| | |
| Kentucky official to run against Republican Senate leader McConnell Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:57 PM PDT (Reuters) - Kentucky Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes announced on Monday that she will run against U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell in the 2014 election. At a press conference in Frankfort, the state capital, Grimes said McConnell has been obstructionist in Washington and is out of touch with average citizens. A poll last month by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling found McConnell and Grimes tied at 45 percent each. ... Full Story | Top |
| San Diego jury acquits sidewalk graffiti protester of vandalism charges Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:56 PM PDT SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A protester charged with criminal vandalism for scrawling anti-bank slogans with washable chalk on San Diego city sidewalks was acquitted by a jury on Monday of all 13 counts against him. Jeff Olson, 40, had faced a possible maximum penalty of 13 years behind bars had he been convicted in a trial denounced by Mayor Bob Filner as a waste of taxpayer money and an abuse of prosecutorial power. The San Diego jury of two men and 10 women deliberated for less than five hours before returning the not guilty verdict. ... Full Story | Top |
| Snowden applies for Russian asylum, Putin says stop harming U.S. Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:53 PM PDT By Alexei Anishchuk and Lidia Kelly MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has applied for political asylum in Russia, a Russian official said on Monday, but President Vladimir Putin said he was not welcome unless he stopped harming U.S. interests "as strange as that sounds coming from my lips". Wikileaks activist Sarah Harrison, who is travelling with Snowden, handed his application to a Russian consular official in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport late on Sunday, Kim Shevchenko, a consul at the airport, told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Texas abortion fight to reignite in second special session Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:50 PM PDT  By Corrie MacLaggan AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - When the Texas Legislature convenes on Monday for a second special session, the Republican majority will seek to do what it couldn't pull off in the first, when Democrat Wendy Davis stalled the measure for hours: Pass sweeping abortion restrictions. Opponents who crowded the State Capitol last week are vowing to continue their fight, but supporters of the proposal that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy have more time to pass it than they did in the first special session, when lawmakers focused initially on a redistricting issue. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama seeks to build Africa business ties on Tanzania stop Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:47 PM PDT  By Mark Felsenthal and Jeff Mason DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama sought to advance a new U.S. economic partnership with Africa during a stop in Tanzania on Monday at the end of a tour of the fast-growing continent where Washington faces competition from China. Obama's trip to Dar es Salaam came three months after a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited shortly after taking office. Many Africans see the U.S. leader's three-nation tour of Africa as an attempt to play catch-up. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian armed forces chief sets ultimatum Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:38 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, head of the Egyptian armed forces, issued a statement on Monday giving feuding politicians 48 hours to settle their differences or the military would impose its own "roadmap" for the country. Here is a transcript of his broadcast remarks, translated by Reuters: "Egypt and the entire world witnessed protests yesterday by the great Egyptian people, expressing their views and their will in a peaceful, civil and unprecedented manner. Everyone saw the movement of the Egyptian people and listened to their voice with respect and interest. ... Full Story | Top |
| Top Vatican bank managers resign after Monsignor's arrest Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:27 PM PDT  By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Two top managers of the scandal-plagued Vatican bank resigned on Monday following the arrest of a high-ranking cleric with close ties to the financial institution, in the latest of a string of embarrassments for the Holy See. Director Paolo Cipriani and deputy-director Massimo Tulli stepped down three days after the Vatican was rocked by the arrest of Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, who is accused of plotting with two other people to smuggle 20 million euros into Italy from Switzerland. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt's Nour Party fears army return to politics Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:23 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's second biggest Islamist party said on Monday it feared the army's return to public life "in a big way" after the military gave politicians 48 hours to resolve the country's political crisis. The Nour Party believed Egypt's national security was threatened by the division between the ruling Islamists and their opponents, Khaled Alam Eddin told the website of the Al-Ahram newspaper. "But we have fears about a return of the army once again in the picture in a big way," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy PM summons coalition partners as tensions rise Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:16 PM PDT  ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta called a government meeting after a coalition partner threatened to withdraw support on Monday, citing frustration with a slow pace of reforms to tackle a deep recession. "Italian politics has its problems. On Thursday we will have a 'control room' meeting and I'm sure we will resolve these problems," Letta told reporters in Israel after the leader of the centrist Civic Choice group Mario Monti warned he could withdraw from the coalition. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama says EU, all intelligence agencies seek info on each other Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:13 PM PDT  DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama played down a controversy over whether Washington had spied on its European allies, saying on Monday intelligence services around the world -- including in the EU -- seek additional insight beyond regular media reports. Obama, speaking at a news conference in Tanzania, said the United States would contact its European counterparts to address their concerns after studying allegations in a recent magazine article about the spying. The U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| New York judge rejects sex abuse lawsuits against Elmo puppeteer Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:13 PM PDT  By Francesca Trianni NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York federal judge on Monday tossed out three child sex abuse lawsuits against Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who gave Sesame Street's beloved Elmo character his voice. Judge John Koeltl rejected lawsuits filed by three men who accused Clash of sexually abusing them when they were under age. After the allegations surfaced last fall, Clash, 52, in November resigned the job he had held for 28 years as the puppeteer who brought life to Elmo, the red, furry monster featured on the international children's television series. The judge, of the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former drug dealer says Bulger's name taboo on the street Monday, Jul 01, 2013 12:10 PM PDT  By Stephanie Simon BOSTON (Reuters) - A former cocaine dealer who sought to protect his criminal empire by aligning with reputed mobster James "Whitey" Bulger testified on Monday that even as he worked with Bulger's closest associates he knew better than to utter the boss's name. Joseph Tower, who said he used to run a "pretty big empire" selling cocaine and marijuana in the Boston area, said everyone in the underworld knew not to mention the widely feared Bulger or even his nicknames - "Whitey" and "Boots" - in connection with any sort of criminal activity. ... Full Story | Top |
| CORRECTED-Obamacare 1.0: States brace for Web barrage when reform goes live Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:58 AM PDT  By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - About 550,000 people in Oregon do not have health insurance, and Aaron Karjala is confident the state's new online insurance exchange will be able to accommodate them when enrollment under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform begins on October 1. What Karjala, the chief information officer at "Cover Oregon," does worry about, however, is what will happen if the entire population of Oregon - 3.9 million - logs on that day "just to check it out," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt forces arrest Brotherhood leader's guards: sources Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:47 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces arrested 15 armed bodyguards of the number two in the ruling Muslim Brotherhood, Khairat El-Shater, on Monday after an exchange of fire in which no one was injured, security sources said. The Brotherhood's political party, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), denied the report, and quoted Shater as saying his private driver had been kidnapped after shooting in the area. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factories rebound in June, but hiring down Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:42 AM PDT  By Steven C. Johnson NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manufacturing expanded last month, rebounding from an unexpected contraction in May, but hiring in the sector was the weakest in nearly four years, which could make the Federal Reserve think twice about how soon to scale back its stimulus. A separate report on Monday showed construction spending neared a four-year high in May, a sign that it is regaining some strength after having collapsed during the 2007-2009 recession. But even with recent consumer and housing data suggesting the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former KMPG partner pleads guilty for insider trading scheme Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:38 AM PDT By Ronald Grover and Dana Feldman (Reuters) - Scott London, a former senior partner with accounting firm KPMG whose clients included Herbalife Ltd and Sketchers USA, pleaded guilty before a federal judge in Los Angeles to a charge of securities fraud arising from his involvement in insider trading. London, 50, who supervised more than 500 accounting professionals at KPMG, faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $5 million or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from his offense, according to the plea agreement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt army gives Mursi 48 hours to share power Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:36 AM PDT By Yasmine Saleh and Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi a virtual ultimatum to share power on Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country. A dramatic military statement broadcast on state television declared the nation was in danger after millions of Egyptians took to the streets on Sunday to demand that Mursi quit and the headquarters of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood were ransacked. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hyundai hit with $14 million verdict in U.S. airbag trial Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:31 AM PDT  By Jessica Dye NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. jury found South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co should pay $14 million to a Virginia man who suffered traumatic brain damage in a car accident after the side air bags in his 2008 Hyundai Tiburon failed to deploy. Jurors in state court in Pulaski County, Virginia, deliberated for more than eight hours before finding on Friday that a defect in the car's air-bag design was responsible for the injuries sustained by Zachary Duncan in the 2010 crash, according to court records and Duncan's attorney. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian Islamist Wasat party head-quarter firebombed Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:18 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - The headquarters of the moderate Egyptian Islamist party Wasat was set on fire on Monday, in an expansion of attacks on Islamist organizations across the country. Unidentified assailants threw petrol bombs at the building. Earlier on Monday, the headquarters of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood was overrun by youths who ransacked the building after those inside were evacuated following a night of violence that killed eight people. ... Full Story | Top |
| Governments warn about nuclear terrorism threat Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:13 AM PDT  By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - More action is needed to prevent militants acquiring plutonium or highly-enriched uranium that could be used in bombs, governments agreed at a meeting on nuclear security in Vienna on Monday, without deciding on any concrete steps. A declaration adopted by more than 120 states at the meeting said "substantial progress" had been made in recent years to improve nuclear security globally, but it was not enough. Analysts say radical groups could theoretically build a crude but deadly nuclear bomb if they had the money, technical knowledge and materials needed. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama calls on neighbors to stop fuelling Congo conflict Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:08 AM PDT  By Drazen Jorgic and Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday called on states around the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern region to stop fuelling conflict there and implement a peace deal. After 11 nations signed the peace agreement, the United Nations started deploying an intervention force, MONUSCO, to neutralize armed groups in the mineral-rich area that has been racked by conflict for years and is desperately underdeveloped. But a U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian rebels threaten to target Shi'ite villages in Aleppo Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:04 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels in the northern province of Aleppo on Monday threatened to seize two Shi'ite Muslim villages that back President Bashar al-Assad unless they surrendered to the opposition. Activists say both Nubl and Zahra villages had been reinforced by Assad's allies in the increasingly sectarian war, among them fighters from Iran and Lebanon's powerful Shi'ite guerrilla group, Hezbollah. "We announce our intention to liberate Nubl and Zahra from the regime and its shabbiha (pro-Assad militia), and from the Hezbollah and Iranian elements," the rebels said in an Internet ... Full Story | Top |
| Islamists in Syria's Aleppo ban 'provocative dress' for women Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:04 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamist rebels in Syria's northern city of Aleppo issued an order on Monday banning women from dressing in what it considered provocative styles, angering some locals who accuse the group of overstepping its powers. The Islamic law council of Aleppo's Fardous neighborhood issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning all Muslim women from wearing "immodest" dress and announcing plans to apply such rules to all female inhabitants. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria neighbors block thousands from fleeing: rights group Monday, Jul 01, 2013 11:04 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's neighbors have closed or tightened restrictions at several border crossings, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded within Syria's dangerous frontier regions, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. It said Iraq, Jordan and Turkey had all restricted the flow of people trying to flee a conflict which has killed 100,000 people and, according to the United Nations, has already driven 1.7 million more to take sanctuary outside Syria. ... Full Story | Top |
| Florida jury hears watchman's account of killing Trayvon Martin Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:55 AM PDT  By Barbara Liston SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - Jurors on Monday heard neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman's account of how he shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin as his Florida murder trial moved into the second week of testimony. Zimmerman gave several statements to police, including one just after he shot Martin during a fight in a gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford on February 26 last year, and another taken during a videotaped re-enactment the next day. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's payday lenders to face new regulator 'with real teeth' Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:52 AM PDT  By William James LONDON (Reuters) - A regulatory crackdown on Britain's payday lenders could include an advertising ban, rules on how quickly loans can be made and better data sharing among lenders, lawmakers and regulators said after an industry conference on Monday. The market for short-term loans, designed to be repaid when borrowers receive their wages, has grown rapidly in Britain and other countries like the U.S. as traditional bank credit lines have withered following the 2008 financial crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| Barclays stance on capital rules tests ties with regulator Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:52 AM PDT  By Steve Slater LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays' promise to have a model relationship with industry regulators is already being tested as the bank tries to fend off pressure to meet stricter capital requirements without reining in lending. The Bank of England delivered a quick and sharp response on Friday when Barclays Chief Executive Antony Jenkins said he may have to cut lending to UK households and companies if he is forced to meet a 3 percent leverage ratio quickly. The BoE said it had made it "very clear" that any plans that restrict lending would not be accepted. ... Full Story | Top |
| Illinois ends fiscal year 2013 with $6.1 billion bill backlog: comptroller Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:49 AM PDT CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois ended fiscal 2013 with an estimated $6.1 billion in unpaid bills and other obligations, and that could swell to $7.5 billion by August and nearly $9 billion in November and December, State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said in a report on Monday. The year-end total was down from $7.5 billion at the end of fiscal 2012, which Topinka said was largely due to a one-time increase in income tax collections in April. ... Full Story | Top |
| Code words and safe phones: anatomy of a money smuggling plot Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:48 AM PDT  By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - To most people, a book is a book. But to Monsignor Nunizio Scarano, a Vatican official arrested on charges of money smuggling, a "book" was a code word for one million euros in cash, a report by the judge on the case said. "Encyclopaedia," and "bookmarks" were among other code words that Scarano, who had close connections to the Vatican bank, used in phone conversations with secret service agent Giovanni Zito and broker Giovanni Carenzio, it said. The three were arrested on Friday for allegedly attempting to smuggle 20 million euros ($26. ... Full Story | Top |
| Through a haze of tear gas, Brazil looks ahead to the World Cup Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:40 AM PDT  By Asher Levine SAO PAULO (Reuters) - This year's Confederations Cup will mostly be remembered for the chants heard outside Brazil's stadiums, not in them, and those voices aren't likely to fade away as the World Cup approaches. A test-run for next year's much larger event, the eight-team tournament served as the backdrop for a wave of protests, the likes of which had not been seen in Latin America's largest country for over 20 years. The unrest largely overshadowed some memorable soccer, prompting many Brazilians to dub this year's event the "Demonstrations Cup. ... Full Story | Top |
