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Tuesday, September 25, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: EU rejects U.S. claim to have weaned Boeing off subsidies China tells Japan islands "sacred Chinese territory" in dispute standoff Former President Clinton gets $2 billion in pledges to tackle world's woes Obama at U.N. calls for end to intolerance, warns Iran Japan opposition picks new leader, possible next PM amid China feud Court rejects bid to block Arizona "show your papers" immigration provision At D.C. concert, Madonna puzzles by calling Obama Muslim AU official says Mali's interim leaders can manage crisis Conservative group launches ad attacking Florida Supreme Court Judge asks input on possible Pennsylvania voter ID injunction Toyota plans to produce no cars in China in October: paper Spain prepares more austerity, protesters battle police Ex-Murdoch editor Brooks due in court on hacking plot charges Google executive in Brazil faces arrest over elections law Feds crack down on Los Angeles medical marijuana shops EU lawmakers to vote for sweeping markets reforms Japan, China foreign ministers to meet on U.N. sidelines: media Europe must take "deep breath" and enact reforms: Merkel European Parliament to tackle bank union split fears Egypt's Mursi calls for cooperation between cultures Facing tough road in Ohio, Romney and Ryan embark on bus tour Cisco CEO: Next US president must take page from Clinton's book NY state senator loses election after backing gay marriage Obama takes world stage to fend off Romney attacks Some conservatives consider funding Akin in Missouri Senate race Former top accountant Tweedie to push for global valuation rules U.S. bans beef from Canada's XL Foods plant Argentina and Iran to discuss 1990s bombings Huawei urged to consider Australian float: report Euro zone will struggle to create fiscal union: former UK PM Greek strike to test coalition government's mettle ECB's Weidmann says not alone in ECB bond buying concerns: paper Germans, Dutch and Finns reopen tricky EU bank deal Syrian rebels bomb security building in Damascus Mexican draft labor bill weakened by congressional body Obama, Ryan agree: NFL's replacement officials need replacing Argentina lashes out at IMF: "This is not a game" Fiat confirms Italy plants will produce U.S. cars Romneys reported sharp gain in foreign income in 2011 tax return Georgia says scandal response shows it's better than Russia EU rejects U.S. claim to have weaned Boeing off subsidies Tue,25 Sep 2012 07:19 PM PDT Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft giant Boeing is still getting U.S. subsidies despite Washington's claim to have stopped the handouts, the European Union said on Tuesday in the latest round of the world's biggest trade dispute. The EU's claim came one day after the U.S. Trade Representative's office said it had complied with a ruling by a World Trade Organisation dispute panel that found Boeing had benefited from illegal payments. The United States had until September 23 to comply. "We had expected that the U.S. ... Full Story Top China tells Japan islands "sacred Chinese territory" in dispute standoff Tue,25 Sep 2012 07:12 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China claimed islands at the core of a row with Japan as its "sacred territory" in talks between the two countries' foreign ministers, Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday, as neither side showed signs of backing down in a long-festering feud. Xinhua said Yang reiterated China's "solemn position on the issue of Diaoyu Islands, which have been China's sacred territory since ancient times". ... Full Story Top Former President Clinton gets $2 billion in pledges to tackle world's woes Tue,25 Sep 2012 07:12 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Healthcare for athletes with mental disabilities, organic know-how for Indian farmers and solar technology for isolated communities were among the pledges made at former U.S. President Bill Clinton's philanthropic summit, which ended on Tuesday. With its theme of "Designing for Impact" and an emphasis on improving the lives of women and girls in the developing world, heads of states, business leaders and humanitarians at the eighth annual Clinton Global Initiative made 150 new pledges valued at about $2 billion to tackle some of the world's woes. ... Full Story Top Obama at U.N. calls for end to intolerance, warns Iran Tue,25 Sep 2012 06:27 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged world leaders on Tuesday to put an end to the intolerance and violence that led to the recent killing of the U.S. ambassador in Libya and warned Iran he would do what it takes to prevent Tehran from getting nuclear arms. In a 30-minute address to the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly, Obama called anew for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following an 18-month civil war without saying how to make it happen. He also offered no fresh ideas on solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... Full Story Top Japan opposition picks new leader, possible next PM amid China feud Tue,25 Sep 2012 06:18 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's main opposition party picks its new leader and possibly the next prime minister on Wednesday, with the successful candidate having to formulate a stance on China as relations fray over disputed islands in East China Sea. Leading contenders in the race for head of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have all struck hawkish tones as the long-simmering row flared up this month after Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government bought some of the disputed islets from their private Japanese owner. ... Full Story Top Court rejects bid to block Arizona "show your papers" immigration provision Tue,25 Sep 2012 06:03 PM PDT Reuters - PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected a bid by a coalition of civil and immigrants rights activists to prevent police from enforcing an Arizona provision that is at the heart of the fierce national debate over illegal immigration. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco denied an emergency motion for an injunction blocking the "show your papers" provision of SB 1070, the state's crackdown on illegal immigrants, pending appeal. ... Full Story Top At D.C. concert, Madonna puzzles by calling Obama Muslim Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:57 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Pop star Madonna urged Americans to support President Barack Obama during her concert in Washington D.C. on Monday night but incorrectly referred to him as a Muslim in her comments. In a video posted on YouTube by audience members at the concert, the singer delivers a rousing, profanity-laced political speech on freedom during her show. "Now, it's so amazing and incredible to think that we have an African-American in the White House ... we have a black Muslim in the White House ... ... Full Story Top AU official says Mali's interim leaders can manage crisis Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:53 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mali's interim leaders are capable of commanding a regional effort to combat Islamist militants in the north of the country despite their own internal differences, a senior African Union official said on Tuesday, dismissing suggestions new elections were needed before any military intervention could take place. AU Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra told Reuters he hoped a joint U.N.-African Union envoy to the Sahel would be appointed on Wednesday during a meeting at the United Nations General Assembly to send a "strong symbolic" message of support. ... Full Story Top Conservative group launches ad attacking Florida Supreme Court Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:47 PM PDT Reuters - TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - A conservative advocacy group began running an Internet ad criticizing the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday, days after the Republican Party started a campaign to sack three justices who rejected efforts to overturn President Barack Obama's healthcare law. ... Full Story Top Judge asks input on possible Pennsylvania voter ID injunction Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:43 PM PDT Reuters - HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday signaled he may block at least part of the state's controversial voter identification law as he weighs a closely watched case that could influence Election Day turnout in the battleground state. At the conclusion of a full day of hearings on the matter, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson asked attorneys for the state and for the civil rights and voting rights groups challenging the law what each side would include in any injunction he might issue. ... Full Story Top Toyota plans to produce no cars in China in October: paper Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:42 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp has indicated to its main parts makers that it plans to halt car production in China during October as rising anti-Japan sentiment in the country hurts demand, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday. Toyota will also halt all vehicle exports to China from Japan, the paper said, without citing its sources. A Toyota spokesman in Tokyo could not immediately confirm the report. ... Full Story Top Spain prepares more austerity, protesters battle police Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:38 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Protesters clashed with police in Spain's capital on Tuesday as the government prepared a new round of unpopular austerity measures for the 2013 budget to be announced on Thursday. Thousands gathered in Neptune plaza, a few meters from El Prado museum in central Madrid, where they formed a human chain around parliament, surrounded by barricades, police trucks and more than 1,500 police in riot gear. Police fired rubber bullets and beat protesters with truncheons, first as protesters were trying to tear down barriers and later to clear the square. ... Full Story Top Ex-Murdoch editor Brooks due in court on hacking plot charges Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:26 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Rebekah Brooks, a former executive in Rupert Murdoch's media empire and friend of Prime Minister David Cameron, faces charges in court on Wednesday that she conspired to hide evidence from police investigating a phone hacking scandal. The charges are part of the criminal inquiry into assertions that UK newspapers intercepted messages on the phones of celebrities, politicians and crime victims, and made illegal payments to public officials. ... Full Story Top Google executive in Brazil faces arrest over elections law Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:24 PM PDT Reuters - SAO PAULO (Reuters) - An elections court in Brazil has ordered the arrest of Google's most senior executive in the country after the company failed to take down YouTube videos attacking a local mayoral candidate. Google is appealing the order, which follows a similar decision by another Brazilian election judge. In that case, a judge found another senior executive responsible for violating