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| Australia PM hits out at critics amid leadership turmoil Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 09:03 PM PDT  By Rob Taylor CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard hit out at critics of her record on Monday as speculation intensified of a fresh challenge to her leadership and opinion polls showed her divided Labor Party headed for a catastrophic September election defeat. With Labor on track for a record low vote following months of tensions between Gillard and her main rival, Kevin Rudd, senior backers of the prime minister called for an end to the impasse. "We certainly can't have this go on. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador says Snowden has made asylum request, no decision yet Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:58 PM PDT HANOI (Reuters) - Ecuador's foreign minister, currently on a visit to Vietnam, said on Monday that his nation has received a request for political asylum from Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, but no decision had been taken. "I can confirm that we received the request for asylum from Mr Snowden," Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in Hanoi. "We will make a decision on this, we are analyzing this with a lot of responsibility. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan ruling bloc sweeps Tokyo poll, on track for upper house win Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:50 PM PDT  By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc swept to victory in a weekend Tokyo election, a sign it's on track for a hefty win in a July national vote that could strengthen Abe's hand as he aims to end economic stagnation and bolster defense. Politicians and pundits had been eyeing the outcome of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election for clues to how well Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, the New Komeito, will fare in a July 21 election for parliament's upper house that opinion polls suggest they will win handily. ... Full Story | Top |
| As Asia embraces casinos, India hedges it bets Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:46 PM PDT  By Tony Munroe PANAJI, India (Reuters) - Like many visitors to the Casino Royale Goa on a rainy Saturday night on India's western coast, Salim Budhwani said he does not gamble but also had no objection to the betting at the busy tables downstairs. Despite socially conservative India's ambivalence about gambling, consultancy firm KPMG estimated that $60 billion was wagered in the country in 2010. Much of the gambling is illegal, but attitudes are slowly changing as more Asian countries embrace gaming as a revenue generator and tourist draw. ... Full Story | Top |
| China central bank says overall liquidity 'reasonable' Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:35 PM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - The overall liquidity in China's financial system is at a reasonable level, the central bank said on Monday, adding that it has asked commercial banks to improve the ways they manage liquidity. The comments from the People's Bank of China came as interest rates for short-term funds in China spiked to extraordinary levels last week after big commercial banks held back on lending in the interbank market. Rates remained elevated on Monday, but off recent highs. The comments were issued in a notice dated June 17 but released on Monday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Banks present crisis plan to the Fed: WSJ Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:34 PM PDT  (Reuters) - U.S. banks have given a proposal to federal regulators on how to pay for restructuring the country's too-big-to-fail institutions in the event of a future crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the conversations. The Journal said the proposal, given to the U.S. Federal Reserve at a private meeting on May 22, is an effort by banks to pre-empt tougher rules from officials, who believe banks still could pose a threat to financial stability in a crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| Snowden's Hong Kong lawyer says HK government asked him to leave city Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:14 PM PDT HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong lawyer representing ex-CIA contractor Edward Snowden said on Monday that a middle man claiming to represent the Hong Kong government told Snowden that he should leave the city. Legislator Albert Ho told reporters he was approached by Snowden several days ago, and that Snowden had sought reassurances from the Hong Kong government on whether he would be able to leave the city freely, if he chose to do so. ... Full Story | Top |
| Make or break moment for Myanmar reforms in opaque telecoms sector Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 08:12 PM PDT  By Jared Ferrie YANGON (Reuters) - Companies awarded telecommunications licenses in Myanmar this week will need to spend billions of dollars rolling out networks across a country that has yet to pass a law to govern the sector and where opaque, state-owned enterprises will remain players. The process is being watched closely as a test case for reform in Myanmar, although the risks did not stop 90 international firms and groups from joining the initial phase. ... Full Story | Top |
| Scattered, smaller protests continue in dozens of Brazilian cities Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 07:17 PM PDT  By Pedro Fonseca and Sergio Moraes SALVADOR/BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Reuters) - Scattered protests took place in dozens of Brazilian cities on Saturday, although fewer people took to the streets in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, where vandalism and clashes with police have rocked the country in recent days. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: For Obama, a world of Snowden troubles Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 07:09 PM PDT  By Warren Strobel and Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Since his first day in office, President Barack Obama's foreign policy has rested on outreach: resetting ties with Russia, building a partnership with China and offering a fresh start with antagonistic leaders from Iran to Venezuela. But the global travels on Sunday of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden highlight the limits of that approach. Leaders Obama has wooed - and met recently - were willing to snub the American president. ... Full Story | Top |
| Police remove flagpole at center of Afghan, Taliban row Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 07:05 PM PDT  By Hamid Shalizi and Amena Bakr KABUL/DOHA (Reuters) - Police have removed a flagpole from the Taliban's office in Qatar, an official said on Sunday, expunging the last visible sign of official decoration that riled the Afghan government and derailed nascent peace talks. The Taliban was due to hold discussions with U.S. officials in Qatar last Thursday - originally raising hopes the meeting could develop into full-blown negotiations to end Afghanistan's 12-year-old war. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. warns countries against Snowden travel Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 06:47 PM PDT  By James Pomfret and Lidia Kelly HONG KONG/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden sought asylum in Ecuador on Sunday after Hong Kong allowed his departure for Russia in a blow to Washington's efforts to extradite him on espionage charges. In a major embarrassment for U.S. President Barack Obama, an aircraft thought to have carried Snowden landed in Moscow on Sunday, and Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino tweeted that Ecuador had received an asylum request from Snowden. ... Full Story | Top |
| China 'gravely concerned' by Snowden's claims of U.S. cyber attacks on China Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 06:43 PM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - China has expressed "grave concern" over former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden's allegations that the United States had hacked into computers in China, saying it had taken up the issue with Washington. A statement issued late on Sunday by China's foreign ministry came a day after Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper quoted Snowden offering new details about U.S. surveillance activities. These included accusations of U.S. hacking of Chinese mobile phone firms and targeting of China's Tsinghua University. ... Full Story | Top |
| Timeline: U.S. and Hong Kong communication about Snowden Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 05:23 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Sunday it was disappointed with Hong Kong's decision not to arrest former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who is accused of divulging secrets about U.S. surveillance programs. The Hong Kong government said the U.S. extradition requests were insufficient. Below is the timeline of communication between the United States and Hong Kong before Snowden fled the Chinese territory for Russia, based on Reuters reports and official U.S. accounts. ... Full Story | Top |
| Qatar readies new leadership, little policy change expected Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 05:02 PM PDT By William Maclean and Sami Aboudi DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar appeared on Monday to be readying its population of nearly 2 million for new leadership that could see the emir and prime minister step down, a move analysts say would not herald big changes in energy, investment or foreign policies. The tiny country, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is a global investment powerhouse, a growing force in international media and sport, and a financial backer of Arab Spring revolts in alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood. ... Full Story | Top |
| North Korea anxiety sparks South Korean global property binge Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 04:08 PM PDT By Tom Bill LONDON (Reuters) - A jump in tensions with North Korea has fed a tenfold surge in overseas commercial property spending by investors south of one of the world's most heavily armed borders, making South Korea the largest property investor so far in 2013. South Korean investors bought about $5 billion in the first five months, a huge increase on the first half of 2012, real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle said. "This allocation to commercial property over such a short period of time is unprecedented for the South Koreans," JLL said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's Osborne reaches deal on spending cuts Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 04:04 PM PDT  By Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne completed talks on Sunday with government departments aimed at securing spending cuts worth 11.5 billion pounds in 2015-16 to help reduce the country's budget deficit, the Treasury said. The finance ministry said it had reached agreement with all departments, three days before Osborne is due to publish details of their spending limits on June 26. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian rebels renew fight for Aleppo Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 03:53 PM PDT  By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels battled President Bashar al-Assad's forces in and around the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, seeking to reverse gains made by loyalist forces in the commercial hub over the last two months, activists said. The fighting, by a variety of insurgent groups, happened as France urged moderate rebels to wrest territory back from radical Islamists whose role in the fight to topple Assad poses a dilemma for Western countries concerned that arms shipments could fall into the hands of people it considers terrorists. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda says hostages in North Africa alive, open to talks Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 03:42 PM PDT By Bate Felix DAKAR (Reuters) - Eight hostages, including five from France, being held by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) are safe, the Islamist group said in a statement posted on its Twitter account on Saturday. The statement coincided with rallies across France organised by the families of French hostages who were seized in Niger in September 2010 to mark more than 1,000 days of captivity. French newspapers reported this week that the hostages had been transferred to Algeria and were in the hands of AQIM's new chief, Yahia Abou el Hamam. ... Full Story | Top |
| Father of Snowden's girlfriend says she is staying with friends Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 03:42 PM PDT By Tom Ramstack and Joe McDonald LAUREL, Md./ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Jonathan Mills, father of the girlfriend of fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, said his daughter is staying with friends and he doesn't know if she will try to join Snowden in exile. Snowden, who divulged widespread U.S. government wiretapping to the news media, flew to Moscow from Hong Kong to escape extradition to the United States. Snowden, who faces felony charges, is seeking asylum in Ecuador, the Quito government said on Sunday. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. 