| | |
| China's head of state assets regulator under probe for 'discipline violation': Xinhua Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 08:28 PM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China is investigating Jiang Jiemin, head of the national assets regulator, for "serious discipline violation", state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday, in what would appear to be another step in Beijing's widening anti-graft campaign. Jiang, who became head of the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) in March, was previously chairman of top energy group China National Petroleum Company, or CNPC. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu and Jenny Su; Editing by Paul Tait) Full Story | Top |
| China official PMI hits 16-month high in August Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 08:11 PM PDT  By Aileen Wang and Jonathan Standing BEIJING (Reuters) - China's factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than a year in August with a jump in new orders, official data showed on Sunday, raising hopes that a rapid economic slowdown in the world's second-largest economy may have been arrested. The purchasing managers' index (PMI) figure, published by the National Bureau of Statistics, rose to 51.0 in August from 50.3 in July, the highest level since last April and ahead of market expectations of 50.6 in a Reuters poll. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Military action in Syria faces uncertain fate in Congress Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 06:52 PM PDT  By Tabassum Zakaria and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Congress has resolved almost nothing of consequence since 2010, failing to complete what were once basic responsibilities for roads, schools, farms and the U.S. mail. Asking the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-led Senate to agree on military action - already a controversial issue both within and between the parties - injects a new dose of uncertainty into Washington's reaction to the Syria crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama asks Congress to approve military strike against Syria Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 05:10 PM PDT  By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama stepped back from the brink on Saturday and delayed an imminent military strike against Syria to seek approval from the U.S. Congress in a gamble that will test his ability to project American strength abroad and deploy his own power at home. Before Obama put on the brakes, the path had been cleared for a U.S. assault. Navy ships were in place and awaiting orders to launch missiles, and U.N. inspectors had left Syria after gathering evidence of a chemical weapons attack that U.S. officials say killed 1,429 people. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama delays strike against Syria to seek Congress approval Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 04:19 PM PDT  By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama stepped back from the brink on Saturday and delayed an imminent military strike against Syria to seek approval from the U.S. Congress in a gamble that will test his ability to project American strength abroad and deploy his own power at home. Before Obama put on the brakes, the path had been cleared for a U.S. assault. Navy ships were in place and awaiting orders to launch missiles, and U.N. inspectors had left Syria after gathering evidence of a chemical weapons attack that U.S. officials say killed 1,429 people. ... Full Story | Top |
| Nigeria's ruling party splinters, in threat to Jonathan Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 03:55 PM PDT  ABUJA (Reuters) - Seven Nigerian ruling party governors and a former presidential candidate formed a splinter group opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, in the most explicit internal threat yet to his assumed bid to run for another term in office. Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party has been in power since shortly after the end of military rule in 1998, but it is increasingly riven by internal squabbles, centered around Jonathan's alleged intention to run again in 2015. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yemen PM escapes unhurt after gunmen shoot at motorcade: aide Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 03:04 PM PDT  By Mohammed Ghobari SANAA (Reuters) - Unidentified assailants opened fire on the motorcade of Yemen's prime minister on Saturday, an aide said, in an apparent assassination attempt that underscored the volatility of the U.S.-allied Arab country. Ali al-Sarari, an adviser to Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa, said no one was hurt in the attack which happened in the evening in Sanaa while the premier was returning home from his office. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. ... Full Story | Top |
| Suez Canal Authority says attack attempted on container ship Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 02:40 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - A "terrorist" staged an unsuccessful attack on a container ship passing through the Suez Canal on Saturday, in an attempt to disrupt the flow of ships through the waterway, the head of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Memish said. The Suez Canal is a key global shipping line which is secured by the armed forces. "One of the terrorist elements has carried out a failed attempt to affect the movement of ships in the Suez Canal by targeting one of the passing ships, Cosco Asia," Memish said in a statement about the Panama-flagged ship. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ford recalls 370,000 Lincoln, Mercury, and Ford sedans Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 02:35 PM PDT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co is recalling about 370,000 model year 2005 to 2011 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car sedans in the United States and Canada to fix a steering shaft issue, the company said in a statement. Corrosion of the lower intermediate steering shaft of vehicles in "high corrosion states and provinces" may result in the loss of steering, the company said. The 355,000 vehicles in the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Nigeria Islamists kill 24 vigilantes in ambush Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 02:27 PM PDT MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Twenty-four vigilantes in northeast Nigeria were killed in an ambush during a botched attempt to arrest members of Islamist sect Boko Haram, one a member of their group and a security source said on Saturday. "They were ambushed even before they got to the Boko Haram camps," one of the youth vigilantes Masta Moh'd, who was not present during the attack on Friday in the town of Monguno, but had heard from several of the survivors, told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Obama and Syria: The education of a reluctant war president Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 01:30 PM PDT  By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - He was the peace candidate who became a war president, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has regularly ordered executions by drone. Just three months ago, President Barack Obama called for an end to America's "perpetual war-time footing." On Saturday, he said he had decided to take military action against Syria for its apparent chemical weapons use, but would seek authorization from - and to share responsibility with - the U.S. Congress. ... Full Story | Top |
