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| Iran, world powers agree to hold "expert-level" nuclear talks: Iranian state TV Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:40 PM PST DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran and world powers concluded nuclear talks in Kazakhstan on Wednesday with an agreement to hold follow-up, expert-level talks in Istanbul, Iran's state-run Press TV network reported. No further details were immediately available. The two sides met in Almaty in Kazakhstan on Tuesday and Wednesday in an attempt to resolve international concerns over Iran's nuclear program. (Reporting By Marcus George; Editing by Pravin Char) Full Story | Top |
| Young Spaniards fleeing crisis seek solace in boho Berlin Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:37 PM PST  BERLIN (Reuters) - They find the language difficult and the locals as chilly as the weather but for young Spaniards Berlin has become a popular spot to sit out the economic crisis at home. The German capital's celebrated cabaret scene made it a mecca for bohemians in the 1920s and ‘30s and in the Cold War the divided city became a magnet for alternative youth culture and rock stars. ... Full Story | Top |
| World powers, Iran end two-day nuclear meeting - Western official Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:29 PM PST ALMATY (Reuters) - World powers and Iran ended their two-day meeting on Tehran's nuclear program in the Kazakh city of Almaty on Wednesday, a Western official said, giving no details about the outcome. "Talks have concluded," the official said. (Reporting by Justyna Pawlak, Fredrik Dahl, Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Pravin Char) Full Story | Top |
| Japan's Abe aims to polish reform credentials with TPP trade decision Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:13 PM PST  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears poised to raise the curtain on Act Three of his "Abenomics" drama with a decision to join talks on a U.S.-led free trade pact, seen by some as a test of his appetite for vital economic reform. Abe's first two acts - big spending and a push for hyper-easy monetary policy aimed at reviving the economy - have met little political opposition, since few vested interests are harmed. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kenyan city fears violence re-run ahead of tight vote Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:10 PM PST  KISUMU, Kenya (Reuters) - Some businesses in Kisumu, Kenya's third-largest city, have reduced stock or closed ahead of Monday's presidential elections for fear of a repeat of the tribal violence that killed more than 1,200 people at the last such vote five years ago. On the outskirts of the Lake Victoria port city, abandoned ruins still bear witness to the weeks of looting and torching that brought East Africa's biggest economy to a standstill. ... Full Story | Top |
| World powers wait to hear Iran response to nuclear offer Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 11:02 PM PST  ALMATY (Reuters) - World powers hope Iran will respond positively on Wednesday to their new offer to lift some sanctions if Tehran scales back nuclear activity the West fears could be used to build bombs. But any hopes of a significant easing of the deadlock in the decade-old nuclear dispute were dented when Russian media cited a source close to the talks as saying there had been no clear progress in the discussions in Kazakhstan. "So far there is no particular rapprochement. There is an impression that the atmosphere is not very good," Interfax news agency quoted the source as saying. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mexico arrests head of teacher's union on fraud charges Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:45 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico arrested the powerful head of the main teachers' union on fraud and embezzlement charges on Tuesday, striking out at a high-profile opponent of the new government's reform efforts and seeking to assert President Enrique Pena Nieto's authority. Attorney General Jesus Murillo said Elba Esther Gordillo was arrested on suspicion of embezzling $200 million of union funds, laying out the case against her just a day after Pena Nieto signed into law a major education reform that Gordillo opposed. ... Full Story | Top |
| One student dead after South Carolina university shooting Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:39 PM PST CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - A 19-year-old student died following a shooting on Tuesday at a residence hall of a South Carolina university near the resort area of Myrtle Beach, and authorities were searching for a gunman, university officials said. Anthony Liddell, a sophomore from Bennettsville, South Carolina, died following the shooting at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, the university said in a statement. The shooting occurred just before 7:30 p.m. at University Place, an apartment-style residence hall that is home to nearly 2,000 students. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU moves closer to imposing caps on banker bonuses Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:39 PM PST  BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - The European parliament and EU states could agree on Wednesday to impose caps on bankers' bonuses, a measure that would channel public fury at financial sector greed, but which opponents say marks a reckless overreach by Brussels into private pay deals. Negotiations to introduce a cap on bankers' bonuses in the European Union resume on Wednesday, a week after European lawmakers and ambassadors from countries failed to reach a deal. A majority of states in the 27-member bloc would have to support a measure passed by the European parliament to make it law. ... Full Story | Top |
| No signs of progress in world powers' talks with Iran: agency Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:39 PM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - Six world powers have failed so far to make any clear progress at talks with Iran on its nuclear program, Russian news agency Interfax quoted a source close to the talks as saying on Wednesday. "So far there is no particular rapprochement. There is an impression that the atmosphere (at talks) is not very good," Interfax quoted the source as saying in the Kazakh city of Almaty where a second day of talks was under way. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Full Story | Top |
| Kurdish rebel leader sees August withdrawal from Turkey: media Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 10:15 PM PST  ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan envisages the withdrawal of his fighters from Turkey by August under a draft peace plan sent to his group's leadership and Kurdish politicians, media reports said on Wednesday. Held in an island jail since his capture in 1999, Ocalan has been negotiating with Turkey's government since October the outlines of a deal to end a conflict which has killed 40,000 people since his fighters took up arms in 1984. ... Full Story | Top |
| American, US Airways executives face gentle questioning in Congress Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:57 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Executives from American Airlines and US Airways Group Inc on Tuesday faced gentle questions from lawmakers about their planned merger, with some expressing concern about losing hubs in their districts. US Airways Executive Vice President Stephen Johnson and American Airlines General Counsel Gary Kennedy defended the proposed $11 billion transaction by saying the companies had largely complementary networks, so little competition would be lost. The Justice Department's Antitrust Division will review the deal to ensure it complies with antitrust law. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel repatriates six Syrians treated for civil war wounds Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:53 PM PST  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel repatriated on Wednesday six of seven Syrians after treating them for wounds suffered in the insurgency against President Bashar al-Assad, the Israeli military said. Israel admitted the Syrians on February 16 through the occupied Golan Heights, whose eastern foothills have seen fighting between Assad's forces and rebels. Israeli officials gave no further details on the casualties' identities. A military spokeswoman said six of them were discharged from hospital and returned to Syria on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Film reopens old, long-buried wounds in Indonesia Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:35 PM PST  JAKARTA (Reuters) - Bejo Untung was a 17-year-old Indonesian schoolboy when armed soldiers came to his village in 1965, forcing him on the run for years until he was caught, tortured and jailed. A communist-led coup attempt had just failed, triggering a wave of arrests and killings that ushered in more than three decades of rigid anticommunist education and propaganda. The subject is still so sensitive it is rarely broached in public. ... Full Story | Top |
| Argentina heads to U.S. appeals court in bond fight Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:15 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Argentina will seek on Wednesday to persuade a U.S. appeals court to reverse an order that it pay $1.3 billion to a group of dissident bondholders stemming from the country's 2001 default, a showdown that could have wide impact on global debt markets. The arguments at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York are being closely watched amid fears of a new Argentina debt crisis if the country must pay the so-called "holdout" investors. For years, the holdouts have demanded full payment after spurning two debt exchanges. ... Full Story | Top |
| Djibouti police clash with opposition protesters for 2nd day Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:11 PM PST DJIBOUTI (Reuters) - Djibouti security forces fought running battles with opposition supporters for a second day on Tuesday in an attempt to disperse protests against the ruling coalition's parliamentary election victory, witnesses said. Djibouti hosts the United States' only military base in Africa and is an important ally in the U.S.-led fight against militant Islam. The former French colony's port is also used by foreign navies protecting the Gulf of Aden's shipping lanes, some of the busiest in the world, from Somali pirates. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunmen kill 7 guards in northeast Nigeria: official Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:08 PM PST KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Gunmen have shot dead seven men who were guarding a market in northeast Nigeria's Yobe state, an official said on Tuesday, the latest attack in a region regularly targeted by Islamist insurgents. At least 26 people have been killed in several attacks by gunmen in northern Nigeria since Friday, including the latest strike in the Kune region of Yobe. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ivory Coast soldiers killing rivals, attacked camp: Amnesty Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:06 PM PST ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivorian soldiers and allied militias are killing and torturing supporters of ousted president Laurent Gbagbo and took part in a deadly attack on a camp housing displaced civilians, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. The violence and the government's failure to prosecute those responsible were wrecking efforts to heal wounds in the world's biggest cocoa producer nearly two years after the end of a civil war, said the campaign group. ... Full Story | Top |
| Nigerian president signs parliament's 2013 budget Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:05 PM PST  ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan approved on Tuesday a 4.99 trillion naira budget passed by parliament, the presidency said, ending two months of dispute over the spending plans. Jonathan presented the budget to the national assembly in October but lawmakers increased spending and reduced the amount of oil revenues Africa's largest producer would save by the time they passed the budget in December. Spending has risen from 4. ... Full Story | Top |
| Traumatized Malians desperately in need of aid, says UN Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:03 PM PST  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Malians in the country's vast desert north are scared and in desperate need of aid, traumatized at the hands of Islamist extremists and fearful of ethnic reprisals by government troops, a senior U.N. humanitarian official said on Tuesday. John Ging, director of operations for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said a U.N. appeal for $373 million to fund aid operations in the West African state had so far only received $17 million. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seven killed by Islamist car bomb in north Mali: MNLA Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 09:02 PM PST  BAMAKO (Reuters) - Seven people were killed in a suicide car bomb attack by suspected Islamist militants in the remote northern Malian town of Kidal on Tuesday, the MNLA Tuareg rebel group said, in the second such attack there in less than a week. A spokesman for the Malian army, Modibo Nama Traore, confirmed that a car bomb had exploded in the town but was unable to provide further details. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two officers, suspect shot and killed in Santa Cruz, California Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 08:57 PM PST SANTA CRUZ, California (Reuters) - Two police officers were shot dead in northern California in a mostly residential area of the city of Santa Cruz on Tuesday in a shootout with a gunman who was later killed by police, authorities said. Police did not immediately release details on what led to the shooting involving the officers in the city 60 miles south of San Francisco, other than to say the officers were conducting an investigation before they came under fire. "Two Santa Cruz police officers were shot and are deceased," Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gun control supporter backed by New York mayor wins Chicago vote Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 08:45 PM PST  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gun control supporter Robin Kelly won the Democratic primary for a Chicago area U.S. House seat on Tuesday, propelled by more than $2 million in television ads highlighting the guns issue bankrolled by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Kelly, a former Illinois state representative, said in her victory speech that the vote was a setback for the powerful gun rights lobby, the National Rifle Association. "The voters sent a message that tells the NRA that their days of holding our country hostage are coming to an end. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. lawmakers seek to further isolate Iran with sanctions Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 08:30 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers will introduce a bill on Wednesday that expands economic penalties against Iran and is designed to force countries like China to buy less Iranian crude oil, according to a copy of the legislation obtained by Reuters on Tuesday. The bill is the latest attempt by members of the U.S. Congress to stop the Iranian government from enriching uranium to a level that could be used in weapons. It comes as Iran and six major powers meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to discuss Tehran's nuclear program. ... Full Story | Top |
| Protests mark anniversary of Trayvon Martin's shooting death Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 08:07 PM PST SANFORD, Fla./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Demonstrators symbolically wearing hoodies gathered in New York, Florida and California on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, reviving a national discussion on gun laws and racial profiling. Actor Jamie Foxx joined Martin's parents and several hundred protesters for a candlelight vigil in New York City's Union Square, while a smaller crowd estimated at 110 to 125 met at a park in the Florida town where Martin died, vowing to continue to agitate for an end to racial discrimination. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. considers sending aid to Syrian rebels: report Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 07:51 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is considering a shift in policy toward the nearly two-year-long conflict in Syria, and may send the rebels body armor and armed vehicles, and possibly provide military training, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. and European officials. Secretary of State John Kerry was expected to discuss the proposed policy change with officials during his nine-nation tour of European and Arab capitals, the newspaper said. U.S. officials remain opposed to sending weapons to the rebels, it said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama cites Navy threat, immigrants freed as budget cuts loom Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 07:40 PM PST  NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday warned of threats to Navy readiness and the government released hundreds of illegal immigrants due to budget pressure as automatic government spending cuts crept closer. In the latest event staged by the White House to warn of the possible damage to public services, Obama spoke at the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard where scheduled maintenance to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been delayed by the budget crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| New Jersey gets online gambling as governor signs revised bill Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 07:34 PM PST  (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday approved online gambling within the state's border, a move that he hopes can help boost state revenues and revive Atlantic City casinos. The measure, announced the same day that Christie unveiled his new budget plan for fiscal 2014, will legalize Internet gaming to New Jersey's 9 million residents and also create opportunities for European companies with expertise in running online gaming operations. ... Full Story | Top |
| California couple feared missing in Peru turn up on safe on river boat Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 07:22 PM PST  LIMA (Reuters) - A young California couple feared by family to have been abducted while on a cycling trip through Peru have safely surfaced on a river boat headed for Ecuador, surprised to learn they were subjects of an international search, the Peruvian government said on Tuesday. "The American tourists are continuing to enjoy their trip in the Peruvian Amazon," the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism said in a statement, adding that a national police official had spoken with the couple and found them to be "in good health. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pratt rules out worst-case cause for F-35 blade crack: sources Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 06:36 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pratt & Whitney is 99 percent sure the fan blade problem that grounded the Pentagon's 51 new F-35 fighter jets was not caused by high-cycle fatigue, which could force a costly design change, according to two sources familiar with an investigation by the enginemaker. Company engineers have concluded that a 0.6 inch-long crack found on a turbine blade in the engine of an F-35 jet at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida was almost certainly caused by lesser issues, such as high heat exposure or a manufacturing problem, that would be easier to solve, the sources said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sequester could force states to cut budgets, hike taxes Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 06:11 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. states could have to cut their spending or raise taxes to make up for the loss of $5.8 billion of federal funds this fiscal year under the sequester set to begin in three days, the National Conference of State Legislatures said on Tuesday. All states except Vermont must balance their budgets. When they have lower revenues than expected or when demand for programs such as unemployment benefits spikes, they must raise taxes or move funds from other areas to avoid budget gaps. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Impact of across-the-board U.S. budget cuts Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 06:11 PM PST (Reuters) - Deep U.S. budget cuts are due to kick in Friday unless Congress acts to stop them, which is unlikely. The $85 billion in across-the-board cuts, mandated by a 2011 deficit reduction law, apply in equal measure to defense and non-defense spending. The do not apply to about 70 percent of the money spent by the U.S. government, which includes Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and interest on government debt. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy debt auction to show cost of political crisis Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 06:00 PM PST MILAN (Reuters) - Italy will pay the price for its latest political crisis with higher borrowing costs on Wednesday when it sells longer-dated bonds to investors worried about an inconclusive election. The vote cast over the weekend gave none of the political parties a parliamentary majority, raising the risk of prolonged instability and a rekindling the euro zone crisis. The results, notably the dramatic surge of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo, left the center-left bloc with a majority in the lower house but without the numbers to control the upper chamber. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy parties seek way out of election stalemate Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 06:00 PM PST  ROME (Reuters) - Italy's stunned political parties searched for a way forward on Tuesday after an inconclusive election gave none of them a parliamentary majority and threatened prolonged instability and a renewal of the European financial crisis. The results, notably the dramatic surge of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo, left the center-left bloc with a majority in the lower house but without the numbers to control the upper chamber, the Senate. ... Full Story | Top |
| Grillo supporters unfazed by Italian political gridlock Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 06:00 PM PST ROME (Reuters) - The only Italians celebrating the deadlocked outcome of Monday's election were supporters of comic Beppe Grillo, whose 5-Star Movement steamrolled into parliament and sparked fears that Italy could reject austerity and even the euro. No group secured a majority in the upper house, making the formation of a government dependent on post-election alliances, but Grillo's movement caused a shock by winning 8.7 million votes in the lower house, making it the country's largest single party and shocking world investors. ... Full Story | Top |
| Grand jury decides no charges against New Jersey's "Tan Mom" Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 05:47 PM PST  (Reuters) - The case of the deeply bronzed New Jersey woman known as "Tan Mom" appears destined to fade away. A grand jury declined to indict her on child endangerment charges, a prosecutor said on Tuesday. Patricia Krentcil was arrested in April 2012 after her then 5-year-old daughter showed up at school with a sunburn and officials accused her of taking the child into a tanning booth. At the time, the blonde mother's chocolate-brown hue testified to many hours spent under the intense ultraviolet light of a tanning bed or out in the sun soaking up rays. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate panel backs Lew for Treasury secretary Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 05:38 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday backed President Barack Obama's nominee to head the U.S. Treasury, Jack Lew, despite some concerns about his perks from previous employers, clearing the way for a confirmation vote in the full Senate. With the 19-5 vote, about half the panel's 11 Republicans opposed Lew's nomination. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he was hoping to consider Lew's nomination on Wednesday, but was still seeking agreement with Republicans. ... Full Story | Top |
| Here, there and everywhere, Republican Senator Graham gets around Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 05:35 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lindsey Graham isn't everywhere in Washington these days. It just seems that way. In a politically divided town where compromise can be fleeting and partisanship is the norm, the Republican senator from South Carolina has become a leading voice on nearly every major issue before Congress this year - partly because he has not always followed his party's official stances. ... Full Story | Top |
| Arkansas governor vetoes bill banning abortions at 20 weeks Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 05:29 PM PST LITTLE ROCK, AR (Reuters) - Democratic Governor Mike Beebe on Tuesday vetoed a bill to ban most abortions in Arkansas at 20 weeks into pregnancy, though state lawmakers can override his decision with a simple majority vote. The measure, which had been approved by an 80 to 10 vote in the state House and by a 25 to 7 vote in the state Senate, would provide exceptions only in cases of rape, incest or to save a mother's life. It is one of several bills introduced by Republicans this year seeking to restrict abortion. ... Full Story | Top |
| Police say woman, 22, is "person of interest" in Vegas shooting Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 05:25 PM PST  (Reuters) - Police identified a 22-year-old woman on Tuesday as a "person of interest" in the slaying of an aspiring rapper who was shot and killed while driving his Maserati on the Las Vegas strip and for the deaths of two more people in a fiery crash that ensued. Las Vegas police said Tineesha Lashun Howard was riding in a black Range Rover with prime suspect Ammar Harris when he opened fire on the Maserati being driven by 27-year-old Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr. before dawn on Thursday. ... Full Story | Top |
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