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| Obama nominee for labor board clears Senate Republican hurdle Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:43 PM PDT By Thomas Ferraro and Kevin Drawbaugh (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's pick of a former union lawyer to be the top prosecutor at the National Labor Relations Board narrowly cleared a Republican procedural hurdle on Tuesday and headed toward near-certain confirmation. The vote to end debate on the nomination of Richard Griffin was 62-37, two more than the needed 60. It was not immediately clear when the Senate confirmation vote would be held, but it could be later in the day. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. lays out strict limits on coal funding abroad Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:39 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said Tuesday it plans to use its leverage within global development banks to limit financing for coal-fired power plants abroad, part of Washington's international strategy to combat climate change. The U.S. Treasury said it would only support funding for coal plants in the world's poorest countries if they have no other efficient or economical alternative for their energy needs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Five dead at four locations after shooting spree in Texas town Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:34 PM PDT By Jana Whitson TERRELL, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas man suspected of shooting to death his mother and aunt and three others in four locations was in custody on Tuesday after a manhunt and high-speed car chase through the Texas community of Terrell, law enforcement authorities said. Charles Everett Brownlow, Jr., 36, was found in a wooded area about 1:30 a.m. local time, according to Terrell Police Department spokesman A.D. Sansom. Terrell, a town of 16,000, is about 30 miles east of Dallas. Police said they had no motive for the killings in three homes and a convenience store. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. trade official pushes Congress to renew trade promotion authority Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:34 PM PDT  By Elvina Nawaguna WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's top trade official said on Tuesday that the United States is aiming to finalize a giant trade deal with 11 other Pacific Rim nations by the end of year, but that it needs Congress to approve a rule to speed up the talks. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would include Australia, Chile, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, would establish a free-trade bloc stretching across a region that makes up nearly 40 percent of the global economy. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. judge denies class action status in Deutsche Bank lawsuit Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:33 PM PDT  By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday refused to allow shareholders to proceed as a group in a lawsuit accusing Deutsche Bank AG of misrepresenting the risks of mortgage-related investments that were central to the financial crisis. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in New York effectively ends the class action against the German bank, although shareholders could proceed individually. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ohio man accused of serial killings may face death sentence Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:26 PM PDT  By Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - An Ohio man charged with the murder of three women whose bodies were found wrapped in plastic bags and dumped near his East Cleveland apartment will face a possible death sentence, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Michael Madison, 36, has been re-indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury with wording that allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty if he is convicted of the three killings in July. Police found the remains of Shirellda Terry, 18, after neighbors reported a strong odor coming from a closed garage behind Madison's apartment. ... Full Story | Top |
| In Syria outbreak, polio exploits conflict once more Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:24 PM PDT  By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent LONDON (Reuters) - With the world tantalizingly close to wiping out polio, conflict in Syria has allowed the crippling disease to take hold again, putting at risk the rest of the region as well as plans for global eradication. War, unrest and poverty have often hindered the long fight against polio, but experts say these obstacles can be overcome, even in Syria where the highly contagious virus has taken advantage of a fall in vaccination rates due to the fighting. ... Full Story | Top |
| Push for immigration action targets House Republicans Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:19 PM PDT  By Gabriel Debenedetti and Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. businesses, religious leaders and other supporters of overhauling the nation's immigration laws mounted a massive lobbying push on Tuesday to urge a reluctant House of Representatives to tackle the issue before the end of the year. More than 600 people from 40 states planned to meet one-on-one with lawmakers to encourage the House to act soon on a top priority of labor groups, Latinos and businesses ranging from apple growers to software companies. ... Full Story | Top |
| NY Post must face bias lawsuit linked to Obama chimp cartoon Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:16 PM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Post and its top editor must face a bias lawsuit brought by a woman who said she was fired for complaining about harassment at the newspaper and a political cartoon that some people said likened President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee. In a decision made public on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield said Sandra Guzman, a former associate editor, may pursue her case against the Post and Editor-in-Chief Col Allan, though not against the newspaper's parent, News Corp. ... Full Story | Top |
| Telefonica reassures Italy over Telecom Italia's future Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:13 PM PDT  By Alberto Sisto ROME (Reuters) - Telefonica Chairman Cesar Alierta has offered assurances to Italy over the future of Telecom Italia as his company tightens its grip on its Italian rival. The Spanish telecoms group reached a deal last month to start a gradual takeover of Telco, the investment vehicle that controls Telecom Italia, prompting a backlash from some Italian politicians and trade unions concerned about national security, job losses and the pace of investment in technology. ... Full Story | Top |
