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| Japan's Abe to pick MP Kishida as foreign minister: Kyodo Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:09 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will appoint lower house lawmaker Fumio Kishida to the key post of foreign minister, Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday, as the government seeks to balance a bolder diplomatic stance with the need to repair frayed ties with China and South Korea. The hawkish Abe must balance the need to stabilize relations with key trade partner Beijing and U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. approves new debate on arms treaty opposed by U.S. gun lobby Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:13 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Monday to restart negotiations on a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms, a pact the powerful U.S. National Rifle Association has been lobbying hard against. U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely because U.S. President Barack Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney before the November 6 election if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge U.S. officials have denied. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan's policy veteran Motegi likely to serve as trade minister: media Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:00 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Incoming Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to pick policy veteran Toshimitsu Motegi as trade minister, who will also take charge of energy and other key economic policies, media reported on Tuesday. Motegi, 57, a former policy affairs chief for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), will tackle energy problems after last year's Fukushima nuclear crisis, as well as issues such as the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact, public broadcaster NHK said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ambushed NY firemen shot dead; two police killed elsewhere Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:53 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gunman, who spent 17 years in prison for murder, ambushed and killed two volunteer firefighters and wounded two others on Monday near Rochester, New York, as they responded to a house fire he deliberately set, police said. William Spengler, 62, shot and killed himself after a gunfight with a police officer in Webster, a Rochester suburb, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said. "It was a trap set by Mr. Spengler, who laid in wait and shot first responders," Pickering told a news conference. ... Full Story | Top |
| Catholic Church urges Irish to oppose abortion law Monday, Dec 24, 2012 04:03 PM PST  DUBLIN (Reuters) - The head of Ireland's Catholic Church urged followers in his Christmas Day message to lobby against government plans to legalize abortion. Ireland, the only EU member state that currently outlaws the procedure, is preparing legislation that would allow limited access to abortion after the European Court of Human Rights criticized the current regime. ... Full Story | Top |
| Thousands sign U.S. petition to deport Piers Morgan over gun comments Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:55 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than 48,000 people have signed a petition that they posted on the White House website demanding that British CNN talk show host Piers Morgan be deported over comments he made on air about gun control. Morgan last week lambasted pro-gun guests on his show, after the December 14 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman shot dead 26 people, including 20 children. "We demand that Mr. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ambushed NY firemen shot dead; 2 police killed elsewhere Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:36 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gunman who spent 17 years in prison for murder ambushed and killed two volunteer firefighters and wounded two others on Monday near Rochester, New York, as they responded to a house fire he deliberately set, police said. William Spangler, 62, shot and killed himself after a gunfight with a police officer in Webster, a Rochester suburb, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said. "It was a trap set by Mr. Spangler, who laid in wait and shot first responders," Pickering told a news conference. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Chavez "improves slightly" after surgery: official Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:20 PM PST  CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's condition has "improved slightly" after a cancer operation in Cuba, the information minister said on Monday, amid doubts over whether the former soldier is in good enough health to continue governing. "The patient has shown a slight improvement in his condition," Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said during a terse televised statement, adding the president has maintained contact with family members. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel establishes first university in occupied West Bank Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:03 PM PST JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel upgraded a college in a West Bank Jewish settlement to a university on Monday, reflecting a determination to keep control of the enclave in any peace deal with the Palestinians. The decision gives the Ariel campus, established in 1982 near the city of Nablus, the same status as universities inside Israel. It comes after Israel announced plans to expand other settlements on occupied land, drawing protest from European governments and the United States. ... Full Story | Top |
| Retailers hope late Christmas shoppers bring good cheer Monday, Dec 24, 2012 12:07 PM PST  CHICAGO/WHITE PLAINS, New York (Reuters) - Retailers limped into Christmas with last-minute blowout deals on everything from TVs to celebrity-branded clothing, after a disappointing few weeks of sales led many analysts to lower their expectations for the holiday season. Some industry watchers said shoppers were making smaller purchases, even though they are still visiting stores and browsing online. Since the holiday quarter can account for about 30 percent of annual sales and half of profit for many chains, such small distinctions can be crucial. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt to announce result of constitution vote on Tuesday Monday, Dec 24, 2012 11:53 AM PST  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will announce on Tuesday the official results of a vote on its new constitution, the head of the elections committee told state media on Monday, a step which paves the way for the formation of a new parliament in about two months. The creation of a new constitution is a vital step in Egypt's transition to democracy almost two years after the fall of military-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak. But the opposition says the text, crafted mostly by President Mohamed Mursi's Islamist allies, fails to guarantee personal freedom and the rights of women and minorities. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russian prosecutors seek innocent verdict in Magnitsky's death Monday, Dec 24, 2012 11:51 AM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian prosecutors on Monday dropped their accusations against the only person being tried in connection with the prison death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, asking a court to find a former prison official not guilty. The surprise move in the trial of Dmitry Kratov came in the midst of a row between Moscow and Washington over U.S. legislation meant to punish Russians seen as linked to the death of Magnitsky and other alleged human rights violations. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait urges Iran to address worries on nuclear plant Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:59 AM PST  MANAMA (Reuters) - Kuwait urged neighboring Iran on Monday to cooperate more with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to allay Gulf Arab concerns about the safety of an Iranian nuclear power plant that lies just across the waterway from the emirate. The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, said a recent shutdown at the Bushehr plant indicated Tehran had to work with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy (IAEA) to ensure the safety of the facility near the coastal town of Bushehr. ... Full Story | Top |
| Lawmakers play waiting game with "fiscal cliff" deadline in sight Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:52 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With only a week left before a deadline for the United States to go over a "fiscal cliff," lawmakers played a waiting game on Monday in the hope that someone will produce a plan to avoid harsh budget cuts and higher taxes for most Americans from New Year's Day. Though Republicans and Democrats have spent the better part of a year describing a plunge off the cliff as a looming catastrophe, the nation's capital showed no outward signs of worry, let alone impending calamity. The White House has set up shop in Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is vacationing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkey lifts objection to NATO cooperation with Israel Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:50 AM PST ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has given approval for Israel to participate in non-military NATO activities in 2013, withdrawing an earlier objection driven by an ongoing dispute between the former regional allies, a Turkish official said on Monday. Relations between Israel and what was once its only Muslim ally crumbled after Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara aid ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists on board. The rift has continued despite U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two drone strikes kill five in Yemen: officials Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:34 AM PST SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) - At least five people were killed in two drone strikes in south Yemen on Monday in what security and local officials said were attacks on suspected al Qaeda-linked insurgents. Improving stability and security in Yemen is a priority for the United States and its Gulf Arab allies because of its strategic position next to the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, and shipping lanes, and because it is home to one of the most active wings of al Qaeda. ... Full Story | Top |
| 2012 a year of unparalleled justice for child sex abuse victims Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:30 AM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Experts say 2012 was a year of unparalleled justice for child sex abuse victims, but whether the string of high-profile convictions will translate into a turning point for juvenile safety remains to be seen. The year's headlines heralded the criminal convictions of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, Monsignor William Lynn of the Catholic Church's Philadelphia Archdiocese and ultra-Orthodox Jewish therapist Nechemya Weberman, a prominent figure in New York's Satmar Hasidic sect. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait to host Syria crisis meeting, envoy meets Assad Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:18 AM PST  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kuwait will host an international conference next month to tackle Syria's humanitarian crisis, the ruling emir said on Monday, as foes of President Bashar al-Assad voiced frustration with international efforts to end the civil war. In Damascus, special international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met Assad but the Syrian opposition vented its anger at what it called a "silence" over the unabated killing of civilians by government forces, most recently in the central town of Halfaya. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rebels surround air bases across Aleppo-commander Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:16 AM PST ALEPPO COUNTRYSIDE, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian rebels are surrounding bases and military airports loyal to President Bashar al-Assad across the northern province of Aleppo, a commander said, but are struggling to counter attacks from jet fighters which can fly even from besieged airfields. Colonel Abdel-Jabbar Oqaidi, who heads the rebels' military council in the province, also told Reuters that his forces are fighting without any help from the Western and Arab governments which want Assad removed from power. ... Full Story | Top |
| India clamps down on gang rape protests, PM appeals for calm Monday, Dec 24, 2012 09:31 AM PST  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian authorities throttled movement in the heart of the capital on Monday, shutting roads and railway stations in a bid to restore law and order after police fought pitched battles with protesters enraged by the gang rape of a young woman. In an unusual televised address, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for calm following the weekend clashes in New Delhi and vowed to punish the rapists for their "monstrous" crime. ... Full Story | Top |
| Macedonia opposition ejected from parliament in row Monday, Dec 24, 2012 09:29 AM PST  SKOPJE (Reuters) - The opposition in Macedonia was ejected from parliament on Monday for brawling, prompting it to pledge to boycott the chamber and initiate a campaign of civil disobedience after a rancorous disagreement over the size of next year's budget. The incident occurred after thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators clashed outside parliament in Skopje, the capital, and allowed the government to push through a vote in favor of its contested budget proposals in which only just over half of MPs took part. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait to host Syria donor meeting in late January Monday, Dec 24, 2012 09:02 AM PST MANAMA (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Monday it would host an international humanitarian donor conference for Syria in late January, amid mounting concern for millions of Syrians beset by war and winter cold. Speaking at a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a grouping of six oil-exporting Gulf Arab countries, Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al Sabah said Kuwait was acting in response to an invitation by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yemen says tribesmen hold three Westerners for ransom Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:44 AM PST SANAA (Reuters) - A Finnish couple and an Austrian man abducted in Yemen are being held by tribesmen who are demanding a ransom in return for their freedom, an Interior Ministry official said on Monday. "We have information that a tribal group is holding the three Western nationals and they are asking for a ransom," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They were kidnapped in the capital Sanaa on Friday. The ministry official told Reuters the three were being held in the town of Khawlan, about 20 km (12 miles) east of Sanaa. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian government gets badly needed diesel cargoes from Russia Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:25 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Two cargoes of Russian diesel have reached war-ravaged Syria this month, providing the first significant volumes in months of the fuel it desperately needs to power industry and the military, generate electricity and heat homes. Both shipments were transported from Russia on Italian tankers to a port controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but it was unclear who was behind the shipments. Nor was there any evidence they violated sanctions against Syria. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa's Mandela to remain in hospital for Christmas Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:05 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela continues to respond to treatment more than two weeks after being taken to hospital in Pretoria and will remain there for Christmas Day, the presidency said on Monday. The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and Nobel Peace laureate has been treated for a lung infection and gallstones after being hospitalized on December 8. President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that Mandela "will recover from this episode with all our support... We also humbly invite all freedom loving people around the world to pray for him. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia says Syria is acting to secure its chemical weapons Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:04 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he doesn't believe Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government would use chemical weapons in the country's civil war, saying in remarks broadcast on Monday that to do so would be "political suicide". Lavrov told the Russia Today (RT) television channel that recent signs that parts of Syria's chemical arsenal were being moved - a development that alarmed Western governments - was an effort by the government to make the weapons more secure. "Our information is ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Monti urges debate on Italy election as rivals open fire Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:02 AM PST  ROME (Reuters) - Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti posted his reform agenda online on Monday, urging Italians to join a debate on their country's future as potentially bitter election campaign gets underway two months before Italy goes to polls. Following weeks of hesitation, Monti declared his availability on Sunday to lead a reform-minded centrist alliance to seek a second term to complete the economic reform program begun when he took office just over a year ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| Moutai shares lead alcohol tumble after China bans spirits from army feasts Monday, Dec 24, 2012 07:52 AM PST HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese distiller Kweichow Moutai Co Ltd led a tumble in the country's alcohol sector on Monday after Beijing banned its top brass from hosting boozy banquets while working, Communist Party chief Xi Jinping's latest anti-corruption move. Shares in Moutai, whose premium white spirits are much favored by the Chinese military, were down 5.8 percent in Shanghai at 9.07 p.m. ET, unwinding modest December gains. ... Full Story | Top |
| Christmas brings fear of church bombs in Nigeria Monday, Dec 24, 2012 07:49 AM PST  MADALLA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Kneeling over a dusty grave on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, 16-year old Hope Ehiawaguan says a prayer, lays down flowers and tearfully tells her brother she loves him. He was one of 44 killed on Christmas Day last year when a member of Islamist sect Boko Haram rammed a car packed with explosives into the gates of St Theresa's Church in Madalla, a satellite town 25 miles from the center of Abuja. Boko Haram has killed hundreds in its campaign to impose sharia law in northern Nigeria and is the biggest threat to stability in Africa's top oil exporter. ... Full Story | Top |
| S.Africa's Mandela to remain in hospital for Christmas Monday, Dec 24, 2012 07:37 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela, who is 94, continues to respond to treatment more than two weeks after being taken to hospital in Pretoria and will remain there for Christmas Day, the presidency said on Monday. President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that the anti-apartheid hero, who has been treated for a lung infection and gallstones after being hospitalised on December 8, "will recover from this episode with all our support." Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine central bank head named as deputy prime minister Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:57 AM PST  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich on Monday named a member of his inner circle, central bank head Serhiy Arbuzov, as deputy prime minister, making him an important player in upcoming talks with the IMF. The appointment to the number-two government position also makes Arbuzov a likely successor to Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. The first major task of the new cabinet will be to secure a new bailout program from the International Monetary Fund. ... Full Story | Top |
| No new vote in Venezuela if Chavez sworn in late: official Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:56 AM PST  CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela will not call fresh elections if Hugo Chavez's cancer prevents him from taking office by January 10, the head of Congress said on Saturday, despite a constitutional mandate that the swearing-in take place on that date. Chavez is recovering in Cuba from a six-hour cancer operation that followed his October re-election. The socialist leader has not been heard from for nearly two weeks, raising doubts as to whether he will be fit to continue governing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yields at Egypt auction of 5-year bonds Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:37 AM PST  CAIRO (Reuters) - The maximum yield at an auction of 500 million Egyptian pounds of five-year bonds edged up to 14.37 percent on Monday from 14.25 percent two weeks earlier, the central bank said. Bond yields climbed after a political battle that broke out over the country's new constitution last month threatened to undermine the government's efforts to prop up the economy and public finances. "Rates are climbing due to the elevated economic and political risk," said a Cairo-based fixed income manager. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kenya's economic growth leaps on strong agriculture Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:33 AM PST  NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's economic growth leapt in the third quarter, boosted by the agriculture sector, while a gradual slowdown in investment shows investors may be focusing on elections in March 2013. Growth Domestic Product rose by 4.7 percent in the third quarter from 4 percent in the same period last year, the statistics office said on Monday. The figure was roughly in line with expectations. The pick up was led by agriculture, which accounts for a quarter of the economy, as well as fishing and manufacturing. Agriculture grew by 6.9 percent during the third quarter, up from 0. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese police bust trafficking rings, rescue 89 children Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:25 AM PST BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have rescued 89 children and arrested 355 suspects during a crackdown on nine child trafficking rings nationwide, state media reported on Monday. Police began the operation on December 18 in provinces including Guangdong and Sichuan, two of China's most populous, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the Ministry of Public Security. ... Full Story | Top |
| Drone kills two Qaeda militants in south Yemen-officials Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:45 AM PST SANAA (Reuters) - At least two militants were killed on Monday in what security and local officials said was a U.S. drone strike on a suspected position of al Qaeda-linked insurgents in southern Yemen. Washington has escalated its use of drones to kill suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen, where the group exploited anti-government protests last year to seize swathes of territory in the south of the country before being driven out by a military offensive in June. The officials said the drone hit a vehicle in a town in southern al-Bayda province, killing at least two suspected militants. ... Full Story | Top |
| China to crack down on "malicious" trademark registrations Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:42 AM PST  BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to change the law to crackdown on "malicious" trademark registrations, state media said on Monday, after a series of cases in which well-know international brands and individuals have had their names or copyright misused. Foreign governments, including the United States, have for years urged China to take a stronger stand against intellectual property rights violations on products ranging from medicines to software to DVD movies. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria rebels shot down war plane in Hama: activists Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:19 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian activists said rebels in central Hama province shot down a government fighter jet on Monday, in clashes outside a village loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Rebels began a push into Hama last week, declaring it a new front in their 21-month-old revolt against Assad. The largely Sunni Muslim rebels have now brought the fight to several minority Christian and Alawite towns, where Assad forces are located and where many residents are loyal to the government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pirates attack ship off Nigeria, kidnap four: agency Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:15 AM PST ABUJA (Reuters) - Armed pirates have attacked a ship off the coast of Nigeria, kidnapping four crew members before releasing the vessel, the International Maritime Bureau said on Monday. It said on its website the attack took place on Sunday about 40 miles (65 km) off the coast of Nigeria's oil-producing Bayelsa state. It said there were no injuries to other crew members and the ship continued to "a safe port". The Nigerian Navy did not respond to request for comment. ... Full Story | Top |
| Greece not doing enough against rich tax dodgers, say EU/IMF Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:09 AM PST  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's drive to crack down on flagrant tax evaders such as doctors and lawyers is flagging and must be reinvigorated, a report by the European Union and International Monetary Fund said on Monday. Athens has collected just half the tax debts and conducted less than half the audits it was supposed to under the targets set by its lenders, according to a survey by the country's international lenders which was compiled in November. ... Full Story | Top |
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