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| Afghan president condemns U.S. airstrike that killed a child, two women Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:40 AM PST  Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai said U.S. forces had bombed a home in Helmand killing a small child and wounding two women on Thursday and condemned the attack as another sign of disregard for civilian life, his spokesman said. The strike could not have come at a worse time, as Karzai is engaged in a stand-off with the American government over a bilateral security agreement that will help shape the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014. Full Story | Top |
| China military sends air patrols through new defense zone: Xinhua Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:38 AM PST  China's military sent several fighter jets and an early warning aircraft on patrol in disputed air space over the East China Sea on Thursday, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, quoting a spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The aircraft were part of what Xinhua called "normal air patrols" in the new air defense zone Beijing has declared. The move raises the stakes in a standoff with the United States, Japan and South Korea over the zone. Japan and South Korea sent their own military aircraft through the air space on Thursday. Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela central bank denies transactions with Wall Street Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:34 AM PST  By Brian Ellsworth CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's central bank president denied on Thursday that the institution is carrying out any transactions with Wall Street banks, a day after a senior government source said it was evaluating a swap agreement involving its gold reserves. Opposition leaders and local media have reported that Venezuela is seeking to boost availability of hard currency through transactions with Goldman Sachs "With respect to the institutions you've mentioned, the central bank ... is not carrying out any operations with these institutions," Central Bank President Eudomar Tovar said at a press conference in response to a question about the reports. Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Damaged Brazil stadium may be delayed till February - source Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:23 AM PST  By Brian Winter SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A fatal construction accident at Sao Paulo's World Cup stadium may delay its opening until February, but FIFA is not worried about it being ready on time to host the tournament's opening game in June, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe into the accident is sensitive and ongoing, expressed "high confidence" in the timeline but said it is subject to change pending further investigation by local authorities. "Everyone is mourning the workers, but calm about the construction itself." If proven true, the news would be a relief for Brazil's troubled efforts to get stadiums and other key infrastructure ready on time before the global soccer tournament opens in Sao Paulo on June 12. The source said, however, that FIFA has always been quietly willing to extend the deadline for the Sao Paulo facility - called Arena Corinthians - by a few months if necessary because construction there started a year later than at other stadiums. Full Story | Top |
| Seven killed in Iran quake, no damage to nuclear station reported Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:21 AM PST At least seven people were killed in an earthquake in Iran on Thursday near the city of Bushehr, where the country's sole nuclear power plant is situated, state news agency IRNA reported. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 5.6, struck about 40 miles northeast of Bushehr on the Gulf coast, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. No damage to the nuclear plant was reported. IRNA said seven people had died, and quoted the governor of Bushehr saying there was "total calm" in the area. Full Story | Top |
| Two charged for alleged match-fixing in England Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:20 AM PST Two men alleged to be members of an illegal betting syndicate based in Singapore were charged with conspiracy to defraud on Thursday as part of a match-fixing investigation into English lower league soccer. The National Crime Agency (NCA) named the men as Chann Sankaran, a 33-year-old Singapore national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43-year-old with dual UK and Singapore nationality. "The Crown Prosecution's Organised Crime Division found sufficient evidence and was satisfied it was in the public interest to authorize charges of conspiracy to defraud." The pair were among six people arrested earlier this week on suspicion of match-fixing. The Daily Telegraph reported that the focus was on the lower leagues, with the arrests said to include three current footballers and one former Premier League player who is now an agent but still featuring in a league lower than the fifth-tier Football Conference. Full Story | Top |
| EXCLUSIVE-Damaged Brazil stadium may be delayed till Feb -source Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:20 AM PST (Adds details on probe) By Brian Winter SAO PAULO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A fatal construction accident at Sao Paulo's World Cup stadium may delay its opening until February, but FIFA is not worried about it being ready on time to host the tournament's opening game in June, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday. A preliminary investigation into Wednesday's accident, in which a crane collapsed and killed two workers, indicated that damage was confined to the concourse area and did not affect the stands - which could have taken longer to fix. ... Full Story | Top |
