Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News:
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Japan holds off on decision to restart reactors
Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:22 PM PDT
Reuters -  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan needs more time to decide whether to restart two offline nuclear reactors, the trade minister said on Tuesday, as concerns about a summer power crunch vie with safety worries in the wake of last year's Fukushima crisis. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will meet three cabinet members on Tuesday to discuss restarting the reactors, but will not make any immediate decision, Trade Minister Yuki Edano, who holds the energy portfolio, told reporters. ...
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Death knell may sound for Canada's GMO pigs
Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:18 PM PDT
Reuters - WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Pigs that might have become the world's first genetically modified animals approved for human consumption may instead face an untimely end, as key backers of Canada's "Enviropig" project withdrew their support for the controversial engineered animal. Scientists at the University of Guelph, 90 km west of Toronto, bred the first GMO pig that was developed to address an environmental problem in 1999. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. to amend Afghan plane bid terms, no full re-do
Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:29 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Monday it would amend, rather than re-do, the terms of a potential $1 billion competition to supply light attack planes to Afghanistan. Privately held Sierra Nevada Corp and Brazil's Embraer beat out Hawker Beechcraft to win the deal in December. But the Air Force canceled the initial contract award, valued at $355 million, when it discovered an error while preparing for a lawsuit filed by Hawker, challenging the decision in federal claims court. The service gave no details of any proposed changes. ...
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Ecuador's president to skip Summit of the Americas
Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:02 PM PDT
Reuters -  QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said on Monday he will not attend this month's Summit of the Americas in Colombia, nor any other gathering that excludes Cuba or fails to address what he calls the region's most pressing issues. So far, Correa is South America's only left-leaning leader to confirm he will not attend the summit, which begins on April 14 in Cartagena. Leaders from 34 countries, including U.S. President Barack Obama, are expected to be there. ...
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Mexico ruling party's campaign off to shaky start
Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:55 PM PDT
Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The presidential campaign of Mexico's ruling party candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota is off to a rocky start after a union protest forced the cancellation of one political rally and attendees streamed out of another this weekend. Then on Monday, the first woman candidate for president of Mexico's main political parties, felt ill at an event, interrupted her speech several times and sat down shaking visibly after an strong earthquake rocked the Mexican capital. ... Full Story | Top |
Colombian rebels free captives held for over a decade
Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:50 PM PDT
Reuters -  BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels freed 10 members of the armed forces held hostage in jungle prison camps for more than a decade on Monday, the last of a group the drug-funded group had used as bargaining chips to pressure the government. The four soldiers and six policemen were released to a humanitarian mission led by the International Committee of the Red Cross in what the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia called a gesture of peace. ...
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Blaze at Moscow skyscraper set to be Europe's tallest
Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:25 PM PDT
Reuters -  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Fire ripped through the top of a part-built skyscraper on Monday that is set to become Europe's tallest building and form the pinnacle of Moscow's new business district under plans to turn the Russian capital into a global financial centre. Helicopters buzzed around the building, returning repeatedly to drop water from the nearby Moscow river onto the blaze to help bring the fire under control. The tower, called Vostok or East, has a projected height of 360 meters. ...
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Annan says Syria agrees to April 10 peace deadline
Mon,2 Apr 2012 04:59 PM PDT
Reuters -  UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has pledged to withdraw all military units from towns by April 10 to pave the way for a ceasefire with rebels two days later, though Western envoys were skeptical on Monday about Damascus' intent to halt its year-long assault on opponents. The U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan briefed the U.N. Security Council on the deadline behind closed doors. He told them there had been no reduction in violence so far, but urged them to consider an observer mission nevertheless in light of Syria's acceptance of the April 10 deadline, diplomats said. ...
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News Corp faces proxy call for independent chairman
Mon,2 Apr 2012 04:35 PM PDT
Reuters -  BOSTON (Reuters) - News Corp faces a call to appoint an independent board chairman on concerns Rupert Murdoch's media company needs to pursue more reforms to deal with its phone-hacking scandal and other issues. The proxy proposal, filed by Christian Brothers Investment Services, is likely to fan an ongoing controversy over governance at the company. Although unlikely to get a majority of votes, the nonbinding resolution filed last month could put pressure on the board to remove Murdoch, currently News Corp's chief executive, from his other role as chairman of the company, the sponsor said. ...
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Mexico presses for quick entry in Trans-Pacific talks
Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:58 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon, set to leave office this year, pressed on Monday for a swift decision on his country's bid to join free-trade talks with the United States and eight other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Mexico "would like to join forces as soon as possible to the TPP, or the Trans-Pacific Partnership, because we know that Mexicans can contribute to a quick and successful conclusion of this process," Calderon said at a news conference with President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. ... Full Story | Top |
Mexican front-runner vows swift drop in drug violence
Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:54 PM PDT
Reuters -  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto said if he wins the July 1 election he would aim for a rapid reduction in drug war violence that has claimed 50,000 lives since late 2006. Pena Nieto, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has a big lead in opinion polls heading into the election, which will take place with a backdrop of years of bloodshed between drug gangs and security forces. ...