'disappointed' Hong Kong didn't arrest Snowden: official Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 03:15 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is disappointed Hong Kong didn't arrest former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden despite repeated senior level contacts on the matter, a Justice Department official said on Sunday. "The U.S. is disappointed and disagrees with the determination by Hong Kong authorities not to honor the U.S. request for the arrest of the fugitive," the official said. At no point in discussions through Friday did Hong Kong raise issues regarding the sufficiency of the U.S. arrest request, the official said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Qatar ruler to meet ruling family amid handover reports: Al Jazeera Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 03:09 PM PDT DUBAI (Reuters) - The ruler of Qatar will meet members of the ruling family and decision makers in the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state on Monday "amid reports that he intends to hand over power to his crown prince, Sheikh Tamim", the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera television reported. The satellite channel said it had learned of the news from "reliable Qatari sources", but provided no further details. Diplomats said earlier this month that an orderly transfer of power, which would also include the powerful prime minister stepping down, was being considered. (Editing by Kevin Liffey) Full Story | Top |
| Mandela's health worsens, condition now 'critical' Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 03:02 PM PDT  By Ed Cropley JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela's condition deteriorated to "critical" on Sunday, the government said, two weeks after the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader was admitted to hospital with a lung infection. The worsening of his condition is bound to concern South Africa's 53 million people, for whom Mandela remains the architect of a peaceful transition to democracy in 1994 after three centuries of white domination. ... Full Story | Top |
| Four Egyptian Shi'ites killed in attack by Sunni Muslims Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 02:59 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Four Egyptian Shi'ites were killed on Sunday in an attack by Sunni Muslims fearing the spread of Shi'ite Islam in Egypt, according to reports by state media, witnesses and security sources. Residents of the town of Zawiyat Abu Muslim in Giza province on the outskirts of Cairo surrounded the home of a prominent Shi'ite after learning he was hosting a religious gathering, witnesses and security sources told Reuters. The residents beat the guests and threw petrol bombs at the house, setting it on fire, the sources said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Japan utilities' assumptions for reactor restart dates Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 02:48 PM PDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Six of Japan's regional electricity monopolies have included plans to restart 20 reactors by September 2015 in applications for rate hikes that have to be signed off by the country's industry ministry. Industry observers say the assumptions are ambitious, as the country's new nuclear regulator, set up after the Fukushima disaster of March 2011, has said its review of Japan's nuclear fleet may take more than three years. The regulator has also said its standards will be the toughest in the world. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. urges countries not to let 'wanted' Snowden travel Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 02:41 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has warned countries in the Western Hemisphere that Edward Snowden might travel through or take refuge in not to let the former spy agency contractor go anywhere but home, a State Department official said on Sunday. "The U.S. is advising these governments that Snowden is wanted on felony charges, and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States," the official said in a written statement. The State Department did not identify any of the countries. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria-linked clashes kill at least 12 in Lebanon Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 02:32 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed in fierce clashes in the Lebanese city of Sidon on Sunday between the army and followers of a Sunni Muslim cleric who have been caught up in sectarian fighting fuelled by the war in neighboring Syria. Guns and rocket fire rattled the port city 40 km (28 miles) south of Beirut that has been on edge since violence erupted there last week between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim fighters, at odds over the Syrian conflict. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian army steps in to demand political truce Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 02:26 PM PDT  By Shaimaa Fayed and Alastair Macdonald CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army stepped in to a deepening political crisis on Sunday to demand that the Islamist government and its opponents settle their differences and warned that it would act to stop violence spinning out of control. Issued a week before mass rallies to demand the resignation of President Mohamed Mursi, and following days of friction and increasingly aggressive rhetoric between factions, the statement by the armed forces chief was the most powerful since generals ceded control to civilians after Mursi's election a year ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Korea's Park set to charm China, show up the North Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 02:07 PM PDT  By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - When the presidents of China and South Korea meet in Beijing this week, they will likely use a rapport that blossomed eight years ago to find common ground on North Korea as well as seek ways to boost already vibrant economic ties. With her self-taught Mandarin and interest in Chinese culture, South Korea's Park Geun-hye will get a warm welcome during a four-day state visit that begins on Thursday. "I am sure this summit will be an unprecedented honeymoon for China and South Korea," said Woo Su-keun, a South Korean professor at Donghua University in Shanghai. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry urges climate change action on eve of India talks Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 01:49 PM PDT  By Lesley Wroughton NEW DELHI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged fast-growing India to work with Washington to tackle climate change and develop green technologies, on the eve of talks on trade and regional security. Emerging economies like India have resisted pressure in global climate talks to commit to targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in a dispute with rich nations over whose industries should bear the brunt of the cuts. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU's Barroso 'fuelling' far-right: French minister Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 01:04 PM PDT By Claude Canellas and Dominique Vidalon BORDEAUX/PARIS (Reuters) - Outspoken French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg accused European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Sunday of fueling far-right groups across Europe as France's National Front made gains in a parliament by-election. Montebourg said the EU was alienating ordinary Europeans by ignoring their concerns. The comments mark an escalation in tensions between Paris and Brussels, already at loggerheads over France's refusal to allow subsidies to its cinema and other cultural sectors to be reviewed in future EU-U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador takes center stage, again, in U.S. secrecy saga Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:54 PM PDT By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) - Tiny Ecuador is once again at the center of an international diplomatic saga over U.S. data secrecy that will thrust the country's leftist President Rafael Correa into the limelight and stir fresh controversy with Washington. The government of the South American nation of just 15 million people, which has thumbed its nose at the West before, said on Sunday that fugitive former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden had asked it for asylum. Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino was due to give more details on Monday during a visit to Vietnam. ... Full Story | Top |
| Claim and counter-claim in Albania vote watched by West Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:49 PM PDT  By Benet Koleka and Matt Robinson TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania's ruling party and opposition traded claims of victory on Sunday in a parliamentary election watched closely by Western allies worried about the state of democracy in the NATO country. After a vote marred by a fatal shootout, opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama called on Prime Minister Sali Berisha to "prepare the transition" after two consecutive terms at the helm of the ex-communist Adriatic nation. "Our data says we won over the forces of destruction," Rama told cheering supporters at his party headquarters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait sheikh sues UBS for $21.4 million in Dubai court Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:40 PM PDT By Matt Smith DUBAI (Reuters) - A Kuwaiti sheikh is suing UBS AG for $21.4 million, alleging the Swiss bank failed to pay him for helping it become lead arranger on a $9 billion asset sale by the Kuwaiti telecommunications operator Zain, a Dubai court heard on Sunday. The case highlights the complexity of doing business in the Gulf, where personal connections to high-ranking officials or executives are often valued in deal-making. ... Full Story | Top |
| Frenkel to return as Israel's central bank chief Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:36 PM PDT By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Jacob Frenkel, an inflation hawk who was Bank of Israel governor in the 1990s, will be returning to the helm of the central bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday. They appointed Frenkel to replace Stanley Fischer, who is stepping down at the end of June after eight years on the job, having guided Israel's economy through the global financial crisis. Frenkel, 70, beat deputy governor Karnit Flug, who will likely be acting central bank chief until Frenkel starts. The date of his arrival was not announced. ... Full Story | Top |
| Key Democrat sees pressure on House to permit U.S. immigration vote Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:23 PM PDT  By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington may again be the site of massive civil-rights rallies, this time pressuring the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives to approve a pathway to U.S. citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, a key Democrat said on Sunday. With the Senate set to approve its White House-backed bill this week, Senator Charles Schumer, an author of a bipartisan bill that would allow about 11 million immigrants to eventually become U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunmen kill nine foreign tourists, two locals in northern Pakistan Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:14 PM PDT  By By Jibran Ahmed PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen stormed a mountaineering base camp in northern Pakistan on Sunday and shot dead nine foreign trekkers and a Pakistani guide as they rested during an arduous climb up one of the world's tallest peaks, police said. The night-time raid - which killed five Ukrainians, three Chinese and a Russian - was among the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in a decade and underscored the growing reach of militants in a highland region once considered secure. One of the victims also held a U.S. passport, a U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Erdogan defends riot police tactics in Turkey protests Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:08 PM PDT  By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan piled ridicule on activists behind weeks of protests against his government during a rally on Sunday and defended riot police who fired water cannon at crowds in Istanbul a day earlier. Looking out of over a sea of Turkish flags waved by his AK Party faithful in the eastern city of Erzurum, Erdogan praised his supporters and the general public for opposing what he called a plot against his country. "The people saw this game from the start and frustrated it. They (the protesters) thought the people would say nothing. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU risks upsetting Turkey with threat to call off talks Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:08 PM PDT By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is on the verge of scrapping a new round of membership talks with Turkey, a move that would further undermine Ankara's already slim hopes of joining the bloc anytime soon and damage its relations with Brussels. Germany, the EU's biggest economic power, is blocking efforts to revive Turkey's EU membership bid, partly because of its handling of anti-government protests that have swept the country in the last few weeks, EU sources say. ... Full Story | Top |
| French minister says EU's Barroso fuelling far-right Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 12:06 PM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg accused European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Sunday of fuelling far-right and populist movements in Europe as EU institutions failed to defend the interests of ordinary people. His comments came just before France's conservatives narrowly saw off a challenge from the far-right National Front to win a by-election in the southern French constituency of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. President Francois Hollande's Socialists had already been eliminated in the first round. "The European Union is paralysed. ... Full Story | Top |
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