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Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:01 AM PST

Today's Reuters News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Romney widens lead over Gingrich in Florida: poll Greece, creditors on verge of clinching debt deal Nuclear experts in Iran on day of oil embargo vote Freddie Mac hired Gingrich as it reshaped strategy With instability at home, Yemeni chief arrives in U.S. Trade cheats beware: new U.S. team will come after you: Kirk Syrian forces kill 33 in attack on rebel town: residents UK police arrest Murdoch tabloid staff, raid offices Former rival Cain endorses Gingrich for president Yemen's Saleh heads for United States Romney widens lead over Gingrich in Florida: Reuters/Ipsos poll Bankers resist regulatory restraint on bonuses Romney seeks to knock out Gingrich in Florida Sanctions to hit EU buyback firms: Iran oil chief Britain says Afghan withdrawal must be carefully phased Arab League suspends Syria mission as violence rages Goldman executives get access to restricted stock IMF leads global push for euro zone to boost firewall Germany wants Greece to give up budget control Sudan says to release ships seized from South Sudan Nigeria army says kills 11 Boko Haram insurgents Subpoenas issued to financial firms in expanded probe In Facebook IPO, bankers seek prestige over fees Apple not turning "blind eye" to supply chain problems: CEO Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings Obama seeks to rally Democrats to election-year fight Growth quickens, but speed bumps ahead Greece, creditors laboriously piece together debt deal Ford hit by commodity costs, international woes Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings Fading Gingrich falls behind in polls Syria violence kills 37, U.N. Security Council to meet Romney puts Gingrich on defensive in Florida debate U.S. detains Brazil, Canada orange juice for fungicide Facebook to file IPO documents as soon as Wednesday: report James Murdoch to quit GSK board Chevron profit falls as refineries, output suffer Costa Cruises offers compensation to rescued passengers BP fails to shift $15 billion oil spill costs onto Transocean Japan prices fall, mild deflation to persist Romney widens lead over Gingrich in Florida: poll Sat,28 Jan 2012 09:19 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House hopeful Mitt Romney widened his lead over rival Newt Gingrich to 11 percentage points in Florida, according to Reuters/Ipsos online poll results on Saturday, up from 8 points a day earlier, as he cemented his front-runner status in the Republican nomination race. With just three days remaining before Florida's Republican primary, Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, led Gingrich, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, by 43 percent to 32 percent among likely voters in Florida's January 31 primary, the online poll said. ... Full Story Top Greece, creditors on verge of clinching debt deal Sat,28 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece and its private creditors said on Saturday they were piecing together the final elements of a debt swap and expected to have a deal ready next week, essential for sealing a new bailout and avoiding an uncontrolled default. After muddling through round after round of inconclusive talks, the negotiations are in their final phase - though it appeared unlikely that a preliminary deal would be secured in time for a European Union summit on Monday. ... Full Story Top Nuclear experts in Iran on day of oil embargo vote Sat,28 Jan 2012 05:12 PM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear inspectors arrived in Iran on Sunday, hoping to shed light on suspected military aspects of Tehran's atomic work, on the day its lawmakers look set to ban oil exports to Europe in revenge for new EU sanctions. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency delegation said he aimed to "resolve all the outstanding issues with Iran" over the nuclear program which the West believes is aimed at making weapons but which Iran insists is peaceful. ... Full Story Top Freddie Mac hired Gingrich as it reshaped strategy Sat,28 Jan 2012 03:52 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Within months after taking over as chief lobbyist at mortgage lender Freddie Mac in 1999, Mitchell Delk hired a prominent Washington insider to advise him on how to build support among conservatives on Capitol Hill: Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives. A key part of Delk's strategy, as outlined in Federal Election Commission records, was to build goodwill in Congress by holding fundraising events for influential members of House and Senate committees that had oversight of Freddie Mac. ... Full Story Top With instability at home, Yemeni chief arrives in U.S. Sat,28 Jan 2012 07:56 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barely clinging to power, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived in the United States on Saturday, apparently to treat burns and other wounds suffered in an assassination attempt in June. U.S. and Yemeni officials confirmed his arrival for a private, short-term medical visit but withheld details. An aide said he was headed to New York but his whereabouts could not be confirmed. ... Full Story Top Trade cheats beware: new U.S. team will come after you: Kirk Sat,28 Jan 2012 09:07 PM PST Reuters - DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - A new team of U.S. trade enforcers will make countries think twice about putting up unfair barriers to American exports, President Barack Obama's top trade official said. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told Reuters that the team, announced by Obama last week, will include intelligence officials as well as representatives of other agencies in order to beef up U.S. resources and crack open markets. "We want to make sure we aren't resource-constrained. Other countries know our budget and our resources ... ... Full Story Top Syrian forces kill 33 in attack on rebel town: residents Sat,28 Jan 2012 11:20 PM PST Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian government forces have killed at least 33 people in a rebel town near the Lebanese border in the last few days in an attack to dislodge army defectors and insurgents, activists and residents of a nearby town said Sunday. Rankous, a mountain town of 25,000 people, 30 kms (19 miles) north of Damascus, has been under tank bombardment since Wednesday, when it was besieged by several thousand troops led by the elite Fourth Division, under the command of President Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher, they said. ... Full Story Top UK police arrest Murdoch tabloid staff, raid offices Sat,28 Jan 2012 03:07 PM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - British police arrested four current and former staff of Rupert Murdoch's best-selling Sun tabloid plus a policeman on Saturday as part of an investigation into suspected payments by journalists to officers, police and the newspaper's publisher said. Police also searched the paper's London offices at publisher News International, News Corp's British arm, in a corruption probe linked to a continuing investigation into phone hacking at its now closed News of the World weekly tabloid. ... Full Story Top Former rival Cain endorses Gingrich for president Sat,28 Jan 2012 07:14 PM PST Reuters - PANAMA CITY/ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich received the endorsement of former rival Herman Cain on Saturday and vowed to fight until the end no matter what happens in Florida's upcoming primary vote. Cain, who ended his presidential campaign in December under the weight of sexual harassment allegations, made the endorsement at an event with Gingrich in West Palm Beach. It is unclear how much impact it will have for Gingrich in Florida, which has been trending toward rival Mitt Romney ahead of the state's vote on Tuesday. ... Full Story Top Yemen's Saleh heads for United States Sat,28 Jan 2012 01:17 PM PST Reuters - ADEN (Reuters) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh was heading to the United States on Saturday, Yemen's state news agency said, a week after leaving for Oman under a plan for him to step down to end a year of protests against his rule. In London, a foreign office official said Saleh's plane had stopped at a British airport en route to the United States. The state news agency said he had left the Omani capital Muscat, his home for the past week, to receive medical treatment. ... Full Story Top Romney widens lead over Gingrich in Florida: Reuters/Ipsos poll Sat,28 Jan 2012 02:14 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House hopeful Mitt Romney widened his lead over rival Newt Gingrich to 11 percentage points in Florida, according to Reuters/Ipsos online poll results on Saturday, up from 8 points a day earlier, as he cemented his front-runner status in the Republican nomination race. With just three days remaining before Florida's Republican primary, Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, led Gingrich, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, by 43 percent to 32 percent among likely voters in Florida's January 31 primary, the online poll said. ... Full Story Top Bankers resist regulatory restraint on bonuses Sat,28 Jan 2012 08:09 AM PST Reuters - DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Budding bankers expecting the bumper bonuses of years gone by will have to think again, with only the top performers likely to be paid top dollar. Business leaders and bankers at the annual Davos forum were largely dismissive of attempts to cap or restrict compensation in the financial services industry through regulation. But they said a combination of public anger, tighter scrutiny from watchdogs, tougher performance measures and a structural fall in profitability in banking in the post-crisis world would curb the excesses of the past. ... Full Story Top Romney seeks to knock out Gingrich in Florida Sat,28 Jan 2012 03:34 PM PST Reuters - PANAMA CITY/ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Bolstered by positive poll numbers, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Saturday sought to vanquish rival Newt Gingrich in Florida with a biting new ad about ethics charges and a mocking tone about his debate complaints. Just three days ahead of a pivotal primary race that could determine who has the momentum to win the Republican state-by-state nominating battle, the two men spent the day traveling around Florida in a final weekend search for undecided voters. ... Full Story Top Sanctions to hit EU buyback firms: Iran oil chief Sat,28 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - European companies owed oil by Iran could lose out if Tehran imposes a ban on crude exports to the European Union next week, the head of Iran's state oil company said on Saturday. Iran's parliament is due to debate a bill on Sunday that would cut off oil supplies to the EU in a matter of days, in revenge for a decision last Monday by the 27 EU member states to stop importing crude from Iran as of July 1. ... Full Story Top Britain says Afghan withdrawal must be carefully phased Sat,28 Jan 2012 01:36 PM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Foreign troops must carefully phase their withdrawal from Afghanistan ahead of an end-2014 deadline, British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Saturday, after France suggested giving Afghan forces full responsibility for security in 2013. "I don't want to see some sort of cliff edge in 2014 when all of the remaining troops come out at once," Cameron said during talks in London with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. ... Full Story Top Arab League suspends Syria mission as violence rages Sat,28 Jan 2012 12:07 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria on Saturday because of worsening violence, a move Damascus said was an attempt to draw foreign intervention as it struggles to quell a 10-month revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. The Arab League took the decision days after calling, unsuccessfully, for Assad to step down and make way for a government of national unity. It will take an Arab peace plan to the U.N. Security Council next week. The rising violence in Syria took a dramatic turn this week when rebels seized three Damascus suburbs. ... Full Story Top Goldman executives get access to restricted stock Sat,28 Jan 2012 09:41 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Top Goldman Sachs Group Inc executives received previously restricted stock awards that are now worth $47.7 million, according to regulatory filings, though the executives are still limited in selling most of their Goldman stock. Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein, Chief Financial Officer David Viniar, Chief Operating Officer Gary Cohn and top investment banker and vice chairman John Weinberg each received 45,497 shares worth $5.1 million, based on Goldman's closing price of $111.77 on Friday. Seven other executives each received previously awarded shares worth $2. ... Full Story Top IMF leads global push for euro zone to boost firewall Sat,28 Jan 2012 09:38 AM PST Reuters - DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde led a global push on Saturday for the euro zone to boost its financial firewall, saying "if it is big enough it will not get used." Lagarde, supported by the British finance minister, George Osborne, said the IMF could boost its support for the euro zone but pressed its leaders to act first. Some attendees at the Davos Forum still doubted the viability of the currency union. ... Full Story Top Germany wants Greece to give up budget control Sat,28 Jan 2012 06:03 AM PST Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday. "There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programs that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that's enough," the source said. ... Full Story Top Sudan says to release ships seized from South Sudan Sat,28 Jan 2012 07:46 AM PST Reuters - ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Sudan said on Saturday it would free tankers carrying cargoes of South Sudanese crude it had seized earlier this month, in a push to defuse a row over transit fees between former civil war foes that both depend on oil for almost all their income. Landlocked South Sudan, which became independent in July after seceding from Sudan, has to use a northern pipeline and the port of Port Sudan to export its crude, and the two countries are in dispute over the transit fees it should pay. ... Full Story Top Nigeria army says kills 11 Boko Haram insurgents Sat,28 Jan 2012 06:29 AM PST Reuters - MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria's army killed 11 suspected Boko Haram insurgents during a gun battle at a checkpoint in the Islamist sect's heartland of Maiduguri on Saturday, the field operations officer in the remote northeastern city said. Nigerian forces are reeling from a sharp uptick of increasingly sophisticated and coordinated attacks by Boko Haram. Human Rights Watch says it has killed hundreds of people since launching an uprising against the government in 2009, including an attack on the city of Kano that killed 186. ... Full Story Top Subpoenas issued to financial firms in expanded probe Fri,27 Jan 2012 03:57 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department issued civil subpoenas to 11 financial institutions as part of a new effort to investigate misconduct in the packaging and sale of home loans to investors, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday. Holder declined to provide specifics, including the names of the firms. "We are wasting no time in aggressively pursuing any and all leads," Holder said at a news conference announcing details of a new working group to investigate misconduct in the residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) market, "you can expect more to follow. ... Full Story Top In Facebook IPO, bankers seek prestige over fees Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:15 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Facebook's initial public offering is likely to set a new standard for how low investment banks are willing to go on advisory fees to win big business. The world's largest online social network is expected to tap public markets for $10 billion in the coming months in an offering that will value the company at up to $100 billion, according to sources familiar with the planned IPO. It will be one of the biggest U.S. market debuts ever, and a prized trophy for the investment bankers seeking to win lead advisory roles. ... Full Story Top Apple not turning "blind eye" to supply chain problems: CEO Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:16 PM PST Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc has never turned "a blind eye" to the problems in its supply chain and any suggestion it does not care about the plight of workers is "patently false," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an email to employees. Cook was responding to a report in The New York Times about working conditions at Apple's main contract manufacturer, Foxconn, in China, an issue that for years has been a thorn in the company's side. Apple responded in the past by launching independent audits and publishing the results. ... Full Story Top Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings Fri,27 Jan 2012 08:35 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years. In a statement, the ratings agency said the affected countries were vulnerable in the near-term to monetary and financial shocks. "Consequently, these sovereigns do not, in Fitch's view, accrue the full benefits of the euro's reserve currency status," it said. ... Full Story Top Obama seeks to rally Democrats to election-year fight Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:16 PM PST Reuters - CAMBRIDGE, Maryland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to push back hard against Republicans who try to obstruct his election-year proposals on taxes and jobs, as he sought to rally congressional Democrats and move past a period of strained relations. Wrapping up a cross-country tour to promote a populist agenda laid out in this week's State of the Union address, Obama hammered home a reelection campaign appeal for greater economic fairness and called on fellow Democrats to close ranks with him. ... Full Story Top Growth quickens, but speed bumps ahead Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:26 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a rebuilding of stocks by businesses and slower business spending warned of weaker growth in early 2012. Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.8 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday, a sharp acceleration from the 1.8 percent in the prior three months. It was, however, a touch below economists expectations in a Reuters poll for a 3 percent rate, and two-thirds of the increase was due to the build-up in business inventories. ... Full Story Top Greece, creditors laboriously piece together debt deal Fri,27 Jan 2012 03:37 PM PST Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece and its private creditors head back to the negotiating table on Saturday to put together the final pieces of a long-awaited debt swap agreement needed to avert an unruly default. After weeks of muddling through round after round of inconclusive talks, the negotiations appear to be in their final phase with both sides hoping to secure a preliminary deal before Monday's summit of euro zone leaders. ... Full Story Top Ford hit by commodity costs, international woes Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:16 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co reported a lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Friday as commodity costs shot up and results from operations outside North America fell short of expectations. The No. 2 U.S. automaker's losses in Europe nearly quadrupled during the quarter as the economy suffered amid the ongoing debt crisis. Flooding in Thailand led to a loss in Asia, and increased competition blunted profits in South America. ... Full Story Top Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings Fri,27 Jan 2012 01:05 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years. In a statement, the ratings agency said the affected countries were vulnerable in the near-term to monetary and financial shocks. "Consequently, these sovereigns do not, in Fitch's view, accrue the full benefits of the euro's reserve currency status," it said. ... Full Story Top Fading Gingrich falls behind in polls Fri,27 Jan 2012 03:57 PM PST Reuters - MIAMI (Reuters) - Newt Gingrich struggled to regain momentum in the Republican presidential race on Friday as two new polls showed him falling behind rival Mitt Romney, who was seen as the winner of the final debate before the Florida primary. The White House contenders courted Florida's sizable Hispanic vote, many of them Cubans, with appearances on Friday at the Hispanic Leadership Network, where Romney received an unusually warm reception and the reaction to Gingrich was more sedate. ... Full Story Top Syria violence kills 37, U.N. Security Council to meet Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:22 PM PST Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Security forces killed 37 people in Syria on Friday, activists and residents said, as people in Homs mourned 14 members of a family they said were slain by militiamen in one of the worst sectarian attacks in a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. The U.N. Security Council was to meet later in the day to discuss Syria before a possible vote next week on a new Western-Arab draft resolution aimed at halting 10 months of bloodshed. ... Full Story Top Romney puts Gingrich on defensive in Florida debate Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:15 PM PST Reuters - JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took the fight to chief rival Newt Gingrich on Thursday in his most aggressive debate performance yet, five days ahead of Florida's primary vote. A neck-and-neck race for Florida and its importance for the Republican presidential nomination made for a combustible atmosphere at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville as the candidates sparred repeatedly. ... Full Story Top U.S. detains Brazil, Canada orange juice for fungicide Fri,27 Jan 2012 02:17 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators detained three shipments of Brazilian orange juice and six from Canada that tested positive for the fungicide carbendazim, which is illegal in the United States. Two other Brazilian juice shipments tested positive for the fungicide, but the companies decided not to import the juice into the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. Orange juice futures climbed almost 3 percent in reaction to the FDA testing results, which had been widely expected. ... Full Story Top Facebook to file IPO documents as soon as Wednesday: report Fri,27 Jan 2012 01:08 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Facebook plans to file documents as early as Wednesday for a highly anticipated IPO that will value the world's largest social network at between $75 billion and $100 billion, the Wall Street Journal cited unidentified sources as saying on Friday. Morgan Stanley is a strong front-runner to be the lead underwriter on what would be one of the largest initial public offerings in U.S. history, the Journal cited its sources as saying. Goldman Sachs is expected to play a significant role in the deal too, the newspaper added. A Facebook spokesman declined to comment. ... Full Story Top James Murdoch to quit GSK board Fri,27 Jan 2012 09:06 AM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - News Corp executive James Murdoch, under pressure from a phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World tabloid, is to quit the board of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline as he spends more time on his new role in the United States. Murdoch was promoted last March to become News Corp's deputy chief operating officer and head of its international operations, in a move seen at the time as confirming his status as heir apparent to his father Rupert Murdoch's media empire. ... Full Story Top Chevron profit falls as refineries, output suffer Fri,27 Jan 2012 10:50 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Chevron Corp reported lower quarterly earnings on Friday, missing Wall Street forecasts, as rising spending on oil and gas projects and losses at its U.S. refinery business offset gains from higher crude oil prices. Its shares were down 2.2 percent at $104.21 by midday, nearly $7 short of the record high they hit early this month. Oil and gas production at the No. 2 U.S. oil company declined to 2.64 million barrels per day (BPD) from 2.79 million BPD a year-before, while average benchmark oil prices rose about 25 percent over the same period. ... Full Story Top Costa Cruises offers compensation to rescued passengers Fri,27 Jan 2012 09:17 AM PST Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - Costa Cruises has offered 11,000 euros ($14,500) in compensation to each of the more than 3,000 passengers aboard its liner that ran aground and capsized two weeks ago, Italian consumer groups said on Friday. The offer is an attempt by Costa Cruises to limit the legal fallout of the accident off the coast of Italy. Each passenger on the Costa Concordia will also receive a refund on the cruise and the costs of their return home. The offer applies to all passengers, whether child or adult, who suffered no physical injuries. Injured passengers will be dealt with individually. ... Full Story Top BP fails to shift $15 billion oil spill costs onto Transocean Fri,27 Jan 2012 06:24 AM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Oil giant BP has lost its attempt to shift over $15 billion of costs related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill onto contractor Transocean, increasing the possibility BP may have to foot the entire $42 billion clean up bill. A U.S. federal judge on Thursday said BP must uphold a clause in its contract with Transocean Ltd that would shield the Swiss-based driller from compensatory damage claims related to the 2010 disaster. ... Full Story Top Japan prices fall, mild deflation to persist Fri,27 Jan 2012 06:36 AM PST Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's core consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month in the year to December, and mild deflation is expected to persist this year as energy prices stabilize and worries about Europe's debt crisis suppress wage growth and economic activity. Core consumer prices declined an annual 0.1 percent, matching the median estimate, and a narrower measure that excludes both food and energy also fell in a sign that Japan continues to grapple with a strong yen, which pushes down import prices and makes exporters reluctant to raise salaries. Retail sales fell 1. ... Full Story Top

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