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Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News Court rules N.Y. shooting victim can sue gun maker, distributor Probe points to friendly fire in Arizona Border Patrol death Obama touts jobs report as he seeks to lift campaign Panetta rejects Karzai criticism of Afghan war effort Saudi man dropped from U.N. al Qaeda sanctions list Gulf Coast senators to Obama: Ensure BP spill deal is fair Britain extradites Islamist cleric to United States Guinea's Conde sacks 11 ministers in surprise cabinet shake-up Exclusive: U.N. chief wants Italy's Prodi as envoy to troubled Sahel Romney gains ground on Obama after strong debate Ecuador ordered to pay Occidental $1.77 billion in damages U.S. deficit ends fourth fiscal year above $1 trillion: CBO EADS-BAE merger plan hits political crunch point France won't rule out bigger EADS-BAE stake: source EADS-BAE must take govt views into account: Hollande Court ruling a victory for Democrats in Ohio early voting case Maine Republicans blast opponent for World of Warcraft play U.S. jobless rate tumbles to near four-year low Romney praises Jim Lehrer's job as debate moderator Cuban blogger arrested ahead of Spanish activist's trial Border agent in Arizona may have been killed by friendly fire Jack Welch sets Twitter ablaze with Obama job jab Colombian president to leave hospital on Saturday - doctors Mother of gay California Boy Scout fights for Eagle award House Intelligence panel head blackballs China's Huawei As rial plunges, Congress looks at expanding Iran sanctions Russian church gives priests freer rein in politics Florida Supreme Court judges fight for their jobs Merkel to visit Greece as money running out Obama campaign had best fundraising month in September Romney was sweating, not cheating, spokeswoman says What if a post-election Fed were shackled? SpaceX set for its first cargo run to space station Supreme Court to review Monsanto seed patents Turkey warns Syria more strikes would be fatal mistake White House said to be frustrating drug companies in Asia trade talks Mexico investigates police over killing of politician's son France, Italy want single EU bank regulator by January Amnesty issues rights plea to Rihanna, Shakira before Azeri concerts Europe in strong position to address crisis: U.S. official Court rules N.Y. shooting victim can sue gun maker, distributor ALBANY, New York (Reuters) - A Buffalo man who was shot nearly a decade ago can sue the manufacturer, the distributor and the dealer of the semi-automatic pistol used to shoot him, a New York state appeals court ruled on Friday. Attorneys for Daniel Williams, who was shot in 2003 when he was in high school, argued that Ohio-based manufacturer Beemiller and the distributor, MKS Supply, violated federal law by knowingly supplying guns to irresponsible dealers. ... Full Story Top Probe points to friendly fire in Arizona Border Patrol death PHOENIX (Reuters) - Friendly fire probably killed a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona near the Mexican border this week, the FBI said on Friday, citing "strong preliminary indications." Nicholas Ivie was one of three agents patrolling on foot about four miles (eight km) north of the border before daybreak on Tuesday when gunfire erupted as the agents responded to a tripped ground sensor, authorities have said. A second agent was wounded in the incident near the town of Naco, an area known as a smuggling corridor. The third agent was unharmed. ... Full Story Top Obama touts jobs report as he seeks to lift campaign FAIRFAX, Virginia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday hailed a drop in the U.S. jobless rate to the lowest level since he took office, saying the country had "come too far to turn back now," as he sought to recover from a lackluster debate performance against Republican challenger Mitt Romney. A decline in unemployment to 7.8 percent in September, announced just more than four weeks before Election Day, gave an unexpected shine to the most vulnerable part of Obama's record - his economic stewardship - and offered him a chance to reset his re-election bid. The rate dropped from 8. ... Full Story Top Panetta rejects Karzai criticism of Afghan war effort ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - Progress in Afghanistan has cost thousands of military lives and it would be helpful if Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed gratitude for that sacrifice, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday, bluntly rejecting the Afghan leader's recent criticism of the war effort. "We have made progress in Afghanistan because there are men and women in uniform who have been willing to fight and die for Afghanistan's sovereignty and their right to govern and secure themselves," Panetta told reporters aboard his plane to Latin America. ... Full Story Top Saudi man dropped from U.N. al Qaeda sanctions list UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council's al Qaeda sanctions committee decided on Friday to remove Saudi businessman Yasin Abdullah Ezzedine Qadi from the U.N. sanctions list, German U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig announced. "The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee today agreed to follow the Ombudsperson's recommendation and remove Mr. Qadi's