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| Boston suspects had "spontaneous" bomb plan for New York Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 07:49 PM PDT  By Edith Honan and Mark Hosenball NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The two brothers suspected of carrying out last week's deadly Boston Marathon bombing decided, after the FBI released photos of them, to drive to Manhattan and detonate more explosives in Times Square, New York City officials said on Thursday. Their plan unraveled when they realized a Mercedes sport utility vehicle they had hijacked on April 18, three days after the Boston bombing, did not have enough gasoline for the journey, said New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. suspects Syria used chemical weapons, wants proof Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 09:06 PM PDT  By Phil Stewart and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad had probably used chemical weapons on a small scale in the country's civil war, but insisted that President Barack Obama needed definitive proof before he would take action. The disclosure created a quandary for Obama, who has set the use of chemical weapons as a "red line" that Assad must not cross. It triggered calls from some hawkish Washington lawmakers for a U.S. military response, which the president has resisted. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bangladesh building tragedy down to West's cost squeeze: NGOs Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 01:56 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Major western clothing retailers squeezing Asian suppliers and a flawed approach to ensuring even basic working standards are fuelling conditions for tragedies like the latest factory collapse in Bangladesh, NGOs said on Thursday. At least 260 people, mainly female workers, were killed and more than 1,000 were injured when the eight-storey Rana Plaza factory building in Savar, 30 km (20 miles) outside the capital Dhaka, collapsed on Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate passes bill to end air traffic control furloughs Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 07:54 PM PDT  By Richard Cowan and Doug Palmer WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate moved quickly late on Thursday to end air traffic controller furloughs that were causing widespread airline flight delays related to last month's automatic federal spending cuts. Without any debate, the Senate unanimously passed legislation giving the Department of Transportation flexibility to use unspent funds to cover the costs of air traffic controllers and other essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration. ... Full Story | Top |
| Capriles to challenge Venezuela election in court Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 08:58 PM PDT  By Daniel Wallis and Diego Ore CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles said on Thursday he will challenge President Nicolas Maduro's narrow election victory in the courts and that an audit of the vote being prepared by electoral authorities risked being "a joke." Maduro, the hand-picked successor of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, won the April 14 vote by less than 2 percentage points. The opposition says there were thousands of irregularities in the election and that their figures show Capriles won. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon downplays comment on F-35 fighter jet cyber threat Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 04:17 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Thursday downplayed a comment by one of its officials that he is not totally confident in the ability of the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp, to survive a cyber attack. The Pentagon's F-35 program office issued a statement that the Department of Defense was "fully aware of evolving cyber threats and is taking specific action to counter them for all fielded systems, including F-35. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama honors firefighters killed in Texas fertilizer plant blast Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 06:29 PM PDT  By Steve Holland WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, standing before a line of flag-draped coffins, consoled family and friends on Thursday at a memorial service for firefighters killed in a massive explosion last week at a Texas fertilizer plant. The deaths of 14 people, nearly all of them emergency responders, ripped a hole in the heart of the town of West, where farming is a way of life and where many people volunteer for the fire department in their spare time. "To the families, the neighbors grappling with unbearable loss, we are here to say you are not alone. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU puts fresh pressure on Ukraine over Tymoshenko, reforms Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 10:03 AM PDT  KIEV (Reuters) - Foreign ministers of several EU countries gave Ukraine a discouraging report on Thursday on its efforts to deepen ties with the bloc and suggested the jailing of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko remained a serious obstacle. They said agreements on free trade and political association with the European Union were being stymied in particular by cases of "selective justice", a term used by the West to describe the prosecution of rival politicians, including former prime minister Tymoshenko, under President Viktor Yanukovich. ... Full Story | Top |
| Southeast Asia's 2015 unity dream collides with reality Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 02:22 PM PDT  By Stuart Grudgings BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (Reuters) - Southeast Asian nations have quietly begun to row back on a deadline of forming an "economic community" by 2015, confirming what many economists and diplomats have suspected for years as the diverse group hits tough obstacles to closer union. Rather than referring to the end of 2015 as a firm goal, officials at this year's first summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose 10 members range from glitzy Singapore to impoverished Myanmar, prefer to call it a "milestone" to be built on in years ahead. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jobless claims fall, labor market recovery advances Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 07:47 AM PDT  By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week by a surprisingly large 16,000, a sign there is still gas in the tank for the labor market's recovery despite signs of slower growth. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 339,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. "The trend suggests a very slow improvement in the labor market," said Gary Thayer, a macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors in St. Louis. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria says backing rebels risks new attacks on America Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 10:09 AM PDT  By Michael Stott and Samia Nakhoul DAMASCUS (Reuters) - U.S. support for Syrian rebels may lead to more attacks on American soil like those of September 11, said a senior Syrian official who warned that Islamist fighters would spread "the fire of terrorism" around the world. Western powers are alarmed at al Qaeda militants joining a revolt that began two years ago with rallies for democracy and President Bashar al-Assad has seized on that unease; now, 10 days after the Boston Marathon bombings, Syria's deputy foreign minister told Reuters that U.S. aid to the rebels may backfire. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. suspects Syria used chemical weapons, wants proof Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 03:42 PM PDT  By Phil Stewart and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has probably used chemical weapons on a small scale in the country's civil war, but insisted that President Barack Obama needed definitive proof before he would take action. The disclosure created a quandary for Obama, who has set the use of chemical weapons as a "red line" that Assad must not cross, and triggered calls from some hawkish Washington lawmakers for a U.S. military response, which the president has resisted. ... Full Story | Top |
| Boston bomb suspects also wanted to attack New York: officials Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 03:13 PM PDT By Edith Honan and Mark Hosenball NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The two men suspected of carrying out last week's deadly Boston Marathon bombing decided after authorities identified them to drive to Manhattan and set off additional explosives in Times Square, New York City officials said on Thursday. Their plan unraveled only when they realized that a Mercedes sport utility vehicle they had hijacked on April 18, three days after the bombing, did not have enough gasoline for the journey, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama honors firefighters killed in Texas fertilizer plant blast Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 04:02 PM PDT By Steve Holland WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, standing before a line of flag-draped coffins, consoled family and friends on Thursday at a memorial service for firefighters killed in a massive explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant. The deaths of 14 people, nearly all of them emergency responders, ripped a hole in the heart of the nearby town of West, where farming is a way of life and where many people volunteer for the fire department in their spare time. "To the families, the neighbors grappling with unbearable loss, we are here to say you are not alone. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senators reach bipartisan deal on air traffic controllers Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 04:28 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators reached a tentative deal to fully fund air traffic controllers with a proposal that would end their furloughs, which have led to widespread airline delays, Senate aides said on Thursday. The full Senate could vote later on Thursday to approve the measure. If so, the House of Representatives likely would vote on the measure on Friday. (Reporting By Richard Cowan; Editing by Paul Simao) Full Story | Top |
| Iran says it's ready to resume talks with world powers Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 09:24 AM PDT  By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran is ready to resume talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear program and awaits word from the European Union on timing and details, Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator said on Thursday. Ali Bagheri, in an interview with Reuters in Geneva, said Iran needed 20 percent-enriched uranium for its Tehran research reactor and four others being built, and was continuing to convert some of its stockpile into reactor fuel. "We are waiting for Lady Ashton to call Dr. Jalili, and Dr. Jalili is obviously ready to take the call," Bagheri said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Nearly 50 killed as sectarian violence flares in Iraq Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 01:20 PM PDT  By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nearly 50 people were killed in clashes on Thursday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, sources said, on the third day of the most widespread violence in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011. More than 100 people have been killed in fighting since Tuesday, when troops stormed a Sunni protest camp, triggering clashes that quickly spread to other Sunni areas in western and northern provinces. Thousands of Sunni Muslims have taken to the streets since December in protest at the perceived marginalization of their sect since the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Korea seeks talks with North to reopen industrial zone Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 08:03 AM PDT  By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea proposed formal talks on Thursday with North Korea to discuss restarting a joint factory zone located just north of the rivals' heavily armed border that was suspended in early April, sharply deepening security tensions on the peninsula. It was the first formal proposal aimed at making a breakthrough in a deadlock over the Kaesong factory project, which was the last remaining channel open between the two Koreas until it was forced to close. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin says Boston shows need for security ties with U.S Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 08:55 AM PDT  By Timothy Heritage MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the Boston bombings proved his tough line against militants in the North Caucasus was right and showed Russia and the United States must step up cooperation on security. After receiving almost 2 million questions from the Baltic Sea to Russia's far east, Putin used his annual "hotline" call-in to present the image of a man still in control a year into his third term and not afraid of criticism at home and abroad. ... Full Story | Top |
| Boston suspects discussed setting off bombs in New York: sources Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 09:41 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother discussed setting off bombs in New York after attacking the Boston Marathon but their plan fell apart when they became embroiled in a shootout with police, law enforcement sources said. One source said the Tsarnaev brothers' original intent when they hijacked a car and its driver in Boston last Thursday night was to drive to New York with seven bombs to set them off. ... Full Story | Top |
| FAA clears Boeing battery fix, ending 787 flight ban Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 08:17 AM PDT  By Alwyn Scott (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration gave formal approval on Thursday for a new lithium-ion battery system for Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner, ending a three-month ban and clearing airlines to fly the plane with passengers again. The FAA's "airworthiness directive" technically applies just to United Airlines, which so far is the only U.S. carrier with the new high-tech jet, but it will set the standard that regulators in Japan, Europe and elsewhere will follow. Other U.S. carriers with 787s on order will eventually come under the new rule. ... Full Story | Top |
| Parents say Boston suspects framed, want truth from U.S. Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 11:34 AM PDT By Alissa de Carbonnel MAKHACHKALA, Russia (Reuters) - The parents of the two main suspects in the Boston bombings said on Thursday their sons had been framed and accused U.S. authorities of killing the older brother to put on a display. Anzor Tsarnaev, the father, banged the table in anger as he announced plans to go from Russia to the United States to "find out the truth" and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the mother, said she had wanted to scream when she heard of her elder son's death. ... Full Story | Top |
| House Republican offers few assurances on immigration bill Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 12:01 PM PDT  By Thomas Ferraro and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The push for comprehensive immigration legislation faces an uncertain fate in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives even as Senate supporters voiced optimism on Thursday for overwhelming backing in that chamber. As the Democratic Party-controlled Senate pushed ahead on an 844-page bill that aims to rewrite America's immigration law, the Republican-controlled House was still undecided on how broad of a bill it might consider - or even if it would advance legislation this year. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. Security Council approves creation of Mali peacekeeping force Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 09:30 AM PDT  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved on Thursday the creation of a 12,600-strong peacekeeping force in Mali starting July 1, which will be supported by French troops if needed to combat Islamist extremist threats in the West African country. France, aided by some 2,000 troops from Chad, began a military offensive in January to drive out Islamist fighters, who had hijacked a revolt by Mali's Tuareg rebels and seized two-thirds of Mali. The U.N. peacekeeping force - to be known as MINUSMA - will assume authority from a U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. council extends contentious Western Sahara peacekeeping mission Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 07:51 AM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council renewed a peacekeeping mission in disputed Western Sahara on Thursday after the United States backed down in an annual battle with Morocco, backed by France, over whether peacekeepers should monitor human rights abuses. In an apparent compromise, the unanimously approved U.S.-drafted resolution encourages "the parties to continue in their respective efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara and the ... refugee camps." A U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pope hints at possible changes to scandal-ridden Vatican bank Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 07:38 AM PDT  By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has indicated for the first time that he may make changes to the Vatican's scandal-ridden bank as part of a broad review of the Holy See's troubled administration. Before Francis was elected last month, many of the cardinals who went on to choose him expressed concern about the harm done to the Church's image by three decades of scandals at the bank, which Italian magistrates are now investigating for money laundering. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exxon quarterly profit up slightly Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 06:03 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp said on Thursday its quarterly profit edged up, helped by higher earnings in its chemicals business but oil and gas production fell. Earnings per share topped Wall Street expectations but the gains largely came after a big stock buyback that reduced the number of outstanding shares by 5 percent. "Their reliance on share buybacks mutes the earnings per share beat," said Brian Youngberg, energy company analyst at Edward Jones in St Louis. "I'd rather see them give the cash to shareholders in the form of a dividend increase. ... Full Story | Top |
| Letta sees improving chances of forming Italy government Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 06:02 AM PDT  By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister-designate Enrico Letta saw "improving" chances of success as he began negotiations on Thursday to form a new government and end a nearly two-month-old stalemate in the euro zone's third-largest economy. The 46-year-old deputy head of the badly fractured center-left Democratic Party (PD), was the President Giorgio Napolitano's surprise choice to head a broad-based coalition. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israeli military says it shoots down drone from Lebanon Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 11:07 AM PDT By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli fighter plane shot down a drone from Lebanon over the Mediterranean sea on Thursday as it was approaching the Israeli coast, the military said. Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which sent a drone deep into Israel in October, said it was not behind the latest incident. Israel's military held back from accusing the group, saying an investigation was under way. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Korea seeks talks with North to reopen industrial zone Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 05:32 AM PDT  By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea proposed formal talks on Thursday with North Korea to discuss restarting a joint factory zone located just north of the rivals' heavily armed border that was suspended in early April, sharply deepening security tensions on the peninsula. It was the first formal proposal aimed at making a breakthrough in a deadlock over the Kaesong factory project, which was the last remaining channel open between the two Koreas until it was forced to close. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain avoids recession with faster than expected growth Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 05:52 AM PDT  By David Milliken and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - Britain skirted a "triple dip" recession by growing faster than expected in the first three months of the year, providing some cover for a government under fire over its austerity drive. The Office for National Statistics said on Thursday that Britain's gross domestic product rose 0.3 percent in the first quarter, above forecasts for a 0.1 percent rise. It shrank 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter in late 2012, and another quarterly contraction would have put Britain into its third recession in less than five years. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria rebels launch attack in central Hama after months of calm Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 05:47 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Heavy clashes erupted for the first time in months in Syria's central city of Hama on Thursday as rebels tried to relieve pressure on comrades under attack from President Bashar al-Assad's forces elsewhere, activists said. They said at least seven people were killed and dozens wounded when fighting broke out at 4 a.m. in Hama, a historic symbol of dissent against four decades of Assad family rule. Most of the reported casualties were civilian, they said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Southeast Asia to reach out to China on sea disputes Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 05:44 AM PDT  By Manuel Mogato and Stuart Grudgings BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (Reuters) - Southeast Asian nations stepped up efforts on Thursday to engage China in talks to resolve maritime tensions, agreeing to meet to try to reach common ground on disputed areas of the South China Sea ahead of planned discussions in Beijing later this year. Efforts by ASEAN to craft a code of conduct to manage South China Sea tensions all but collapsed last year at a summit chaired by Cambodia, a close economic ally of China, when the group failed to issue a closing statement for the first time. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Verizon eyes roughly $100 billion bid for Vodafone's wireless stake Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 01:26 PM PDT  By Soyoung Kim and Kate Holton NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc has hired advisers to prepare a possible $100 billion bid to take full control of Verizon Wireless from its partner Vodafone Group Plc, two people familiar with the matter said. Verizon is contemplating a roughly 50:50 cash and stock bid for the 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless it does not already own, an asset it has long coveted, the sources said. It has not put a proposal to Vodafone yet but has hired banking and legal advisers for a possible offer, the sources said late Wednesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Korea summons Japan envoy over PM's remarks on history Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 12:58 AM PDT  By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea summoned Tokyo's ambassador in Seoul on Thursday to protest at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's defense of visits by senior officials and lawmakers to a shrine seen by Japan's neighbors as a symbol of wartime aggression. China and South Korea chastised Japan after more than 160 lawmakers visited Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine this week. That followed a symbolic offering made by Abe to the shrine and a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and two other ministers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama to honor firefighters killed in Texas fertilizer blast Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 10:11 PM PDT  By Tim Gaynor WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will assume a familiar role consoling family and friends of disaster victims on Thursday when he speaks at a Texas memorial for firefighters killed in a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant. Just a week after he traveled to Boston following the Marathon bombing that killed three people, he will speak at a memorial on the campus of Baylor University in Waco to honor the 11 first responders who died in the blast. ... Full Story | Top |
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