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| Body count from migrant boat disaster off Italy rises to 111 Friday, Oct 04, 2013 12:43 AM PDT  LAMPEDUSA, Italy (Reuters) - Italian rescue workers have pulled 111 bodies from the migrant boat that sank off the island of Lampedusa on Thursday and expect to recover more than a hundred more from the submerged wreck, a coastguard official said on Friday. Authorities have rescued 155 survivors after the 20-metre (66-foot) boat carrying around 500 migrants, mostly Eritreans and Somalis, sank no more than 1 kilometre (half a mile) from shore. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama cancels Asia tour over shutdown; raises questions on U.S. pivot Friday, Oct 04, 2013 12:36 AM PDT  By Steve Holland and James Pomfret WASHINGTON/NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama called off plans to visit Asia and attend two summits because of the U.S. government shutdown, raising questions about the strategic "pivot" to the region that he announced just two years ago. Obama had planned to depart on Saturday for a four-nation, week-long trip. He cancelled visits to Malaysia and the Philippines earlier this week because of his budget struggle in the U.S. Congress and said late on Thursday he would not attend the regional summits in Indonesia and Brunei. ... Full Story | Top |
| Latest Myanmar violence blamed on religious and ethnic extremists Friday, Oct 04, 2013 12:32 AM PDT  By Jared Ferrie THANDWE, Myanmar (Reuters) - The Buddhist mob mutilated and burned Khin Naing so severely his son couldn't recognise the body, one of series of attacks that suggest a resurgence of a monk-led movement in Myanmar accused of stoking violence against Muslims. Flies were buzzing around the bloodied patch of earth outside a ransacked mosque in Tha Phyu Chai village where police removed Khin Naing's body after he was hacked to death by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. ... Full Story | Top |
| BOJ Kuroda: prolonged U.S. fiscal standoff could destabilize markets Friday, Oct 04, 2013 12:29 AM PDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda warned on Friday that the U.S. fiscal standoff could destabilize global financial markets if it drags on. Asked whether the BOJ will ease further if the U.S. debt stalemate severely hits the global economy, Kuroda said: "We will make necessary policy adjustments, depending on upside and downside risks, but for now we see Japan's economy making steady progress towards achieving the BOJ's 2 percent price goal even when taking into account various risk factors. ... Full Story | Top |
| BOJ maintains stimulus, more upbeat on capex Friday, Oct 04, 2013 12:29 AM PDT  By Leika Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan maintained its massive monetary stimulus on Friday and upgraded its view on capital expenditure, encouraged by growing signs that the benefits of its aggressive policy action to escape deflation are broadening. After a two-day review, the central bank reiterated its view the world's third-largest economy is recovering moderately, suggesting that no additional monetary policy measures are needed to counter the pain from next year's sales tax hike. "Capital expenditure is picking up as corporate profits improve," the BOJ said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa's rand slightly up but strikes, weak economy limit gains Friday, Oct 04, 2013 12:00 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand firmed slightly against the dollar on Friday although worries about domestic labour unrest and a wide current account gap will keep gains in check, despite global pressure on the greenback as the U.S. government remains in shutdown. Government bonds also edged higher in early trade, with yields dipping 3.5 basis points to 7.98 percent for the benchmark and 2 basis points to 6.075 percent for the shorter-dated 2015 issue. By 0651 GMT the rand was up 0.3 percent against the U.S. currency at 10, compared with its close in New York the previous day. ... Full Story | Top |
| China elevates Malaysia ties, aims to triple trade by 2017 Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 11:23 PM PDT  By Yantoultra Ngui KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - China and Malaysia agreed on Friday to elevate bilateral ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership", aiming to boost military cooperation and nearly triple two-way trade to $160 billion by 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak spoke soon after U.S. President Barack Obama canceled a week-long tour of four Asian nations, including Malaysia, due to the U.S. government shutdown. ... Full Story | Top |
| Germany's Merkel to start tricky coalition talks with Social Democrats Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:54 PM PDT  By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel holds preliminary talks with the Social Democrats (SPD) on Friday to sound out the scope for compromises to form a "grand coalition", marking the start of complicated horse-trading that could drag on into next year. Germany's European partners are watching the coalition manoeuvring in Berlin closely, concerned that delays could push back EU-wide decisions on important financial crisis-fighting measures like the ambitious banking union project. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria chemical attack reopens old wounds among Kurds Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:32 PM PDT By Isabel Coles HALABJA, Iraq (Reuters) - A sweet smell, like that of apples, wafted through the air. In a field, a cow's eyes began to stream. A bird fell from the sky, its feathers singed, and people's mouths began to fill with ulcers. At least 5,000 people were gassed to death that spring day in 1988 when the Iraqi air force dropped chemical bombs on the town of Halabja in the country's Kurdish north - a defining moment in a long history of oppression. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Major business cases before the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:19 PM PDT (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term on Monday with oral arguments on a fresh set of cases. Among them are a number of cases of special interest to the business community. Despite the current federal government shutdown, the court is scheduled to function normally until at least October 11, the court said on Thursday. Cases of note include (with oral argument date, if set): DaimlerChrysler AG v. ... Full Story | Top |
| Workers and employers face off at Supreme Court Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:19 PM PDT  By Lawrence Hurley and Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Workplace disputes pepper the docket of cases the U.S. Supreme Court will take up during a nine-month term starting on Monday, with the justices having delivered a string of victories to businesses and employers in their last term. Organized labor will feature in two of the cases. In one, an employee seeks to limit the power of public-sector unions to collect dues. In the other, an employee aims to limit the ability of private-sector unions to sign up members. ... Full Story | Top |
| What would a U.S. default look like? Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:18 PM PDT By Jason Lange and Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nobody knows exactly when America would default on its bills if Congress fails to raise a cap on government borrowing. But the recent past gives a pretty good idea of how a default could unfold. Even the Treasury Department can't know how much tax revenue will come in each day after October 17, when it expects to hit its $16.7 trillion debt ceiling. Nor can officials anticipate exact costs, such as how many people will apply for jobless benefits that week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Maduro stuck in shadow of 'El Comandante' Chavez Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:10 PM PDT  By Andrew Cawthorne CIUDAD CARIBIA, Venezuela (Reuters) - Hovering over a sun-baked mountain one day in his presidential helicopter, Hugo Chavez had a dream: to build a utopian city that would showcase socialism in Venezuela. Slowly and chaotically over the years that followed, the late president's pet project - conceived a decade into his rule and named "Ciudad Caribia" for the country's indigenous Carib people - began to take shape on the mountain 10 km (6 miles) northwest of the capital, Caracas. "This was his dream. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: The political life of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 10:10 PM PDT By Andrew Cawthorne CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is struggling to emerge from the shadow of his flamboyant predecessor Hugo Chavez at the helm of the South American OPEC nation. Here are some facts about Maduro: The burly, mustachioed Maduro, 50, is a former union leader and Caracas bus driver. He does not have a university degree and proudly calls himself Venezuela's first "worker president." Maduro entered politics in 1998 when he won a seat in parliament. His combative defense of Chavez's policies made him one of the socialist leader's proteges. ... Full Story | Top |
| Driver shot dead in car chase near Capitol Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 09:04 PM PDT  By Richard Cowan and Margaret Chadbourn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dramatic car chase through the streets of Washington from near the White House to the U.S. Capitol ended in gunfire on Thursday when law enforcement officers shot and killed the driver as lawmakers and aides huddled in a lockdown. The incident rattled Washington less than three weeks after a government contractor opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard, about 1.5 miles from the Capitol, killing 12 people and wounding three others before he was shot to death by police. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-Tyco CFO Mark Swartz granted parole Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 08:53 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Tyco International Ltd's former chief financial officer, Mark Swartz, who is serving a prison sentence for bilking the company, has been granted parole by the New York parole board, his lawyer told Reuters. Swartz, who was convicted of grand larceny and securities fraud in 2005, is expected to be released in January. "Mark has been granted parole. He is grateful for this result and looks forward to resuming life with his incredible family," Swartz attorney Charles Stillman told Reuters. Swartz was chief financial officer of the industrial conglomerate from 1995 through 2002. ... Full Story | Top |
| California governor signs law expanding protections for journalists Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 08:43 PM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law on Thursday to give journalists in the state five days' notice before government agencies serve subpoenas on their records held by third parties, such as phone companies and internet service providers. The law, which was approved by unanimous votes in the California Assembly and Senate, expands on the state's existing shield law for journalists and will apply to subpoenas sought in state courts. The California law comes after two cases earlier this year that sparked debate about whether the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Brazil electoral court rejects new opposition party Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 08:12 PM PDT  By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - In a decision that could boost President Dilma Rousseff's chances of re-election next year, Brazil's electoral court ruled on Thursday that her main potential rival failed to gather enough signatures to register her new party in time. Environmentalist Marina Silva has until Saturday to decide whether to run on the ticket of an existing party to make her second bid for president next October. The court ruled 6-1 against the creation of her party, called the Sustainability Network, because it fell short of the required 492,000 signatures. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. shutdown seen dragging on as debt ceiling fight nears Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 07:46 PM PDT  By Mark Felsenthal and Richard Cowan (Reuters) - The shutdown of the U.S. government appeared likely to drag on for another week and possibly longer as lawmakers consumed day three of the shutdown with a stalling game and there was no end in sight until the next crisis hits Washington around October 17. Bowing to the reality that the impasse requires him to remain in Washington, President Barack Obama canceled plans to attend summits in Indonesia and Brunei next week. Earlier this week, he canceled visits to Malaysia and the Philippines because of the shutdown. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Japan casinos would get Vegas-style regulator under legalization plan Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 07:11 PM PDT By Nathan Layne TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan would establish an independent gaming regulator modeled on the authorities that police casinos in Las Vegas and Singapore under a draft plan to legalize gambling in a market seen as potentially the second-largest in the world. The policy outline, which was prepared by Japanese lawmakers who favor casinos and reviewed by Reuters, outlines broad standards for licensing and regulating casino operators and their partners. ... Full Story | Top |
| Boy, 14, held in shooting deaths of two men at Oregon hunting camp Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 06:46 PM PDT By Jonathan Kaminsky (Reuters) - A 14-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed two men at a remote deer hunting cabin in northeastern Oregon, authorities said Thursday, before accidentally shooting himself in the leg while attempting to flee. Grant County Sheriff's deputies went to the private camp outside the town of Granite early Thursday morning and found two men dead and the boy duct-taped to a chair by another camp occupant, Sheriff Glenn Palmer said in a written statement. Both the 14-year-old and the victims, aged 43 and 64, were from the Baker City area of Oregon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama's Asia trip: Should he stay or should he go? Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 06:34 PM PDT  By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With Washington paralyzed by a government shutdown, time is running out for President Barack Obama to decide whether to leave the stalemate behind and fly halfway around the world to attend two international summits in Indonesia and Brunei. On Thursday, the White House was still officially hoping the shutdown would end quickly, allowing Obama to avoid having to choose between looking after things at home, or advancing his trade and foreign policy goals in Asia on a trip beginning on Saturday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Illegal immigrants can get driver's licenses under new California law Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 06:29 PM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - Illegal immigrants living in California will be eligible to apply for driver's licenses under a law signed on Thursday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, in the latest action to expand privileges for such immigrants in the most populous U.S. state. The legislation marks a major victory for Latino and other immigration rights activists, who have fought for decades for such a law. The state says it is expected to spur 1.4 million people to apply for licenses over three years. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: U.S. default seems unthinkable but investors have options Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 06:18 PM PDT  By Steven C. Johnson and Jennifer Ablan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors who behave conventionally are likely to get burned if the political standoff over the federal budget and the debt ceiling ends up forcing the United States to default. But portfolio managers and strategists say that if investors put their trading hats on, they may be able to protect themselves and even possibly come out ahead. "The next two weeks could cause a lot of pain in many portfolios," said Mark Yusko, CEO and chief investment officer at Morgan Creek Capital Management, LLC, in New York. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fatal crash renews debate over future of historic California airport Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 06:00 PM PDT By Steve Gorman and Dana Feldman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The fatal crash-landing of a small business jet at Santa Monica airport has reignited a debate over safety at the historic Los Angeles-area aviation hub, which local politicians and homeowners have fought for years to scale back or close. Critics of the 86-year-old facility, where various Hollywood celebrities and show business executives keep their private planes, have pointed to the wreck as a wake-up call to hazards they say the airport poses to densely populated adjacent communities. ... Full Story | Top |
| Adobe says source code, customer data stolen by hackers Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 05:41 PM PDT  By Joseph Menn BOSTON (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc said on Thursday that hackers had stolen source code to some of its most popular software and data about millions of its customers. Security experts worry about the theft of source code because close review of the programs can lead to the discovery of new flaws that can be used to launch hard-to-detect attacks against all users of that software. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. judge says Argentina debt swap plan violates court order Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 05:39 PM PDT  By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Argentina's proposal to use a debt swap to pay some of its creditors would violate a U.S. court injunction, a judge in New York said on Thursday. The order by U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa came in response to a proposal in August by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez that would enable her government to keep paying creditors who participated in restructurings after the country's $100 billion default in 2002. Argentina's government proposed allowing a voluntary swap of foreign debt in exchange for bonds governed by local law after a U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italian Senate committee likely to start Berlusconi expulsion process Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 05:12 PM PDT  By James Mackenzie ROME (Reuters) - An Italian Senate committee is likely to start a process on Friday to expel Silvio Berlusconi from parliament following his conviction for tax fraud, meaning the former prime minister's fate could be sealed within weeks. Berlusconi, who has dominated Italian politics for two decades, brushed off suggestions that his parliamentary career might soon be over after the conviction and an aborted attempt to topple the government. "I think this is the result of a well constructed plan to remove the leader of the center-right," said the 77-year-old billionaire. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. government workers, lawmakers witness Washington police chase Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 05:03 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Peter Plocki, on furlough from his job at the Department of Transportation while the U.S. government is shut down, packed a lunch on Thursday and intended to spend time picnicking near the Capitol and visiting the Supreme Court. Instead, Plocki witnessed the tail end of a high-speed car chase that terrified tourists and members of Congress as shots rang out across the Capitol lawn. At the end, a woman was killed and a 1-year-old child rescued from the car by Capitol Police, who helped transport an injured officer to a local hospital. ... Full Story | Top |
| Soccer-Russia says FIFA investigator Garcia unwelcome Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 05:02 PM PDT By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Russia made clear on Thursday that FIFA's chief investigator Michael Garcia is barred from entering the country because he is one of the Americans blacklisted in a bitter dispute with the United States over human rights. Garcia is stepping up his inquiry into voting procedures for the 2018 and 2022 soccer World Cups. He plans to visit every country directly involved in the voting for the finals awarded to Russia for 2018 and Qatar for 2022. But Garcia, a former U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michael Jackson verdict hinged on wording of key question to jury Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 04:55 PM PDT  By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After testimony from nearly five dozen witnesses during a five-month trial, the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of the late pop star Michael Jackson hinged on the jury's interpretation of one question on the verdict form. Was the physician convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death, Conrad Murray, "unfit or incompetent to perform the work for which he was hired?" That question was the second in a series of 16 posed to the jury as the case was turned over to the 12-member panel for deliberations last week. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. allows non-emergency personnel to return to Beirut embassy Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 04:47 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said Thursday that its non-emergency staff could return to work at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, which was evacuated last month because of potential security threats. At the same time, the department warned that the environment in Lebanon remains volatile, and urged U.S. citizens to avoid traveling there. "The potential for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains," the State Department said. "Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly. ... Full Story | Top |
| Driver shot dead in dramatic car chase at U.S. Capitol Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 04:32 PM PDT By Richard Cowan and Margaret Chadbourn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dramatic car chase through the streets of Washington from near the White House to the U.S. Capitol ended in gunfire on Thursday when law enforcement officers shot and killed the driver as lawmakers and aides huddled in a lockdown. The identity of the driver - a woman - was not released. "The suspect in the vehicle was struck by gunfire and at this point has been pronounced (dead)," Washington's police chief, Cathy Lanier, told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. capital can't pay for Medicaid during shutdown Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 04:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington, D.C., officials said on Thursday the U.S. capital was not able to pay hospitals, long-term care providers and other organizations that participate in the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor during the federal budget shutdown. Since the District of Columbia is a local government without a state, the U.S. Congress authorizes its budget when it approves the federal budget. Congress has been locked in a budget stalemate that allowed the federal government to shut down Tuesday at the start of the fiscal year. That meant the city cannot spend any of the $2. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mark Cuban tells jury unaware offering confidential when sold shares Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 04:13 PM PDT  By Jana J. Pruet DALLAS (Reuters) - Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, told jurors at his insider trading trial he was angry when he learned an Internet company he invested in was planning an equity offering but was not told the information was confidential before he sold his shares in the firm. Cuban was called to testify on Thursday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused him of dumping his $7.9 million worth of shares in Montreal-based Internet search company Mamma. ... Full Story | Top |
| Calif. city official, symbol of greed, pleads no contest Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 04:13 PM PDT By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The former city manager of the California city of Bell, who became an emblem of local government corruption when it was revealed in 2010 that he was earning a salary of nearly $800,000, abruptly pleaded no contest on Thursday to charges ranging from perjury to misappropriating public funds. Robert Rizzo, 56, entered his pleas less than a week before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his high-profile public corruption trial and without cutting a deal with prosecutors, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Timeline: Twitter: from side project to sociocultural sensation Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 03:55 PM PDT By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter, the 140-character messaging service favored by everyone from the Pope to U.S. President Barack Obama, began as a side-project but rapidly morphed into one of the most powerful social and cultural media forces of our time. After eight years of explosive user growth marred by persistent technical challenges and management shake-ups, Twitter is now preparing to go public in Silicon Valley's largest initial public offering since Facebook Inc's last year. March 21, 2006: Co-founder Jack Dorsey sends the first tweet: "just setting up my twttr. ... Full Story | Top |
| With Obamacare systems still slow, backlog builds among the uninsured Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 03:50 PM PDT  By David Morgan and Curtis Skinner WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans trying to find out how much health coverage will cost under Obamacare endured a third day of limited access to new online health insurance exchanges on Thursday, leading to a growing backlog of people waiting to enter the system. Health clinics and other nonprofit groups that offer in-person assistance reported unexpectedly high numbers of walk-in visits and phone calls from potential enrollees, who were unable to enter federal and state marketplace websites that were overwhelmed by millions of online hits. ... Full Story | Top |
| Wendy Davis, known for pro-choice filibuster, runs for Texas governor Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 03:50 PM PDT  By Marice Richter HALTOM CITY, Texas (Reuters) - Wendy Davis, the Texas state senator who staged a filibuster against sweeping abortion restrictions, announced on Thursday that she would run for governor of the state. "Texas is a place where we aim high and we take big risks," Davis told hundreds of cheering supporters at a rally outside Fort Worth. "We're builders, and doers, leaders, and dreamers. We love Texas, not only for how good it is, but for how great we know it can be. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. judge blocks New York credit card surcharge law Thursday, Oct 03, 2013 03:43 PM PDT By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a decision with possible broad implications for U.S. consumers and retailers, a federal judge has blocked enforcement of a New York state law that bans merchants from imposing surcharges on customers who pay by credit card rather than cash. Supporters of the decision by U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said it could make it easier for retailers to transact with customers, and make customers better understand the costs of making purchases with credit cards. ... Full Story | Top |
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