name from the Al Qaeda Sanctions List," Wittig, chairman of the committee, said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Gulf Coast senators to Obama: Ensure BP spill deal is fair WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senators from the U.S. Gulf Coast urged President Barack Obama on Friday to ensure that any legal settlement for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill does not undermine a recently passed law that would funnel billions of dollars worth of fines to their states. The U.S. Justice Department and BP Plc have discussed a potential settlement for damages caused both to Gulf waters and the coastline, which could be worth billions of dollars to states still trying to recover from the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. ... Full Story Top Britain extradites Islamist cleric to United States LONDON (Reuters) - Britain extradited Islamist cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri to the United States on Friday to face terrorism charges after the one-eyed radical preacher finally failed in his eight-year battle to avoid deportation. The Egyptian-born Abu Hamza is accused by Washington of supporting al Qaeda, aiding a kidnapping in Yemen and plotting to open a training camp for militants in the United States. ... Full Story Top Guinea's Conde sacks 11 ministers in surprise cabinet shake-up CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea's President Alpha Conde sacked 11 of his government ministers in a surprise cabinet reshuffle announced on state television late on Friday. The statement from the presidency gave no reason for the shake-up, but the move comes amid heightened tensions in the world's top supplier of the aluminum ore bauxite over long-delayed parliamentary elections. Among the principle changes was the nomination of former prime minister and career diplomat François Louceny Fall to the post of state minister for foreign affairs. ... Full Story Top Exclusive: U.N. chief wants Italy's Prodi as envoy to troubled Sahel UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Friday he wants former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi to be his envoy to the troubled Sahel region, where West African states seek U.N. backing for military intervention in Mali. "I would like to inform you of my intention to appoint Mr. Romano Prodi (Italy) as my Special Envoy for the Sahel," Ban said in a letter to the 15-nation council, obtained by Reuters. "Mr. ... Full Story Top Romney gains ground on Obama after strong debate WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney gained ground on Democratic President Barack Obama after a strong performance in their first debate heading into the November 6 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken after their prime-time face-off. Romney is now viewed positively by 51 percent of voters, the first time he has enjoyed a net positive in the U.S. presidential race, the poll found. Obama's favorability rating remained unchanged at 56 percent, according to the poll. ... Full Story Top Ecuador ordered to pay Occidental $1.77 billion in damages (Reuters) - The World Bank's arbitration center (ICSID) has ordered Ecuador to pay nearly $1.77 billion in damages to U.S.-based Occidental Petroleum for seizing the company's assets in 2006, but the Andean country said it would appeal the decision. It also ordered Ecuador to pay pre-award interest on the amount at the rate of 4.188 percent per annum, compounded annually from 16 May 2006 until the date of the award. The ruling was posted on the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) website. https://icsid.worldbank. ... Full Story Top U.S. deficit ends fourth fiscal year above $1 trillion: CBO WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The federal budget deficit for the just-ended 2012 fiscal year shrank by $207 billion from the prior year, but still marked its fourth straight year above $1 trillion, Congress' budget referee estimated on Friday. The deficit equaled about 7 percent of U.S. economic output, down from 8.7 percent in 2011, 9 percent in 2010 and 10.1 percent in 2009, but it was still greater than in any other year since 1947, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said. Economists generally consider any deficit that exceeds 3 percent of U.S. ... Full Story Top EADS-BAE merger plan hits political crunch point PARIS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Tensions over a supermerger between EADS and BAE Systems spilled into the open on Friday and cast doubt on a rapidly approaching deadline as France, Britain and Germany jockeyed over the role of the state in the world's largest aerospace and arms group. After rattling investors with a $45 billion merger project last month, the chief executives of Europe's largest aerospace firms headed into the weekend with the fate of their historic tie-up plans hinging on events outside their control. ... Full Story Top France won't rule out bigger EADS-BAE stake: source PARIS (Reuters) - France will not rule out buying shares from Lagardere that would raise its stake in a merger of EADS and BAE , a French government source said on Friday, raising the prospect of a deal-breaking clash with Britain. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, doubted a deal could be reached on the planned mega-merger of the European aerospace group and UK defense firm by an October 10 regulatory deadline and expected that date to be extended by 28 days. ... Full Story Top EADS-BAE must take govt views into account: Hollande VALLETTA (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Friday the companies involved in a proposed deal to merge EADS with British defense group BAE should take into account governments' views about the deal. "We have said what we consider as the conditions," Hollande told reporters at a summit of North African and European countries in Malta. "After that it's up to the companies to continue their talks or negotiations knowing France's position." (Reporting By Julien Ponthus; writing by John Irish) Full Story Top Court ruling a victory for Democrats in Ohio early voting case CLEVELAND (Reuters) - An appeals court on Friday upheld a lower court ruling that reinstated early, in-person voting in the three days before the November 6 election in the key swing state of Ohio, handing a victory to President Barack Obama's campaign. Ohio, which is seen as critical to Republican challenger Mitt Romney's bid to win the White House, had allowed voting in person to begin this past Tuesday but planned to cut it off on the Friday before Election Day, except for members of the military. The state said it was a burden to election boards. The 6th U.S. ... Full Story Top Maine Republicans blast opponent for World of Warcraft play LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - A Maine Senate race has turned into a fight over trolls, dwarves and goblin-like creatures known as orcs. In a mailing this week, state Republicans accused Democrat Colleen Lachowicz of living in a fantasy world and making "crude, vicious and violent comments" in online forums dedicated to World of Warcraft, a popular online game. Lachowicz, who is challenging incumbent Senator Tom Martin, has responded by accusing Republicans of focusing on her hobbies rather than public policy issues. ... Full Story Top U.S. jobless rate tumbles to near four-year low WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 7.8 percent in September and reached its lowest level since President Barack Obama took office, providing a boost to his re-election bid. The Labor Department said on Friday that employers added 114,000 workers to their payrolls last month, a moderate number, but it said a combined 86,000 more jobs were created in the prior two months than it had previously thought. Other aspects of the report also were strong. In particular, a separate survey of households found a big surge in hiring. ... Full Story Top Romney praises Jim Lehrer's job as debate moderator ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) - As far as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is concerned, Jim Lehrer did a fine job moderating Wednesday's debate between Romney and President Barack Obama. Some liberals have complained that Lehrer, a veteran debate moderator and TV anchor on Public Broadcasting Service, did not ask enough follow-up questions at the debate in Denver and let Romney off the hook on several occasions. Obama is widely viewed as having lost the debate to Romney with a lackluster performance. ... Full Story Top Cuban blogger arrested ahead of Spanish activist's trial BAYAMO, Cuba (Reuters) - Cuba arrested a dissident blogger and other activists one day before the start of a Spanish activist's high-profile manslaughter trial, a rights advocate said on Friday, in a move the U.S. State Department said is aimed at silencing critics. Blogger Yoani Sanchez, her husband, Reinaldo Escobar, and their driver were taken into custody along with a half dozen other local dissidents on Thursday, said Elizardo Sanchez of the independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights. ... Full Story Top Border agent in Arizona may have been killed by friendly fire PHOENIX (Reuters) - There are strong indications that a Border Patrol agent killed in Arizona near the Mexico border earlier this week may have been hit by friendly fire in an accidental shooting involving other agents, the FBI said on Friday. "While it is important to emphasize that the FBI's investigation is actively continuing, there are strong preliminary indications that the death of United States Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie and the injury to a second agent was the result of an accidental shooting incident involving only the agents," the FBI said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Jack Welch sets Twitter ablaze with Obama job jab BOSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jack Welch, the former chairman of General Electric Co, provoked cries of outrage in Washington on Friday when he suggested that the White House manipulated September job figures for political gains. White House officials dismissed as "ludicrous" a tweet Welch sent to his more than 1.3 million followers that gave the impression President Barack Obama's administration may have rigged the data as a way of recovering from a poor showing at Wednesday night's debate with Mitt Romney, his Republican challenger for the White House. ... Full Story Top Colombian president to leave hospital on Saturday - doctors BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will be released from the hospital