local election law. That decision was overturned last week. ... Full Story Top Feds crack down on Los Angeles medical marijuana shops Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:14 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Federal authorities moved to close down 71 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles and a neighboring community on Tuesday, marking the latest broadside in an ongoing war over California's cannabis trade. The move also comes on the heels of a municipal ban on storefront pot shops in Los Angeles that was put on hold after activists challenged it in court and by referendum. ... Full Story Top EU lawmakers to vote for sweeping markets reforms Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:07 PM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Curbs on firms that trade shares faster than the blink of an eye move a step nearer in the European Union on Wednesday when the bloc's parliament votes to introduce sweeping reforms of securities markets. High-frequency trading has been singled out by regulators and policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic for favoring speculators and adding to volatility. High-frequency trading by Optiver, IMC Trading and other firms involves posting orders for milliseconds at a time to exploit tiny differences in share prices. ... Full Story Top Japan, China foreign ministers to meet on U.N. sidelines: media Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:07 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Jiji and Kyodo news agencies reported on Wednesday. The meeting between Gemba and Yang Jiechi is expected to take place early on Wednesday, the agencies said. Sino-Japanese relations have deteriorated sharply this month after the Japanese government bought a set of East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from their private owner, sparking anti-Japan protests across China. ... Full Story Top Europe must take "deep breath" and enact reforms: Merkel Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:06 PM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that Europe could only hope to come out of its crisis stronger and compete in a globalised world if its members pressed ahead with painful reforms and moved to more responsible budget policies. Speaking at a meeting of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Merkel acknowledged that Germany was "not an island" that could disconnect from economic developments in Europe and the world economy. ... Full Story Top European Parliament to tackle bank union split fears Tue,25 Sep 2012 05:06 PM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament debates plans for a euro zone banking union on Wednesday, with members likely to raise concerns that the project designed to ease the currency bloc's crisis could sow divisions within the wider EU. Earlier this month, Brussels proposed that the European Central Bank should supervise all euro zone banks as a first step towards creating the union, under which the 17 member nations would form a united front to back their lenders. ... Full Story Top Egypt's Mursi calls for cooperation between cultures Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:59 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Egypt's new Islamist president Mohamed Mursi delivered a call on Tuesday for "genuine cooperation" between cultures, but in the wake of violent assaults on U.S. diplomatic missions in the Muslim world he also cautioned that a joke in one culture may not be funny in another. Speaking at a philanthropic meeting convened in New York by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Mursi signaled an embrace of multiculturalism as an alternative to a single culture seeking dominance. "The world cannot become one culture or one civilization. ... Full Story Top Facing tough road in Ohio, Romney and Ryan embark on bus tour Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:49 PM PDT Reuters - DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Facing a tough path to victory if they cannot win Ohio, Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan launched a two-day bus tour on Tuesday to try to boost their fortunes in a state that polls show could be slipping away from them. The Republican nominees for president and vice president appeared together for the first time in more than three weeks, part of what aides vow will be a more aggressive phase of campaigning after Romney spent much of the past two weeks raising money and holding few public rallies. ... Full Story Top Cisco CEO: Next US president must take page from Clinton's book Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:43 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc CEO John Chambers, a supporter of Mitt Romney, says the country's next head of state should take his cues from former President Bill Clinton, regardless of who emerges as the victor in November's election. "There's a lot to learn from President Clinton. It kills me as a strong Republican saying it, but he was the most effective president during my lifetime," Chambers told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. ... Full Story Top NY state senator loses election after backing gay marriage Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:38 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Republican state senator whose vote was crucial to legalizing gay marriage in New York has lost his primary election while a Senate colleague who also broke with the party's stance against same-sex unions narrowly escaped defeat. Senators Roy McDonald and Stephen Saland were among four New York Senate Republicans to cast key votes last year to make New York the most populous U.S. state to allow homosexual marriages. After a count of absentee ballots, McDonald was determined to have lost his race while Saland narrowly won in September 13 primary elections. ... Full Story Top Obama takes world stage to fend off Romney attacks Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:30 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Taking a detour from the campaign trail to the world stage, President Barack Obama sought on Tuesday to counter attacks on his foreign policy record from Republican rival Mitt Romney on everything from the Iranian nuclear standoff to U.S.