Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: | | Campaign to bring Uganda's Kony to justice heats up Fri,20 Apr 2012 07:54 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starting with grassroots service projects to create buzz and public support, activists out to stop notorious Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony spread out in U.S. cities on Friday in a campaign aimed at justice half way around the world. In Los Angeles, three dozen high school girls removed weeds, trash and graffiti from their campus. The girls were among small groups of activists who, inspired by the viral "Kony 2012" video, worked to attract media before a bid to paper cities from New York to San Diego overnight with anti-Kony art and posters. ... Full Story | Top | Japan to provide Y600 billion in ODA to Mekong nations in 3 years Fri,20 Apr 2012 07:46 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Saturday Tokyo would provide 600 billion yen ($7.35 billion) in official development aid to Mekong region countries in three years from April 2013 to help improve the region's infrastructure and boost the area's economy. Noda made the announcement following a meeting with leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar - countries with strong growth prospects. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Ron Popeski) Full Story | Top | University of Colorado clamps down on "pot fest" but many light up Fri,20 Apr 2012 07:36 PM PDT Reuters - BOULDER, Colo. (Reuters) - The University of Colorado sought on Friday to clamp down on a huge annual marijuana fest, but after initially restricting access to the school, police later stood back and watched hundreds of people light up in a campus field. Three protesters who crossed police lines at the Boulder campus were arrested for trespassing and about 11 others cited, but a confrontation thought possible between protesters and police never materialized. ... Full Story | Top | Cancelling F1 would "empower extremists": Bahrain Prince Fri,20 Apr 2012 06:39 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Cancelling Sunday's Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix would only "empower extremists", the country's Crown Prince told reporters on Friday as police in the small Gulf state battled to put down pro-democracy protests. Prince Salman did not respond directly to questions about whether he could guarantee the safety of teams, however, saying instead that he was able to guarantee that the protests were not directed against Formula One. ... Full Story | Top | F1 bosses "comfortable" with Bahrain GP security Fri,20 Apr 2012 06:39 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Leading Formula One team principals expressed confidence in security measures at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday even as police and protesters faced off with teargas and petrol bombs half an hour up the road. On a day again dominated by politics and safety concerns, as well as a visit to the circuit by the country's Crown Prince, those charged with running the teams battled to focus on motor racing. ... Full Story | Top | Thousands of Bahrainis gather to protest as F1 starts Fri,20 Apr 2012 06:39 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - At least 5,000 demonstrators gathered close to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, on Friday as a three-day Grand Prix got underway in a country that has been convulsed by more than a year of pro-democracy protests. The protesters - from the majority Shi'ite community - assembled in the Budaiya area near Manama. They say they feel sidelined by a Sunni-controlled ruling elite, and have made it clear they want to use the world's focus on the glitzy Formula One event to air their grievances. ... Full Story | Top | Tasering video raises border agent abuse concerns Fri,20 Apr 2012 06:31 PM PDT Reuters - SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - In a grainy video clip shot in May 2010 on the California side of the U.S.-Mexico border, an illegal immigrant lies on the ground in a fetal position, circled by at least a dozen federal agents as one repeatedly shocks him with an electric stun gun. The previously undisclosed footage, obtained by a lawyer for the man's family in a wrongful-death suit brought against the U.S. government, appears in a Public Broadcasting Service television documentary set to air nationally on Friday night. ... Full Story | Top | U.N. council schedules Saturday vote on Syria monitors Fri,20 Apr 2012 06:24 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a vote on a draft resolution on Saturday to authorize the deployment to Syria of up to 300 unarmed military observers, despite U.S. and European concerns that Damascus has yet to fully implement a ceasefire. The United Nations announced on Friday the 15-nation council planned to hold the vote at 11:00 a.m. EDT. It will be considering a compromise resolution that combines Russian and European drafts. ... Full Story | Top | Obama kicks off battle vs. Romney with big money lead Fri,20 Apr 2012 05:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney had his best fundraising month yet in March, but the presumed Republican nominee remained far behind Democratic President Barack Obama in the money game, filings with the Federal Election Commission showed on Friday. Romney reported raising nearly $12.7 million last month, with some $10.1 million left in the bank as he sought to wrap up the nomination and focus on raising money for the costly fight to unseat Obama in the November 6 election. The deep-pocketed "Super" political action committee (PAC) that supports Romney, Restore Our Future, brought in $8. ... Full Story | Top | Public-private deals seen boosting road projects Fri,20 Apr 2012 05:46 PM PDT Reuters - LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Financing for roads and highways is likely to attract a growing number of public-private partnerships once Congress passes federal transportation funding, a panel of experts at a Federal Association of Municipal Analysts conference in Las Vegas said on Friday. Congress last month opted for a 90-day extension of transportation funding amid a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over competing long-term proposals, casting uncertainty over the eventual level of federal spending for building and repairing highways. ... Full Story | Top | Malawi seeks new IMF program: mission chief Fri,20 Apr 2012 05:37 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Malawi has requested a new financing program from the International Monetary Fund necessary to unlock needed aid from Western donors, a senior IMF official said on Friday. The IMF's mission chief to Malawi, Tsidi Tsikata, told Reuters discussions on IMF support had begun on the sidelines of meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington. He said an IMF mission would travel to Malawi before the end of May to discuss details of an economic program, which would be supported by an IMF loan. ... Full Story | Top | Romney asks Republicans to rally around him Fri,20 Apr 2012 05:09 PM PDT Reuters - SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Reuters) - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney worked on Friday to rally party leaders behind his cause and overcome lingering suspicions that he is too moderate, but failed to get all to pledge allegiance. Romney called for unity at a Republican National Committee conference in the Arizona desert that brought together party representatives from each state, some of whom had backed one of Romney's rivals for the nomination. In his speech, Romney kept the focus on Democratic President Barack Obama's handling of the sluggish U.S. economy. ... Full Story | Top | Three more Secret Service Agents resign Fri,20 Apr 2012 04:57 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service said on Friday that three more of its employees have resigned, bringing to six the number that have left the agency in connection with alleged misconduct involving prostitutes in Colombia last week before President Barack Obama's trip there. The Secret Service also said that a 12th employee had been implicated in the ongoing investigation into a night of partying on April 11-12 that embarrassed the United States and overshadowed Obama's participation in the Summit of the Americas last weekend. ... Full Story | Top | University of Colorado clamps down on "pot fest" Fri,20 Apr 2012 04:25 PM PDT Reuters - BOULDER, Colo. (Reuters) - The University of Colorado clamped down on a huge annual marijuana fest on Friday by restricting access to the school and a field where the "smoke-in" is traditionally held, and three protesters were arrested ahead of the event. The three young men were handcuffed and taken away after they crossed yellow police tape to stand in the field at the Boulder campus, holding signs that read: "Have a happy 4/20/1984" and "A violation of 1st Amendment, the right to peaceably assemble. ... Full Story | Top | Romney asks Republicans to circle wagons around his candidacy Fri,20 Apr 2012 04:20 PM PDT Reuters - SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Reuters) - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney worked on Friday to rally party leaders behind his cause and overcome lingering suspicions that he is too moderate, but failed to get all to pledge allegiance. Romney called for unity at a Republican National Committee conference in the Arizona desert that brought together party representatives from each state, some of whom had backed one of Romney's rivals for the nomination. In his speech, Romney kept the focus on Democratic President Barack Obama's handling of the sluggish U.S. economy. ... Full Story | Top | Air Force Two carrying Biden struck by birds, lands safely Fri,20 Apr 2012 04:17 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Air Force Two plane carrying Vice President Joe Biden was struck by birds in California on Thursday, a spokeswoman for his office said, but it landed without problem and the vice president, passengers and crew were safe at all times. The incident occurred on Thursday night as Air Force Two was landing in Santa Barbara, California. A person familiar with the situation said the landing felt normal to people on board. "The vice president left Santa Barbara this afternoon as scheduled, aboard an alternate U.S. Air Force aircraft," the spokeswoman said. ... Full Story | Top | Obama kicks off battle vs. Romney with big money lead Fri,20 Apr 2012 04:17 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney had his best fundraising month yet in March, but the presumed Republican nominee remained far behind Democratic President Barack Obama in the money game, filings with the Federal Election Commission showed on Friday. Romney reported raising nearly $12.7 million last month, with some $10.1 million left in the bank as he sought to wrap up the nomination and focus on raising money for the costly fight to unseat Obama in the November 6 election. The deep-pocketed "Super" political action committee (PAC) that supports Romney, Restore Our Future, brought in $8. ... Full Story | Top | U.S. nuclear chief says he's no bully to women Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:53 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. nuclear safety regulator reiterated on Friday he does not bully women, a day after President Barack Obama said he would renominate one of the agency's commissioners who had accused the chairman of ill treatment. "There's been a little bit of talk recently about my treatment of women ... any of these accusations that I specifically target women are categorically untrue," Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told a hastily arranged news conference at the National Press Club. ... Full Story | Top | Trayvon Martin's killer gets bail, apologizes to family Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:51 PM PDT Reuters - SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman apologized to the family of Trayvon Martin on Friday, stunning a rapt courtroom and a national television audience at a hearing in which the judge granted Zimmerman $150,000 bail on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of the unarmed black teenager. Zimmerman's surprise appearance on the witness stand added an unexpected twist to a saga that has riveted the country, provoked civil rights protests nationwide and fired a national debate over guns, self-defense laws and race in America. ... Full Story | Top | Republicans eye $680 million for Israel's "Iron Dome" shield Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States would spend an additional $680 million through 2015 to strengthen Israel's short-range rocket shield under a plan crafted by House of Representatives' Republicans, two congressional staff members disclosed on Friday. The figure could put election-year pressure on President Barack Obama's administration to spell out what it deems suitable support for the "Iron Dome," which has played an increasingly important role in Israeli security. ... Full Story | Top | Factbox: IMF gets funding commitments of over $430 billion Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:42 PM PDT Reuters - The International Monetary Fund has secured public commitments of over $430 billion in funding to help the IMF safeguard economies from the debt crisis in Europe. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said she had firm commitments from large emerging economies China, Russia, India and Brazil to contribute money. They will announce the exact sums of money at a G20 leaders' summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, in June. Russia has already said it will commit $10 billion. The following is a list of commitments by country, region or grouping of countries. ... Full Story | Top | U.S. resolves 3-year debate on investment treaty terms Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:35 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The government on Friday said it has resolved a three-year internal debate on how strongly to press countries like China to protect workers' rights and the environment in negotiations on treaties to protect U.S. foreign investment. The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Trade Representative's office issued a joint statement outlining a so-called "model BIT" (Bilateral Investment Treaty) that will be used as a template in future negotiations. The new terms of the treaty include demands foreign governments not relax environmental or labor laws to draw investment by U.S. ... Full Story | Top | Three more employees resigning over Colombia incident Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:31 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three more U.S. Secret Service employees are resigning over a scandal in Colombia involving prostitutes, and an additional 12 employee has been implicated in the incident, the agency said on Friday. One Secret Service employee was cleared of "serious misconduct" and will face administrative action, the agency said. "In addition to the previously announced personnel actions, three additional employees have chosen to resign," Assistant Director Paul Morrissey said in a statement. (Reporting By Tabassum Zakaria) Full Story | Top | F1 bosses "comfortable" with Bahrain GP security Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:23 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Leading Formula One team principals expressed confidence in security measures at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday even as police and protesters faced off with teargas and petrol bombs half an hour up the road. On a day again dominated by politics and safety concerns, as well as a visit to the circuit by the country's Crown Prince, those charged with running the teams battled to focus on motor racing. ... Full Story | Top | Thousands of Bahrainis gather to protest as F1 starts Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:23 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - At least 5,000 demonstrators gathered close to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, on Friday as a three-day Grand Prix got underway in a country that has been convulsed by more than a year of pro-democracy protests. The protesters - from the majority Shi'ite community - assembled in the Budaiya area near Manama. They say they feel sidelined by a Sunni-controlled ruling elite, and have made it clear they want to use the world's focus on the glitzy Formula One event to air their grievances. ... Full Story | Top | Cancelling F1 would "empower extremists": Bahrain Prince Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:23 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Cancelling Sunday's Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix would only "empower extremists", the country's Crown Prince told reporters on Friday as police in the small Gulf state battled to put down pro-democracy protests. Prince Salman did not respond directly to questions about whether he could guarantee the safety of teams, however, saying instead that he was able to guarantee that the protests were not directed against Formula One. ... Full Story | Top | Bahrain Grand Prix to go ahead as protests flare Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:18 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA, April 21 (Reuters) - Bahrain was under tightsecurity on Saturday after violent clashes between police andanti-government protesters overshadowed this weekend's FormulaOne Grand Prix race meeting in the Gulf state. The protesters, mostly from the majority Shi'ite Muslimcommunity, blame the Sunni ruling elite for shutting them out ofopportunities, jobs and housing, and are keenly aware of theattention the motor race has focused on Bahrain, which in 2004became the first country in the region to host Formula One. ... Full Story | Top | Egyptians mass to demand army retreat from power Fri,20 Apr 2012 03:02 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanded on Friday that their military rulers stick to a pledge to hand over power by mid-year after a row over who can run in the presidential election raised doubts about the army's commitment to democracy. Two leading Islamist candidates, one representing the Muslim Brotherhood who was seen as the frontrunner, were among those disqualified this week from a vote that starts on May 23-24, drawing a storm of criticism from supporters and the candidates. ... Full Story | Top | Alabama court says bonds not needed for muni bankruptcies Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:38 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Jefferson County and other Alabama local governments do not have to have bonds as debt to file for Chapter 9 federal bankruptcy, the state's top court said on Friday. In a 13-page opinion supporting Jefferson County, which last November filed the biggest U.S. municipal bankruptcy, the Alabama Supreme Court said another distressed local government, the City of Prichard, was eligible for Chapter 9 filing under Alabama law even though Prichard had no outstanding bonds. ... Full Story | Top | Obama, courting youth vote, sets student-loan push Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:30 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will use a tour of election battleground states next week to push Congress to prevent interest rates on federal student loans from doubling, a move that could appeal to middle-class and younger voters crucial to his re-election chances. Obama will make his pitch in speeches at universities in North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa, three states expected to play a major role in the November election. The youth vote is a key national constituency his campaign team hopes to re-energize. ... Full Story | Top | U.N. Council negotiating Syria monitors resolution Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and the European Union on Friday circulated separate draft U.N. Security Council resolutions to authorize the deployment to Syria of up to 300 more ceasefire observers and a vote over the weekend was likely, diplomats said. There are seven monitors already in Syria after the council authorized an advance team of up to 30 on Saturday. A new resolution is needed for a further "initial deployment" of up to 300 as recommended by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. ... Full Story | Top | FDA says nanotech may need extra safety tests Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:20 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said consumer products that use nanotechnology may have unknown effects on the human body, and advised food and cosmetic companies to further study the safety of these tiny particles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued two draft guidelines on Friday calling for more studies, putting, for now, much of the onus for safety on companies. The FDA also rejected a consumer group's petition from 2006 that urged a separate category of regulation for nanotechnology due to its "unique human health and environmental risks. ... Full Story | Top | Illinois governor unveils "bold" plan to save pensions Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:15 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois would shore up its sagging public employment retirement system under a plan outlined on Friday by Governor Pat Quinn that gives workers a choice between higher contributions and lower benefits. With pension funding absorbing more and more of the state's budget, Quinn said his plan would save taxpayers $65 billion to $85 billion over 30 years and help stop a further fall in the state's relatively low credit ratings. Illinois' unfunded pension liability has grown to a huge $83 billion after the state skimped on funding for years. ... Full Story | Top | "Milestone" oil manipulation case unsettles traders Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:09 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. regulators' $14 million settlement with high-frequency trading firm Optiver over oil price manipulation in 2007 is a "milestone" victory in their toughening stance on market malfeasance which is being closely watched by traders. In its first major case against an algorithmic trader, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said late on Thursday that a court settlement required the Amsterdam-based firm to disgorge $1 million in profits and pay $13 million over allegations it used a rapid-fire tool nicknamed "The Hammer" to influence U.S. oil prices in 2007. ... Full Story | Top | Catholic nuns group "stunned" by Vatican slap Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:07 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - A prominent U.S. Catholic nuns' group said on Thursday it was "stunned" that the Vatican reprimanded it for spending too much time on poverty and social justice concerns and not enough on abortion and gay marriage. In a stinging report on Wednesday, the Vatican said the Leadership Conference of Women Religious had been "silent on the right to life" and had failed to make the "Biblical view of family life and human sexuality" a central plank in its agenda. ... Full Story | Top | South Sudan withdraws from oil area, easing border crisis Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:06 PM PDT Reuters - JUBA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) - South Sudan said on Friday it would withdraw its troops from the disputed Heglig oil region more than a week after seizing it from Sudan, pulling the countries back from the brink of a full-blown war. Sudan quickly declared victory, saying its armed forces had "liberated" the area by force as thousands of people poured onto the streets of Khartoum cheering, dancing, honking car horns and waving flags. ... Full Story | Top | U.S. to guarantee loans to help Tunisian transition Fri,20 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will provide as much as "several hundred million dollars" of loan guarantees to support Tunisia's democratic transition and economic recovery, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday. "Last October, President (Barack) Obama made clear the United States' commitment to supporting Tunisia's historic transformation," U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement after signing a declaration of intent with Tunisian Finance Minister Houcine Dimassi. ... Full Story | Top | Pentagon "can manage" satellite imagery cuts Fri,20 Apr 2012 01:57 PM PDT Reuters - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) - Top U.S. military officials, grappling with proposed budget cuts for commercial satellite imagery, said new government-owned satellites, manned planes and other equipment can fill the gap. "We believe we can manage that," said Air Force General Robert Kehler, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, which is responsible for U.S. operations in space and cyberspace, referring to a decision to cut funding for orders for imagery from GeoEye Inc and DigitalGlobe Inc. ... Full Story | Top | Pentagon "can manage" satellite imagery cuts Fri,20 Apr 2012 01:54 PM PDT Reuters - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) - Top U.S. military officials, grappling with proposed budget cuts for commercial satellite imagery, said new government-owned satellites, manned planes and other equipment can fill the gap. "We believe we can manage that," said Air Force General Robert Kehler, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, which is responsible for U.S. operations in space and cyberspace, referring to a decision to cut funding for orders for imagery from GeoEye Inc and DigitalGlobe Inc. ... Full Story | Top | The triumph of the social animal Fri,20 Apr 2012 01:42 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Does fairness matter? As France prepares to elect a president this spring and the United States gets ready to elect a president in the autumn, that old philosopher's chestnut is gaining tremendous real-time political relevance. Economics, by contrast, hasn't traditionally been much concerned with fairness. Instead, economists have based their analysis on "Homo economicus," a model human being who is perfectly rational and perfectly guided by self-interest. ... Full Story | Top |
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