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Romney takes fight to Obama in first debate
Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:55 PM PDT
Reuters -  DENVER (Reuters) - An aggressive Mitt Romney took the fight to President Barack Obama on Wednesday and the Republican candidate appeared to breathe new life into his struggling campaign with a solid performance at their first debate. As polls showed Obama with a slight edge among voters, Romney was on the offensive throughout the 90-minute encounter between the two rivals at the University of Denver. ...
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Argentina's coast guard, military police in wage protest
Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:53 PM PDT
Reuters -  BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's coast guard and military police held unprecedented wage protests on Wednesday, prompting the government to fire the heads of both services while Congress called for an orderly resolution of the dispute. Strikes over wages are common in Argentina, where inflation is running at more than 20 percent annually, according to private economists. But this was the first time in memory that uniformed Argentine military forces have taken to the streets over wages. Talks aimed at ending the dispute reached late into the night. "We support democracy. ...
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Factbox: Quotes from first U.S. presidential debate
Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:52 PM PDT
Reuters - (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday faced off in Denver in the first of three debates ahead of the November 6 election. Below are some highlights of what the two candidates said during the widely televised 90-minute encounter: FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY On Obama's economic plan: "I'm concerned that we're on the path that's just been unsuccessful. ... Full Story | Top |
Clinton pledges full accounting of deadly Benghazi attack
Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:44 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday vowed to pursue a full accounting of the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi "wherever that leads," but cautioned that it could take time for a complete picture to emerge. "There are continuing questions about what exactly happened in Benghazi on that night three weeks ago. And we will not rest until we answer those questions and until we track down the terrorists who killed our people," Clinton said in an appearance with Kazakhstan's visiting foreign minister. ...
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PETA protests injury to whale at SeaWorld San Diego
Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:32 PM PDT
Reuters -  SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Activists with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protested what they called poor conditions for killer whales and their trainers at SeaWorld San Diego on Wednesday, a week after filing a federal complaint saying the theme park had failed to keep incompatible animals apart. The group is protesting a September 20 incident when they say a killer whale at the park, named Nakai, lost "a dinner plate sized chunk of flesh" after another orca attacked him. SeaWorld said the injury was caused by contact with the walls of the cement pool during a performance. ...
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McCaskill reports $5.8 million raised in Akin contest
Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:35 PM PDT
Reuters -  KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Senator Claire McCaskill, whose Missouri re-election campaign has attracted national attention since her Republican challenger made controversial remarks about rape, said on Wednesday she raised $5.8 million in the last quarter. ...
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Father of bodyguard injured in Libya questions State Dept. response
Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:29 PM PDT
Reuters -  (Reuters) - The father of an American bodyguard injured in the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, said on Wednesday the State Department should own up to what he said were its mistakes and release more information about what occurred. David Ubben, a 31-year-old State Department employee, suffered broken bones and other injuries in the September 11 attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans. ...
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Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. may not campaign ahead of election: report
Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:04 PM PDT
Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - The wife of Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. said on Wednesday the nine-term congressman - who has not made any public appearances since going on medical leave in June - may not appear in public to campaign ahead of the November 6 election, according to the Chicago Tribune. In late July, after a series of statements from Jackson's office and doctors that raised more questions than they answered, the Mayo Clinic announced it was treating the congressman for bipolar disorder. He was released last month and is now convalescing at home, according to his office. ... Full Story | Top |
Turkey strikes back at Syria after mortar kills five
Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT
Reuters -  AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish artillery hit targets inside Syria on Wednesday after a mortar bomb fired from Syrian territory killed five Turkish civilians, while NATO called for an immediate end to Syria's "aggressive acts". In the most serious cross-border escalation of the 18-month uprising in Syria, Turkey hit back at what it called "the last straw" when a mortar hit a residential neighborhood of the southern border town of Akcakale. NATO said it stood by member-nation Turkey and urged Syria to put an end to "flagrant violations of international law". The U.S. ...
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Florida opens criminal probe into voter registration firm
Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:56 PM PDT
Reuters - TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Authorities in Florida opened a criminal probe on Wednesday into the activities of Strategic Allied Consulting, the firm hired by the Republican Party to register new voters in the crucial swing state ahead of next month's presidential election. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said there was enough evidence to warrant a full-blown investigation of Strategic Allied, a Virginia-based voter registration company doing work for the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Florida. ... Full Story | Top |
Camera stolen with last photos of young Colorado movie theater victim
Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:36 PM PDT
Reuters -  DENVER (Reuters) - The grandfather of a 6-year-old girl killed in July's movie theater massacre in Colorado implored thieves who stole a camera with the last photographs taken of her to return it to the grieving family. Robert Sullivan said the theft of the camera with the pictures of Veronica Moser-Sullivan, the youngest victim of the July 20 mass shootings at a suburban Denver movie theater, had compounded the family's sorrow. "It's been a never-ending nightmare," Sullivan told Reuters on Wednesday. ...
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Turkey asks U.N. Security Council to act after Syria attack
Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:11 PM PDT
Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Turkey on Wednesday asked the U.N. Security Council to take the "necessary action" to stop Syrian aggression and ensure that the government there respect Turkish territorial sovereignty after a mortar bomb fired from Syria killed five Turkish civilians. "This is an act of aggression by Syria against Turkey," Turkish U.N. Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan said in a letter to the president of the 15-nation Security Council, Guatemalan Ambassador Gert Rosenthal. ... Full Story | Top |
Rajoy, Monti, Hollande to discuss euro zone on Friday
Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:10 PM PDT
Reuters -  MADRID (Reuters) - The leaders of Spain, France and Italy will meet on Friday on the sidelines of a Mediterranean summit in Malta, the office of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Wednesday. The meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and French President Francois Hollande will take place at 1600 GMT. Two sources with knowledge of the matter said the three leaders would discuss financial issues in the euro zone, including a plan to help Spain handle its finances. ...
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L.A. County Sheriff says will implement jail reforms, won't quit
Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:07 PM PDT
Reuters -  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, blamed by an investigative commission for failing to stop excessive force in the nation's largest county jail system, said on Wednesday he would implement many of its suggested reforms but has no plans to step down. The changes advocated by the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence last week included revamping how use-of-force cases are investigated and disciplined, better oversight and tracking of inmate complaints and the use of video cameras worn by deputies. ...
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Canada inspectors cite delays getting tainted meat data
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:49 PM PDT
Reuters -  (Reuters) - Canadian food inspectors could not immediately get key information from packer XL Foods after detecting E. coli bacteria in its beef, adding to a nearly two-week delay in launching one of the country's largest-ever meat recalls. Authorities learned about the presence of E. coli in beef produced at the XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alberta, from U.S. authorities on September 4, triggering a Canadian investigation. ...
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Authorities eye retirement accounts as possible tax dodges
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:44 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department is examining individual retirement accounts as vehicles for potential tax avoidance, a top tax official said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers released on Wednesday. Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the individual retirement account, or IRA, of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and asked the agencies to look into potential tax skirting by IRA holders. Romney has disclosed that his IRA contained up to $101 million, despite annual limits of much smaller amounts. ... Full Story | Top |
Insight: Delays dog U.S. government loans to green energy projects
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:41 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A year after the U.S. government raced to meet a deadline to finish loan agreements with dozens of clean energy companies, less than half the total money promised has been handed over. Technical questions and companies' own failures in hitting contractual milestones are behind some of the holdups. But government officials fearful of taking a risk on firms that could collapse may have also caused some of the delays. ...
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Colombia's Santos recovering from successful cancer surgery
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:40 PM PDT
Reuters -  BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' surgery for non-aggressive prostate cancer was successful and the 61-year-old is recovering well, his medical team said on Wednesday. Midway through his four-year term, Santos surprised the Andean nation on Monday by announcing that doctors had discovered a cancerous growth on his prostate. He said the disease had been caught in time and there was minimal risk. "Thank God, everything went well. I'm recuperating well. My family and I are very grateful for all your support," Santos said in a message on Twitter after the surgery. ...
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Mexican troops arrest two in killing of U.S. border agent: officials
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:39 PM PDT
Reuters -  MEXICO CITY/PHOENIX (Reuters) - Mexican troops arrested two men on Wednesday suspected of involvement in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot dead in Arizona while responding to a tripped ground sensor, Mexican security officials said. The agent who died was among three who were patrolling on foot about 5 miles north of the international border when gunfire erupted well before daybreak on Tuesday. A second agent was also wounded while the third, a woman, was unharmed. ...
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Palestinian U.N. status likely to be debated in November
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:26 PM PDT
Reuters -  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations is likely to hold a debate on whether to upgrade the Palestinians' U.N. status to a sovereign country in mid-November - after the U.S. election, the president of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly said on Wednesday. Having failed last year to win recognition of full statehood at the United Nations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last week he would seek a less-ambitious status upgrade at the world body to make it a "non-member state" like the Vatican. The Palestinians' current U.N. status is an "observer entity. ...
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Russia's Lavrov skipped big powers' Iran meeting at U.N.
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:24 PM PDT
Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stayed away from a meeting of six world powers on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week because he had to attend another "urgent matter," Russia's U.N. mission said on Wednesday. Last week, a foreign ministerial-level meeting was convened in New York with the five permanent U.N. Security Council members - The United States, France, Britain, Russia and China - and Germany. The meeting was inconclusive, diplomats said. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also attended the meeting. ... Full Story | Top |
Obama campaign winning ad war in key battleground states: study
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:13 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ads for President Barack Obama's reelection campaign dominated TV airwaves in key states in September, despite Republican challenger Mitt Romney's powerful "Super PAC" backers, according to an academic analysis released on Wednesday. Republican Super Political Action Committees and tax-exempt advocacy groups - which can raise and spend unlimited funds - had been widely expected to give Romney an advantage in the campaign for the November 6 election, as they focus almost exclusively on advertising, a crucial way to reach voters. ...
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Romney floats tax deductions cap idea resembling one from Obama
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:12 PM PDT
Reuters -  (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's talk of putting a cap on income tax deductions aligns him with others, including President Barack Obama, behind a tax code change that could gain traction in Washington. On Tuesday, the eve of his first debate with Obama, the Republican presidential challenger told Fox News TV in Denver that one option for changing the code could be to cap deductions, perhaps at $17,000 for a middle class family. "You could use your charitable deduction or your home mortgage deduction, or others. Your healthcare deduction. And you can fill that ... $17,000 bucket that way," he said. ...
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Bill Clinton fires up Democratic voters in New Hampshire
Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:03 PM PDT
Reuters -  DURHAM, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton took to the campaign trail in New Hampshire on Wednesday, lending President Barack Obama some firepower in a battleground state that has recently warmed to the idea of a second term for the incumbent. Hours before Obama takes on Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Denver in the pair's first nationally televised debate, the 42nd U.S. President fired up a rally at the University of New Hampshire-Durham. ...
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Texas settles lawsuit over effort to purge dead from voter roll
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:56 PM PDT
Reuters - AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas officials on Wednesday reminded voter registrars that they are expected to review records of voters who may be dead and should update the rolls when they confirm that a voter "is actually deceased." The clarification memo was part of a settlement of a lawsuit over the state's effort to remove dead people from the voter registration rolls. "We are pleased to put this matter behind us and move forward in this process," Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
Pentagon has resources to implement Asia strategy: Carter
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:42 PM PDT
Reuters -  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday offered a broad defense of the U.S. military's shift in focus to the Asia-Pacific region, insisting the Pentagon had the resources to implement the new strategy despite concerns about tight budgets. Carter, speaking at the release of a new study on the military challenge from China, said the Pentagon would increasingly focus its resources on the Asia-Pacific in coming years, adding new ships in the region as well as F-35 joint strike fighters as they become available. ...
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Kleiner partner leaves amid suit, firm says she's still on staff
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:34 PM PDT
Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A sexual harassment lawsuit that rocked Silicon Valley has taken another turn, with the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner who filed the suit saying the firm told her on Monday to "leave and not come back." The venture-capital firm, however, said she was still an employee. "I have been terminated from my job at KPCB," Ellen Pao wrote in a post on the question-and-answer site Quora late Tuesday. "On Monday afternoon, senior management told me to clean out my office, leave, and not come back." (http://tinyurl. ... Full Story | Top |
U.S. breaks up alleged Russian high-tech smuggling network
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:31 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department said on Wednesday it had broken up an elaborate network aimed at illegally acquiring U.S.-made microelectronic components for Russian military and spy agencies. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York unsealed an indictment charging 11 alleged participants in the network, as well as companies based in Houston, Texas, and Moscow, with illegally exporting high-tech components from the United States to Russian security agencies. U.S. officials did not identify the American companies from whom the components were bought. ... Full Story | Top |
Presidential debate seen as potential turning point for Romney
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:25 PM PDT
Reuters -  DENVER (Reuters) - U.S. Republican candidate Mitt Romney gets his first chance on Wednesday evening to go head-to-head in a debate against President Barack Obama, and potentially turn the tide of a campaign that has seen him trailing for weeks. The 90-minute encounter could reach 60 million people on television, a far bigger audience than watched either candidate speak at the Democratic and Republican conventions. While that could pay dividends in attracting undecided voters, there is also the risk of a major mistake that could overshadow the last five weeks before the November 6 election. ...
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Argentine coast guard, military police hold rare strike
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:15 PM PDT
Reuters -  BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina fired its chief coast guard and military police officials on Wednesday after an unprecedented two-day protest by rank-and-file officers demanding better wages. Pay strikes are common in Argentina, where inflation is more than 20 percent annually, according to private economists. But this was the first time in memory that uniformed Argentine military forces have protested over wages. "We support democracy. This is not a political uprising. ...
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FTC settles with company that made Bieber, other fan websites
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:09 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The company that makes fan websites for such tween favorites as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Rihanna has agreed to pay $1 million to settle charges that it illegally collected data about more than 100,000 children. The Federal Trade Commission, in a complaint filed in a New York district court on Tuesday, had accused Artist Arena LLC of failing to get parental consent before collecting data like names and email addresses of children. FTC spokeswoman Claudia Bourne Farrell said the company agreed to settle for $1 million. ... Full Story | Top |
Syria urges restraint after Turkish strike
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:05 PM PDT
Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said on Wednesday it was investigating the source of a mortar bomb that killed five civilians in a residential border area in Turkey and urged restraint after Ankara responded by firing artillery shells at unspecified Syrian targets. Syria's Information Minister Omran Zoabi also conveyed his condolences to the Turkish people, saying his country respected the sovereignty of neighboring countries. Other countries should also respect Syria's sovereignty and police their borders to stop gunmen from entering Syria, he said. ... Full Story | Top |
NATO demands halt to Syria aggression against Turkey
Wed,3 Oct 2012 03:04 PM PDT
Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO demanded an immediate halt to "aggressive acts" against alliance member Turkey on Wednesday after a mortar strike launched from Syria killed five Turkish civilians. Ambassadors from the alliance's 28 member nations held an emergency late-night meeting at NATO headquarters, at Turkey's request, to discuss the strike. The shelling "constitutes a cause of greatest concern for, and is strongly condemned by, all allies", the NATO ambassadors said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
Florida weighs case of illegal immigrant who passed bar exam
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:55 PM PDT
Reuters -  TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Florida's Supreme Court on Tuesday grilled attorneys on the implications of issuing a law license to an undocumented immigrant and law school graduate who passed the Florida Bar exam after disclosing he was in the United States illegally. As 26-year-old Jose Manuel Godinez-Samperio of Mexico watched the proceedings from the gallery, one judge accused the Florida Board of Bar Examiners of putting the state in an awkward situation. "It seems very strange," Justice R. ...
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Turkey says US pledges support at U.N., NATO on Syria
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:30 PM PDT
Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has been assured of Washington's full support at the United Nations and NATO after a mortar bomb fired from Syria killed five civilians on its territory, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave the assurances to Davutoglu in a phone call, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Turkey's armed forces hit targets inside Syria in response to the mortar strike. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Michael Roddy) Full Story | Top |
Chicago Mayor Emanuel dumps city ethics board members
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:27 PM PDT
Reuters -  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday the replacement of the city's entire ethics board with seven new members, saying the new board will have the professionalism to do the job in a city notorious for corruption. "These nominees will ensure that everyone in public office understands exactly where they stand and who they serve," said Emanuel in a statement. ...
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U.S. vows support for Turkey after Syria mortar strike
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday strongly condemned Syria's deadly shelling across its border with Turkey, saying "we stand with our Turkish ally." "All responsible nations must make clear that it is long past time for Assad to step aside, declare a ceasefire and begin the long-overdue political transition process," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said, referring to President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown on an uprising against his rule. ... Full Story | Top |
UPDATE 2-Soccer-Rodriguez breaks PSG's resolve to send Porto top
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:18 PM PDT
Reuters - * Wasteful Porto controlled match * PSG's Ibrahimovic missed two chances (Adds quotes) LISBON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Colombian James Rodriguez hit a swerving left-footed winner with five minutes to go to hand Porto a 1-0 victory over Paris St Germain and give the Portuguese champions maximum points in Champions League Group A after two rounds. Porto bossed PSG from the start, pressed high and controlled most of possession, relegating the Ligue 1 runners-up to occasional counter attacks. Although Rodriguez's goal came late, there were plenty of chances for both sides. ... Full Story | Top |
Italian protester climbs down from St Peter's Basilica in Rome
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:15 PM PDT
Reuters -  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - An Italian beach bar owner who climbed onto the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome to protest against plans to open up the country's seafront business sector to more competition came down on Wednesday after a 24-hour protest. Marcello Di Finizio, sometime owner of a business that rents out umbrellas and lounge chairs to sunbathers, leapt over railings near the top of the 137 meter (450 feet) high dome on Tuesday afternoon before abseiling down to a ledge over a window in the cupola. ...
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Pentagon calls Syria mortar strike "depraved," monitoring events
Wed,3 Oct 2012 02:08 PM PDT
Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday strongly condemned Syria's deadly mortar strike into Turkey and said it was closely monitoring the situation. "This is yet another example of the depraved behavior of the Syrian regime, and why it must go. We regret the loss of life in Turkey, a strong ally," Pentagon spokesman George Little said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart) Full Story | Top |
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