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| Alleged shooter to plead guilty in California hair salon rampage Monday, Apr 28, 2014 08:20 PM PDT (Reuters) - A former tugboat worker accused of killing his ex-wife and seven others at a California hair salon will change his plea to guilty just weeks before the start of a trial over the largest mass shooting in Orange County history, newspapers reported. A lawyer for Scott Evans Dekraai told the court on Monday that the accused shooter would plead guilty to eight counts of murder with special circumstances and one count of attempted murder, the Los Angeles Times reported. Prosecutors say Dekraai was locked in a bitter child custody battle with his ex-wife Michelle Fournier when he walked into Salon Meritage in Seal Beach in October of 2011 carrying three guns and opened fire. Fournier, 48, was killed, along with salon owner Randy Fannin, 62, and five other people inside the salon. Full Story | Top |
| Colombia farmer protests a headache for Santos' re-election bid Monday, Apr 28, 2014 07:35 PM PDT  By Peter Murphy BOGOTA (Reuters) - Farmers across Colombia began protests on Monday demanding the government enact reforms it promised last year, organizers said, demonstrations that could unsettle President Juan Manuel Santos as he runs for re-election in four weeks. Colombian producers of coffee, potatoes, rice, tomatoes and other crops say the government has failed to alleviate indebtedness and regulate prices for inputs like fertilizer, among other measures, they say were promised in August to end protests back then that turned violent. "We are complaining about the government not fulfilling the agreements of August last year," Victor Correa, spokesman for the Dignidad Cafetero coffee growers' protest movement told Reuters. Nonetheless, protest organizers have called for more farmers to turn out for a second day, which could put more pressure on the government if the protests begin to disrupt public order. Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood leader to death Monday, Apr 28, 2014 07:00 PM PDT  By Yasmine Saleh MINYA, Egypt (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced the leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and 682 supporters to death on Monday, intensifying a crackdown on the movement that could trigger protests and political violence ahead of an election next month. The Brotherhood, in a statement issued in London, described the ruling as chilling and said it would "continue to use all peaceful means to end military rule". An Islamist alliance that includes the Brotherhood called on Egyptians to demonstrate against the death sentences in the streets of Cairo on Wednesday. In another case signaling growing intolerance of dissent by military-backed authorities, a pro-democracy movement that helped ignite the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011 was banned by court order, judicial sources said. Full Story | Top |
| White House pushes colleges to crack down on sexual assaults Monday, Apr 28, 2014 06:59 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House will press U.S. colleges and universities on Tuesday to do more to curb sexual assaults on students while it launches a new website, NotAlone.gov, to help victims find resources and report crimes. The move comes after a three-month study by a task force established by President Barack Obama in January to help identify ways to protect students from sexual violence. "Colleges and universities need to face the facts about sexual assault. No more turning a blind eye or pretending it doesn't exist," Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement released on Monday evening. Full Story | Top |
| North Korea to conduct firing drills near disputed sea border, says South Korea Monday, Apr 28, 2014 06:56 PM PDT  By James Pearson SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said it will conduct live fire drills on Tuesday in two areas near a disputed sea border with South Korea, the South Korean ministry of defense said on Tuesday. North Korea conducted similar drills in late March when it fired more than 500 artillery rounds near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a disputed maritime border that has been the de facto sea border since the 1950-53 Korean war. More than 100 rounds landed south of the border, prompting South Korea to fire hundreds of rounds back into the North's waters. The Northern Limit Line is an extension of the land border between the two Koreas, stretching into the sea west of the Korean peninsula. Full Story | Top |
| Investors wary as anti-Vietnamese feeling grows in Cambodia Monday, Apr 28, 2014 06:37 PM PDT  By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - It took just one word to fire up the mob that beat Tran Van Chien to death after a minor road accident in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The 30-year-old carpenter was standing among onlookers on February 16 when someone shouted "yuon," a term widely seen as derogatory to the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Vietnamese who call Cambodia home. Seconds later, the crowd turned on Tran Van Chien. "There were so many people I couldn't help," recalled his sister, Tran Yaing Chang, shuffling through photos of his funeral. Full Story | Top |
| EnergySolutions sues NDA after losing $12 billion deal Monday, Apr 28, 2014 06:03 PM PDT EnergySolutions said it was taking Britain's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to court after losing out on a $12 billion (7.13 billion pounds) contract to decommission the country's oldest nuclear sites. EnergySolutions, the incumbent manager of 10 nuclear sites, told Reuters it had filed the lawsuit in a British High Court. The company had asked the NDA earlier this month to explain why it had awarded Texas-based Fluor and engineering company Babcock preferred bidder status for what is one of Britain's largest-ever government outsourcing contracts. An NDA spokeswoman said the competition process had been carried out in "a robust manner" in compliance with European Union guidelines, adding that the contract was set to deliver savings in excess of 1 billion pounds against EnergySolutions' previous plan. Full Story | Top |
| Sponsors flee Clippers as league announcement approaches Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:28 PM PDT  By Mark Lamport-Stokes LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association faced mounting pressure on Monday to impose a harsh punishment on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for his alleged racist comments as several of the team's sponsors pulled their backing. Sterling is being investigated by the NBA over comments he allegedly made that have since sparked widespread outrage in the United States, and the league will hold a news conference in New York City on Tuesday to discuss developments. The NBA's brief announcement on Monday came shortly after some of the team's sponsors began withdrawing their support of the Clippers while Sterling's own family distanced themselves from him. Auto dealer CarMax, a nine-year sponsor of the Clippers, was first to announce it was ending its association and was followed by Virgin America, State Farm, Kia Motors America, music mogul P. Diddy's water brand, AQUAHydrate, Red Bull and Yokohama Tire. Full Story | Top |
| California bill targets websites engaged in 'mug shot racket' Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:22 PM PDT California lawmakers took steps on Monday to bar so-called extortion websites from posting mug shots of people who have been arrested and then demanding payment to remove the photographs, even from people who are never charged with a crime. A bill to make it unlawful to solicit or accept payment to remove, correct or modify mug shots online was unanimously passed by the California state senate on Monday, in the latest effort by more than a dozen U.S. states to stop such practices. The California measure was inspired by the case of Bob DeBrino, who was arrested but never charged for driving under the influence while on prescription medication for an impending surgery, according to the bill's author, state senator Jerry Hill. In what legislative researchers for the senate called an unintended consequence of laws making mug shots and other arrest information available to the public, a growing industry has developed that publishes mug shots on a website and then charges those depicted in the photos to remove their images. Full Story | Top |
| Univision says Comcast buy of TWC could be 'bad for Hispanic audiences' Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:11 PM PDT  The head of the Spanish-language television network Univision [UVN.UL] said on Monday that Comcast Corp's plan to buy rival Time Warner Cable Inc could be "bad for Hispanic audiences." Univision President Randy Falco said on a conference call with media analysts that the proposed $45 billion deal, which would bring together the No. 1 and No. 2 U.S. cable providers, was a "cause for concern." "We are hoping at the very least there is that scrutiny and potentially much tougher restrictions added to the existing consent decree (prompted by a 2011 deal) that will protect Comcast competitors such as Univision who are serving minority communities in particular," said Falco. Falco stopped short of asking the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission, which are reviewing the deal to ensure it is legal, to block it outright. On the call, Falco said a primary worry was that Comcast, with its range of movies, television shows and sports shows, would be reluctant to carry networks that it did not own, such as Univision. Full Story | Top |
| Ex-Blue Angels commander resigns as president of Tailhook Association Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:57 PM PDT A former commander of the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels squadron has resigned as head of the fraternal Tailhook Association after coming under investigation over complaints that he enabled inappropriate workplace behavior within the precision flight team. Captain Gregory McWherter, who was removed April 18 from his post as executive officer at the U.S. Naval Base Coronado in Southern California, stepped down on Friday as president of the private, nonprofit organization, which is made up of active-duty and retired military sea-based aviators. McWherter said in an email message tendering his resignation that he was concerned the investigation would be a distraction and diminish his ability to serve as president, said retired Navy Captain J.R. Davis, Tailhook's executive director. The association has since reinstated its immediate past president, Captain Sterling Gilliam, to replace McWherter, who had assumed the title in September, Davis said on Monday. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. sanctions Putin allies as Ukraine violence goes on Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:49 PM PDT  By Maria Tsvetkova and Thomas Grove DONETSK/SLAVIANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - The United States imposed new sanctions on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, prompting Moscow to denounce "Cold War" tactics amid more violence in eastern Ukraine. The move to ban visas and freeze assets of the likes of Putin's friend Igor Sechin, head of oil giant Rosneft, also drew fire from President Barack Obama's domestic critics, who called it a "slap on the wrist." EU states added 15 more Russians and Ukrainians to their blacklist and will reveal them on Tuesday. The new round of U.S. sanctions, following those imposed last month when Russia annexed Crimea, barely registered in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow rebels were holding a group of German and other OSCE military observers for a fourth day. Full Story | Top |
