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| Britain says no to Syria intervention as U.S. considers actions Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:11 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn and Oliver Holmes LONDON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Britain will not join any military action against Syria after a stunning parliamentary defeat on Thursday of a government motion on the issue, dealing a setback to U.S.-led efforts to punish Damascus over the use of chemical weapons against civilians. Following a 285-272 vote against a motion by British Prime Minister David Cameron to authorize a military response in principle, British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed Britain would not be involved in any action against Syria. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. still aims to act with allies on Syria: Hagel Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:04 PM PDT  MANILA (Reuters) - The United States will continue to seek out an international coalition to act together on Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday, after Britain's parliament rejected military action. "It is the goal of President (Barack) Obama and our government ... whatever decision is taken, that it be an international collaboration and effort," Hagel said during a trip to the Philippines, adding that the United States would continue to consult with Britain. "Our approach is to continue to find an international coalition that will act together. ... Full Story | Top |
| Australia investigates elite troops over Taliban corpse mutilation Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:03 PM PDT By Rob Taylor CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's military is investigating a unit of special forces soldiers accused of mutilating the corpses of one or more insurgents killed during operations in Afghanistan, Australian state television reported on Friday. The incident, in which the hands were allegedly cut from the body of at least one of four militants killed, took place during an operation involving Afghan forces and elite Australian soldiers in the southeastern province of Zabul on April 28. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Syrian army moves Scud missiles to avoid strike Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 08:48 PM PDT  By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's forces have removed several Scud missiles and dozens of launchers from a base north of Damascus, possibly to protect the weapons from a Western attack, opposition sources said on Thursday. The move from the position in the foothills of the Qalamoun mountains, one of Syria's most heavily militarized districts, appears part of a precautionary but limited redeployment of armaments in areas of central Syria still held by Assad's forces, diplomats based in the Middle East told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House gives Congress new evidence of chemical arms use in Syria Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 08:44 PM PDT  By Patricia Zengerle and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Thursday gave American lawmakers what it called fresh evidence that Syria's government was behind a chemical weapons attack, but faced strong resistance to military action from both U.S. political parties and a stinging rejection from Britain, a key ally. During a conference call at the end of a difficult day for the White House, U.S. officials told members of Congress there was "no doubt" that chemical weapons were used in Syria last week. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. authorities widen hiring probe beyond JPMorgan: WSJ Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 08:41 PM PDT  (Reuters) - U.S. authorities are seeking information from several banks and hedge funds on their hiring practices, focusing on the hiring of relatives of well-connected foreign officials with the intent of winning business, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation. The enquiry goes beyond a probe disclosed by JPMorgan Chase earlier this month. The bank has not been accused of wrongdoing. (http://link.reuters.com/hag72v) The Journal did not identify which banks and hedge funds have been contacted by U.S. authorities. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. envoy set to leave Friday on mission to free American in North Korea Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 08:01 PM PDT  By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy was set to leave Japan on Friday to secure the release of an imprisoned and ailing American missionary in North Korea, a move that could signal the start of a gradual thaw in relations between Washington and Pyongyang. Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, is scheduled to return from Pyongyang on Saturday after a one-day trip, an official at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said. The official was unable to specify exact times. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. plans reports on secret court orders to telecom providers Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 07:39 PM PDT  By Alina Selyukh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. intelligence community has pledged to disclose more data about government surveillance programs by reporting annually how many secret court orders are issued to telecommunications companies under certain legal rules. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Thursday announced a plan to release the total number of legal orders issued every 12 months to telecom companies by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and the number of targets affected by those orders. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former China Politburo member faces corruption probe: report Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 07:29 PM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's senior leadership has agreed to open a corruption investigation into Zhou Yongkang, one of China's most powerful politicians of the past decade, stepping up its anti-graft campaign, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday. The move against Zhou - a retired member of the Politburo's all-powerful Standing Committee - follows the five-day corruption trial of ousted politician Bo Xilai, who was widely considered a key Zhou ally. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report when contacted by Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian president calls for calm as farm protests reach Bogota Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:56 PM PDT  By Helen Murphy and Fernando Peinado BOGOTA (Reuters) - Thousands of Colombian farmers and state workers marched through Bogota on Thursday, banging pots and pans as they converged on the capital after 11 days of increasingly violent protests against agricultural and trade policies they say have left them impoverished. Students wearing balaclavas pelted shop windows with rocks near the capital's main square and clashed with riot police who fired tear gas to disperse them. Bogota imposed a curfew in three of the more populated areas of the city after violence continued into the night. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yosemite's weather turns to firefighters' advantage Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:47 PM PDT  By Laila Kearney and Ronnie Cohen SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fire crews battling to keep a massive blaze from invading the heart of California's Yosemite National Park seized on cooler weather and lighter winds on Thursday to slow the spread of flames ahead of a holiday weekend marking the end of the peak summer tourist season. Progress came after a long stretch of Yosemite's main east-west road was closed on Wednesday through the western half of the park as crews tightened their grip on the blaze, extending containment lines around 30 percent of the fire's perimeter by the end of its 12th day. ... Full Story | Top |
| China urges no U.N. action on Syria before probe completed Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:29 PM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - There should be no rush to force U.N. Security Council action against Syria until a probe by U.N. experts into suspected chemical weapons use is complete, and unilateral action will not help matters, China's foreign minister said. In remarks reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Friday, Wang Yi told U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a telephone call that China fully supported an independent and objective inspection free from outside pressure. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. officials say 'no doubt' on Syrian chemical weapons: congressman Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:17 PM PDT  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obama administration officials told lawmakers on Thursday that they have "no doubt" chemical weapons were used in Syria and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government had used them, U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, who participated in the call, told Reuters. The senior administration officials cited evidence including "intercepted communications from high-level Syrian officials" on a conference call with lawmakers, said Engel, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iraq war ghosts end UK plans to take part in Syria action Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:06 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn and Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron's plans for joining a potential military strike on Syria were thwarted on Thursday night after Britain's parliament narrowly voted against a government motion to authorise such action in principle. In a humiliating defeat for the British leader likely to damage Cameron's hopes of being re-elected in 2015 and set back traditionally strong U.S.-UK relations, parliament defied Cameron by 285 to 272 votes. Commentators said it was the first time a British prime minister had lost a vote on war since 1782. ... Full Story | Top |
| China: no Security Council action on Syria before probe complete: Xinhua Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:48 PM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign minister said on Friday the UN security council should not be pushed into any action on Syria before inspectors have completed a probe into allegations of chemical weapons use. In remarks reported by the official Xinhua news agency, Wang Yi told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a telephone conversation that China fully supported an independent and objective inspection free from outside pressure and interference. The results of the probe should not be pre-judged, he said. (Reporting by Pete Sweeney and Jonathan Standing; Editing by Paul Tait) Full Story | Top |
| Accused Chicago bomb plotter indicted for seeking murder of FBI agent Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:32 PM PDT (Reuters) - A man accused of trying to set off a car bomb in Chicago was indicted on Thursday in a murder-for-hire plot designed to kill an undercover FBI agent who was going to testify against him. Adel Daoud, 19, a U.S. citizen living in the Chicago suburb of Hillside, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count each of solicitation of murder, murder-for-hire, and obstruction of justice. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. consults oil experts as it weighs action against Syria Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:22 PM PDT  By Timothy Gardner and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obama administration officials have contacted energy experts in recent days to discuss oil market conditions as the president weighs a military strike against Syria, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. There are no signs the government is preparing to tap emergency oil reserves soon in a bid to tame rising prices, according to the sources who spoke with Reuters this week, though the administration is closely monitoring the situation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Michigan judge halts state review of Detroit mayoral primary Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:13 PM PDT By Steve Neavling DETROIT (Reuters) - A Michigan judge halted a review of Detroit's disputed August mayoral primary on Thursday and ordered a state board not to count write-in ballots or certify a winner in the election held more than three weeks ago. The state board of elections had been canvassing the results of the August 6 mayoral primary to determine whether the winner is former hospital chief executive Wayne Duggan, who ran a write-in campaign, or Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two U.S. traders plead guilty in Venezuelan bank bribery case Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:34 PM PDT By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two former employees of a New York broker-dealer pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiring to pay kickbacks to Venezuelan state banking officials, as U.S. prosecutors moved to broaden their case. Tomas Alberto Clarke Bethancourt, 43, and Ernesto Lujan, 50, admitted to participating in the conspiracy to help secure trading business for their employer, Direct Access Partners. ... Full Story | Top |
| Muslims challenging U.S. 'no fly' list win partial court victory Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:34 PM PDT By Teresa Carson PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Thirteen Muslim Americans challenging the U.S. governments' secretive "no-fly" list won a partial victory in federal court when a judge found they "have a constitutionally protected liberty interest" in traveling internationally by air. But U.S. District Judge Anna Brown has yet to decide whether the government violated their constitutional rights to due process under a policy that excludes individuals from commercial air travel if they are suspected of having ties to terrorism. ... Full Story | Top |
| Romney's untaxed '47 percent' of Americans shrinks, center says Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:27 PM PDT  By Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The "47 percent" of U.S. households who owe no federal income tax, memorably disparaged last year by former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has shrunk to 43 percent, said the research group that produced the original estimate. New data on Thursday from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center said 43 percent of households will owe no federal income tax in 2013, down from an estimated 47 percent in 2009. Looking further ahead, the center forecast that by 2024, about a third of households will owe no federal income tax. ... Full Story | Top |
| Married gay couples win U.S. marriage tax benefits nationwide Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:24 PM PDT  By Kevin Drawbaugh and Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - All legally wed gay couples, no matter which state they live in, are entitled to the same U.S. federal tax benefits as married heterosexual couples, the Obama administration said on Thursday. The U.S. Treasury ruling, following a landmark Supreme Court decision in June, means that whether a married gay couple lives in New York, which recognizes gay marriage, or Oklahoma, which does not, federal tax benefits and responsibilities apply. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. will consult with Britain despite Syria vote: White House Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:23 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will decide on a response to chemical weapons use in Syria based on U.S. interests, but Washington will continue to consult with Britain after its parliament rejected a motion supporting military action, the White House said on Thursday. "We have seen the result of the parliament vote in the UK tonight. The U.S. will continue to consult with the UK government - one of our closest allies and friends," said White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| BoE's Carney says uncertainty about RBS' future must end Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:04 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain should end the uncertainty over long-term plans for state-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland , Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said in a newspaper interview. Carney's position echoes that of his predecessor, Mervyn King, who said RBS' ability to sustain lending was being hampered by a lack of clarity over its future. Britain's government ploughed 45.8 billion pounds into RBS to save it from collapse in 2008, and now holds an 81 percent stake. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. allows states to legalize recreational marijuana within limits Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:01 PM PDT  By David Ingram WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a move marijuana advocates hailed as an historic shift, the Obama administration on Thursday began giving U.S. states wide leeway to experiment with pot legalization and started by letting Colorado and Washington carry out new laws permitting recreational use. The Justice Department said it would refocus marijuana enforcement nationwide by bringing criminal charges only in eight defined areas - such as distribution to minors - and giving breathing room to users, growers and related businesses that have feared prosecution. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ghana's Supreme Court rejects opposition challenge to 2012 vote Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:56 PM PDT  By Kwasi Kpodo ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an opposition challenge to President John Mahama's victory in presidential elections, a ruling that should ease political uncertainty in the booming African oil- and cocoa-exporting country. Mahama narrowly clinched December's vote with 50.7 percent of the ballot but the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had alleged fraud ranging from inflated tallies to the participation of unregistered voters. ... Full Story | Top |
| '2016: Obama's America' director sets sights on 'conspiracy nut' Michael Moore, Hollywood liberals Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:51 PM PDT By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The conservative creator and co-director of last year's hit documentary "2016: Obama's America" is urging moviegoers to send a message to not just filmmaker Michael Moore but Hollywood's liberals by voting at the box office. It's not due in theaters until next year's Fourth of July, but Dinesh D'Souza says that he wants his next movie - "America," a look at "the meaning of what America the country was, is and should be" - to replace Moore's "Farenheit 9/11" as the highest-grossing political documentary of all time. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK defense minister: Britain won't take part in Syrian military action Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:44 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said on Thursday that Britain would not take part in any military action against Syria after the government unexpectedly lost a vital parliamentary vote on the issue. "I hoped we would carry the argument but we understand there is a deep well of suspicion about involvement in the Middle East," Hammond told BBC TV's Newsnight program. The United States, a key ally, would be disappointed that Britain "will not be involved," he added, but said: "I don't expect that the lack of British participation will stop any action. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S., Switzerland forge bank settlement deal amid tax probe Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:35 PM PDT  By Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday it had signed an agreement with the Swiss government to allow some Swiss banks to avoid or defer prosecution stemming from a long-running probe of tax dodging by Americans using Swiss bank accounts. The settlement program will apply to about 100 second-tier Swiss banks, provided they agree to disclose certain previous hidden assets of U.S. customers. It will be open only to banks not already under U.S. criminal investigation. The deal is a step forward in a three-year U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama makes case for Syria strike, British house votes no Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:34 PM PDT  By Mark Hosenball and Oliver Holmes WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The British parliament on Thursday rejected a motion supporting military action in Syria, reflecting deep divisions about using force to punish President Bashar al-Assad for what Western governments believe was his use of chemical weapons against civilians. U.S. officials conceded on Thursday they lacked conclusive evidence that Assad personally ordered last week's poison gas attack, and some allies have warned that military action without U.N. Security Council authorization risks making the situation worse. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon opens criminal probe of Russian helicopter deals Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:32 PM PDT  By Brian Grow and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has opened a criminal investigation of an Army aviation unit that awarded tens of millions of dollars worth of contracts to Russian and U.S. firms for maintenance and overhaul of Russian-made helicopters, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation, which has not been made public before, is led by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rwanda accuses Congo of shelling as tensions mount Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:26 PM PDT  By Jenny Clover and Pete Jones KIGALI/GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rwanda accused Congo on Thursday of shelling its territory and said it would not tolerate such "provocation", raising fears that violence in eastern Congo could erupt into a regional conflict. The Democratic Republic of Congo said Rwanda's accusation was a sign Kigali wanted to intervene openly in its eastern war. Rwanda has denied accusations by U.N. experts that it covertly backs Congo's M23 rebels. The mounting cross-border tensions came as a newly-deployed U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel said planning to deport African migrants to Uganda Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:24 PM PDT By Allyn Fisher-Ilan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel plans to soon begin deporting migrants from Eritrea and Sudan, who number more than 50,000, back to the African continent via Uganda, officials said. Israel regards most of these Africans as illegal visitors crowding impoverished areas in search of jobs, and largely rejects the position of human rights groups that many fled their countries in search of political asylum. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameron loses parliamentary vote on Syria action Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:12 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vital parliamentary vote on Thursday night meant to pave the way for Britain to join a looming military strike on Syria, in a move that appeared to all but rule out British involvement in such action. In a humiliating and unexpected development, Cameron and his coalition government failed to pass a motion that would have authorised military action against Syria in principle by 285 to 272 votes. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK's Cameron loses parliamentary vote on Syria action Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:11 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vital parliamentary vote on Thursday night meant to pave the way for Britain to join a looming military strike on Syria, in a move that appeared to all but rule out British involvement in such action. In a humiliating and unexpected development, Cameron and his coalition government failed to pass a motion that would have authorized military action against Syria in principle by 285 to 272 votes. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan prison escapee evolves into al Qaeda-backed jailbreak artist Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:04 PM PDT  By Katharine Houreld ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The young Pakistani militant pounds a boxing bag, removes a pistol from its holster and fires in slow motion across gently sunlit fields. "After eight years in a death cell, he came out - by the grace of Allah - and now he is back on the battlefield," intones the YouTube video voiceover. Adnan Rasheed, the long-haired, laughing star of the video, escaped that death cell and went on to set up an Islamist group specializing in jailbreaks, masterminding a raid that freed 250 prisoners, including Taliban militants. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight: China prepares to ditch cotton stockpiling, wider reform looms Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 02:55 PM PDT  By Dominique Patton and Niu Shuping BEIJING (Reuters) - China is preparing the ground to scrap a controversial scheme to stockpile cotton in favor of subsidizing farmers, a move that could slash imports by the world's top buyer of the fiber and herald a broad shakeup of Beijing's sensitive farm policies. Abandoning stockpiling would mark the end of a system that has distorted the market to such a degree that it has been cheaper for Chinese mills to import cotton grown abroad than to buy domestic produce. ... Full Story | Top |
| Aetna pulls out of another Obamacare health exchange Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 02:54 PM PDT By Caroline Humer (Reuters) - Aetna Inc has decided not to sell insurance on New York's individual health insurance exchange, which is being created under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, the fifth state where it has reversed course in recent weeks. The third-largest U.S. health insurer has said it is seeking to limit its exposure to the risks of providing health plans to America's uninsured, but did not give details about its decision to pull out of specific markets. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. fast-food workers protest, demand a 'living wage' Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 02:52 PM PDT  By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fast-food workers went on strike and protested outside McDonald's, Burger King and other restaurants in 60 U.S. cities on Thursday, in the largest protest of an almost year-long campaign to raise service sector wages. Rallies were held in cities from New York to Oakland and stretched into the South, historically difficult territory for organized labor. The striking workers say they want to unionize without retaliation in order to collectively bargain for a "living wage." They are demanding $15 an hour, more than twice the federal minimum of $7. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. Security Council powers meet again on Syria; no outcome Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 02:33 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The five permanent U.N. Security Council members met again on Thursday to discuss an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria last week as Western powers consider possible military action against the Syrian government, U.N. diplomats said. The meeting lasted for just under an hour. U.S., British, French, Chinese and Russian diplomats declined to comment to reporters after the meeting. One diplomat said it was not clear why Russia had called for the meeting and nothing new was raised. ... Full Story | Top |
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