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| South Korea, U.S. sign new strategy to deter North Korea nuclear threat Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 08:50 PM PDT  SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea signed a new strategy to deter North Korea's possible use of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction to enhance response effectiveness amid growing threats from Pyongyang, their defense chiefs said on Wednesday. The defense ministers also agreed to review the timing of the transfer of war-time command control of their combined forces on the Korean peninsula from the U.S. military to South Korea, a joint statement issued after their meeting said. The transfer is scheduled to take place in December 2015. ... Full Story | Top |
| BP tells court it did not dither in response to U.S. Gulf spill Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 07:17 PM PDT  By Kathy Finn NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - BP Plc unnecessarily delayed the capping of its Macondo well and worsened the extent of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill through dithering and indecision, according to allegations by plaintiffs' lawyers on Tuesday that the British company denied. In the second phase of a trial in New Orleans over billions of dollars in potential fines, lawyers for the plaintiffs - the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu at U.N.: Don't trust Rouhani, Iran's overtures a ruse Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 06:56 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau and Dan Williams UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed a charm offensive by Iran's new president as a ruse concocted by a "wolf in sheep's clothing," and declared that Israel was ready to stand alone to deny Tehran an atomic weapon. In a combative address to the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu assailed the trustworthiness of Hassan Rouhani, Iran's centrist president who has made diplomatic overtures to the United States and spoke by telephone last week with President Barack Obama. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's Cameron casts election as battle over free markets Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 06:06 PM PDT  By Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday will cast a national election in 2015 as a choice between his "pro-business" ruling Conservative party and what he calls its anti-business socialist rivals. In a speech to his party's annual conference in the northern English city of Manchester, Cameron will place Britain's economic recovery at the heart of his bid for re-election. ... Full Story | Top |
| In first day of U.S. shutdown, no sign how it will end Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 05:38 PM PDT  By Andy Sullivan and Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans came no closer to ending a standoff on Tuesday that has forced the first government shutdown in 17 years and thrown hundreds of thousands of federal employees out of work. As police cordoned off landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial and government agencies stopped cancer treatments and trade negotiations, Republicans in the House of Representatives moved to restore funding to national parks, veterans care and the District of Columbia. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador arrests retired officers for suspected crimes against humanity Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 05:34 PM PDT By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) - A judge in Ecuador ordered the arrest of three retired senior military officers on Tuesday and the house arrest of seven more on charges of committing crimes against humanity almost 30 years ago. The retired officers, who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s, are accused in connection with crimes including torture, kidnappings and sexual violence that were allegedly committed in 1985 against three members of an armed leftist revolutionary group. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colorado teen pleads guilty to dismembering 10-year-old girl Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 05:18 PM PDT By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado teenager who confessed to abducting, killing and dismembering a 10-year-old girl last year pleaded guilty on Tuesday to first-degree murder, sexual assault and also to the botched kidnapping of a female jogger months before the killing, authorities said. Austin Reed Sigg, 18, pleaded guilty in Jefferson County District Court two days before he was scheduled to go trial for the slaying of Jessica Ridgeway, district attorney Peter Weir said in a statement. "He has been held fully accountable for his criminal acts," Weir said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese dissident Chen to join conservative U.S. think tank Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 05:01 PM PDT  By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident and legal rights activist who accused New York University of forcing him to leave this summer because of alleged pressure from the Chinese government, will be joining The Witherspoon Institute, a conservative think tank. Chen will become a distinguished fellow in human rights at Witherspoon, which is based in Princeton, New Jersey, for the next three years. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt army chief calls for quick transition to election Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 04:41 PM PDT  By Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army chief called on Tuesday for a quick transition to elections in order to restore stability to the country, while supporters of the Islamist president he ousted, Mohamed Mursi, staged daring protests urging an end to "military government". Egypt has been gripped by turmoil since the army removed Mursi on July 3 following mass protests against his rule. Political tensions and a sharp rise in attacks by Islamist militants have decimated tourism and investment in Egypt, the most populous Arab state, which depends heavily on U.S. aid. ... Full Story | Top |
| As Obama plans Asia tour, postcard Philippines isle symbolizes U.S. pivot Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 04:14 PM PDT  By Andrew R.C. Marshall and Manuel Mogato OYSTER BAY, Philippines (Reuters) - Its mangrove-fringed coral reefs support an abundant fish population. Its deep, blue waters are unmuddied by the monsoons that batter the western Philippines coastline. But a planned visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to Asia starting this weekend could herald the start of dramatic changes to Oyster Bay, a postcard-perfect cove on Palawan Island that the Philippines expects to transform into a port for its naval frigates and eventually for American warships - all overlooking the disputed South China Sea. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. defends diplomats expelled from Venezuela Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 04:03 PM PDT  By Brian Ellsworth and Deisy Buitrago CARACAS (Reuters) - The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela on Tuesday defended three diplomats expelled by President Nicolas Maduro, rejecting charges they were involved in espionage and accusations Washington is trying to destabilize the OPEC nation. In the latest spat between the ideological foes, Maduro on Monday ordered out three U.S. diplomats including Kelly Keiderling, temporarily in charge of the mission. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House rejects latest Republican offer to end shutdown Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 03:53 PM PDT By Richard Cowan and Mark Felsenthal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House rejected a Republican plan to reopen portions of the U.S. government on Tuesday as the first shutdown in 17 years closed landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and threw hundreds of thousands of federal employees out of work. The back and forth offered no sign that President Barack Obama and Republicans can soon end a standoff over health care that has sidelined everything from trade negotiations to medical research and raised new concerns about Congress's ability to perform its most basic duties. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kenya tells Somalia "put house in order" after mall attack Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 02:47 PM PDT By Richard Lough and James Macharia NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's president told Somalia on Tuesday to "put their house in order," in a sign of frustration at the festering instability in the neighboring country after members of a Somali militant group attacked and killed dozens at a Nairobi shopping mall. The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group said it raided the Westgate mall, killing at least 67 people in a four-day siege, in revenge for Kenya's military campaign against its fighters inside Somalia. ... Full Story | Top |
| Berlusconi faces revolt over Italy confidence vote Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 02:14 PM PDT  By Giselda Vagnoni ROME (Reuters) - Senior party figures in Silvio Berlusconi's fractious center-right movement urged Italian lawmakers on Tuesday to defy the billionaire media tycoon and back Prime Minister Enrico Letta in a confidence motion expected on Wednesday. Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party has come close to breaking apart after he pulled his ministers out of the ruling coalition at the weekend and called for new elections following growing tension over his conviction for tax fraud. ... Full Story | Top |
| ICC unveils arrest warrant for Ivory Coast politician Ble Goude Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 01:56 PM PDT By Thomas Escritt AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Judges at the International Criminal Court announced on Tuesday it had issued a warrant for the arrest of Charles Ble Goude, accused of working with former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to orchestrate deadly post-election violence. He is the third person, after Gbagbo and Gbagbo's wife Simone, to be indicted by the court for events relating to the post-election civil war in 2010 and 2011, in which more than 3,000 people died. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bosnian deal clears obstacle to EU application Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 01:17 PM PDT  By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Bosnian leaders moved to clear the main obstacle to their country applying to join the European Union on Tuesday by agreeing to end a constitutional ban on minorities running for high office. Bosnia trails its fellow former Yugoslav republics in the quest to become a member of the bloc, for years the main driver of reform and stability in the Balkans by offering the hope of prosperity, investment and freedom of movement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pro-Mursi protesters stage brief return to Cairo square Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 01:02 PM PDT By Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) - Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohamed Mursi protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday for the first time since the army forced him from office in July, a Reuters witness said. Around 100 protesters gathered in the square, chanting: "Down with the military government!" "We are a country not a military camp," the Mursi supporters shouted in Tahrir, which in 2011 was the rallying point for hundreds of thousands of people against former President Hosni Mubarak. "We want freedom!" they chanted. ... Full Story | Top |
| Guinea delays election result, opposition warns against rigging Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 12:48 PM PDT By Saliou Samb CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea's electoral commission said on Tuesday results from a weekend legislative election could take days longer than expected to publish, prompting opposition leaders to warn they would not accept any attempt to rig the outcome. Voters turned out on Saturday after months of political haggling and violent protests for the poll - touted as the completion of the mineral-rich West African country's transition to democracy after a 2008 coup. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy PM Letta rejects resignations of Berlusconi ministers: government spokesman Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 11:54 AM PDT ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta on Tuesday rejected the resignations of five ministers from Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party who were ordered to step down by the center-right leader on Saturday, a government spokesman said. The ministers, including PDL secretary and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, earlier on Tuesday balked at Berlusconi's call to withdraw support for the government and seek early elections, and said the PDL should continue to back Letta. (Reporting by Steve Scherer, editing by Stephen Jewkes) Full Story | Top |
| Egypt's economy to miss government growth forecasts: Reuters poll Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:57 AM PDT  By Patrick Werr CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's economy will only grow 2.6 percent in the fiscal year ending June 2014, well below the 3.5 percent the government expects to achieve, according to a Reuters poll that saw economists cutting forecasts again. It was the second lowering of expectations in five months and portends growth much slower than needed to generate jobs for Egypt's disaffected youth. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian army chief calls for quick political transition Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:57 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Tuesday for a quick political transition to restore stability after he directed the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and installed an interim government. Speaking to soldiers and policemen at a seminar, Sisi "called on everyone to be truly aware of the size of the problems facing society, and which necessitate speeding up the end of the transitional phase," the army spokesman's official Facebook page said. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. shifts Syria aid focus to prepare for long term Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:45 AM PDT  By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations is shifting its aid effort for Syria to prepare for long-term help to neighboring countries to cope with the humanitarian crisis, the head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday. More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria's 2-1/2-year conflict as rebels fight to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Over half of its 20 million people need aid and around 2 million have fled to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. "The new approach is to combine the emergency with the long-term. ... Full Story | Top |
| Torture rife in Libya's jails two years after Gaddafi: U.N. Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:31 AM PDT  By Robert Evans GENEVA (Reuters) - Torture and brutality are rife in Libyan prisons two years after the overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in a revolution launched under the banner of freedom and justice, a U.N. report said on Tuesday. Around 8,000 prisoners are held without trial in government jails on suspicion of having fought for Gaddafi, while countless others are detained by freelance militias out of sight and in primitive conditions, it added. No one was immediately available for comment from the Libyan government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkey's Gul lauds peaceful protests, condemns violence Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:19 AM PDT  By Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Peaceful anti-government protests that shook Turkey in the summer were a sign of the country's democratic maturity but they took a wrong turn by becoming violent, President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday. Gul, whose conciliatory approach contrasts sharply with the more abrasive style of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, urged Turks to show respect for other points of view and to work together to strengthen Turkey's democracy. "Some extremist groups attempted to exploit the peaceful protests by using violence and vandalism. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex minister from Berlusconi PDL party says PDL should back PM Letta Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:08 AM PDT ROME (Reuters) - A senior lawmaker in Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party (PDL) said the party should support Prime Minister Enrico Letta in parliamentary confidence votes on Wednesday, defying Berlusconi's calls to bring the government down. "I am ever more convinced that all our party should vote for the government," said Maurizio Lupi, one of the five PDL ministers who resigned from the government on Berlusconi's orders on Saturday. Lupi's comments echo those of PDL national secretary Angelino Alfano earlier on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bank of Canada slashes third-quarter growth forecast, wary on exports Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 10:00 AM PDT  OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada on Tuesday sharply cut its growth forecast for the third quarter of 2013 and said the crucial export sector might pick up speed slower than initially expected. Senior Deputy Governor Tiff Macklem said the central bank expected annualized growth in the third and fourth quarters to be in the 2 to 2.5 percent range before strengthening next year. In its monetary policy report released in July, the bank said third quarter growth would be 3.8 percent and fourth quarter growth would be 2.5 percent. ... Full Story | Top |
| Czech court clears truckmaker's former U.S. chief of bribery Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:58 AM PDT PRAGUE (Reuters) - A Czech court on Tuesday cleared the former American boss of truckmaker Tatra of corruption charges related to offering bribes to win army contracts. Ronald Adams, who bought into the 160-year old truckmaker in 2006, was arrested in August 2012 in an anti-corruption drive by police and prosecutors that also targeted politicians. A court ruled on Tuesday there was insufficient evidence against Adams. "We expected the decision to be this way. The charge should never have been filed," Adams told Reuters. "We think the verdict was correct and that the judge saw the truth. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iran studies fuel price rises under sanctions pressure Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:56 AM PDT By Daniel Fineren and Andrew Torchia DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is preparing a politically risky increase in domestic fuel prices, trying to lighten the burden of multi-billion dollar subsidies on an economy severely damaged by Western sanctions. Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said this week the government was studying plans for the rise, the second in three years, which will affect the welfare of millions of poor people. Since 2011 the sanctions have slashed Iran's oil exports and played a role in persuading Tehran last week to accept new talks on its disputed nuclear program with six world powers. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Bachelet, ahead in Chile polls, eyes LNG to keep lights on Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:48 AM PDT  By Alexandra Ulmer and Fabian Cambero SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Michelle Bachelet, expected to easily win Chile's presidential election this year, will likely make liquefied natural gas the backbone of her energy policy over the next four years to ease a mounting power crunch in the crucial mining industry. A nebulous regulatory framework has left several major power generation projects in limbo and there is strong public opposition to large coal-fired plants and hydropower projects. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bachelet, ahead in Chile polls, eyes LNG to keep lights on Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:47 AM PDT  By Alexandra Ulmer and Fabian Cambero SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Michelle Bachelet, expected to easily win Chile's presidential election this year, will likely make liquefied natural gas the backbone of her energy policy over the next four years to ease a mounting power crunch in the crucial mining industry. A nebulous regulatory framework has left several major power generation projects in limbo and there is strong public opposition to large coal-fired plants and hydropower projects. ... Full Story | Top |
| Berlusconi calls President Napolitano unreliable, not credible Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:36 AM PDT ROME (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi said on Tuesday Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano lacked credibility and was unreliable in failing to safeguard Berlusconi from what he called his persecution at the hands of the judiciary. Berlusconi's relations with Napolitano have soured steadily since the center-right leader was convicted in August for tax fraud. His comments on Tuesday, in a letter to a magazine, are the first time he has criticized the president publicly. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian pound gains as fears of U.S. military strike recede Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:35 AM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's currency has recovered some of the heavy losses inflicted over two years of civil war and sanctions, helped by a U.S. decision not to pursue military action against Damascus. Traders said the pound, which traded at 47 to the dollar before protests against President Bashar al-Assad erupted in March 2011, was trading at 167 to the dollar on Tuesday, its strongest level since June - partly due to the return of some refugees with dollars to change. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU's Rehn: Italy needs political stability for reforms, growth Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:33 AM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - Italy must quickly restore political stability to make the reforms it needs to return to growth, the European Union's top economic official said on Tuesday. Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's decision to order five ministers to resign has plunged Italy into political chaos and left the euro zone's third-largest economy without a fully operational government, prompting warnings that its sovereign debt rating is at risk. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pistorius hires U.S. forensics experts for help in murder trial Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:20 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has enlisted the help of U.S. forensics experts as he prepares for a murder trial which is due to start in March next year, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday. Pistorius, 26, has been charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 - Valentine's Day - at his home in Pretoria. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess said the forensics team was currently in South Africa, but would not provide further details. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy president says Letta to seek parliament backing for solid government Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:19 AM PDT ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta will seek support in parliament to continue at the head of a solid government next year, President Giorgio Napolitano said in a statement on Tuesday after a meeting with Letta. Letta is due to outline a program of priorities in a speech to parliament on Wednesday and is expected to call a confidence vote afterwards. Napolitano said Letta would seek "stable commitment for continuing government action from the most immediate deadlines to objectives to be pursued in 2014". (Reporting By James Mackenzie) Full Story | Top |
| Greek Golden Dawn MPs before judge, call charges 'fairy tale' Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:13 AM PDT  By Karolina Tagaris ATHENS (Reuters) - Four lawmakers of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party were hustled into a court building before cheering supporters on Tuesday to respond to charges of belonging to a criminal group after the killing of an anti-racism rapper by a party supporter. Flanked by hooded anti-terrorism police, Ilias Panagiotaros raised his handcuffed fists in the air and proclaimed his innocence, shouting: "This fairy tale has no end!". ... Full Story | Top |
| Kurdish rebels, politicians say Turkish reforms not aimed at peace Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:11 AM PDT  By Jonathon Burch and Gulsen Solaker ANKARA (Reuters) - Kurdish militants and politicians dismissed on Tuesday a set of political reforms proposed by Turkey's ruling AK Party, saying they were not meant to end a 29-year conflict with the state and that the insurgents would present their response next week. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced a much-vaunted list of reforms ranging from changes to the electoral system to the broadening of language rights. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iran president's phone call with Obama stirs hardline suspicions Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 09:07 AM PDT  By Marcus George and Jon Hemming DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's historic phone call with U.S. President Barack Obama is likely to provoke resistance from powerful hardliners in the Islamic Republic who have built their support on enmity with the West. The first thing Rouhani did on his return to Tehran at the weekend was to state that he had acted within guidelines set by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei when he took part in the highest-level contact between Iran and the United States in three decades. ... Full Story | Top |
| World Bank pledges more funds for poor in troubled states Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 08:44 AM PDT  By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank President Jim Yong Kim pledged to increase funding for poor people living in states in or close to conflict as part of a new lending strategy for the global development bank and warned of the impact of U.S. fiscal uncertainty on developing nations. In a speech in Washington, where a partial government shutdown began on Tuesday after a standoff between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans over healthcare reforms, Kim said the implications could be far-reaching. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU's Ashton to push for reconciliation on Egypt trip Tuesday, Oct 01, 2013 08:41 AM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton will encourage Egypt's army-backed government and the Muslim Brotherhood to pursue reconciliation during talks this week, a European diplomatic source said. Egypt has been gripped by political turmoil since the army ousted elected President Mohamed Mursi of the Brotherhood in July after mass protests against his rule. "She (Ashton) is coming to explore the possibilities for a return to a transition in which all sides can participate," the European diplomat said in Cairo. ... Full Story | Top |
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