| Republican Representative Grimm of NY indicted on fraud charges Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:47 PM PDT  By Bernard Vaughan and Aruna Viswanatha NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Representative Michael Grimm from New York was indicted on fraud charges in connection with a Manhattan fast-food restaurant he partly owned, according to court documents unsealed on Monday. The charges follow a federal probe of Grimm's fundraising that has been going on for more than two years, and Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch told reporters a "larger investigation" was ongoing. Grimm is a former Marine who subsequently worked as an FBI agent. In January, he generated headlines when he threatened to throw a television reporter off a balcony after an interview in the U.S. Capitol on the night of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Full Story | Top |
| Signs all encouraging for Phelps in comeback Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:36 PM PDT  By Julian Linden PHOENIX (Reuters) - He did not win any gold medals or set any world records but Michael Phelps ticked all the boxes he needed in his comeback to competitive swimming. Only time will tell whether Phelps will stick with his comeback and swim at the 2016 Rio Olympics and possibly add to his mind-boggling collection of 18 gold medals. "I was very excited... I felt like a kid again and that was the coolest thing about it." Despite his staggering achievements, Phelps and longtime coach Bob Bowman have always been coy about revealing their plans and nothing has changed. Full Story | Top |
| Britain's economic recovery seen speeding up in first quarter Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:21 PM PDT  By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's economy is likely to have come within a whisker of finally recovering its pre-recession size when data is released on Tuesday, buoying Prime Minister David Cameron little more than a year before a national election. Gross domestic product figures, due at 0930 BST, are also likely to show Britain notched up its fastest economic growth in nearly four years in the first three months of 2014. Britain's economy has bounced back strongly over the past 12 months and is it expected to grow more quickly than any other Group of Seven nation this year. Gross domestic product probably expanded by 0.9 percent in the first three months of this year from the fourth quarter of 2013, when the economy grew by 0.7 percent, according to a Reuters poll of economists. Full Story | Top |
| White House casts Russia sanctions strategy as battle of attrition Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:21 PM PDT By Steve Holland and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama calls his sanctions policy against Russia "calibrated", while his Republican rivals dismiss it a "slap on the wrist" and Russia condemns it as "illegitimate." As the White House embarks on what experts agree is a cautious approach to penalizing Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, the strategy behind the seemingly light penalties is being cast by Obama administration officials as a slow battle of attrition, chipping away at Russian President Vladimir Putin's credibility while keeping U.S. policy in lockstep with Europe. The deliberative policy is rooted in Obama's multilateral style of governing and a belief that the United States must not overreach in a way that could have costly consequences. A third round of sanctions issued on Monday targeted seven Russian government officials, including two from Putin's inner circle, and 17 companies linked to Putin allies. Some 38 people have now been targeted for penalties since Russia's military seizure of Crimea in March. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. lawmakers say latest Russia sanctions too mild, to seek more Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:10 PM PDT  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Republican lawmakers said on Monday the latest sanctions imposed on Russian individuals and companies are too mild to deter Moscow from further action in Ukraine and promised to offer legislation as soon as this week to pressure the Obama administration to take stronger action. Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who earlier this month visited Ukraine and neighboring countries, called the new sanctions "just a slap on the wrist," and said it was time for measures that would affect the Russian economy. "Until you hit three or four of the large banks - the financial institutions - until you hit one of the energy producers at least, Gazprom, or someone, I just don't think it's going to have the effect on Putin to change his behavior," Corker told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. He said he likely would introduce legislation this week seeking to strengthen NATO, impose tough sanctions on Russian energy and some of its "significant" financial institutions and provide military aid and other assistance to Ukraine and neighboring countries. Full Story | Top |
| London commuters battle Tube strike as businesses lament losses Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:09 PM PDT  By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - London Underground train workers were staging their second 48-hour strike this year on Tuesday in protest at job cuts and office closures in a dispute that is expected to cost businesses millions of pounds as commuters struggle to reach their work. The walk-out that started at 2130 BST Monday, and a planned three-day strike next week, is over plans to close about 250 ticket offices and 950 jobs in a restructuring that Transport for London (TfL) says could save 50 million pounds a year. TfL, which runs London's public transport network, says less than 3 percent of journeys on the 151-year-old Tube network involve passengers using ticket offices as most use electronic travel cards and it guarantees no one will be forced from a job. The Federation of Small Businesses estimated that strike cost small businesses, which make up about 99 percent of London companies, about 600 million pounds in lost working hours, business and productivity. Full Story | Top |
| Indicted Republican Grimm to leave House financial services panel Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:09 PM PDT Republican Representative Michael Grimm, who was indicted Monday on fraud charges, said he was stepping down from the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, the New York congressman said he was asking to be removed from the committee "in light of recent events." He added that "upon a successful resolution of pending legal matters my intention is to resume said position as an active member of the committee." A spokesman for Boehner said the speaker "believes Rep. Grimm's decision is appropriate under the circumstances." (Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Full Story | Top |
| Cost of cyber attacks on British companies rises - survey Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:06 PM PDT  The financial damage to British companies from cyber security breaches has doubled in the past year, according to a government-commissioned survey released on Tuesday. Though the number of companies hit by information security breaches was down on the previous 12 months, the survey found that the severity and impact of attacks has increased. The average cost of the worst cyber security breach for big companies was between 600,000 pounds and 1.2 million pounds, up from 450,000-850,000 pounds in the 2013 survey. Cyber attacks on companies in Europe and the United States have increased in regularity and severity in recent years as "hacktivists" and criminals become increasingly sophisticated, requiring businesses to strengthen their defences. Full Story | Top |
| Pfizer move to join tax-driven deal-making raises red flags in U.S Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:58 PM PDT  A wave of tax-driven overseas deal-making by U.S. companies gained momentum with drugmaker Pfizer Inc's announcement on Monday that it had made takeover bids for UK rival AstraZeneca Plc , fueling political concerns about tax "reflagging" strategies. Pfizer said it wants to buy AstraZeneca and merge the two companies into a UK holding company with a UK tax domicile, while maintaining its operational headquarters in New York. It would likely be the largest deal ever done that included such a so-called tax "inversion." If a deal goes through - which is far from certain given AstraZeneca has so far rejected Pfizer's overtures - it would likely mean a loss of corporate tax revenue for the United States, and a lower effective tax rate for the combined entity than the two companies pay now. For 2013, Pfizer disclosed an effective rate of 27.5 percent and global cash income tax paid of $2.87 billion, including income taxes paid to the U.S. government and other state and foreign tax authorities, based on company filings. Full Story | Top |
| Colorado legislature advances restrictions on use of prison solitary Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:50 PM PDT  By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Colorado lawmakers approved legislation on Monday that limits the use of solitary confinement for prison inmates, a year after the state's corrections chief was killed by a parolee who spent the bulk of his sentence in solitary. The proposal, which has already cleared the state Senate, will now go to Governor John Hickenlooper, who is expected to sign the bill into law. The Colorado chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union issued a statement praising lawmakers for "banning the cruel, costly, and unlawful practice of warehousing prisoners with serious mental illness in long-term solitary confinement." Reforming solitary confinement is gathering momentum across the United States. Colorado is particularly sensitive to the issue. Full Story | Top |
| Kickstarter, rappers De La Soul headline Webby Award winners Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:49 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Crowdfunding website Kickstarter, veteran hip-hop group De La Soul and a Harvard University professor on Monday won Webby Awards, the annual honors for Internet excellence. They were joined by the likes of R&B singer Beyonce, vacation rental site Airbnb and Twitter Inc's video app Vine as headlining winners of the awards, which will be celebrated next month in New York. The Webby Awards recognize websites, online video, social media, apps and interactive advertising. This year's judges include Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti, producers of Netflix's Emmy-winning online drama "House of Cards." Every category in the Webbys has a "People's Voice" award selected by a public vote. Full Story | Top |
| Two U.S. soldiers lose bid to dress according to religious custom Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:44 PM PDT  By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has denied requests by two soldiers to dress and groom themselves according to their religious beliefs under a revised Pentagon policy, a spokesman said on Monday. It also could affect Wiccans and others who obtain tattoos for religious reasons. But the policy has been criticized by lawmakers and members of the affected religious groups, who say the Defense Department is still setting a hurdle essentially prohibiting some people from joining the service. Lieutenant Colonel Justin Platt, an Army spokesman, said only two soldiers had requested a waiver to the uniform policy for religious purposes since the new policy went into effect. Full Story | Top |
| Three men get 20-year sentences in New York City payroll fraud case Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:40 PM PDT By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three men found guilty of engaging in a scheme to line their own pockets while implementing a payroll system for New York City whose costs ballooned to $700 million were each sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday. U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan, in sentencing Mark Mazer, Gerard Denault and Dimitry Aronshtein, also had sharp criticism for the city, which he said for years failed to stop the men's "brazen scheme." The judge called New York's contracting process an invitation for waste and fraud and said that until changes are made, criminal cases connected to it would remain "routine." "The process is in need of significant reform," he said. A spokeswoman for the New York City Law Department had no immediate comment on the judge's remarks. Mazer, Denault and Aronshtein received the maximum sentence for each count on which they were convicted in November, with the sentences for each man to be served concurrently. Full Story | Top |
| Actavis sues U.S. drug regulator over generic Celebrex Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:40 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Actavis Plc said on Monday it has sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, challenging its decision to award exclusive rights to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd to sell a generic version of Pfizer Inc's blockbuster painkiller Celebrex. A similar lawsuit was announced Friday by Mylan Inc over generic drug marketing exclusivity for Celebrex. Actavis alleges that FDA improperly awarded sole exclusivity to Teva despite an earlier ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that resulted in the expiration of that entitlement. Full Story | Top |
| Libya says Jordan to handover jailed Islamist to get kidnapped ambassador Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:28 PM PDT By Feras Bosalum TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Jordan has agreed to handover a Libyan Islamist to Tripoli to secure the release of its ambassador kidnapped in the North African country two weeks ago, Libya's state news agency LANA said on Monday. Jordan's ambassador to Libya, Fawaz al-Itan, was snatched by gunmen who demanded the release of Mohamed Dersi, a Libyan Islamist militant jailed for life in 2007 for plotting to blow up the main airport in Jordan. Sohar Banun, an undersecretary in Libya's justice ministry, said both countries had agreed that the ambassador would be released in exchange for Jordan reducing Dersi's sentence and allowing him to complete his jail term in Libya, LANA said. Full Story | Top |
| California superintendent race shows Democrats split on school reform Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:26 PM PDT  (This version of the story corrects April 25 story to political consultant Hefner is Torlakson's campaign manager instead of Tuck's, paragraph 17) By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - The race to be California's superintendent of education is shaping up to be an expensive contest between fellow Democrats - one backed by the party establishment and teachers unions, and the other calling for school reform. Former charter school executive Marshall Tuck said on Friday he planned to unleash campaign ads and social media outreach next week to unseat incumbent state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, a former lawmaker and teacher who has the backing of unions and the state party organization. Full Story | Top |
| Colombian rebels torch convoy repairing Ecopetrol pipeline Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:13 PM PDT By Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - A Colombian rebel group stopped and set fire to 12 vehicles transporting contractors and equipment to repair a pipeline on behalf of state-owned oil company Ecopetrol, police officials said on Monday. No one was killed or injured in Sunday's attack by the National Liberation Army, or ELN, in a rural area in Norte de Santander province, near the border with Venezuela. The convoy was intercepted and torched as it headed to carry out repairs on the Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline that has been halted for the last month after several bomb attacks by the ELN and the FARC, another rebel group. Flow along the 780-km pipeline, with capacity to transport 210,000 barrels of crude from oil fields in northern Arauca province, has also been halted by a local indigenous community, which has refused to allow workers onto its land to do repairs. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. storm system that killed 16 causes tornado in Mississippi Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:10 PM PDT By Colin Sims VILONIA, Arkansas (Reuters) - A ferocious storm system caused a twister in Mississippi and threatened tens of millions of people across the U.S. Southeast on Monday, a day after it spawned tornadoes that killed 16 people and tossed cars like toys in Arkansas and other states. A tornado went through Tupelo, Mississippi in the northern part of the state at about 3 p.m. (1800 GMT), damaging hundreds of homes, downing power lines and toppling trees, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant told CNN. Parts of Alabama, western Georgia and Tennessee also were at risk as the storm system that produced the series of tornadoes headed east toward the Mid-Atlantic states. Rescue workers, volunteers and victims have been sifting through the rubble in the hardest-hit state of Arkansas, looking for survivors in central Faulkner County where a tornado reduced homes to splinters, snapped power lines and mangled trees. Full Story | Top |
| UAW seeks U.S. State Department help in Mississippi spat with Nissan Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:07 PM PDT  The United Auto Workers has aligned with the IndustriALL Global Union in asking the U.S. State Department for help in pressing its claims that Nissan Motor Co Ltd is violating worker organizing rights in Mississippi. The UAW has been trying for several years to organize the Nissan plant near Jackson, and says the company is using "threats, intimidation and fear" to keep the union out of the plant, which it says violates guidelines of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The American union wants to employ a part of the State Department, the National Contact Point, to mediate between the unions and Nissan, which has an alliance with French-based Renault SA. Arthur Schwartz, a labor adviser based in Michigan, said he was not sure the effort will result in much for the UAW, mainly because the OECD has little power to enforce its guidelines. Full Story | Top |
| Canada puts sanctions on two small Russian banks Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:50 PM PDT Canada imposed sanctions on Monday on two small Russian banks and nine individuals. The two banks are ExpoBank, listed last year as the 103rd biggest Russian bank by assets, and RosEnergoBank, which in 2012 had income of $4.24 million and assets of $1.01 billion, according to Moody's Investors Service last year. "The illegal occupation of Ukraine continues and Russia's military aggression persists. That is why we are imposing sanctions against an additional nine individuals and two entities today," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement announcing the measures. Full Story | Top |
| Denmark's Noma regains crown as world's best restaurant Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:49 PM PDT By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - Danish restaurant Noma was crowned the world's best restaurant on Monday, pipping last year's Spanish winner to reclaim the increasingly influential title it held for three straight years that guarantees a waiting list for diners. Noma's chef-owner Rene Redzepi, 36, with his new Nordic cuisine, knocked Spain's El Celler De Can Roca into second place at an award ceremony at London's Guildhall attended by influential chefs and food writers from around the globe. Spain's El Celler de Can Roca, run by the three brothers, slipped back into second place. New York's Eleven Madison Park moved up one spot to No. 4 to claim the Best Restaurant in North America. Full Story | Top |
| NBA-Sponsors flee Clippers as league announcement approaches Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:38 PM PDT  By Mark Lamport-Stokes LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association faced mounting pressure on Monday to impose a harsh punishment on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for his alleged racist comments as several of the team's sponsors pulled their backing. Sterling is being investigated by the NBA over comments he allegedly made that have since sparked widespread outrage in the United States, and the league will hold a news conference in New York City on Tuesday to discuss developments. The NBA's brief announcement on Monday came shortly after some of the team's sponsors began withdrawing their financial support of the Clippers while Sterling's own family distanced themselves from him. Auto dealer CarMax, a nine-year sponsor of the Clippers, was first to announce it was ending its association and was followed by Virgin America, State Farm, Kia Motors America, music mogul P. Diddy's water brand, AQUAHydrate, Red Bull and Yokohama Tire. Full Story | Top |
| FCC Chairman Wheeler to testify in Congress on May 20 Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:32 PM PDT  Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, under fire from consumer advocates for proposing Internet traffic rules they say will create "fast lanes" for some Web content, will testify at a House of Representatives hearing on May 20. Wheeler will appear as sole witness at the hearing called by the House of Representatives' subcommittee on communications and technology, the panel said on Monday. Lawmakers will quiz him on his recent proposals related to the so-called incentive auction of valuable airwaves scheduled for mid-2015 and "net neutrality" rules as well as the FCC's recent moves to limit TV stations' joint ad sales and other matters, said U.S. Representative Greg Walden, who chairs the subcommittee. "This will be our first opportunity to directly discuss issues important to our technology economy ... We look forward to what will surely be a thorough and spirited discussion with Chairman Wheeler," Walden, an Oregon Republican, said in a statement. Full Story | Top |
| Mayor of Mexico's largest port city arrested over possible crime links Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:22 PM PDT Prosecutors are holding the mayor of one of Mexico's main port cities for questioning over allegations he took part in kidnapping and extortion, the latest step in a government crackdown on organized crime in the western region. Arquimides Oseguera, mayor of the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas in the state of Michoacan, was detained early on Monday, the government said in a statement as it began to register and disarm vigilante groups that have worked with authorities to restore order. The statement said Oseguera was also to be questioned about suspected ties to the local boss of organized crime in the city. The mayor's office in Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico's biggest port by tonnage of cargo shipped, could not immediately be reached for comment. Full Story | Top |
| New group, #CubaNow, tells Obama it's time to change Cuba policy Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:11 PM PDT  By David Adams MIAMI (Reuters) - A new advocacy group calling for the United States to change its policy toward Cuba launched an advertising campaign on Monday with posters on the Washington D.C. metro system showing President Barack Obama and urging him to "stop waiting." The metro ads by the group #CubaNow are designed to highlight economic changes happening in Cuba. The group said its mission, unlike other Cuba policy groups, was specifically focused on changing U.S. thinking about Cuba policy. While the group opposes the embargo, it recognized that overturning it in Congress is an uphill battle and other ways can be found to change policy, such as allowing all Americans to travel to Cuba. "There's plenty the President can do within his existing authority," said #CubaNow founding member Andres Díaz, a Cuban-born former Obama administration official at the Department of Commerce. Full Story | Top |
| Canada launches ultra-long bond with 50-year maturity Monday, Apr 28, 2014 02:04 PM PDT By Leah Schnurr TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada issued its first ultra-long term bond that will mature in 50 years, the Department of Finance said on Monday, a rare move that will let the government capitalize on the current low interest rate environment. The government of Canada issued C$1.5 billion worth of the bonds with a yield of 2.96 percent. The ultra-long debt could satisfy demand from investors, such as pension funds, looking to hedge their long-term liabilities, as well as those with long investment horizons, said Hosen Marjaee, senior managing director of Canadian fixed income at Manulife Asset Management in Toronto. Canada is one of the few leading industrialized nations with an undisputed AAA rating and its bonds are in high demand. Full Story | Top |
| Scientists find MERS virus antibodies that may lead to treatments Monday, Apr 28, 2014 01:56 PM PDT By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found natural human antibodies to the newly-emerging Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus and say their discovery marks a step towards developing treatments for the often fatal disease. MERS, a SARS-like viral disease first detected in 2012 that has caused outbreaks in the Middle East and sporadic cases around the world, has raised international alarm in recent weeks with a surge in infections and deaths in Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials confirmed 26 more MERS cases and 10 deaths at the weekend, bringing the toll in the kingdom alone to 339 confirmed cases, of which 102 have been fatal. There is currently no cure or vaccine for MERS - a severe respiratory disease which causes cough, fever, shortness of breath, and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure. Full Story | Top |
| France meets Alstom bidders with pledge to protect jobs Monday, Apr 28, 2014 01:54 PM PDT  By Natalie Huet and Benjamin Mallet PARIS (Reuters) - France said it would defend jobs and its national interest as it met suitors eyeing a breakup of engineering group Alstom on Monday and suggested it preferred Germany's Siemens over U.S. giant General Electric. President Francois Hollande held talks with GE boss Jeff Immelt on Monday morning and sat down later with Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser to discuss the fate of Alstom, the maker of the country's prestigious TGV high-speed trains and turbines for power plants. "We won't let Alstom sell this national champion behind the back of its shareholders, its employees and the French government," Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg wrote on his official Twitter account before the meetings started, accusing Alstom's CEO Patrick Kron of "a breach of national ethics". Alstom, which is battling with big debts and falling demand, was bailed out by the French government in 2004 but now needs help again. Full Story | Top |
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