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| U.S. says world cannot let Assad get away with chemical attack Friday, Aug 30, 2013 08:39 PM PDT  By Steve Holland and Catherine Bremer WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - The United States made clear on Friday that it would punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack that it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus last week. "We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale," President Barack Obama told reporters at the White House. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sixth U.S. ship now in eastern Mediterranean 'as precaution' Friday, Aug 30, 2013 07:57 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A sixth U.S. warship is now operating in the eastern Mediterranean, near five U.S. destroyers armed with cruise missiles that could soon be directed against Syria as part of a "limited, precise" strike, defense officials said late on Friday. They stressed that the USS San Antonio, an amphibious ship with several hundred U.S. Marines on board, was in the region for a different reason and there were no plans to put Marines on the ground as part of any military action against Syria. ... Full Story | Top |
| San Diego mayor accused of sexual harassment leaves office quietly Friday, Aug 30, 2013 08:47 PM PDT  By Marty Graham SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Bob Filner's term as San Diego mayor came to a quiet end on Friday as the veteran politician who resigned in the face of a sexual harassment lawsuit stayed out of the public eye on his last day in office. Filner, a former Democratic congressman elected to lead California's second-largest city last year, announced his resignation last week as part of a settlement with the city over how to handle a lawsuit filed by his former press secretary. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fort Hood killer Hasan arrives at death row in Kansas Friday, Aug 30, 2013 01:05 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the massacre of 13 soldiers at a Texas Army base, on Friday began his residency on death row at the military's maximum-security facility in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, a prison spokeswoman said. Hasan is being confined in the "death sentence inmate housing unit" that is part of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) at Leavenworth, said Kimberly Lewis, spokeswoman for the prison. The death sentence will be automatically appealed to the U.S. Army Criminal Court of Appeals, and then to the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yosemite wildfire still raging, keeps tourists away Friday, Aug 30, 2013 07:12 PM PDT  By Laila Kearney SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fire crews battling to outflank a monster wildfire inside Yosemite National Park made headway on Friday in confining flames to wilderness areas but were powerless to salvage the region's sputtering tourist economy at the end of its peak summer tourist season. By morning, the tally of charred landscape from the so-called Rim Fire surpassed 200,000 acres, or nearly 315 square miles, three-quarters of that in the Stanislaus National Forest west of the park, fire officials said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Six dead as thousands of Mursi supporters march in Egypt Friday, Aug 30, 2013 12:58 PM PDT  By Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi marched through Cairo and cities across Egypt on Friday to demand his reinstatement, in the movement's biggest show of defiance since hundreds of protesters were killed two weeks ago. Although most marches passed without major incident, a security source said there had been at least six deaths, and police fired teargas at protesters in Cairo's Mohandiseen district. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK asked N.Y. Times to destroy Snowden material Friday, Aug 30, 2013 10:54 AM PDT  By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The British government has asked the New York Times to destroy copies of documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden related to the operations of the U.S. spy agency and its British partner, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), people familiar with the matter said. The British request, made to Times executive editor Jill Abramson by a senior official at the British Embassy in Washington D.C., was greeted by Abramson with silence, according to the sources. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. casts action in Syria as moral imperative but sets no timetable Friday, Aug 30, 2013 02:10 PM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration made a forceful case on Friday for limited U.S. military action against Syria, releasing evidence the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against civilians several times during the past year and saying the "indiscriminate, inconceivable horror" of a deadly attack last week could not go unpunished. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. says North Korea calls off trip aimed at securing American's release Friday, Aug 30, 2013 01:08 PM PDT  By Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea withdrew its invitation to a U.S. envoy who was headed to Pyongyang to request the release of imprisoned, ailing American missionary Kenneth Bae, the U.S. State Department said on Friday. North Korea canceled talks with Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, who was expected to visit Pyongyang on Friday and Saturday. "We are surprised and disappointed by North Korea's decision," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said. "We remain gravely concerned about Mr. ... Full Story | Top |
| Apple rolls out iPhone trade-in program in U.S. stores Friday, Aug 30, 2013 11:36 AM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc has launched a trade-in program in its U.S. retail stores for older models of its iPhone as it gears up for the launch of a new version of the smartphone, it said on Friday. Apple will give customers a credit for their old phones to be used toward the purchase of a new model, an Apple spokeswoman said. A thriving industry exists for older versions of smartphones, especially the iPhone, on websites such as eBay and Gazelle. Even broken iPhones can fetch as much as $125 from vendors, who resell them in the United States and internationally. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria says U.S. accusations were 'lies and baseless' Friday, Aug 30, 2013 02:14 PM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said on Friday that accusations by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that it has used chemical weapons were "lies and baseless." The Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement that Kerry's charges were a "desperate attempt" to justify a military strike against Syria. (Reporting by Mariam Karouny; editing by Christopher Wilson) Full Story | Top |
| Obama says Syria chemical weapons attack threatens Israel, Jordan Friday, Aug 30, 2013 01:25 PM PDT  By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday the chemical weapons attack in Syria threatened U.S. allies Israel, Turkey and Jordan and that while "nobody ends up being more war weary than me" he is considering a narrow, limited U.S. response. Obama, speaking to reporters at a meeting he held with Baltic leaders, said the United States must be prepared to act unilaterally if necessary to uphold what he called an international norm against the use of chemical weapons as part of U.S. obligations as a world leader. As he spoke, the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. says world cannot let Assad get away with chemical attack Friday, Aug 30, 2013 03:04 PM PDT By Steve Holland and Catherine Bremer WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - The United States made clear on Friday that it would punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the "brutal and flagrant" chemical weapons attack that it says killed more than 1,400 people in Damascus last week. "We can not accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale," President Barack Obama told reporters at the White House. ... Full Story | Top |
| Congo's army occupies rebel positions in breakthrough Friday, Aug 30, 2013 12:49 PM PDT  By Pete Jones KIBATI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - In their biggest success in a year, government troops in Congo occupied strategic hills overlooking the eastern town of Goma on Friday after rebel fighters withdrew. The M23 rebels, who have fought an 18-month uprising in the eastern borderlands of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said they quit the Kibati hills to allow an independent investigation into shelling that has killed civilians in Goma and the lakeside town of Gisenyi in neighboring Rwanda. ... Full Story | Top |
| Most in U.S. still oppose Syria strike as Obama seeks action Friday, Aug 30, 2013 01:10 PM PDT  By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most Americans still do not want to intervene in Syria's civil war, although support for such action has increased since the suspected chemical gas attack near Damascus last week, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll made clear how much work President Barack Obama has to do to win support for military action from a war-weary public as he makes the case that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be held responsible for the attack that the United States says killed more than 1,400 people. ... Full Story | Top |
| Weak spending, inflation data point to soft U.S. economy Friday, Aug 30, 2013 10:05 AM PDT  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer spending barely rose and inflation was tame in July, offering a cautionary note on the economy as the Federal Reserve weighs cutting back its massive bond-buying program. Spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, could struggle to regain momentum as other data on Friday showed consumer sentiment fell this month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian president orders military patrols in Bogota Friday, Aug 30, 2013 10:03 AM PDT  By Helen Murphy BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos sent troops to patrol the streets of Bogota on Friday after violent protests caused havoc across the capital, killing two people and leaving parts of the city in shambles. Santos took the measure after almost two weeks of roadblocks, protests and clashes with police that spread from the countryside to cities, including Bogota, Medellin and Cali. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama says Syria chemical weapons attack threatens Israel, Jordan Friday, Aug 30, 2013 12:15 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday the chemical weapons attack in Syria threatened U.S. allies Israel and Jordan and said his preference would have been for the international community to move forward on a response. While meeting with visiting leaders at the White House, Obama told reporters the United States was still in the planning process for a response to the chemical weapons use in Syria. He said he was looking at a limited action against Syria that would not involve an open-ended commitment or major military operation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry makes case for limited military action on Syria Friday, Aug 30, 2013 10:43 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday made a broad case for limited U.S. military action against Syria for its suspected use of chemical weapons, saying it could not go unpunished for such a "crime against humanity." Kerry also stressed that anything the United States might do would be carefully tailored and would not in any way resemble the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, nor its intervention to help topple former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. "It will not involve any boots on the ground. It will not be open-ended. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia escalates dispute with Belarus after CEO's arrest Friday, Aug 30, 2013 08:35 AM PDT  By Timothy Heritage MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia banned pork imports from Belarus on Friday, stepping up a diplomatic and trade war over the arrest of a Russian businessman and threatening to deepen the isolation of its former Soviet ally. Russia is one of Belarus' few diplomatic backers after 19 years of authoritarian rule by President Alexander Lukashenko but has responded furiously to the arrest this week of Vladislav Baumgertner, head of Russian potash company Uralkali. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Syria vote humiliates UK's Cameron, strains special relationship Friday, Aug 30, 2013 08:23 AM PDT  By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - He lost by just 13 votes, but Prime Minister David Cameron's failure to win parliamentary approval to launch military action against Syria may place a question mark over Britain's role in the world as well as his own career. Cameron's inability to determine Britain's foreign policy and join Washington and Paris in strikes against Syria will strain the "special relationship" with the United States - the foundation of Britain's global role since World War Two. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive - Syria army defectors say U.S. strikes could kill Assad opponents Friday, Aug 30, 2013 01:33 PM PDT  By Oliver Holmes and Khaled Yacoub Oweis BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Military sites in Syria are packed with soldiers who have been effectively imprisoned by their superiors due to doubts about their loyalty, ex-soldiers say, making them possible casualties in any U.S.-led air strikes. Thousands of loyal security forces and militia, meanwhile, have moved into schools and residential buildings in Damascus, mixing with the civilian population in the hope of escaping a Western strike, according to residents and opposition activists. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine leader says he has no power to pardon Tymoshenko Friday, Aug 30, 2013 07:02 AM PDT  By Richard Balmforth KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said on Friday he had no legal powers to allow jailed rival Yulia Tymoshenko to go abroad for medical treatment as some European governments have urged, but hinted compromise might be found if the law was changed. The European Union says agreements on association and free trade with Ukraine could be in jeopardy if Yanukovich does not free former prime minister Tymoshenko, his fiercest opponent, who was jailed in 2011. The EU says her trial for abuse of office was political. ... Full Story | Top |
| France says ready to act over Syria, despite British refusal Friday, Aug 30, 2013 08:17 AM PDT  By Catherine Bremer and John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande said a British parliamentary vote against taking military action in Syria would not affect France's will to act to punish Bashar al-Assad's government, which it blamed for a chemical attack on civilians. Hollande told the daily Le Monde he still supported taking firm punitive action over an attack he said had caused irreparable harm to the Syrian people, and said he would work closely with France's allies. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Grand Kenya port plan faces headwinds despite oil finds Friday, Aug 30, 2013 05:44 AM PDT  By Drazen Jorgic LAMU, Kenya (Reuters) - A mega-port project on the north Kenyan coast conceived in the 1970s may finally be gaining traction based on commercial oil finds in Uganda and Kenya, but it needs more financing to compete with a Chinese-backed port in Tanzania and other rivals. Initial work has started on a mangrove coast near the ancient Arab trading post of Lamu that could in a few years be a bustling container port and crude terminal, creating an export hub for fast-growing east African states and their oil. But Kenya must shore up regional commitment for the $25. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. consumer sentiment slips in August Friday, Aug 30, 2013 07:15 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer sentiment retreated in August from last month's six-year high, though Americans were slightly more upbeat in their outlook than earlier in the month, a survey released on Friday showed. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment slipped to 82.1 in August from 85.1 in July. The final result did manage to top an initial mid-month reading of 80.0 and beat economists' expectations for a final read of 80.5. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. inspectors arrive at military hospital in Damascus Friday, Aug 30, 2013 03:22 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - United Nations inspectors arrived at a military hospital in a government-held area of Damascus on Friday to visit soldiers affected by an apparent chemical attack, a Reuters witness said. The inspectors have spent the week visiting rebel-controlled areas on the outskirts of Damascus after reports of a poison gas attack last week that the opposition blames on President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian government accuses the rebels of firing chemical munitions at civilians and soldiers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's Cameron: I don't need to apologize to Obama over Syria defeat Friday, Aug 30, 2013 03:58 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday he regretted the failure of the British parliament to support military action in Syria but that he hoped President Barack Obama would understand the need to listen to the wishes of the people. "I think the American public, the American people and President Obama will understand," Cameron said just hours after parliament voted against a government motion to authorize the principle of military action in Syria. "I haven't spoken to him (Obama) since the debate and the vote but I would expect to speak to him over the next day or so. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda claims responsibility for Iraq bombings Friday, Aug 30, 2013 12:12 AM PDT  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An al Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility for a series of bombings in Baghdad and other areas of Iraq in retaliation for the execution of Sunni Muslim prisoners, according to an Internet statement on Friday. Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks across Iraq in recent weeks in the worst wave of sectarian bloodshed in the country for at least five years. Just last week, car bombs, roadside bombs and shootings have killed at least 100 people. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan seeks biggest defense budget rise in 22 years Friday, Aug 30, 2013 12:51 AM PDT  By Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Defense Ministry said on Friday it was seeking a three percent increase in next year's budget allocation, the biggest rise in 22 years, with most of the growth linked to revised personnel costs and equipment imports made more expensive by a weaker yen. The budget request for the year from April 2014 comes as Japan remains locked in a territorial spat with China over uninhabited East China Sea islets, fraying ties between Asia's two biggest economies and raising security concerns. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain world role in question after defeat over Syria action: Osborne Friday, Aug 30, 2013 12:40 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - The government's defeat in parliament over military action in Syria will spark a debate about whether Britain still wants to play a major role in the world, finance minister George Osborne said on Friday. "There will be a national soul-searching about our role in the world and whether Britain wants to play a big part in upholding the international system," Osborne told the BBC. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former China security chief faces corruption probe: report Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:55 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 reported move against Zhou - a retired member of the Politburo's all-powerful Standing Committee and the former domestic security tsar - 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 |
| More signs Abenomics is working as Japan prices, output rise Friday, Aug 30, 2013 02:53 AM PDT  By Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is escaping deflation, the government said on Friday as data showing rising prices, falling unemployment, higher incomes and factory activity gathering momentum pointed to an ongoing recovery in the world's third-largest economy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Bank of Japan have gambled on massive fiscal and monetary stimulus to spark life into the economy, and the accumulating signs of an upswing are seen strengthening the case for a planned sales tax increase. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. still aims to act with allies on Syria: Hagel Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:41 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 |
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