun-hye, one of Asia's few women leaders, took office in Seoul in February amid war threats by North Korea, while China's Xi Jinping was appointed in November and has sought to rein in the North's nuclear weapons program, backing tougher economic sanctions against Beijing's traditional ally. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador offers U.S. rights aid, waives trade benefits Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 07:06 AM PDT  By Alexandra Valencia and Brian Ellsworth QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's leftist government thumbed its nose at Washington on Thursday by renouncing U.S. trade benefits and offering to pay for human rights training in America in response to pressure over asylum for former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. The angry response threatens a showdown between the two nations over Snowden, and may burnish President Rafael Correa's credentials to be the continent's principal challenger of U.S. power after the death of Venezuelan socialist leader Hugo Chavez. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama starts long awaited Africa tour at slave port Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 04:28 AM PDT  By Mark Felsenthal DAKAR, Senegal (Reuters) - Almost four centuries after Africans started being shipped to North America as slaves, the first U.S. president of African ancestry will on Thursday visit an infamous embarkation point for those destined for lives in chains. In his first - and, many Africans say, long-overdue - extended tour of the continent, President Barack Obama will focus on political and economic issues, but is also paying homage to a painful chapter in American history. ... Full Story | Top |
| No sign of cyber leaker Snowden on flight to Cuba Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 04:07 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian passenger plane left Moscow for Havana on Thursday without any sign of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden on board, witnesses said. Cuba is considered a possible destination for Snowden on his way to Ecuador, where he is seeking asylum. The 30-year-old American is wanted in the United States on espionage charges and is thought to have remained in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since flying in from Hong Kong on Sunday. Russia carrier Aeroflot confirmed the plane's departure but declined comment on the passenger list. ... Full Story | Top |
| ANA says Dreamliner jet had problem with AC power supply Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 03:58 AM PDT  TOKYO (Reuters) - One of All Nippon Airways' 787 Dreamliner jets, made by Boeing Co, had a cockpit message saying that the aircraft might not be able to supply power for its air-conditioning system, the Japanese airline said on Thursday. The issue was not related to the lithium ion battery problems that had grounded the jets for three months from mid-January, Ryosei Nomura, an ANA spokesman, said. All Dreamliner jets are under the microscope after Boeing installed a re-designed battery system and they resumed flying. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rudd sworn in as Australian PM after overthrowing Gillard Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 03:22 AM PDT  By James Grubel CANBERRA (Reuters) - Kevin Rudd was sworn in as Australian prime minister for the second time on Thursday, a day after toppling Julia Gillard and three months ahead of elections in which opinion polls show the ruling Labor Party faces a devastating defeat. Rudd's return as prime minister follows three years of squabbling within the Labor leadership and as the world's 12th largest economy faces challenges stemming from a slowdown in top trade partner China. ... Full Story | Top |
| Consumer spending rebounds, income jumps Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 05:38 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer spending rebounded and incomes recorded their largest increase in three months in May, adding to data that have suggested the economy has shifted to firmer ground. The Commerce Department said on Thursday consumer spending increased 0.3 percent last month after a revised 0.3 percent drop in April. Consumer spending in April was previously reported to have declined 0.2 percent. Last month's spending increase was in line with economists' expectations. When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending rose 0.2 percent last month after dipping 0.1 percent in April. ... Full Story | Top |
| SapuraKencana, Seadrill win $2.7 billion Petrobras contract Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 09:01 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Brazil's state-run oil firm Petrobas SA has awarded a $2.7 billion offshore support vessel contract to Norway's Seadrill and Malaysia's SapuraKencana , the latter firm said on Thursday. Their joint venture - Sapura Navegacao Maritima - won an 8-year deal to build, charter and operate three pipe-laying vessels, with delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2016, the company said in a stock exchange filing. Petrobras can extend the contract by further 8 years. A decision to build the ships outside of Brazil comes as Petrobras seeks to cut costs by $15. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chemical weapons team in Turkey to investigate Syria claims Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 02:23 AM PDT  By Anthony Deutsch and Parisa Hafezi AMSTERDAM/ANKARA (Reuters) - U.N.-appointed inspectors, blocked from entering Syria, are in Turkey to gather information about possible use of chemical weapons in the civil war, officials said on Thursday. Members of the team assembled by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had been on standby in Cyprus since April, unable to enter Syria as Western governments accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of chemical weapons attacks. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador minister says statement on Snowden imminent Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 04:53 AM PDT  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Thursday an announcement would be made within half an hour in Ecuador about former CIA contractor Edward Snowden. He was speaking to reporters in Singapore. (Editing by Nick Macfie) Full Story | Top |
