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| Data trove shows U.S. doctors reap millions from Medicare Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 09:07 PM PDT By Sharon Begley and M.B. Pell NEW YORK (Reuters) - In 2012, an enterprising ophthalmologist in south Florida received $20.8 million in Medicare payments, the highest amount the government health plan for the elderly paid an individual provider that year, according to a preliminary analysis of federal data. And a California laboratory apparently received $190 million, the most Medicare paid a single entity in 2012. After decades of litigation and over the strenuous objections of the American Medical Association, the leading U.S. doctors group, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday made public for the first time how much Medicare pays individual doctors. The massive data release, totaling nearly 10 million lines, also includes which medical services each of more than 880,000 physicians and other healthcare providers nationwide billed Medicare for in 2012. Full Story | Top |
| Japan, United States face off in crucial trade negotiations Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 09:02 PM PDT  Japan and the United States on Wednesday began a round of crucial talks aimed at concluding a trade pact seen as critical to the success of regional negotiations, although officials warned that bridging differences would be difficult. Tokyo and Washington are seeking a two-way trade deal, regarded as a key part of the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that is the centerpiece of Washington's push to increase its Asian presence, before U.S. President Barack Obama travels to Japan for an April 24-25 state visit. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has touted the multilateral framework as a key part of his growth strategy but the outlook for a Japan-U.S. deal is cloudy as both sides accuse each other of inflexibility. "I think if there is good will on both sides we can make progress on bridging our differences," U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman told reporters before talks with officials including Economy Minister Akira Amari. Full Story | Top |
| Olympus says six banks sue for 27.9 billion yen compensation over 2011 scandal Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 09:01 PM PDT  TOKYO (Reuters) - Olympus Corp said on Wednesday that six trust banks have filed a lawsuit against the medical equipment maker seeking 27.9 billion yen ($273 million) in compensation related to false financial statements on losses from fiscal year 2000 to 2011. The six trust banks include State Street Trust and Banking Co Ltd, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp and The Nomura Trust and Banking Co Ltd. ... Full Story | Top |
| Race to find Malaysia plane as 'pings' prove illusive Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:57 PM PDT  By Matt Siegel and Swati Pandey SYDNEY/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - The search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner continued on Wednesday, as the U.S. Navy said it had been unable to relocate possible "pings" from the black box recorders that had injected fresh urgency into the international effort. A U.S. Navy "towed pinger locator" (TPL) onboard Australia's Ocean Shield on the weekend picked up two signals consistent with black box locator beacons - the first for more than two hours and the second for about 13 minutes - at the weekend. Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, said that the signals represented the best lead yet in the month-long hunt in the Indian Ocean. But Commander William J. Marks, public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, told Reuters on Wednesday that they had so far failed to replicate the findings, raising concerns as time ticks down on the devices' batteries. Full Story | Top |
| UK says investigating spy and police agencies' use of private data Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:35 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's law enforcement and intelligence agencies may be overusing authorisations to access private communications data, the official who regulates the activity said on Tuesday, declaring he had begun an investigation into the matter. Interception of communications commissioner Anthony May said he had also studied concerns raised by former U.S. intelligence operative Edward Snowden about Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping agency and cooperation with the U.S. National Security Agency. Full Story | Top |
| FCA launches inquiry into insurance review announcement Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:32 PM PDT  By Jemima Kelly and Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has appointed an independent lawyer to lead an inquiry into how it prematurely disclosed details of a review of the insurance industry, sending shares in insurance firms plunging last month. The move follows complaints from the insurance industry body, which called on the FCA to learn lessons from the incident, but stopped short of demanding the removal of senior staff. The incident was described by Martin Wheatley, head of the FCA, as "not our finest hour". On Tuesday, the regulator said it had appointed Simon Davis, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, to conduct an inquiry into the affair, which it added would be overseen by a committee of non-executive FCA board members. Full Story | Top |
| Britain hosts first state visit of Irish president Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:31 PM PDT  By Kylie MacLellan LONDON (Reuters) - President Michael Higgins became the first Irish head of state on Tuesday to make a state visit to Britain, crowning a big improvement in historically fraught relations between Dublin and its former colonial master. Clashes over British-ruled Northern Ireland saw more than 3,600 killed from the 1960s onward until a 1998 peace deal largely ended the conflict between Catholic groups wanting the province to become part of the Irish republic and Protestant groups determined to keep it within the United Kingdom. Addressing both houses of parliament on Tuesday, a privilege only accorded to a few foreign leaders including Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, Higgins described that 1998 agreement as a key milestone but said there was more to be done. "Our two countries can take immense pride in the progress of the cause of peace in Northern Ireland. Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela government and foes talk; Vatican to mediate Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:06 PM PDT  By Diego Ore and Andrew Cawthorne CARACAS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Maduro's government and Venezuela's main opposition group agreed on Tuesday to begin talks intended to halt the nation's worst political unrest in a decade. Representatives of the Vatican and South American regional bloc Unasur will mediate, both sides said. Clashes between security forces and pro-government militants on one side, and hooded opposition demonstrators blocking streets on the other, have killed 39 people since mid-February, according to official figures. The dead have included government supporters, opponents, and members of the security forces. Full Story | Top |
| Comedian George Wallace wins $1.3 million judgment against casino over injury Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:05 PM PDT (Reuters) - Comic George Wallace won a $1.3 million civil judgment against a Las Vegas casino resort for injuries he sustained during a 2007 performance, when tripped on audio cables, in a jury verdict returned on Tuesday. The comedian was appearing at a corporate holiday party at the Bellagio when he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon from getting tangled in the cables, which should have been properly secured, his attorney Dominic Gentile said. Wallace, who was best man at Jerry Seinfeld's wedding, filed a lawsuit against the casino resort in 2009 accusing it of negligence. An eight-member jury found the Bellagio had breached its duty of care to Wallace, according to a court document describing the verdict. Full Story | Top |
| Retailers cut prices at fastest pace since 2006 Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:02 PM PDT  The British Retail Consortium said shop prices in early March were 1.7 percent lower than at the same time in 2013, the biggest annual decline in any month since the series began in December 2006. Food retailers are already feeling the pinch, with Britain's "big four" grocers - Tesco, Wal-Mart's Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - all being outpaced by sales growth at discount supermarkets. The BRC's measure of shop price inflation does not include online retailers or costs such as energy, transport and housing, which feed into the broader official consumer price inflation (CPI) measure targeted by the Bank of England. Full Story | Top |
| Indonesians vote for new parliament, stage set for presidential poll Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 08:01 PM PDT  By Kanupriya Kapoor JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesians began voting for a new parliament on Wednesday in a poll likely to be dominated by the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), boosting the chances of its popular candidate in a presidential election three months from now. Its candidate for the presidential election on July 9, Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, already looks unbeatable. Former president and head of the PDI-P Megawati Sukarnoputri appeared to set aside her own ambition last month when she gave the green light to Jokowi to run for president, recognizing that his popularity could lead her party back to power. Indonesia's embrace of democracy since the downfall of former authoritarian leader Suharto 16 years ago has seen four different presidents and repeated change of the leading party. Full Story | Top |
| China recruits 'guardian angels' to protect embattled doctors Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:59 PM PDT China's capital Beijing is taking a novel approach to protecting doctors from growing levels of violence from angry patients: volunteer "guardian angels". The campaign will recruit students, medical workers and other patients to act as middlemen between doctors and those in their care to defuse disagreements and smooth over tensions, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. Doctors in China have come under increasing threat as the country's healthcare system struggles to cope with low doctor numbers, poor levels of training and rampant corruption inflating the price of care. This has seen a number of fatal attacks by patients on doctors in the past year. Full Story | Top |
| Hillary Clinton says she's 'thinking' about 2016 White House run Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:46 PM PDT  By Peter Cooney WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Asked again the question on the mind of everyone who follows U.S. politics, Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday she was "thinking" about running for president in 2016. Appearing at a marketing conference in San Francisco, Clinton, widely considered the Democratic front-runner if she enters the race, was asked by an interviewer: "What's your plan? You can announce it here if you'd like." "I'm actually here trying to get some marketing advice," Clinton quipped, before adding: "I am obviously flattered and deeply honored to have people ask me and people encourage me. Why would you want to do this and what can you offer that could make a difference?", Clinton said in a video of the exchange posted on the Internet The former first lady and U.S. senator, who was defeated by President Barack Obama in the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, said the United States was experiencing a period of political dysfunction. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Secret Service reassigns staff, eyes alcohol rules after misconduct Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:45 PM PDT  The U.S. Secret Service is reassigning staff and studying changes to its rules on alcohol consumption after agents were sent home following a night of drinking on a recent trip to Europe ahead of President Barack Obama's visit, a spokesman said on Tuesday. "Personnel are being re-assigned as a result of staffing rotations and as a result of assessments made after two recent incidents of misconduct," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said in a statement. The paper reported that another incident of misconduct occurred in south Florida in early March, when two officers suspected of drinking had a car accident shortly before the Obama family arrived in the area. The paper reported on Tuesday that Secret Service director Julia Pierson had reassigned nearly two dozen members of one of the service's largest divisions as a result of the incidents. Full Story | Top |