| Polio outbreak in northeast Syria risks spreading, WHO says Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:09 PM PDT  By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Polio has broken out among young children in northeast Syria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed on Tuesday, and could spread inside and outside the country, where civil war has led to falling vaccination rates. Polio, a crippling disease caused by a virus transmitted via contaminated food and water, can spread rapidly among children under five, especially in the kind of unsanitary conditions endured by the displaced in Syria or crowded refugee camps in neighboring countries. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollande says four French hostages kidnapped in Niger freed Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:03 PM PDT By Kader Mazou and John Irish NIAMEY/PARIS (Reuters) - Four French hostages kidnapped by al Qaeda's north African arm three years ago in Niger have been released, President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday. Pierre Legrand, Daniel Larribe, Thierry Dol and Marc Feret were kidnapped by AQIM in September 2010 while working for French nuclear group Areva and a subsidiary of construction group Vinci in Arlit in Niger. The conditions of the release were not immediately clear, but, speaking to French television, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius denied the government had paid a ransom. ... Full Story | Top |
| House panel kicks off Pentagon acquisition reform drive Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 12:01 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday kicked off a fresh drive to fix the way the Pentagon buys weapons and services, vowing to "look past Band-Aid fixes and parochial interests" and implement meaningful reforms. The committee's chairman, U.S. Representative Buck McKeon, said some successful efforts were already under way, but the U.S. military acquisition system still faced significant challenges including cost overruns and schedule delays, and those would get worse due to mounting pressure on U.S. budgets. ... Full Story | Top |
| Energy bosses blame politicians for price rises Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:59 AM PDT  By William James and Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - The six energy companies that dominate Britain's energy market defended steep price hikes on Tuesday, blaming rising costs and political interference as a panel of lawmakers accused them of abusing their market position at consumers' expense. Lawmakers summoned energy executives after four of Britain's "big six" energy suppliers raised charges for heating homes by more than three times the rate of inflation, stirring a political debate about the cost of living and angering voters on the eve of winter. ... Full Story | Top |
| Libya oil crisis deepens as protesters shun talks Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:55 AM PDT TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's oil crisis deepened on Tuesday after protesters blocking western fields shunned talks and locals denied that an eastern terminal would reopen, frustrating government efforts to end three months of disruptions. Libya's oil exports have dropped to less than 10 percent of capacity or 90,000 barrels per day, Reuters calculations show, as renewed protests this week halted operations at western ports and fields, supporting global oil prices. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK energy bosses blame politicians for price rises Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:55 AM PDT  By William James and Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - The six energy companies that dominate Britain's energy market defended steep price hikes on Tuesday, blaming rising costs and political interference as a panel of lawmakers accused them of abusing their market position at consumers' expense. Lawmakers summoned energy executives after four of Britain's "big six" energy suppliers raised charges for heating homes by more than three times the rate of inflation, stirring a political debate about the cost of living and angering voters on the eve of winter. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia demands Ukraine payment, raising fears of new gas war Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:54 AM PDT  By Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom demanded Ukraine pay an overdue gas bill urgently on Tuesday, raising fears of a new "gas war" and increasing pressure on Kiev as it tries to build ties with Europe. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described the payment problems as critical, ahead of Kiev's signing next month of agreements with the European Union which would mark a historic shift away from former imperial master Moscow. ... Full Story | Top |
| JPMorgan's $13 billion deal hits stumbling blocks: source Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:49 AM PDT  By Aruna Viswanatha and David Henry (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co's preliminary $13 billion deal to resolve federal and state probes into its mortgage bond business has hit two stumbling blocks, a person familiar with the talks said on Tuesday. In a draft settlement circulated late Sunday, JPMorgan sought a provision that effectively shut down any criminal inquires into the bank's packaging and sale of mortgage securities apart from an investigation from California prosecutors the bank has already disclosed, the person said. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. spy chief says allies spy on America's leaders, intelligence services Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:48 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Tuesday that foreign allies regularly conduct espionage activities against American leaders and intelligence services. In response to a series of questions during a hearing before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Clapper said spying on foreign leaders was a basic tenet of intelligence operations. (Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria and Deborah Charles; editing by Christopher Wilson) Full Story | Top |
| Obamacare official apologizes for website glitches Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:44 AM PDT  By David Morgan and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. agency responsible for the troubled new government-run healthcare website apologized on Tuesday for the difficulty people are having in obtaining insurance, but blamed the portal's woes on contractors and high traffic. Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said the website faces "complex technical issues" four weeks after it opened for enrollment. "We know that consumers are eager to purchase this coverage. ... Full Story | Top |
