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| Manning acquitted of aiding enemy, still may face long jail term Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 02:59 PM PDT  By Medina Roshan and Scott Malone FORT MEADE, Md./BOSTON (Reuters) - A military judge on Tuesday found U.S. soldier Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy, the most serious charge he faced for handing over documents to WikiLeaks, but he still likely faces a long jail term after being found guilty of 19 other counts. Colonel Denise Lind ruled the 25-year-old Army private first class was guilty of five espionage charges, among many others, for the largest unauthorized release of classified U.S. data in the nation's history. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama to propose 'grand bargain' Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 02:39 PM PDT By Steve Holland CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (Reuters) - President Barack Obama proposed a "grand bargain for middle-class jobs" on Tuesday that would cut the U.S. corporate tax rate and use billions of dollars in revenues generated by a business tax overhaul to fund projects aimed at creating jobs. The goal, as outlined in his speech to an enthusiastic audience at an Amazon.com Inc facility in southeastern Tennessee, was to break through partisan gridlock in Congress with a formula that satisfies Republicans and Democrats alike. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. economy likely lost step in second; expected to regain pace Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:28 PM PDT  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth likely slowed sharply in the second quarter, but it is poised to regain momentum as the burden brought on by belt-tightening in Washington eases. Gross domestic product probably grew at a 1.0 percent annual rate, a step back from the first-quarter's 1.8 percent pace, according to a Reuters survey of economists. Some said growth could be even weaker, with forecasts ranging as low as 0.4 percent. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cambodian opposition raises the stakes by claiming election win Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:38 PM PDT  By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's main opposition party said on Wednesday it had won the weekend's general election, stepping up its battle with the party of authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen that has also claimed victory and rejected allegations of electoral fraud. Yim Sovann, a lawmaker and spokesman for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), said the CNRP had won 63 seats in the 123-member parliament, with Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) getting 60. The claim was based on its own data. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel, Palestinians strive for peace deal within nine months Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 03:55 PM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed and Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on Tuesday gave themselves about nine months to try to reach an agreement on ending their conflict of more than six decades in U.S.-brokered peace talks. The two sides held their first peace negotiations in nearly three years in Washington on Monday and Tuesday, a diplomatic victory for Secretary of State John Kerry, but one that foreign policy analysts believe has low chances of success. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to declassify documents on spy programs, surveillance court Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 08:30 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. spy agencies plan to release newly declassified documents as early as this week about the National Security Agency surveillance programs revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden, and also material related to a secret intelligence court, a U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday. The declassified documents were intended to provide the public more information about the programs as part of a commitment by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for greater transparency, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ... Full Story | Top |
| Panama uncovers fighter jet engines from seized North Korea ship Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 07:45 PM PDT  COLON, Panama (Reuters) - Panamanian investigators unloading the cargo of a seized North Korean ship carrying arms from Cuba under sacks of brown sugar on Tuesday found 12 engines for MiG-21 fighter jets and five military vehicles that officials said resembled missile control centers. Investigators earlier this month had found two MiG-21 fighter jets and two missile radar systems on board the Chong Chon Gang, which was bound for North Korea when it was stopped by officials. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt allows EU envoy to see deposed president Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 06:26 PM PDT  By Maggie Fick and Matt Robinson CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt allowed Europe's top diplomat to meet deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Monday, flying her after dark to Mursi's secret detention facility but ruling out any role for him in ending the turmoil convulsing the country. Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, became the first outsider to see Mursi since he was deposed by the army on July 3, taken into detention and placed under investigation on charges including murder. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for Iraq bombings Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 03:57 PM PDT  By Raheem Salman BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An al Qaeda-affiliated group claimed responsibility for a wave of bombings across Iraq that killed 60 people on Monday and the Interior Ministry said it was facing an "open war" from insurgents bent on plunging the country into sectarian strife. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which was formed earlier this year through a merger between al Qaeda's affiliates in Iraq and Syria, said in a statement posted online it had carefully selected its targets, which were mainly Shi'ites. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ride-sharing companies may lose 'bandit cab' stigma in California Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 08:58 PM PDT  By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Commercial ride-sharing services offered by moonlighting motorists but frowned on by licensed taxi drivers and some cities as "bandit" cab operations would gain new legitimacy in California under a plan proposed on Tuesday by state regulators. The draft rules to govern companies that already operate under such names as Lyft, SideCar and Uber, allowing passengers to electronically hail rides through smartphone applications, were unveiled by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) as taxi drivers continued to lobby against them. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. deepens scrutiny of banks' roles in commodities Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 03:51 PM PDT  By Douwe Miedema WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wall Street banks face the prospect of increased scrutiny of their commodity businesses as U.S. regulators and lawmakers on Tuesday pressed for a closer look at their roles in owning warehouses and in trading everything from oil to metals Under pressure from a handful of lawmakers to explain why banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs have been allowed to own warehouses and trade physical commodities, regulators have scrambled this month to demonstrate that they are tackling the issue. ... Full Story | Top |
| Facebook stock almost hits IPO price, 14 months after rocky debut Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 04:22 PM PDT  By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's stock on Tuesday came within a hair of reclaiming its $38 debut price for the first time since going public in 2012, a milestone in the social networking company's effort to wipe away Wall Street's skepticism of its business. The stock has surged more than 40 percent in the past week after the company reported blowout quarterly results that showed Facebook's progress building a mobile advertising business. Shares of Facebook climbed as much as 7 percent to $37. ... Full Story | Top |
| Zimbabweans face third Mugabe-Tsvangirai showdown Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 10:32 PM PDT  By Cris Chinaka HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday in a fiercely contested election pitting President Robert Mugabe against Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who has vowed to push Africa's oldest leader into retirement after 33 years in power. With no reliable opinion polls, it is hard to say whether the 61-year-old Tsvangirai will succeed in his third attempt to unseat the 89-year-old Mugabe, who has run the southern African nation since independence from Britain in 1980. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bloomberg's ban on big sodas is unconstitutional: appeals court Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 03:58 PM PDT  By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's controversial plan to keep large sugary drinks out of restaurants and other eateries was rejected by a state appeals court on Tuesday, which said he had overstepped his authority in trying to impose the ban. The law, which would have prohibited those businesses from selling sodas and other sugary beverages larger than 16 ounces (473 ml), "violated the state principle of separation of powers," the First Department of the state Supreme Court's Appellate Division said. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU regulator intensifies scrutiny of Google search results Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:01 AM PDT  By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators sharpened their scrutiny of how Google ranks its web search results, asking rivals whether their lower rankings affected the number of visitors to their sites, a European Commission questionnaire showed. The two-page document seen by Reuters came after the EU competition authority demanded more concessions from the world's most popular search engine earlier this month to allay concerns that it blocks competitors in search results. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt allows EU envoy to see deposed president Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 03:43 PM PDT By Maggie Fick and Matt Robinson CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt allowed Europe's top diplomat to meet deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Monday, flying her after dark to Mursi's secret detention facility but ruling out any role for him in ending the turmoil convulsing the country. Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, became the first outsider to see Mursi since he was deposed by the army on July 3, taken into detention and placed under investigation on charges including murder. ... Full Story | Top |
| Spanish train driver was on the phone at time of crash Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:44 AM PDT  MADRID (Reuters) - The driver of the train that derailed in northwestern Spain last week, killing 79 people, was talking on the phone with state train operator Renfe at the time of the accident, a court said on Tuesday after analyzing the train's data recording devices. The initial reading of the so-called black boxes said driver Francisco Garzon received a call from Renfe minutes before the accident to discuss the path to Ferrol, the final destination for the high-speed train that departed from Madrid on Wednesday with 218 passengers aboard. ... Full Story | Top |
| Wal-Mart, Google, others back U.S. bill to fight 'patent trolls' Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 03:31 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dozens of major U.S. companies, including Morgan Stanley, Google, Wal-Mart and Dell, on Tuesday urged lawmakers to pass bills that they said would protect new products against "extortive demands" on patents. The abusive use of patent litigation has become an increasing concern for companies, many of which have been hit by lawsuits by firms known as "patent trolls" that buy intellectual property and seek money from companies that may infringe on these patents. ... Full Story | Top |
| Accused tipper to SAC hedge fund arrested in insider-trading probe Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 12:24 PM PDT  By Emily Flitter and Dan Levine (Reuters) - A securities analyst accused of leaking secret information in 2009 about a potential partnership between Yahoo and Microsoft to an SAC Capital Advisors hedge fund manager and other traders was arrested and charged in California, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Sandeep Aggarwal, who worked as an analyst covering technology stocks before moving to India to start his own internet company, was arrested on Monday by FBI agents in San Jose while visiting the United States. ... Full Story | Top |
| Crackdown on risk hits Barclays, Deutsche Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 02:21 PM PDT  By Steve Slater and Edward Taylor LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A $9 billion rights issue and a fresh purge of assets are among the measures Britain's Barclays and Germany's Deutsche Bank announced on Tuesday to meet tougher rules on risk, raising concern among investors that regulators will push other European banks into similar action. Unlike their U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to investigate Afghan's accusations troops murdered civilians Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:55 AM PDT  By Dylan Welch and Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has launched an investigation into claims that its special forces abducted and killed Afghan civilians, allegations Washington has denied, a NATO spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The spokeswoman, U.S. Colonel Jane Crichton, said the commander of ISAF, the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, U.S. General Joseph Dunford, had ordered the investigation after an Afghan translator accused the U.S. soldiers had worked with. Accusations of U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to declassify documents on spy programs, surveillance court Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:41 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. spy agencies plan to declassify documents about the National Security Agency surveillance programs revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden, and also material related to a secret intelligence court, a U.S. intelligence official said. The declassified documents could be released as early as this week and were intended to provide the public more information about the programs as part of a commitment by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for more transparency, the official told Reuters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for Iraq bombings Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 08:17 AM PDT  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An al Qaeda-affiliated group said it orchestrated a wave of car bombings across Iraq that killed at least 60 people on Monday in revenge for the mistreatment of the country's Sunni community. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which was formed earlier this year through a merger between al Qaeda's affiliates in Iraq and Syria, said in a statement posted online it had carefully selected its targets, which were mainly Shi'ites. ... Full Story | Top |
| Florida propane plant blast was likely accidental, fire chief says Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 06:10 AM PDT  ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A propane gas plant explosion in central Florida that injured seven workers, including at least three critically, was most likely caused by an accident, the fire chief for the town of Tavares said on Tuesday. "We don't think there was any act of sabotage or anything like that," the Orlando Sentinel quoted Fire Chief Richard Keith as saying. "It was probably a human or equipment error." Dozens of explosions rocked the Blue Rhino plant in Tavares on Monday night, sending columns of flames into the sky. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israelis, Palestinians to meet again within two weeks: Kerry Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:20 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will hold their next round of peace talks within the next two weeks in Israel or the Palestinian territories, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday. Kerry, speaking with the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators at his side, said this week's round of talks between the two sides were positive and constructive and he was convinced that they could make peace. The Israeli-Palestinian talks are the first in nearly three years. (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Bill Trott) Full Story | Top |
| Time Warner Cable teases CBS with blackout; then retreats Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 06:10 AM PDT  By Liana B. Baker (Reuters) - Time Warner Cable Inc has agreed to keep the CBS network on the air in New York and Los Angeles until the end of the week after it briefly blacked out CBS's stations in some areas on Tuesday when the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Negotiations between CBS and Time Warner Cable continued after midnight in New York, according to a spokeswoman for the cable operator. The companies agreed to an extension with CBS until Friday, August 2, at 5 p.m. EDT. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mass jail break in Pakistan as Taliban gunmen storm prison Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 04:04 AM PDT  By Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - In an operation carried out with military-like precision, Taliban fighters disguised as police and armed with bombs broke 250 prisoners out of a Pakistan jail on Tuesday with the help of what appeared to be insider informants. The attack in the city of Dera Ismail Khan showed the ability of the al Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban to strike at the heart of Pakistan's heavily guarded prison system and walk away with dozens of senior Taliban fighters and commanders. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama meets Israeli, Palestinian negotiators Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 07:28 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama met privately on Tuesday with lead Israeli and Palestinian negotiators the day after they restarted long-stalled peace negotiations in Washington, a White House official said. The meeting at the White House came after Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held their first peace talks in nearly three years on Monday in a U.S.-brokered effort that Secretary of State John Kerry hopes will end their conflict despite deep divisions. The negotiators held bilateral meetings on Tuesday at the State Department. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israeli-Palestinian talks begin amid deep divisions Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 08:48 AM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed and Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held their first peace talks in nearly three years on Monday in a U.S.-brokered effort that Secretary of State John Kerry hopes will end their conflict despite deep divisions. Top aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas began the talks over an iftar dinner - the evening meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan - hosted by Kerry at the State Department. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Orban turns foreign catcalls into Hungarian applause Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 05:32 AM PDT  By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has converted criticism heaped on him from abroad into a reputation at home as a plucky defender of national sovereignty that should help him to win re-election next year. At the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and multi-national firms, Orban is often viewed as an unpredictable populist whose policies run counter to the behavior expected of a European leader. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ohio man faces additional charges in murders of three women Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 01:29 AM PDT  By Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Accused serial killer Michael Madison faced additional charges on Monday in connection with the slayings of three women whose decomposing bodies were found wrapped in plastic bags around his suburban Cleveland home. Madison, 35, a convicted sex offender, already was charged with aggravated murder and kidnapping in a case reminiscent of 11 slayings committed several years ago by Anthony Sowell, one of Cleveland's most notorious mass murderers. A grand jury on Monday charged Madison with raping his victims and abusing their corpses. ... Full Story | Top |
| Murdoch's wife hires new lawyer in divorce case: New York Times Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 02:18 AM PDT  (Reuters) - The wife of News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch, Wendi Murdoch, has switched lawyers in a move signaling that their divorce proceedings could take an acrimonious turn, the New York Times reported on Monday. Murdoch, 82, filed for divorce in June. He married the former Wendi Deng, 44, in 1999 in his third and her second marriage. They have two young daughters. ... Full Story | Top |
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