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Knife-wielding assailants attack people in central China: Xinhua Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 09:09 PM PDT Knife-wielding assailants attacked civilians on a street in the central Chinese city of Changsha on Friday morning, state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities. Xinhua said its reporters saw at least one body lying on the ground at the scene. Xinhua did not make clear who was responsible for the attack in the city, capital of Hunan province. Full Story | Top |
China central bank orders halt to online payments using QR codes Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 08:41 PM PDT | Top |
Tennessee bill would legalize wishing students 'Merry Christmas' Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 08:35 PM PDT By Tim Ghianni NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday passed a measure that allows teachers to wish their students "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hanukkah" and display scenes and symbols of winter celebrations without fear of legal action. The state Senate, which passed an earlier version of the bill in February, is expected to take the legislation up next week. "I'm a real proponent of freedom of religion, but not a proponent of freedom from religion," said the bill's sponsor state Representative Andy Holt, a Republican from Dresden, who wore a Christmas-themed tie when the bill passed. The bill would seek to provide a legal basis to protect teachers from lawsuits when they wish students "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hanukkah." Teachers would also be allowed to teach about religious holidays in the classroom under the bill, which supporters say upholds the religious and free speech rights of educators. Full Story | Top |
Son of former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine commits suicide Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 08:17 PM PDT (Reuters) - Former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's 31-year-old son, Jeffrey, committed suicide at a Mexico City hotel this week, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Jeffrey Corzine had been living in Malibu, California, and was an aspiring photographer, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity and could not name the hotel. Corzine family spokesman Steven Goldberg confirmed Jeffrey Corzine's death in a written statement. "The sad fact is that Jeffrey Corzine had been suffering from severe depression for several years and recently had been receiving treatment for what is a very painful and debilitating physical and mental ailment," Goldberg said. Full Story | Top |
South Korea can't join Pacific trade talks until U.S. issues fixed: official Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 08:07 PM PDT | Top |
U.S. safety watchdog says 303 deaths linked to recalled GM cars Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 08:04 PM PDT | Top |
Immigrant protesters cross San Diego border from Mexico, seek asylum Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 07:54 PM PDT By Marty Graham SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Dozens of young, undocumented adults raised in the United States but sent back to Mexico marched over the border on Thursday as part of an ongoing protest of the plight of college-age immigrants in a sometimes violent country where they feel like strangers. Organized by the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, the border crossing is the third in a campaign that began last July and has included journeys into Texas and Arizona. "I want to come home," said Ramon Dorado, who grew up in New Mexico. "I was two weeks from graduating college when I was stopped by the Albuquerque police for a traffic violation and deported because I have no papers." Dorado led a group of about 40 immigrants across the border from Tijuana to the port of entry at San Diego, where they asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents for asylum. Full Story | Top |
Obama vows more humane immigration law enforcement Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 07:44 PM PDT | Top |
Toshiba, SanDisk sue Hynix over suspected flash memory technology leak Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 07:40 PM PDT | Top |
Japan's Abe says won't alter 1993 apology on 'comfort women' Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 07:39 PM PDT | Top |
U.S. contractor pleads guilty to giving Chinese woman secrets Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 06:52 PM PDT A U.S. defense contractor in Hawaii pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges he passed national defense secrets, including classified information on joint training and planning exercises with South Korea, to a Chinese woman with whom he was romantically involved, prosecutors said. Benjamin Pierce Bishop, 60, a former U.S. Army officer, was working as a civilian employee of a defense contractor at U.S. Pacific Command in Oahu when he was arrested last year and charged with one count of communicating national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it and one count of willfully retaining documents related to national defense. "This case once again demonstrates our commitment and unwavering resolve to pursue and prosecute individuals who violate their security oaths and endanger our national security by unlawfully communicating sensitive and damaging classified national defense information to persons who are not entitled to receive it," Nakakuni said. Full Story | Top |
GM says report of 303 deaths in recalled cars based on 'raw data' Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 06:50 PM PDT | Top |
One of U.S. Army's '15 Most Wanted' fugitives arrested in Florida Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 06:04 PM PDT One of the U.S. Army's "15 Most Wanted" fugitives was arrested in Florida on Thursday, more than 36 years after the man escaped from a federal prison in Kansas and went on the run. James Robert Jones, a U.S. Army private, was arrested as he showed up for work near Deerfield Beach, Florida, the U.S. Marshall's Service said in a statement. He had been living in Florida under an alias and admitted his real identity shortly after he was arrested. Four years later, Jones obtained a fake Florida driver's license, changed his birthdate but listed his actual address, the Marshals Service said. Full Story | Top |
Mother sues Missouri shop for selling gun later used in murder Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:42 PM PDT By Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - A Missouri gun shop is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after selling a handgun to a woman who is charged with using it to murder her father. The Washington-based Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence brought the suit on behalf of Janet Delana, who said she warned the gun store not to sell any guns to her daughter, Colby Sue Weathers, because of a long history of mental illness. Gunmen in shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and at a movie theater outside of Denver, for example, were described later as having psychological issues. More than a dozen wrongful death lawsuits are pending against gun dealers, some involving sales to customers who were not mentally stable, said Jonathan Lowy, a Brady Center lawyer who helped file the Missouri lawsuit. Full Story | Top |
U.S. weighs Ukraine requests for military aid, OKs rations: sources Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:42 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is weighing requests for military assistance from Ukraine, including both lethal and non-lethal support, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, as a prominent U.S. senator urged approval of any arms sought by Kiev. The U.S. officials, who asked to speak on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomatic discussions, said the United States had already decided to move ahead with some aid, including military food rations. The U.S. government was still weighing other requests, including for lethal aid, which were made through the U.S. State Department, the officials added, without offering more details. Earlier on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine's interim government asked for arms, ammunition and intelligence support but the United States had decided against further assistance beyond rations because of concerns about stoking tensions with Russia. Full Story | Top |
Search for Malaysian plane may extend to Indian Ocean: U.S. Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:39 PM PDT | Top |
Russia holds war games near Ukraine; Merkel warns of catastrophe Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:38 PM PDT | Top |
Ex-Fiesta Bowl chief gets eight months for illegal U.S. campaign donations Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:36 PM PDT By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The former chief of U.S. college football's Fiesta Bowl was sentenced to eight months in prison on Thursday for leading a scheme to illegally funnel roughly $50,000 from bowl employees to political campaigns. John Junker, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Campbell following a guilty plea two years ago to a felony conspiracy charge stemming from the scheme in which employees contributed to the campaigns and were later reimbursed. Junker was the public face of the bowl game for two decades before being fired three years ago following a scandal that rocked the state and threatened the bowl's place in college football. Junker was ordered to report to federal prison on June 13. Full Story | Top |
Niece creates 'Mummified in Michigan' Facebook page to commemorate aunt Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:28 PM PDT By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - The niece of a Michigan woman whose body is believed to have been found years after she died has created a "Mummified in Michigan" Facebook page to commemorate her as investigators continue to search for clues into her death. Nina Logan, the 19-year-old niece of Pia Farrenkopf, created the page after a mummified body believed to be her aunt was found in the back seat of her car parked in her garage last week in a residential neighborhood of Pontiac, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. Farrenkopf's body was found by someone dispatched to check on the property that fell into foreclosure, police said. Logan said in a post her family lost contact with Farrenkopf due to the amount of traveling she did for work and that she liked her privacy. Full Story | Top |
Norwegian Air faces last hurdle to new flights: U.S. approval Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:13 PM PDT | Top |
UK to fast-track some drugs under early access scheme Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:04 PM PDT By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to accelerate access to ground-breaking drugs for serious conditions under a new early-access plan that the government hopes will benefit both patients and pharmaceutical companies. The initiative, which has similarities with a U.S. scheme that has speeded the development of so-called "breakthrough" medicines, follows criticism that Britain's state-run healthcare system is too slow to adopt new medical treatments. Doctors will be able to prescribe promising new drugs as soon as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency - the country's drugs watchdog - signals that the benefits outweigh the risks, following an initial scientific assessment. The program will be funded by drug companies. Full Story | Top |
Poll shows limited differences between east, west Ukraine Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 05:03 PM PDT Fewer differences may divide Ukrainians in the Russian-speaking east from compatriots in the west than generally thought, according to an opinion poll issued on Friday showing both regions backing negotiations to resolve differences over Crimea. The survey, conducted by the GfK market research company for the Avaaz international civic network after Russian forces took control of Crimea, also showed a majority in the two areas favoring closer ties with both Russia and the European Union. Ukraine's new authorities, in power since the removal of Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich last month, say they will pursue plans to clinch an association agreement with the European Union. The opinion survey, involving 2,000 mobile telephone interviews, showed more than 76 percent of respondents in eastern Ukraine saying they "strongly" or "somewhat" favor talks to guarantee minority rights and ensure Russian troops in Crimea return to their bases. Full Story | Top |
Gaza rockets, Israeli air strikes persist despite truce call Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:59 PM PDT | Top |
U.S. bill on Ukraine delayed as Congress debates IMF, campaign finance Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:57 PM PDT | Top |
U.S. border agent suspected of raping undocumented immigrants found dead Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:57 PM PDT By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent was found dead on Thursday in his Texas home just north of the Mexico border by authorities alerted to allegations he had kidnapped and sexually assaulted three female undocumented immigrants, federal agents said. Two of the female victims escaped on Wednesday night and alerted authorities, who then found the third woman in the Mission, Texas, home of the dead agent, according to FBI Special Agent Michelle Lee in San Antonio and Customs and Border Protection officials. "An injured adult female provided information that she and two other females had been assaulted by a male suspect," a Customs and Border Protection statement said. Full Story | Top |
Venezuela says death toll from protests rises to 28 Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:56 PM PDT | Top |
Mexico's main opposition party quits energy talks amid graft scandal Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:51 PM PDT Mexico's opposition conservative party on Thursday walked out of talks over the fine print of a landmark energy bill, accusing the government of using a graft scandal to gets its way, in a move that could delay the rollout of the key legislation. The National Action Party (PAN) lawmakers said they would not return to the negotiating table until their conditions were met, raising the risk that the imminently expected laws will not be approved before the government's end-of-April deadline. Mexico's Congress in December approved a constitutional reform pushed by President Enrique Pena Nieto that ends state oil giant Pemex's 75-year monopoly on crude production and aims to lure private investment into the ailing energy sector. However, the so-called secondary laws of the reform, which include details on implementation and regulation, were still being negotiated in Mexico's upper house until Thursday, when PAN lawmakers abandoned the process. Full Story | Top |
Gay couples sue Florida to recognize marriages in other states Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:25 PM PDT By David Adams MIAMI (Reuters) - Eight Florida gay couples backed by a gay rights group have filed a lawsuit to force the state to recognize same-sex marriages from other states, saying their exclusion violates the right to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday, comes on the heels of another in January filed by six same-sex couples seeking to overturn the state's ban on gay marriage. Florida's refusal to recognize out-of-state marriages unlawfully denies gay couples legal protections available to different-sex couples and discriminates against their children, according to the lawsuit filed in Florida's Northern District. The lawsuit is also being brought by the SAVE Foundation, a gay rights group that does education and grassroots organizing in Florida, on behalf of its members, with the support of the Florida branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Full Story | Top |
Partisanship engulfs U.S. Congress effort to avoid doctor pay cut Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:24 PM PDT | Top |
U.S. aerospace, aviation industries see threats in aging workforce Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:19 PM PDT | Top |
New Mexico nuclear repository mishap leaves Los Alamos waste quandary Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:18 PM PDT By Joseph J. Kolb ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Reuters) - The Los Alamos National Laboratory is evaluating how to meet a June deadline to permanently discard plutonium-tainted junk in light of a prolonged shutdown of a New Mexico nuclear waste dump after an accident there last month, a lab official said. Los Alamos, one of the leading U.S. nuclear weapons labs, has been forced to halt shipments of its radioactive refuse some 300 miles across the state to the nation's only underground nuclear repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, near Carlsbad, according to lab spokesman Matt Nerzig. The repository has remained closed while the U.S. Department of Energy investigates the origins of a radiation leak that occurred there on February 14, exposing at least 17 workers at the facility to radioactive contamination. Nerzig said about 1,000 temporary storage drums of the waste remain at the Los Alamos National Laboratory awaiting shipment to the repository near Carlsbad. Full Story | Top |
Arizona same-sex couples sue state over gay marriage ban Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:10 PM PDT | Top |
Deal reached in Senate to renew jobless benefits Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 04:06 PM PDT | Top |
Florida Supreme Court voids caps on medical malpractice lawsuits Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:51 PM PDT By Bill Cotterell TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a state law that placed a $1 million limit on the amount of money people can be awarded in wrongful death cases caused by medical malpractice. The 5-2 ruling declared as unconstitutional a key provision of a 2003 malpractice law signed by then-Governor Jeb Bush and enacted by a Republican-controlled state legislature. Supporters of the 2003 law said at the time the limits were needed to keep a lid on insurance rates to prevent doctors from leaving Florida during what they described as a "medical malpractice crisis." In its ruling, the court said the limits violate the right of equal protection under Florida's constitution. Full Story | Top |
Turkey's Erdogan condemns protesters as deaths fuel tensions Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:49 PM PDT | Top |
Leaked documents purport to reveal Turkish graft allegations Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:49 PM PDT By Dasha Afanasieva and Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Twitter account behind a string of leaks in a Turkish corruption scandal posted late on Thursday what it presented as police files detailing graft allegations against four former ministers, dealing a further blow to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan weeks before elections. The Twitter account using the pseudonym @HARAMZADELER333 posted links to a 299-page document and a 32-page document presented as police files from an investigation that became public on December 17 with a series of dawn raids. Former interior minister Muammer Guler, former economy minister Zafer Caglayan and former environment minister Erdogan Bayraktar each saw a son detained on December 17 as police went public with their long-running corruption inquiry. Full Story | Top |
Contractor to plead guilty to giving Chinese woman secrets: U.S. Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:47 PM PDT A U.S. defense contractor in Hawaii was expected to plead guilty on Thursday to charges he passed national defense secrets, including classified information on joint training and planning exercises with South Korea, to a Chinese woman with whom he was romantically involved, prosecutors said. Benjamin Pierce Bishop, 60, a former U.S. Army officer, was working as a civilian employee of a defense contractor at U.S. Pacific Command in Oahu when he was arrested last year and charged with one count of communicating national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it and one count of willfully retaining documents related to national defense. He is expected to plead guilty to those charges in court on Thursday afternoon, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Tong, spokesman for the Honolulu-based U.S. Attorney's Office. Full Story | Top |
Bin Laden relative admitted al Qaeda link, FBI agent says Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:46 PM PDT | Top |
Mexico likely to present telecoms reform fine print Friday: lawmaker Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:38 PM PDT | Top |
Malaysia jet sent 'pings' after going missing, sources say Thursday, Mar 13, 2014 03:36 PM PDT | Top |
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