| Britain tightens rules to deter welfare-seeking foreign migrants Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:29 PM PDT  By William James LONDON (Reuters) - The government said on Tuesday it was stepping up restrictions on foreign job seekers' access to welfare payments as Prime Minister David Cameron strives to cut immigration ahead of a national election next year. Polls show voters are concerned about immigration levels, a trend reflected in the rising popularity of the anti-EU UKIP which opposes "open door immigration" and has drawn support away from Cameron's Conservatives. UKIP is expected to come first or second in elections for the European Parliament next month, pushing the Conservatives into third place. In response, Cameron has sought to appear tough on the issue by tightening visa rules for migrants from outside the European Union and by restricting access to welfare benefits for EU nationals. Full Story | Top |
| Former socialite found guilty in Arizona car bomb death of ex-husband Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:24 PM PDT A former Arizona socialite was convicted of first-degree murder on Tuesday in the 1996 car-bomb killing of her ex-husband, a prominent real estate developer, in the parking lot of a Tucson resort, prosecutors said. Jurors also found Pamela Phillips, 56, guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the fiery death of husband Gary Triano that shocked the community and went unsolved for years. The Pima County Superior Court jury deliberated for nearly three days before rendering the guilty verdicts, prosecutor Rick Unklesbay said. Phillips faces life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years or natural life in prison under the convictions, Unklesbay said. Full Story | Top |
| Gunman who opened fire at L.A. police had applied to join department Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:15 PM PDT By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A gunman who opened fire in a Los Angeles police station, shooting an officer seven times in the arms and torso as he returned fire, had previously applied to join the department, a police spokesmen said on Tuesday. The wounded officer remained hospitalized in good condition a day after the attack, while the suspected gunman, who also was struck by multiple bullets, was listed in serious but stable condition at a hospital, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Officer Sara Faden. The shooter, who has been identified as Daniel Yealu, 29, walked into the lobby of the West Traffic Division at about 8 p.m. local time on Monday and told two officers at the desk that he had a complaint, then pulled a semi-automatic handgun and fired repeatedly at one of the officers, police officials said. The officer, a seven-year veteran, fired back, as did his partner, a policewoman with four years on the force, striking the gunman multiple times, police Commander Andrew Smith said. Full Story | Top |
| 'Heartbleed' bug in web technology seen as major threat to user data Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:14 PM PDT  A newly discovered bug in widely used Web encryption technology has made data on many of the world's major websites vulnerable to theft by hackers in what experts say is one of the most serious security flaws uncovered in recent years. The finding of the so-called "Heartbleed" vulnerability, by researchers with Google Inc and a small security firm Codenomicon, prompted the U.S. government's Department of Homeland Security to advise businesses on Tuesday to review their servers to see if they were using vulnerable versions a type of software known as OpenSSL. It said updates are already available to address the vulnerability in OpenSSL, which could enable remote attackers to access sensitive data including passwords and secret keys that can decode traffic as it travels across the Internet. "If a website is vulnerable I could see things like your password, banking information and healthcare data, which you were under the impression you were sending securely to your website," said Michael Coates, director of product security for Shape Security. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Navy mulls options to help drones avoid other planes Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 07:02 PM PDT  The U.S. Navy said on Tuesday it continued to examine options for a system to help Northrop Grumman Corp's new MQ-4 Triton high-altitude unmanned spy plane detect and avoid other aircraft, and expected to decide on a new approach in less than a year. The Navy last year halted work on a complex "sense and avoid" radar being developed by Exelis Inc after the company ran into technical challenges in trying to develop a system small enough to fit on the nose of the drone. Sean Burke, deputy program manager for the Triton program, told reporters at an annual Navy League conference that the Triton was making good progress in flight testing and development, but it had proven technically challenging to scale down the complex, 360-degree radar needed for the new sensor. Full Story | Top |
| U.S., Russia, Ukraine and EU to meet on Ukraine crisis Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 06:23 PM PDT By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States, the European Union, Russia and Ukraine will meet at ministerial level next week to discuss the Ukraine crisis, the EU said on Tuesday, offering a glimpse of possible diplomatic progress in the conflict. The meeting will involve U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia, the EU said. Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine to get help from new EU support group Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 06:23 PM PDT The European Union plans to set up a special support group to help Ukraine stabilize its precarious economy and political situation, an EU diplomat said on Tuesday. Concern is growing that Moscow could be preparing for further military action in Ukraine and on Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russian agents and special forces of stirring separatist unrest in eastern Ukraine. The support group, whose creation is expected to be announced on Wednesday, would bring together "several dozen people" to work out priorities for Ukraine, an EU diplomat said, asking not to be named. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. accuses Russian agents of stirring eastern Ukraine unrest Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 06:23 PM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed and Thomas Grove WASHINGTON/LUHANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russian agents and special forces on Tuesday of stirring separatist unrest in eastern Ukraine, saying Moscow could be trying to prepare for military action as it had in Crimea. Ukraine's security service said separatists occupying the security headquarters in Luhansk had planted bombs in the building and were holding as many as 60 hostages. Kerry said he feared Moscow might repeat its Crimean operation. "It is clear that Russian special forces and agents have been the catalyst behind the chaos of the last 24 hours," he said in Washington, and this "could potentially be a contrived pretext for military intervention just as we saw in Crimea." Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula last month after a referendum staged when Russian troops were already in control. Full Story | Top |
| Estonia's new PM says Russia sanctions would hurt, but may be needed Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 06:23 PM PDT By David Mardiste TALLINN (Reuters) - Estonia's new prime minister said on Tuesday that imposing economic sanctions on Russia would hurt European Union countries, but might be needed to send a strong message to Moscow. Taavi Roivas, who became prime minister of the Baltic state - an EU member that was formerly part of the Soviet Union - in late March, said it was vital for the EU to show unity over Ukraine. "I think if Europe as a whole finds a consensus on clear sanctions, then the economic potential setback is, for the European countries, not as important as the actual effects of the sanctions." The European Union and the United States have imposed targeted visa bans and asset freezes on Russian and Ukrainian individuals, but have stopped short of broader economic sanctions. Full Story | Top |
| Florida mayor, 93, loses run-off election for record 20th term Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 06:15 PM PDT By Barbara Liston ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A 93-year-old Florida man believed to be the oldest mayor in the U.S. lost his bid to be re-elected to a record 20th term in office on Tuesday. "We lost but we love all of you ... sorry that it didn't work out," John Land said at his campaign party. Land conceded based on word from a campaign supporter at the Orange County elections office before unofficial results were posted. Full Story | Top |
| Ted Kennedy Jr. announces run for Connecticut state senate seat Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 06:08 PM PDT  By Richard Weizel BRANFORD, Connecticut (Reuters) - Ted Kennedy Jr., son of the late Democratic senator from Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy, announced on Tuesday that he would run for a seat in the Connecticut state senate, his first run for political office. Kennedy, also the nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, declared his candidacy at the Blackstone Library in Branford, Connecticut, the town near New Haven where he has lived with his family for more than two decades. "We know that politics is a family affair," Kennedy, 52, said to loud applause from an enthusiastic crowd of some 300 people, mostly Democrats. "But this is going to be a local, grassroots campaign focusing on the issues facing this district and the state of Connecticut." He was joined on the podium by his wife, Kiki, daughter Kiley, 19, and son, Edward Moore Kennedy III, 16. Full Story | Top |
| Death toll in Washington state mudslide rises to 35 Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:59 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The death toll in a mudslide that devastated a rural Washington state community last month rose to 35 on Tuesday as two more bodies were extricated from the rubble and President Barack Obama pledged to visit the town at the center of the devastation. A rain-soaked hillside collapsed without warning above the north fork of the Stillaguamish River on March 22, unleashing a torrent of mud that engulfed some three dozen homes on the outskirts of the tiny community of Oso. The death toll had stood at 33 on Monday. Full Story | Top |
| Troubled Mideast peace effort compounds U.S. policy woes in region Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:57 PM PDT  By Matt Spetalnick and William Maclean WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September, President Barack Obama declared the pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace one of the two main U.S. foreign policy priorities for his second term. Fast-forward to today, the Obama administration faces a stark choice: expend more energy on a faltering peace process or absorb the hit to an already-troubled record in the Middle East and walk away from negotiations. Secretary of State John Kerry, who met Obama on Tuesday for a "reality check," says he hopes both sides will work with U.S. mediators to "find a way back." But as optimism fades, many inside and outside the Middle East warn now is not the time for a U.S. diplomatic failure in the region. Full Story | Top |
| Allstate, BofA agree to end toxic mortgage lawsuit Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:47 PM PDT  By Bernard Vaughan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Allstate Corp and Bank of America Corp's Countrywide unit have agreed to dismiss a lawsuit stemming from $700 million of toxic mortgage debt, according to a court filing on Tuesday. The parties "have agreed to dismissal of this action in its entirety," lawyers for Allstate and Countrywide said in a document filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. "The parties have agreed to resolve the matter on mutually agreeable terms," Daniel Brockett, a lawyer for Allstate, said in a telephone call Tuesday night. Representatives for Allstate and BofA declined to comment. Full Story | Top |
| Independent Scotland would face immediate 23 billion pound debt - report Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:42 PM PDT  (Reuters) - An independent Scotland would face an immediate debt repayment of 23 billion pounds to the UK Treasury, British media reported, citing a leading economics research body's estimate. According to newspapers including The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times, The National Institute for Economics and Social Research (NIESR) has warned that Scotland would have to borrow 23 billion pounds in its first year of independence, at interest rates of up to 1.65 percent higher than the UK Treasury's rates. The newspapers quoted NIESR's macro-economist Angus Armstrong as saying that the calculations were based on the Scottish government's promise after independence to repay its share of UK debt, which is expected to hit 1.7 trillion pound by 2015-16. The NIESR said that Scotland would need to make extra spending cuts above those planned by the UK government of nearly 1 percent of GDP owing to declining oil revenues, in order to meet the Maastricht target of getting national debt down to 60 percent of GDP within 10 years, according to media reports. Full Story | Top |
| Untaxed U.S. corporate profits held overseas top $2.1 trillion: study Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:35 PM PDT  By Kevin Drawbaugh and Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foreign profits held overseas by U.S. corporations to avoid taxes at home nearly doubled from 2008 to 2013 to top $2.1 trillion, said a private research firm's report, prompting a call for reform by the Senate's top tax law writer. I do think there need to be some reforms in this area," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden told reporters on Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Under U.S. law, corporations do not have to pay income tax on most of their overseas profits until they are brought into the United States. Full Story | Top |
| Obama's Kenyan aunt dies in Boston, law firm says Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:31 PM PDT President Obama's Kenyan aunt, who was granted asylum in the United States after having lived in the country illegally for several years, has died, an employee of the law firm that represented her said on Tuesday. Zeituni Onyango, 61, died in her sleep on Monday night at a nursing and rehabilitation center in South Boston, said Gordon Landefeld, marketing manager at Margaret W. Wong and Associates, a Cleveland-based firm. Landefeld said Onyango had been ill since January. Onyango, a half-sister of Obama's father, moved to the United States in 2000 and applied for asylum in 2002, citing violence in Kenya. Full Story | Top |
| Connecticut woman in D.C. car chase shot in back by officers: attorney Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:27 PM PDT (Reuters) - A Connecticut woman who was chased down and shot dead last year by Washington D.C. police after trying to ram her car through a White House barrier was struck in the back by bullets in her fatal encounter with officers, her family's lawyer said. The shooting death of Miriam Carey, 34, last October made national headlines. Her one-year-old baby, who was unhurt, was in the car with her when she got into a high-speed chase that injured two police officers and led to a Capitol lockdown. Carey died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the findings of a District of Columbia medical examiner's autopsy cited last week on the website of attorney Eric Sanders, who represents the family. Full Story | Top |
| One U.S. Marine shot and killed at North Carolina base Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:24 PM PDT (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine was shot and killed at the main gate of the Camp Lejeune base in North Carolina on Tuesday when a sentry's rifle discharged, a base spokesman said, without elaborating on whether the shooting was intentional. Marine Captain Joshua Smith said the incident was under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service but was not considered an act of terrorism or an active shooter event. Camp Lejeune, located outside Jacksonville, North Carolina, was founded in 1941 and is home to several Marine commands and one U.S. Navy command. Full Story | Top |
| Brazil election jitters may hit investments in 2014: source Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:22 PM PDT  By Alonso Soto and Luciana Otoni BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's presidential vote will likely delay some investment decisions this year but spending on infrastructure is expected to remain strong, a senior government official told Reuters on Tuesday. Although President Dilma Rousseff is the favorite to win the October 5 general election, many investors could withhold funds until the next government outlines its plans for the following four years, which could hamper the country's already slow economic growth. "But investment in infrastructure will not be affected because a lot of that construction is already under contract." The official, who is involved in economic policy decisions, said the government expects investment commitments of about 100 billion reais ($45.48 billion) between 2014 and 2015 in roads, ports, airports, power generation and distribution projects. President Rousseff, a left-leaning technocrat, launched a multibillion dollar infrastructure package in 2012 precisely to bolster investment, which is one of the main bottlenecks holding back the economy of the once-booming emerging-market star. Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon sees deal with Lockheed, Pratt on next F-35 lot by end May Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:16 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force general who runs the F-35 fighter jet program for the Pentagon said he hoped to reach agreements with both Lockheed Martin Corp and engine-maker Pratt & Whitney by the end of May for the next order of fighter planes. Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan told reporters he expected Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp, to cut the cost of the engine it builds for the fighter plane by more than the "weak" 2.5 percent reduction in the last contract. He forecast some "tough negotiating ahead." Bogdan said Pratt had not met any of the targets it set in 2009 for lowering the engine's cost. "It's not just the quantities," Bogdan told reporters after a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee's airland subcommittee. Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Iowa, North Carolina join states studying Experian breach Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:09 PM PDT  By Jim Finkle and Karen Freifeld BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iowa and North Carolina said they are looking into a breach involving a subsidiary of Experian Plc that exposed some 200 million social security numbers, in addition to two states that previously announced investigations. Separately U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, chided the company, saying she was concerned it had changed its explanation of how it was responding to the breach. McCaskill told Reuters she was troubled to learn Experian has recently said it would not be able to notify people whose social security numbers were compromised in the scheme. "It's troubling that Experian would wait three months after testifying, only to change their story, all while victims who had their identities stolen remain at risk as a result of this crime," McCaskill told Reuters via email. Full Story | Top |
| Judge criticizes State Department over Blackwater shooting case Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 05:00 PM PDT By Aruna Viswanatha WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday harshly criticized the U.S. State Department over its handling of a 2007 shooting in Baghdad involving Blackwater Worldwide security guards and asked the agency's watchdog to investigate problems that helped delay a related criminal case. "If the Department of State and Diplomatic Security Service had tried deliberately to sabotage this prosecution, they could hardly have done a better job," U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who is overseeing the criminal case against the former guards, said in an opinion dated March 26 but made public on Tuesday. He asked the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, which is prosecuting the case, to ask the inspector general of the State Department to fully investigate the problems. Full Story | Top |
| Families of autistic kids sue Disney parks over policy on lines Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 04:44 PM PDT (Reuters) - Families with autistic children have sued Walt Disney Co, alleging the company does not provide adequate access to theme park visitors with autism who have difficulty waiting in long lines for rides. In October 2013, Disney parks stopped offering autistic visitors a "guest assistance card" that let them and their families bypass lines, according to a lawsuit filed April 3 in federal court in California. Disney changed the policy after media reports of abuse of guest assistance cards, such as visitors hiring disabled people to help them skip lines. The 16 plaintiffs who are suing Disney said the company is violating requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Full Story | Top |
| Republican leader reserves judgment on congressman caught in kiss Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 04:36 PM PDT  By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said on Tuesday a fellow House Republican was right to apologize after being caught on a video kissing a woman on his staff, but Cantor declined to say whether the congressman should resign. Representative Vance McAllister of Louisiana, who is married and has five children, issued the apology on Monday after the building surveillance video was posted by the Ouachita Citizen newspaper on its website. I'm glad he issued an apology," Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican, told reporters after he was pressed on whether McAllister should resign. "I've not had a chance to speak to the congressman, so I am going to reserve further judgment on the question," Cantor said. Full Story | Top |
| Briton wins prize for UK exit plan from EU, says economy could benefit Tuesday, Apr 08, 2014 04:30 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Britain's economy could grow by 1.3 billion pounds if it left the European Union due to less regulation and more trade with emerging economies, a British diplomat who dreamt up a prize-winning blueprint for the country's EU exit said on Tuesday. Britain's free market Institute of Economic Affairs on Tuesday awarded a 100,000-euro prize to Iain Mansfield, a British diplomat based in the Philippines, who it decided had come up with the best blueprint for a 'Brexit,' a British departure from the EU. Many opinion polls suggest a slim majority would vote to leave the 28-nation bloc and that the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) is on course to come first or second in elections to the European Parliament next month. Mansfield said Britain could join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to avoid bureaucratic burdens on business linked to Britain's membership of the EU, saying it could position itself as somewhere between Switzerland and Turkey, neither of which are EU member states. Full Story | Top |
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