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| California governor signs $687 million drought relief legislation Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 05:46 PM PST  California Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday signed into law a $687 million drought-relief package to deal with a water shortage he has called the worst in the state's modern history. The largest share of the drought relief package - $549 million - comes from accelerated spending of bond money voters previously approved in two ballot propositions. Those measures will fund storm water recapturing, expanded use of recycled water, better management of groundwater storage and stronger water conservation measures. While much of the United States has been pummeled by a series of snow storms, California in recent months has struggled with a drought that threatens to inflict the worst water crisis in recorded state history. Full Story | Top |
| West voices alarm on Crimea, urges Russia to respect Ukraine sovereignty Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 02:29 PM PST The West expressed alarm on Saturday over fast-moving developments in Ukraine's Crimea, urging all sides to avoid further escalation and calling on Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty. A week after violent protests forced Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovich to abandon power in Kiev, Ukraine's new leaders say Russia is trying to take control of the southern Crimea region, which has a majority ethnic Russian population. France, Britain and Germany issued calls for de-escalation in Crimea hours after U.S. President Barack Obama warned that military intervention in the region would be deeply destabilizing and "carry costs". Full Story | Top |
| Bomb kills at least 10 in northeast Nigerian city: witnesses Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 02:24 PM PST By Lanre Ola MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed on Saturday when a bomb exploded in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, witnesses said, in a region where the Islamist sect Boko Haram is pursuing a bloody insurgency. Boko Haram, whose fight for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria has killed thousands and made the group the biggest threat to security in Africa's top oil producer, is increasingly targeting the civilian population. "I am at the scene now, it is very bad," local resident Ismaila Abdulraman told Reuters by telephone. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but Boko Haram only communicates occasionally through Internet videos, days or weeks after attacks. Full Story | Top |
| Crack found in dam in Washington state, authorities lower water levels Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 01:09 PM PST A 65-foot-long (20-meter-long) crack has appeared along the base of a dam in Washington state, posing no danger to the public but prompting utility managers to lower water levels to assess needed repairs, a utility spokesman said. The 2-inch-wide (5-cm-wide) crack appeared in the spillway of the 8,320-feet-long (2535-meter-long) Wanapum Dam, a large hydroelectric power plant on the Columbia River that currently can generate more than 1,000 megawatts of power, the utility said late Friday. "As a precautionary measure, the water above Wanapum Dam (forebay) is being drawn down to reduce the pressure on the spillway while inspectors investigate," Grant County Public Utility District spokesman Thomas Stredwick said. The dam, about 18 miles upstream from Priest Rapids Dam in a rural part of central Washington, was still generating electricity, Stredwick said. Full Story | Top |
| Upbeat Buffett eyes big acquisitions after record Berkshire profit Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 09:13 AM PST  By Luciana Lopez and Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warren Buffett on Saturday signaled he plans to make more large acquisitions for Berkshire Hathaway Inc to expand his conglomerate, which posted a record profit in 2013 with the help of a recovering U.S. economy. "America's best days lie ahead," Buffett, 83, said in his annual letter to Berkshire shareholders. "Charlie and I have always considered a 'bet' on ever-rising U.S. prosperity to be very close to a sure thing," he added, referring to his 90-year-old vice chairman Charlie Munger. "Though we invest abroad as well, the mother lode of opportunity resides in America." The annual letter is widely read not just by Berkshire shareholders, but by investors and others looking for wisdom and guidance from the so-called Oracle of Omaha, the world's fourth-richest person. Full Story | Top |
| TonenGeneral Kawasaki cracker on fire, refining normal elsewhere Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 07:49 AM PST Japanese oil refiner TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK said several workers were injured when a fire broke out on Saturday in the residue hydrocracking unit of its Kawasaki plant near Tokyo, but that other refining units were operating normally. The unit, which processes low-priced heavy oil into lighter products such as gasoline, has been shut since early February for maintenance, a company spokesman said. TonenGeneral said the fire had almost been brought under control by pumping nitrogen into the unit. However, it was not yet clear what had caused the fire, how much damage had been done to the hydrocracking unit, or when it would resume operations, a company spokesman said. Full Story | Top |
| West voices alarm on Crimea, calls on Russia to respect Ukraine sovereignty Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 06:51 AM PST The West expressed alarm on Saturday over fast-moving developments in Ukraine's Crimea, urging all sides to avoid further escalation and calling on Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty. A week after violent protests forced Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovich to abandon power in Kiev, Ukraine's new leaders say Russia is trying to take control of the southern Crimea region, which has a majority ethnic Russian population. France, Britain and Germany issued calls for de-escalation in Crimea hours after U.S. President Barack Obama warned that military intervention in the region would be deeply destabilizing and "carry costs". "France is extremely concerned by the reports from Crimea, which describe significant troop movements," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. Full Story | Top |
| Russia warns Ukraine may lose gas discount Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 06:13 AM PST By Katya Golubkova and Pavel Polityuk MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia issued several warnings on Saturday that Ukraine may lose a discount to the gas price it now pays to Gazprom due to Kiev's outstanding gas debt. Russia's state gas company Gazprom estimates Ukraine's outstanding gas debt at $1.55 billion for 2013 and gas deliveries so far this year. "It seems that with such gas payments and fulfillment of its obligations Ukraine may not keep its current gas discount. The gas discount agreement assumed full and timely payment," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told Reuters. Full Story | Top |
| UK's foreign secretary calls on Russia to de-escalate situation in Crimea Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 04:14 AM PST British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Saturday he had spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to call for a de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine's Crimea. "Have spoken to Foreign Minister Lavrov to call for de-escalation in Crimea and respect for sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," Hague tweeted. Hague said on Friday he would travel to Ukraine on Sunday to hold talks with the new leadership after Prime Minister David Cameron told Russia to respect the volatile nation's territorial integrity. Full Story | Top |
| Yellowstone bison could launch new herds without risking cattle, study says Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 04:06 AM PST  The findings raise hopes of park managers, Native American tribes and wildlife advocates that efforts to restore bison populations derived from the nation's last pure-bred band of wild bison will face less resistance from the cattle industry. WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM Those worries helped shape a federal-state management plan for Yellowstone bison that has allowed thousands to be shipped to slaughter when harsh winters lead them from the snow-covered high country to winter range in lower elevations outside the park in Montana. Full Story | Top |
| Russia's Duma says legitimate election impossible in Ukraine now - Interfax Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 03:57 AM PST The council of the Russian Duma, the lower house of the parliament, said on Saturday that a legitimate and democratic election in Ukraine is impossible at present, the news agency Interfax cited a statement issued by the council as saying on Saturday. The Duma Council regarded the situation in Ukraine as an acute political crisis, the agency said. "In these circumstances, holding legitimate and democratic elections is impossible," the agency said, citing the statement. Full Story | Top |
| Russia sees no reason to extend gas discount to Ukraine - agency cites energy ministry Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 03:42 AM PST Russia's energy ministry said on Saturday it saw no reason to extend an earlier agreed gas discount to Ukraine for the second quarter due to unpaid debt for deliveries, the Interfax news agency cited a representative at the ministry as saying. Russian gas producer Gazprom said earlier on Saturday that Ukraine's debt for 2013 and this year's deliveries stood at $1.55 billion. "It this continues to happen, is there any point in continuing the existing agreement on gas supplies at discount prices? Full Story | Top |
| Austria names 18 Ukrainians on assets freeze list Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 03:38 AM PST Austria published the names of 18 Ukrainians subject to an asset freeze requested by Ukraine's new government, including toppled president Viktor Yanukovich and former chief of staff Andriy Klyuev on the list, but not his brother Serhiy. Switzerland and Liechtenstein also joined the freeze. Unlike Switzerland, Austria did not include Ukrainian businessman and member of parliament Serhiy Klyuev, Andriy's brother and business partner, on its list. In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Serhiy Klyuev denied wrongdoing and denounced "dirty propaganda" against him and his brother. Full Story | Top |
| Japan's TonenGeneral Sekiyu says several injured in refinery fire Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 12:57 AM PST TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK's, Japan's second-biggest refiner, said several workers were injured when a fire broke out on Saturday at the Kawasaki oil refinery near Tokyo. The company is checking the status of oil refining operations at the plant, a company spokesman said. The 335,000 barrels per day Kawasaki oil refinery is TonenGeneral's biggest production centre, he said. Full Story | Top |
| North Carolina cites Duke Energy in coal ash spill Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 12:06 AM PST State regulators in North Carolina on Friday said Duke Energy Corp violated environmental laws and could face quotidian fines after a massive spill of toxic coal ash this month contaminated water and wildlife in the Dan River. The state's Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), which has been criticized by green groups and faces a federal government criminal probe over its handling of the decommissioned Eden plant's spill, issued two notices of wastewater and stormwater violations. "These are violations of state and federal law, and we are holding the utility accountable," said DENR Secretary John Skvarla. Full Story | Top |
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