| Rosneft offers to buy out small TNK-BP shareholders in cut-price deal Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 08:45 AM PDT  By Katya Golubkova MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian state oil major Rosneft on Thursday offered to buy out small shareholders in TNK-BP Holding but said it would pay less for the stock than the price at the time of the takeover in March. Chief executive Igor Sechin said that Rosneft was not a "charity fund" when it bought TNK-BP and did not intend to buy out minority shareholders, raising complaints from them and questions from international investors about corporate governance in Russia. Following the TNK-BP deal, Rosneft became the world's No. 1 oil producer by output, pumping 4. ... Full Story | Top |
| China lifts 17-year ban on Dalai Lama photos at Tibet monastery: group Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 08:47 AM PDT  By Sui-Lee Wee BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese officials have lifted a ban on Tibetan monks displaying photographs of the Dalai Lama at a prominent monastery, a rights group said on Thursday, an unexpected policy shift which could ease tensions in the restive region. The decision concerning the Gaden monastery in the Tibetan capital Lhasa - one of the most historically important religious establishments in Tibet - reversed a ban introduced in 1996, the Britain-based Free Tibet group told Reuters, citing sources with direct knowledge of the situation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Merkel tells Turkey democratic values 'non-negotiable' for EU Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 01:12 AM PDT  BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she welcomed an agreement to reopen talks with Turkey about joining the European Union but warned in the light of the crackdown on Turkish anti-government protests that democratic values were non-negotiable. Merkel told the German parliament that the agreement this week to make progress in Turkey's application for membership conditional on respect for human rights and political reform meant the EU was "not acting as if nothing had happened". ... Full Story | Top |
| Envoy says U.S. loses trust in Hong Kong after Snowden Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 03:40 AM PDT  By Greg Torode HONG KONG (Reuters) - The top U.S. diplomat in Hong Kong warned on Thursday of a "big struggle" ahead to repair Washington's trust in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory after the flight of fugitive spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. Speaking publicly for the first time since Snowden flew from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday despite a U.S. request to hold him to face charges of espionage, Consul General Stephen Young told Reuters that Washington's confidence was "shaken". "My point is simple - I've spent three years working for good relationship between Hong Kong and the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Confrontation over the South China Sea 'doomed', China tells claimants Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 02:11 AM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - Countries with territorial claims in the South China Sea that look for help from third parties will find their efforts "futile", China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned on Thursday, adding that the path of confrontation would be "doomed". Beijing's assertion of sovereignty over a vast stretch of the South China Sea has set it directly against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to other parts of the sea, making it Asia's biggest potential military troublespot. At stake are potentially massive offshore oil reserves. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. cyber leaker Snowden sits tight in Moscow transit Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 01:30 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden was believed to still be at a Moscow airport on Thursday and officials said he had not booked a flight out despite pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin to leave. Snowden fled the United States to Hong Kong this month after leaking details of secret U.S. government surveillance programs, then flew to Moscow on Sunday. He had been expected to fly on to Havana on Monday but did not board the aircraft. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mongolian president wins second term amid focus on mining curbs Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 02:41 AM PDT  ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - Mongolia's incumbent president, Tsakhia Elbegdorj, who wants more controls on foreign mining investments, has emerged as the winner of Wednesday's polls with a narrow majority of votes cast, the country's election commission said on Thursday. Elbegdorj, 50, who has served as president since 2009, was the overwhelming favorite in the contest, played out amid worries about Mongolia's faltering economy as well as the growing role of foreign mining firms. The commission said Elbegdorj got 50. ... Full Story | Top |
| Snowden still at airport, Ecuador asylum decision could take months Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 04:44 PM PDT  By Alessandra Prentice and Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - A former U.S. spy agency contractor facing charges of espionage remained in hiding at a Moscow airport on Wednesday while the prospect grew of a protracted wrangle over his fate. Ecuador, where Edward Snowden has requested asylum, said a decision could take months and asked Washington to argue its case for extradition. Russia said Snowden, whose flight is proving a growing embarrassment for President Barack Obama, was still in the transit area of Sheremetyevo airport. A leading U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gay marriage gets big boost in two Supreme Court rulings Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 01:59 PM PDT  By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for gay rights on Wednesday by forcing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in states where it is legal and paving the way for it in California, the most populous state. As expected, however, the court fell short of a broader ruling endorsing a fundamental right for gay people to marry, meaning that there will be no impact in the more than 30 states that do not recognize gay marriage. ... Full Story | Top |
| Tunisia frees three Europeans jailed for topless feminist protest Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 07:42 PM PDT  By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian court on Wednesday decided to release three European feminist activists who staged a topless protest in Tunis last month against the Islamist-led government. The release of the three women -- one German and two French members the women's rights group, Femen -- could ease the anger of the European Union, Tunisia's main economic ally. They were sentenced to four months in jail for indecency earlier this month after their May 29 protest to call for the release of fellow activist Tunisian Amina Tyler. Tyler, 18, remains in custody, awaiting trial. ... Full Story | Top |
| Texas governor mounts new bid for abortion restrictions Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 06:51 PM PDT  By Corrie MacLaggan AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry on Wednesday launched another battle to pass sweeping abortion restrictions after a marathon speech by a Democrat lawmaker briefly halted a bill critics say could shut most abortion clinics in one of the nation's biggest states. Democratic Senator Wendy Davis, once a teenage mother who went on to earn a Harvard Law degree, was propelled on to the national political stage when she spoke for more than 10 hours to block a measure that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt's Mursi offers to listen, opponents unimpressed Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 06:14 PM PDT  By Yasmine Saleh and Alastair Macdonald CAIRO (Reuters) - President Mohamed Mursi offered opponents a say in amending Egypt's constitution, but railed against "enemies" he accused of undermining the new democracy in a defiant speech ahead of mass protests planned to demand that he step down. As the Islamist head of state ended a marathon televised address early on Thursday, liberals said they had heard nothing new, including any offer to include them in committees to draft institutional reforms and study "national reconciliation". ... Full Story | Top |
| Fresh protests in Brazil despite government concessions Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 04:55 PM PDT  By Anthony Boadle and Tatiana Ramil BRASILIA/BELO HORIZONTE (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets on Wednesday in new demonstrations calling for a crackdown on corruption and better public services, just a day after Congress ceded to some of the key demands galvanizing protests across the country. In Belo Horizonte, authorities said 40,000 people gathered to demand improved education and healthcare as Brazil's third-largest city hosted a Confederations Cup semi-final soccer game between Brazil and Uruguay in a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mandela still critical, Zuma cancels Mozambique trip Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 03:29 PM PDT By Ed Cropley JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma canceled a trip to neighboring Mozambique on Thursday, intensifying speculation about a deterioration in the health of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, who remains critically ill in hospital. Zuma made his decision not to leave the country after visiting the 94-year-old late on Wednesday in the Pretoria hospital where he has been receiving treatment for a lung infection for nearly three weeks. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate backs border amendment to immigration bill Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 04:13 PM PDT  By Richard Cowan and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About $46 billion in border security was added on Wednesday to a comprehensive immigration bill headed toward bipartisan passage in the U.S. Senate, but Republicans in the House of Representatives voiced strong opposition. The Democratic-led Senate is expected to approve the White House-backed bill on Thursday or Friday and send it to the House, which likely will not even bring it up for a vote, largely because of resistance to a proposed pathway to citizenship for up to 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fed communication went through 'rocky' patch: official Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 03:04 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve communications have been through a "rocky" patch but financial markets are now more in sync with the central bank's message, a senior Fed official said on Wednesday, shrugging off a week of violent volatility. Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and a persistent critic of the Fed's massive bond- buying campaign, said it was always going to be difficult to discuss ending the program because of its open-ended nature. ... Full Story | Top |
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