| A year after Sandy, thousands still can't return home Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:43 AM PDT By Dave Warner and Victoria Cavaliere SEASIDE PARK, N.J./NEW YORK (Reuters) - A year after Superstorm Sandy inundated the East Coast with record flooding that left 159 people dead, residents of hard-hit New Jersey and New York shore communities still have a ways to go in rebuilding damaged homes. New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, began his day at the beach town of Seaside Park, where homes were flooded by two to three feet of water when the storm roared ashore. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bank of Canada chief says policy shift "not very significant" Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:37 AM PDT  By Louise Egan OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada was not making a significant policy shift when it abandoned 18 months of warnings about higher interest rates last week, but simply responding to low inflation and a weak economy, central bank head Stephen Poloz said on Tuesday. Poloz told a parliamentary committee that in setting interest rates last week the bank heightened its focus on the fact that inflation has been persistently below its 2 percent target. "In that context we decided that we should no longer have an explicit bias toward higher interest rates," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fed talk of tapering good news for Canada: central bank official Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:36 AM PDT  WINNIPEG (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve's talk of scaling back its asset purchasing program is good news for Canada because it means the country's top export market is improving, a Bank of Canada official said on Tuesday. "The fact that the Fed has started talking about tapering, we see this as something that is very positive because what that means is that the U.S. economy, the fundamentals, are getting stronger." Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Agathe Cote said after a speech in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU presidency proposes new weakening of EU car rules Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:34 AM PDT  By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Lithuania, holder of the EU presidency, has made a new proposal to weaken rules on how much carbon new cars can emit from 2020, in line with demands from Germany and its luxury manufacturers, EU diplomats said. The proposal is stoking anger in Brussels, where Germany's negotiating tactics are regarded as heavy-handed. The latest compromise would allow a phase-in of a 95 grams per kilometer (g/km) limit on auto carbon dioxide emissions until 2022 and increase the number of supercredits, a mechanism that gives companies more flexibility, the diplomats said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bachelet may win Chile election in first round, poll shows Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:32 AM PDT  By Rosalba O'Brien SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Center-left former President Michelle Bachelet holds a huge lead in Chile's presidential election this year and may attract enough support to win outright in the first round, a key poll showed on Tuesday. Around 47 percent of Chileans questioned by pollster CEP said they would vote for Bachelet if the election were held this Sunday, while 14 percent backed right-wing candidate Evelyn Matthei and 10 percent supported independent economist Franco Parisi. Around 16 percent said they were undecided or would not vote. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mystery swirls around Obamacare covergirl - and her vanishing Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:27 AM PDT By Barbara Goldberg (Reuters) - Hers was the face that launched 20 million snipes. The smiling wholesome beauty was a symbol of Healthcare.gov but she has vanished amid a sea of frustrated users, her image taken down from the trouble-plagued Obamacare website by early Monday morning. Nicknamed "Glitch Girl," the unnamed model stirred curiosity among media who scrambled to try to identify her after the site, which went live on October 1, was immediately slowed by technical problems and visitors found themselves endlessly staring at her on their frozen computer screens. ... Full Story | Top |
| Texas attorney general asks court to reinstate abortion measure Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:16 AM PDT  By Karen Brooks AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court judge to immediately reinstate a restriction on abortion that a lower court judge had ruled unconstitutional, according to a court filing. A federal district court judge on Monday ruled unconstitutional a provision requiring physicians who perform abortions to have an agreement with a local hospital to admit patients. That was part of a sweeping new Texas law restricting abortions that was set to go into effect on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Obama orders curbs on NSA spying on U.N. headquarters Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:11 AM PDT  By Mark Hosenball (Reuters) - President Barack Obama recently ordered the National Security Agency to curtail eavesdropping on the United Nations headquarters in New York as part of a review of U.S. electronic surveillance, according to a U.S. official familiar with the decision. Obama's order is the latest known move by the White House to limit the NSA's vast intelligence collection, in the wake of protests by allies, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, over U.S. spying on foreign heads of state. The full extent of U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Czech left leader gains ground in post-election party row Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:09 AM PDT  PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka gained ground on Tuesday against rivals trying to depose him as party chief and candidate for prime minister, after an unconvincing election win last weekend. The split in the center-left party has crippled attempts to start talks on forming a government between the Social Democrats and two centrist parties, the new anti-corruption movement ANO and the Christian Democrats. The Social Democrats won the election with 20.5 percent of the vote, much less than 30 percent the party had hoped for. ... Full Story | Top |
| Deal 'probably not' doable absent pension cuts: Detroit manager Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 11:04 AM PDT  By Joseph Lichterman DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr said Tuesday he was "probably not" willing to accept an agreement to restructure the city's debt without including cuts to pension benefits before the city filed for bankruptcy in July. Orr's statement came during cross-examination by United Auto workers Union attorney Peter DeChiara on the fifth day of a trial to determine Detroit's eligibility for Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Deutsche Bank confirms involvement in foreign exchange probes Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:59 AM PDT  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank confirmed it was cooperating with regulators probing the foreign exchange market as investigators across the globe look into the multi-trillion industry that sets foreign currency rates. "Deutsche Bank has received requests for information from certain regulatory authorities who are investigating trading in the foreign exchange market. The bank is cooperating with those investigations, which are in early stages," the bank said in its quarterly report published on Tuesday. Investigations into the $5 trillion-a-day market have broadened with the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bank of Canada: don't count on commodity prices for income growth Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:57 AM PDT  WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Commodity prices may not rise as much as they have in recent years and should therefore not be relied upon for future income growth, Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Agathe Cote said on Tuesday. "Going forward, productivity may become more crucial to our financial well-being, since real commodity prices, while expected to remain elevated, may not rise as much as they did in the past decade," Cote said in the prepared text of a speech on "The Promise of Potential." "An unrelenting demographic shift is under way. ... Full Story | Top |
| Moldovan dancer says she was Concordia captain's lover Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:55 AM PDT By Cristiano Corvino GROSSETO, Italy (Reuters) - A young Moldovan dancer who was on the bridge of the Costa Concordia cruise liner with Captain Francesco Schettino when it capsized last year told an Italian court on Tuesday she had been his lover. Domnica Cemortan had previously denied any affair with Schettino, who faces multiple charges including manslaughter, and her confession may prompt prosecutors to query the quality of her testimony, which had shown him in a positive light. ... Full Story | Top |
| New York probing Macy's, Barneys 'shop-and-frisk' claims Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:48 AM PDT  By Curtis Skinner NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state's attorney general on Tuesday launched an investigation into retailers Macy's Inc and Barneys New York Inc, where black customers complained they were stopped by police after making luxury purchases. The city's feisty tabloids have nicknamed the practice "shop and frisk," a take-off on the controversial New York police crime-fighting tactic "stop and frisk," which critics contend amounts to racial profiling. ... Full Story | Top |
| Airbus still eyes 25 A380 sales this year: CEO in paper Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:44 AM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus still hopes to sell 25 A380 superjumbos this year despite the lack of orders since the start of 2013, the head of the European planemaker, Fabrice Bregier, told Les Echos newspaper. The company is also sticking to its goal to deliver 25 A380s this year, the Airbus chief executive said. "I have no intention of dropping below that rate in the years to come," he said in a interview on the newspaper's website on Tuesday. Bregier added that parent group EADS could hit its 10 percent operating margin goal in 2015 excluding the impact of its future A350 aircraft model. ... Full Story | Top |
| Infosys in process of resolving U.S. visa investigation Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:43 AM PDT  By Harichandan Arakali BANGALORE (Reuters) - Indian IT firm Infosys Ltd said on Tuesday it was in the process of reaching a settlement with the U.S. government over the company's alleged misuse of temporary business visas. U.S. authorities have been investigating India's second-largest information technology services exporter since 2011. The Wall Street Journal had earlier said that the United States was expected to announce a resolution in the case on Wednesday. A resolution had yet to be finalized, Infosys said in a statement on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. urges end of U.S. embargo on Cuba for 22nd time Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:42 AM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly for the 22nd time to condemn the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, whose foreign minister said the American policy in place since 1959 was barbaric and amounted to genocide. There were 188 votes for the non-binding resolution, entitled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba," in the 193-nation General Assembly. The only country that joined the United States in voting against the resolution was Israel. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. spy chiefs face Congress amid spying rift with Europe Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:41 AM PDT  By Tabassum Zakaria and Deborah Charles WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. intelligence officials appeared at a congressional hearing on Tuesday amid a public uproar that has expanded from anger over the National Security Agency collecting the phone and email records of Americans to spying on European allies. But the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, warned that collecting foreign intelligence was important to protecting Americans and allies from terrorism. "Every nation collects foreign intelligence. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sudan arrests seven university professors in crackdown on protests Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:41 AM PDT KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese authorities arrested seven university professors, a human rights lawyer said on Tuesday, extending a crackdown on opposition activists after fuel price increases touched off the country's worst unrest for years. The Khartoum government cut fuel subsidies to ease a financial crunch aggravated by the secession of oil-producing South Sudan in 2011. The move doubled pump prices overnight and triggered violent protests in which dozens of people were killed and more than 700 people arrested. ... Full Story | Top |
| Adidas joins European-led effort on Bangladesh factories Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013 10:34 AM PDT (Reuters) - Sporting goods maker Adidas AG has signed a pact to promote the safety of garment workers in Bangladesh, picking a European-led initiative over a rival U.S. drive, it said on Tuesday. Adidas said although it had only limited production in Bangladesh, it thought that signing the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh would complement its own monitoring efforts in the country. ... Full Story | Top |
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