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| Ricin attack puts spotlight on Bloomberg's gun control push Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:20 PM PDT  By Edith Honan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Letters laced with the deadly poison ricin sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the lobbying organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns illustrate how the group has emerged as a focal point of anger for opponents of gun control. Three letters containing an "oily substance" that turned out to be ricin were intercepted on their way to Bloomberg's office and the mayors group. A similar envelope was sent to President Barack Obama, the Secret Service confirmed on Thursday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Embattled IRS staff remain in jobs despite U.S. tax review scandal Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:57 PM PDT  By Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - They've been scorned in televised congressional hearings for unfairly abusing tax laws, threatened with questioning in a criminal investigation and accused of using federal jobs to push a political agenda. At this point in the saga surrounding the Internal Revenue Service and its use of "Tea Party" and other search terms to flag conservative groups while reviewing their applications for tax-exempt status, all of the employees caught up in the scandal are still drawing federal paychecks. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michigan woman dies in Syria fighting for opposition: family Thursday, May 30, 2013 11:05 PM PDT (Reuters) - A 33-year-old Michigan woman and convert to Islam has been killed in Syria while fighting with opposition forces against the government of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's civil war, her family said on Thursday. The woman's aunt told Reuters that the FBI had informed her on Thursday afternoon of the death of her niece, Nicole Mansfield of Flint, but said she did not have the details of how she died. "I'm just devastated," said the aunt, Monica Mansfield Speelman. "Evidently, she was fighting with opposition forces. ... Full Story | Top |
| Moscow suggests missiles have yet to reach Assad Thursday, May 30, 2013 02:59 PM PDT  By Mariam Karouny and Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday Moscow was still committed to sending him advanced anti-aircraft weapons, although a source close to the Russian defense ministry said the missiles had yet to arrive. The prospect of the missiles arriving is a serious worry for Western and regional countries opposing Assad which have called on Moscow not to send them. ... Full Story | Top |
| TUI Travel to buy 60 new Boeing aircraft worth $6 billion Friday, May 31, 2013 12:08 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British travel firm TUI Travel has agreed a deal to buy 60 of Boeing's 737 MAX jets with an option to buy a further 90 more of the fuel-efficient aircraft. TUI Travel, which operates Britain's Thomson Airways, said on Friday the initial deal for 60 planes, powered by CFM International's LEAP-1B engines, had been secured at a "significant discount to the list price" of $6.09 billion. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Secret Service says threatening letter sent to Obama Thursday, May 30, 2013 07:15 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities intercepted a threatening letter addressed to U.S. President Barack Obama that was similar to ones sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Secret Service said on Thursday. Letters sent to Bloomberg and his gun control group contained material believed to be the deadly poison ricin and contained a reference to gun control, New York police said on Wednesday. A Secret Service official said the letter sent to the White House was similar but did not elaborate. ... Full Story | Top |
| After tour abroad, dissident blogger Sanchez returns to Cuba Friday, May 31, 2013 12:09 AM PDT  By Jeff Franks HAVANA (Reuters) - Dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez, wearing a brightly colored dress and a big smile, returned on Thursday to the homeland she both loves and lambastes, after more than three months on a tour through the Americas and Europe. Her family and about a dozen supporters applauded loudly and shouted "welcome home" as she emerged from the customs area at the Havana airport With tears in her eyes, she hugged them all as curious Cubans awaiting other passengers looked on and asked reporters who she was. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hunters for Amelia Earhart plane wreckage excited by sonar image Thursday, May 30, 2013 07:06 PM PDT  By Malia Mattoch McManus HONOLULU (Reuters) - A team of researchers seeking to solve the mystery of aviator Amelia Earhart's 1937 disappearance say a sonar image taken from just beyond the shore of a remote Pacific island could be a piece of wreckage from her plane. A forensic imaging specialist for a research team that conducted a $2.2 million expedition to the island of Nikumaroro searching for Earhart's plane last year said the image could represent a wing or part of the fuselage from Earhart's aircraft. ... Full Story | Top |
| Nigeria arrests Lebanese suspected of Hezbollah ties Thursday, May 30, 2013 11:36 AM PDT By Chukwuemeka Madu KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian authorities said on Thursday they had arrested three Lebanese in northern Nigeria on suspicion of being members of Hezbollah and that a raid on one of their residences had revealed a stash of heavy weapons. The three suspects were arrested between May 16 and May 28 in the north's biggest city Kano, the city's military spokesman Captain Ikedichi Iweha said in a statement. All had admitted to being members of Hezbollah under questioning. ... Full Story | Top |
| Boston rockers play fundraiser for bomb victims Thursday, May 30, 2013 09:56 PM PDT  By Richard Valdmanis BOSTON (Reuters) - A succession of all-star bands from Aerosmith to Jimmy Buffet rocked a packed house at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday night in a mostly raucous fund-raiser for the victims of last month's marathon bombing. Tickets priced between $35 and $285 sold out fast at the 17,500-seat venue, with net proceeds to be donated to The One Fund, a reserve established by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick that has so far received more than $37 million in donations to compensate victims of the April 15 bombing. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. concerned about North Korean defectors in China Thursday, May 30, 2013 10:32 AM PDT  GENEVA (Reuters) - A United Nations human rights investigator and the U.N. refugee agency voiced concern on Thursday about the fate of nine North Korean defectors, some of them children, who were sent back to China this week from Laos after trying to cross the border. Chinese authorities are obliged under international law not to return them to North Korea, where they could face persecution and possibly death, Marzuki Darusman, U.N. special rapporteur on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said. ... Full Story | Top |
| War crimes court acquits two ex-Serbian security officials Thursday, May 30, 2013 10:14 AM PDT  By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE (Reuters) - International judges on Thursday acquitted two former Serbian secret police officials of involvement in war crimes committed in Bosnia and Croatia, in a ruling welcomed by Serbia but received with disbelief by victims of wartime atrocities. The acquittal means no Belgrade government official has been convicted of crimes committed during the war in Bosnia, which claimed more than 100,000 lives over three years to 1995. ... Full Story | Top |
| Threatening letter sent to Obama, U.S. Secret Service says Thursday, May 30, 2013 01:18 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities intercepted a threatening letter addressed to President Barack Obama that was similar to ones sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Secret Service said on Thursday. Letters sent to Bloomberg and his gun control group contained material believed to be the deadly poison ricin and contained a reference to gun control, New York police said on Wednesday. A Secret Service official said the White House letter was similar but did not elaborate. ... Full Story | Top |
| Germans irked as Hollande says EU cannot dictate French reforms Thursday, May 30, 2013 11:02 AM PDT  By Mark John and Andreas Rinke PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande pledged on Thursday to carry out long overdue reforms of France's pension system and labor markets but said it was up to Paris, not the European Commission, to determine how they are implemented. At a joint news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hollande defended his comment that the EU executive cannot "dictate" reforms to member states - a defiant, nationalist tone that angered Germany's ruling conservatives. ... Full Story | Top |
| Baghdad bombs kill 25 in Sunni-Shi'te bloodletting Thursday, May 30, 2013 09:29 AM PDT  By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of bombs battered Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim neighborhoods across Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 25 people in the worst wave of sectarian violence since civil war five years ago. The bloodletting reflects increasing conflict between Iraq's majority Shi'ite leadership and the Sunni minority, many of whom feel unfairly marginalized since the 2003 fall of strongman Saddam Hussein, a Sunni. ... Full Story | Top |
| First quarter GDP revised slightly lower; austerity bites Thursday, May 30, 2013 06:14 PM PDT  By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drop in government spending dragged more on the U.S. economy than initially thought in the first three months of the year, although consumer spending looked relatively resilient to Washington's austerity drive. Other reports on Thursday showed the number of new jobless claims rose modestly last week while contracts on previously owned homes climbed to a three-year high in April. Together, the reports pointed to an economy that has held up reasonably well despite government constraints, but nevertheless faced headwinds severe enough to dissuade the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ricin attack puts spotlight on Bloomberg's gun control push Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:39 PM PDT  By Edith Honan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Letters laced with the deadly poison ricin sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the lobbying organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns illustrate how the group has emerged as a focal point of anger for opponents of gun control. Three letters containing an "oily substance" that turned out to be ricin were intercepted on their way to Bloomberg's office and the mayors group. A similar envelope was sent to President Barack Obama, the Secret Service confirmed on Thursday. ... Full Story | Top |
| First quarter GDP revised slightly lower; austerity bites Thursday, May 30, 2013 09:03 AM PDT  By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drop in government spending dragged more on the U.S. economy than initially thought in the first three months of the year, although consumer spending looked relatively resilient to Washington's austerity drive. Other reports on Thursday showed the number of new jobless claims rose modestly last week while contracts on previously owned homes climbed to a three-year high in April. Together, the reports pointed to an economy that has held up reasonably well despite government constraints, but nevertheless faced headwinds severe enough to dissuade the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian draft law dashes hopes of free civil society: activists Thursday, May 30, 2013 09:16 AM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - A law drafted by the Egyptian presidency for regulating non-governmental organizations dashes hopes for a free civil society after the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. President Mohamed Mursi has said the bill submitted to the Muslim Brotherhood-led parliament on Wednesday would liberate a civil society that was stifled by Mubarak, who was toppled by an uprising ignited by democracy activists. Human Rights Watch said the new draft was "hostile to the very notion of independent civil society". ... Full Story | Top |