| Authors lose class status in Google digital books case Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:38 AM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Google Inc notched a legal victory in its bid to create the world's largest digital books library, winning the reversal of a court order that had allowed authors challenging the project to sue as a group. A panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said Circuit Judge Denny Chin prematurely certified a class of authors without first deciding if the "fair use" defense under U.S. copyright law allowed Google to display snippets of books. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mursi meets Egypt army chief after ultimatum Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:28 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamist President Mohamed Mursi met the head of Egypt's armed forces along with the prime minister on Monday, according to a statement on the president's official Facebook page. The page was updated after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a virtual ultimatum to Mursi to reach a power-sharing agreement with his political rivals within 48 hours. The Facebook page showed a photograph of Mursi with Sisi and Prime Minister Hisham Kandil, sitting in easy chairs and smiling. It was not clear when it was taken. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Paul Taylor) Full Story | Top |
| U.S. seeks to calm European outrage over alleged spying Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:27 AM PDT By Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - President Barack Obama tried on Monday to reassure European allies affronted by reports of U.S. spying by suggesting all the world's intelligence services were involved in finding out the thinking of opponents and allies alike. The European Union has demanded the United States explain a report in a German magazine that Washington was spying on the bloc, saying that, if true, such surveillance was shocking. French President Francois Hollande called the alleged action intolerable, saying it could hinder U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK economy shows signs of life as Carney starts at BoE Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:24 AM PDT  By William Schomberg and Olesya Dmitracova LONDON (Reuters) - There was good news for Mark Carney when he took over as governor of the Bank of England on Monday - some fresh signs of recovery in Britain's economy. A couple of hours after Carney beat the commuter crowds on London's Underground to start his first day at the central bank, data showed that British manufacturing enjoyed its strongest growth in more than two years in June. New orders rose even faster, a hopeful sign that momentum in the long-weak factory sector might be sustained. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-FBI agent apologizes to victims at 'Whitey' Bulger trial Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:07 AM PDT  By Stephanie Simon BOSTON (Reuters) - Retired FBI agent John Morris made an emotional apology in court on Monday to the families of those named by prosecutors as victims of accused mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger, saying he had indirectly tipped off Bulger's gang that one of the victims was cooperating with federal authorities. "I don't want to ask for your forgiveness, but I do want to express my sincere apology for things that I may have done and things that I didn't do," Morris said, his face reddening and his eyes tearing. "Not a day in my life has gone by that I haven't thought about this. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian peace talks resume in Cuba amid tensions Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:03 AM PDT By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - The Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels clashed on Monday over how to incorporate Latin America's oldest guerrilla movement into the democratic process, as they began the latest round of peace talks in Havana. The FARC reiterated its demand that Colombia's 2014 general election be postponed a year in favor of a constituent assembly to chart the country's political future. The government has repeatedly rejected the proposal and insisted a peace agreement must be reached by the end of 2013. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. takes over Mali peacekeeping mission, doubts over vote Monday, Jul 01, 2013 10:01 AM PDT By Adama Diarra BAMAKO (Reuters) - The United Nations took over command of an African peacekeeping force in Mali on Monday, bolstering the mission in a country still threatened by militants and weeks away from what analysts warn could be chaotic elections. The transfer of command will bring in soldiers from beyond Africa and eventually see the operation more than double in size. Western and regional powers want to keep order in the West African country after a tumultuous 18 months when soldiers toppled the president and al Qaeda-linked rebels seized the desert north. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameron in coalition clash over EU referendum Monday, Jul 01, 2013 09:45 AM PDT  By Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron clashed with his coalition partners over the European Union on Monday after they accused him of endangering an economic recovery by promising a vote on Britain's 40-year membership of the bloc. Business Secretary Vince Cable, one of the most senior members of the pro-EU Lib Dems, said Cameron's pledge of an in/out referendum was a "serious distraction" for a country still healing after the global financial crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon says it won't speculate on Egypt's next 48 hours Monday, Jul 01, 2013 09:44 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department on Monday declined to speculate on what might happen in Egypt during the next 48 hours, saying it was still reviewing the statement by the Egyptian army giving the nation's feuding politicians a deadline to agree on an inclusive roadmap for the country's future. "We're in the process of reviewing that statement. We're not entirely sure what's going to happen one way or the other in the next 48 hours, so I wouldn't engage in any kind of speculation," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| China investigates EU wines in latest trade spat Monday, Jul 01, 2013 09:41 AM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China formally began an investigation on Monday into whether Europe is selling wine in China below cost, a response to escalating trade tensions with the European Union. The Chinese government said it would seek to determine if EU producers benefited from unfair subsidies following a complaint from its own wine producers. EU officials have said China is only targeting the EU wine industry in retaliation for a dispute with the European Union over cheap Chinese solar panels. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment