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| Obama takes on power plants as part of new climate plan Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:35 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama tried to revive his stalled climate change agenda on Tuesday, promising new rules to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants and other domestic actions including support for renewable energy. Obama also signaled he would block construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada if it contributed to climate change. That does not mean the project is doomed, however. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin rules out handing Snowden over to United States Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:30 PM PDT  By Alexei Anishchuk and Thomas Grove MOSCOW/NAANTALI, Finland (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Tuesday a former U.S. spy agency contractor sought by the United States was in the transit area of a Moscow airport but ruled out handing him to Washington, dismissing U.S. criticisms as "ravings and rubbish". In his first public comments since Edward Snowden flew in on Sunday, Putin appeared to make light of the diplomatic uproar over the fugitive, whose flight from U.S. authorities is becoming a growing embarrassment for President Barack Obama. ... Full Story | Top |
| Supreme Court guts key part of landmark Voting Rights Act Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 02:00 PM PDT  By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday gutted a core part of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act and challenged Congress to come up with a replacement plan to protect blacks and other minorities in places where discrimination still persists rather than target former slaveholding states in the South. ... Full Story | Top |
| House Republican says IRS awarded 'inappropriate' contracts Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 04:40 PM PDT  By Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Virginia company inappropriately secured contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service based on false statements and personal ties to an IRS official, the top Republican investigator in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Tuesday. A report issued by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa of California said the IRS, which is embroiled in a series of unrelated controversies, awarded the contracts to computer networking and security company Strong Castle Inc. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former Oregon politician pleads guilty to Facebook IPO fraud Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 10:30 AM PDT  By Bernard Vaughan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Oregon gubernatorial candidate Craig Berkman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to defrauding investors by persuading them he could use their money to buy shares of Facebook Inc before the company's May 2012 initial public offering. Berkman, a Republican who ran for governor in 1994, admitted he told investors he had access to scarce pre-IPO shares of Facebook as well as LinkedIn Corp, Groupon Inc and Zynga Inc. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia, U.S. fail to set up Syria peace talks Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:24 PM PDT  By Oliver Holmes and Tom Miles BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Talks between the United States and Russia to set up a Syrian peace conference produced no deal on Tuesday, with the powers on either side of the two-year civil war failing to agree when it should be held or who would be invited. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal accused the Syrian government of "genocide" and described the involvement in the conflict of foreign militias backed by Iran as "the most dangerous development". ... Full Story | Top |
| Rousseff's referendum plan for Brazil runs into trouble Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:44 PM PDT  By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's bid to defuse a sudden outburst of national discontent by proposing a referendum on political reforms ran into stiff opposition on Tuesday from politicians and lawyers who questioned its legality. Tens of thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets this month in the biggest protests in 20 years, fueled by an array of grievances ranging from poor public services to the high cost of World Cup soccer stadiums and corruption. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Brazil riots raise questions over sporting mega-events Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 07:25 PM PDT  By Brian Homewood BERNE (Reuters) - Brazilian anger against the cost of staging the World Cup could undermine the argument that host countries benefit from sporting mega-events as they become too big for most countries to handle. UEFA's idea of splitting the Euro 2020 championship into mini-tournaments hosted in 13 different countries could be one of the alternatives which organizers could follow in the future, analysts say. ... Full Story | Top |
| Upbeat data brighten economic outlook Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 12:23 PM PDT  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy appears to be gaining momentum with data showing strong gains in business spending plans last month and the largest annual rise in house prices in seven years in April. Other reports on Tuesday showed new single-family home sales near a five-year high in May and consumer confidence at its highest level in more than five years this month. The data suggested the economy was starting to pull out of a soft patch and it supported the Federal Reserve's view that risks to the economy have lessened. ... Full Story | Top |
| Edgy Egyptians stock up on food, fuel before June 30 protests Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 10:29 AM PDT  By Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians are stocking up on food, fuel and cash ahead of protests this weekend against President Mohamed Mursi that many fear will be the most violent and disruptive this year. Mursi's liberal, leftist and secular-minded opponents have called on Egyptians to take to the streets on June 30 - the one-year anniversary of the Islamist president's first day in office - to demand his resignation. Street cafes, minibuses, banks, offices and grocery stores across the Arab world's most populous country have been abuzz for weeks with talk of the "June 30" protests. ... Full Story | Top |
| Army win in Lebanon's Sidon has set sectarian 'trap': Sunnis say Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 08:57 AM PDT  By Erika Solomon SIDON, Lebanon (Reuters) - Soldiers strutted confidently down the battle-scarred streets of the Lebanese port of Sidon on Tuesday after routing a radical Sunni Muslim sheikh and his militant supporters in a two-day battle. But many residents were seething over the crackdown, angry at the role of Hezbollah fighters they say triggered the fight and worried that the clashes portend more sectarian violence to come. Fighting in this ancient Mediterranean port was the deadliest to hit Lebanon since the start of a two-year conflict in neighboring Syria. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin rules out handing Snowden over to United States Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 03:20 PM PDT  By Alexei Anishchuk and Thomas Grove MOSCOW/NAANTALI, Finland (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Tuesday a former U.S. spy agency contractor sought by the United States was in the transit area of a Moscow airport but ruled out handing him to Washington, dismissing U.S. criticisms as "ravings and rubbish". In his first public comments since Edward Snowden flew in on Sunday, Putin appeared to make light of the diplomatic uproar over the fugitive, whose flight from U.S. authorities is becoming a growing embarrassment for President Barack Obama. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rights watchdog votes against monitoring Hungary Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 11:29 AM PDT  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Human rights watchdog The Council of Europe voted on Tuesday not to put Hungary under surveillance over concerns about changes to its constitution, in a boost to Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The United States, the European Union and human rights groups have accused Orban's conservative government of using constitutional amendments to build up its powers and weaken the independence of Hungary's courts. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mandela still 'critical': South African government Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 09:06 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela remained in a critical condition in hospital on Tuesday after being admitted more than two weeks ago with a lung infection, the government said. President Jacob Zuma's office said doctors were doing their best to ensure the "recovery, well-being and comfort" of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader, who became South Africa's first black leader in historic all-race elections in 1994. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senators push bill to scrap mortgage firms Fannie, Freddie Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:11 PM PDT  By Margaret Chadbourn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday introduced a bill to abolish Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and replace them with a government reinsurer of mortgage securities that would backstop private capital in a crisis. The U.S. government seized the mortgage finance firms in 2008 to rescue them from insolvency, spending a total of $187.5 billion to keep them afloat. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which charge lenders a fee in return for guaranteeing principal and interest on mortgages, are now posting record profits. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight: Educated with a dead-beat job - the unseen legacy of Europe's crisis Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 09:53 AM PDT  By Anders Melin BRUSSELS (Reuters) - As the first anniversary of her graduation in eco-tourism and cultural history approaches, Linnea Borjars remains jobless and frustrated. After finishing her studies at Sweden's Linkoping University, the 25-year-old accepted an unpaid, part-time position at Fair Travel, a non-profit group focused on human rights and tourism, hoping it would lead to a full-time job and a salary. But no such luck. When her contract ended in December, she declined the offer to stay on as an unpaid intern. ... Full Story | Top |
| Beijing workers hold U.S. executive captive at factory over pay Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 09:35 AM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - A U.S. executive held captive by workers in his Beijing factory since Friday said the dispute that has kept him behind the plant's barred windows was a misunderstanding over pay. Chip Starnes, president of the Florida-based Speciality Medical Supplies, said about 100 workers were demanding severance packages identical to those offered to 30 employees laid off from the company's plastics division, which was moved to India to lower production costs. The workers' demands followed rumors that the entire plant was being closed, though Starnes said no more layoffs were planned. ... Full Story | Top |
| Judge delays ruling on police calls in Trayvon Martin murder case Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 10:33 AM PDT By Tom Brown and Barbara Liston SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida judge on Tuesday delayed a ruling on whether jurors in the murder trial of George Zimmerman could listen to telephone calls the neighborhood watch volunteer made to police in the months before he killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin. ... Full Story | Top |
| Saudi says 'cannot be silent' at Iran, Hezbollah role in Syria Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:36 AM PDT  JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia regards the involvement of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria's civil war as dangerous and believes the rebels must be offered military aid to defend themselves, the kingdom's foreign minister said on Tuesday. Speaking at a news conference with U.S. Secretary John Kerry in Jeddah, Prince Saud al-Faisal added that Saudi Arabia "cannot be silent" about Iranian intervention and called for a resolution to ban arms flows to the Syrian government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin says Snowden at Russian airport, signals no extradition Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 08:27 AM PDT  NAANTALI, Finland (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden was still in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, was free to leave and should do so as soon as possible. Putin told a news conference during a visit to Finland that he hoped the affair would not affect relations with Washington, which wants Russia to send him to the United States, but indicated Moscow would not hand him over. ... Full Story | Top |
| Twin suicide bombs kill eight Iraqi Turkmen Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:26 AM PDT  TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers killed at least eight Iraqi Turkmen on Tuesday when they blew themselves up at a protest by members of the ethnic minority group, police said. The attackers walked into the encampment on the Baghdad-Kirkuk highway, near the town of Tuz Khurmato, 170 km (105 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, where Turkmen were protesting against what they saw as government failure to protect them. Tuz Khurmato is a disputed area with a mixed population of ethnic Kurds, Arab Sunnis and Shi'ite Turkmen. ... Full Story | Top |
| Swiss court stops handover of Credit Suisse employee's data to U.S. Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 08:39 AM PDT  GENEVA (Reuters) - A Swiss court has ordered an injunction halting the transfer of a former Credit Suisse employee's data to U.S. tax authorities, a lawyer involved in the case said on Tuesday. The ruling highlights Switzerland's difficulties in balancing traditions of personal privacy against the United States' demands for data from roughly a dozen Swiss banks under formal investigation by U.S. prosecutors. Those banks, including Zurich-based Credit Suisse, have been handing over information on their U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Brahimi sees Syria talks delay, appeals to big powers Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:04 AM PDT  GENEVA (Reuters) - International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Tuesday that a conference on ending the war in Syria was unlikely to take place in July as he had hoped, and called on the United States and Russia to help contain the conflict. Brahimi was speaking to reporters in Geneva before holding talks with senior U.S. and Russian officials. He said he expected these to be "constructive" but unlikely to resolve all questions linked to convening a conference on Syria's future. "Frankly I doubt whether the conference will take place in July. The opposition has their next meeting on July ... Full Story | Top |
| Consumer confidence highest in over five years in June Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 07:10 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer confidence jumped in June to its highest level in over five years as Americans were more optimistic about business and labor market conditions, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday. The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes rose to 81.4 from a downwardly revised 74.3 the month before. It was the highest since January 2008 and beat expectations for 75.4. May was originally reported as 76.2. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Full Story | Top |
| New home sales near five-year high, prices rise Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 07:02 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. single-family homes rose to their highest level in nearly five years in May, confirming the housing market's strengthening tone. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday sales increased 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 476,000 units - the highest level since July 2008. It was the third straight month of gains in new home sales. Sales increased 3.3 percent in April. Economists polled by Reuters had expected new home sales to rise to a 462,000-unit rate last month. Compared with May 2012, sales were up 29 percent. ... Full Story | Top |
| No need to escalate 'confrontation with Russia' over Snowden: Kerry Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:14 AM PDT  JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday there was no need to raise the level of confrontation with Russia over Edward Snowden, a former U.S. spy agency contractor charged with disclosing secret surveillance programs and believed to be in Moscow. Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow on Sunday. Kerry, speaking at a news conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, added that he hoped Russia would not see its interests in siding with a fugitive from justice. (Reporting By Angus McDowall, Editing by William Maclean) Full Story | Top |
| Home prices see biggest annual gain in seven years in April: S&P Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:22 AM PDT  By Leah Schnurr NEW YORK (Reuters) - Single-family home prices jumped in April, racking up their biggest annual gain in seven years in a sign of growing momentum in the housing recovery, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday. The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 1.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, topping forecasts for 1.2 percent. Prices in the 20 cities accelerated by 12.1 percent year over year, which was also above expectations and the biggest annual gain since March 2006. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama, Turkey's Erdogan discuss Turkish protests, Syria Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:03 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week spoke about recent unrest in Turkey, the White House said on Tuesday, discussing the situation for the first time since protests erupted in late May. In a phone call on Monday, "the two leaders discussed the importance of non-violence and of the rights to free expression and assembly and a free press," the White House said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Men's Wearhouse says fired Zimmer after he pushed for sale Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 08:38 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Men's Wearhouse Inc said it fired founder and Executive Chairman George Zimmer after he pushed to take the company private and effectively demanded to be reinstated as the sole decision maker at the clothing chain. Zimmer opposed a potential sale of the retailer's K&G fashion chain and instead argued for a risky sale of the whole company to an investment group, the board said in a statement. He also clashed with the board over executive compensation and other operational matters at the company he founded 40 years ago, the board said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Samsung in talks to settle EU antitrust case -sources Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 09:37 AM PDT  By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics is in early talks with the EU regulator to settle charges that its use of injunctions against arch rival Apple breached antitrust rules, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Samsung and Apple, the world's top two smartphone makers by volume and sales, are embroiled in patent disputes in at least 10 countries as they vie to dominate the lucrative and fast-growing mobile market and win customers with their latest gadgets. ... Full Story | Top |
| Durable goods orders, business spending plans rise Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 06:13 AM PDT  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose more than expected in May and a gauge of planned business spending increased for a third straight month, the latest signs of a pick-up in economic activity. Durable goods orders increased 3.6 percent as demand for goods ranging from aircraft to machinery rose, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Orders for these goods, which range from toasters to aircraft, had increased by a revised 3.6 percent in April. Economists polled by Reuters had expected orders to rise 3. ... Full Story | Top |
| Afghan Taliban attack in Kabul throws peace talks into further doubt Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 05:39 AM PDT  By Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban militants attacked key buildings near Afghanistan's presidential palace and the U.S. CIA headquarters in Kabul, a brazen assault that could derail attempts for peace talks to end 12 years of war. The Taliban, who have said they are willing to take part in talks with the United States and Afghan President Hamid Karzai's administration, said they launched the early morning assault, which triggered a 90-minute firefight. A U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama takes on power plants as part of new climate plan Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 04:14 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama tried to revive his stalled climate change agenda on Tuesday, promising new rules to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants and other domestic actions including support for renewable energy. Obama also signaled he would block construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada if it contributed to climate change. That does not mean the project is doomed, however. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: China Mobile, Etisalat weighing bids for Pakistan telco - sources Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 03:58 AM PDT  By Dinesh Nair and Matt Smith DUBAI (Reuters) - Pakistan mobile operator Warid Telecom has been put up for sale by its Abu Dhabi owners and is likely to draw interest from China Mobile and Etisalat, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Abu Dhabi Group, a conglomerate led by a ruling family member in the oil-rich emirate, is seeking to sell all 100-percent of shares in Warid Telecom, two of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The third source, however, said the company would also be prepared to sell a smaller controlling stake. ... Full Story | Top |
| China and U.S. war over Snowden, but no lasting damage seen Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:24 AM PDT  By Sui-Lee Wee BEIJING (Reuters) - China rebuked the United States on Tuesday for accusing it of facilitating the flight of fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, and said suggestions that it had done so were "baseless and unacceptable". The remarks from the Chinese foreign ministry and earlier comments from state media have underscored the strain in ties between the two countries since Snowden, who is wanted by the U.S. government on charges of espionage, fled Hong Kong on Sunday. ... Full Story | Top |
| On trip to Africa, Obama must play catch up Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 02:12 AM PDT  By Mark Felsenthal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It is a comparison President Barack Obama may not relish: when it comes to Africa, he's no Bill Clinton. Or even George W. Bush for that matter. Obama makes his first extended trip to Africa on Wednesday. After the sky-high expectations raised by his election in 2008, Obama now faces the prospect of trying to convince Africans that the United States has vital interests there that it intends to safeguard and pursue. "The African leaders, the African public have been wondering where the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| China dissident cites Tiananmen in praising Taiwan democracy Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 03:16 AM PDT  By Clare Jim TAIPEI (Reuters) - Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng said on Tuesday that the pushing and shoving that comes with Taiwan's raucous democracy was superior to "having tanks going rampant on the streets and squares", referring to China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on protesters. Chen, who was invited to Taiwan by a human rights group, sparked a diplomatic crisis between the United States and China after he fled house arrest in China and sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkish police detain 20 over anti-government protests Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:49 AM PDT  ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish anti-terrorism police detained 20 people in raids in the capital Ankara on Tuesday in connection with weeks of anti-government protests across the country, media reports said. The unrest began at the end of May when police used force against campaigners opposed to plans to redevelop a central Istanbul park. The protest spiraled into broader demonstrations against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his government. There have been daily protests in Ankara since then. ... Full Story | Top |
| Qatar emir hands power to son, no word on prime minister Monday, Jun 24, 2013 11:49 PM PDT  By Regan Doherty DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani handed power on Tuesday to his son, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim, taking the rare step for a Gulf Arab ruler of voluntarily ceding power to try to ensure a smooth succession. But the 61-year-old emir made no immediate mention of the public face of Qatar's assertive foreign policy, prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, a veteran politician who had been expected also to step down. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jailed Kurdish rebel leader presents peace process proposals Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 01:08 AM PDT  ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan said the peace process to end three decades of conflict had entered a second stage with his fighters' withdrawal from Turkey and he had presented the Turkish government with new proposals. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas began pulling out of Turkish territory to bases in northern Iraq last month in the first stage of a deal between Ocalan and the state to end an insurgency in which 40,000 people have been killed. ... Full Story | Top |
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