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| Cuban leader Raul Castro announces he will retire in 2018 Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 07:49 PM PST  HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Sunday he will step down from power after his second term ends in 2018, and the new parliament named a 52-year-old rising star to become his first vice president and most visible successor. "This will be my last term," Castro, 81, said shortly after the National Assembly elected him to a second five-year tenure. In a surprise move, the new parliament also named Miguel Diaz-Canel as first vice president, meaning he would take over if Castro cannot serve his full term. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: China central bank takes lead in economic reform push Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 01:12 PM PST  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's readiness to bend retirement rules to keep arch-reformer Zhou Xiaochuan at the helm of the central bank signals clearly that new Communist Party chiefs want to speed economic reform in the country's most critical development phase in three decades. Central bank insiders interviewed by Reuters say the People's Bank of China (PBOC) is the country's most potent force for reform in the face of powerful vested interests, echoing sources with leadership ties who last week said Zhou would keep his job despite reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65. ... Full Story | Top |
| Protest votes add to uncertainty in close Italy election Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 03:43 PM PST  ROME (Reuters) - Italians finish voting in one of the most closely watched and unpredictable elections in years on Monday with a surge in protest votes fuelling concern that the ballot may not produce a government strong enough to pull Italy from its economic slump. A bitter campaign, fought largely over economic issues, has been closely watched by financial markets, still wary after the debt crisis that took the whole euro zone close to disaster and brought technocrat prime minister Mario Monti to office in 2011. For the euro zone, the stakes are high. ... Full Story | Top |
| Apple signals emerging-market rethink with India push Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 05:17 PM PST  NEW DELHI/BANGALORE (Reuters) - As BlackBerry launches the first smartphone from its make-or-break BB10 line in India, one of its most loyal markets, the company faces new competition from a formidable rival that has long had a minimal presence in the country. More than four years after it started selling iPhones in India, Apple Inc is now aggressively pushing the iconic device through installment payment plans that make it more affordable, a new distribution model and heavy marketing blitz. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Korea's new president demands North drop nuclear ambitions Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 06:36 PM PST  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's new president Park Geun-hye urged North Korea on Monday to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and to stop wasting its scarce resources on arms development, less than two weeks after the country carried out its third nuclear test. Park, 61, the daughter of South Korea's former military ruler Park Chung-hee, is the first female president of prosperous South Korea and one of her campaign promises was to engage with the North if it halted its nuclear weapons plans. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House warns states of looming pain from March 1 budget cuts Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 05:59 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With five days left before $85 billion is slashed from government budgets, the White House issued more dire warnings about the harm the cuts will do to Americans, breaking down the loss of jobs and services to each of the states. The estimates show how many teachers could lose their jobs in each state, how many toddlers could be kicked out of subsidized preschool programs, and how many children could lose funding for vaccines for measles and mumps. ... Full Story | Top |
| After election win, Anastasiades faces Cyprus bailout quagmire Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 03:42 PM PST  NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot president-elect Nicos Anastasiades faces weeks of difficult talks with foreign lenders on a financial rescue for the island nation after sweeping to a resounding victory in a run-off election on Sunday. Eight months of inconclusive talks on a bailout package have turned tiny Cyprus into a big headache for the euro zone, triggering fears of a financial collapse that reignites the bloc's debt crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan likely to nominate ADB's Kuroda as Bank of Japan head: sources Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 06:08 PM PST  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government is likely to nominate Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda, an advocate of aggressive monetary easing, as its next central bank governor, sources told Reuters on Monday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also seen filling one of two deputy governor posts with Kikuo Iwata, an academic critical of Bank of Japan policy and an advocate of unorthodox monetary easing steps, the Nikkei newspaper reported. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian opposition says captures former nuclear site Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 02:34 PM PST  AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels have captured the site of a suspected nuclear reactor near the Euphrates river which Israeli warplanes destroyed six years ago, opposition sources in eastern Syria said on Sunday. Al-Kubar site, around 60 km (35 miles) west of the city of Deir al-Zor, became a focus of international attention when Israel raided it in 2007. The United States said the complex was a North Korean-designed nuclear reactor geared to making weapons-grade plutonium. ... Full Story | Top |
| Grounding, budget woes cloud F-35 warplane sales push in Australia Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 07:11 PM PST  WASHINGTON/MELBOURNE (Reuters) - This year's second grounding of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 warplane, plus looming U.S. defense cuts, will complicate a push this week by Lockheed and U.S. officials to convince Australian lawmakers and generals to stick to a plan to buy 100 of the jets. Australia, a close American ally, is considering doubling its fleet of 24 Boeing Co F/A-18 Super Hornets amid delays and setbacks in Lockheed's $396 billion F-35 project. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ten Chadian soldiers killed fighting Islamists in Mali Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 10:14 AM PST  N'DJAMENA/GAO (Reuters) - Ten Chadian soldiers were killed in combat in northern Mali's mountainous border with Algeria where Islamist rebels regrouped after losing urban areas to a French-led offensive, Chad's army said on Sunday. The latest Chadian fatalities came in an area of the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains where 13 Chadian soldiers were killed in clashes on Friday that centered around what one senior commander said was a rebel base of "significant importance". At least 93 rebels have been killed in fighting in the area so far, Chad's army said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan likely to nominate ADB's Kuroda as BOJ head: sources Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 03:32 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government is likely to nominate Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda, an advocate of aggressive monetary easing, as its next central bank governor, sources told Reuters on Monday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also seen filling one of two deputy governor posts with Kikuo Iwata, an academic critical of Bank of Japan policy and an advocate of unorthodox monetary easing steps, the Nikkei newspaper reported. The yen sank 1.4 percent in early trade to 94. ... Full Story | Top |
| Republicans, Democrats brace for impact of March 1 cuts Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 11:08 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With five days left before $85 billion is slashed from U.S. government budgets, governors and lawmakers from both parties said the White House and Congress should pull out the stops to avert indiscriminate cuts. Republicans, who are seeking spending cuts, urged President Barack Obama to apply what's known as the "sequester" in a more careful way, rather than slashing budgets across the board. ... Full Story | Top |
| Apple signals emerging-market rethink with India push Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 01:03 PM PST NEW DELHI/BANGALORE (Reuters) - As BlackBerry launches the first smartphone from its make-or-break BB10 line in India, one of its most loyal markets, the company faces new competition from a formidable rival that has long had a minimal presence in the country. More than four years after it started selling iPhones in India, Apple Inc is now aggressively pushing the iconic device through installment payment plans that make it more affordable, a new distribution model and heavy marketing blitz. ... Full Story | Top |
| Grounding, budget woes cloud F-35 warplane sales push in Australia Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 12:32 PM PST  CANBERRA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - This year's second grounding of Lockheed Martin Corp's vaunted F-35 warplane, plus looming U.S. defense cuts, are likely to complicate a push this week by Lockheed and U.S. officials to convince wary Australian lawmakers and generals to stick to a plan to buy 100 of the jets. Australia, a close American ally, is considering doubling its fleet of 24 Boeing Co F/A-18 Super Hornets amid delays and setbacks in Lockheed's $396 billion F-35 project. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cuban leader Raul Castro announces he will retire in 2018 Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 03:30 PM PST  HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban leader Raul Castro announced on Sunday he would step down from power after his second term as president ends in 2018, and the new parliament named a 52-year-old rising star to become his first vice president and most visible successor. Castro, 81, made the announcement in a nationally broadcast speech shortly after the Cuban National Assembly elected him to a second five-year term in the opening session of the new parliament. "This will be my last term," Castro said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fidel Castro surprises with parliament appearance amid leadership speculation Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 03:33 PM PST  HAVANA (Reuters) - Retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro made a rare public appearance Sunday by joining the opening session of the National Assembly, state media reported amid speculation the gathering could give clues on planning for a future leadership succession. Since falling ill in 2006 and ceding the presidency to his brother, Fidel Castro has given up all official positions except as a deputy in the National Assembly. ... Full Story | Top |
| Johnson wins Daytona 500, Patrick eighth Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 02:46 PM PST  DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Jimmie Johnson added to his place in NASCAR's list of greats by winning his second Daytona 500 on Sunday while Danica Patrick placed eighth, the best-ever finish for a woman in the 'Great American Race'. Five-times Sprint Cup champion Johnson led through the last 10 laps to finish ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr and the 54-year-old Mark Martin. Patrick, who was the first woman to start on pole in the 500, went into the final lap in third place but fell back five places during the final push to the finish line. ... Full Story | Top |
| African leaders sign deal aimed at peace in eastern Congo Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 10:42 AM PST  ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - African leaders signed a U.N.-mediated deal on Sunday aimed at ending two decades of conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and paving the way for the deployment of a new military brigade to take on rebel groups. Congo's army is fighting the M23 rebels, who have hived off a fiefdom in North Kivu province in a conflict that has dragged Congo's eastern region back into war and displaced more than half a million people. U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bomber killed near Afghan capital's diplomatic zone: police Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 01:37 AM PST  KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan security forces shot dead at least one would-be suicide bomber on Sunday in a high-security area of Kabul, home to government departments and diplomatic missions, police said. Violence across the country has increased over the last 12 months, sparking concern about how the 350,000-strong Afghan security forces will manage once most foreign troops withdraw by the end of 2014. The attack, one of four in Afghanistan early on Sunday, happened near a construction site that was stormed by Taliban gunmen in April last year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry makes first foreign trip as top U.S. diplomat Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 02:04 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - John Kerry views his first trip as U.S. secretary of state as a listening tour, but the leaders he meets will want to hear whether he has any new ideas on Syria, Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kerry arrived on Sunday in London, the first stop on a nine-nation, 11-day trip that will also take him to Berlin, Paris, Rome, Ankara, Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha before he returns home on March 6. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: The near impossible battle against hackers everywhere Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 12:03 AM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Dire warnings from Washington about a "cyber Pearl Harbor" envision a single surprise strike from a formidable enemy that could destroy power plants nationwide, disable the financial system or cripple the U.S. government. But those on the front lines say it isn't all about protecting U.S. government and corporate networks from a single sudden attack. They report fending off many intrusions at once from perhaps dozens of countries, plus well-funded electronic guerrillas and skilled criminals. Security officers and their consultants say they are overwhelmed. ... Full Story | Top |
| 45 arrested in Madrid after mass demonstration Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 08:31 AM PST  MADRID (Reuters) - Forty-five people have been arrested in Spain during disturbances following a demonstration on Saturday by tens of thousands of people against spending cuts and allegations of government corruption. The mostly peaceful march convened in central Madrid on Saturday evening in front of parliament under the watch of riot police, who closed access to the legislature, Ritz Hotel and stock exchange. However, while most protesters dispersed after the rally, police reported disturbances later on Saturday and early on Sunday around the city's Atocha train station. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. urges Syrian opposition to attend Rome talks Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 12:42 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official on Sunday urged the Syrian opposition to attend a planned international meeting in Rome this week, saying it was a chance for rebels to make their case for more support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was dissension among the opposition about the utility of such meetings and some members have signaled they may not attend. ... Full Story | Top |
| New England storm could pack less punch than feared Saturday, Feb 23, 2013 09:30 PM PST  BOSTON (Reuters) - A weather system threatening New England with a third straight weekend of winter storms appeared to be weakening on Saturday night, promising less snowfall than expected. Another storm was rolling out of the Rocky Mountains in the Western United States and could create blizzard conditions in Colorado over the weekend, according to a National Weather Service advisory. Forecasters were also predicting blizzard conditions from Oklahoma through Missouri early next week when another snowstorm hits an area of the Northern United States from the Plains to the Great Lakes. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former envoy Pickering on problems at Benghazi mission Saturday, Feb 23, 2013 10:08 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former American diplomat Thomas Pickering said what struck him most during a review of last year's attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, were the frequent personnel changes, second-guessing on security upgrades, and dismissive attitude toward dozens of security incidents. The temporary status of the mission also led to uncertainty about providing additional funding, including for security, he said in an interview. The United States established a diplomatic presence in the eastern Libyan city after the 2011 revolt against former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK downgrade pressures reluctant Osborne to change course Sunday, Feb 24, 2013 04:50 AM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister George Osborne said he would not flinch from his austerity drive, despite increasing pressure to change course after the loss of the country's 'AAA' credit rating and with elections approaching in two years. Moody's dealt Britain its first sovereign rating downgrade on Friday, saying the $2.5 trillion economy faced years more sluggish growth and debt would continue to rise until 2016. ... Full Story | Top |
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