-Israeli relations to the Arab Spring. At the podium of the cavernous U.N. General Assembly hall six weeks before the U.S. election, Obama addressed both American voters and world leaders, as he defended his approach to global challenges that have started piling up in the final stretch of a close presidential race. ... Full Story Top Some conservatives consider funding Akin in Missouri Senate race Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:19 PM PDT Reuters - KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Missouri U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin, unmoved by pressure to drop out of the race by a deadline on Tuesday, got a pledge of support from the state Republican Party and some Tea Party-linked conservatives considered donating to his campaign. Akin has been urged to quit by fellow Republicans over his controversial remarks on rape. In a sign of defiance, Akin began a bus tour across the state on Tuesday to emphasize his decision to let pass the last opportunity to leave the race before the November 6 election. ... Full Story Top Former top accountant Tweedie to push for global valuation rules Tue,25 Sep 2012 04:03 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - David Tweedie, who led the drive towards global accounting rules, will head a body working for international consistency in the valuation of derivatives and other financial instruments - addressing a need highlighted by the financial crisis. The London-based International Valuation Standards Council said Tweedie will chair its board of trustees from the end of October to set strategic priorities and persuade countries to switch to its global rules and develop a valuation profession. ... Full Story Top U.S. bans beef from Canada's XL Foods plant Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:59 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The United States has halted imports of beef products from one of Canada's largest beef-processing plants, owned by privately held XL Foods at Brooks, Alberta, due to findings of E. coli bacteria. A spokesman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said on Tuesday that the agency "de-listed" the plant on September 13 at the request of U.S. authorities, meaning that it cannot export any of its products to the United States until corrections are made. "Which is normal, when there are positive findings from a facility," said CFIA spokesman Tim O'Connor. ... Full Story Top Argentina and Iran to discuss 1990s bombings Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:50 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran and Argentina have agreed to a meeting to discuss two 1990s attacks on Jewish targets in Buenos Aires that were allegedly sponsored by the Islamic Republic, Argentina's president said on Tuesday. Argentine courts have accused Iran of sponsoring a 1994 attack on a Buenos Aires Jewish center that killed 85 people. That assault came two years after a group linked to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on the Israeli embassy in the Argentine capital, which killed 29. Tehran has denied links to either attack. ... Full Story Top Huawei urged to consider Australian float: report Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:39 PM PDT Reuters - SYDNEY (Reuters) - A board member of the Australian arm of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, which was banned from tendering for work on Australia's $38 billion broadband network, says it should consider a local float to ease security concerns, the Australian Financial Review reported on Wednesday. The paper quoted board member John Brumby, a former premier of Victoria state, as saying he was urging Huawei to consider building an Australian research and technology centre and an eventual local stock exchange listing. ... Full Story Top Euro zone will struggle to create fiscal union: former UK PM Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:12 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Europe is enjoying a moment of calm due to the European Central Bank's plan to buy debt of euro zone countries, but the region will struggle to solve more fundamental problems, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday. "You're in the new tranquility period," Brown said. He credited the plan announced earlier this month by ECB President Mario Draghi for calming financial markets, although so far, no country has asked for the central bank's help. ... Full Story Top Greek strike to test coalition government's mettle Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:11 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek workers on Wednesday hold their first major anti-austerity strike since a coalition government took power in June, grounding flights, disrupting local transport and shutting public service offices. Called by the country's two biggest unions that represent half the work force, the walkout is expected to bring out thousands of Greeks to the streets to protest at a new round of belt-tightening demanded by EU and IMF lenders. ... Full Story Top ECB's Weidmann says not alone in ECB bond buying concerns: paper Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:10 PM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann has reiterated his opposition to the European Central Bank's bond-buying plan and said he believes others on the ECB council share his concerns, even though they gave it their backing. In an interview with Switzerland's Neue Zuercher Zeitung made available late on Tuesday, Weidmann said that although the announcement of the plan had affected markets, "short-term financial market movements cannot be a guide for central bank policy." "I am certainly not the only one in the council who has concerns about the bond-buying program. ... Full Story Top Germans, Dutch and Finns reopen tricky EU bank deal Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:10 PM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany, the Netherlands and Finland issued a joint declaration on Tuesday that appeared to unravel much of what was agreed at the last European summit in June, when EU leaders paved the way for the direct recapitalization of problem banks. In a statement issued after a meeting of their finance ministers in Helsinki, the three AAA-rated countries set out the terms under which they would be willing to allow the euro zone's permanent rescue fund, the ESM, to recapitalize at-risk banks. ... Full Story Top Syrian rebels bomb security building in Damascus Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:10 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian insurgents detonated bombs at a building occupied by pro-government militias in Damascus on Tuesday and France called for U.N. protection of rebel-held areas to help end Syria's bloodshed and rights abuses. Activists say that more than 27,000 people have been killed in the 18-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad but jostling for regional advantage by world powers has thwarted effective U.N. Security Council action to defuse the conflict. ... Full Story Top Mexican draft labor bill weakened by congressional body Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican congressional working group has gutted a planned reform of several measures intended to make trade unions more transparent before a vote on the bill later this week. Put forward by outgoing President Felipe Calderon at the start of the month, the draft labor law aims to make it easier for companies to hire and fire employees and combat abuses by the country's trade unions. ... Full Story Top Obama, Ryan agree: NFL's replacement officials need replacing Tue,25 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON/CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) - In a presidential campaign packed with nasty attack ads, truth-bending allegations and general rancor, there finally is something that Democrats and Republicans can agree on: The replacement officials in the National Football League stink. On a day when he spoke before the U.N. ... Full Story Top Argentina lashes out at IMF: "This is not a game" Tue,25 Sep 2012 02:43 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez lashed out on Tuesday at the International Monetary Fund for criticizing her country's murky economic data, blaming the lender for its role in the global economic crisis and declaring: "This is not a game." IMF chief Christine Lagarde said on Monday that Argentina has three months to improve the quality of its economic data, or else it could face punishment. Lagarde said that if no progress was made, "then the red card will be out," drawing from a soccer analogy for penalizing players. ... Full Story Top Fiat confirms Italy plants will produce U.S. cars Tue,25 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT Reuters - MILAN/ROME (Reuters) - Fiat SpA confirmed on Tuesday plans to have its Italian factories make cars to be sold outside Europe, particularly in the United States, as it looks to counter a five-year slump in European sales. Fiat, which also runs Chrysler Group LLC in the United States, would not say which models it intends to produce in Italy for the U.S. market. Analysts have said that the models would likely be Jeeps and Chryslers. This would mark the first time that Fiat's Italian plants have produced cars for the United States. The automaker has been making the Fiat 500 subcompact for the ... Full Story Top Romneys reported sharp gain in foreign income in 2011 tax return Tue,25 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, more than doubled their investment income from foreign sources in 2011 versus 2010, including some sources in tax havens around the world, according to tax returns released by the Republican presidential nominee's campaign. The Romneys reported $3.5 million in foreign income out of $13.7 million in 2011 adjusted gross income, the benchmark figure used to figure out taxes owed. That compares with $1.5 million in foreign income on 2010 adjusted gross income exceeding $21.6 million, according to the Romneys' tax returns for 2010 and 2011. ... Full Story Top Georgia says scandal response shows it's better than Russia Tue,25 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili lashed out at Russian criticism of a recent prison abuse scandal in Georgia, saying on Tuesday that his government's handling of the case showed it is more democratic than Russia, where nobody "gives a damn" about such crimes. In the scandal, which broke ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections next Monday, two television channels supportive of the opposition broadcast video showing the torture and rape of inmates in Tbilisi's main prison. ... Full Story Top

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