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Colombian rebels free 10 captives held more than a decade
Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:43 PM PDT
Reuters -  BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Monday freed 10 members of the armed forces held hostage in jungle prison camps for more than a decade, the last of a group of captives the drug-funded group has held as bargaining chips to pressure the government. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia released four soldiers and six police officials to a humanitarian mission led by the International Red Cross. "This operation in a single day allowed ten families to be reunited after being apart for so many years," said Jordi Raich, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross ...
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Canada to re-evaluate planned F-35 purchase: report
Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:42 PM PDT
Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will commit on Tuesday to re-evaluating its controversial plan to purchase F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp, the National Post newspaper said on its website on Monday. The development indicates that Canada - which long insisted the F-35 was the only fighter that met its requirements - is increasingly unhappy with a project that has become mired in major cost overruns and developmental delays. Ottawa initially allotted C$9 billion ($9.1 billion) to buy 65 F-35s between 2017 and 2023 but the move is now in some doubt. ... Full Story | Top |
Obama, Mexico's Calderon vow more drug crime cooperation
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:55 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon told President Barack Obama on Monday that drug violence would continue unabated in his country unless the flow of American guns is curbed, while Obama promised closer cooperation with Mexico in fighting the narcotics trade. Obama acknowledged a responsibility to quell the U.S. demand for illegal drugs that helps drive narcotics trafficking, and said coordination with Mexico in the fight is becoming better than ever. ...
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Neighbors hit Mali junta with border shutdown
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:45 PM PDT
Reuters -  BAMAKO/DAKAR (Reuters) - Mali's neighbors agreed to shut their borders with the West African country on Monday as part of tough sanctions aimed at forcing the leaders of last month's coup to step down. Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, also announced they would "activate" the region's standby military force, though it was unclear when any troops would deploy and with what mandate. ...
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World Bank bars SNC-Lavalin unit from projects
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:39 PM PDT
Reuters -  (Reuters) - The World Bank has temporarily barred a unit of SNC-Lavalin, a big Canadian engineering company that is already facing a payments scandal, from bidding on new bank projects following an investigation into a Bangladesh bridge project. In a statement on Monday, SNC said the World Bank's move relates a probe of the Padma Bridge project in the South Asian country, on which the SNC unit had bid. An international consortium, led by the World Bank, last year agreed to lend Bangladesh up to $2. ...
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Germany risks tax deal defeat after Swiss warrants
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:33 PM PDT
Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government's deal to stem tax evasion via Swiss bank accounts risks being defeated in the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament after Switzerland issued arrest warrants for three German tax inspectors. The government is soon due to present the deal to parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, but also needs the agreement of the upper house, or Bundesrat, where Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition doesn't have a majority. ... Full Story | Top |
China helps TSX posts biggest gain in 6 weeks
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:08 PM PDT
Reuters -  TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index notched its biggest gain in nearly six weeks on Monday after upbeat Chinese and U.S. manufacturing data trumped further signs of economic weakness in Europe. China's official Purchasing Managers' Index hit an 11-month high, while data from the U.S. Institute for Supply Management showed the pace of growth in the manufacturing sector picked up even as measures of new orders and exports eased. ...
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U.S. hails Myanmar election as step for democratic change
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:05 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday hailed a strong showing by Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party in Myanmar's by-elections, calling the vote an important step in the country's democratic transformation. "We hope it is an indication that the government of Burma intends to continue along the path of greater openness, transparency and reform," Jay Carney, press secretary for U.S. President Barack Obama, said in a statement. ...
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Argentina chides Britain on Falklands war anniversary
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:04 PM PDT
Reuters -  USHUAIA, Argentina (Reuters) - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez marked the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war on Monday with sharp criticism of Britain for maintaining "colonial enclaves" and a renewed call for sovereignty talks. Fernandez has intensified pressure on London to negotiate the sovereignty of the islands in the run-up to the anniversary of the 10-week war that Britain and Argentina fought over the remote South Atlantic archipelago in 1982. ...
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U.S. hails Myanmar election as step for democratic change
Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:01 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday hailed a strong showing by Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party in Myanmar's by-elections, calling the vote an important step in the country's democratic transformation. "We hope it is an indication that the government of Burma intends to continue along the path of greater openness, transparency and reform," Jay Carney, press secretary for U.S. President Barack Obama, said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
Once cautious Brotherhood gambles on Egypt presidency
Mon,2 Apr 2012 01:36 PM PDT
Reuters -  CAIRO (Reuters) - A surprise decision by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to field a candidate in the presidential election signals a new assertiveness by the traditionally cautious group that risks splitting the Islamist vote and aiding rivals from the era of Hosni Mubarak. The new approach has become increasingly apparent in the Brotherhood's standoff with the ruling military council, which has rejected the Islamist group's demand for the army-backed cabinet to be sacked so it can lead the formation of a new one. ...
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Pershing polishes CP Rail slate with railroader
Mon,2 Apr 2012 01:07 PM PDT
Reuters - (Reuters) - Pershing Square Capital Management on Monday named a railroad veteran to its slate of nominees for Canadian Pacific Railway's board, in what analysts said was a mostly cosmetic response to criticism that none of its candidates had hands-on industry experience. Pershing, a U.S.-based hedge fund that is trying to oust CP's chief executive, added Stephen Tobias, a former chief operating officer and vice chairman of Norfolk Southern Corp, to its slate. ... Full Story | Top |
Outlook less scary for Canada: BoC's Carney
Mon,2 Apr 2012 01:05 PM PDT
Reuters - WATERLOO, Ontario (Reuters) - Canada's economy is doing better than expected and the threat from the European debt crisis has lessened, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said on Monday, while warning that high household debt levels are unsustainable. The speech largely echoed a more upbeat tone in the bank's March 8 statement and suggests the bank is inching toward an interest rate hike, although possibly not until next year. "Conditions in the Canadian economy have... ... Full Story | Top |
Death knell may sound for Canada's GMO pigs
Mon,2 Apr 2012 12:58 PM PDT
Reuters - WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Pigs that might have become the world's first genetically modified animals approved for human consumption may instead face an untimely end, as key backers of Canada's "Enviropig" project withdrew their support for the controversial engineered animal. Scientists at the University of Guelph, 90 km west of Toronto, bred the first GMO pig that was developed to address an environmental problem in 1999. ... Full Story | Top |
France deports Islamist militants, imams amid crackdown
Mon,2 Apr 2012 12:48 PM PDT
Reuters -  PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Monday it was deporting five Islamic militants and Muslim preachers in the latest show of strength by President Nicolas Sarkozy as he clamps down on radical elements after seven people were killed by an al Qaeda-inspired gunman last month. Police commandos arrested suspected Islamic militants in raids on March 30 in several French cities including in the Toulouse region, where a Frenchman of Algerian descent went on a 10-day rampage killing seven people. ...
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French voters abroad prefer Sarkozy, but only just
Mon,2 Apr 2012 12:36 PM PDT
Reuters -  PARIS (Reuters) - A majority of French expatriates support centre-right President Nicolas Sarkozy's bid to be re-elected in coming weeks, but the conservative lead is narrower than in recent years, according to an opinion poll published on Monday. Around half a million expatriates are expected to vote, up from around 350,000 in 2007, in a two-round election on April 22 and May 6 that promises to be a close race between Sarkozy and Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande. ...
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Quake hits Mexico, no major damage reported
Mon,2 Apr 2012 12:08 PM PDT
Reuters -  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A strong earthquake struck southwest Mexico on Monday, shaking buildings as far away as the capital and prompting people to stream out of their offices onto the streets, though there were no reports of serious damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor registered magnitude 6.3 and centered 175 km (108 miles) east south-east of the tourist resort of Acapulco, not far from where a much more powerful earthquake struck last month. "It felt strong, but thank God nothing happened to us. ...
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ICRC chief in Syria for talks on aid, detainees
Mon,2 Apr 2012 12:06 PM PDT
Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived in Damascus on Monday for talks aimed at expanding aid operations and gaining access to all detainees, the agency said. Jakob Kellenberger, who will be in Syria until Wednesday, will push the ICRC's proposal made in February for a daily two-hour ceasefire to evacuate wounded and deliver life-saving supplies to civilians. "I am determined to see the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent expand their presence, range and scope of activities to address the needs of vulnerable people," he said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
Sarkozy to stick to budget goals in manifesto
Mon,2 Apr 2012 11:00 AM PDT
Reuters -  TOUL-ROSIERES, France (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday he would stick to a target of 115 billion euros in budget savings up to 2016 when he presents his re-election manifesto in the days ahead. Sarkozy is battling to overturn deep disillusionment with his presidency, including among many who voted for him in 2007, that is due in part to three years of economic gloom and in part to a widespread dislike of his personal style. ...
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Hungarian president quits after plagiarism row
Mon,2 Apr 2012 09:59 AM PDT
Reuters -  BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's President Pal Schmitt resigned on Monday after a plagiarism scandal, eliminating a potential distraction to his allies in the government as they try to win funding from international lenders. An opposition party had considered trying to impeach him as he could only be removed from the largely ceremonial post by a two thirds majority in parliament, which the ruling Fidesz party holds. Hundreds of protesters had also called for him to quit. ...
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Syrian U.N. envoy confirms acceptance of April 10 deadline
Mon,2 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT
Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Syria's Ambassador to the United Nations said on Monday that Damascus has accepted an April 10 deadline for partially implementing international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, but wants the same commitment from the opposition. "The Syrian government is committed but we are expecting Mr. Kofi Annan and some parties in the Security Council also to get the same kind of commitments from the (opposition). A plan wouldn't be successful unless everybody is committed to it," Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
Global business groups warn India over new tax plan
Mon,2 Apr 2012 09:41 AM PDT
Reuters -  MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - International trade groups representing more than 250,000 companies have told Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in a letter that his government's new retrospective tax proposals have led foreign businesses to reconsider their investments in the country. India's federal budget last month outlined a proposal to enable the tax authorities to make retroactive claims on overseas corporate deals and bring in new anti-avoidance measures, moves that have been criticized for further denting investor sentiment. ...
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Annan tells U.N. he wants deadline for Syrian peace
Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:53 AM PDT
Reuters -  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has asked the U.N. Security Council for support in implementing an April 10 deadline for Syria to partially implement his peace plan, with a full ceasefire within 48 hours thereafter, envoys said on Monday. Annan told the 15-nation council behind closed doors that Syria has agreed to the idea of such a deadline, which would include the end of troop movements toward population centers, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and a start to the withdrawal of troops, U.N. diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ...
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Mostar: one family, three armies, a divided city
Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:40 AM PDT
Reuters -  MOSTAR, Bosnia (Reuters) - Like Bosnia, Zoran Laketa has a complicated past. An ethnic Serb, he fought for the Catholic Croats in Bosnia's 1992-95 war, against his brother in the Muslim-dominated Bosnian army, and against the Orthodox Serb forces that drafted their father. Ask him what he is, and he'll reply "Mostarac", a man of Mostar, the southern Bosnian town split by the emerald waters of the Neretva river. Laketa epitomizes the complexities of the Bosnian conflict that kept the West dithering over intervention in the face of mass ethnic cleansing. ...
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Insight: Invigorated Rousseff shifts focus to 'Brazil cost'
Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:19 AM PDT
Reuters -  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Standing before reporters on a trip to India last week, Brazil's generally stern President Dilma Rousseff flashed a wry smile, admitted to jet lag and said: "If I take a nap right here, cut me some slack, OK?" Humor is not the only new quality she's displaying lately. After taking office on the crest of an economic boom that allowed an unhurried approach to reforms, Rousseff is starting to take bold steps to cut Brazil's notoriously high business costs and taxes, driven by what advisers describe as a new sense of urgency to revive a stagnating economy. ...
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France warns pro-Palestinian activists against West Bank trip
Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:18 AM PDT
Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France urged pro-Palestinian activists, who plan to visit Bethlehem this month in solidarity for residents of the occupied West Bank, to avoid joining the operation given there was a high risk of being detained or turned back by Israeli authorities. About 1,200 Palestinian supporters throughout Europe have bought plane tickets for the visit on April 15 to help open an international school and a museum at the request of a local organization called "Welcome to Palestine". ... Full Story | Top |
Air Canada machinists to fight anti-strike bill in court
Mon,2 Apr 2012 07:49 AM PDT
Reuters -  TORONTO (Reuters) - The union representing 8,300 Air Canada machinists said on Monday it will take the Canadian government to court over a law preventing a strike or lockout at the airline, on the grounds that the law is unconstitutional. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), which represents mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents at Canada's biggest airline, said the recently passed bill violates freedom of association, a fundamental right under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. ...
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"Londongrad" on edge after attack on Russian banker
Mon,2 Apr 2012 07:40 AM PDT
Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A failed hit on a former Russian banker in London has sent a chill through Russian immigrant circles and shone an unwelcome spotlight on a hidden criminal underworld encroaching on the British capital. The shooting also raised concerns Britain might be turning into a playground for Russian mobsters as gangland violence appears to spill over Russian borders into European capitals. London is the chosen home for many Russians seeking a haven from the cut-throat world of their homeland where, 20 years after the Soviet collapse, they have little faith in the rule of law. ... Full Story | Top |
Greek firm halts heating fuel supply to Syria
Mon,2 Apr 2012 07:40 AM PDT
Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Syria's sole supplier of heating fuel has halted deliveries due to European Union sanctions, making it difficult for Syrians to cook and hear their homes and potentially widening opposition to the government of President6 Bashar al-Assad. Most major oil firms had already severed ties with Syria for fear of breaking the law or being linked to a bloody crackdown in which thousands have died. But a loophole allowed Naftomar, a little-known firm in Greece, to continue supplying Syria with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), used widely for heating and cooking. ... Full Story | Top |
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