on Saturday following surgery for prostate cancer that has not spread beyond the gland, his medical team said. Santos, 61, said on Monday that doctors had discovered a tumor on his prostate. The cancer announcement came two weeks before his government was about to start peace talks with Marxist rebels. "The definitive pathology result now available shows that the tumor was confined to the prostate gland. ... Full Story Top Mother of gay California Boy Scout fights for Eagle award (Reuters) - The mother of a gay California Boy Scout denied an Eagle award because of his sexual orientation is fighting to overturn the decision before turns 18, the cut-off date for the organization's highest honor. Ryan Andresen's mother, Karen, said the scoutmaster of his Troop 212 in Moraga, a San Francisco suburb, had refused to grant Eagle status to Ryan, who has been a scout since age 6, even though he met the requirements. "His last words were I'd rather resign than sign," Andresen told Reuters. A petition launched by Andresen on Change. ... Full Story Top House Intelligence panel head blackballs China's Huawei WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. companies should avoid doing business with China's Huawei, the world's No. 2 maker of telecommunications gear, for fear its equipment could open doors for spying, the head of the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee said. "If I were an American company today ... and you are looking at Huawei, I would find another vendor if you care about your intellectual property; if you care about your consumers' privacy and you care about the national security of the United States of America," Chairman Mike Rogers said. ... Full Story Top As rial plunges, Congress looks at expanding Iran sanctions WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers are considering expanding American economic sanctions on Iran - measures that already have helped push that country's currency into free fall but have not yet convinced Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees, said he plans to push for new penalties on foreign banks that handle any significant transactions with the central bank of Iran. Only oil-related transactions are now covered by sanctions. ... Full Story Top Russian church gives priests freer rein in politics MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Orthodox Church has established rules for priests seeking elective office despite a ban on almost all political activity by religious in a country that considers itself secular, a church representative was quoted as saying on Friday. Analysts said Russia's biggest and most influential religious organization, whose leader has portrayed a protest by punk band Pussy Riot in a cathedral as part of an attack on the church, is seeking to increase its influence on public life. ... Full Story Top Florida Supreme Court judges fight for their jobs TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Facing unprecedented political opposition, three Florida Supreme Court justices are fighting back against Republicans and conservative activists seeking to change the balance in the state's highest court by getting voters to fire them. Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente, and Peggy Quince face what is called a "merit retention" vote in November. Normally that would be a routine affair with little political campaigning. This time, the three have been targeted by the Republican Party and conservative advocacy groups who accuse them of judicial activism. ... Full Story Top Merkel to visit Greece as money running out BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make her first visit to Greece next week since the euro zone debt crisis erupted, in a show of support for Athens after it said it would run out of money at the end of November without fresh international aid. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras hailed the trip as a positive development at a time when his country is locked in negotiations with euro zone and IMF creditors who are holding back some 31.5 billion euros ($41 billion) in urgently needed loans. "The key is liquidity. ... Full Story Top Obama campaign had best fundraising month in September (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party had their best fundraising month of the campaign cycle in September, raising substantially more than in August and perhaps reaching $150 million or more, according to several major campaign fund-raisers. The news of a strong fundraising month comes at a time when Obama is trying to shake off criticism of his subdued performance at the first debate against Republican challenger Mitt Romney on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Romney was sweating, not cheating, spokeswoman says WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's campaign laughed off suggestions on Friday that the presidential candidate had used a cheat sheet during his debate with President Barack Obama, saying the object in question was a handkerchief to battle sweat. As he walked to the podium Wednesday night, Romney was seen reaching into his right pocket and removing a white object, which he placed on the podium. Video clips of the moment were posted online on Thursday by people who suggested the object was a crib sheet. Candidates are typically not allowed to bring notes on stage with them. ... Full Story Top What if a post-election Fed were shackled? LONDON (Reuters) - Investors staring squarely at the U.S. fiscal cliff may well be ignoring a bigger monetary policy pitfall. Many asset managers are puzzled at the how little attention world markets seem to have paid to the U.S. Republican party's stiff criticism of the hyper-active Federal Reserve and its successive bouts of reflationary money printing since 2008. ... Full Story Top SpaceX set for its first cargo run to space station Cape Canaveral, Florida (Reuters) - Space Exploration Technologies, the first private company to fly to the International Space Station, is poised to launch its initial cargo mission to the orbital outpost as part of a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to deliver supplies. Liftoff of the company's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. EDT on Sunday (0035 GMT Monday) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. If successful, the company, founded and run by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, will restore a U.S. ... Full Story Top Supreme Court to review Monsanto seed patents (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to consider an Indiana soybean farmer's appeal of an appellate court decision that he infringed Monsanto Co patents over seeds that can be replicated. The case is one of seven that the highest U.S. court decided on Friday to review, with oral arguments likely to be scheduled for January or February of 2013. Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, has a reputation for zealously defending patents on its genetically altered crops, including Roundup Ready soybeans, corn and cotton. ... Full Story Top Turkey warns Syria more strikes would be fatal mistake ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's prime minister said on Friday his country did not want war but warned Syria not to make a "fatal mistake" by testing its resolve, and its army retaliated for a third day running after more mortar rounds from Syria landed on its soil. In a belligerent speech to a crowd in Istanbul, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that Turkey would not shy away from war if provoked. The speech followed a Syrian mortar barrage on a town in southeast Turkey that killed five people on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top White House said to be frustrating drug companies in Asia trade talks WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's reluctance to push for 12 years of data protection on "biologic" medicines in free-trade talks is a growing concern for U.S. drug manufacturers who employ about 4 million Americans, an industry official said. "The biggest challenge we're facing right now is the White House," Harrison Cook, a vice president at Eli Lilly, told Reuters in an interview on his company's goals for the TransPacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed regional free trade agreement covering 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific. ... Full Story Top Mexico investigates police over killing of politician's son MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican police officers are among the suspects under investigation in the killing on Wednesday of a son of the former chairman of the country's most powerful political party. Homero Ramos, attorney general of the state of Coahuila, said on Friday seven people had been arrested in connection with the killing of Jose Eduardo Moreira, son of Humberto Moreira, ex-chairman of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. Ramos told Mexican radio that local officials appeared to be involved in the murder, among them police officers. ... Full Story Top France, Italy want single EU bank regulator by January VALLETTA, Malta (Reuters) - France and Italy led a call by five euro zone member states for the European Union to press ahead toward setting up a single banking regulator by the end of the year to be running in 2013. The leaders of France, Malta, Spain, Italy, and Portugal met in Malta on Friday at a summit with North African countries as part of the 5+5 group of Mediterranean countries. ... Full Story Top Amnesty issues rights plea to Rihanna, Shakira before Azeri concerts (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty International urged pop stars Rihanna and Shakira on Friday to open their eyes to recent arrests of journalists, bloggers and activists in Azerbaijan, before their performances in the former Soviet republic this month. Amnesty and Sing for Democracy said in a joint letter that it wanted to draw the singers' attention to human rights and freedom of speech issues in Azerbaijan. ... Full Story Top Europe in strong position to address crisis: U.S. official WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes Europe has taken steps in recent months that puts it in a stronger position to address its debt crisis and called on China to do its part for global growth, a senior U.S. Treasury official said on Friday. The Treasury official, speaking ahead of meetings of global finance chiefs in Tokyo next week, said a meeting of Group of Seven major economies on October 11 would focus on what more each country could do to boost growth. ... Full Story Top

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