| Could youth vote stir up next European elections? Thursday, May 30, 2013 07:34 AM PDT  By Anders Melin BRUSSELS (Reuters) - For decades, elections to the European Parliament have been dismissed as secondary affairs, with turnout declining at every ballot since direct polling began in 1979. But frustration with how Europe's leaders have handled the economic crisis over the past three years, increased political engagement by young voters and the growing influence of the parliament itself could be about to change that. The next election is still a year away, in May 2014. But already Europe's major political blocs are jockeying for position and staking out issues. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama administration extends life of anti-foreclosure program Thursday, May 30, 2013 07:30 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Thursday said it was extending the life of its signature foreclosure-prevention program by two years to help more struggling borrowers keep their homes. The Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, was to expire at the end of this year. When it was unveiled in 2009, the administration estimated it would help 3 million to 4 million homeowners avoid foreclosure by reworking loan terms. So far, however, only about 1.1 million homeowners have benefited from a permanent mortgage modification under the program. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Hungary hails victory of 'Orbanomics' but there's a cost Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:13 AM PDT  By Krisztina Than and Michael Winfrey BUDAPEST/PRAGUE (Reuters) - The leaflets dropping into Hungarians' mailboxes this month told citizens the economy has turned a corner, whatever foreign critics might think. Emblazoned with the red, white and green of the national flag, the government-funded brochure hailed the steps conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban had taken. "Hungary is doing better," it read. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollande reform defiance sparks German anger Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:07 AM PDT  By Mark John and Andreas Rinke PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande's insistence that the EU executive can't "dictate" reforms to France has outraged Angela Merkel's conservatives, hours before the German leader was due in Paris for talks. Unveiling reform recommendations for the 27-nation European Union on Wednesday, the European Commission urged Hollande to rein in public spending, revamp pensions and cut labor costs in return for a two-year reprieve on budget deficit cuts. ... Full Story | Top |
| China says it has no need to steal U.S. military secrets Thursday, May 30, 2013 04:55 AM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defense Ministry dismissed as ridiculous on Thursday a U.S. report that Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major U.S. weapons systems, saying the country needed no outside help for its military development. The Washington Post cited a U.S. Defense Science Board report as saying that the compromised U.S. designs included those for combat aircraft and ships, as well as missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng dismissed the report, which the Pentagon and other U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Japan public pension mulls shift after stock rally - sources Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:39 AM PDT  By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's public pension fund - a pool of over $1 trillion - is considering a change to its portfolio strategy that could allow its investment in domestic stocks to grow with a rallying market, according to people familiar with the deliberations. The changes, yet to be finalized, would mark the most significant revision in investment strategy for the world's largest pension fund since 2006 and highlight the game-changing economic policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistani Taliban pick new number two after drone strike: sources Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:17 AM PDT By Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban militants have chosen a new deputy commander to replace their previous second-in-command who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in the North Waziristan region, sources in the militant group said on Thursday. The previous deputy commander, Wali-ur-Rehman, was killed in an attack by a missile-firing U.S. drone aircraft in the militant stronghold of North Waziristan, on northwest Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, on Wednesday, Pakistani security officials and militants said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Crisis states lead way as euro zone's economic mood brightens Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:46 AM PDT  By Martin Santa BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Confidence in the euro zone economy grew by more than expected in May, with hope that the worst of the crisis may be over spreading to countries that have been on its frontline. Economic morale in the 17 states that use the euro increased by 0.8 point to 89.4, the European Commission said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected an increase to 89.0. "This is in line with a moderate improvement, but we need to see this sustained," said Francois Cabau, an economist at Barclays Capital. "We also need to see this translate into the real growth. ... Full Story | Top |
| Troops patrol Myanmar city after violence, Muslims hide Thursday, May 30, 2013 02:59 AM PDT  By Jared Ferrie LASHIO, Myanmar (Reuters) - Hundreds of Muslim families sheltered in a heavily guarded Buddhist monastery on Thursday after two days of violence in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio left Muslim properties in ruins and raised alarm over a widening religious conflict. About 1,200 Muslims were taken to Mansu Monastery after Buddhist mobs terrorized the city on Wednesday, a move that could signal the resolve of a government criticized for its slow response to previous religious violence. ... Full Story | Top |
| Assad says Syria received Russian missile shipment: Lebanese media Thursday, May 30, 2013 05:40 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has received the first shipment of a sophisticated air defense system from Russia, President Bashar al-Assad was quoted as saying, sending a signal of military strength days before an EU arms embargo on the country lapses. Russia had promised delivery of the S-300 missile system to the Syrian government despite Western objections, saying the move would help stabilize the regional balance at a time of insurgency in Syria waged by Western-backed rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese media rejects accusation of pressure on EU in solar row Thursday, May 30, 2013 03:29 AM PDT  By Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media rejected on Thursday European accusations that China was pressuring the European Union to drop plans to impose import duties on Chinese solar panels, adding EU member states had a right to disagree with the tariff. The EU's trade chief, Karel De Gucht, bluntly told China this week it was wasting its time trying to put pressure on him to drop the duties plans. But in a statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency and posted on the Chinese government's main website (www.gov.cn), China's mission to the EU denied it was doing that. ... Full Story | Top |
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