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| Thailand agrees to talks with southern Muslim rebels Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:53 PM PST  KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 Reuters) - Thailand's government agreed on Thursday to start talks with a major Muslim rebel group, marking a breakthrough in efforts to end a worsening conflict in the country's south that has claimed over 5,000 lives since 2004. The agreement, signed in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur by senior Thai security officials and members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group, opens the way for the first formal peace talks with rebels seeking autonomy or even a separate state in the south. ... Full Story | Top |
| Washington state governor worried budget cuts will hit nuke cleanup Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:49 PM PST SEATTLE (Reuters) - Washington state Governor Jay Inslee on Wednesday warned billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts could hamper the U.S. government's ability to clean up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation site in his state, where six underground tanks were last week revealed to be leaking. Inslee, a Democrat who took office last month, said the six single-shell tanks at the decommissioned nuclear plant near the Columbia River in southern Washington state could leak about 1,000 gallons (3,785 liters) of radioactive sludge annually. That is in line with the latest U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Homicide suspected in death of Mississippi mayor candidate Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:24 PM PST  JACKSON, Miss (Reuters) - A candidate for mayor of a small town in Mississippi was found dead by a river on Wednesday morning, the victim of an apparent homicide, police said. Marco McMillian, 34, was one of the first viable, openly gay candidates in Mississippi, according to the Victory Fund, a national organization that supports and endorses lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates and officials. The death of McMillian was not being investigated as a hate crime, said Will Rooker, a spokesman for the Coahoma County Sheriff's office. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan government taps Kuroda for BOJ in battle for economic revival Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:20 PM PST  TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated an advocate of aggressive policy action to head the Bank of Japan, challenging the opposition to back his push for radical action as officials warned a nascent economic upturn could easily be derailed. By choosing Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda to take over at the central bank, Abe is looking to deliver on an election pledge of overhauling monetary policy to revive the economy after nearly two decades of mild deflation and lackluster growth. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: In voting-rights case, liberal justices pitch to Kennedy Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:10 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barely a minute into a U.S. Supreme Court hearing, liberal justices began a strategic barrage of questions that came down to this: Why should a time-honored plank of the 1965 Voting Rights Act be invalidated in a case from Alabama with its history of racial discrimination? What followed constituted a classic example of how justices can try to use oral arguments to dramatic effect and influence a swing vote justice. Key players were Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, appointees of President Barack Obama and the newest members of the bench. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Cuts unlikely to deliver promised U.S. budget savings Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:06 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On paper, there's one thing to like about the ugly spending cuts due to kick in on Friday: $85 billion in budget savings at a time when Washington continues to bleed red ink. In reality, the so-called "sequester" is likely to yield less than half that much in the short term. In part, that has to do with the complex way the government handles its money. But it also reflects the probability that the spending cuts will hurt the economy, which in turn will lower tax revenue and drive up the costs of social safety-net programs like unemployment insurance. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yemen kidnappers free Swiss woman after Qatari mediation: agency Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:02 PM PST  DOHA (Reuters) - A Swiss woman held hostage for nearly a year in Yemen has been freed by her kidnappers and flown to Doha following mediation by Qatar, the Qatari state news agency QNA reported late on Wednesday. Armed tribesmen had kidnapped the teacher in the western Yemeni port city of Hudaida in March 2012 to press their government to free jailed relatives, a Yemeni Interior Ministry official told Reuters last year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Australian lawmakers confident in F-35's future Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:58 PM PST  CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's conservative opposition, which is expected to win elections in September, said on Thursday it supported Lockheed Martin's troubled F-35 to be the country's next frontline warplane, despite problems and huge cost blowouts. A day after the Pentagon's F-35 program chief lashed Lockheed and engine maker Pratt & Whitney for trying to "squeeze every nickel" out of the U.S. government, Australian lawmakers expressed confidence in the futuristic jet. ... Full Story | Top |
| Regulators looking at a Heinz derivatives deal in London: NY Times Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:45 PM PST  (Reuters) - U.S. authorities investigating possible insider trading in ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co are studying a derivatives bet that was routed through London, the New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the matter. Industry watchdogs, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI, are investigating unusual trading activity a day before Berkshire Hathaway and Brazil's 3G Capital agreed to buy Heinz for $23 billion in cash earlier this month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Afghan police officer drugs, kills 17 colleagues Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:39 PM PST KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan police officer drugged 17 colleagues and shot them dead on Wednesday with the aid of the Taliban, police said, the latest in a series of so-called "insider" attacks involving Afghan security forces and the Taliban. The attacks have undermined trust between coalition and Afghan forces who are under mounting pressure to contain the Taliban insurgency before most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014. The killings, the worst in a string of similar attacks in recent months, occurred at a remote Afghan Local Police (ALP) outpost in the eastern province of ... Full Story | Top |
| Somali rebels threaten "long" war with Kenya before election Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:08 PM PST  MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali militants linked to al Qaeda warned Kenya on Wednesday it faced a "long, gruesome" war, five days before Kenyans vote for a new president and legislature. The al Shabaab rebel group, which is battling Kenyan troops deployed in southern Somalia under an African peacekeeping mandate, said Kenya was at a crossroads to decide whether it wanted further violence, or peace. "If you continue upon the path of war, then bear in mind that we are strong-willed men who fight upon the command of Allah," al Shabaab said in an emailed statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameroon's ageing Biya sets long overdue Senate vote Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:05 PM PST YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon's octogenarian President Paul Biya set a date on Wednesday for voting for a Senate called for in a 1996 law in a move that could clarify succession in the African oil producer. Cameroon passed the law some 17 years ago to create the Senate, but Biya's government delayed holding polls, citing a lack of money. The constitution says the head of the Senate would assume the interim in case of a mid-term presidential vacancy. The poll is set for April 14, according to a decree read over state radio. No explanation was given for the decision to hold it. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chad calls for urgent African help to fight Islamists in Mali Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:05 PM PST  YAMOUSSOUKRO (Reuters) - Chad's President Idriss Deby appealed to West African leaders on Wednesday to urgently speed up deployment of their forces to northern Mali where Chadian and French forces are locked in bitter fighting with al Qaeda-linked rebels. Chad's contingent of some 2,400 troops has borne the brunt of battles with die-hard Islamists holed up in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains after a six-week French-led campaign pushed the militants into the desolate region by the Algerian border. ... Full Story | Top |
| Intimidation, machetes point to Kenya election violence: groups Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:03 PM PST  MOMBASA/KISUMU, Kenya (Reuters) - Voter intimidation, expulsion threats and a rise in purchases of machetes point to violence at Kenya's March 4 national election, a coalition of 30 Kenyan civic groups said on Wednesday. The government has promised harsh penalties for those caught inciting ethnic violence as it is anxious to avoid post-election bloodshed like that after the last vote in 2007 that led to indictments by the International Criminal Court. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sudan cuts off hand, foot of man convicted of robbery: activists Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:01 PM PST KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese authorities cut off a hand and foot of a man convicted of armed robbery, rights groups said on Wednesday, the first such punishment under Islamic law in Sudan for almost 30 years. It followed a pledge by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to implement a "100 percent" Islamic constitution as a result of the secession in 2011 of the mainly non-Muslim south of Sudan. Sharia (Islamic law) was first introduced in the vast northeast African country in 1983 and Bashir began to expand its application after he took power in a 1989 Islamist coup. ... Full Story | Top |
| Plan floated at UN to lift Somalia arms embargo for a year Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 09:00 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A proposal to lift a U.N. arms embargo on the Somalian government for a year but leave in place restrictions on weapons like surface-to-air missiles has been floated among a deeply split 15-member U.N. Security Council, diplomats said on Wednesday. The Somali government has requested that the 21-year-old arms embargo be lifted so it can strengthen its poorly equipped, ill-disciplined military - more a group of rival militias than a cohesive fighting force loyal to a single president - to battle al Qaeda-affiliated Islamist rebels. A draft resolution to renew a U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rwanda's Kagame brushes off speculation over third term Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 08:59 PM PST  KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame responded to speculation he might run for office again by telling journalists on Wednesday "I don't need (a third term)", but did not clearly rule out the possibility of staying on. Several articles in pro-government newspapers have raised the prospect of him extending his time in office - a move that would anger his critics and require a change to the constitution. "I am not the person who needs a third term," Kagame told a news conference when asked about speculation prompted by the articles. "Just look at me, I don't need it. ... Full Story | Top |
| UN's Ban tones down criticism of Rwanda over Congo claims Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 08:56 PM PST  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - In a special report to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon toned down criticism of Rwanda over accusations that it supports rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but still warned against external support for the revolt. A draft of Ban's report seen by Reuters on Monday had applauded states who suspended aid to Rwanda after U.N. experts, who monitor compliance with sanctions and an arms embargo on Congo, accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in eastern Congo. ... Full Story | Top |
| SEC subpoenas Kimco in Wal-Mart probe Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 08:55 PM PST  (Reuters) - U.S. shopping center operator Kimco Realty Corp has received a subpoena from the securities regulator over an investigation involving Wal-Mart Stores Inc and possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the biggest operator of shopping malls in the United States said it had received the subpoena on January 28 from the SEC's Enforcement Division. The FCPA, a 1970s-era law, bars U.S. companies and others from paying bribes to officials of foreign governments in exchange for business. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan PM Abe cites Thatcher reflections on Falklands war Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 08:22 PM PST  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose country is embroiled in a row with China over tiny islands, on Thursday quoted former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's reflections on the 1982 Falklands war with Argentina to stress the importance of the rule of law at sea. "Our national interests have been immutable. They lie in making the seas, which are the foundation of our nation's existence, completely open, free and peaceful," Abe said in a prepared policy speech to parliament covering a wide range of issues. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colorado parents of transgender girl contest school restroom ban Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 08:19 PM PST  DENVER (Reuters) - The parents of a 6-year-old transgender girl in Colorado filed a complaint with the state's civil rights agency on Wednesday challenging a decision by local education officials to deny their child access to the girls' restrooms in her school. The first-grader, Coy Mathis, was born male but identifies as female and had been attending Eagleside Elementary School as a girl since midway through her kindergarten year. The school is in Fountain, Colorado, a suburb south of Colorado Springs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mexican union boss arrest sounds warning to reform foes Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 08:13 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The arrest of Mexico's best-known trade union leader on fraud charges has thrown down the gauntlet to powerful interests standing between President Enrique Pena Nieto and his plans to shake up Latin America's second-biggest economy. For a generation, even presidents shied away from taking on teachers' union boss Elba Esther Gordillo, making her Mexico's most prominent female politician and a formidable enemy to those who accused her of fostering corruption rather than education. ... Full Story | Top |
| Energy policy shifting as abundance replaces scarcity: Obama adviser Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 07:39 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As U.S. oil and natural gas production booms, the Obama administration's energy policy has been "fluid" by necessity to adapt to the huge economic opportunities and climate challenges posed by growth, the top White House energy and climate adviser said on Wednesday. In a speech to a room packed with energy analysts and lobbyists, Obama adviser Heather Zichal acknowledged that U.S. energy policy "might not look perfectly pretty from the outside" as it evolves to shifting supply-and-demand scenarios. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. tourist who was missing in Peru sends greetings from military base Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 07:16 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - One of two California tourists in Peru feared by family to have been kidnapped sent home her first online greeting in a month on Wednesday, saying she and her boyfriend were safe on a military base, playing with a monkey and being treated like celebrities. The Facebook message was posted a day after the Peruvian government said Jamie Neal and her traveling companion, Garrett Hand, both 25, had surfaced on a riverboat in the Amazon, surprised to learn they were the subjects of an international search. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon F-35 program chief lashes Lockheed, Pratt Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 07:00 PM PST  AVALON, Australia (Reuters) - The Pentagon program chief for the F-35 warplane slammed the main contractors on the program, Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney, accusing them of trying to "squeeze every nickel" out of the U.S. government and failing to see the long-term benefits of the project. U.S. Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan made the comments on Wednesday during a visit to Australia, where he has sought to convince lawmakers and generals to stick to a plan to buy 100 of the jets, an exercise complicated by the second grounding of the plane this year and looming U.S. defense cuts. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N.'s Ban tones down criticism of Rwanda over Congo claims Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 06:45 PM PST  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - In a special report to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon toned down criticism of Rwanda over accusations that it supports rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but still warned against external support for the revolt. A draft of Ban's report seen by Reuters on Monday had applauded states who suspended aid to Rwanda after U.N. experts, who monitor compliance with sanctions and an arms embargo on Congo, accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in eastern Congo. ... Full Story | Top |
| Arkansas House overrides veto of late-term abortion ban Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 06:32 PM PST LITTLE ROCK, Ark (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled Arkansas House of Representatives on Wednesday overrode a veto by Democratic Governor Mike Beebe of a bill to ban most late-term abortions in the state at 20 weeks into pregnancy. The House voted 53-28 to override the veto, and the Republican-dominated state Senate was expected to vote on Thursday to override the veto as well. If that happens, Arkansas would join seven other U.S. states that restrict or ban abortions after the 20-week mark. ... Full Story | Top |
| Man who killed two California police officers was accused of sex crime Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 06:28 PM PST SANTA CRUZ, California (Reuters) - A gunman who killed two police officers in Northern California had been under investigation for sexual assault and shot the officers and stripped them of their firearms after they arrived at his home to question him, authorities said on Wednesday. Police said they later shot and killed the assailant, Jeremy Goulet, who had a criminal history, near the scene of the Tuesday afternoon exchange of gunfire with the two officers in Santa Cruz, California. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ohio students mark school shooting anniversary with wreaths, vigil Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 06:18 PM PST  CHARDON, Ohio (Reuters) - Students clad in red-and-black school colors walked a mile on Wednesday in a procession from Ohio's Chardon High School to lay wreaths in the town square, marking a year since a shooting rampage in which three former classmates were killed. Chardon, a small town about 40 miles east of Cleveland, was once known mainly for the county syrup festival, but along with communities in Connecticut, Colorado, Arkansas and Virginia, is now remembered for a school shooting spree. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House, Republicans dig in ahead of budget talks Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 06:02 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Positions hardened on Wednesday between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican congressional leaders over the budget crisis even as they arranged to hold last-ditch talks to prevent harsh automatic spending cuts beginning this week. Looking resigned to the $85 billion in "sequestration" cuts starting on Friday, government agencies began reducing costs and spelling out to employees how furloughs will work. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senator Murkowski says will not back down in Alaska road fight Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 05:49 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee said on Wednesday she would not back down in her drive to reverse a finding by the Interior Department that blocks construction of an emergency road for a remote Alaskan community. The fight threatens to hold up the White House's nomination of Sally Jewell as Interior Secretary. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she would use "every tool in her tool box," including placing a hold on Jewell's nomination, if the department does not allow the road to be built. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Senate approves Lew as Treasury chief Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 05:46 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Jack Lew as President Barack Obama's new Treasury secretary, putting the former White House chief of staff in the middle of political brawls over the government's budget. Senators backed Lew 71-26, with all 53 Democrats voting in favor. Lew's most pressing task will be to find a compromise to lessen the economic blow from $85 billion in government spending cuts set to kick in on Friday. But two more deadlines will quickly follow. Funds for most government operations expire on March 27, and the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. plans medical, food aid for Syrian rebel fighters: sources Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 05:26 PM PST  ROME (Reuters) - The United States plans to provide medical supplies and food to Syrian fighters, a policy shift to directly help those battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces on the ground, sources familiar with the matter said. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States continues to oppose providing lethal assistance and said it also will not provide such items as bullet-proof vests, armored-personnel vehicles and military training for now. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese owners give Nexen oil unit freedom to run operations Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 05:11 PM PST  CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Chinese oil company CNOOC Ltd , its takeover of Canada's Nexen Inc now complete, is giving the leader of the Canadian unit freedom to get operations running smoothly after an exhaustive seven-month acquisition process, CNOOC's CEO said on Wednesday. The deal, which boosts CNOOC's global oil and gas production by 20 percent and reserves by 30 percent, closed on Monday after clearing the final hurdle, sign-off by U.S. regulators. "This is a big deal. Nexen is a big organization. ... Full Story | Top |
| Battling a scandal, Britain's deputy PM under pressure in vote Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 05:06 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - Fewer than 100,000 residents of an English town that hardly anyone outside Britain has heard of will vote on Thursday in an election that could help determine the political fate of the country's deputy prime minister and, ultimately, its government. The poll to choose a member of parliament for Eastleigh may prove make-or-break for Nick Clegg's leadership of the Liberal Democrats, the junior member of Britain's two-party coalition. "Most by-elections are events of only fleeting interest. Some are sufficiently dramatic to linger a while in the memory. Only a few truly matter. ... Full Story | Top |
| France's Hollande juggles trade, human rights in Moscow Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 05:04 PM PST  PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande wants to boost trade ties with Moscow and will have to balance that with French concerns over Russia's human rights record during a debut Moscow visit on Thursday that could prove a diplomatic obstacle course. An encounter in Paris last June between the newly elected Socialist Hollande and Russia's Vladimir Putin bristled with tension, unlike the cosy meetings between Putin and Hollande's conservative predecessors Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac. ... Full Story | Top |
| Asia rebalance remains U.S. priority amid fiscal woes: Pentagon Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 04:54 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration policy of shifting its security focus to the Asia-Pacific region will remain on track despite drastic U.S. budget cuts looming this week, the top Pentagon official for Asia said on Wednesday. In late 2011, the administration articulated a policy for a "pivot" or "rebalance" of its diplomatic and security focus to East Asia as it winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. fiscal crisis has raised questions about the U.S. ability to follow through on these plans. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cities, counties say U.S. municipal bond tax changes would cost them billions Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 04:50 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Changes to the federal tax treatment of U.S. municipal bonds could cost state and local governments tens of billions of dollars per year, cities and counties warned on Wednesday as they escalated their fight to defend the bonds' tax exemption. The interest income that bondholders receive on the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market is not subject to federal income tax, allowing local issuers to tap capital markets more cheaply. For more than two years, President Barack Obama has suggested limiting that exemption to increase federal tax revenues. ... Full Story | Top |
| House Republicans seek to avoid potential government shutdown Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 04:49 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the House of Representatives are planning to put up for a vote next week a plan that avoids yet another nasty partisan budget fight, this time a potential shutdown of the government when the current temporary spending law runs out at the end of March. House Republican lawmakers said their caucus voiced strong support at a meeting on Wednesday for a stop-gap measure that would keep federal agencies and programs funded through the September 30 end of the fiscal year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Small U.S. printers face hit from government spending cuts: official Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 04:46 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Private printing presses are among the businesses that will be hit hard if Washington goes ahead with $85 billion in automatic federal spending cuts, a government official said on Wednesday. The U.S. Government Printing Office, the printing press for official documents, uses about 16,000 private vendors to carry out most of its work, which is due to shrivel if the "sequestration" cuts kick in on Friday. "Some vendors may have as much as 80 or 90 percent (government business)," Davita Vance-Cooks, the acting GPO director, told lawmakers on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
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