| Canada continues to delay release of oil sands emission rules Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:19 AM PST By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is not ready to unveil already long-delayed rules on curbing greenhouse gas emissions from the Alberta oil sands, the environment minister said on Thursday in comments that could boost U.S. resistance to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The right-leaning Conservative government, which has close ties to the energy-rich western province of Alberta, has repeatedly delayed the release of proposed regulations to tackle soaring emissions from the oil and gas sector. There has been good progress in that area over the last few years," Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq told the House of Commons environment committee. Asked whether the rules might be released this year, she replied: "I can't give you a timeline but work continues." Peter Kent, Aglukkaq's predecessor as environment minister, said in February that Ottawa was "very close" to finalizing the rules. Full Story | Top |
| Iran shakes up foundation controlled by Ayatollah's business empire Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:19 AM PST  By Steve Stecklow LONDON (Reuters) - A multi-billion dollar organization controlled by Iran's supreme leader shook up the management of its charity division, appointing as its new chief a man involved in the confiscation of thousands of properties from Iranian citizens. Aref Nozori was named director general of the Barakat Foundation, Iran's state news agency reported on Wednesday. The foundation is a unit of a massive business empire controlled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that is known as Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam. The report by the Islamic Republic News Agency stated that Setad's president, Mohammad Mokhber, had ordered the appointment of Norozi, who once headed Setad's real-estate division and served on the boards of several Setad-linked companies. Full Story | Top |
| Monte Paschi says cap increase deal with banks expires in January Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:17 AM PST  By Silvia Aloisi MILAN (Reuters) - A preliminary commitment by banks to underwrite Monte dei Paschi's 3-billion euro ($4 billion) capital increase expires at the end of January, the Italian bank said in a document showing why it needs to press on with the cash call. If no capital increase is launched by that date, the pre-underwriting agreement with a pool of 10 banks would come to an end and Monte dei Paschi would have to restart negotiations to form a new consortium guaranteeing the rights issue, it said. Monte dei Paschi's board approved the capital increase earlier this week as it seeks to pay back a 4.1 billion euros state bailout and avert nationalization. Full Story | Top |
| Quebec delays budget balance by two years to 2015/16 Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:06 AM PST  The Canadian province of Quebec will eliminate its budget deficit two years later than promised, the government said on Thursday, citing weak growth and disappointing revenues. Quebec had projected a balanced budget in the current 2013-14 fiscal year, but now expects a return to balanced books in 2015-16, Nicolas Marceau, the provincial finance minister, said as he released an update to the fiscal outlook. Marceau forecast a budget deficit of C$2.5 billion ($2.4 billion) this year and a shortfall of C$1.75 billion in 2014-15. Marceau said the minority government of the separatist Parti Quebecois would have had to raise taxes or implement broad spending cuts in order to achieve its original budget target for this year. Full Story | Top |
| Top EU powers retreat further on aviation emission plans Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 11:05 AM PST  By Ben Garside LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, France and Germany want to curtail further a European Union plan to regulate CO2 emissions from flights, setting up a clash with Brussels keen to maintain the bloc's climate policy which has sparked threats of a global trade war. "We currently feel that a scope covering flights within the European Economic Area would be the best way (forward)," a UK government spokesman said, referring only to Britain's position. That represents a climb-down from the EU's unified position in September, when the bloc entered negotiations at the U.N.'s aviation body ICAO aiming to craft a global agreement to curb the fast rising output of heat-trapping gases from aviation. The nearly 190 nations at ICAO agreed to design a global scheme by 2016 that would not take effect until 2020 but rejected letting Europe apply its own plan to foreign carriers in the meantime. Full Story | Top |
| Soccer-Two charged for alleged match-fixing in England Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:57 AM PST (Recasts with arrests) LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Two men alleged to be members of an illegal betting syndicate based in Singapore were charged with conspiracy to defraud on Thursday as part of a match-fixing investigation into English lower league soccer. The National Crime Agency (NCA) named the men as Chann Sankaran, a 33-year-old Singapore national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43-year-old with dual UK and Singapore nationality. "The Crown Prosecution's Organised Crime Division found sufficient evidence and was satisfied it was in the public interest to authorise charges of conspiracy to defraud." The pair were among six people arrested earlier this week on suspicion of match-fixing. The Daily Telegraph reported that the focus was on the lower leagues, with the arrests said to include three current footballers and one former Premier League player who is now an agent but still featuring in a league lower than the fifth-tier Football Conference. Full Story | Top |
| Gatehouse Bank, Sigma to build 6,600 UK rental homes Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:35 AM PST Shariah-compliant Gatehouse Bank has formed a joint venture with property developer Sigma Capital to build thousands of rental homes in Britain, as it looks to gain from a decline in home ownership. Britain, traditionally seen as nation of homeowners, has seen record numbers of households move into the rental sector in recent years due to a shortage of homes and mortgages. We only see that growing as affordability constraints continue to strengthen," Gatehouse Bank's vice president of real estate, Scott Nichol, told Reuters on Thursday. He said the private rented sector was very fragmented, with many "mom and pop" landlords. Full Story | Top |
| Two charged, seventh man held over UK match-fixing: NCA Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:35 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Two men have been charged and a seventh man has been arrested over English soccer match-fixing allegations, the National Crime Agency said on Thursday. "Chann Sankaran, a 33-year-old Singapore national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43-year-old with dual UK and Singapore nationality, have been remanded in custody and will appear before Cannock Magistrates on 29 November," the NCA said in a statement. (Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Tony Jimenez) Full Story | Top |
| EU leaders set for tough table-talk with Ukraine's Yanukovich Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:34 AM PST  By Natalia Zinets and Adrian Croft VILNIUS (Reuters) - The European Union told Ukraine it was risking its economic future by rejecting a free-trade deal in favor of closer ties with Russia, hours before a likely frosty encounter on Thursday evening between EU leaders and President Viktor Yanukovich. Yanukovich flew into the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in time for a dinner in honor of the Eastern Partnership, the EU's four-year-old outreach program for former Soviet republics, including Ukraine. He had been expected to sign a far-reaching free-trade and political association deal with the EU at the Vilnius summit, the result of years of negotiation. But last week, following intense pressure from Moscow and growing concerns about Ukraine's dire economic situation, Yanukovich announced he was not ready to sign the EU deal yet and would instead focus on reviving economic dialogue with Russia. Full Story | Top |
| The 'eye sniper' and the girl protesters: Egypt's tale of two trials Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:30 AM PST  By Michael Georgy and Abdel Rahman Youssef CAIRO (Reuters) - Two high-profile Egyptian trials, both arising from years of turbulent protests, have delivered sharply contrasting sentences in the space of just a few months. The verdicts stunned the opposition and rights campaigners, even by the standards of a crackdown in which security forces have killed hundreds of Islamists and arrested thousands since the army overthrew President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in July. We could not believe that Egypt would lock up its girls with the excuse that they are a threat to security," said Ramadan Abdel Hamid, whose 15-year-old daughter Rawda and wife Salwa were among those sentenced. "Is this what is going to calm Egypt?" As army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi implements a promised roadmap towards elections, the United States is watching closely and has repeatedly urged the interim government to treat its opponents with restraint. Full Story | Top |
| Eni may seek up to $10 billion from Statoil in gas dispute Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:24 AM PST  said it may demand as much as $10 billion from Norway's Statoil Eni started arbitration proceedings against Statoil in August. Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni said on Thursday that a recent Norwegian media report that it was demanding $10 billion was "probably true". The dispute stems from a 1997 supply agreement that ties natural gas prices to refined oil products, a common practice in the past that has proven expensive as European spot gas prices have fallen relative to oil prices. Full Story | Top |
| Iran and Gulf states make tentative diplomatic moves Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:21 AM PST United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on a rare visit to Iran on Thursday called for a partnership with Iran, but suspicion remains despite Tehran's tentative overtures towards its Gulf neighbors. Mostly Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab states are wary of Iranian influence in the Middle East, fearing the Shi'ite-led country is seeking regional dominance and stirring sectarian tensions. Improving relations with regional countries is a central plank of Iran's diplomatic policy under its new president, Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, who will visit Kuwait and Oman next week. "We are neighbors but do not confine ourselves to this and are calling to be partners," Sheikh Abdullah was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency. Full Story | Top |
| Soccer-Two charged, seventh man held over UK match-fixing - NCA Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:20 AM PST LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Two men have been charged and a seventh man has been arrested over English soccer match-fixing allegations, the National Crime Agency said on Thursday. "Chann Sankaran, a 33-year-old Singapore national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43-year-old with dual UK and Singapore nationality, have been remanded in custody and will appear before Cannock Magistrates on 29 November," the NCA said in a statement. (Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Tony Jimenez\; editing by xxx) Full Story | Top |
| Florida releases woman jailed for 20 years for firing 'warning shot' Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:18 AM PST (Reuters) - A Florida woman sentenced to 20 years in prison after firing a "warning shot" during an argument with her abusive husband has been released on bond while she awaits retrial under a controversial part of the state's self-defense law. The case of Marissa Alexander, who was convicted of aggravated-assault with a deadly weapon, touched off a furor when her supporters compared it to the self-defense case of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted earlier this year of murdering an unarmed black teenager. ... Full Story | Top |
| Co-op Bank loses customers after ex-chairman scandal Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:17 AM PST  said it has lost current account customers as a result of a scandal involving its former chairman and a scheme that makes it easier for people to switch bank accounts. British police last week arrested the former Co-op Bank chairman Paul Flowers as part of an investigation into the supply of illegal drugs. Finance minister George Osborne has ordered an inquiry into the bank, just as its mutually owned parent attempts to push through a rescue plan that passes control of the lender to a group of hedge funds. Co-op Bank said its recent troubles, competition from other banks and the introduction of seven-day account switching may have contributed "to an increase the bank has seen in the switching out of current accounts." Investigations are likely to mean the bank will incur more costs than expected as it is subjected to more scrutiny from regulators and takes up management time, the bank said. Full Story | Top |
| Italian mafia fed man alive to pigs, police say Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:07 AM PST A group of Calabrian mafia assassins beat a rival with a spade and fed him alive to pigs, Italian police said after rounding up 20 people for various mob crimes including five murders. The murder probably took place in March 2012 when Francesco Raccosta disappeared, but his body has never been found, the court in the southern city of Reggio Calabria said in a statement. "In my opinion, there's nothing left of him ... This pig can really eat!" The murder was one of five carried out in retaliation for the killing of boss Domenico Bonarrigo, who was shot three times while driving his car 11 days earlier, according to investigators. The murders were part of a mob war between rival factions of the 'Ndrangheta, as the Calabrian mafia is known, for control of the criminal activities in the territory near the town of Oppido Mamertina, on the "toe" of the Italian boot. Full Story | Top |
| Four Libyan soldiers killed in new violence in Benghazi Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:06 AM PST  By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Four Libyan soldiers were killed when clashes erupted between the army and militant Islamists in the eastern city of Benghazi on Thursday, army and security officials said. Libya's nascent military is struggling to curb Islamist militants and militias who fought in the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi but refuse to disarm and control parts of the OPEC producer. Western powers fear the North African country will slide towards instability and become a safe haven for al Qaeda as much of the country is controlled by militias or heavily-armed tribes. Fighting initially broke out on Monday between army special forces and members of the Ansar Sharia in Libya's second-largest city, killing at least nine people before the Islamists retreated from their main base. Full Story | Top |
| Insight: Iran sanctions deal sparks hunt for vintage plane parts Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 10:02 AM PST  By Tim Hepher, Parisa Hafezi and Praveen Menon (Reuters) - While foreign ministers raced to Geneva for a crucial phase of talks over Iran's nuclear activities earlier this month, passengers with the country's national airline faced a little-noticed drama on the other side of the world. As a 37-year-old Boeing 747 climbed out of Beijing bound for Tehran, the Iranian crew received a cockpit alert that one of the jumbo jet's four Pratt & Whitney engines was on fire. The Iran Air pilots shut the engine down, activated a fire suppression system and flew back to the Chinese capital. Both the November 8 incident and the actions taken to remedy it, as reported by accident database Aviation Herald, highlight the juggling act needed to keep Iran's fleet in the air after years of sanctions and challenges in procuring parts. Full Story | Top |
| Bank of England cuts mortgage support to avoid housing bubble Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:54 AM PST  By David Milliken and Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England moved to head off the risk of a housing bubble in Britain on Thursday, making a surprise announcement that it would put the brakes on a scheme launched last year to help boost mortgage lending. Britain's economy and its housing market have staged an unexpectedly strong turnaround since the FLS was launched by the BoE and finance ministry in July 2012 in an effort to spur the long-delayed recovery by unblocking credit markets. It's better to shift into neutral," BoE Governor Mark Carney said. Another - much-criticized - government program to aid the housing market, Help to Buy, remains in place. Full Story | Top |
| No gold bars but higher salaries for London bankers with bonus cap Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:54 AM PST  By Steve Slater LONDON (Reuters) - In the 1990s, London-based investment banks rewarded top employees with gold bars, fine wine and oriental carpets to dent the impact of higher payroll taxes. Now, with public anger at banking excess near all time highs, they are looking at less flashy ways to cope with curbs on bonuses, including a new monthly allowance. European rules due to take force in January say bankers' bonuses cannot exceed annual salary, or twice that if shareholders approve, to curb the sort of excessive risk-taking blamed for the 2008-09 financial crisis. At least 10,000 bankers, most of them in London, take home more than half a million euros ($678,700), according to industry sources, more than 10 times the average wage in wealthier European states. Full Story | Top |
| Police detain 120 Italian soccer fans in Warsaw Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:51 AM PST Polish police detained about 120 supporters of Italian soccer club Lazio after violence broke out before Thursday evening's match against Legia Warsaw, a police spokesman said. Rome team Lazio are due to play the Polish league champions in a UEFA Europa League group match at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT) in Legia's 32,000-seat stadium. Full Story | Top |
| Stronger U.S. data spurs world shares, yen falls Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:49 AM PST  By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - World shares edged toward six-year highs on Thursday and the yen languished at long-term lows against the euro and dollar after a batch of strong U.S. economic data. The signs of a strengthening U.S. jobs market and more cheerful consumers had spurred Wall Street to a record close on Wednesday, while reinforcing talk that the Federal Reserve could start scaling back its monetary stimulus, which supported the dollar. Full Story | Top |
| Italy's rich heritage treated like a poor relation, study shows Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:44 AM PST  Italy is home to an artistic and archaeological treasure trove, ranging from Da Vinci's Last Supper to the ruins of Pompeii, but the first census of the country's museums, historical sites and monuments showed it is far from making the most of its heritage. Its top 15 sites and museums, such as the Roman Forum, Florence's Uffizi Gallery and the Roman town of Pompeii, had under one million visitors each in 2011, the data showed. The October decree included a plan to rescue Pompeii, a city preserved in a volcanic eruption 2,000 years ago and declared to be in a state of emergency in 2008 because of looting, damage and lack of maintenance. But many lesser-known sites around Italy are also crumbling from neglect and because of the difficulty of funding their upkeep in a country whose public debt is second only to Greece's in the European Union. Full Story | Top |
| Bank of England to take fresh look at securitisation market Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:18 AM PST By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England said it may step in to kickstart the securitisation market, which was discredited by the U.S. subprime crisis but is now seen as a valuable option for financing business growth. Securitisation, where banks bundle pools of loans and sell the resulting package to raise funds for lending, has tumbled in Europe from $1.2 trillion in 2008 to $322 billion last year. Such securities, backed by poor quality U.S. home loans, turned toxic in 2007 when the underlying mortgages defaulted, triggering the global financial crisis with banks having to be rescued by taxpayers. "The Financial Policy Committee intends to assess, and where necessary act, to develop approaches to promote a better functioning securitisation market in the United Kingdom," the British central bank said in its Financial Stability Report on Thursday. Full Story | Top |
| Merkel says door still open to Ukraine on trade pact Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:10 AM PST Ukraine is still welcome to seek a trade pact with the European Union, despite Kiev's announcement last week that it was shelving such efforts, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday. Before Ukraine's surprise change of heart, the EU had said it could sign a trade deal with Kiev at the summit, which starts later on Thursday. Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Ex-UBS banker Weil agrees to be extradited to U.S. Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:09 AM PST  By Valentina Accardo BOLOGNA, Italy (Reuters) - Raoul Weil, a former UBS banker charged by U.S. authorities five years ago for allegedly helping rich Americans dodge taxes via secret Swiss bank accounts, has agreed to go to the United States to face trial after being arrested in Italy, Weil's lawyer and judicial sources told Reuters. Italian authorities have not received a formal request for extradition, but have received indications that such a request is on the way, the sources said. Full Story | Top |
| Canada allowed widespread NSA surveillance at 2010 G20 summit: report Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:06 AM PST  By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada allowed the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct widespread surveillance during the 2010 Group of 20 summit in Toronto, according to a media report that cited documents from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp is the latest potential embarrassment for the NSA as a result of Snowden's leaks, although it remains unclear precisely what information the agency was looking for during the summit. Snowden has already revealed the agency spied on close allies such as Germany and Brazil, prompting heated diplomatic spats with Washington. The CBC report, first aired late on Wednesday, cited briefing notes it said showed the United States turned its Ottawa embassy into a security command post during a six-day spying operation by the top-secret U.S. agency as President Barack Obama and other world leaders met that June. Full Story | Top |
| With military commitments in Africa, France to leave Kosovo Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 09:01 AM PST  By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - NATO confirmed on Thursday that France plans to withdraw its 320 troops from Kosovo, citing commitments in Mali and a pending French intervention in Central African Republic. Speaking in Kosovo, NATO's top military commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, did not specify when the troops would leave or whether they would be replaced. France is preparing to increase its force in Central African Republic, an anarchic former French colony, to at least 1,000 soldiers to prevent sectarian violence from destabilizing the wider region. Full Story | Top |
| Church of England proposes 'blessings' for gay marriage Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 08:57 AM PST  By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - Church of England clergy would be able to "bless" same-sex relationships under long-awaited proposals unveiled on Thursday as the church adopts a more open - but disputed - approach to homosexuality. Although gay couples would still not be able to legally marry in a church, the proposed change would officially sanction clergy to let gay and lesbian couples mark and celebrate same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in a church service. Acknowledging the issue was divisive, group chairman Joseph Pilling said the church needed to reflect rapid changes in society as senior clergy express fears of a looming crisis, with falling attendance rates and failure to attract young people. This year, parliament introduced new laws to allow gay marriages from 2014 after legalizing civil partnerships in 2005 and the church dropped its ban on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops. Full Story | Top |
| Eyeing holiday sales, more U.S. retailers to open on Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 08:47 AM PST  Macy's Inc and a slew of other U.S. retailers are opening on Thanksgiving for the first time ever in a bare-knuckled brawl for a bigger slice of overall holiday sales. Department store rivals Kohl's Corp and J.C. Penney Co Inc led a string of Thanksgiving opening announcements after Macy's said it would open its U.S. stores on the popular holiday, ending a 155-year tradition. Sales trends, survey results and an online "Save Thanksgiving" backlash suggest that shoppers may resist the urge to splurge on the popular holiday. But with six fewer shopping days this year than in 2012, retailers who get nearly half of annual profits during winter holiday season are nibbling away at Thanksgiving. Full Story | Top |
| Steam, water may show North Korea trying to restart reactor: IAEA Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 08:46 AM PST  By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear agency said on Thursday it had seen releases of steam and water indicating that North Korea may be seeking to restart a reactor that experts say would be capable of making plutonium for atomic bombs. North Korea announced in April that it would revive its aged research reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex but said it was seeking a deterrent capacity. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the Vienna-based IAEA continued to monitor developments at Yongbyon, mainly through satellite imagery. "Activities have been observed at the site that are consistent with an effort to restart the 5MW(e) reactor," he told the IAEA's 35-nation board, referring to the Yongbyon research reactor. Full Story | Top |
| Americans mark Thanksgiving Day with travel, parades, shopping Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 08:44 AM PST By Barbara Goldberg NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans gathered on Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving, stuffing turkeys for family feasts, braving high winds and the bitter cold along parade routes and starting their holiday shopping one day earlier this year. Mother Nature gave New York City a break with winds just below the level that would have grounded Snoopy, Sonic the Hedgehog and other giant helium balloons in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "On Thanksgiving, I'm grateful I can still run five miles (eight km) so it's a great way to start the day since I'll be in the kitchen for the rest of it," said Patty Orsini, 54, a marketing analyst from Maplewood, New Jersey. Shoppers got their earliest jump ever on the pre-Christmas shopping season, with "Black Friday" deals being offered before Thanksgiving tables were even set. Full Story | Top |
| IAEA says may need more money to help implement Iran nuclear deal Thursday, Nov 28, 2013 08:44 AM PST  By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. atomic watchdog will probably need more money to verify the implementation of a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, its chief said on Thursday, and it would take some time to prepare for the task. Yukiya Amano also said Iran has invited the agency to visit the Arak heavy-water production plant on December 8, the first concrete step under a new cooperation pact aimed at clarifying concerns about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Both agreements indicate how Iran is acting quickly to address fears about its nuclear program after the election in June of a relative moderate, Hassan Rouhani, as new president on a platform to smooth its troubled relations with the world. The International Atomic Energy Agency can mobilize expertise and staff from within the organization for an increased workload in checking whether Iran is complying with the interim accord with the major powers to curb its nuclear program, IAEA Director General Amano told a news conference. Full Story | Top |
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