| Text: Obama statement on decision for U.S. strikes on Syria Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 01:22 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Saturday said he had decided the United States should strike Syrian government targets in response to a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus, but he would seek a congressional vote. The following is the full text of his remarks in the White House Rose Garden: "Good afternoon, everybody. Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. ... Full Story | Top |
| France's Hollande facing pressure for deputies to vote on Syria Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 01:10 PM PDT  PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande reaffirmed to U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday his will to punish Syria for a suspected chemicals weapons attack but was under increasing pressure to put the intervention to parliament. Obama and Hollande spoke by telephone before Obama's statement that he would seek authorization from Congress before any strike. "The president reaffirmed to him his determination to act to sanction the regime," a source close to Hollande said. "Each country's pace of action must above all be respected. ... Full Story | Top |
| Indian teen sentenced to three years in Delhi gang rape case Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:49 PM PDT  By Annie Banerji and Suchitra Mohanty NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An Indian teenager was sentenced to three years in juvenile detention on Saturday for the December gang rape of a trainee physiotherapist, the first verdict in a case that sparked debate over whether India is too soft on young offenders. Police say the 18-year-old and five adult men lured the 23-year-old woman and her male friend onto a New Delhi bus where they repeatedly raped her and beat them both with a metal bar before dumping them on to a road. The woman died in a Singapore hospital two weeks after the December 16 attack. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hundreds of Iraqis protest against lawmaker privileges Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:48 PM PDT  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Baghdad and central and southern Iraq on Saturday against generous pension payments to lawmakers in a county where many are still struggling to get jobs and basic services. Police surrounded the rare demonstration in the capital and security forces armed with batons, teargas and water canon broke up one gathering in the southern city of Nassiriya, witnesses and security forces said. The protests marked widespread anger at the monthly payments of thousands of dollars and other benefits to government and parliamentary officials. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama will hold off on Syria strike until Congress has its say Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:46 PM PDT  By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Saturday backed away from an imminent military strike against Syria to seek the approval of the U.S. Congress, in a decision that likely delays U.S. action for at least 10 days. Obama, in a stern statement from the White House Rose Garden, said he had authorized the use of military force to punish Syria for a chemical weapons attack August 21 that U.S. officials say killed 1,429 people. Military assets to carry out a strike are in place and ready to move on his order, he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Congo army fights on despite rebel ceasefire offer Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:45 PM PDT  By Pete Jones GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Fighting erupted on Saturday between eastern Congolese rebels and the army, which said it would push on with an offensive to recapture all territory controlled by insurgents despite their call for a ceasefire. Democratic Republic of Congo's army, backed by a new U.N. brigade with an unprecedented mandate to launch attacks, has forced M23 rebels to retreat from positions they have held for months overlooking the eastern city of Goma. ... Full Story | Top |
| Timeline: Turning points in the U.S. debate on Syria Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:42 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama backed off from an imminent military strike against Syria on Saturday to seek the approval of the U.S. Congress, in a decision that likely delays U.S. action for at least 10 days. Following are turning points in the Obama administration's debate on whether and how to intervene in Syria's two-year civil war. ... Full Story | Top |
| Leader of Egypt's Brotherhood in good health in jail: ministry Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:41 PM PDT  By Asma Alsharif CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Interior Ministry said on Saturday the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, was in good health and denied reports that he had died from a heart attack in prison. Any severe deterioration in Badie's health in prison would certainly deepen hostilities between the organization and the army-backed government that deposed the Brotherhood-backed president, Mohamed Mursi, in July. ... Full Story | Top |
| Secretary of State Kerry spoke with Syrian opposition leader Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:37 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to the Syrian opposition leader on Saturday to underscore the determination of the United States to hold the Syrian government accountable for using chemical weapons, a U.S. official said. Kerry spoke with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Ahmed Assi al-Jarba to underscore President Barack Obama's "commitment to holding the Assad regime accountable for its chemical weapons attack against its own people on August 21st," a senior State Department official said. ... Full Story | Top |
