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| U.S., allies prepare for probable military strike on Syria Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 05:09 PM PDT  By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Matt Spetalnick AMMAN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies geared up on Tuesday for a probable military strike against Syria that could come within days and would be the most aggressive action by Western powers in the Middle Eastern nation's two-and-a-half-year civil war. Western envoys have told the Syrian opposition to expect a military response soon against President Bashar al-Assad's forces as punishment for a chemical weapons attack last week, according to sources who attended a meeting with the rebel Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul. ... Full Story | Top |
| New York Times, Twitter hacked by Syrian group Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 08:01 PM PDT  By Gerry Shih and Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Media companies including the New York Times, Twitter and the Huffington Post lost control of some of their websites Tuesday after hackers supporting the Syrian government breached the Australian Internet company that manages many major site addresses. The Syrian Electronic Army, a hacker group that has previously attacked media organizations that it considers hostile to the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, claimed credit for the Twitter and Huffington Post hacks in a series of Twitter messages. ... Full Story | Top |
| China leaders fear Bo comeback if sentence is not harsh: sources Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 07:25 PM PDT  By Benjamin Kang Lim and John Ruwitch BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Senior figures in China's ruling Communist Party fear ousted politician Bo Xilai could stage a political comeback one day if he is not dealt a harsh sentence in his trial for corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power, according to sources. Bo was a rising star who analysts say was seen as a potential rival to President Xi Jinping for leadership of the Party and country before his career was spectacularly derailed by a lurid murder scandal involving his wife. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. seeking $6 billion from JPMorgan to settle mortgage claims: source Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:16 PM PDT  (Reuters) - U.S. government housing finance authorities are pressing JPMorgan Chase & Co for at least $6 billion to settle lawsuits over bonds backed by subprime mortgages, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company is arguing that it should pay less to settle the claims by the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, according to the source, who was not authorized to speak for attribution. The FHFA litigation is among a raft of legal issues JPMorgan is trying to work through in addition to investigations over its $6.2 billion "London Whale" derivatives loss of last year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Facebook says countries sought data on 38,000 users in first half of 2013 Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 03:10 PM PDT  By Gerry Shih SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Governments sought information on over 38,000 Facebook users in the first half of 2013 and the No.1 social network complied with most requests, the firm said in its first report on the scale of data inquiries it gets from countries around the world. The report follows allegations by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that practically every major Internet company - including Facebook, Google Inc and Microsoft Corp - routinely hands over troves of data on potentially millions of users to national intelligence agencies. ... Full Story | Top |
| Microsoft: The insiders who could be CEO Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:57 PM PDT  By Bill Rigby SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has a stable of senior executives who could be contenders to succeed Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, even though outsiders have sparked the most discussion so far. After Ballmer's surprise announcement on Friday that he would retire within a year, the board's lead independent director John Thompson, who heads the search for the new CEO, said the planned transformation of the software giant into a fast-moving 'devices and services' company is still on track. ... Full Story | Top |
| IRS issues final rules on Obamacare's 'individual mandate' Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:05 PM PDT  By Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Internal Revenue Service issued final rules on Tuesday for the individual mandate of President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul, one of the most contentious elements of the U.S. law set to go into effect next year. A centerpiece of Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is a requirement that all individuals carry some minimum health insurance or pay a tax. The new system aims to provide insurance through state marketplaces and subsidies for tens of millions of Americans who lack it. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. home prices rise but at slower pace, consumers optimistic Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 10:23 AM PDT  By Steven C. Johnson NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. home prices rose in June but the pace of gains cooled, suggesting higher mortgage rates may end up slowing momentum in the housing sector as the year winds down. Separate data released on Tuesday showed consumer confidence rebounded in August. Consumers were more upbeat about the future even though their assessment of their current standing fell. Home prices rose 0.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas. Economists had expected them to match May's 1 percent gain. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iran names new envoy to IAEA, extending makeover of nuclear team Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 08:38 AM PDT  By Yeganeh Torbati DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has named a disarmament expert as its envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, extending a reshuffle of top officials dealing with its disputed atomic program since new President Hassan Rouhani took office vowing to improve Iran's foreign relations. Rouhani has yet to pick someone for arguably Iran's most important diplomatic post - chief nuclear negotiator with world powers - but the pragmatist tilt of his team so far points to a closer alignment of nuclear and foreign policy. ... Full Story | Top |
| SEC reviews Nasdaq as rivals blame each other for outage Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:18 PM PDT  By John McCrank and Douwe Miedema NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators are questioning how robust Nasdaq OMX Group's systems are after last week's massive trading outage, while shrugging off a spat with NYSE Euronext as a distraction, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked the rival exchange operators to come up with a blow-by-blow account of the trading disruption, but the two disagree on the details, other sources familiar with the situation said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain drafts military plans for Syria, recalls parliament Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 11:09 AM PDT  By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron recalled parliament to debate Britain's response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria as he began to make the case for targeted military action to punish and deter President Bashar al-Assad. Stressing he had not yet taken a decision either way, Cameron condemned last Wednesday's reported chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus as "ghastly". ... Full Story | Top |
| New York Times website was likely hacked, company says Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:33 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The website of The New York Times experienced another outage on Tuesday afternoon, likely caused by hackers, the company said. New York Times Co spokeswoman Eileen Murphy tweeted on Tuesday that the "issue is most likely the result of a malicious external attack," based on an initial assessment. This is the second time the Times has experienced problems with its website in two weeks. On August 14, the site was down for several hours, an outage likely related to a scheduled maintenance update that occurred within seconds of the website's going down. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S., allies preparing for probable strike on Syria Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 03:04 PM PDT By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and William Maclean AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States and its allies were gearing up on Tuesday for a probable military strike against Syria that could happen within days as punishment for last week's chemical weapons attacks blamed on President Bashar al-Assad's government. Western powers have told the Syrian opposition to expect military action against Assad's forces soon, according to sources who attended a meeting between envoys and the Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul. Amid a quickening drumbeat of preparations, U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Syria strike due in days, West tells opposition - sources Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 07:03 AM PDT By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - Western powers have told the Syrian opposition to expect a strike against President Bashar al-Assad's forces within days, according to sources who attended a meeting between envoys and the Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul. "The opposition was told in clear terms that action to deter further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime could come as early as in the next few days, and that they should still prepare for peace talks at Geneva," one of the sources who was at the meeting on Monday told Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa strikes escalate with petrol stations dispute Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 11:10 AM PDT  By Ed Stoddard and David Dolan JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's petrol station and car dealership workers on Tuesday announced a strike for higher wages next week, signaling more labor disruption to a struggling economy also facing stoppages in gold mines. Africa's largest economy is facing a wave of wage increase demands and strikes by increasingly militant workers, renewing a challenge to President Jacob Zuma after violent mines strikes last year dented growth and led to sovereign credit downgrades. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy coalition struggles for deal as tax showdown nears Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 06:05 AM PDT  By James Mackenzie ROME (Reuters) - Italy's fractious ruling coalition struggled on Tuesday to bridge differences over a housing tax that threatens to create a new crisis for a government already severely strained by the legal turmoil surrounding Silvio Berlusconi. With twitchy financial markets nervous about the prospect of fresh political instability in Italy, the Milan stock market fell for a second day and government borrowing costs rose ahead of a closely anticipated bond auction on Thursday. ... Full Story | Top |
| JPMorgan's former 'London Whale' supervisor arrested in Spain Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 08:58 AM PDT  By Sarah White and Carlos Ruano MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police arrested former JP Morgan Chase trader Javier Martin-Artajo on Tuesday as he prepares to fight possible extradition to the United States over a $6.2 billion financial scandal at the United States' largest bank. The arrest came after the United States charged Spaniard Martin-Artajo and a junior colleague, Frenchman Julien Grout, with wire fraud and conspiracy to falsify books and records related to the trading losses, which were executed by Bruno Iksil. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: U.S. strike would aim to punish Assad, not turn tide of war Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 05:54 AM PDT  By Peter Apps LONDON (Reuters) - Any strike by the United States and its allies on Syria will probably aim to teach President Bashar al-Assad - and Iran - a lesson on the risks of defying the West, but not try to turn the tide of the civil war. U.S. and European officials say a short, sharp attack - perhaps entirely with cruise missiles - is the preferred response to what they believe is Assad's responsibility for a chemical weapons attack on rebel-held areas last week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Afghan Taliban kill 12 'government' workers Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 03:10 AM PDT By Sharaf Stanekzai HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban executed 12 Afghan workers in two provinces after accusing them of working for the government, officials said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of brutal attacks on civilians this year. The Taliban are increasingly targeting civilians seen to be cooperating with the government, raising concerns about the prospects for peace after most foreign troops pull out next year. President Hamid Karzai condemned the killings with a swipe at Pakistan which he has been visiting for two days. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama has not decided on military action in Syria: U.S. official Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 07:48 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama has not made a decision to order military strikes against the Syrian government in response to last week's alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus, a senior administration official said on Tuesday. The assertion by the U.S. official, which echoed the White House's comments on Monday, came amid mounting signs that Washington and its allies are edging toward a limited use of force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. consumer confidence rises in August Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 07:08 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence rose in August as consumers' outlook for the future improved, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday. The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes rose to 81.5 from 80.3 in July, beating economists' expectations for 79.0. The expectations index rose to 88.7 from an upwardly revised 86.0. Consumers, however, were less optimistic about their current standing, with the present situation index slipping to 70.7 from July's more than five-year high of 73.6. (Reporting By Steven C. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. military ready to act on Syria immediately if asked: Hagel Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 06:24 AM PDT  BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters) - The U.S. military is ready to act immediately should President Barack Obama order action against Syria over a chemical weapons attack, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a television interview with the BBC on Tuesday. "We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfill and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," Hagel said during a trip to Brunei, according to a partial transcript provided by the BBC. Asked if the U.S. military was ready to respond just "like that," Hagel said: "We are ready to go, like that. ... Full Story | Top |
| China sees no basis for Japan talks as islands dispute simmers Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:30 AM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Tuesday brushed aside calls from Japan to hold a leaders' summit as "grandstanding", while Japan's finance minister said Tokyo should make clear it would use its navy to defend islands at the core of a dispute with Beijing. Ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies have been strained for months because of a row over the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, as well as disputes over the countries' bitter wartime past. ... Full Story | Top |
| Planemakers eye replacement sales at Russian air show Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 02:50 AM PDT  By Megan Davies MOSCOW (Reuters) - The world's top aircraft makers, scenting a major opportunity in replacing ageing Russian air fleets, will be touting their wares at Moscow's MAKS air show this week in the hope of winning a big slice of that multi-billion dollar market. Russia needs to replace hundreds of planes as rising passenger numbers drive higher demand, yet many orders are set to go to overseas planemakers. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa's NUM says 'not trigger-happy' for gold strike Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 05:18 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The head of South Africa's main mining union said on Tuesday its members were "not trigger-happy" about launching a threatened gold industry strike, hinting a compromise could still be found with producers before a Friday deadline. "A strike is always the last resort, we are not trigger-happy about a strike," Frans Baleni, the General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), told Reuters on the sidelines of a mining conference in Johannesburg. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ackman turns back on J.C. Penney, sells entire stake in retailer Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 09:39 AM PDT  By Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager William Ackman, the biggest shareholder in J.C. Penney Co Inc , said on Monday he had sold his entire stake after his campaign to overhaul the retailer failed. Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management sold 39.1 million shares, or 18 percent of the company, to Citigroup Inc , which is now offering the shares to other investors, the company and the $11 billion hedge fund said in separate announcements. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan's newest rocket fails to lift off Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 06:25 AM PDT By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's first new rocket in 12 years failed to lift off on Tuesday, dealing a potential blow to hopes that Japan may be able to take a larger share of the growing, multi-billion dollar satellite launch industry. It was the second setback for the Epsilon rocket this month. An earlier launch was postponed because of a computer glitch. No word was immediately available on the cause of the problem on Tuesday or when the launch might be tried again. ... Full Story | Top |
| Australia's Rudd revives plan to move the navy north Monday, Aug 26, 2013 09:52 PM PDT  By James Grubel CANBERRA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd revived a plan to move Australia's navy north and out of its eastern base in Sydney Harbour on Tuesday, just three months after a major review of defense strategy ruled out the shift. Rudd, who is campaigning for re-election on September 7, said he wanted to resurrect the plan to base new missile destroyers and amphibious assault carriers in the northern city of Brisbane. That would allow faster deployment to potential hotspots or humanitarian disasters in the South Pacific. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: U.S. could look beyond U.N. Security Council in any Syria strike Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 03:37 AM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - In the face of a U.N. Security Council deadlocked on Syria, the United States and its allies could seek other means of legitimizing any retaliatory strike they launch against Syria's government for last week's alleged gas attack on civilians. The 15-nation council has been split on Syria since 2011. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's ally, and China have vetoed three resolutions condemning Assad and calling for punitive steps against his government. ... Full Story | Top |
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