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Friday, March 9, 2012 12:02 AM PST

Today's Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines: Greece averts immediate default with bond success Deal not sealed, Romney hits Santorum with big ad buys February jobs gains seen strong, keeping Fed at bay Syrian rebels reject Annan's call for dialogue Afghanistan, U.S. to sign prison transfer deal: officials Keystone oil pipeline bill fails in Senate BofA in side deal with government on mortgage foreclosures: WSJ Stanford foreign accounts should be forfeited: jury Greek debt hopes buoy shares, eyes on U.S. jobs Murdoch faces investigation over BSkyB ownership China cyber capability endangers U.S. forces: report Households turn corner as debt burdens fall Israel asks U.S. for arms that could aid Iran strike Apple unveils 4G iPad Bin Laden widows charged with illegal stay in Pakistan Greece secures high participation in bond swap US, Afghans reach deal on handover of prisons Another month of strong hiring expected for Feb. Senate rejects GOP environment, energy proposals Romney is facing skepticism in Republican South Syrian official defects, calls regime sinking ship No motive known for Pitt psych clinic shooting 2 children found living in abandoned school bus Jeremy Rosado ejected by 'Idol' judges, leaving 12 Magic end Bulls' 8-game win streak Greece averts immediate default with bond success Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:49 PM PST Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece averted on Friday the immediate risk of an uncontrolled default, winning strong acceptance from its private creditors for a bond swap deal which will ease its massive public debt and clear the way for a new international bailout. The finance ministry said creditors had tendered 85.8 percent of the 177 billion euros in bonds regulated under Greek law. That rate would reach 95.7 percent of all Greek debt with the use of "collective action clauses" to enforce the deal on creditors who refused to take part voluntarily. ... Full Story Top Deal not sealed, Romney hits Santorum with big ad buys Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:11 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's presidential campaign would like to be focusing its attacks on Democratic President Barack Obama around now. But after failing to seize control of the Republican nomination race on "Super Tuesday," Romney cannot shake off rival Rick Santorum, whom he criticized on Thursday as a political insider. Opening up a new front against Santorum, the Romney campaign accused him of being a lobbyist in his home state of Pennsylvania even before he went to Washington in 1991. ... Full Story Top February jobs gains seen strong, keeping Fed at bay Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:22 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Employment likely grew solidly for a third straight month in February, a sign the economic recovery is becoming more durable and in less need of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve. The economy probably created 210,000 jobs last month, according to a Reuters survey, following January's tally of 243,000. The unemployment rate is expected to have held at a three-year low of 8.3 percent. ... Full Story Top Syrian rebels reject Annan's call for dialogue Thu,8 Mar 2012 08:44 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, said he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents. "The killing has to stop and we need to find a way of putting in the appropriate reforms and moving forward," Annan said on Thursday in Cairo ahead of his trip to Damascus on Saturday. Syrian dissidents reacted with dismay and said government repression had destroyed prospects of a negotiated deal. ... Full Story Top Afghanistan, U.S. to sign prison transfer deal: officials Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:29 PM PST Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - An agreement on the transfer of U.S.-run detention centers to Afghan authorities is expected to be signed on Friday, two Afghan officials said, improving the prospects of a strategic partnership deal allowing for long-term U.S. involvement in the country. The officials said a memorandum of understanding would be signed at the foreign ministry. (Reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani) Full Story Top Keystone oil pipeline bill fails in Senate Thu,8 Mar 2012 05:25 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats on Thursday defeated a Republican proposal to give a permit to the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline in a vote that will give Republicans more ammunition to criticize President Barack Obama's energy policies on the campaign trail. Republicans argue the pipeline, which would ship oil from Canada and northern states to Texas, would create jobs and improve energy security at a time of surging gasoline prices. Obama put TransCanada's $7 billion project on hold earlier this year pending further environmental review. ... Full Story Top BofA in side deal with government on mortgage foreclosures: WSJ Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:19 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Bank of America, one of five banks in $25 billion settlement with the government over foreclosure practices, has struck a side deal that will allow it to reduce penalties in return for bigger cuts to borrowers' mortgage balances, the Wall Street Journal said. Bank of America will make deeper and broader cuts than other banks, which will allow it to avoid as much as $850 million in penalties and give more than 200,000 financially strapped households the opportunity to sharply reduce their mortgage balances, the paper said. ... Full Story Top Stanford foreign accounts should be forfeited: jury Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:25 PM PST Reuters - HOUSTON (Reuters) - Convicted swindler Allen Stanford should forfeit some $330 million stashed in foreign bank accounts, a jury found on Thursday. The verdict clears the way for the U.S. government to try to seize the funds and return them to investors. Stanford was convicted on Tuesday in federal court in Houston of running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. During a six-week trial, prosecutors said Stanford stole the deposits of investors in Stanford International Bank in Antigua to fund a lavish lifestyle of girlfriends, mansions, private jets and yachts. ... Full Story Top Greek debt hopes buoy shares, eyes on U.S. jobs Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:05 PM PST Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks jumped to a seven-month high on Friday as Asian shares rose on signs that Greece is a step nearer to securing a bailout fund, and on expectations U.S. nonfarm payrolls data due later in the day will confirm a labor market recovery. Financial spreadbetters expected major European markets to open mixed, with Britain's FTSE 100 seen opening 0.1 percent lower but Germany's DAX and France's CAC-40 rising as much as 0.2 percent. Results of Greece's bond swap with private creditors showed that 85.8 percent of private creditors had accepted its bond swap offer. ... Full Story Top Murdoch faces investigation over BSkyB ownership Thu,8 Mar 2012 06:43 PM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - British satellite broadcaster BSkyB, part of Rupert Murdoch's UK media business, is facing an escalating investigation into whether it is a "fit and proper" owner of a broadcasting licence, Britain's telecoms regulator said on Thursday. Ofcom said it set up a dedicated team in January known as 'Project Apple' to investigate material emerging from the Leveson inquiry and the police's investigations into phone hacking and the corrupting of public officials. The investigation is considering the status of both James Murdoch, chairman of BSkyB, and News Corp, which holds a 39. ... Full Story Top China cyber capability endangers U.S. forces: report Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:54 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chinese cyberwarfare would pose a genuine risk to the U.S. military in a conflict, for instance over Taiwan or disputes in the South China Sea, according to report for the U.S. Congress. Operations against computer networks have become fundamental to Beijing's military and national development strategies over the past decade, said the 136-page analysis by Northrop Grumman Corp. It was released on Thursday by the congressionally created U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. ... Full Story Top Households turn corner as debt burdens fall Thu,8 Mar 2012 06:01 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week, a government report showed on Thursday, but not enough to change perceptions that the labor market was strengthening. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, the Labor Department said. Even with the increase, claims are still near their lowest in four years. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims unchanged at 351,000 last week. ... Full Story Top Israel asks U.S. for arms that could aid Iran strike Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:44 AM PST Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has asked the United States for advanced "bunker-buster" bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran's underground nuclear sites, an Israeli official said on Thursday. "Such a request was made" around the time of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington this week, the official said, confirming media reports. ... Full Story Top Apple unveils 4G iPad Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:16 AM PST Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's latest iPad sports a crisper display and an array of technology advances that, while less than revolutionary, may prove enough for now to keep rivals like Amazon.com Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd at bay. While stopping short of vaulting ahead of Motorola and Samsung, the device -- which comes 4G-ready and boasts a quad-core graphics processor -- is capable enough to help safeguard its two-thirds market share. "The screen is a notable feature for non-techie customers, as is the faster connectivity. ... Full Story Top Bin Laden widows charged with illegal stay in Pakistan Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:56 AM PST Reuters - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities have brought charges against Osama bin Laden's three widows for illegally entering and living in the country, the interior minister said on Thursday. The al Qaeda leader was killed in a secret raid by U.S. Special Forces in the garrison town of Abbottabad in May last year after a decade-long manhunt. His three wives and an undisclosed number of children were among the 16 people detained by Pakistani authorities after the raid. "They (the wives) were presented before the court. ... Full Story Top Greece secures high participation in bond swap Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:49 PM PST Associated Press - Greece on Friday announced that it had managed to convince a high proportion of its private creditors to accept steep losses on their bonds, staving off an imminent default and paving the way for the release of funds from international rescue loans. Full Story Top US, Afghans reach deal on handover of prisons Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:43 PM PST Associated Press - Afghan and Western officials say an agreement has been reached on the contentious issue of transferring control of U.S. detention facilities in the country to the Afghan government. Full Story Top Another month of strong hiring expected for Feb. Thu,8 Mar 2012 09:16 PM PST Associated Press - Employers likely added more than 200,000 jobs for a third straight month in February, adding to evidence that the recovery is building momentum. Full Story Top Senate rejects GOP environment, energy proposals Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:39 PM PST Associated Press - The Senate killed Republican-backed attempts to overturn several of President Barack Obama's environmental and energy policies Thursday as lawmakers worked against a March 31 deadline to keep aid flowing to more than 100,000 transportation construction projects around the country. Full Story Top Romney is facing skepticism in Republican South Thu,8 Mar 2012 05:14 PM PST Associated Press - Mitt Romney faces a tough sell in the Deep South. With Mississippi and Alabama primaries coming up next Tuesday, there's concern that he's too slick, not really a conservative. In a region where the evangelical vote is important, some are skeptical about his Mormon faith. Full Story Top Syrian official defects, calls regime sinking ship Thu,8 Mar 2012 12:32 PM PST Associated Press - Syria's deputy oil minister appeared tense as he looked at the camera and announced in a video that he has defected from President Bashar Assad's regime, acknowledging he expects government forces to "burn my home" and "persecute my family." Full Story Top No motive known for Pitt psych clinic shooting Thu,8 Mar 2012 11:49 PM PST Associated Press - Authorities still don't know why a man armed with two semiautomatic handguns entered the lobby of a psychiatric clinic at the University of Pittsburgh and opened fire, killing one person and wounding seven others. Full Story Top 2 children found living in abandoned school bus Thu,8 Mar 2012 04:05 PM PST Associated Press - The abandoned school bus had no engine and no front wheels. But there were crude curtains in the windows, an air conditioner and even bunk beds inside. Full Story Top Jeremy Rosado ejected by 'Idol' judges, leaving 12 Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:04 PM PST Associated Press - Jeremy Rosado has gotten the hook on "American Idol." Full Story Top Magic end Bulls' 8-game win streak Thu,8 Mar 2012 10:48 PM PST Associated Press - Dwight Howard had 29 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 99-94 win over the Bulls on Thursday, snapping Chicago's eight-game winning streak. Full Story Top

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