| | |
| McCain: 'We are not winning' push for immigration reform Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:43 PM PDT  By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator John McCain said on Thursday that he and other backers of immigration reform "are not winning," and must boost efforts to get the House of Representatives to pass such a bill. McCain said proponents - who include businesses, churches and labor - will wage an aggressive campaign in selective congressional districts next month to make the case for a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration laws. "Here is a fact: We are not winning," the Arizona Republican told reporters. "So we have to wage a campaign. That doesn't mean a negative campaign. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Major issues in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:40 PM PDT (Reuters) - Israel and the Palestinians have laid the groundwork to resume direct peace talks after almost three years of stalemate, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Friday. If the two sides do indeed sit down together in the coming days, as planned, they would face the same array of problems that have confounded progress in years of on-off talks: TWO-STATE SOLUTION The Palestinians want to create an independent state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with Arab East Jerusalem as their capital - land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. ... Full Story | Top |
| Portugal's opposition says crisis talks break off Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:33 PM PDT  LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's main opposition Socialists and the ruling coalition have broken off talks, leaving it to the president to decide how to end a political crisis that threatens Lisbon's bailout exit, Socialist leader Antonio Jose Seguro said on Friday. He said the two coalition parties had "made impossible a national salvation compromise" after rejecting most of the Socialists' proposals. "There were two different visions to exit the crisis. That being clear, it made no sense to continue negotiating for the sake of negotiating," he told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| GE order book surges; may bode well for global manufacturing Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:32 PM PDT  By Ernest Scheyder (Reuters) - General Electric Co on Friday unveiled a surprise jump in its backlog of orders for dishwashers, X-ray machines and scores of other industrial products, boosting the conglomerate's shares and stoking hopes for gains in manufacturing around the world. GE's presence in most parts of the global economy, including energy, finance, manufacturing and transportation, makes it a harbinger of macroeconomic trends. "Many customers have moved from the 'doing your homework' stage toward moving pen to paper and placing orders," said Morningstar analyst Daniel Holland. ... Full Story | Top |
| Peace talks with Palestinians would take months: Israel official Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:27 PM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - New Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, if resumed, would take months, an Israeli official said on Friday after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced the sides had laid the groundwork for negotiations. "We are talking about months, both to ensure the process is substantive and comprehensive, and to get us past September," the official said, on condition of anonymity. The official was referring to the annual U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama says 'Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago' Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:25 PM PDT  By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday jumped into the debate over the acquittal of the man who killed black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, declaring that Martin "could have been me, 35 years ago," and urging Americans to understand the pain that African-Americans feel over the case. Obama came into the White House press briefing room to offer his thoughts on the case involving George Zimmerman, the Florida man who was found not guilty of murder on Saturday after shooting 17-year-old Martin during a struggle. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michigan judge orders withdrawal of Detroit bankruptcy petition Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:21 PM PDT  DETROIT (Reuters) - A Michigan judge on Friday ordered Detroit's state-appointed emergency manager to withdraw the federal bankruptcy petition he filed for the city on Thursday. Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's order said the 2012 Michigan law that allowed Governor Rick Snyder to approve the city's bankruptcy filing, the largest municipal bankruptcy filing ever in the United States, violated the Michigan Constitution. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-CIA official detained in Panama heading back to U.S. Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:14 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former CIA Milan station chief Robert Seldon Lady, who was convicted in Italy of kidnapping an Egyptian Muslim cleric and detained in Panama this week, was headed back to the United States, a State Department spokeswoman said on Friday. The former spy was among 23 Americans sentenced in absentia by an Italian judge in 2009 for the abduction of the cleric. Lady was given a nine-year jail term. "It is my understanding that he is in fact either en route or back in the United States," said Marie Harf, a State Department spokeswoman. ... Full Story | Top |
| Canada investigators want rule changes after deadly rail crash Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:12 PM PDT  By Julie Gordon (Reuters) - Canadian investigators issued their first recommendations on Friday after a devastating train wreck in Quebec, urging that trains hauling dangerous goods not be left unattended, and pushing for stricter guidelines on railway braking systems. Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigators probing the July 6 disaster in the lakeside town of Lac-Megantic said the "braking force" applied to the train, which was hauling 72 tanker cars of crude oil, was insufficient to hold it in place. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mideast envoys' U.S. meeting would launch peace talks: U.S. official Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:09 PM PDT AMMAN (Reuters) - A meeting of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington expected in the near future would in effect mark the resumption of peace talks, a U.S. official said on Friday. The official spoke after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that a basis for new Israeli-Palestinian negotiations had been agreed and that the sides would send top negotiators to the U.S. capital "within the next week or so". ... Full Story | Top |