| France's Hollande reaffirms will to sanction Syria Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:34 PM PDT  PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande reaffirmed to U.S. President Barack Obama in a telephone call on Saturday his will to sanction Syria for a chemical attack this month, a source close to Hollande told Reuters. Following Obama's announcement that he would seek authorization from the U.S. Congress before taking any military action against Bashar al-Assad's government, the source said France believed each country's pace of action must be respected. "The president reaffirmed to him his determination to act to sanction the regime," the source said. ... Full Story | Top |
| India could save $8.5 billion by buying extra Iranian oil: minister Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:23 PM PDT  By Nidhi Verma NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India could save $8.5 billion in foreign exchange spending on crude oil imports in 2013/14 if it relied more on supplies from Iran, which is able to accept payment in rupees, India's Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily said. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spelling out a strategy to curb foreign exchange outflow against a backdrop of a weak currency, Moily said India was likely to import about 13 million tonnes of oil from Iran in 2013/14. It has already imported 2 million tonnes so far in the fiscal year that began in April. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysing Syrian chemical weapons evidence could take three weeks: agency Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:09 PM PDT  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Fully assessing the evidence collected by weapons inspectors investigating last week's alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria could take up to three weeks, the organization in charge of the investigation said on Saturday. The team, which included nine experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and three from the World Health Organisation, arrived at the OPCW's Hague headquarters on Saturday evening after leaving Syria early in the morning. ... Full Story | Top |
| British PM says understands, supports Obama position on Syria Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 12:01 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Saturday he supported Barack Obama's position on Syria after the U.S. president said he would seek a congressional vote for military action in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack. Cameron's plans for Britain join a potential military strike were thwarted on Thursday night when parliament narrowly voted against a government motion to authorize such action in principle. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. rejects suggestion it's pulling out of Syria to allow strikes Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 11:33 AM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau and Edith Honan UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations on Saturday vehemently rejected suggestions that the world body was somehow stepping aside to allow U.S. air strikes on Syria over an alleged chemical attack, saying its humanitarian work in the conflict-ravaged nation would continue. "I have seen all kinds of reporting suggesting that the departure of the chemical weapons team somehow opens a window for military action of some kind," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| War talk means more worry for Syrians living in United States Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 11:16 AM PDT By Victoria Cavaliere PATERSON, New Jersey (Reuters) - As President Barack Obama tries to persuade Congress that the time has come for military action in Syria, one slice of the population - immigrants from that war-torn country - has more cause to worry. Syrians living in the United States are deeply divided about what should be done - with some calling for a swift bombing campaign to unseat President Bashar al-Assad, while others blame the crisis on rebel groups. Yet both camps are united in fearing that U.S. strikes will only mean more bloodshed back home. ... Full Story | Top |
| Muslim Brotherhood leader Badie in 'good health': Egypt ministry Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 10:48 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Interior Ministry said on Saturday that the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, was in good health and denied reports that he had died from a heart attack in prison. The ministry's Facebook page said Badie, the Brotherhood's general guide, was "enjoying good health". (Reporting by Asma AlSharif; Editing by Michael Georgy and Alison Williams) Full Story | Top |
| Car bomb in Iraqi city of Ramadi kills 12 Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 10:27 AM PDT RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb killed 12 people and wounded at least 20 other in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Saturday, police and medical sources said. The attack took place near a checkpoint on a busy street in the center of Ramadi, 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad. Police were among the killed. "The explosion was so huge. I saw pieces of cars and bodies," witness Qasim Mohammed said. He said been working in his photography shop when the attack took place. "A tyre hit my shop. Some women were among those killed," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kenya lifts coastal area curfew a year after clashes Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 09:56 AM PDT NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya lifted a curfew in a coastal region on Saturday about a year after it was imposed over clashes that killed 100 people and raised fears at the time of broader ethnic violence. In August and September 2012, raiders in the Tana River delta armed with guns, machetes and spears killed men, women and children, heightening tensions ahead of a presidential vote in March which, in the end, went peacefully. ... Full Story | Top |
| Islamist rebels go into hiding ahead of Syria strikes Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 09:21 AM PDT By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - An anticipated U.S.-led strike on Syria has not only put government forces on alert, it has also alarmed rebels, in particular Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda who worry they too are targets. The United States said on Friday it was planning a limited response to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus two weeks ago. But Islamist rebels are wary, particularly experienced foreign militants who have joined their ranks and may have seen at first-hand U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Members of House of Representatives to get White House briefing on Syria Sunday Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 08:56 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Members of the U.S. House of Representatives will receive a classified White House briefing on Sunday on the situation in Syria, House Speaker John Boehner's office reported on Saturday. The speaker's office said in an update for members that the session is set for 2 p.m. EDT. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Vicki Allen) Full Story | Top |
| U.N. weapons inspectors arrive in The Netherlands Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 08:17 AM PDT AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A plane carrying U.N. weapons inspectors who had been gathering evidence and samples relating to alleged chemical weapons use in Syria landed at Rotterdam airport in The Netherlands on Saturday, an airport spokesman said. A spokesman for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said inspectors would return to the body's headquarters in The Hague. He said the samples the inspectors brought with them would be distributed between various laboratories for testing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Merkel urges more market rules, co-opts challenger's pet issue Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 07:39 AM PDT  By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would push the G20 to make more progress on regulating financial markets and crack down on tax evasion, co-opting signature policy issues of her main challenger in September's elections. Merkel, who confronts leftist leader Peer Steinbrueck in a TV duel on Sunday, said she wanted to urge leaders of the G20 top world economies to agree a time frame for steps towards tighter regulation of the so-called "shadow banking" sector. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. staff quit Syria, warning on travel to Lebanon Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 06:49 AM PDT  AMMAN/DOHA (Reuters) - Dozens of U.N. staff have left Syria and several countries have warned citizens to stay away from neighboring Lebanon as regional tensions grow over a possible U.S.-led military strike. U.S. President Barack Obama has said he is planning a "limited, narrow" military action to punish Syria's President Bashar al-Assad for a poison gas attack that Washington said killed 1,429 people. Syria denies the accusation and says rebels trying to overthrow Assad were responsible. Several U.N. agencies had scaled down their staffing in Syria as a precaution, a U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Palestinian shot in clash with Israeli soldiers dies Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 06:38 AM PDT RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A Palestinian shot by Israeli soldiers in clashes in the occupied West Bank this month died of his wounds on Saturday, hospital officials said. Kareem Abu Sbaih, 19, was shot on August 20 by Israeli soldiers making an arrest in the Jenin refugee camp. A second Palestinian was killed during the clashes and another wounded. The Palestinians, who maintain security coordination with Israel in parts of the West Bank, have criticized such raids as unilateral in territory that is under their control. Violence in the West Bank has worsened since the beginning of 2013. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin names new envoy for far east region after floods Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 05:57 AM PDT  VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Saturday named a new envoy to oversee Russia's far eastern region, yet denied the switch was linked to his call for an inquiry into local officials' handling of serious floods there. Putin appointed Yuri Trutnev, a Kremlin aide, as deputy prime minister and personal envoy to the region in a step that concentrates his power, and further sidelines his prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pope names diplomat as chief aide, changing tone at Vatican Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 04:55 AM PDT  By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis attempted to set a new tone for a Vatican beset by scandals on Saturday by naming a veteran diplomat as secretary of state, a role often called the "deputy pope". Archbishop Pietro Parolin's appointment ends the era of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was widely blamed for failing to prevent ethical and financial scandals that marked the eight-year reign of former Pope Benedict, who resigned in February. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin says would be 'utter nonsense' for Assad to use chemical arms Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 04:23 AM PDT  VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday it would be "utter nonsense" for the Syrian government to use chemical weapons when it was winning its war with rebels, and urged U.S. President Barack Obama not to attack Syrian forces. The United States said on Friday it was planning a limited military response to punish Syria's President Bashar al-Assad for a "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus 10 days ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian rebels plan raids to exploit Western strikes: commander Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 03:46 AM PDT  By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Opposition fighters across Syria are preparing to launch attacks that exploit anticipated U.S.-led military strikes, but there are no plans to coordinate with Western forces, a Syrian rebel commander said on Saturday. The United States said on Friday it was planning a limited response to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus 10 days ago. Washington has five cruise-missile equipped destroyers in the region. The Syrian government denies using chemical arms. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia says U.S. threat of force against Syria unacceptable Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 02:50 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said U.S. threats to use military force against Syria were unacceptable and that Washington would be violating international law if it acted without the approval of the U.N. Security Council. The United States said on Friday it was in the planning process for a limited military response to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack that it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus 10 days ago. The Syrian government denies using chemical weapons. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment