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| Supreme Court, in next gay marriage case, eyes federal law Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 10:01 PM PDT  By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the second day running, the Supreme Court on Wednesday will confront the issue of gay marriage, hearing arguments on a U.S. law that denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Almost two hours of oral argument before the court will focus on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), just a day after the nine justices considered the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. Both cases come before the court as polls show growing support among Americans for gay marriage but division among the 50 states. ... Full Story | Top |
| Watch your tongue, North Korea warns South's new leader Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 10:14 PM PDT  SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea warned South Korea's new president to "watch her tongue" on Wednesday, as tension between the two sides mounts, reprising the kind of vitriolic language that it dished out to her predecessor on a regular basis. North Korea has in recent days threatened the United States with nuclear war and rehearsed drone attacks on South Korea, prompting Washington, involved in military drills with the South, to say it is ready for any contingency. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Man with key to Italy crisis has only weeks left in job Wednesday, Mar 27, 2013 12:06 AM PDT  By Barry Moody ROME (Reuters) - The chaos and uncertainty following Italy's parliamentary election last month is compounded by the imminent retirement of the one man who has any chance of solving the crisis, President Giorgio Napolitano. A wave of support for the populist 5-Star Movement produced an electoral earthquake in the Feb 24-25 poll, shaking the traditional political system to its foundations and creating an enormous headache for the head of state, who combines figurehead functions with the key power of appointing governments. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cyprus readies capital controls to avert bank run Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 03:50 PM PDT  By Michele Kambas and Costas Pitas NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus is expected to complete capital control measures on Wednesday to prevent a run on the banks by depositors anxious about their savings after the country agreed a painful rescue package with international lenders. Cypriots have taken to the streets of Nicosia in their thousands to protest at a bailout deal that they fear will push their country into an economic slump and cost many their jobs. European leaders said the deal averted a chaotic national bankruptcy that might have forced Cyprus out of the euro. ... Full Story | Top |
| Petraeus apologizes for affair, moves to mend image Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 11:12 PM PDT  By Brandon Lowrey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former CIA Director David Petraeus apologized on Tuesday for the extramarital affair that forced his November resignation and acknowledged the toll it took on his family, career and reputation. His appearance at an event honoring University of Southern California veterans and Reserve Officers' Training Corps students was his first public speech since the storied Army general's career was cut short by the scandal. Petraeus noted that "life doesn't stop with such a mistake. It can and must go on. ... Full Story | Top |
| In snub to Assad, opposition takes Syria's Arab summit seat Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 03:12 PM PDT  By Sami Aboudi and Yara Bayoumy DOHA (Reuters) - To applause from Arab heads of state, a foe of Bashar al-Assad took Syria's vacant seat at an Arab summit on Tuesday, deepening the president's diplomatic isolation and diverting attention from rifts among his opponents. Speaking at an annual gathering of Arab leaders in the Gulf state of Qatar, Moaz Alkhatib said he had asked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for American forces to help defend rebel-controlled northern parts of Syria with Patriot surface-to-air missiles now based in Turkey. NATO swiftly rebuffed the idea. ... Full Story | Top |
| North Korea says ready for combat as sanctions tighten Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 01:16 PM PDT  By Jack Kim and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea repeated threats on Tuesday to target U.S. military bases as Washington and its allies tightened economic sanctions against the isolated country by targeting Pyongyang's main foreign exchange bank with new measures. The rhetoric from North Korea - which has threatened the United States with nuclear war and rehearsed drone attacks on South Korea - and Washington's hardening reaction, drew more concern from China, Pyongyang's only major ally, which said the situation was "sensitive". ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama appoints first woman Secret Service director Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 04:02 PM PDT  By Tabassum Zakaria and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose veteran agent Julia Pierson as Secret Service director, the first woman to lead the male-dominated agency, a year after its reputation was tarnished by a scandal involving agents and prostitutes in Colombia. Pierson will replace Mark Sullivan, who retired in February and was in charge during the Colombia scandal - one of the worst in the agency's history. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: History casts doubt on bold Japan economic reform Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 02:51 PM PDT  By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - If past is precedent, optimists hoping Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will defy vested interests to take bold action to open the country to more competition as a way to spur growth could well be in for disappointment. Japan's list of reports urging reforms date back almost three decades and have rarely led to the bold action that critics say is needed to dig the economy out of stagnation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Knox, Sollecito to face Italy retrial in Kercher murder Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 05:32 PM PDT  By Virginia Alimenti and Catherine Hornby ROME (Reuters) - Italy's top court on Tuesday ordered a retrial of American Amanda Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito in the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, re-opening a case that prompted harsh criticism of the Italian justice system. Kercher's half-naked body, with more than 40 wounds and a deep gash in the throat, was found in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia, where both were studying during a year abroad in 2007. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factory and housing data supports growth picture Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 01:41 PM PDT  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S.-made goods surged last month and home prices posted their biggest year-on-year gain in six and a half years in January, the latest signs the U.S. economy regained momentum early in the first quarter. The upbeat picture was dimmed somewhat by other data on Tuesday showing a sharp drop in consumer confidence as Americans worried about the impact of tighter fiscal policy, particularly$85 billion in government budget cuts known as the "sequester. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Linux users file EU complaint against Microsoft Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 12:19 PM PDT  By Sarah Morris MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish association representing open-source software users has filed a complaint against Microsoft Corp to the European Commission, in a new challenge to the Windows developer following a hefty fine earlier this month. The 8,000-member Hispalinux, which represents users and developers of the Linux operating system in Spain, said Microsoft had made it difficult for users of computers sold with its Windows 8 platform to switch to Linux and other operating systems. ... Full Story | Top |
| Looters, gunmen roam Central African Republic capital after coup Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 11:20 AM PDT  By Ange Aboa BANGUI (Reuters) - Looters and gunmen roamed the streets of Central African Republic's capital Bangui on Tuesday as rebels and regional peacekeepers struggled to restore order two days after a coup plunged the mineral-rich country into chaos. The ousting of President Francois Bozize and the political turmoil around it has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis in the former French colony - and embarrassed regional power South Africa which had sent troops to defend the government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Supreme Court wary of broad gay marriage ruling Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 01:50 PM PDT By Lawrence Hurley and David Ingram WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court signaled reluctance on Tuesday to rule broadly on the question of the right to marriage for gays and lesbians as the justices heard arguments on same-sex marriage for the first time. As thousands of demonstrators on both sides of America's long-standing gay rights divide rallied outside, the court heard a spirited, 80-minute oral argument on whether to let stand a California ban on same-sex marriage. ... Full Story | Top |
| Knox, Sollecito to face Italy retrial in Kercher murder Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 02:54 PM PDT By Virginia Alimenti and Catherine Hornby ROME (Reuters) - Italy's top court on Tuesday ordered a retrial of American Amanda Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito in the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, re-opening a case that prompted harsh criticism of the Italian justice system. Kercher's half-naked body, with more than 40 wounds and a deep gash in the throat, was found in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia, where both were studying during a year abroad in 2007. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: "Rock star" campaign may not be enough for Venezuela's Capriles Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 08:07 AM PDT  By Andrew Cawthorne MATURIN, Venezuela (Reuters) - Emerging from his bus, Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles is engulfed by frenzied female supporters who push past bodyguards to hug, kiss and photograph their idol. Most are young and have been waiting for hours under the sun to see him. ... Full Story | Top |
| North Dakota governor signs "heartbeat" abortion ban Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 12:33 PM PDT By Dave Thompson BISMARCK, North Dakota (Reuters) - North Dakota on Tuesday adopted the most restrictive abortion law in the United States, as the governor signed a bill that bans the procedure in most cases once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks. Supporters of abortion rights said they would challenge the measure in court. Governor Jack Dalrymple on Tuesday also signed a bill that bans abortions based solely on genetic abnormalities, the first state ban of its kind, or based on the gender of the fetus. ... Full Story | Top |
| Magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits in Oaxaca, Mexico: USGS Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 06:44 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the southwestern coast of Mexico on Tuesday, shaking buildings in Mexico City, but there were no reports of major damage or injuries. The quake was centered six miles west of Pinotepa Nacional in Oaxaca, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The state's governor said on his Twitter account there were no immediate reports of damage. The quake, which struck at 13:04 GMT (9.04 a.m. EDT), was 20.5 miles deep, the USGS said. Some buildings in Mexico City were evacuated, but the mayor said on Twitter that there were no reports of damage. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. slams North Korea threats, warns ready for "any contingency" Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 09:10 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Tuesday condemned North Korea's threats to target U.S. military bases, saying the United States was ready to respond to "any contingency." "We're concerned about any threat raised by the North Koreans," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters. "They need to stop threatening peace on the peninsula, that doesn't help anyone ... and we stand ready to respond to any contingency." (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Vicki Allen) Full Story | Top |
| Consumer confidence drops in March as outlook sours Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 07:28 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer confidence tumbled in March as Americans turned more pessimistic about economic prospects in the short term, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday. The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes fell to 59.7 from a downwardly revised 68 in February. The figure fell short of economists' expectations of 68. February was originally reported as 69.6. The expectations index slid to 60.9 from 72.4, while the present situation index declined to 57.9 from 61.4. ... Full Story | Top |
| Home prices rise in January, best yearly increase since 2006: S&P Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 06:24 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Single-family home prices rose in January, starting the year with the biggest annual increase in six-and-a-half years in a fresh sign the housing market recovery remains on track, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday. The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 1 percent month-on-month in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, topping expectations for 0.9 percent. Prices have been gaining since last February. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, prices rose 0.1 percent. Prices in the 20 cities climbed 8. ... Full Story | Top |
| North Korea orders artillery to be combat ready, targeting U.S. bases Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 01:35 AM PDT  SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday its strategic rocket and long-range artillery units have been ordered to be combat ready, targeting U.S. military bases on Guam, Hawaii and mainland America after U.S. bombers flew sorties threatening the North. The order, issued in a statement from the North's military "supreme command", marks the latest fiery rhetoric from Pyongyang since the start of joint military drills by U.S. and South Korean forces early this month. South Korea's defense ministry said it saw no sign of imminent military action by North Korea. ... Full Story | Top |
| BRICS chafe under charge of "new imperialists" in Africa Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 04:39 AM PDT  By Pascal Fletcher DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) - "BRICS, Don't Carve Africa" reads a banner in a church hall in downtown Durban where civil society activists have gathered to cast a critical eye at a summit of five global emerging powers. The slogan evokes the 19th Century conference in Berlin where the predominant European colonial states carved up the African continent in a scramble historians see as epitomizing the brash exploitative capitalism of the time. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. citizens in Kenya told to be cautious during vote ruling Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 06:41 AM PDT  By James Macharia NAIROBI (Reuters) - The U.S. Embassy in Kenya has warned its citizens of possible unrest this weekend when the Supreme Court is due to rule on a legal challenge to the outcome of the presidential election by losing candidate Raila Odinga. Odinga alleged "rampant illegality" in the first-round victory this month of rival Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's founding president, who has said the voting was free and fair. The case is another test of Kenyan democracy five years after a disputed vote ignited tribal violence. ... Full Story | Top |
| Congo warlord denies guilt in first appearance at Hague court Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 05:03 AM PDT  By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Bosco Ntaganda, a Congolese warlord known as "the Terminator" who evaded arrest on war crimes charges for seven years, denied guilt when he appeared for the first time at the International Criminal Court on Tuesday. Ntaganda unexpectedly gave himself up to diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda last week, walking in off the street and demanding to be handed over the ICC. Within days he was put on a plane to The Hague. ... Full Story | Top |
| Taliban suicide bombers kill five Afghan police as Kerry visits Kabul Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 04:23 AM PDT  JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban suicide bombers killed at least five policemen in Afghanistan's restive east on Tuesday, officials said, in a three-hour attack that coincided with a visit to the country by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The pre-dawn attack on a police compound in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan's largest city, came as the country braces for the beginning of the spring fighting season in the 11th year of the war. ... Full Story | Top |
| UBS asks Singapore court to seal cases of two fired traders Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013 03:53 AM PDT  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - UBS AG has filed an application to the Singapore High Court asking that two cases be sealed involving traders fired as part of the bank's investigation into reference rate manipulation. The request for seals underscores the highly sensitive information within the cases, which stem from a global crackdown on banks involved with submitting false reference rates for various markets to benefit trading books. ... Full Story | Top |
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