| Thai navy denies allegation of Rohingya Muslim smuggling Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:07 PM PDT  By Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's navy denied on Friday a Reuters report that its personnel were involved in a lucrative smuggling and trafficking network that exploits minority Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar. The Reuters investigation, citing people smugglers and Rohingyas who made the journey, found that Thai naval security forces were involved in the smuggling of Rohingya Muslims. They have fled Myanmar, also known as Burma, in sharply growing numbers over the last year following outbreaks of religious violence at home. ... Full Story | Top |
| SEC says Steve Cohen failed to supervise two of his traders Friday, Jul 19, 2013 12:03 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday accused hedge fund mogul Steven A. Cohen of failing to supervise two employees who are facing insider trading charges. The SEC's action said Cohen failed to supervise former portfolio manager Mathew Martoma and SAC Capital Advisors executive Michael Steinberg. The SEC charges are part of a long-running probe of Cohen and his $15 billion hedge fund by regulators and federal investigators in which nine one-time SAC employees have been charged or implicated. ... Full Story | Top |
| One Asiana victim killed by a vehicle, not plane crash: coroner Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:54 AM PDT  By Gerry Shih SAN MATEO, California (Reuters) - A teenage passenger on the Asiana Airlines jet that crashed in San Francisco died from injuries sustained after being run over by a motor vehicle, most likely a fire truck at the scene, local officials said on Friday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight: Mursi's overthrow rattles Egypt's Islamists in their heartland Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:51 AM PDT  By Alexander Dziadosz ASSIUT, Egypt (Reuters) - You can trace the aspirations and disappointments of Egypt's revolution across the walls of the southern city of Assiut. The most faded graffiti lambasts Hosni Mubarak, the autocrat who ruled for three decades until a 2011 uprising toppled him. More recent daubings take on his successors: a council of military generals and civilian president Mohamed Mursi. Additions since the army overthrew Mursi this month attest a new wave of anger - this time from Islamists who feel cheated by his fall. ... Full Story | Top |
| Biden: 'We don't know' if White House can help Detroit Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:48 AM PDT  By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is looking for ways to help the city of Detroit after the city filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday, but Vice President Joe Biden said it was unclear what the administration could do. "Can we help Detroit?" Biden said on Friday in a response to a question from a reporter. "We don't know." Detroit, a former manufacturing powerhouse and cradle of the U.S. automotive industry, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, making it the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel, Palestinians lay groundwork for new talks: Kerry Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:44 AM PDT  AMMAN (Reuters) - Israel and the Palestinians have laid the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks after an almost three-year stalemate, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday. "We have reached an agreement that establishes a basis for resuming direct final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis," he told reporters in Jordan, and added: "The agreement is still in the process of being formalized. ... Full Story | Top |
| Community Health warnings could scuttle Health Management talks Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:41 AM PDT By Deena Beasley (Reuters) - A warning from hospital operator Community Health Systems Inc of declining patient admissions and news that the U.S. government is stepping up a probe of how it handles Medicare patients will complicate efforts to buy rival Health Management Associates Inc, analysts said on Friday. They said a resulting 9 percent price drop in Community Health's shares together with lower earnings have significantly raised the cost of financing a deal. "This makes a deal much, much more difficult to do from a leverage perspective," said CRT Capital Group analyst Sheryl Skolnick. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mursi supporters rally in Egypt, army shows muscle Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:40 AM PDT  By Ulf Laessing and Yasmine Saleh CAIRO (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi took to the streets of Egyptian cities on Friday to demand the reinstatement of the Islamist leader. However, Egypt's armed forces, which shunted the country's first freely elected president from office less than three weeks ago, looked in no mood to make concessions, putting on a show of force in the hazy skies above Cairo. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. defends IRS tax-exempt review in pro-Israel group lawsuit Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:38 AM PDT  By Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday defended the Internal Revenue Service's process for reviewing applications for tax-exempt status and contested a lawsuit filed by a pro-Israel group that is arguing its application was discriminated against. At a federal district court hearing in Washington, a pro-Israel group, Z Street, argued that it has a legal right to sue the IRS for allegedly targeting its 2009 application for extra scrutiny. Z Street said this violated its legal rights. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU pushes plan to bar aid to Israelis in West Bank Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:36 AM PDT  By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union, over Israeli protests, said on Friday it was pushing ahead with plans to bar EU financial aid to Israeli organizations operating in the occupied territories, but insisted the decision would not affect peace efforts. New European Commission guidelines on EU financial support were published in the EU's Official Journal as planned, despite intense lobbying by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denounced them as meddling in Israel's relations with the Palestinians. ... Full Story | Top |
| NYC funds pick State Street to replace BNY Mellon after FX flap Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:30 AM PDT By Tim McLaughlin BOSTON (Reuters) - New York City pension funds have picked State Street Corp to safeguard $137 billion, replacing incumbent Bank of New York Mellon Corp , which was accused in 2011 of overcharging the funds on foreign currency trades. New York City Comptroller John Liu on Friday announced Boston-based State Street as the next master custodian for the five pension funds. The deal is pending successful contract negotiations. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two U.S. senators suggest moving G20 from Russia over Snowden Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:27 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators asked President Barack Obama on Friday to consider recommending a different location for the September G20 summit in St. Petersburg if Russia does not hand over fugitive former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. Republican Lindsey Graham, who has already suggested an Olympic boycott, and Democrat Charles Schumer offered a resolution urging Moscow to turn Snowden over to the United States and prodding Washington to take action if it does not do so. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia opposition leader freed on bail, protests rattle Kremlin Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:23 AM PDT  By Gabriela Baczynska KIROV, Russia (Reuters) - Russia unexpectedly freed opposition leader Alexei Navalny on bail on Friday, bending to the will of thousands of protesters who denounced his five-year jail sentence as a crude attempt by President Vladimir Putin to silence him. Putin's spokesman called the protesters "mobs" and warned that the rallies were illegal. In a highly unusual ruling that points to Kremlin uncertainty over how to handle Navalny's case, a judge approved the prosecution request to free him pending his appeal so that he can run in a Moscow mayor election on September 8. ... Full Story | Top |
| SAC says charges against Cohen have 'no merit' Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:20 AM PDT  (Reuters) - The charges against billionaire hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen have "no merit" and Cohen will fight them "vigorously," said a spokesman for Cohen's firm SAC Capital Advisors in a statement to the media on Friday. The statement came in response to charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that Cohen failed to supervise two employees who are accused of insider trading. (Reporting By Emily Flitter; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick) Full Story | Top |
| U.S. court says reporter must testify in leak case Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:09 AM PDT By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the First Amendment right to free speech does not prevent a New York Times journalist from giving testimony in a high-profile government leak case. The ruling by the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a win for the Obama administration, but it could hurt efforts by Attorney General Eric Holder to improve relations with the media. The Justice Department last week pledged to tighten its criteria for targeting journalists in leak cases. ... Full Story | Top |
| Royal baby - a world obsession or media hype? Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:09 AM PDT  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - As the world's media whips itself into a frenzy over Prince William and his wife Kate's baby, some bemused spectators are wondering if Britain's royal family really is that fascinating or just hype. From breathless reports about the baby's due date to endless speculation about the name and manner of delivery, TV crews from around the world have been delivering almost hourly updates outside the London hospital where Kate is due to give birth. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Lawyers gear up to lobby, sue as McCarthy heads to EPA Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:07 AM PDT  By Valerie Volcovici and Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Gina McCarthy steps into her new role as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency she will face an army of lawyers trying to sway the agency as it writes rules on power-plant emissions that will form the centerpiece of the Obama administration's climate-action plan. At least some of those lawyers are likely to lead legal challenges against the rules once they are issued. McCarthy, confirmed by the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| World powers see Iran's Rouhani as chance for nuclear deal Friday, Jul 19, 2013 11:00 AM PDT  By Justyna Pawlak BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Six world powers see a chance that Iran's relatively moderate new president, beset by sanctions and worried about unrest in the region trickling home, may be more amenable to compromise in a long-standing nuclear dispute, a senior Western diplomat said. The powers - Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the United States - are hoping years of economic pressure will finally force Iran to scale back its nuclear work, which they suspect aims at allowing Tehran to make bombs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Penn State near settlements with sex-assault victims: lawyer Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:54 AM PDT  By Dave Warner PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Penn State University and the sexual abuse victims of its former assistant football coach are close to settling civil lawsuits, with the university setting aside $60 million to cover the claims, according to a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs. Philadelphia lawyer Thomas Kline, who represents the person known in court papers as Victim 5, said the school and plaintiffs are working on settlements, following last week's vote by the university trustees to earmark the $60 million. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt army fire tear gas at Mursi supporters: agency Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:53 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian soldiers fired tear gas on Friday at protesters backing ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi who were marching near the presidential palace compound in Cairo, state news agency MENA reported. Thousands of supporters of Mursi, ousted by the army on July 3 after mass demonstrations, took to the streets of several Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that the powerful military reinstate the state's first freely elected president. (Writing by Yasmine Saleh; editing by Crispian Balmer) Full Story | Top |
| Detroit faces long road through bankruptcy, officials say Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:33 AM PDT  By Nick Carey DETROIT (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Ricky Snyder and Detroit's emergency manager Kevyn Orr sought on Friday to assuage residents' concerns over the city's bankruptcy proceedings while acknowledging that a lengthy court battle awaits. "We're the comeback state in Michigan, but to be a great state we need… Detroit on the path to being a great city again," Snyder, a Republican, said at a press conference. On Thursday Detroit, a former manufacturing powerhouse and cradle of the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's royal baby: a world obsession or media hype? Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:30 AM PDT  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - As the world's media whips itself into a frenzy over Prince William and his wife Kate's baby, some bemused spectators are wondering if Britain's royal family really is that fascinating or just hype. From breathless reports about the baby's due date to endless speculation about the name and manner of delivery, TV crews from around the world have been delivering almost hourly updates outside the London hospital where Kate is due to give birth. ... Full Story | Top |
| SEC rejects settlement with fund manager Phil Falcone Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:29 AM PDT  By Emily Flitter NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted to reject a deal its enforcement division had struck with once high-flying hedge fund manager Philip Falcone and his hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners, according to a regulatory filing on Friday by Falcone's publicly traded company Harbinger Group Inc. The SEC has not released any public explanation of the decision, which the commission made in a closed-door meeting on Thursday. SEC spokesman Kevin Callahan did not respond to a request for comment. ... Full Story | Top |
| Berlusconi associates found guilty on sex charges Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:25 AM PDT  By Ilaria Polleschi MILAN (Reuters) - Three associates of Silvio Berlusconi were sentenced to jail terms on Friday by an Italian court that found them guilty of aiding and abetting prostitution by procuring girls for paid sex with the former prime minister. Berlusconi has already been sentenced to seven years with a lifetime ban on holding public office in a related trial for paying for sex with former nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, alias Ruby the Heartstealer, when she was a minor. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. working to declassify more on secret programs already leaked Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:22 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials are working to declassify information on programs that have been partially disclosed, a senior official said on Friday, referring to telephone and internet surveillance programs leaked by former security contractor Edward Snowden. Robert Litt, general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said he was optimistic that the intelligence community could make "a lot of progress" in declassifying the information. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Judge denies BP effort to halt Gulf spill claim payouts Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:21 AM PDT  By Kathy Finn NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A federal judge denied an attempt by BP Plc to suspend payments to people and businesses claiming damages related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, while an investigator looks into possible misconduct in the payout process. The payments are being made under a program set up under a settlement BP signed last year. Judge Carl Barbier, who is overseeing the consolidated spill-related civil case against BP and its contractors, ruled on Friday that there was nothing to prove the "mass of claims" was not being properly evaluated. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hobby Lobby wins a stay against birth control mandate Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:20 AM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal judge has temporarily exempted Hobby Lobby Stores Inc from a requirement in the 2010 healthcare law that it offer workers insurance coverage for birth control, which the retailer said violated its religious beliefs. The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton in Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is based, covers the arts and crafts chain and its affiliated Mardel Christian bookstore chain. He put the case on hold until October 1, giving the federal government time to decide whether to appeal. ... Full Story | Top |
| Schaeuble says Germany does not want a 'German Europe' Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:16 AM PDT  BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany does not want a "German Europe" and believes no single country can take a leading role, yet Berlin does have a special responsibility for the path to exiting the euro zone crisis, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble wrote in an editorial. "It is a completely absurd idea, to think that the Germans want to play the role of leader in Europe... We do not want a 'German Europe'," Schaeuble wrote in a piece to be published in five European newspapers on Saturday, and made available in German on Friday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Judge weighs rights of U.S. citizens in drone strikes Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:08 AM PDT  By David Ingram WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge fired difficult questions at the Obama administration and at civil liberties lawyers on Friday in a court case about whether U.S. citizens abroad targeted in drone strikes can seek compensation from the government. At a hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, Judge Rosemary Collyer said she would rule as soon as she could, at least on the preliminary question of whether citizens or their family members have a right to bring a lawsuit. The U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| G20 wary of scaring markets, promises careful policy shift Friday, Jul 19, 2013 10:05 AM PDT  By Jan Strupczewski and Gernot Heller MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Group of 20 nations, wary of renewed market volatility, pledged on Friday to shift policy carefully and communicate clearly as they seek to chart a course to recovery. A final draft communique prepared for G20 finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Moscow said an action plan to boost jobs and growth, while rebalancing global demand and debt, would be readied for their leaders in September. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment