| | |
| Europe advances towards single banking supervisor Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:34 PM PDT  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders took a big stride towards establishing a single banking supervisor for the euro zone, agreeing it would enter into force next year, opening the way for the bloc's rescue fund to inject capital directly into ailing banks. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the 27 leaders agreed at a Brussels summit to adopt a legal framework by the end of this year giving the European Central Bank overall responsibility for banking supervision. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yemen takes tough sell message to U.S. businesses Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:18 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - It has to be one of the toughest jobs around - trying to sell U.S. businesses on the investment potential of one of the poorest nations on Earth, a country battered by Islamist militants who bomb, assassinate and kidnap. Yet it is a job U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein is taking on by leading a delegation of 10 Yemeni businessmen on a 10-day, five-city tour of the United States. "We think there are great opportunities. There's money to be made investing in Yemen," Feierstein, a career diplomat, said on Thursday. This is the first time the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| France's Hollande: no discussion by EU leaders of aid for Spain Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:09 PM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU leaders met in Brussels for talks intended to try to bridge deep differences over plans for a banking union. Their meeting, which will resume later on Friday, was the fourth for EU leaders this year and the 22nd summit held since the crisis erupted in Greece in late 2009. (Brussels newsroom) Full Story | Top |
| Van Rompuy: euro zone bank single supervision probably in 2013 Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:06 PM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU leaders met in Brussels for talks intended to try to bridge deep differences over plans for a banking union. Their meeting, which will resume later on Friday, was the fourth for EU leaders this year and the 22nd summit held since the crisis erupted in Greece in late 2009. For highlights of comments by EU leaders and officials from the talks click on [ID:nL5E8LI9GW] (Brussels newsroom) Full Story | Top |
| Merkel says EU bank supervisor to be built in 2013 Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:06 PM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that a single European banking supervisor would be built up in the course of next year and must be completed before euro zone rescue funds may directly recapitalize troubled banks. "We give our finance ministers the ambitious task of establishing a legal framework (for supervision) by January 1, 2013. This banking supervision will then be built up in the course of 2013," she told a news conference after EU leaders reached a deal on a timetable for launching the initiative. ... Full Story | Top |
| Barroso: euro zone ministers to work out bank recapitalization Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 07:05 PM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU leaders met in Brussels for talks intended to try to bridge deep differences over plans for a banking union. Their meeting, which will resume later on Friday, was the fourth for EU leaders this year and the 22nd summit held since the crisis erupted in Greece in late 2009. (Brussels newsroom) Full Story | Top |
| Canadian regulator blocks BCE's $3 billion Astral takeover Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:50 PM PDT GATINEAU, Quebec (Reuters) - Canada's broadcast regulator blocked BCE Inc's C$3 billion ($3.05 billion) takeover of Astral Media on Thursday, declaring the deal would give too much power to BCE, already the country's biggest telecoms company and owner of numerous TV and radio assets. "BCE failed to persuade us that the deal would benefit Canadians," said Jean-Pierre Blais, who took over as chairman of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) four months ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bangladesh father denies son involved in New York bomb plot Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:45 PM PDT DHAKA (Reuters) - The father of a Bangladeshi man accused of attempting to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank denied on Thursday that his son was involved and said he was the victim of a "racist conspiracy." Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, was arrested on Wednesday in New York and faces charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda. "This is nothing but a conspiracy. There is still a racist conspiracy there," his father, Quazi Mohammad Ahsanullah, told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. ... Full Story | Top |
| Diplomacy inbox fills up as U.N. awaits U.S. presidential vote Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:34 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - As the United States prepares for a presidential election next month, thorny diplomatic issues like an arms trade treaty, the Palestinians' U.N. aspirations and talks on banning weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East have had to wait. For months, U.N. officials and diplomats have complained privately that discussions at the United Nations aimed at resolving a range of problems have been delayed until after the November 6 election in which President Barack Obama, a Democrat, faces off against Republican contender Mitt Romney. ... Full Story | Top |
| Judge allows Texas cheerleaders to use "Bible banners" for now Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:31 PM PDT SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A Texas high school cheerleading team may continue using religious scriptures on banners at football games for now, a federal judge ruled on Thursday, saying the students had a constitutional right to express their faith on school property. The ruling over the so-called "Bible Banners" at the school in the east Texas town of Kountze marked the latest twist in a broader national clash over the separation of religion from public schools. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. military court rules Fort Hood shooting suspect must shave Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:16 PM PDT  SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A U.S. military court ruled on Thursday that Fort Hood shooting suspect Major Nidal Hasan must shave his beard, which he says he grew because of his Muslim faith, before appearing for court-martial on murder charges connected to the 2009 rampage. Hasan is accused of opening fire on a group of soldiers who were undergoing medical exams at the Army post in Texas on November 5, 2009, in preparation for their deployment to Iraq. Thirteen people died in the attack and 32 others were wounded. He could face the death penalty if convicted. ... Full Story | Top |
| Louvre, Versailles Palace weigh in on French art tax row Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:06 PM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - Top Paris art galleries and the Palace of Versailles have weighed in against an unpopular push to extend wealth tax to art, complaining in a letter to the government that such a move could drive historic collections out of France. The daily Liberation printed an excerpt from a letter it said was signed by the heads of the Louvre, Versailles, the Musee d'Orsay, the Pompidou Centre and others and sent to the culture minister and President Francois Hollande, saying the tax would crush the art world. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian government, FARC rebels to meet in Cuba for peace talks Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 06:02 PM PDT  HURDAL, Norway/BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian government and leftist rebel negotiators agreed to meet in Cuba in mid-November to start what are likely to be thorny peace talks aimed at patching together an end to half a century of conflict, both sides said on Thursday. Talks, which opened in Norway this week, are the latest in a long history of attempts to resolve the war which has left tens of thousands dead and millions more displaced since the founding of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in 1964. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is betting that a decade of U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Los Angeles County tax assessor pleads not guilty to bribery Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 05:57 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles County's elected tax assessor pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he accepted some $180,000 in bribes from a consultant in exchange for arranging lower property taxes for the man's wealthy clients. Assessor John Noguez, who was elected in 2010, was ordered at his arraignment to be held in jail unless he posts a $1.4 million bond. His lawyers will argue for a lower amount at a bail hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court next week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Top brass to discuss U.S. Air Force role in cyber warfare Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 05:49 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twenty top U.S. Air Force generals are due to discuss cyber warfare in a November meeting aimed at clarifying the service's role in this new and increasingly important arena of military conflict. The four-star generals prepared for the event with a day of meetings last month at U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, where they and some three-star generals were briefed on the rapidly changing nature of the cyber threat and U.S. capabilities. ... Full Story | Top |
| Under fire over Congo rebels, Rwanda wins Security Council seat Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 05:35 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Rwanda won a seat on the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, despite accusations by a U.N. panel that Rwanda's defense minister commands a rebellion in Democratic Republic of Congo, and warned countries against cutting off aid over the charges. Rwanda was unopposed in its bid for the African seat on the council that South Africa will vacate at the end of December, but still needed approval from two-thirds of the U.N. General Assembly members present to secure the two-year term. It won 148 votes in the 193-nation assembly. ... Full Story | Top |
| Texas to end health program if Planned Parenthood participates Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 05:01 PM PDT AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas health program that serves more than 100,000 low-income women will shut down if Planned Parenthood is allowed to continue participating, the state's health and human services chief said on Thursday. Planned Parenthood has asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a lower court ruling that allows Texas to ban it from the program. "If they prevail in that case, and the courts say, ‘You have to include Planned Parenthood,' then, yes, (the program) goes away," Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Dr. Kyle Janek said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama talks Libya and Biden's swimsuit on "Daily Show" Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 05:01 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama joked that his vice president looked good in a swimsuit and said screw-ups can happen in government as he discussed the Libya controversy, mixing comedy and serious issues in an appearance on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." In a appeal to young voters, Obama largely played it straight in his sixth appearance on the liberal-leaning comedy show, which enjoys a broad following among younger viewers. ... Full Story | Top |
| BCE to ask Ottawa to help overturn ruling on Astral deal Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:50 PM PDT TORONTO (Reuters) - BCE Inc said on Thursday it will ask the federal government to intervene to help overturn a ruling by Canada's broadcast regulator to block BCE's C$3 billion ($3.05 billion) takeover of content provider Astral Media. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) blocked the controversial deal on Thursday, saying the deal would have given too much power to BCE, already the country's biggest telecoms company and owner of numerous TV and radio assets. BCE said it will ask the federal government to intervene and issue direction to the CRTC. ($1 = 0. ... Full Story | Top |
| Biden says Republican "bullets are aimed at you" Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:45 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden, who is known for making verbal gaffes, suggested on Thursday that Republican "bullets" were aimed at his campaign audience during an appearance in the swing state of Nevada. Speaking to a crowd in Las Vegas, Biden said his opponents, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate, Representative Paul Ryan, were "decent men" and good fathers with a vision for the country that was vastly different from the one offered by Biden and President Barack Obama. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese auto parts maker vows to top Johnson deal for A123 Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:38 PM PDT WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - A lawyer for Chinese auto parts maker Wanxiang Group Corp said on Thursday it plans to make a superior bid for the battery business of A123 Systems than what a U.S. company has offered. Wanxiang intends to bid at the auction for A123, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, Bojan Guzina said at a court hearing in Delaware. The Chinese company also plans to fight Johnson Controls Inc for the role of initial bidder for A123, the attorney said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Abbott says kidney drug study halted; shares drop Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:33 PM PDT (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc said its partner, Reata Pharmaceuticals, was discontinuing a late-stage trial of their potential blockbuster treatment for chronic kidney disease and diabetes based on safety concerns raised by an independent safety committee. The failure of the drug, bardoxolone, sent Abbott shares down 3.5 percent on Thursday. It came as a major setback just months before the planned January 1 spinoff of Abbott's branded prescription drugs into a separate publicly traded company called AbbVie. ... Full Story | Top |
| WTO hands Obama victory in U.S.-China steel case Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:23 PM PDT  GENEVA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization barred China on Thursday from imposing duties on certain U.S. steel exports, siding with U.S. President Barack Obama in a dispute with Beijing over a type of steel made in two election battleground states. The case involved duties imposed by China on "grain-oriented electrical steel," which is used in the cores of high-efficiency transformers, electric motors and generators. The steel is made by AK Steel Corp of Ohio and ATI Allegheny Ludlum of Pennsylvania. ... Full Story | Top |
| Man sues over arrest for wearing "Occupy" jacket in Supreme Court Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:16 PM PDT (Reuters) - A man who was arrested in the Supreme Court's museum corridor for wearing a jacket emblazoned with the slogan "Occupy Everywhere" is suing the federal government over the incident. Fitzgerald Scott was looking at exhibitions in the court in Washington, D.C., in January when a police officer asked him to remove the jacket, according to a suit filed in federal district court in Washington on Wednesday. "Occupy Everywhere" is a slogan for the Occupy movement, an international protest movement against social and economic inequality. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama hammers Romney over women, Iraq war Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:15 PM PDT  MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - President Barack Obama hammered Republican Mitt Romney over women's rights and foreshadowed arguments he will make in an upcoming debate on foreign policy during a campaign stop on Thursday in the battleground state of New Hampshire. The Democratic incumbent has rebounded since his sharper, more energetic performance in Monday night's debate helped make up for his heavily criticized, lackluster appearance in their first encounter, which gave Romney a boost in public opinion polls. ... Full Story | Top |
| Top bankers urge Washington to avoid fiscal cliff Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:14 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top financial industry executives urged the Obama administration and Congress on Thursday to stop automatic fiscal austerity measures from kicking in at year-end, but did not propose fresh ideas for replacing those harsh budget and tax measures. "The consequences of inaction ... would be grave," members of the Financial Services Forum, an industry trade association, wrote to President Barack Obama and members of Congress in a letter released on Thursday. The letter, signed by 15 top executives of some of largest U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bill Clinton, Springsteen rock Ohio for Obama Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 04:10 PM PDT  PARMA, Ohio (Reuters) - Rock star Bruce Springsteen and political star Bill Clinton teamed up on behalf of President Barack Obama on Thursday, hoping to drum up support in a state crucial to the Democrat's re-election hopes. Springsteen sang songs about working-class struggles and cited Obama's work in his first term while former president Clinton took a swipe at Republican candidate Mitt Romney's economic plans. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. offers rewards for Iran-based al Qaeda operatives Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:59 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it was offering millions of dollars for information leading to the location of two al Qaeda members accused of facilitating the movement of funds and operatives through Iran. The Obama administration is offering up to $7 million for information leading to the location of Iran-based financier Muhsin al-Fadhli, who was among the few al Qaeda leaders who received advance notification of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the State Department said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Central African Republic says foils another coup Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:50 PM PDT BANGUI (Reuters) - Security forces in Central African Republic arrested three men suspected of plotting to overthrow President Francois Bozize, the country's chief prosecutor said on Thursday. CAR is one of the world's poorest and least stable countries, and the government of Bozize has claimed over the years to have uncovered several coup plans, including one earlier this year. "Interrogations are ongoing, but the three plotters have already confessed their plan to overthrow the head of state," Alain Tomo said at a press conference. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pressure grows on Peru's Humala as public health strike widens Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:42 PM PDT LIMA (Reuters) - Hundreds of hospital managers have resigned from Peru's public health service in solidarity with striking doctors who accused President Ollanta Humala on Thursday of ignoring their demands for a bigger share of a record fiscal surplus. The resignations, in support of the lingering strike by 11,000 doctors in the nation's health system, underscore growing criticism of the government over its inability to negotiate labor accords and forestall closures of hospitals and schools. Humala is also still struggling to end strife with the national teachers' union. ... Full Story | Top |
| European regulators reject Vivus obesity drug Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:36 PM PDT (Reuters) - Vivus Inc said European regulators recommended that its obesity pill not be approved, citing potential safety concerns related to the long-term use of the drug. The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) raised concerns over heart risks and birth defects and the drug Qsiva's use by patients for whom it was not indicated. Vivus, which announced in late September that it was expecting a negative response, said it intends to appeal the panel opinion and request a re-examination of the decision by the CHMP. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Cuba's immigration reform casts spotlight on decades-old U.S. law Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:32 PM PDT  MIAMI (Reuters) - Cuba's decision this week to make it easier to leave and enter the country is unlikely in the short term to prompt a sudden exodus, but could result in a rethinking of preferential treatment Cuban migrants have long received in the United States. Alarmed by the number of Cubans arriving in Miami for economic reasons, rather than the political causes that prompted earlier waves of migration from the island, even some Cuban exiles are increasingly questioning a decades-old law that has guaranteed Cubans safe haven in the United States. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chicago's Cook County wants tax on bullets to pay for healthcare Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:20 PM PDT CHICAGO (Reuters) - The top executive of the county that includes Chicago took aim at gun owners on Thursday, proposing a tax on bullets and firearms to help defray healthcare expenses associated with the high rate of gun violence. If approved by the Cook county commission, the nation's third most populous county could be the first major metropolitan area in the nation to impose a tax as a form of gun control, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Facing a $267. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait's ruling family calls for obedience to the emir Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:13 PM PDT KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's ruling Al-Sabah family issued a rare statement on Thursday calling for obedience to the emir after a series of opposition gatherings and a large rally earlier this week. The Gulf oil producer has seen regular demonstrations since last year, stemming from a struggle between the government dominated by the ruling family and mainly Islamist and tribal lawmakers in parliament. But tensions have increased after Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved parliament last week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Council of Europe says some Greek labor reforms illegal Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:03 PM PDT STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Reforms to Greek labor law aimed at cutting costs for the country's recession-hit employers were illegal because they violated workers' rights, a committee at the Council of Europe ruled on Friday in a non-binding judgment. In a decision it said could be used by trade unions to mount a legal challenge in Greece, the Council's social rights committee ruled that two reforms undertaken at the behest of the country's international creditors contravened the European Social Charter and should be scrapped. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clashes erupt at Greek anti-austerity protests Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:03 PM PDT  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police clashed with anti-austerity protesters hurling stones and petrol bombs on the day of a general strike that brought much of the near-bankrupt country to a standstill. In the second major walkout in three weeks on Thursday, almost 40,000 protesters marched in Athens in a bid to show EU leaders meeting in Brussels that new wage and pension cuts will only worsen their plight after five years of recession. ... Full Story | Top |
| Twitter blocks neo-Nazi group's messages in Germany Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 03:03 PM PDT  FRANKFURT/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In response to a request by German authorities, Twitter on Thursday blocked messages in Germany posted by a right-wing group banned by local police. Twitter's move marked the first time it has implemented a new feature, called "Country Withheld Content", that allows the service to narrowly censor tweets considered illegal in one specific country. A Twitter spokesman confirmed Thursday that the account operated by the Besseres Hannover group and all of its content have been blocked for German users, but "remains visible to Twitter users in other countries". ... Full Story | Top |
| Supreme Court halts Texas execution of police killer Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 02:58 PM PDT AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Supreme Court halted the scheduled execution on Thursday of a man convicted of killing an off-duty Houston policeman in 1998 while it considers whether to review the case. The ruling granted a stay of execution to Anthony Haynes, who had been scheduled to die by lethal injection. Haynes, now 33, fired a shot from his truck at a Jeep Cherokee carrying off-duty Houston police officer Kent Kincaid and his wife, Nancy, according to an account of the case from the Texas attorney general's office. ... Full Story | Top |
| FDA finds fungus in steroid shots, meningitis toll rises Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 02:45 PM PDT  NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. health officials made their first confirmation of the presence of a deadly fungus in one of three lots of steroids tied to a national meningitis outbreak as the death toll rose to 20 on Thursday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was still testing two additional lots of methylprednisolone acetate, the steroid used to treat back pain, for the presence of the rare Exserohilum fungus. It is also testing other injectable drugs that were supplied by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Massachusetts. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Libyan Islamist says he was at U.S. consulate during attack Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 02:43 PM PDT  BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A Libyan militia commander who U.S. officials say is under investigation in connection with the attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi which led to the death of the ambassador said he was present during the incident but was not one of the ringleaders. Some American newspapers have quoted unnamed Libyan officials as pointing to Ahmed Abu Khattala as the leader of the attacks on Sept, 11. The newspapers also reported that the officials said Abu Khattala's whereabouts were unknown. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
|
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário