Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News:
|
|
Malawi President Mutharika dead: government sources
Thu,5 Apr 2012 11:58 PM PDT
Reuters - LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has died after a heart attack, medical and government sources said on Saturday. The 78-year-old was rushed to a Lilongwe hospital on Friday after collapsing but was dead on arrival, the sources said. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by Ed Cropley) Full Story | Top |
Russia criticizes U.S. over arms dealer sentence
Thu,5 Apr 2012 11:48 PM PDT
Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia criticized a U.S. court on Friday for sentencing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison, calling the ruling groundless and politically motivated. "The American judicial system, carrying out an obvious political order, ignored the arguments of the (defense) lawyers" in convicting and sentencing Bout, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Writing by Steve Gutterman, Editing by Douglas Busvine) Full Story | Top |
Mali sanctions could be lifted soon: mediator
Thu,5 Apr 2012 11:45 PM PDT
Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's neighbors could soon lift economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed on the West African country with the aim of forcing last month's coup leaders to quit power, a regional mediator said after talks with the junta leader on Thursday. The 15-member West African bloc ECOWAS this week shut the borders of the landlocked country and denied it access to funds from the regional central bank, moves that could start to strangle the economy of Africa's third-ranked gold producer in days. ... Full Story | Top |
Mali rebels declare independence in north: website
Thu,5 Apr 2012 11:45 PM PDT
Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Tuareg-led rebels in Mali officially proclaimed the independence of the northern territory they call Azawad on Friday, a statement on the rebel MNLA website said. The statement said the declaration of independence applied immediately. (reporting by Bate Felix; writing by Mark John; editing by Patrick Graham) Full Story | Top |
Mali rebels declare independence in north - website
Thu,5 Apr 2012 11:44 PM PDT
Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Tuareg-led rebels in Mali officially proclaimed the independence of the northern territory they call Azawad on Friday, a statement on the rebel MNLA website said. The statement said the declaration of independence applied immediately. (reporting by Bate Felix; writing by Mark John; editing by Patrick Graham) Full Story | Top |
China tells military to ignore rumors, obey party
Thu,5 Apr 2012 10:21 PM PDT
Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top military newspaper told troops on Friday to ignore rumors on the Internet and steel themselves for "ideological struggle" as the ruling Communist Party faces a leadership transition, in a sign of jitters in Beijing. The Liberation Army Daily did not mention outlandish rumors of a foiled coup in Beijing that spread on the Internet in past weeks, after the abrupt ousting of Bo Xilai, an ambitious contender for a spot in the new central leadership to be unveiled at a party congress later this year. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. likely added over 200,000 jobs in March for 4th month
Thu,5 Apr 2012 09:15 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. payrolls likely rose by more than 200,000 for the fourth straight month in March, suggesting the economy is steadily healing and needs no extra monetary policy support from the Federal Reserve for now. That would mark the longest stretch of increases of more than 200,000 per month in non-farm payrolls since 1999. The unemployment rate is seen holding steady though at a three-year low of 8.3 percent for a third month in a row. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. not backing off as Iran sanctions bite
Thu,5 Apr 2012 09:10 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's man in charge of squeezing Tehran over its nuclear program is unapologetic for the difficulties faced by banks in their dealings with Iran since the U.S. tightened sanctions against the country. Companies that trade with Iran are struggling to get paid and the biggest Asian countries are scrambling to work around U.S. sanctions that aim to deprive Tehran of revenue needed to develop its nuclear program. ... Full Story | Top |
Reflective Chavez weeps at Mass in Venezuela
Thu,5 Apr 2012 08:05 PM PDT
Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wept and asked God to spare his life during a pre-Easter Mass on Thursday after returning from his latest session of cancer treatment in Cuba. Very little is known about the 57-year-old socialist leader's condition, including even what type of cancer he has. Chavez has undergone three operations in less than a year, and received two sessions of radiation treatment. He says the latest surgery was successful, that he is recovering well and will be fit to win a new six-year term at an election in October. ... Full Story | Top |
Panetta paid Treasury $17,000 for trips home: Pentagon
Thu,5 Apr 2012 08:02 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has spent about $17,000 to reimburse the Treasury for frequent travel to his California home, trips that cost the government some $860,000 because he is required to fly in military jets, the Pentagon said on Thursday. Panetta has paid about $630 per roundtrip flight to his northern California home as required by longstanding government guidelines that set reimbursement rates at the price of a full-fare coach trip. ... Full Story | Top |
With sights set on Romney, Obama says eager for campaign
Thu,5 Apr 2012 07:32 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday called out his likely opponent for the White House by name for the second time this week and said he "cannot wait" for the chance to pit his vision for America against the Republicans in this year's election. In remarks that underscore the president's shift into full general election-fighting mode, Obama acknowledged Mitt Romney was the front-runner to win the Republican nomination to face him on November 6, and said he relished the upcoming contest. ... Full Story | Top |
Under pressure, Santorum huddles with conservatives
Thu,5 Apr 2012 07:32 PM PDT
Reuters - Tumbling in the polls and under increasing pressure to abandon his White House campaign, Republican Rick Santorum huddled with conservative leaders and aides on Thursday to plot strategy. Among the options on the table: a plan that would involve Newt Gingrich dropping out of the Republican race and backing Santorum in a late effort to unite conservatives and prevent Mitt Romney from clinching the party's presidential nomination. ... Full Story | Top |
Obama seeks to defuse healthcare row with appeals court
Thu,5 Apr 2012 07:31 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. courts have authority to decide whether President Barack Obama's healthcare law is valid under the Constitution, his attorney general told a federal court on Thursday in a further bid to defuse a controversy Obama ignited earlier this week. After Obama appeared to question the role of the courts in reviewing the two-year-old law, which seeks to expand healthcare coverage to 30 million-plus uninsured Americans, a conservative Texas judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the administration to explain itself. ... Full Story | Top |
Anti-Kony group releases follow-up to viral video
Thu,5 Apr 2012 07:18 PM PDT
Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The makers of the viral "Kony 2012" video that drew world attention to a violent rebel campaign by fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony released a new film on Thursday, pushing back against criticism that their work oversimplified a long-running conflict. The video, shot in the same energetic and idealistic style as the viral hit, encourages viewers to see themselves as global citizens in a close-knit world that needs to see Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army brought to justice. ... Full Story | Top |
White House casts Republican budget as bad for women
Thu,5 Apr 2012 07:00 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that budget cuts proposed by congressional Republicans would hurt American women more than men, tailoring criticisms from President Barack Obama to one of his key voting demographics. Obama, a Democrat, slammed the election-year budget plan that cleared the Republican-controlled House of Representatives this week as "thinly veiled social Darwinism" that would pare down social services including health and retirement assistance. ... Full Story | Top |
Three plead guilty in botched "Fast and Furious" gun-running sting
Thu,5 Apr 2012 06:57 PM PDT
Reuters - PHOENIX (Reuters) - Three men pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of trafficking high-powered rifles and other guns to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent. Jaime Avila Jr., Joshua David Moore and Kenneth James Thompson were among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying and running high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, 5.7mm pistols and Barrett sniper rifles to the Mexican cartels. ... Full Story | Top |
Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges
Thu,5 Apr 2012 06:13 PM PDT
Reuters - PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on March 9 in the mass mailing of envelopes postmarked from Portland, Oregon, that contained a white powder later determined to be harmless. ... Full Story | Top |
Turkey says 2,800 flee Syria in one day
Thu,5 Apr 2012 05:16 PM PDT
Reuters - REYHANLI, Turkey (Reuters) - More than 2,800 Syrians fled across the border to Turkey from the region of Idlib on Thursday, a Turkish official said, more than double the highest previous one-day total. The refugees all crossed close to the Turkish village of Bukulmez and more were waiting on the other side of the border, the official said. Forty-four minibuses ferried the arrivals from the border to a refugee camp at Reyhanli. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. agency's video rekindles wasteful spending debate
Thu,5 Apr 2012 05:13 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fallout from a lavish government conference last year worsened on Thursday with the release of a spoof video from the gathering in which a federal employee raps about wasteful spending and jokes he will never face internal investigation. The video, entitled "Federal Worker 'American Idle,'" is certain to spur fresh Republican attacks on President Barack Obama's spending record, which they hope to make a key issue in the 2012 election campaign this fall. ... Full Story | Top |
Analysis: Jobs Act doesn't mean Wild West for companies
Thu,5 Apr 2012 04:57 PM PDT
Reuters - (Reuters) - Any U.S. corporate executives who think they can use the Jobs Act's relaxed rules for public listing to cut corners on accounting and disclosure may want to think again. The Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Thursday, may allow smaller companies new to the markets to reduce their financial regulation, and it removes the requirement for an expensive internal audit. It does not protect CEOs and CFOs from being sued by regulators and investors for fraud. ... Full Story | Top |
Man pleads guilty in botched 'Fast and Furious' US gun-running sting
Thu,5 Apr 2012 04:57 PM PDT
Reuters - PHOENIX (Reuters) - A man pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of purchasing and running high-powered rifles to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent. Jaime Avila Jr. was among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov type assault rifles and Barrett sniper rifles to run to the Mexican cartels. The purchases were made in the Phoenix area from 2009 to 2010 when a bungled U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
Under pressure, Santorum huddles with conservatives
Thu,5 Apr 2012 04:37 PM PDT
Reuters - Tumbling in the polls and under increasing pressure to abandon his White House campaign, Republican Rick Santorum huddled with conservative leaders and aides on Thursday to plot strategy. Among the options on the table: a plan that would involve Newt Gingrich dropping out of the Republican race and backing Santorum in a late effort to unite conservatives and prevent Mitt Romney from clinching the party's presidential nomination. ... Full Story | Top |
Russian arms dealer sentenced to 25 years in prison
Thu,5 Apr 2012 04:31 PM PDT
Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer caught in an undercover sting by U.S. agents posing as Colombian guerrillas seeking weapons, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday by a U.S. judge in New York. Bout, who was the subject of a book titled "Merchant of Death," asserted his innocence during the sentencing, telling the judge through a Russian interpreter, "I never intended to kill anyone. I never intended to sell arms to anyone. God knows this truth." He then pointed at federal agents sitting in the front row. "These people know this truth," Bout said. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. Congress mail threat suspect pleads not guilty to more charges
Thu,5 Apr 2012 04:26 PM PDT
Reuters - PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A registered nurse from the Portland area pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges stemming from more than 100 threatening letters he is suspected of sending to members of Congress and the media in February. Christopher Carlson, 39, has been jailed without bond since his arrest at his home in Vancouver, Washington, on March 9 in the mass mailing of envelopes postmarked from Portland, Oregon, that contained a white powder later determined to be harmless. ... Full Story | Top |
Mali sanctions could be lifted soon: mediator
Thu,5 Apr 2012 04:16 PM PDT
Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's neighbors could soon lift economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed on the West African country with the aim of forcing last month's coup leaders to quit power, a regional mediator said after talks with the junta leader on Thursday. The 15-member West African bloc ECOWAS this week shut the borders of the landlocked country and denied it access to funds from the regional central bank, moves that could start to strangle the economy of Africa's third-ranked gold producer in days. ... Full Story | Top |
Turkey says 2,800 flee Syria in one day
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:54 PM PDT
Reuters - REYHANLI, Turkey (Reuters) - More than 2,800 Syrians fled across the border to Turkey from the region of Idlib on Thursday, a Turkish official said, more than double the highest previous one-day total. The refugees all crossed close to the Turkish village of Bukulmez and more were waiting on the other side of the border, the official said. Forty-four minibuses ferried the arrivals from the border to a refugee camp at Reyhanli. ... Full Story | Top |
Syria violence worsening as deadline nears: U.N. chief
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:50 PM PDT
Reuters - BEIRUT/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that Syria's conflict is deepening and attacks on civilian areas show no sign of abating, despite assurances from Damascus that it has begun withdrawing troops under an international peace plan. Residents of at least one area under fire from the forces of President Bashar al-Assad poured scorn on the official assertions that troops were pulling back in several cities before a cease-fire which is supposed to start on April 10. ... Full Story | Top |
Illinois Republican Representative Johnson to retire
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:47 PM PDT
Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - Representative Timothy Johnson, a moderate six-term Republican from southern Illinois, announced his retirement on Thursday, joining nearly 40 lawmakers planning to leave the House. Johnson, 65, said he had taken on increased responsibilities in Congress and campaigning in his redrawn Illinois district had taken more and more of his time. "My family obligations, however, are what compels this announcement," Johnson said in a statement. "My time is limited. I have been serving in office for 44 consecutive years. ... Full Story | Top |
Voter ID laws spark heated debate before election
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:35 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Liberal activists on Wednesday criticized new voter registration requirements in dozens of states, saying millions of people could be deterred from voting in the November presidential election - a claim their opponents disputed. The Center for American Progress issued a report that said new barriers to voting have been enacted by conservative state legislatures with the aim of disenfranchising voters from among certain groups such as low-income voters, minorities and college students. Those constituencies have tended to favor Democrats. ... Full Story | Top |
Judge says fixes allow Ohio to resume executions
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:26 PM PDT
Reuters - CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A federal judge who had blocked two previous executions has cleared the way for Ohio to put to death a condemned murderer, declaring the state had adequately fixed its procedures since one botched execution and problems carrying out two others. U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost on Wednesday rejected a motion for a temporary restraining order for Mark Wiles, who is scheduled to be put to death April 18 for the murder of 15-year-old Mark Klima during a 1985 burglary. ... Full Story | Top |
Federal judge approves $25 billion mortgage pact
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:18 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge approved a $25 billion mortgage settlement with five top U.S. banks over allegations of foreclosure abuses and misconduct in servicing home loans, according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer signed the previously announced series of settlements on Wednesday but the approval was not made public until Thursday. The civil allegations were brought by 49 states and the federal government. The banks did not admit to the accusations. ... Full Story | Top |
Obama signs bill to boost business startups
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:16 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama signed into law on Thursday a bipartisan bill to kickstart small business growth and he promised rigorous oversight to make sure the measure does not harm investors, as critics have warned. The bill to make it easier for small firms to raise capital and go public marked a rare accomplishment in an gridlocked Congress. Obama, his fellow Democrats and his Republican foes were all eager to show voters in an election year that they could agree on something to boost the fragile economic recovery and fight high unemployment. ... Full Story | Top |
UPDATE 1-Obama, Romney agree: Admit women to Augusta golf club
Thu,5 Apr 2012 03:07 PM PDT
Reuters - * Augusta clings to men's-only membership policy * Club faces dilemma with IBM's woman CEO (Adds quotes and background) WASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) - President Barack Obamabelieves women should be allowed to join the all-male AugustaNational Golf Club, the White House said on Thursday, addingpressure on the exclusive 80-year-old organization to drop itsrestrictive policy. "His personal opinion is that women should be admitted,"White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters, saying he hadspoken to Obama about the issue, as the prestigious Masterstournament got under way in Augusta, Georgia. ... Full Story | Top |
Target's Canada move to be reviewed for "culture"
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:57 PM PDT
Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government has ordered a review of U.S. retail giant Target Corp's plan to move into Canada, examining whether it would be of net cultural benefit to Canada. The March 27 decision, which only came to light on Thursday, said cabinet ordered the review under the Investment Canada Act on the recommendation of Heritage Minister James Moore. The review would involve looking at whether the store's "cultural" sales, for example books, will contain enough Canadian content. ... Full Story | Top |
Syria pressured from all sides at U.N. to halt violence
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:44 PM PDT
Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Syria faced pressure from all sides at the United Nations on Thursday as U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan set a precise deadline for an end to the conflict with clear backing from Russia, China and the rest of the U.N. Security Council. Speaking by video link from Geneva, Annan told the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly he was urging "the government and the opposition commanders to issue clear instructions so that the message reaches across the country, down to the fighter and soldier at the local level" at 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on April 12. ... Full Story | Top |
Mali sanctions could end soon: crisis mediator
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:38 PM PDT
Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's neighbors could soon lift economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed on the West African country with the aim of forcing last month's coup leaders to quit power, a regional mediator said after talks with the junta leader on Thursday. "We are going to do everything so that these sanctions are not only suspended but completely removed. We are getting there," Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Djibril Bassole told Malian television after talks with coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo. "I can assure you that the captain is aware and taking measures. ... Full Story | Top |
Oakland shooting suspect changed name from "Su"
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:37 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The suspect in a California shooting rampage that killed seven people and wounded three had changed his name because he thought "Su" sounded like a girl's name, according to a court document. The suspect, One Goh, 43, was born Su Nam Ko in South Korea but changed it in February 2002 when he lived in Falls Church, Virginia, the Fairfax County Circuit Court filing showed. "I do not like my current name because it sounds like (a) girl's name," Goh wrote in the filing. A copy was obtained by Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. not backing off as Iran sanctions bite
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:36 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's man in charge of squeezing Tehran over its nuclear program is unapologetic for the strain Western penalties on Iran have exerted on global oil markets. The price of oil has shot up nearly 15 percent since January, companies that trade with Iran are struggling to get paid and the biggest Asian countries are scrambling to work around U.S. sanctions that aim to deprive Tehran of revenue needed to develop its nuclear program. Cohen, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
Warden's wife who helped killer escape is freed
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:32 PM PDT
Reuters - OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The odd case of Bobbi Parker, a prison official's wife convicted of helping a killer escape and then spending more than decade posing as his wife, took another twist on Thursday with her release from prison. Parker, 49, was allowed out early for good behavior after serving half of her one-year sentence, Oklahoma prison spokesman Jerry Massie said. A jury found her guilty last year of helping convicted murderer Randolph Franklin Dial escape in 1994 from the prison where Parker's husband served as assistant warden. ... Full Story | Top |
Somali theatre attack snuffs out stirrings of hope
Thu,5 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT
Reuters - MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Running her small business and bringing up six children in a part of rubble-strewn Mogadishu known as 'Kilometre Five', Safia Omar said a bombing of Somalia's national theatre had robbed her country of a brief sense that things were getting better. The bombing - which targeted the prime minister - killed at least six people including two of Somalia's top sports officials after a young female suicide bomber walked into the theatre and blew herself up. Islamist militant group al Shabaab claimed the attack. ... Full Story | Top |
| |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment