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[
"David Chance"
] | 2016-08-26T20:49:43 | null | 2016-08-26T18:45:13 | For all the talk of a radical shift in central banking policy, from the permanent use of negative rates to helicopter money drops, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen appears to believe she can tackle any future downturn using the tools currently at her disposal. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-fed-yellen-toolkit-analysis-idUSKCN11127F%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151210395&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P1DA | en | null | For the Fed's Yellen 'conventional' unconventional policy is enough | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during a news conference following the two-day Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy meeting in Washington, DC, U.S. on March 16, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
WASHINGTON For all the talk of a radical shift in central banking policy, from the permanent use of negative rates to helicopter money drops, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen appears to believe she can tackle any future downturn using the tools currently at her disposal.
Speaking in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday after a Fed policymaker and other economists proposed a radical overhaul of central banking, Yellen argued that bond purchases and the ability to pay interest on excess reserves as well as forward guidance would be enough to combat any downturn.
"Our current toolkit proved effective last December (when the Fed raised rates)," Yellen said in a speech in which she firmed up expectations of a second rate rise from the Fed, possibly as soon as September.
"In an environment of superabundant reserves, the FOMC raised the effective federal funds rate...by the desired amount, and we have since maintained the federal funds rate in its target range."
So much for radical change of the type proposed by John Williams of the San Francisco Fed earlier this month. Williams made the case for an eventual move to nominal growth targeting or a shift in the inflation rate upwards to give central banks the tools to fight the next economic downturn.
"Helicopters, negative rates or a higher inflation target remain confined to other central banks or academic circles," Commerzbank economist Bernd Weidensteiner wrote after Yellen's speech.
Yellen's seeming reliance on more quantitative easing was challenged at Jackson Hole by Marvin Goodfriend, a professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University and a former policy adviser at the Richmond Federal Reserve bank, who said he believed negative rates would be a far more effective policy tool.
"Interest rate policy is by far the most flexible, the least intrusive to markets, and has proven capable of targeting low inflation," he said in a presentation after Yellen spoke.
FED'S RECORD HAS COME IN FOR CRITICISM
While Fed policy has been credited with helping unemployment fall to levels seen prior to the downturn, trillions of dollars of quantitative easing and eight years or zero or near-zero rates have failed to spark a rebound in economic growth.
Data released just before Yellen spoke on Friday showed the U.S. economy expanded by just 1.1 percent in the second quarter of the year, held back in part by stubbornly weak business spending.
Business investment as a share of gross domestic product since 2008 has averaged nearly a full percentage point below the previous decade's average, according to government data.
The Fed has also been charged with increasing inequality with its bond buying program and negative rates, and with being overoptimistic in its forecasts of economic recovery and the pace of interest rate hikes.
In 2010, the year after the U.S. economy emerged from recession, the midpoint of Fed policymakers' predictions was for 3.3 percent growth in 2011. The economy actually grew at less than half that pace and forecasts since then have generally proved rosier than reality.
For 2016, the Fed is forecasting growth of 2.0 percent, which would require the economy to perk up after a sluggish performance in the first half.
Yellen on Friday defended the models used by the Federal Reserve.
She said that barring an "unusually severe and persistent" recession, its policy tools were sufficient and rates did not need to go negative, as even at the lower bound for interest rates asset purchases and forward guidance could push long-term rates even lower on average than when nominal rates fell below zero.
Given the forecasting errors of recent years, some economists were less than impressed, saying Yellen's speech showed past policy errors were being repeated.
"Yellen seems to have developed into the ultimate 'status quo'-chair," said Lars Christensen founder and owner of Markets and Money Advisory, an independent firm focused on monetary policy issues.
"It is clear that she fundamentally does not want to see any change to the Fed's policy framework despite the fact that inflation expectations have become de-anchored and markets have lost trust in the Fed really fundamentally wanting to deliver on its 2 percent inflation target," Christensen said.
(Additional reporting by Lindsay Dunsmuir and Lucia Mutikani in Washington, Howard Schneider, Ann Saphir and Jason Lange in Jackson Hole; Editing by Andrea Ricci) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-yellen-toolkit-analysis-idUSKCN11127F?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/d8e93273caf099dc5a461e89f8a951794e23e0b1a90a3ba67c02c67080c6a159.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T05:04:23 | null | 2016-08-27T04:54:14 | El Salvador's Supreme Court on Friday released three former military personnel who had been detained over the 1989 murder of a group of Jesuit priests. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-el-salvador-spain-court-idUSKCN11203Q%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | El Salvador frees three ex-military officials linked to 1989 murders | null | null | www.reuters.com | SAN SALVADOR El Salvador's Supreme Court on Friday released three former military personnel who had been detained over the 1989 murder of a group of Jesuit priests.
The three had been in prison since February after Spanish judge Eloy Velasco sent a request for the capture and extradition of 17 former military personnel who were allegedly involved in killing the priests, five of whom were Spanish.
In August, the court denied an extradition request from Spain for a former military colonel to face charges related to the murders.
(Reporting by Nelson Renteria and Jose Cabezas; Editing by Stephen Coates) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-el-salvador-spain-court-idUSKCN11203Q?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5f25d53718a1f874ef821724f06f1fb3bfffe5850609d3d960b63a9d54eff56f.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T12:53:11 | null | 2016-08-31T12:14:41 | Tropical Depression Nine, headed toward Florida gulf coast, is expected to become a tropical storm later on Wednesday, U.S. National Hurricane Center said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-storm-atlantic-nhc-idUSKCN1161JO%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Tropical Depression Nine likely to become a tropical storm: NHC | null | null | www.reuters.com | Green Climate Fund needs ideas with low-carbon wow factor: ex-head
BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The Green Climate Fund, which aims to channel billions of dollars to help poorer nations tackle global warming, is not yet backing the right kind of projects to bring about a sea change in low-carbon development, said its recently departed executive director. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-atlantic-nhc-idUSKCN1161JO?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/a0ed3bf7a6c16c1760d2e61ea11eb1f1880c567540fb11dfda510c6011f9223d.json |
[
"Stephen Grey",
"Jack Stubbs"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:35 | null | 2016-03-31T14:58:14 | A little-known Russian businessman from St Petersburg has provided properties to multiple women who share one common theme: President Vladimir Putin. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-russia-capitalism-propertymanager-idUSKCN0WX1MU%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DwtMostRead%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FMostRead%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BMost%2BRead%2BArticles%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160331&t=2&i=1129167936&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC2U0ZC | en | null | The property manager and Putin's friends | null | null | www.reuters.com | Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a joint news conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto following their talks at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, in this March 22, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool/Files
Katerina Tikhonova (L), daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, dances with Ivan Klimov during the World Cup Rock'n'Roll Acrobatic Competition in Krakow, Poland, in this April 12, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Jakub Dabrowski/Files
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) smiles next to Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva during a meeting with the Russian Olympic team at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia in this November 4, 2004 file photo. REUTERS/ITAR-TASS/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/Files
LONDON/MOSCOW A little-known Russian businessman from St Petersburg has provided properties to multiple women who share one common theme: President Vladimir Putin.
One of the women is Putin's younger daughter; two are close relatives of a woman Russian media have reported to be Putin's girlfriend – though the president has strongly denied any relationship. And a fourth is a student who posed for a calendar celebrating the president's birthday. All of the properties are in upmarket gated complexes in and around Moscow.
Public records show Grigory Baevsky, a 47-year-old business associate of an old friend of Putin, sold or transferred the properties to three of the women. In the other case, Putin's younger child, Katerina Tikhonova, used the address of a flat owned by Baevsky as her own when registering a new company.
The connections add to the picture of individuals in Putin's wider circle and the way these people blur the lines between public and private business.
Last year, Reuters reported that Putin's daughter Tikhonova, who holds a senior position at Moscow State University, is personally advised by some of Putin's oldest friends. She is also married to Kirill Shamalov, son of billionaire Nikolai Shamalov, an associate of Putin's.
READ MORE: Comrade Capitalism: How Russia does business in the Putin era
Baevsky has worked as an aide to another close friend of Putin, his judo partner, Arkady Rotenberg.
Public records show that companies co-owned by Baevsky have benefited from state construction contracts worth at least 6 billion rubles ($89 million) in the past two years.
Baevsky has previously attracted little attention. His connection to Putin was uncovered by investigative journalist Roman Anin who was conducting research for the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), an East European media network.
Baevsky is a former property manager for a state company in St Petersburg. In 2006, he founded a dacha cooperative near the city with Arkady Rotenberg and Rotenberg's brother Boris, public records show.
Baevsky went into business with the Rotenbergs in 2011, working until 2014 as a director at Arkady Rotenberg's investment vehicle, the Russian Holding company, according to corporate filings. Public records also show he was declared as an 'affiliated person' of SMP Bank, which is majority-owned by the brothers.
Arkady Rotenberg was among the first Russian businessmen to be put under Western visa bans and asset freezes over Moscow's seizure of Crimea. According to the U.S. Treasury, Rotenberg and his brother Boris have won billions of dollars from projects awarded to them by Putin. The brothers have denied getting help from the Russian leader for their businesses.
Reuters sent questions about the property deals to Baevsky's last known home address, and to businesses owned by him, but received no response.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters: "We know nothing about who this (Baevsky) is. The President is also not acquainted with him."
Separately, Peskov told reporters on a conference call that the Kremlin was facing a series of queries from international media about Putin's relationship with his childhood friends and their receipt of state contracts. He said he would not comment because the Kremlin believes the articles are part of a politically-motivated campaign to discredit Putin.
A spokesman for Rotenberg said the businessman had no information about Baevsky's property deals. Asked if Baevsky was acting on behalf of Rotenberg in his property dealings, or if they were related to Rotenberg's friendship with Putin, Rotenberg's spokesman said: "Of course not. Such declarations are absurd." The spokesman said Baevsky "does not work" for any Arkady Rotenberg company or holding.
STUPID QUESTIONS?
The role of Baevsky emerged when the OCCRP – which is funded by the Open Society Institute, USAID, and the Swiss government, among others – discovered that a woman called Katerina Tikhonova declared her home to be an apartment owned by the businessman. Tikhonova, as Reuters reported last year, is Putin's 29-year-old daughter. In November 2012, she used the apartment's address when she filed papers to register herself as co-founder and owner of a private company called Interdisciplinary Initiatives Foundation in Natural Sciences and Humanities.
Reuters has reviewed the Tikhonova company registration papers, and public documents confirm the flat is owned by Baevsky. It is not known whether Tikhonova lived at the flat or paid any rent there. The flat is around 6.5 km (4 miles) from Putin's official residence.
Tikhonova did not respond to questions about her use of the address.
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In addition to the Tikhonova deal, public records show that in 2013 Baevsky transferred ownership of a home and plot of land in a pine forest at Uspenskoe in the Moscow region to Anna Zatsepilina. The neighborhood is one of the most expensive in Russia.
Zatsepilina is the 81-year-old grandmother of Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast and public supporter of Putin. In 2008 the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent named Kabaeva as Putin's girlfriend. Putin has rejected the assertion and Reuters could not independently confirm it. The newspaper closed soon after the article appeared.
Zatsepilina could not be reached for comment. The Uspenskoe home sits within a gated community and is protected by security guards, who denied access to Reuters and declined to help contact any of its residents.
In an earlier deal, in 2009, public records show that Baevsky transferred ownership of an apartment in Veresaeva Street in the Moscow suburbs to Leysan Kabaeva. She is the sister of Alina, the former gymnast.
Asked about how she came to acquire the property from Baevsky, a spokeswoman for a company owned and run by Leysan Kabaeva declined to comment.
Asked about Alina Kabaeva's relationship with Putin and about Baevsky's dealings with her relatives, a spokeswoman for the former gymnast said: "They are all adults, answer to themselves, and live their own lives. Alina Maratovna Kabaeva is not connected to a single one of these questions."
Last year Baevsky transferred another apartment in a smart gated complex in Moscow to Alisa Kharcheva, a 23-year-old former international relations student. The sale price was not disclosed.
In 2010, a group of students and would-be students from Moscow State University created a calendar to celebrate Putin's birthday. The calendar featured pictures of themselves; Kharcheva starred on the month of April. Two years later, Kharcheva posed with a cat and a photograph of the president in a personal blog post entitled "Pussy for Putin," which extolled the president's leadership. The blog post also featured her entry from the 2010 calendar.
Asked how she came to buy a flat from Baevsky, Kharcheva said the transaction was a normal one conducted through a real estate agency. She said she did not know the businessman. "We bought this flat with a mortgage. And we pay that mortgage to this day." Asked if any connection to Putin had helped her obtain the flat from Baevsky, she replied: "No one has ever asked me such stupid questions."
(This version of the story corrects spelling of Maratovna in second section)
(Additional reporting by Anthony Carter and Winnie Agbonlahor; Edited by Richard Woods and Simon Robinson) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-capitalism-propertymanager-idUSKCN0WX1MU?feedType=RSS&feedName=wtMostRead&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FMostRead+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Most+Read+Articles%29 | en | 2016-03-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/cfe4b4ac0a7d3b20407c123be34c90a55a546c9a8a6e2708cf2fc0851c47401e.json |
[
"Katy Migiro"
] | 2016-08-30T12:52:43 | null | 2016-08-30T11:12:45 | By Katy MigiroNAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenya is on its way to breaking the devastating cycle of drought, poverty and hunger over the ne | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-kenya-science-drought-idUSKCN115190%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151563915&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0LL | en | null | Kenya close to ending drought crises, says local scientist award winner | null | null | www.reuters.com | A Kenyan soldier from the Rapid Deployment Unit, an emergency response unit who were deployed due to reoccurring clashes and killings between Turkana and Dhaasanac communities, looks at a cow which is dying from hunger, a few hundred meters from the official boundary of the... REUTERS/Siegfried Modola
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenya is on its way to breaking the devastating cycle of drought, poverty and hunger over the next decade, a leading scientist said as he was named winner of a prestigious award.
Kenyan scientist Andrew Mude won the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application on Tuesday for developing livestock insurance, using state-of-the-art technologies, for herders in East Africa's drylands.
"I am confident that with insurance and the related complementary services, the boom and bust cycle will come to an end," said Mude, principal economist at the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
"The boom and bust cycle and particularly its consequence of famine ... is reducing and will reduce relatively rapidly in the course of the coming decade," the 39-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.
Droughts regularly decimate herds across Africa, forcing destitute families to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and settle in remote, dusty towns where they fall deeper into poverty.
Over 16,000 Kenyan households have already benefited from ILRI's index-based insurance scheme, which provides herders with a payout when rains fail, rather than waiting for animals to die, Mude said.
Compensation is calculated using satellite images to compare current forage levels with historical data.
"When a drought hits, you minimize the impact," Mude said, likening the scheme to health insurance.
"Households can use the indemnities to try and protect livestock from dying."
There are more than 50 million herders across Africa and many of them could benefit from the technology, according to a statement by the World Food Prize, which was created by Borlaug - famous for developing wheat varieties that drove the Green Revolution in the last half of the 20th century.
Eliminating hunger by 2030 is one of 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed last year by U.N. member states to tackle the world's most troubling problems.
LA NINA
Since its launch in Kenya in 2010, livestock insurance has also been rolled out in Ethiopia, with plans to test similar schemes in west and southern Africa, the statement said.
Kenya's government lent its support to the project in October, following up on a 2013 election pledge to provide national livestock insurance.
From thinking pastoralism was a "dying and inefficient" production system, government now sees it as well suited to the challenges of the arid lands, Mude said.
The government is paying premiums of eight percent to 12 percent for 5,000 households in northern Kenya, each with livestock worth around $700, Mude said.
Some 1.2 million Kenyans need food aid due to poor spring rains associated with the El Nino weather phenomenon, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) said.
The situation is likely to worsen as La Nina is predicted to bring poor October to December rains, it said.
El Nino occurs when water in the Pacific Ocean becomes abnormally warm, while La Nina involves unusually cold waters.
Almost 300 herders in the drought-hit north received some $120 each in insurance payouts last Wednesday, Mude said.
"We're now planning to replicate this novel insurance scheme across all of northern Kenya, where some four million pastoralists depend primarily on livestock," Kenya's cabinet secretary for agriculture, livestock and fisheries, Willy Bett, said in the statement.
Households using insurance are less likely to sell off their livestock in distress when prices are low during droughts, or to reduce the nutritional intake of children aged below five, and report a greater sense of wellbeing, Mude said.
With improved access to roads, mobile phone networks and banking services, herders are starting to develop businesses to "build themselves out of poverty", he said.
The award, named after the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner, recognizes science-based achievements in the fight to end global hunger and poverty.
(Reporting by Katy Migiro; Editing by Katie Nguyen.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women’s rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-science-drought-idUSKCN115190?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/72fe6a77cfd947dfe0515e39cdd4c524f63bf4eac03f4e4ada232f32c4ccb5e0.json |
[
"John Chalmers"
] | 2016-08-29T15:04:45 | null | 2016-08-29T14:29:22 | A Philippines senator who is leading an inquiry into the spate of killings unleashed by President Rodrigo Duterte's 'war on drugs' vowed on Monday to press on despite bizarre accusations and insults raining on her from the country's leader. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-philippines-duterte-senator-idUSKCN1141JW%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151452846&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0T9 | en | null | Philippines senator vows to press on in battle with 'The Punisher' | null | null | www.reuters.com | MANILA A Philippines senator who is leading an inquiry into the spate of killings unleashed by President Rodrigo Duterte's 'war on drugs' vowed on Monday to press on despite bizarre accusations and insults raining on her from the country's leader.
Leila de Lima told Reuters she has no fears for her own life because it would be clear who was to blame if anything happened to her, but she has been warned by people close to Duterte to stop questioning the extra-judicial killings.
"Some of my closest friends, some of my family are pleading with me 'you better stop already, stop it, stop it, keep quiet or just quit so they leave you alone'. But I cannot do that," the 57-year-old lawyer and politician said in her Senate office.
More than 1,900 people have been killed in Duterte's war on drugs since he came to power two months ago, according to police figures. Police say the toll of about 36 people a day is a result of drug dealers resisting arrest or gang feuds.
De Lima set up a Senate inquiry into the killings and held the first two hearings last week.
On Thursday, Duterte accused de Lima of taking bribes from jailed drug lords. He has also said she is having an affair with her driver and at a news conference declared she was "finished".
On Monday he attacked her again, saying de Lima had lost face as a woman and that if he were her he would hang himself.
"What they are doing to me is even worse than death. The honor, especially my womanhood, my reputation," said de Lima, who denies all the allegations Duterte has made against her.
Duterte, sometimes known as 'The Punisher', won a May election on a promise to wipe out drugs and dealers.
But there has been an outcry from human rights groups over the sheer number of deaths that followed Duterte's victory and over his incendiary rhetoric, which they say encourages police to feel they can kill with impunity.
There have been cases when police officers have killed suspected drug dealers who were in handcuffs and in custody, civil rights lawyers have said.
"A CLIMATE OF FEAR"
There have also been hundreds of killings by anonymous gunmen. De Lima said witnesses had told her about one case involving a group of men dressed as civilians and wearing masks.
"From all indications, based on the account of those who witnessed it, those were actually police," she said. "Are these death squads? Who are they, and under whose direction are they doing that?"
She said despite Duterte's promises to go after drug syndicates and kingpins, it is mostly the poor who are dying.
"The ones being targeted are the powerless, the voiceless, the defenseless, because they are so poor. Where is the justice there, there’s so much injustice," she said.
She said her Senate committee, which is due to hold another hearing on Thursday, was seeking facts - but it had no power to accuse or pursue any individual.
De Lima is hoping the hearings will speed the passage of legislation that has been stuck in Congress that would make extra-judicial killing a special crime with harsh penalties.
She also wants to bolster the independent Commission on Human Rights (CHR) so it has more capacity to investigate violations.
De Lima said that the CHR and the police's internal affairs service were both overwhelmed and could only do so much, and a climate of fear meant people were reluctant to speak out.
"It’s only the president who can stop all of this," she said. "I call this madness really."
(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-duterte-senator-idUSKCN1141JW?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/4d434cc1c9bddb08d90486a01ad940062e945859123fc061ec2ea4d24d73ac72.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T19:04:15 | null | 2016-08-26T17:55:12 | An army bomb disposal team was deployed to an area in Birmingham, central England, on Friday after police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-britain-police-idUSKCN11124S%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Bomb disposal squad deployed in central England after arrests | null | null | www.reuters.com | LONDON An army bomb disposal team was deployed to an area in Birmingham, central England, on Friday after police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism.
The West Midlands police force said as a result of one of the arrests, an army bomb disposal team had been called in as a precautionary measure to the Lee Bank area of Birmingham.
The Fire Brigade said it had been assisting the police with the operation.
Police said two men, aged 32 and 37, were arrested in the Stoke area of Staffordshire while three others, aged 18, 24 and 28 were arrested in Birmingham, Britain's second-biggest city.
"Police are searching a number of properties in the Stoke and Birmingham areas as part of the investigation; these searches are ongoing," they said in a statement.
"The arrests were intelligence-led and part of an ongoing investigation."
Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe", meaning an attack is considered highly likely.
(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Alison Williams) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-police-idUSKCN11124S?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/016180566ba857082467fa21f25e58e8df11fbce72a3b03a5daa0f80c3077fc4.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:22 | null | 2016-08-30T20:44:16 | Apparel retailer Gap Inc (GPS.N) said there was a "serious" fire at its distribution center in Fishkill, New York, on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-gap-fire-idUSKCN1152OG.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151635884&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1JX | en | null | Gap reports fire at Fishkill distribution center, employees safe | null | null | www.reuters.com | A sign hangs outside a GAP clothing retail store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 13, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Apparel retailer Gap Inc (GPS.N) said there was a "serious" fire at its distribution center in Fishkill, New York, on Monday.
All employees at the site were safe and an investigation was underway, Gap spokeswoman Debbie Felix said.
"While it will take time to understand the full impact and cause of the fire, we have contingency plans in place and are working across our North American network of distributions centers to continue to serve our customers," Felix said.
(Reporting by Gayathree Ganesan and Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gap-fire-idUSKCN1152OG | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/39c1ac10735c721ec1439879f16d5236c5819cbb8c907e890b253f9fccb80cdf.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T23:00:12 | null | 2016-08-30T21:32:57 | Renault driver Kevin Magnussen will have to pass a fitness check at Monza on Thursday before being cleared to race in the Italian Grand Prix after his big crash in Belgium last weekend. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-motor-f1-renault-magnussen-idUSKCN1152QP%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151641248&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1KQ | en | null | Confident Magnussen needs fitness check at Monza | null | null | www.reuters.com | LONDON Renault driver Kevin Magnussen will have to pass a fitness check at Monza on Thursday before being cleared to race in the Italian Grand Prix after his big crash in Belgium last weekend.
Renault said in a statement on Tuesday that the Dane, who went to hospital after Sunday's accident at Spa left him with a heavily bruised left ankle, had undergone further checks in Denmark that indicated he was fit to race in Italy.
He must, however, pass a mandatory FIA test at the circuit.
"I’m feeling much better, which is very good news," said Magnussen.
"I’ve had several checks that show I am fit to race in Monza and I am sure I will be in the car this weekend. We were running in the top 10 in Belgium and I’m very motivated to repeat this again in Italy."
Sunday's race at Monza is the last of the European Formula One season and 14th of a record 21 on the calendar.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Tony Jimenez) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-renault-magnussen-idUSKCN1152QP?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/586b96c364d49b8b247e8cea2983c5086756487d4d1b9753305149b192beeff1.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T06:52:04 | null | 2016-08-29T06:05:26 | Sanofi Sa | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSL8N1BA0GR%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Sanofi and Regeneron say Praluent shows positive phase 3 trial data | null | null | www.reuters.com | SE Asia Stocks-Fall as Fed's Yellen makes stronger case for rate hike
By Aparajita Saxena Aug 29 Most Southeast Asian stock markets were trading lower on Monday, in line with broader Asian peers, after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen hinted that a rate increase was on the cards this year. The probability of a rate hike in the near-term has gone up after Yellen said that a lot of new jobs were being created and economic growth would likely continue at a moderate pace, even though data on Friday showed the U.S. economy growing only sluggi | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL8N1BA0GR?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/7014a8c055b12ba33c3550bb866c114ec681223f54b21f4b81692c9ac901ada8.json |
[
"Ben Blanchard",
"Benjamin Kang Lim"
] | 2016-08-29T07:04:49 | null | 2016-08-29T06:07:30 | Chinese President Xi Jinping has reshuffled three top provincial-level Communist Party posts as he seeks to place his men in key positions ahead of a once-every-five-years congress next year, and more new appointments are likely soon. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-china-politics-idUSKCN1140E7%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151407918&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S06Q | en | null | China's Xi reshuffles key party posts ahead of congress | null | null | www.reuters.com | Chinese President Xi Jinping waits for the arrival of US National Security Adviser Susan Rice (not pictured) for their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 25, 2016. REUTERS/How Hwee Young/Pool
BEIJING Chinese President Xi Jinping has reshuffled three top provincial-level Communist Party posts as he seeks to place his men in key positions ahead of a once-every-five-years congress next year, and more new appointments are likely soon.
The party congress, expected to be held next autumn, will see Xi further cement his hold on power by appointing close allies into the party's ruling inner core, the 25-member Politburo and the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee.
Xi, who doubles as Communist Party and military chief, is ranked No 1 in the Standing Committee – the apex of power in China.
The year leading up to that will focus on Xi appointing more new people into major provincial party and government positions, sources with ties to the leadership say.
In a brief dispatch on Sunday, the official Xinhua news agency named two people with whom Xi had previously worked as the new party chiefs in the strategically located southwestern province of Yunnan and the populous southern province of Hunan. The provincial party chief outranks the governor.
In Yunnan, bordering Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, Chen Hao replaced Li Jiheng, while in Hunan, Du Jiahao had assumed the party's top job, Xinhua said.
Both Chen and Du worked with Xi when he ran China's commercial capital, Shanghai, as its Communist Party chief for a year in 2007, according to their resumes.
"Xi is close to both of them due to their time together in Shanghai," a source with ties to the leadership told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Tibet, considered one of the country's most politically sensitive positions due to periodic anti-Chinese unrest in the devoutly Buddhist Himalayan region, also has a new party chief, named by Xinhua as Wu Yingjie.
Wu has spent almost his entire career in Tibet, according to his official resume, having previously served as a deputy governor and propaganda chief, among other roles.
Wu, like his predecessor Chen Quanguo, belongs to China's majority Han Chinese ethnic group. Xinhua said Chen would be taking another position, without giving further details.
China says its rule has brought prosperity and stability to Tibet, rejecting claims from Tibetan exiles and rights groups of widespread repression.
The source said Chen would likely go to Xinjiang, another unruly part of the country, due to what the government says is a concerted Islamist-backed campaign of violence in a region with a large ethnic minority Muslim population.
The current party boss, Zhang Chunxian, is expected to move to Beijing to take over a senior role in a party building committee that Xi is overseeing as part of his efforts to instil greater discipline in the corruption-racked party, the source added.
A second source said the governor in Shanxi, a coal-rich northern province beset by corruption scandals, would move to Beijing to take over as transport minister.
Li Xiaopeng is the son of former premier Li Peng, who was deeply involved in the military crackdown on student-led demonstrations for democracy around Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The second source said Xi ally Lou Yangsheng, currently a deputy party boss in Shanxi, would be named acting provincial governor, pending approval by the local legislature.
Xi and Lou worked together when Xi was party boss in the eastern province of Zhejiang from 2003 until early 2007.
The State Council Information Office, which doubles as the party's spokesman's office, did not respond to a request for comment.
(Editing by Nick Macfie) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-politics-idUSKCN1140E7?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/4d69527dc0271cb2e2bb3e2db0bfabb4296f3458f956e4b2f0f9d3d8502637e1.json |
[
"Umit Bektas"
] | 2016-08-27T13:04:22 | null | 2016-08-27T12:05:57 | A group allied to Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it was bombarded by Turkish warplanes on Saturday, after Turkey's military launched an incursion this week into northern Syria against both Islamic State and Kurdish forces. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-village-idUSKCN112094%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160827&t=2&i=1151267831&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q08N | en | null | Kurdish-aligned group in north Syria says targeted by Turkish warplanes | null | null | www.reuters.com | Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) carry their weapons as they take positions in the northeastern city of Hasaka, Syria, August 20, 2016. Picture taken August 20, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said
Smoke rises from the Syrian border town of Jarablus as it is pictured from the Turkish town of Karkamis, in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 24, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer
A Turkish soldier on an armoured personnel carrier waves as they drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A Turkish army convoy drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A Turkish soldier on an armoured personnel carrier waves as they drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
KARKAMIS, Turkey A group allied to Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it was bombarded by Turkish warplanes on Saturday, after Turkey's military launched an incursion this week into northern Syria against both Islamic State and Kurdish forces.
Turkish officials had no immediate comment on the report which, if confirmed, would signal Turkey's action against Kurdish-aligned forces was being ratcheted up a notch.
The Jarablus Military Council, a group that is part of the SDF, said jets hit positions near the strategic town of Jarablus. It reported civilian casualties and called the strike "a dangerous escalation".
Early on Saturday, a Reuters witness in Karkamis, a Turkish town on the other side of the border from Syria's Jarablus, saw warplanes flying from Turkish air space into Syria and then heard several explosions. The identity of the planes was not clear.
Syrian rebels backed by Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes entered Jarablus this week, seizing the frontier town that had been an Islamic State stronghold. The rebel force backed by Turkey were largely Arab and Turkmen.
The Turkish campaign pre-empted action by Kurdish-backed forces which had sought to get to Jarablus first.
But Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and other senior officials has made clear that the incursion is as much about pushing away Islamic State as it is about preventing Kurdish forces filling the void left as the Islamists withdraw.
Turkey wants to stop Kurdish forces gaining control of a continuous stretch of territory along its southern border, which Ankara fears they could use to support the Kurdish militant group PKK that is fighting an insurgency on Turkish soil.
RIVALRIES AND ALLIANCES
The Jarablus Military Council said the village of al-Amarna, which lies a few km south of Jarablus, was hit. In response to the Turkish strike, it said: "If they do not attack our forces, then we will keep the border strip secure."
The newly formed Jarablus Military Council has said it is made up by people from the area with the aim of capturing the town and the surrounding area from Islamic State militants. However, the Turkish-backed rebels seized Jarablus first.
The Jarablus Military Council has aligned itself with the SDF, which encompasses several militias including Arabs and the Kurdish YPG group.
The SDF is also backed by the United States, putting Ankara at odds with its NATO ally Washington in its engagement in Syria, where the multi-faceted conflict has raged for five years, creating complex rivalries and alliances.
On Thursday, a day after Turkey began its cross-border offensive, Turkish troops fired on U.S.-backed YPG forces, which is part of the SDF. Turkey's state news agency described that salvo as warning shots. The use of Turkish warplanes against an SDF-aligned group would point to tougher action.
A Reuters witness in Karkamis heard blasts and smoke rising from the nearby Syrian village of Kivircik.
Several militias under the SDF banner pledged support to Jarablus Military Council after it reported the Turkish bombing.
The Northern Sun Battalion, an SDF faction, said in a statement it was heading to “Jarablus fronts” to help the council against “threats made by factions belonging to Turkey”.
Tension has mounted in the past year between the Kurdish YPG force and its allies on one hand and Turkish-backed rebel groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad on the other, in the Aleppo region. The two sides have clashed on several occasions.
(Additional reporting by Ece Toksabey and Orhan Coskun in Ankara; writing by Edmund Blair; editing by Mark Heinrich) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-village-idUSKCN112094?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/8ba72afa27b89dfc45f6ec884104b70d0a4950b786f0100576702419e25fcb33.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T00:51:04 | null | 2016-08-26T22:38:02 | One day after a short seller claimed thatSt. Jude Medical Inc's heart implants are vulnerable todeadly cyber attacks, investors appear most concerned aboutwhether the accusation will derail St. Jude's $24 billionplanned deal for Abbott Labs to buy it. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fst-jude-medical-cyber-investors-idUSL1N1B71TC%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Whiplashed investors stay skittish about St. Jude | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 26 One day after a short seller claimed that St. Jude Medical Inc's heart implants are vulnerable to deadly cyber attacks, investors appear most concerned about whether the accusation will derail St. Jude's $24 billion planned deal for Abbott Labs to buy it.
St. Jude's stock at one point fell around 3 percent on Friday, though it ended the day slightly up, following a drop of around 5 percent on Thursday after Muddy Waters Capital leveled the accusation against St. Jude. The stock continues to trade well below its price on Wednesday of around $82 per share.
St. Jude called the allegations "false and misleading."
St. Jude in April agreed to sell itself to Abbott, and the deal was widely considered a slam dunk before the cyber security concerns were raised.
"It's hard to imagine that this could scuttle the deal," said one investor, who asked to remain anonymous because he wasn't authorized to speak with the press. "But there are a few paths that could lead to problems."
Abbott could decide to back out of the St. Jude deal or push for a lower valuation "if they were to conclude remediation steps must be taken with St. Jude's technology," Jason Mills, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, said in a note.
One concern being voiced is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could demand a full-scale product recall, which in turn could trigger a "material adverse change" clause in St. Jude's merger agreement.
That would give Abbott the ability to walk away from the deal, according to investors and analysts interviewed by Reuters.
If the deal were called off due to an adverse event, St. Jude would probably fall below the approximately $60 per share that it was trading at before the Abbott deal was announced, investors said.
A forced recall, though, is unlikely, according to Mills. The FDA issued its first guidance on managing cybersecurity in medical devices only eight months ago, and is still seen primarily as playing an advisory role in the area.
The more likely solution to any concerns about cyber security would be a software update, which is relatively inexpensive, said another investor, who asked not to be named because he wasn't authorized to speak with the press. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell in New York; Additional reporting by Mike Erman in New York; Editing by Eric Effron and James Dalgleish) | http://www.reuters.com/article/st-jude-medical-cyber-investors-idUSL1N1B71TC?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/a534302148d76aeace1ef70ec786181d65e48dce7ac3d6e2bd2d837301d6bddb.json |
[
"Jonathan Stempel"
] | 2016-08-26T13:15:12 | null | 2015-01-09T00:23:11 | Apple Inc won the dismissal on Thursday of a lawsuit accusing it of defrauding consumers by selling MacBook laptop computers that contained "logic boards" it knew were defective, and which routinely failed within two years. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-apple-macbook-lawsuit-idUSKBN0KI01A20150109%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DvcMedia.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20150109&t=2&i=1014844818&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXMPEB08009 | en | null | Apple wins dismissal of lawsuit over MacBook logic boards | null | null | www.reuters.com | The Apple Inc corporate logo is pictured on the rear side of the company's Macbook Air notebook computer in Virginia, August 10, 2011. REUTERS/Jason Reed/Files
Apple Inc won the dismissal on Thursday of a lawsuit accusing it of defrauding consumers by selling MacBook laptop computers that contained "logic boards" it knew were defective, and which routinely failed within two years.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said the plaintiffs, Uriel Marcus and Benedict Verceles, failed to show that Apple made "affirmative misrepresentations," despite citing online complaints and Apple marketing statements calling the laptops "state of the art" or the "most advanced" on the market.
"Plaintiffs have failed to allege that Apple's logic boards were unfit for their ordinary purposes or lacked a minimal level of quality," Alsup wrote. "Both plaintiffs were able to adequately use their computers for approximately 18 months and two years, respectively."
Alsup gave the plaintiffs until Jan. 22 to amend their lawsuit, which sought class-action status, against the Cupertino, California-based company.
Omar Rosales, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a similar request.
The plaintiffs claimed that Apple's sale of MacBooks since May 20, 2010, violated consumer protection laws in California and Texas, where the lawsuit began last May before being moved.
They also contended that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was told about the defective logic boards in 2011, but did nothing.
Logic boards contain computer circuitry and are sometimes known as motherboards.
A separate and still pending lawsuit in California accuses Apple of defrauding consumers by selling MacBook Pro laptops in 2011 that contained defective graphic cards, causing screen distortions and system failures.
MacBooks are part of Apple's Mac line of desktop and laptop computers. The company reported unit sales in that business of 18.91 million in its latest fiscal year.
The case is Marcus et al v. Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 14-03824.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York. Editing by Andre Grenon) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-macbook-lawsuit-idUSKBN0KI01A20150109?feedType=RSS&feedName=vcMedia | en | 2015-01-09T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/6fd0c6f110acc85ae5659f8a0e4ee2e2979a50a9b6d8c5be5982f206bff308ae.json |
[
"Mark Tay"
] | 2016-08-31T02:51:27 | null | 2016-08-31T01:19:20 | Crude oil futures fell in early trade on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar held around three-week highs and industry stocks data indicated a build in U.S. crude inventories. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fuk-global-oil-idUSKCN11603F.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151659098&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U01M | en | null | Oil prices dip on stronger dollar; rise in U.S. crude stocks data | null | null | www.reuters.com | Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
SINGAPORE Crude oil futures fell in early trade on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar held around three-week highs and industry stocks data indicated a build in U.S. crude inventories.
International Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were trading at $48.27 (36.9025 pounds) per barrel at 0052 GMT, down 10 cents, or 0.2 percent, from their previous close.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 16 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $46.19 a barrel.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of six majors, rose as high as 96.143 .DXY, its highest level since Aug. 9, on Tuesday.
A stronger greenback makes dollar-priced commodities like oil more expensive for holders of other currencies and possibly capping demand.
The dollar strengthened after recent hawkish comments by Fed Chair Janet Yellen and Vice Chair Stanley Fischer boosted expectations that a rate hike by the U.S. central bank at its September policy meeting could be on the horizon.
"The pullback in commodity prices is likely to continue in the short term with a stronger USD and weaker fundamentals," Australian bank ANZ said in a note.
U.S. crude stocks rose by 942,000 barrels in the week to Aug. 26 to 525.2 million, nearly in line with analysts' expectations for an increase of 921,000 barrels, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday.
Official U.S. oil inventories data published by the EIA is due for release on Wednesday.
Concerns over refinery production outages caused by storm threats in the Gulf of Mexico have done little to support prices as a product glut in the United States persists.
"Prices didn't receive any support from news that nearly a quarter of the capacity in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut due to storms," ANZ bank said.
(Reporting by Mark Tay; Editing by Richard Pullin) | http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-global-oil-idUSKCN11603F | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5d3ed3260e57acb34cca5d87e4e2acbb51e7d6789057dbfac6f9b9bedae97924.json |
[
"Marc Frank",
"Jeffrey Dastin"
] | 2016-08-29T19:04:50 | null | 2016-08-29T17:39:55 | An expected explosion in U.S. tourism to Cuba will likely take years to materialize even after U.S. airlines resume commercial flights to the Caribbean island this week for the first time since 1961, industry officials said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cuba-usa-flights-idUSKCN1141YQ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151474041&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S14J | en | null | New Cuba tourism seen slow to take off despite U.S. flights | null | null | www.reuters.com | (L to R) Mayda Molina, an official of the Institute of the Cuban Civil Aviation, Eduardo Rodriguez, Cuba's vice-minister of Transport and Alfredo Cordero, President of the Institute of the Cuban Civil Aviation, attend a news conference in Havana, Cuba, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Enrique de la Osa
HAVANA/NEW YORK An expected explosion in U.S. tourism to Cuba will likely take years to materialize even after U.S. airlines resume commercial flights to the Caribbean island this week for the first time since 1961, industry officials said.
JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O) will pilot its historic flight from Florida to the Cuban city of Santa Clara on Wednesday, the latest step in normalizing relations that earlier this year included a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama and the first U.S. cruise to the island in decades.
The planes may some day be filled with U.S. beach-goers, looking for an economical Caribbean break at resorts favored by Canadians and Europeans on the sandy keys north of Santa Clara.
But for now, U.S. law and constraints on Cuba's tourism infrastructure will act as brakes on increasing demand, experts said.
Congress has yet to lift a trade embargo that prohibits U.S. citizens from visiting Cuba as tourists. The Obama administration has approved 12 categories of exceptions to the ban ranging from cultural, religious and educational travel to business and visiting family.
That means JetBlue's initial flights will mainly carry Cuban-Americans visiting relatives or other U.S. citizens interested in seeing the Che Guevara Mausoleum and other cultural sites.
Eventually, up to 25 flights a day by various carriers will connect the United States and the Cuban provinces, with another 20 to Havana, under an agreement reached by the two Cold War foes as part of a gradual détente begun in December 2014.
Services on Silver Airways and American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) from the Miami area to other outlying provinces are the next to start, in September.
While the direct flights could carry more than a million U.S. residents to Cuba annually, according to John Kavulich, head of the New York-based U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc, he and other experts believe that mark will not be reached for several years.
In the beginning, the new routes are expected to absorb customers from the average of 17 charter flights that Cuba's government says have arrived from the United States daily for several years.
"The fares that have come out so far, announced by American and JetBlue, have been super competitive," said Bob Guild, vice president at Marazul Charters Inc. "I don't have any question that it's going to shrink," he said of the charter services. Marazul, one of the largest charter companies operating to Cuba, plans to scale back services to provinces this fall but continue with its Havana flights while commercial airlines await approval, Guild said.
HOTEL ROOMS FULL
There is already a boom in visits to Cuba from the United States. Some 300,000 Cubans living in the United States now travel home annually. In 2015, the Cuban government reported 161,233 Americans visited, compared to 91,254 in 2014, and arrivals through June nearly doubled over the same period last year, a trend that the dawn of commercial flights can only further.
"The fact that travelers can book flights directly online not only streamlines that process and makes it more affordable, it adds a feeling of legality," said Collin Laverty of Cuban Educational Travel.
But another barrier to increased U.S. travel is that Cuba's hotels, bed and breakfasts, transportation services and amenities are already stretched to the limit, with a record 3.5 million foreign arrivals last year. Higher hotel prices, pegged to the U.S. dollar, might push out some travelers from Europe and Canada, creating more space for Americans, said Emilio Morales, CEO of Miami-based Havana Consulting Group. Private bed and breakfasts would absorb what they could of increased demand, he said.
Over time, airlines are betting travel restrictions will be further relaxed and want to get their foot in the door before Obama leaves office next year.
"While all of the flights are unlikely to operate at capacity, the airlines want to plant their respective flags," Kavulich said.
(Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-usa-flights-idUSKCN1141YQ?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/b69c84ee15f897d55ee6b6ee59abd5a7b019fd1f7bc6d76edc7089e2a3d8cd75.json |
[
"Steve Gorman"
] | 2016-08-29T22:52:36 | null | 2016-08-29T22:04:10 | Wildlife agents authorized to eradicate a group of 11 wolves for repeated attacks on cattle in Washington state have hunted down and killed six animals from the condemned pack and are searching for the rest, a state game official said on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-washington-wolves-idUSKCN1142DQ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151500289&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1CC | en | null | Washington state begins killing wolf pack for preying on livestock | null | null | www.reuters.com | An endangered gray wolf is pictured in this undated handout photo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Handout via Reuters
Wildlife agents authorized to eradicate a group of 11 wolves for repeated attacks on cattle in Washington state have hunted down and killed six animals from the condemned pack and are searching for the rest, a state game official said on Monday.
State biologists fatally shot two members of the so-called Profanity Peak wolf pack from a helicopter on Aug. 5 after confirming five fatal wolf attacks on livestock in that area. Further lethal-control efforts were later called off.
But eradication orders were renewed, and expanded to the entire pack, on Aug. 19 when the state Fish and Wildlife Department determined the same group of wolves was behind additional attacks that left two calves dead and a third injured.
Aerial kill teams have since destroyed four more wolves, including a pup, and wildlife agents are looking for the remaining five members of the targeted pack, said Craig Bartlett, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Department.
"We've never taken out an entire pack before," Bartlett said, adding officials could still decide at some point to suspend the hunt and spare some of the remaining wolves if livestock attacks appear to have been halted.
In the meantime, he said, the number of cattle killed or injured by wolves in the area had grown to 12.
The Profanity Peak wolves make up one of 19 wolf packs known to inhabit Washington, 15 of them in the eastern third of the state where federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves were lifted in 2011.
Wolves are still listed as endangered under state law, which allows officials to remove wolves found to be repeatedly preying on livestock. But the population has grown steadily since 2008, when the first pack documented in Washington in many decades was confirmed, and they now number about 90 animals statewide, Bartlett said.
The current effort targeting the Profanity Peak pack marks the third time state officials have used lethal means against wolves. The two previous efforts, in 2012 and 2014, resulted in the deaths of 10 wolves, but some members of those packs ended up being spared, Bartlett said.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-washington-wolves-idUSKCN1142DQ?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/1e74859638f39ca5f9ed9ecd2a14fb15be10e2a56d8ca3fef89756fbaadfb537.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T19:00:14 | null | 2016-08-30T18:05:51 | Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters and experienced duo Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer were named by Europe captain Darren Clarke as wildcard picks on Tuesday to complete his Ryder Cup team. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-golf-rydercup-picks-idUSKCN1151BK%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151567806&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0N9 | en | null | Pieters, Westwood, Kaymer named as Europe's Ryder Cup wildcards | null | null | www.reuters.com | Thomas Pieters of Belgium reacts during the Made in Denmark, European Tour golf tournament, final round in Farso, August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Henning Bagger/Scanpix Denmark
Men's Individual Stroke Play - Olympic Golf Course - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 12/08/2016. Martin Kaymer (GER) of Germany chips on to the 18th green during the second round of the men's Olympic golf competition. REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
Jul 29, 2016; Springfield, NJ, USA; PGA golfer Lee Westwood tees off on the 16th hole during the second round of the 2016 PGA Championship golf tournament at Baltusrol GC - Lower Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
LONDON Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters and experienced duo Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer were named by Europe captain Darren Clarke as wildcard picks on Tuesday to complete his Ryder Cup team.
Clarke opted for the powerful 24-year-old Pieters over Scotland's Russell Knox and England's Luke Donald, bringing to six the number of rookies in the 12-man team who will defend the trophy against the United States in Hazeltine, Minnesota.
"Lee Westwood is one of the most experienced Ryder Cup players of all time and Martin is also a Ryder Cup stalwart," Clarke told reporters at Wentworth on Tuesday.
"The third choice came down to Russell Knox and Thomas Pieters. I had to phone Russell and tell him yesterday. It was probably one of the toughest calls I've had to make. But the way Thomas has played golf over the last four weeks has impressed me so much I found it impossible to leave him out."
Englishman Westwood, the former world number one, first played in the biennial team event in 1997 and will be representing Europe for the 10th successive time.
Twice major winner Kaymer of Germany has featured in the last three Ryder Cups, all won by Europe.
Belgium's Pieters has produced excellent form this month. He won the Made In Denmark event, was runner-up at the Czech Masters and finished fourth in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Europe's nine automatic picks were confirmed earlier this month.
Danny Willett, Chris Wood, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Andy Sullivan and Matt Fitzpatrick will also be new to the tournament. The other automatic selections, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, have all experienced the Ryder Cup before.
Europe are out to win the Ryder Cup for the ninth time in 11 editions when the competition starts at Hazeltine National Golf Club on Sept. 30 and Clarke said he was confident his team would thrive.
"It will be a very tough task," he said. "(The American) team is shaping up very strongly, but my players are world class in their own right. I am proud of this team and have no worries about them at all."
American captain Davis Love will name three of his wildcard selections a week on Sunday, with his final pick not being announced until five days before the tournament begins.
(Reporting by Neil Robinson, editing by Ed Osmond) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-golf-rydercup-picks-idUSKCN1151BK?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e2d08a4d411efccdf0bae71d4ddaf9d099f1a236de551e03a597adf57c1f2c3c.json |
[
"Nita Bhalla",
"Gopal Sharma"
] | 2016-08-31T01:04:59 | null | 2016-08-31T00:45:11 | By Nita Bhalla and Gopal SharmaNEW DELHI/KATHMANDU (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Shova Bhatta vividly remembers the morning 16 years ago, when five | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-southasia-disappeared-idUSKCN116029%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Day of the Disappeared: South Asia's torturous wait for the missing | null | null | www.reuters.com | NEW DELHI/KATHMANDU (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Shova Bhatta vividly remembers the morning 16 years ago, when five men came to her grocery shop on the outskirts of the Nepali capital and took her husband Shyam.
"They asked him to accompany them and promised that he would be back after answering some questions," said Bhatta. "My husband told me not to worry and that he would return soon because he had done any harm to anyone."
But 29-year-old Shyam never came back.
His wife insists he was kidnapped by Maoist rebels fighting to topple the feudal monarchy during the Himalayan nation's decade-long civil war which ended in 2006.
The mother of two is left in limbo, fluctuating between the hope of seeing him alive and the agony of believing he is dead.
"I still don't know if they killed him. I don't know if he is still alive," she said. "If he is dead, I want his body as proof so I can carry out our traditional last rites."
Hundreds of thousands of families around the world on Tuesday marked the "International Day of the Disappeared" - aimed at drawing attention to people gone missing amid conflict, disasters, migration or state oppression.
Despite the vast numbers of missing, humanitarian workers say scant attention is given to the plight of their families who spend years seeking the truth.
"This is a tragedy affecting millions, but it remains vastly unacknowledged and underreported. Such indifference is extremely disturbing," said Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
"Disappearances are often a sensitive social and political issue, but that is no excuse for inaction. Governments must generate the political will necessary to provide answers."
CHILD SOLDIERS, MIGRANTS, PRISONERS
There are no accurate figures on the number of people missing but the ICRC, which works in more than 60 countries, estimates there are likely hundreds of thousands of victims.
They include combatants missing in action and children separated from their families when fleeing their homes or forced to join armed groups as well as prisoners and migrants.
The numbers of missing people is high in South Asia, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives and is home to one fifth of humanity, say activists.
The region is vulnerable to earthquakes and floods which force hundreds of thousands from their homes annually, and it has witnessed violent conflicts.
These include Sri Lanka's 26-year-long war pitting ethnic Tamils against state forces, a crackdown by India forces on people in the disputed region of Kashmir and alleged state violations against people in Pakistan's Baloch region.
There are also disappearances of political activists, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers who criticize or voice dissent against regimes, corporations or other powerful players.
This month, rights groups accused Bangladesh of illegally detaining sons of members of two main opposition political parties. Authorities claim they do have no knowledge of the disappearances.
Bangladeshi rights group Odhikar says 287 people have disappeared after being picked up by men claiming to be law enforcement over the last seven years. Of these, 38 were found dead, 132 surfaced alive and the fate of 117 people remains unknown, it said.
MISSING YOUNG MEN
In Wunigam village in Indian administered Kashmir's Bandipore district, Hajra Begam, 70, hopes her missing son Bashir will knock at the door one day.
"When my son was taken by the army from his bakery, he had still had flour stuck to his hands," said Begam, adding she and her husband were dependent on Bashir's earnings.
"The army told us later that he ran away from their custody, but we don't believe them. The army did not take only our source of living, but also our Bashir."
According to activists, more than 8,000 people have gone missing in this volatile region bordering Pakistan, where security forces are battling a separatist insurgency.
Almost all young men, they include militants, former militants, civilians and Kashmiris working for security forces, activists say.
Families gather every year to mark the International Day of the Disappeared, said Parveena Ahanger, founder of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), whose son went missing in the early 1990s.
"It gives us some solace when many of us get together and listen to each other."
LACK OF POLITICAL WILL
Experts say there is a lack of political will to address the issue, often because governments are implicated and investigations can be biased, flawed and lengthy.
In Sri Lanka, some 65,000 people are missing from its civil conflict with separatist Tamil Tigers which ended in 2009 as well as a Marxist insurrection between 1987 and 1989, according to government figures.
The government has set up an office to investigate but families accuse Colombo of not doing enough.
In Nepal, almost 1,400 people are missing, says the National Network of the Families of the Disappeared and Missing, accusing both state forces and Maoist rebels of committing abuses.
The war ended in 2006 under a United Nations-brokered peace deal in which both sides agreed to address war crimes within six months.
The government only established two panels last year to investigate disappearances. The panels have collected thousands of complaints and have until February to finish their work.
"I am in total confusion about his fate," said Ruby Shrestha whose husband went missing more than 13 years ago. "I don’t think he is alive. But there is no evidence of his death either."
Humanitarian workers say governments must step up their responses, develop legal frameworks and procedures to account for the missing and provide support to families.
"Those with influence and in a position to help should take the opportunity of the International Day of the Disappeared to recommit themselves to this issue," said Maurer.
"To remain in the dark, not knowing what has happened to someone you love," Maurer said. "Imagine the pain this must cause."
(Reporting by Nita Bhalla and Gopal Sharma. Additional reporting by Athar Parvaiz. Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southasia-disappeared-idUSKCN116029?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/c01aa56611075ecb698f392d1a77fa5350e0939b2af672c296913e26e73633e9.json |
[
"Jonathan Spicer"
] | 2016-08-30T10:59:41 | null | 2016-08-30T09:02:17 | Six U.S. senators have urged President Barack Obama to prioritize cyber crime at this weekend's Group of 20 summit in China, in the wake of the theft of $81 million from Bangladesh's central bank, according to a letter obtained by Reuters. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cyber-heist-g20-exclusive-idUSKCN1142A0%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DpoliticsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FPoliticsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BPolitics%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151549116&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1AS | en | null | Exclusive: Six U.S. senators urge Obama to prioritize cyber crime at G20 summit | null | null | www.reuters.com | NEW YORK Six U.S. senators have urged President Barack Obama to prioritize cyber crime at this weekend's Group of 20 summit in China, in the wake of the theft of $81 million from Bangladesh's central bank, according to a letter obtained by Reuters.
In the letter sent to the White House ahead of the Sept. 4-5 summit, Sherrod Brown, a senior Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, and five other Democratic senators say they want the U.S. president to press leaders from the world's 20 biggest economies to commit in joint communiques to a "coordinated strategy to combat cyber-crime at critical financial institutions."
The letter, dated Monday, suggests that concern among U.S. lawmakers is growing over the February incident in which hackers breached Bangladesh Bank's systems and used the SWIFT banking network to request nearly $1 billion from an account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Some of the dozens of orders were filled, with much of the lost $81 million disappearing into Philippines casinos - prompting months of international finger-pointing, an ongoing investigation, and several requests from members of Congress for answers from the Fed and from SWIFT, the secure messaging service that banks use to transfer money around the world.
"Our financial institutions are connected in order to facilitate global commerce, but cyber criminals - whether independent or state-sponsored - imperil this international system in a way few threats have," the senators, headed by Gary Peters of Michigan, wrote in the letter to Obama.
"We strongly urge you to work with your counterparts and prioritize this discussion at the G20 leaders level in September," it said of the summit to be held in Hangzhou, China, adding that "executive leadership circles across the globe" needed to pay more attention to the risks.
A senator in the Philippines has said Chinese hackers were likely to have pulled off the Bangladesh Bank heist, citing a network of Chinese people involved in the routing of the stolen funds through Manila.
Beijing has dismissed the suggestion.
Copies of the letter from the U.S. senators were also sent to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
OBAMA-XI TALKS
The other senators signing the letter were Mark Warner and Martin Heinrich, both members of the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence; Kirsten Gillibrand and Debbie Stabenow, the ranking Democrat on the Senate's Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
The White House expects G20 members at the summit "to affirm their commitment to cooperate to fight cybercrime and to enhance confidence and trust in the digital economy," a senior administration official said.
Asked generally about cyber security on Monday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a press conference: "I would anticipate that this issue more generally will be on the agenda" when Obama meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, the G20 summit host, later this week.
At a November summit, the G20 pledged not to conduct economically motivated cyber espionage, an agreement intended to reduce the estimated hundreds of billions of dollars worth of commercial trade secrets that are stolen by foreign governments seeking to benefit industry in their own countries.
Since then, the Bangladesh Bank attack and others that have emerged are only some of the threats posed by cyber criminals, the senators wrote. World regulators should "erect more robust defenses and collaborative systems to prevent and mitigate the impact of successful attacks," the letter said, noting that steps already taken by SWIFT are not enough.
Bangladesh said it supported raising the issue at G20.
"In most cases, cyber attacks and crimes take place from outside the country," said Zunaid Ahmed Palak, a junior government minister for information and communications technology.
"So while addressing fast growing cyber attacks, there should be a coordinated approach involving global stakeholders."
The Fed and other U.S. regulators said in a letter last week they were focused on cyber risks and controls at banks in the wake of the Bangladesh incident, though they offered few specifics.
Peters, a member of the Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told Reuters he is considering requesting a committee hearing on the heist.
"I am concerned about the response and what steps have been taken to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said in an interview. "You just need more collaboration and sharing of information... because often times all these entities aren't talking to each other."
(This story has been refiled with full name of Bangladesh minister)
(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Dustin Volz in Washington and Serajul Quadir in Dhaka; Editing by Bernard Orr, Leslie Adler and Raju Gopalakrishnan) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-heist-g20-exclusive-idUSKCN1142A0?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FPoliticsNews+%28Reuters+Politics+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e7165b41200db23c1815732454ad639ef0d1ed8a7bd1f02134006b67ab5e401f.json |
[
"Larry Fine"
] | 2016-08-31T05:00:13 | null | 2016-08-31T02:35:38 | Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro looms as a danger man at the U.S. Open after barreling into the second round in straight sets over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-tennis-open-delpotro-idUSKCN11606Q%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151664426&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U03D | en | null | Former champion del Potro roars into second round | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina returns a shot to Diego Schwartzman of Argentina (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA...
NEW YORK Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro looms as a danger man at the U.S. Open after barreling into the second round in straight sets over fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman on Tuesday.
Plagued by a serious wrist injury that handicapped him since his rousing five-set win over Roger Federer in the 2009 U.S. Open final, del Potro returned to form at the Rio Olympics, where he reached the finals before falling to Andy Murray.
The 6-foot-6 (1.98 m) Argentine backed up his impressive Rio run by rifling in 11 aces in eliminating Schwartzman, claiming the third-set tiebreaker 7-3.
"I am so glad to be part of this tournament once again after three years," said del Potro, who was given a wild card to join the main draw and said he was lifted by the crowd support.
"Always, in every match here at the U.S. Open, the crowd make me feels special. I really like the atmosphere down there."
Del Potro said he was still feeling the effects of his efforts in Rio, where he ousted world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round and number five Rafa Nadal in the semi-finals before losing to second-ranked Murray in four sets in the final.
"To be honest, I'm still feeling tired," said del Potro.
"It's not easy after a big, big challenge like I did in Rio. But this tournament is very special for me. I'm trying to keep calm, to keep focused, and look forward to go far.
"The people in Argentina, in my hometown, they know what (I) have been through to get there after my surgeries. It was a special moment for me. They really appreciate what I did to come back on tennis. They are proud to see me playing tennis again."
Del Potro said he was close to quitting the game.
"After the first surgery, the second one, and in the end the third one, it was really, really sad moments for me," he said. "Nobody knows what should I have to fix my problem.
"My family and friends help me a lot to never give up. And I think I'm doing well now. The worst part of my life is totally in the past, and I'm living a good present and looking forward for a good future."
Next up for del Potro will be 19th-seeded American Steve Johnson, who overcame Russian Evgeny Donskoy 4-6 1-6 7-6(2) 6-3 6-3 to advance.
(Editing by Steve Keating.) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-open-delpotro-idUSKCN11606Q?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/55525b090dd7412b16e1ebcbe9a80f3791418e3d2adb1d4e1ce527515d427c75.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T16:49:58 | null | 2016-08-27T15:02:17 | The Federal Reserve could push banks to lend more by paying Wall Street smaller returns on money stashed at the U.S. central bank when inflation is low, according to an academic paper presented on Saturday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-fed-research-reserves-idUSKCN1120K4%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160827&t=2&i=1151279704&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q0EH | en | null | Fed could use reserves payments to stimulate U.S. economy: paper | null | null | www.reuters.com | The facade of the U.S. Federal Reserve building is reflected on wet marble during the early morning hours in Washington, July 31, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. The Federal Reserve could push banks to lend more by paying Wall Street smaller returns on money stashed at the U.S. central bank when inflation is low, according to an academic paper presented on Saturday.
The proposal was one of several discussed at an international gathering of central bankers who are looking for ways to stimulate economies even after they have cut interest rates to near zero and flooded banks with money.
In his paper, economist Ricardo Reis put forward a new way for the Fed to pay banks returns on the money they keep at the central bank, a tool that could potentially put the Fed's goal of keeping inflation at 2 percent on autopilot.
Banks currently have about $2.6 trillion at the Fed, a trove that swelled during a massive Fed bond-buying campaign aimed at fighting the 2007-2009 recession.
The Fed currently pays 0.5 percent on reserves, which some critics view as a giveaway to banks. The central bank uses that rate as a way to keep the rates for overnight interbank borrowing from going beyond its target range, relying on reverse repo operations to set the floor.
But under Reis's proposal, the Fed would also use the reserves rate as a stimulus mechanism, indexing its payments to the inflation rate. That would give banks an incentive to lend when the economy is weak and prices are rising more slowly.
"When the central bank promises a smaller payment, reserves are a less attractive investment, so banks will ... move away from reserves and into loans," Reis, an academic at the London School of Economics, wrote in the paper.
The fluctuations in bank lending due to price changes could help the Fed keep inflation on target.
Inflation rates in the United States and elsewhere in the world have been exceptionally low in recent years, and policymakers worry that economies are vulnerable to debilitating deflation.
Reis said his proposal was "somewhat radical" and warrants more study before being tried out.
He also assessed whether the Fed could stimulate the economy through the use of so-called "helicopter drops" in which it would create money and give it to the government to spend without requiring repayment.
Reis argued that helicopter drops might be ineffective because the Fed already turns over its profits to the government and might reduce these transfers after such a move, leading the government to cut spending in the future.
(Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Paul Simao) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-research-reserves-idUSKCN1120K4?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/864c9f011bc0af8a585de9fe1cd1b6cad8d4a5cfbdc92cca017921daa3f23dd5.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T02:51:39 | null | 2016-08-29T01:23:54 | Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical Co Ltd : | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSL3N1BA154%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical fully buys Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. via takeover bid | null | null | www.reuters.com | UPDATE 1-Union votes for strike mandate in Canadian auto talks
TORONTO, Aug 28 The union representing most Canadian autoworkers has voted to strike if it cannot reach favorable terms in talks with the Big Three U.S. carmakers, it said late on Sunday. | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL3N1BA154?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f38159810afd2c773bd58024c94338689bd2fdbc062c3c7c8e19ab3a765ea13d.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T08:53:07 | null | 2016-08-31T08:06:42 | Nine people were killed when floods inundated an old people's home in Japan, police said on Wednesday, taking the death toll from a typhoon battering northern parts of the country to at least 11. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-asia-storm-japan-idUSKCN1160HN%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151690935&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U0DW | en | null | Nine people killed in flooded Japanese old people's home | null | null | www.reuters.com | Driftwoods caused by a flood triggered by Typhoon Lionrock are scattered in Iwaizumi town, Iwate prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 31, 2016. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
An aerial view shows a damaged home for the elderly (C) caused by a flood triggered by Typhoon Lionrock, where local media say nine bodies were found, in Iwaizumi town, Iwate prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 31, 2016. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
An aerial view shows a damaged home for the elderly caused by a flood triggered by Typhoon Lionrock, where local media say nine bodies were found, in Iwaizumi town, Iwate prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 31, 2016. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
An aerial view shows a flooded residential area from heavy rains by Typhoon Lionrock in Kuji, Iwate prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 31, 2016. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
TOKYO Nine people were killed when floods inundated an old people's home in Japan, police said on Wednesday, taking the death toll from a typhoon battering northern parts of the country to at least 11.
Police found nine bodies on Wednesday in the nursing home in the town of Iwaizumi, in Iwate Prefecture in the north of Japan's main island of Honshu, but it was not clear when their home was flooded.
It was also not clear why people there had not been taken to safety before the storm struck. The nursing home is located near a river and was partially buried in mud and debris when the river overflowed its banks.
"The area is in a state of chaos. We are not sure what preparations the facility had taken," said a prefectural government official who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The town issued evacuation preparation information on Tuesday morning, which is to inform elderly or disabled people who take time to evacuate. That, however, was not as strong as an evacuation warning, according to another prefecture official.
More than 1,000 other people were forced from their homes by the flooding brought by Typhoon Lionrock.
The body of a man was also found near a river in Iwaizumi and a dead woman was found in Kuji city, police said.
Television pictures showed flooded rivers with cars and homes partly submerged, while rescuers picked up stranded people by helicopter.
Several people were also missing on the northern island of Hokkaido, police said.
Iwate, the worst-hit prefecture, was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Robert Birsel and Paul Tait) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-storm-japan-idUSKCN1160HN?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/995bc0d8eb74c1d5b31eb1c4266e500ef54aed96ac0b77dbfbb67833190fda3a.json |
[
"Lawrence Hurley"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:11 | null | 2016-08-26T11:34:26 | When President Barack Obama entered the White House in 2009, the federal appeals court based in Virginia was known as one of the most conservative benches in the country. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-court-obama-idUSKCN1110BC%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151160816&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P068 | en | null | Obama's judges leave liberal imprint on U.S. law | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. President Barack Obama speaks from the Rose Garden of the White House to announce his three nominees to fill vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Washington June 4, 2013. The nominees will be attorney Patricia Ann Millett (R),... REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
WASHINGTON When President Barack Obama entered the White House in 2009, the federal appeals court based in Virginia was known as one of the most conservative benches in the country.
Two Obama terms later, Democratic appointees hold a 10-5 majority on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a panel of which issued a groundbreaking ruling this April backing transgender rights.
The shift to the left on the court, which hears cases from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina, highlights a widely overlooked aspect of Obama's legacy.
His appointments of dozens of judges to the country's influential federal appeals courts have tilted the judiciary in a liberal direction that will influence rulings for years to come and be further entrenched if Democrat Hillary Clinton wins this November's presidential election.
A Reuters review of rulings by the courts over the last two years shows Obama’s appointees to the appeals courts have influenced major legal battles likely to ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
Obama-appointed judges have voted in favor of broad civil rights protections, major Obama administration regulations and gun regulations and against Republican-backed voting rules.
(FACTBOX on recent rulings: [L1N1B41BM])
(Graphic showing the changes under Obama tmsnrt.rs/2blUhmV)
When seeking to appoint judges, the White House has said it is looking for highly credentialed lawyers reflecting the diversity of U.S. society. Conservative critics say he has picked judges who are willing to circumvent the law in order to reach preferred outcomes.
"There’s no question President Obama’s nominees have absolutely been part of his effort to transform the country and move it dramatically to the left," said Carrie Severino, a conservative legal activist.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement that Obama's appointees "all share impeccable qualifications, unquestioned integrity, and a steadfast commitment to equal justice under the law."
The appeals courts are the first stop for any case appealed from the lower U.S. district courts and often have the last word. The next and final destination is the Supreme Court, but it hears fewer than 100 cases a year. The appeals courts handle 35,000 a year according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Of the 13 appeals courts, nine now have a majority of Democratic appointees, compared with one when Obama took office, according to research carried out by Russell Wheeler, a scholar at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
In addition to appointing two Supreme Court justices and dozens of district court judges, Obama appointments now make up 55 of the current 168 appeals court judges, according to the judiciary. Obama’s current total of 323 district and appeals court appointments, most of them district court judges, is similar to the tallies achieved by other recent two-term presidents.
The regional appeals courts are currently more powerful than ever because of the vacancy on the Supreme Court caused by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, which has left the court divided equally between liberals and conservatives. If the ideologically divided court splits 4-4, the appeals court ruling is left intact. Such an outcome occurred four times in the Supreme Court term that recently ended.
Scalia's seat is unlikely to be filled until next year due to political opposition from Republicans in the Senate, which has the job of confirming nominees.
COURTS TRANSFORMED
One of the most dramatic transformations has been on the 4th Circuit.
In July 2007, 18 months before Obama became president, Republican appointees held a 7-5 majority. Through a mix of seven Obama appointments and retirements, Democratic appointees now hold sway.
In April, a three-judge panel featuring two Obama appointees ruled in favor of a transgender student seeking to use a boys' restroom. The two Obama appointees were in the majority, with a Republican appointee dissenting.
Three months later, a three-judge panel featuring two Obama appointees and one judge appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton struck down North Carolina's strict voter identification law on a 3-0 vote, saying the state legislature had enacted it with discriminatory intent.
It is one of several recent court rulings pushing back on Republican-led efforts to impose new voting regulations, which Democrats say is intended to deter minorities from voting.
Caroline Fredrickson, president of liberal legal group the American Constitution Society, said Republican-appointed judges are generally less likely to rule in favor of broad interpretations of civil rights. The transgender case would "very likely" have come out differently with a more conservative panel of judges, she said.
The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. is another where the balance of power has been flipped. Often known in legal circles as the second highest court in the land because it hears important cases concerning the federal government, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was dominated by conservatives 6-3 when Obama took office.
Obama was able to force through four appointments after a major showdown in the Senate. The court now has a 7-4 split in favor of Democratic appointees.
In June, an Obama appointee, Judge Sri Srinivasan, cast the deciding vote as a three-judge panel upheld the Federal Communication Commission's so-called "net neutrality" regulation. Srinivasan joined a Clinton appointee in the majority. A judge appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan dissented. The regulation is widely opposed by the telecommunications industry and backed by digital rights advocates.
Obama’s appointees do sometimes vote in favor of conservative outcomes. Paul Watford, a judge on the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has on several occasions reached a different conclusion to his more liberal colleagues. In one recent decision from Aug. 15, he dissented along with conservative judges when the court ruled that a death row inmate should be able to file a new appeal.
When announcing three of his nominees to the appeals court in Washington at a White House press conference in June 2013, Obama rejected any notion that they were political pawns, emphasizing their strong credentials.
"These are no slouches. These are no hacks," he said.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; editing by Stuart Grudgings.) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-obama-idUSKCN1110BC?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/d43bd6491d091ac2fe0997f36ead6fa1a973ba18d55fa9a463282227222e2be6.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:24 | null | 2016-08-30T18:01:10 | Emc Corp | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSFWN1BB0K0%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Dell-EMC deal set to close on Sept 7 | null | null | www.reuters.com | UPDATE 1-Gulf of Mexico oil, gas operations affected by storm
HOUSTON, Aug 30 Some U.S. oil and gas producers in the eastern parts of the Gulf of Mexico have shut production on nine platforms, moved drilling rigs and evacuated non-essential workers as Tropical Depression Nine disrupts operations. | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1BB0K0?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/3d9f6d37b5373ce7bee2c814b76812320b8b610500d0d22de38116dd6e656cca.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T22:52:27 | null | 2016-08-30T22:26:07 | The successful conclusion of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade talks remains the top legislative item for the United States, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama said on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-g20-china-trade-idUSKCN1152TO.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151646523&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1LO | en | null | Pacific trade pact remains top issue for Obama administration | null | null | www.reuters.com | Delegates protesting against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement hold up signs during the first sesssion at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
WASHINGTON The successful conclusion of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade talks remains the top legislative item for the United States, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama said on Tuesday.
White House National Security Council adviser Christina Segal-Knowles told a news conference ahead of the Sept. 4-5 G20 summit in China that talks on a trade pact with Europe were still in progress, despite comments from France and Germany that they were in doubt.
The Asian talks are stalled in Congress and both Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have said they would not approve the deal in its current form, if elected president in November.
Segal-Knowles said corporate tax issues would be on the G20's agenda in China, although when asked whether the European Union's tax ruling on Apple Inc's deal with Ireland would be discussed, she did not directly address the issue facing the company.
(Reporting by David Chance; Editing by Peter Cooney) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-china-trade-idUSKCN1152TO | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/4f6520e7a3b01bf6e135c62a55dbeaa5b87f35a498f9e65277907a30affa971b.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T00:51:06 | null | 2016-08-27T00:12:09 | Oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell said on Friday they have started securing facilities and evacuating non-essential personnel from their drilling rigs and platforms in U.S. Gulf of Mexico as a precaution against a storm threat. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-weather-gulfmexico-idUSKCN1111ZY.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BP, Shell evacuating some staff from U.S. Gulf on storm threat | null | null | www.reuters.com | HOUSTON Oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell said on Friday they have started securing facilities and evacuating non-essential personnel from their drilling rigs and platforms in U.S. Gulf of Mexico as a precaution against a storm threat.
All other producers in the area said they were still monitoring the weather and had not evacuated anybody.
The National Hurricane Center said a disturbance near Cuba has a 20 percent chance of developing into a cyclone in the next 48 hours.
(Reporting by Terry Wade and Liz Hampton; Editing by Sandra Maler) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-weather-gulfmexico-idUSKCN1111ZY | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/763b8afa59bc28b63831ce6aac5b254ac0ddcdbc3d9fbac318bee03b9b7710bb.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T20:59:40 | null | 2016-08-27T20:10:20 | (The Sports Xchange) - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo suffered a broken bone in his back on the third play of Thursday night's preseason game and coach | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-nfl-cowboys-romo-idUSKCN1120RB%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160827&t=2&i=1151299078&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q0LD | en | null | Cowboys quarterback Romo has broken bone in back | null | null | www.reuters.com | Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) leaves the game with an injury during the second half of an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
(The Sports Xchange) - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo suffered a broken bone in his back on the third play of Thursday night's preseason game and coach Jason Garrett said the injury would cost the veteran a chunk of the 2016 season.
An MRI on Friday revealed Romo's back injury is much worse than anticipated, Garrett announced Saturday, two days after he was knocked out of the game against the Seattle Seahawks.
"We're confident that he's going to be coming back and playing football for us this year," Garrett said but provided no timetable on Romo's possible return.
A source told NFL Media's Ian Rapoport that the best-case scenario for Romo's return is during the middle of the season. According to a Pro Football Talk source with knowledge of the situation, Romo is expected to miss six to 10 weeks.
Romo underwent a pair of back surgeries in 2013 and he missed most of last season with a twice-broken left collarbone. Garrett said the injury is not related to the surgeries Romo had in 2013.
The Cowboys went 4-12 last season, including 1-11 with three backup quarterbacks, as Romo missed 12 games.
On Dallas' third offensive play on Thursday night, Romo scrambled from the pocket, then went into a slide near the line of scrimmage. He was crunched by Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril from the blind side.
After staying on the turf initially, Romo walked off on his own. He threw some passes on the sideline but was held out for the rest of the game by Garrett after lobbying to return. Romo completed his lone pass of the game for 11 yards.
"I was going into a slide," Romo said after the 27-17 loss to the Seahawks. "But in a weird way, I feel good about the fact that was probably as tough of a hit I've taken on the back as I've had in the last five years.
"From that regard, I feel very lucky that it can hold up and I can keep going."
Rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott likely will start the regular-season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 11 if Romo is ruled out.
(Editing by Larry Fine) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nfl-cowboys-romo-idUSKCN1120RB?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/9d81ba79e4b816cb85547ff3c618d63bec965a5ead8b29392f9d0c4c12218d90.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T02:59:41 | null | 2016-08-28T01:54:19 | Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska declared it mission accomplished after clinching a 6-1 7-6(1) victory over Elina Svitolina in the final of the Connecticut Open in New Haven on Saturday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-tennis-women-connecticut-idUSKCN113017%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160828&t=2&i=1151315150&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R00M | en | null | Radwanska tunes up for U.S. Open with Connecticut victory | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 19, 2016; Mason, OH, USA; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) returns a shot against Simona Halep (ROU) in the quarterfinals during the Western and Southern tennis tournament at Linder Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska declared it mission accomplished after clinching a 6-1 7-6(1) victory over Elina Svitolina in the final of the Connecticut Open in New Haven on Saturday.
Radwanska accepted a wild card into the event because she wanted to tune up for the U.S. Open that starts on Monday and the 27-year-old Pole will head to Flushing Meadows brimming with confidence after collecting her 19th career WTA title.
"Thank you so much... for giving me that wild card," Radwanska laughed during her winner's speech. "I definitely appreciate it and I'll be back next year for sure."
Radwanska rattled through the first set in less than 30 minutes as the 21-year-old Svitolina struggled on serve.
The Ukrainian 10th seed raised her game in the second with some powerful, precise groundstrokes and had three set points to level the match but was unable to convert, before being overrun in the tiebreak.
Radwanska, the fourth seed at the U.S. Open, faces American Jessica Pegula in the first round at Flushing Meadows, with a potential semi-final encounter against top seed Serena Williams.
Svitolina is the 22nd seed at the U.S. Open.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by John O'Brien) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-women-connecticut-idUSKCN113017?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/ae311ecd4a07905ded3f8deff2d92224c2fabce6a530ce095727f852c4c7c163.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:55 | null | 2016-08-26T13:46:36 | Northern Shield Resources Inc | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094DM%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Northern Shield mobilizes drill to Huckleberry | null | null | www.reuters.com | LPC: Private equity firms put more capital, less debt into LBOs
NEW YORK, Aug 26 Higher company valuations and lenders wary of risky investments are pushing private equity firms to increase the size of equity contributions, or checks, for leveraged buyouts near historic highs in the face of fierce competition from cash-rich corporate buyers. | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC094DM?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/67e5974432bb90a1f85e793e5cf770ad2ec5b481c3c66ab58ad97ad19a6c8505.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T14:52:19 | null | 2016-08-30T14:31:50 | Canada's main stock index rosein early trade on Tuesday, boosted by a rebound in energy stocksand further gains for financials, while a report of a possiblemerger sent shares of two fertilizer companies soaring. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fcanada-stocks-idUSL1N1BB0P6%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | CANADA STOCKS-TSX rises; merger report boosts fertilizer companies | null | null | www.reuters.com | * TSX up 45.41 points, or 0.31 percent, at 14,727.38
* Six of the TSX's 10 main groups are higher
TORONTO Aug 30 Canada's main stock index rose in early trade on Tuesday, boosted by a rebound in energy stocks and further gains for financials, while a report of a possible merger sent shares of two fertilizer companies soaring.
Bank of Nova Scotia was one of the biggest gainers, with the country's third-biggest lender up 1.5 percent at C$69.92 after reporting earnings above expectations even as it reins in domestic mortgage lending.
The financials group was up 0.7 percent overall, as Scotia's earnings rounded out a robust earnings season for banks.
Shares of fertilizer companies Potash Corp and Agrium Inc jumped after Bloomberg reported that the two are in talks to merge.
Potash Corp was up 11.5 percent at C$23.30 and Agrium rose 7.1 percent to C$124.81 before both stocks were halted.
At 10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 GMT) the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 45.41 points, or 0.31 percent, at 14,727.38. Six of its 10 main groups gained.
The energy group was up 0.8 percent overall as crude prices rose with the threat of a tropical storm limiting U.S. Gulf production and talk of a concerted move to prop up prices re-emerged.
Suncor Energy Inc added 0.4 percent to C$36.28 and Encana Corp rose 1.2 percent to C$13.10.
Mining stocks were the main drag, with Barrick Gold off 2.6 percent at C$23.33. Goldcorp Inc lost 2.5 percent to C$20.72 as gold prices fell.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, was up 0.1 percent. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Dan Grebler) | http://www.reuters.com/article/canada-stocks-idUSL1N1BB0P6?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/d0bfa7e2b5b8b3af1ffcb5e44780e5c67b7f87e14d0ddb0982ca4f36e0fdf5e1.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T21:04:47 | null | 2016-08-29T18:58:28 | A senior German lawmaker, an adviser to the French prime minister and a former deputy head of the Bank of England have proposed that a post-Brexit Britain form a new "continental partnership" with the EU. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-britain-eu-partnership-idUSKCN114255%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151482198&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S17N | en | null | European experts float post-Brexit 'partnership' with Britain | null | null | www.reuters.com | A British Union flag and an European Union flag are seen flying above offices in London, Britain, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Toby Melville
BRUSSELS A senior German lawmaker, an adviser to the French prime minister and a former deputy head of the Bank of England have proposed that a post-Brexit Britain form a new "continental partnership" with the EU.
In a paper published on Monday by the Brussels-based Bruegel think-tank, five experts argue that Britain be given a say in the affairs of a more closely integrated European Union in return for contributing to shared security and budgets as well as accepting a degree of easy immigration for European workers.
A key aim would be to avoid a rancorous split following the British vote to quit the Union on June 23, further diminishing the clout the continent will have in the world.
"Neither the UK nor the continuing members of the EU can escape their geographical interdependencies. Both have a stake in economic and political stability in Europe," they wrote.
"Today's volatile and dangerous world requires its nations to collaborate to confront new and multiple challenges. The longer-run prospect of a future world in which Europe is only one amongst many powerful regions demands the same."
The group comprises: Jean Pisani-Ferry, who runs policy planning for Socialist French Prime Minister Manuel Valls; Norbert Roettgen of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, who chairs the Bundestag foreign affairs committee; former Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker; Belgian economist Andre Sapir, a former adviser to the European Commission president; and Bruegel Director Guntram Wolff.
Some Brexit campaigners who argue that geography matters less in the digital economy and that Britain should not barter sovereignty for access to the EU's markets.
Their advocacy of a deal, unlike that currently given to other non-EU states such as Norway or Switzerland, that would give Britain access to EU markets while accepting voters' rejection of full free movement for EU workers reflects types of Brexit compromise that officials are starting to think about.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she wants a new kind of relationship from those already set up by the Union.
The Bruegel authors suggest a Europe of two circles in which the EU core, bound more tightly than today around the euro - would consult with Britain and others like Norway, Switzerland and one day perhaps Turkey or Ukraine - giving outer members of such a Continental Partnership a voice but no veto on policy.
(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr; editing by Andrew Roche) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-partnership-idUSKCN114255?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/adb4e417c93362033f31f1a20abe78d7a4fc55cdb3065fbeebe7d319db9792bb.json |
[
"Piya Sinha-Roy"
] | 2016-08-29T20:52:30 | null | 2016-08-29T20:32:55 | Roy | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-people-genewilder-idUSKCN11428I%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DentertainmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fentertainment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEntertainment%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151486669&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S19Z | en | null | Gene Wilder, star of 'Willy Wonka,' 'Blazing Saddles,' dead at 83 | null | null | www.reuters.com | Actor and author Gene Wilder poses as he autographs his new book 'The Woman Who Wouldn't' during a book signing session in New York March 26, 2008. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Actor Gene Wilder and his wife Karen Boyer watch the match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Mikhail Youzhny of Russia during the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, September 11, 2010. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
American actor Gene Wilder (L) performs alongside compatriot Rolf Saxon, October 2, during the rehearsal of a scene from Neil Simon's 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor'.
LOS ANGELES Gene Wilder, whose kinky curls and startling blue eyes brought a frantic air to roles in the movies "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles," died on Monday at the age of 83, his family said.
Wilder, whose best work came in collaborations with director-writer Mel Brooks and actor Richard Pryor, died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications of Alzheimer's disease, the family said in a statement.
Wilder's nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman, said the actor had chosen to keep his illness secret so that children who knew him as Willy Wonka would not equate the whimsical character with an adult disease.
Wilder's barely contained hysteria made him a go-to lead for director-writer Mel Brooks, who cast him in "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers" in the 1960s and '70s.
Besides his classic collaborations with Brooks, Wilder paired memorably with comedian Richard Pryor in hits "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy."
Wilder also was active in promoting ovarian cancer awareness and treatment after his wife, "Saturday Night Live" comedienne Gilda Radner, whom he married in 1984, died of the disease in 1989.
He helped found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles and co-founded Gilda's Club, a support organization that has branches throughout the United States.
Brooks noted Wilder's death by tweeting, "Gene Wilder-One of the truly great talents of our time. He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship."
Born Jerome Silberman to Russian immigrants in Milwaukee, Wilder studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre in Bristol, England, and then studied method acting at the Actors Studio.
A leading role in a play that also starred Anne Bancroft, who was dating her future husband Brooks, led to Wilder becoming a top member of Brooks' stock company of crazies, some of whom branched out with Wilder into other film ventures.
Wilder's first movie role was a small part as a terrified undertaker who was abducted by Bonnie and Clyde in Arthur Penn's 1967 film of the same name.
The following year he was panic-stricken Leo Bloom to Zero Mostel's conniving Max Bialystock in Brooks' "The Producers," picking up an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
While it initially got a tepid response, the movie with its over-the-top song "Springtime for Hitler," went on to become a cult favorite and, years later with a different cast, a monster hit on Broadway.
Wilder was a last-minute fill-in as the "Waco Kid" in Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" in 1974, and with Brooks wrote the screenplay for "Young Frankenstein" released later that year, also to big box office returns.
The two were nominated for best screenplay Oscars, but lost to Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo for "The Godfather Part II."
With Brooks alumni Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman, Wilder made his directorial debut with 1975's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother," and directed several other movies with uneven results.
Wilder's title role in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1971, and he was nominated again in that category in 1976 for "Silver Streak."
He won an Emmy in 2003 for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for appearances on "Will and Grace."
Wilder's memoir, "Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art," was released in 2005 and he collaborated with oncologist Steven Piver on the book "Gilda's Disease" in 1998.
He was hospitalized in 1999 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma but was said to be in complete remission in 2005.
Wilder lived in Stamford in a house built in 1734 that he had shared with Radner, writing and painting watercolors with his wife Karen Boyer, whom he married in 1991.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bill Trott and James Dalgleish) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-genewilder-idUSKCN11428I?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fentertainment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Entertainment%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/1e5e0ea26138c485c2ff0c39e6dc788531a426e5b38928eda131e9833ce898f5.json |
[
"Koh Gui Qing"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:25 | null | 2016-08-24T23:16:58 | Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross' investment firm WL Ross & Co agreed on Wednesday to pay a $2.3 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges that it did not properly disclose some fees it charged investors. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-wlross-sec-idUSKCN10Z2YJ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DPersonalFinance%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Bnews%252Fwealth%2B%2528Reuters%2BWealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160824&t=2&i=1150942066&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7N1OO | en | null | SEC fines Wilbur Ross firm $2.3 million over fees | null | null | www.reuters.com | Billionaire U.S. investor Wilbur Ross poses for a photo after an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of a conference at a hotel in Singapore September 25, 2012. REUTERS/Tim Chong
Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross' investment firm WL Ross & Co agreed on Wednesday to pay a $2.3 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges that it did not properly disclose some fees it charged investors.
The fine is the latest in a string of actions taken by the SEC against the private equity sector, as it seeks to improve transparency and crack down on undisclosed fee collection by some fund managers.
In exchange for promises to deliver annual returns higher than 15 percent, U.S. buyout firms typically charge their investors an array of fees for their services.
For instance, private equity firms usually charge a management fee worth around 1.5 percent of the total cash managed. Private equity firms often also charge companies they invest in transaction and monitoring fees.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SEC said WL Ross had failed to disclose how it calculates its fees for some funds, which led to investors paying roughly $10.4 million of management fees that they should not have in the decade leading up to 2011.
WL Ross had initially agreed with its investors to discount its quarterly management fees by between 50 percent and 80 percent of any transaction fee it had collected the previous quarter from its funds, the SEC said.
However, between 2001 and 2011, WL Ross used a fee calculation formula that allowed it to keep a "significant" part of the transaction fees for itself, instead of assigning them to funds to offset the management fee as agreed, the SEC said.
WL Ross' investors were not told of the fee calculation methodology, the SEC said, adding that WL Ross had created "ambiguous provisions" in its agreement with investors that led to a deal favoring the firm over its investors.
WL Ross has "voluntarily" agreed to return the excess fees collected, along with interest, to investors, the SEC said.
The SEC earlier this week also slapped a $52.7 million fine on buyout firm Apollo Global Management LLC for misleading investors about fees, among other violations.
Wilbur Ross, whose net worth is pegged by Forbes at $2.9 billion, started his eponymous private equity firm in 2000 and sold the firm to investment manager Invesco in 2006 for as much as $375 million. An adviser to Republican U.S. Presidential nominee Donald Trump, Ross, 78, remains chairman of the firm.
(Reporting by Koh Gui Qing in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-wlross-sec-idUSKCN10Z2YJ?feedType=RSS&feedName=PersonalFinance&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fwealth+%28Reuters+Wealth+News%29 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/c10142dfbf4f55572d8032b5714652826d1004e3d4a4ee1657db2f38449435a6.json |
[
"Jim Finkle"
] | 2016-08-31T01:02:37 | null | 2016-08-31T00:07:23 | SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February's high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cyber-heist-swift-idUSKCN11600C%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtechnologyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtechnologyNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BTechnology%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151653965&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U003 | en | null | Exclusive: SWIFT discloses more cyber thefts, pressures banks on security | null | null | www.reuters.com | The SWIFT logo is pictured in this photo illustration taken April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Illustration/File Photo
SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February's high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank.
In a private letter to clients, SWIFT said that new cyber-theft attempts - some of them successful - have surfaced since June, when it last updated customers on a string of attacks discovered after the attack on the Bangladesh central bank.
"Customers’ environments have been compromised, and subsequent attempts (were) made to send fraudulent payment instructions," according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Reuters. "The threat is persistent, adaptive and sophisticated - and it is here to stay."
The disclosure suggests that cyber thieves may have ramped up their efforts following the Bangladesh Bank heist, and that they specifically targeted banks with lax security procedures for SWIFT-enabled transfers.
The Brussels-based firm, a member-owned cooperative, indicated in Tuesday's letter that some victims in the new attacks lost money, but did not say how much was taken or how many of the attempted hacks succeeded. It did not identify specific victims, but said the banks varied in size and geography and used different methods for accessing SWIFT.
A SWIFT spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the recently uncovered incidents or the security issues detailed in the letter, saying the firm does not discuss affairs of specific customers.
All the victims shared one thing in common: Weaknesses in local security that attackers exploited to compromise local networks and send fraudulent messages requesting money transfers, according to the letter.
Accounts of the attack on Bangladesh Bank suggest that weak security procedures there made it easier to hack into computers used to send SWIFT messages requesting large money transfers. The bank lacked a firewall and used second-hand, $10 electronic switches to network those computers, according to the Bangladesh police.
SWIFT has repeatedly pushed banks to implement new security measures rolled out after the Bangladesh heist, including stronger systems for authenticating users and updates to its software for sending and receiving messages. But it has been difficult for SWIFT to force banks to comply because the nonprofit cooperative lacks regulatory authority over its members.
SWIFT told banks Tuesday that it might report them to regulators and banking partners if they failed to meet a November 19 deadline for installing the latest version of its software, which includes new security features designed to thwart the type of attacks described in its letter.
The security features include technology for verifying credentials of people accessing a bank's SWIFT system; stronger rules for password management; and better tools for identifying attempts to hack the software.
SWIFT is trying coerce members into prioritizing cyber-security by threatening to share confidential information about security lapses that banks want to keep private, said Shane Shook, an independent security consultant who advises central banks.
"That type of information sharing is something that no bank likes to see happen without their direct approval and involvement, because it can affect market confidence," Shook said.
SWIFT disclosed the new hacks after reports of previous incidents prompted regulators in Europe and the United States to urge banks to bolster cyber-security.
Other cases involving fraudulent transfer requests include the theft of more than $12 million from Ecuador's Banco del Austro and a failed attempt later in 2015 to steal money from Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank.
The attacks have prompted regulators globally to press banks to bolster defenses.
The Bank of England in April ordered UK firms to detail actions to secure computers connected to the SWIFT system, while the European Banking Authority in May said domestic authorities should stress test banks for cyber risks.
The Federal Reserve and other U.S. agencies told banks in June to review protections against fraudulent money transfers.
Six U.S. senators on Monday urged the G20 nations to agree when they meet at a summit this weekend on a “coordinated strategy to combat cyber-crime at critical financial institutions.”
(Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston. Additional reporting by Jonathan Spicer in New York.; Editing by Brian Thevenot.) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-heist-swift-idUSKCN11600C?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+%28Reuters+Technology+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/a6baba34b1e51572204f97a8b4051e3c8f8acbf842eb6d12108bd008a5f9d573.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T01:03:10 | null | 2016-08-30T23:33:34 | A fast-growing brush fire prompted the evacuation of roughly 700 people on Tuesday from a mobile home park and nearby community in Southern California's Riverside County, state fire officials said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-california-fire-idUSKCN1152WS%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Brush fire prompts evacuation of 700 people east of Los Angeles | null | null | www.reuters.com | LOS ANGELES A fast-growing brush fire prompted the evacuation of roughly 700 people on Tuesday from a mobile home park and nearby community in Southern California's Riverside County, state fire officials said.
The blaze erupted shortly before 12:30 p.m. local time and charred about 400 acres of drought-parched vegetation within three hours as flames roared through canyons and foothills in the Cherry Valley area, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
No property losses or injuries were reported. But sheriff's deputies issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Highland Springs Village Mobile Home Park and dwellings in the nearby Banning Bench community to the northeast, said Liz Brown, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The trailer park consists of roughly 200 homes, but the majority of the estimated 700 evacuees were from Banning Bench, she said.
As of late afternoon, winds were blowing the flames mostly away from both populated areas, "but we have them under evacuation because we have a ton of equipment coming in, and this is our access point to that fire," Brown told Reuters.
More than 320 firefighters were initially assigned to the blaze, dubbed the Bogart Fire, with reinforcements expected to arrive soon, according to Brown. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
She said temperatures that had reached into the low-triple-digits earlier in the day had subsided somewhat, but humidity remained low and winds were relatively light, at 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Cal Fire reported about 12,000 firefighters battling about 10 other large fires across the state on Tuesday, most of which were largely contained or burning in remote areas. To date this year, a total of 4,270 wildfires large and small have blackened more than 183,000 acres statewide, 30,000 acres more than at the same time last year.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Tom Brown) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-fire-idUSKCN1152WS?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5f3aa318d5032f4fb22c862f70f85688d25787e0357548e5248adf69997844d3.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:44 | null | 2016-08-26T14:03:19 | Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSFWN1B70JK%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-RTW Investments reports 5.02 pct passive stake in Biocryst | null | null | www.reuters.com | LPC: Private equity firms put more capital, less debt into LBOs
NEW YORK, Aug 26 Higher company valuations and lenders wary of risky investments are pushing private equity firms to increase the size of equity contributions, or checks, for leveraged buyouts near historic highs in the face of fierce competition from cash-rich corporate buyers. | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1B70JK?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/d6762bc523f058a7097efc78e01b43040a1dcceedaf130cc58c4e8a51533d30b.json |
[
"Greg Roumeliotis"
] | 2016-08-29T22:50:45 | null | 2016-08-29T22:42:15 | Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ.O), the maker of Oreo cookies and Cadbury chocolates, said it was no longer pursuing the acquisition of Hershey Co (HSY.N), two months after the U.S. chocolate company turned down its $23 billion cash-and-stock bid. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-hershey-m-a-mondelez-intl-idUSKCN1142BE%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151497757&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1BB | en | null | Mondelez abandons pursuit for U.S. chocolate maker Hershey | null | null | www.reuters.com | The logo of Mondelez International is pictured at the company's building in Zurich November 14, 2012. REUTERS/Michael Buholzer
Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ.O), the maker of Oreo cookies and Cadbury chocolates, said it was no longer pursuing the acquisition of Hershey Co (HSY.N), two months after the U.S. chocolate company turned down its $23 billion cash-and-stock bid.
The abandoned deal, which would have created the world's largest confectioner, underscores the grip that the charitable trust, set up by the company's founder Milton Hershey over a century ago to fund and run a school for underprivileged children, has on the maker of Hershey's Kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Hershey rejected a $107 per share acquisition offer from Mondelez at the end of June. An unrelated row between the trust and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office ensued over the trust's governance, which resulted in a reform agreement being announced at the end of July.
The agreement calls for the trust's board to be expanded from 10 members to 13, and for five members to resign in order for 10-year terms to be enforced. One trustee resigned last month, leaving a total of nine openings.
Mondelez's Chief Executive Officer Irene Rosenfeld approached Hershey Chief Executive John Bilbrey again last week, and indicated that Mondelez would be willing to offer up to $115 per share for Hershey, according to a source familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified because they were confidential.
Hershey responded that the trust would not be able to consider an offer until it is reconstituted next year, the source said. Even then, Hershey would not be willing to enter into deal negotiations for an offer of less than $125 per share, the source added.
Hershey did not respond to a request for comment. Its shares fell 11.4 percent in after hours trading in New York on Monday to $99.00.
"Following additional discussions, and taking into account recent shareholder developments at Hershey, we determined that there is no actionable path forward toward an agreement," Rosenfeld said in a statement.
The Hershey trust holds 81 percent of the company's voting stock, and so a sale is not possible without its approval. About two-thirds of its $12 billion in assets are in Hershey stock.
Mondelez's offer was half in cash and half in stock, sources have said. That means new board members of the trust, which must approve any sale of Hershey, could use such a transaction to substantially reduce its exposure in Hershey by partially cashing out on its stake.
"While we are disappointed in this outcome, we remain disciplined in our approach to creating value, including through acquisitions," Rosenfeld said on Monday.
(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Additional reporting by Gayathree Ganesan and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey and Tom Brown) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-hershey-m-a-mondelez-intl-idUSKCN1142BE?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f23f45c2c5426a3cd90d051953a79de6009540bf13257c99eefc1ee2e03e979d.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T16:50:45 | null | 2016-08-26T16:26:22 | Abbott Laboratories : | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSFWN1B70N8%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Abbott Laboratories says "Alere's lawsuit is without merit" | null | null | www.reuters.com | GLOBAL MARKETS-Yellen's case for rate hike boosts dollar; stocks surrender gains
NEW YORK, Aug 26 U.S. equities gave up early gains on Friday, hurt by a surging U.S. dollar after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that the case for raising U.S. interest rates has strengthened in recent months. | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1B70N8?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/173242590653af9af4e37e7fde795d9297c0ec3496abdabf35fd7ff0f6ee6212.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T19:00:17 | null | 2016-08-30T18:25:53 | England piled up a world record one-day international total of 444 for three against Pakistan after Alex Hales and Jos Buttler ran riot at a sun-kissed Trent Bridge on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cricket-england-records-idUSKCN1152CJ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151616455&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1DV | en | null | England plunder world record total of 444-3 | null | null | www.reuters.com | Britain Cricket - England v Pakistan - Third One Day International - Trent Bridge - 30/8/16England's Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan celebrate at the end of the innings after breaking the world record for the highest ODI scoreAction Images via Reuters / Paul ChildsLivepic
Britain Cricket - England v Pakistan - Third One Day International - Trent Bridge - 30/8/16England's Alex Hales in actionAction Images via Reuters / Paul ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Britain Cricket - England v Pakistan - Third One Day International - Trent Bridge - 30/8/16England's Alex Hales in actionAction Images via Reuters / Paul ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
NOTTINGHAM, England England piled up a world record one-day international total of 444 for three against Pakistan after Alex Hales and Jos Buttler ran riot at a sun-kissed Trent Bridge on Tuesday.
Buttler struck the last ball of the innings for four to take Eoin Morgan's men past Sri Lanka's 443 for nine against Netherlands in July 2006.
Hales plundered 171, the highest individual limited-overs score by an England batsman, before Buttler reached his fifty off 22 deliveries, another record for his country.
The hosts passed their previous highest total of 408 for nine, made against New Zealand last year, while captain Morgan got to his half-century off 24 deliveries as he and Buttler shared an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 161.
"This is a special feeling for us especially as we are an improving team," said Hales, referring to England's record score.
The opener flayed four sixes and 22 fours in his 122-ball knock to surpass Robin Smith's 167 not out against Australia in Birmingham in 1993.
Caught off a no-ball on 72 and dropped on 114, the 27-year-old right-hander passed Smith's score by pulling Hasan Ali to the mid-wicket boundary.
The bowler trapped him lbw with the next delivery to end a second-wicket stand of 248 with Joe Root, who fell soon after for 85, but the pain was far from over for the Pakistan bowlers.
Buttler hammered six sixes and three fours to get to his half-century and finished 90 not out off 51 balls while Morgan ended unbeaten on 57.
Hales and Root's partnership was also England's third-highest in one-day internationals.
Morgan's side, 2-0 up in the five-match contest, can clinch victory in the series on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Ed Osmond; Editing by Tony Jimenez) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cricket-england-records-idUSKCN1152CJ?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/0cfc56d16e209428652dec0f11c9fc8f3133607e070ac7610ca3d8bdbbd9b9c3.json |
[
"Simon Cambers"
] | 2016-08-26T22:59:32 | null | 2016-08-26T21:55:26 | With a second Wimbledon title in the bag, a second gold medal in his pocket and his biggest rival struggling with injury, Andy Murray believes he has a golden chance to add to his three grand slam titles. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-tennis-usopen-murray-idUSKCN1112F6%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151227496&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P1GG | en | null | Murray keen to win another grand slam before turning 30 | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 21, 2016; Mason, OH, USA; Andy Murray (GBR) returns a shot against Marin Cilic (CRO) in the finals during the Western and Southern tennis tournament at Linder Family Tennis Center. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK With a second Wimbledon title in the bag, a second gold medal in his pocket and his biggest rival struggling with injury, Andy Murray believes he has a golden chance to add to his three grand slam titles.
The second-ranked Scot, who has lost just twice since early May, is favored by some to dethrone an ailing Novak Djokovic next week and win a second U.S. Open title, though the Serbian top seed remains the favorite with bookmakers.
At 29, Murray knows that his time at the top is limited and is setting his sights on winning more grand slam titles, sooner rather than later.
“I would imagine if I'm lucky I'd be playing at this level for three, four more years, max, I would think,” said 2012 champion Murray.
“It's not easy to do that. I hope I'm still playing like this when I'm 38 years old but it's pretty unlikely so I’m actually using that as a positive that you have to make the most of every opportunity.
“It's a slightly different mentality to maybe when you're younger and like you feel like you have a bit more time on your side.
“I want to make the most of every tournament I play in and try and win and achieve as much as I can the next few years.”
Murray could hardly have arrived in better form, having won four titles this year, all of them since May.
A reunion with his coach Ivan Lendl in June sparked immediate results with victory at Wimbledon but Murray said becoming a father for the first time, back in February, may also be a reason behind his form this year.
“Tennis isn't the most important thing in my life anymore,” Murray said.
“Probably when I was younger and didn't have a family, then it was the most important thing. I think having that different perspective helps a lot.
“Maybe I am not putting so much pressure on myself and before a match I'm not stressing as much as I used to.”
Murray begins his challenge against Lukas Rosol, the Czech who beat Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012.
After a quick turnaround from Rio to Cincinnati, where he reached the final before losing to Marin Cilic, Murray took a couple of days off to rest and said some minor shoulder soreness was no longer an issue.
(Editing by Andrew Both) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-usopen-murray-idUSKCN1112F6?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/a13e26f220f4dca4139d444f5ab97e0801240f0e91872ad30708e2398eeed110.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T22:52:19 | null | 2016-08-29T22:22:42 | Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Inc | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094RL%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Ritchie Bros and Caterpillar announce strategic alliance | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 29 Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Inc
* Ritchie Bros. and Caterpillar Inc announce strategic alliance
* Strategic alliance between Ritchie Bros and Caterpillar will have an initial five-year term
* Ritchie Bros to become preferred provider to caterpillar and participating dealers for caterpillar equipment upon closing of acquisition of ironplanet
* New strategic alliance will become effective when Ritchie Bros completes its acquisition of Ironplanet
* New strategic alliance replaces and expands on existing agreements in place between Caterpillar, its dealers and Ironplanet Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC094RL?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5f955f83d6a14f3f63ba9a802acbcb6d64879f6f04bf09a4085cf6c8e24f88f1.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T23:04:46 | null | 2016-08-29T22:42:28 | Support for Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has fallen to an all-time low, according to a poll by The Australian newspaper on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-australia-politics-idUSKCN1142FA%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151503432&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1D2 | en | null | Support for Australian PM hits all-time low | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reacts during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney, Australia, July 19, 2016. REUTERS/Jessica Hromas/Pool
SYDNEY Support for Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has fallen to an all-time low, according to a poll by The Australian newspaper on Tuesday.
The poll of 1,696 Australian voters found satisfaction with Turnbull has fallen to 34 percent, the lowest level since he ousted former Prime Minister Tony Abbott in September 2014.
Turnbull enjoyed record-high approval ratings after securing the leadership but his numbers have waned significantly as the government failed to chalk up legislative victories.
The make-up of Australia's new Parliament threatens to continue Turnbull's struggles.
Turnbull called early elections in July to break a deadlock in the Senate, the upper house, where a handful of independents has blocked the government's agenda of corporate tax cuts and workplace reforms for more than two years.
But the election backfired, leaving the ruling Liberal-National coalition with a one-vote majority in the lower house and dependant on either the opposition Labor Party or eight to 10 independents or minor party senators to pass legislation.
(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-politics-idUSKCN1142FA?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/370402f819d447d80a0e1aacb194ae65a8008b06185a54956b806b8f8543db99.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T11:05:05 | null | 2016-08-31T10:36:36 | A bomb blast on a road in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Wednesday killed at least one person and wounded two others, a security source said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-lebanon-bomb-idUSKCN116193%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Bomb blast in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley kills one, wounds two people - security source | null | null | www.reuters.com | Philippines' Duterte: Obama must listen to me on human rights
MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to discuss any issues with Barack Obama when they meet in Laos next week, but added that the U.S. president must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-lebanon-bomb-idUSKCN116193?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/501316c61afb4df7186ef15870de5e73e17063e5e3a0a6363a7cd42e271d47f2.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T15:04:36 | null | 2016-08-28T14:28:21 | Opposition candidate Jean Ping said on Sunday that results showed him winning Gabon's presidential election, ahead of incumbent President Omar Bongo, whose family has ruled the tiny, oil-producing nation for half a century. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-gabon-election-idUSKCN1130MV%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160828&t=2&i=1151352184&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R0D3 | en | null | Gabon opposition candidate says he's winning presidential vote | null | null | www.reuters.com | Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba votes during the presidential election in Libreville, Gabon, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Gerauds Wilfried Obangome
Opposition presidential candidate Jean Ping votes during the presidential election in Libreville, Gabon, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Erauds Wilfried Obangome
LIBREVILLE Opposition candidate Jean Ping said on Sunday that results showed him winning Gabon's presidential election, ahead of incumbent President Omar Bongo, whose family has ruled the tiny, oil-producing nation for half a century.
"As I speak to you, the trends indicate we're the winner of this important presidential election," Ping told a crowd of supporters gathered at his campaign headquarters in the capital Libreville.
(Reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome; editing by Andrew Roche; Writing by Joe Bavier) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gabon-election-idUSKCN1130MV?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e9dbcf2f9c1e7f08a3284647b66ed4b3641d808fe8ac4fe2814fa811ebe68e30.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T11:03:20 | null | 2016-08-31T10:33:12 | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to discuss any issues with Barack Obama when they meet in Laos next week, but added that the U.S. president must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-philippines-duterte-obama-idUSKCN1160AL%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151705462&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U05Q | en | null | Philippines' Duterte: Obama must listen to me on human rights | null | null | www.reuters.com | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a National Heroes Day commemoration at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) in Taguig city, Metro Manila in the Philippines August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to discuss any issues with Barack Obama when they meet in Laos next week, but added that the U.S. president must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights.
Washington has expressed concern about a surge in drug-related killings since Duterte became president two months ago promising to wipe out narcotics in the Southeast Asian nation.
Asked if he would be willing to discuss human rights at his meeting with Obama on the sidelines of an East Asia summit on Sept. 6, Duterte told reporters: "Depends to what degree.
"They must understand the problem first before we talk about human rights. I would insist, listen to me: this is what the problem is, then we can talk."
In a statement, the foreign ministry said the meeting would be an opportunity for the president to "communicate his advocacy to improve the peace and order situation in the country, especially toward eradicating the scourge of illicit drugs".
Police data released on Tuesday showed that the number of drug-related killings since Duterte took office now stands at around 2,000, nearly half of them in police operations and the rest in shootings by unidentified gunmen.
Duterte has been unapologetic over unleashing the police on drug users and dealers and has responded robustly to criticism from the United Nations and other countries over his campaign.
Recently he lashed out at Washington's ambassador to the Philippines, branding him a "gay son of a whore".
The White House said on Monday that Obama would raise concerns about some of Duterte's recent statements when the two meet.
However, it said there were also important security issues for the two closely allied countries to discuss, particularly tension over navigation in the South China Sea. China has been incensed by a ruling against its claims in the South China Sea by an international court, a case initiated by Manila.
The two leaders were expected to discuss ways to strengthen the security alliance after Manila allowed the U.S. military to rotate its forces in five local air and army bases, foreign ministry spokesman Charles Jose said.
Duterte said he would also hold talks with China, which will be represented at the Laos meeting by Premier Li Keqiang. Media reports said he would also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Nick Macfie) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-duterte-obama-idUSKCN1160AL?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/770bd3c35750a0443efa7ac34ce455c07015b22a411ba9807891b6762eaaf84f.json |
[
"Phil Stewart"
] | 2016-08-30T01:04:49 | null | 2016-08-29T23:00:32 | The United States scrambled on Monday to get its feuding allies, Turkey and Kurdish YPG militia, to focus their firepower on Islamic State instead of each other after clashes that have threatened to unravel America's war strategy in Syria. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-usa-idUSKCN1142FR%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151504618&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1D9 | en | null | U.S. tries to stop feuding allies from unraveling Syria strategy | null | null | www.reuters.com | WASHINGTON The United States scrambled on Monday to get its feuding allies, Turkey and Kurdish YPG militia, to focus their firepower on Islamic State instead of each other after clashes that have threatened to unravel America's war strategy in Syria.
Turkey, which has long viewed Kurdish militants as its top security threat, upended U.S. assumptions about the conflict by launching a major push last week into northern Syria that has included areas controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes experienced Kurdish YPG fighters.
In turn, Turkey has blamed a rocket attack from a YPG-controlled area for the death of one of its soldiers on Saturday. Turkey said it killed 25 Kurdish militants on Sunday.
"We've called on both sides to not fight with one another, to continue to focus the fight on ISIL," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a Pentagon news conference, using an acronym for Islamic State.
White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said further Turkish targeting of the SDF, which also includes Arab fighters, would undermine efforts to forge a "united front" against Islamic State.
But experts say the Turkish offensive has again exposed the vastly different, often competing objectives of America's allies in the five-year-old conflict in Syria, where the Islamic State is only one of many actors.
It has also raised questions over whether Turkey will attempt to thwart any more major advances by the SDF, just weeks after the Pentagon hailed the group's victory against Islamic State in the town of Manbij, about 30 km (20 miles) south of Turkey's border.
Carter signaled no change in U.S. strategy on Monday, stressing that both the SDF and Turkey were critical allies in Syria. The Pentagon hopes U.S.-backed forces can eventually retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State.
"We do understand that they (Turkey and Kurdish fighters) have historical differences with one another but American interests are quite clear," Carter said. "We, like they, want to combat ISIL and we are calling on them now: 'Let’s keep our priorities clear here.'"
TENSIONS WITH TURKEY
Experts say the best-case scenario for defusing tensions would be for Turkey to accept U.S. assurances that the YPG is withdrawing east of the Euphrates river. Turkey, which wants to stop Kurdish forces from further extending their control near its border, has demanded such a withdrawal.
Carter on Monday described the river as a natural barrier that would separate Turkey and the YPG.
"What we can do and are doing with them is to clarify where the YPG elements of the SDF are and are not," he said, adding YPG fighters were indeed withdrawing.
In a nod to Turkey, Carter also praised Turkish military advances against Islamic State in the past week, notably its seizure of the town of Jarablus.
Blaise Misztal, director of national security at the Bipartisan Policy Center think-tank, said the United States was witnessing the consequences of a strategy that heavily depended on Kurdish fighters to defeat Islamic State, despite explicit Turkish objections.
Turkey is battling a Kurdish insurgency on its soil.
"The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy," Misztal said.
Experts warned that it was far from clear whether Ankara would back down, given that the United States was unlikely to side with Kurdish militia over NATO ally Turkey.
Turkey is host to important U.S. and NATO military facilities. They include Incirlik Air Base, from which U.S. fighters and drones hit Islamic State in neighboring Syria, U.S. listening posts and an early warning radar for NATO’s European missile defense system.
"When it comes down to: Do we alienate the Turks, or do we alienate the Syrian Kurds, there's no doubt who's going to be the loser," said Bruce Riedel, a Middle East expert at the Brookings Institution and a former CIA analyst.
The United States is already walking on eggshells after accusations from Turkey that Washington was too slow to condemn last month's failed coup there.
In a sign of the sensitivities, the top U.S. military officer, General Joseph Dunford, called his Turkish counterpart on Sunday and Carter told the briefing he would see Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik next week.
President Barack Obama will meet with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sept. 4, the White House said.
(Additional reporting by Idrees Ali, Yeganeh Torbati and Ruthy Munoz in Washington and Nick Tattersal in Istanbul; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-usa-idUSKCN1142FR?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/889f4070f0c59e0b9a90b3d0b0b3b4ab327fd9df6f8c624c69bcbb9d4e0ca616.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T18:57:48 | null | 2016-08-30T15:46:24 | A 49-year-old Oklahoma woman has been charged with first-degree murder on suspicion of killing her daughter whom she thought was possessed by the devil by jamming a crucifix down her throat and beating her, court records released on Tuesday showed. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-oklahoma-murder-idUSKCN11522P%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DoddlyEnoughNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FoddlyEnoughNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BOddly%2BEnough%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151600228&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T16F | en | null | Oklahoma mother charged with using crucifix to kill 'possessed' daughter | null | null | www.reuters.com | Juanita Gomez is shown in this undated booking photo in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma August 30, 2016. Courtesy Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS
A 49-year-old Oklahoma woman has been charged with first-degree murder on suspicion of killing her daughter whom she thought was possessed by the devil by jamming a crucifix down her throat and beating her, court records released on Tuesday showed.
Juanita Gomez was booked last week in the death of Geneva Gomez, whose body was found in an Oklahoma City home with a large cross on her chest, a probable cause affidavit said.
Local media said the daughter was 33 years old.
No lawyer was listed for Gomez in online jail records.
Police said Gomez confessed to the crime, telling officers she forced a crucifix and religious medallion down her daughter's throat until blood came out.
"Juanita saw her daughter die and then placed her body in the shape of a cross," the affidavit said.
Gomez was being held without bond at the Oklahoma County jail.
(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Matthew Lewis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oklahoma-murder-idUSKCN11522P?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FoddlyEnoughNews+%28Reuters+Oddly+Enough%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/dd08ef1bceadf1c7823566ede42a8b625452bbca4c9223d9f20678bf7bb5798f.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:38 | null | 2016-08-31T14:23:13 | Facing a severe cash crunch, Tesla Motors Inc plans to raise additional money this year to help fund development and production of its new Model 3 sedan and build out a giant battery factory, the company said on Wednesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-tesla-equity-idUSKCN1161OV%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151734451&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U0YY | en | null | Faced with crunch, Tesla plans to raise additional cash this year | null | null | www.reuters.com | Facing a severe cash crunch, Tesla Motors Inc plans to raise additional money this year to help fund development and production of its new Model 3 sedan and build out a giant battery factory, the company said on Wednesday.
The electric carmaker plans to raise money through either an equity or debt offering, it said in a registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk had warned the company might need "a small equity capital raise" in 2017.
Earlier this month, Tesla said it closed the second quarter with nearly $3.25 billion in cash, but in July it repaid $678 million on a revolving credit line and planned to redeem $422 million in convertible notes.
That would leave the company with $2.15 billion in cash. But it also told analysts earlier this year it planned to spend $1.75 billion in the second half on plants and equipment, primarily to get the $35,000 Model 3 ready for production next year and finish construction at the Reno "gigafactory."
As a result, Tesla would be left with around $400 million in cash at a time when the company has been burning through cash and is in the process of acquiring and absorbing its money-losing sister company, SolarCity Corp.
"Tesla will need many, not-so-small capital infusions to stay on its development plan and more as it takes over Solar City, a virtual sinkhole for capital," said Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.
Tesla has posted operating losses in 14 straight quarters and negative cash flow since early 2014.
The company said its main source of revenue is the sale of vehicles, but deliveries fell below projections in the first half, to 29,222.
Tesla shares dipped 0.4 percent to $210.35 on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-equity-idUSKCN1161OV?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/cd61e59b07a0b8dd54efb7c39ce0996c06362ed9996c8182c01c113466f5b4e0.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T19:02:05 | null | 2016-08-29T18:37:05 | Environmental groups have failed to gather enough signatures to put two measures on Colorado's ballot in November that aim to curb fracking and oil and gas work, the state said on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-fracking-colorado-ballot-idUSKCN1141RU%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Colorado's anti-fracking measures fail to qualify for ballot | null | null | www.reuters.com | HOUSTON Environmental groups have failed to gather enough signatures to put two measures on Colorado's ballot in November that aim to curb fracking and oil and gas work, the state said on Monday.
The ballot initiatives would have transferred regulatory control of oil and gas development to local governments and created more stringent setback requirements to keep new oil and gas facilities further away from occupied structures.
Proponents gathered more than 98,492 signatures required to make the ballot, the state said, but failed to gather enough to offset the number that would possibly be rejected during a random sample that examines the validity of the signatures.
Proponents of the measures have 30 days to appeal the decision.
Earlier this year, the state's Supreme Court struck down local fracking bans approved in the cities of Fort Collins and Longmont.
Oil companies in Colorado, one of the top U.S. oil and gas producing states, had spent several million dollars trying to derail the campaign.
Protect Colorado, the industry-backed issues committee fighting the measures, praised the outcome in a statement released Monday morning.
“Colorado voters recognized that these extreme measures would destroy the state’s economy and take away private property rights," said Karen Crummy, communications director for Protecting Colorado’s Economy, Environment, and Energy Independence, a group aligned with the oil and gas industry.
"Yes for Health and Safety over Fracking," the group backing the ballot initiatives, said it was reviewing the ruling to determine whether to file a challenge.
"Today's announcement is not the final action on this issue as countless residents are now committed to protecting their children's schools, parks and homes," said Tricia Olson, executive director for the anti-fracking issues committee.
She added that the group had "faced an unprecedented $15 million anti-signature campaign funded by the oil and gas industry."
(Reporting by Terry Wade and Liz Hampton; Editing by David Gregorio and Bernadette Baum) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-fracking-colorado-ballot-idUSKCN1141RU?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/64dbaeb9946487226024288043d63452ec824367e15bd75d3737d0b9b551befb.json |
[
"Amy Sawitta Lefevre",
"Joseph Sipalan"
] | 2016-08-29T12:52:35 | null | 2016-08-29T12:33:37 | The spread of the Zika virus across tropical Southeast Asia is likely to be significantly under-reported as local health authorities fail to conduct adequate screening, regional experts said on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-zika-southeastasia-idUSKCN1141AD%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151441436&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0N3 | en | null | Southeast Asia needs to up its game to combat Zika: experts | null | null | www.reuters.com | An Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen inside a test tube as part of a research on preventing the spread of the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases at a control and prevention center in Guadalupe, neighbouring Monterrey, Mexico, March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/Files
BANGKOK/KUALA LUMPUR The spread of the Zika virus across tropical Southeast Asia is likely to be significantly under-reported as local health authorities fail to conduct adequate screening, regional experts said on Monday.
International travel hub Singapore confirmed 41 locally-transmitted cases of the mosquito-borne virus on Sunday and said it anticipated more, raising fears about how quickly it could disperse throughout the region.
Other parts of Southeast Asia have reported dozens of cases of Zika, which in Brazil has been linked to thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect, but there are fears the true numbers are masked.
"Zika is under-reported and under-diagnosed," Khin Myint, head of the emerging virus research unit at Indonesia's government-funded Eijkman Institute, told Reuters. "We find many cases are not presented in hospitals because it's a relatively mild disease with mild symptoms and people are not going to doctors."
The World Health Organization (WHO) lists Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam as countries with "possible endemic transmission or evidence of local mosquito-borne Zika infections in 2016."
But the Jakarta-based Eijkman Institute, the main body testing for Zika in Indonesia, said it tested only 1,000 people in the past year - a tiny number in Southeast Asia's most populous country. It found just one positive case, despite reports that Zika is prevalent in the country.
Thailand has recorded the highest number of cases in the region at almost 100 infected people across 10 provinces this year.
"Thailand's surveys have not been thorough enough," said Kriengsak Limkittikul, assistant professor at the Department of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok, noting that people without symptoms are often not tested. "Screening is inadequate in other countries in the region, too, where health authorities are ill-equipped to test," he said.
Vietnam has recorded three cases of Zika infection, all locally-transmitted, while Cambodia has reported seven cases.
Hong Kong confirmed its first case of Zika on Friday, in a woman who had traveled to the Caribbean.
A major difficulty is that while Zika can cause mild fever, a rash and red eyes, an estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms.
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and is transmitted by mosquito. There have also been a small number of cases of sexual transmission reported in the United States and elsewhere.
MIXED RESPONSE
Some countries in the region began ramping up protective measures following the outbreak in Singapore.
Muhamad Subuh, a senior Indonesian health ministry official, said authorities are "in the process of stepping up health checks at main airports and ports, including in Batam," the island closest to Singapore.
Indonesia introduced thermal scanners at airports targeting arrivals from Singapore over the weekend, and plans to roll them out to ports. Authorities are also handing out printed warnings to all incoming passengers, noting Zika has an incubation period of around 10 days before presenting any symptoms.
Malaysian Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said travelers who enter Johor Bahru, where up to 200,000 people commute daily to and from Singapore, will go through thermal screening at border checkpoints. People crossing in private vehicles will not be scanned but handed a pamphlet detailing the symptoms and asking them to report to authorities if they develop those.
Malaysia is also stepping up vector control mechanisms including fogging and larvicidal spraying in Johor Bharu.
"What we can do as a country comes down to how well we control our vectors, and at this point of time, dengue is still a bigger problem than Zika because people can die from dengue," Subramaniam said.
Other countries were not responding so quickly.
In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control said it was screening athletes returning from the Olympic Games in Brazil, but otherwise not changing its prevention methods. Vietnam and Cambodia made no immediate changes to their border controls.
"Different countries have different economic and political situations and it's not that they don't want to screen the virus, but they don't have the resources and capacity to do it at this stage," said Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, a clinical assistant professor at the Carol Yu Centre for Infection at the University of Hong Kong.
(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, with additional reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor in JAKARTA, My Pham in HANOI, Prak Chan Thul in PHNOM PENH, A. Ananthalakshmi and Joseph Sipalan in KUALA LUMPUR and Zoe Cooney in SYDNEY; Editing by Jane Wardell and Ian Geoghegan) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-southeastasia-idUSKCN1141AD?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/2c4e7e058f32e75e111553627f7ea2eaf61eb12927a932fb91b83af8ce5577c7.json |
[
"Ingrid Melander",
"Chine Labbé"
] | 2016-08-26T15:04:14 | null | 2016-08-26T14:35:40 | A top French court on Friday suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has angered Muslims, feminists and civil liberties campaigners. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-religion-burqa-france-idUSKCN1111J5%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151182032&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P11K | en | null | Top French court suspends burkini ban | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aheda Zanetti (L), designer of the Burkini swimsuit, adjusts one of the swimsuits on model Salwa Elrashid at her fashion store in Sydney, August 23, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Reed
Australian muslim swimming instructor Fadila Chafic wears her full-length 'burkini' swimsuit during a swimming lesson with her children Taaleen (L) and Ibrahim at swimming pool in Sydney, August 23, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Reed
Protesters demonstrate against France's ban of the burkini, outside the French Embassy in London, Britain August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall
A Muslim woman wears a burkini, a swimsuit that leaves only the face, hands and feet exposed, on a beach in Marseille, France, August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
French lawyer Patrice Spinosi speaks to journalists outside the Conseil d'Etat after France's highest administrative court suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has outraged Muslims and opened divisions within the government, pending a definitive ruling, in Paris, France, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
Journalists work outside the Conseil d'Etat after France's highest administrative court suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has outraged Muslims and opened divisions within the government, pending a definitive ruling, in Paris, France, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
A man wears a placard with the message, 'Burkini = Liberty' outside the Conseil d'Etat after France's highest administrative court suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has outraged Muslims and opened divisions within the government, pending a definitive ruling, in Paris, France, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
PARIS A top French court on Friday suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has angered Muslims, feminists and civil liberties campaigners.
The ruling by the Council of State relates to the Mediterranean resort of Villeneuve-Loubet, one of more than a dozen French towns that have imposed such bans.
The burkini ban has shone a light on secular France's long-standing difficulties integrating its Muslim population and dealing with the aftermath of a series of Islamist attacks.
The court said in a statement the decree to ban burkinis in Villeneuve-Loubet "seriously, and clearly illegally, breached the fundamental freedoms to come and go, the freedom of beliefs and individual freedom."
The lawyer representing the League of Human Rights campaign group which had challenged the ban in Villeneuve-Loubet told reporters the ruling meant all town halls would need to reverse their bans. The group argued the bans contravened civil liberties.
But one mayor in Corsica said he would not suspend his own ban, showing that the ruling will not put a quick end to the heated controversy that has already filtered into early campaigning for the 2017 presidential election.
"There's a lot of tension here and I won't withdraw my decree," Sisco mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni told BFM TV.
The issue has also made French cultural identity a hot-button issue along with security in political debates ahead of next April's presidential election.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls robustly defended the burkini ban on Thursday while some ministers criticized it, exposing divisions within the government as campaigning begins.
Former president Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday he would impose a nationwide ban on burkinis if elected as he seeks to position himself as a strong defender of French values and tough on immigration.
"This is a slap for the prime minister and a kick up the backside for Sarkozy," Abdallah Zekri, secretary general of the French Muslim Council (CFCM) said of the ruling. "We're satisfied with this."
Socialist Party spokesman Razzy Hammadi told BFM TV he hoped the ruling "will put an end to this nasty controversy".
(Additional reporting by Gerard Bon and Bate Felix; Writing by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Richard Lough and Giles Elgood) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-burqa-france-idUSKCN1111J5?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/954ac3876ab10f7e5911b054c171ea418b48c5cbfcd78727e365b76a1ea4feb5.json |
[
"Marius Zaharia",
"A. Ananthalakshmi"
] | 2016-08-28T13:02:48 | null | 2016-08-28T11:12:15 | Singapore authorities have confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus, which in Brazil has been linked to a rare birth defect, and said more cases were expected to be identified. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-zika-idUSKCN11308Z%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160828&t=2&i=1151340119&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R06P | en | null | Singapore confirms 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus | null | null | www.reuters.com | An Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen inside a test tube as part of a research on preventing the spread of the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases at a control and prevention center in Guadalupe, neighbouring Monterrey, Mexico, March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo
SINGAPORE Singapore authorities have confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus, which in Brazil has been linked to a rare birth defect, and said more cases were expected to be identified.
Those infected include 36 foreign construction workers employed at a site near Aljunied in the southeast of the island, the health ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on Sunday.
On Saturday, authorities had confirmed Singapore's first case of a local transmission of the virus, to a 47-year-old Malaysian woman, also from the Aljunied area.
"MOH (the ministry of health) cannot rule out further community transmission in Singapore since some of those tested positive also live or work in other parts of Singapore," the statement said. "We expect to identify more positive cases."
The authorities said they have tested 124 people, primarily construction workers. Seventy-eight tested negative and five cases were pending. Thirty-four patients have fully recovered. It was not immediately clear where the foreign workers were from, but Singapore hosts a large contingent of workers from the Asian sub-continent.
"All the cases are residents or workers in the Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive area. They are not known to have traveled to Zika-affected areas recently, and are thus likely to have been infected in Singapore. This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place," the statement said.
Dozens of NEA staff cleaned drains and sprayed insecticide in the mainly residential area early on Sunday, and volunteers and contractors handed out leaflets and insect repellent. The NEA workers had accessed more than 1,800 premises of a total of 6,000 in the area to check for mosquito breeding.
Local residents welcomed the clean-up.
"I'm very scared of mosquitoes because they always seem to bite me, they never bite my husband," Janice, 31, who gave only her first name, told Reuters. "This concerns me because maybe in a couple of years I want to have another (child)."
Zika was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
REGIONAL RISK
The Singapore government said there were "ongoing local transmission" cases in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Other countries in the region to have detected the Zika virus since 2013 include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives and the Philippines, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Malaysia said on Sunday it stepped up surveillance at main transit points with Singapore.
Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said leaflets on Zika prevention were being handed out and paramedics were at entry points to handle visitors with potential symptoms.
As of this month, Malaysia said it has screened more than 2 million visitors at air, sea and land entrances, and found no Zika infections.
In Thailand, where close to 100 cases of Zika have been recorded across 10 provinces this year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) was screening all athletes returning from the Olympic Games in Brazil, but was not otherwise changing its prevention measures.
"Every country in this region has Zika transmission cases," said Prasert Thongcharoen, an adviser to the DDC. "Thailand has, however, managed to contain the problem through early detection."
Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir said the country was "following developments". Oskar Pribadi, a health ministry official, said there have been no recent Zika cases.
Vietnam has to date reported three cases of locally-transmitted Zika infection.
The current strain of Zika that is sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean originated in Asia, where people could have built up greater immunity.
U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
(Reporting by Marius Zaharia and Aradhana Aravindan in SINGAPORE and A. Ananthalakshmi in KUALA LUMPUR, with additional reporting by Amy Lefevre in BANGKOK, Agustinus Beo Da Costa in JAKARTA, My Pham in HANOI and Julie Steenhuysen in CHICAGO; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-idUSKCN11308Z?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/b07caabf92d784a3d33508b52720f18e171753fa936687f0a95b1b1721a5192d.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T16:52:10 | null | 2016-08-29T16:26:53 | * Pan-European STOXX 600 down 0.2 pct at close* Alstom boosted by high speed train deal* Fingerprint Cards gains on client China launch (Re | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Feurope-stocks-idUSL8N1BA3U1%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | European shares lower on U.S. rate hike expectations, Alstom up | null | null | www.reuters.com | * Pan-European STOXX 600 down 0.2 pct at close
* Alstom boosted by high speed train deal
* Fingerprint Cards gains on client China launch (Recasts, adds detail and updated prices at close)
By Kit Rees and Danilo Masoni
MILAN, Aug 29 European shares fell on Monday as top Federal Reserve officials bolstered expectations for a U.S. rate hike this year, while Alstom bucked the weaker trend after a contract win.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.2 percent, giving up some of the gains seen in the previous session, while a holiday closure of UK markets kept activity low.
At the Fed's annual gathering for global central bankers on Friday, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the case for a rate hike had strengthened, but while she gave no hints about timing, Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer said later her speech was consistent with expectations for possible rate increases this year.
Investors said Friday's U.S. jobs report was now in strong focus for any further clues about whether the next U.S. rate hike could come as early as September. Futures priced in a 33 percent chance of a September hike, up from 18 percent last week.
"The U.S. non-farm payrolls report should deliver the final indicator for the market as to whether it has correctly priced in the probability of a September rate hike," analysts at BayernLB said in a note.
Europe's STOXX 600 Oil & Gas index fell 0.6 percent, one of the biggest sectoral decliners, weighed down by falls in crude oil prices. Shares in oil majors Total and Eni fell 0.9 and 1 percent respectively.
Stada fell 0.3 percent after activist investor Active Ownership Capital succeeded in persuading shareholders of Stada over the weekend to remove the company's supervisory board chairman in a voting marathon, but failed to install its own candidate.
Among gainers, Alstom rose 2.9 percent after the French transport group signed a 1.8 billion euro ($2 billion) deal to design and build 28 new high-speed trains for U.S. rail operator Amtrak.
Sweden's Fingerprint Cards gained 4 percent following a media report that its client was preparing a smart card launch in China.
($1 = 0.8937 euros) (Reporting by Danilo Masoni) | http://www.reuters.com/article/europe-stocks-idUSL8N1BA3U1?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f221979464d582d1092603653ce409d2787d9436be2952be75680eb555a8c663.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T20:50:53 | null | 2016-08-29T20:13:24 | Boeing Co (BA.N), which has been dealing with a sharp slowdown in sales of new planes, said on Monday that it would refrain from increasing jetliner prices for the coming year, the first time it has held prices steady since 2009. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-boeing-prices-idUSKCN11429U%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151489494&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1AP | en | null | Boeing keeps jetliner prices steady amid slowing sales | null | null | www.reuters.com | The logo of Boeing (BA) is seen in Los Angeles, California, United States, April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
SEATTLE Boeing Co (BA.N), which has been dealing with a sharp slowdown in sales of new planes, said on Monday that it would refrain from increasing jetliner prices for the coming year, the first time it has held prices steady since 2009.
"Boeing will continue to quote July 2015 base prices in 2016," company spokesman Doug Alder said in an email to Reuters.
Airlines typically negotiate steep discounts from the list prices that Boeing and rival Airbus (AIR.PA) quote publicly, leaving the list prices as largely symbolic.
But Boeing has held prices steady in the past. It did not update prices in 2001 or in 2009, Alder noted.
Boeing data shows that the manufacturer has booked new orders for 335 planes though Aug. 23, down from 418 jetliners in the first seven months of 2015.
(Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by David Gregorio) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-prices-idUSKCN11429U?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/efc82150427567eabf8cd787daffc455799945274c89484285006c5737110058.json |
[
"David Ingram"
] | 2016-08-26T15:01:28 | null | 2016-08-26T14:27:54 | It could have been a scene straight out of a horror movie. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-new-york-subway-idUSKCN1111PN%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Panic on NY subway train as crickets, worms let loose | null | null | www.reuters.com | NEW YORK It could have been a scene straight out of a horror movie.
A woman trying to sell crickets and worms on a crowded New York City subway car became frazzled by some teenagers and let the critters loose on riders, then urinated on herself, according to social media posts and news reports.
Riders on the subway train were locked in close quarters with the critters for half an hour during rush hour on Wednesday evening after a passenger pulled the train's emergency brake while they were on the Manhattan Bridge.
The teenagers had pushed the woman as she offered the creepy-crawlies for sale, and she tossed the container holding them into the air, the New York Post reported, citing witnesses. It was unclear if the teens pushed her accidentally.
After the crickets were set free, some of them jumped on passengers, according to the Post.
"Never seen a crowd get so panicked so fast, everyone rushed to the other side of the train," one rider, Ezra Mechaber, wrote on Twitter. "Mass hysteria in a locked, enclosed space is something else."
Some people whipped out smartphones and began recording.
In one video posted online, the woman yelled, "Why'd you have to hit me?" and "My crickets!"
In another, the woman is seen screaming uncontrollably as riders tried to consol her.
The D train, which connects the boroughs of the Bronx with Brooklyn via Manhattan, was stopped on the bridge spanning the East River. After it began moving again, police officers met the train at the next station.
No one was injured, and the woman was taken to a hospital for psychiatric observation, the New York Daily News reported. Police did not release her name.
(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-subway-idUSKCN1111PN?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5edf92a36e313f9b66a8ce670bedaf6de02e8027459362fb9fb162a3fd2836e7.json |
[
"Linda Thrasybule"
] | 2016-08-26T16:52:10 | null | 2016-08-26T15:14:15 | By Linda Thrasybule(Reuters Health) - Adults with longer-lived parents have a lower-than-average risk for problems with the body’s circulatory system | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-parents-longevity-idUSKCN1111T6%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Adults with longer-lived parents may have healthier old age | null | null | www.reuters.com | (Reuters Health) - Adults with longer-lived parents have a lower-than-average risk for problems with the body’s circulatory system in middle-age, British researchers have found
It’s already well known that having long-lived parents is associated with a lower risk for clogged arteries in the heart, and longer survival.
But what about other kinds of heart and blood vessel problems?
“To our knowledge,” the research team writes in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, “this is the first study” to find a link between parental longevity and lower risks for heart failure, the heart rhythm problem known as atrial fibrillation, as well as diseases of blood vessels in the arms and legs.
The researchers looked at more than 186,000 middle-aged offspring from England, Wales and Scotland who had a deceased parent. They started tracking participants between the ages of 55 and 73, following them for at least eight years.
Not surprisingly, the older a participant’s mother and father were at their death, the longer the participant lived, too. This was true even when participants’ age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and body mass index were taken into account.
But the researchers also found that offspring of longer-lived parents were less likely to have strokes, high blood pressure, anemia, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation and circulation disorders affecting blood vessels outside of the heart and brain that are known as peripheral vascular disease.
“This research is important as it shows that knowing the age at which your parents died provides information on your own risk of death and disease,” said study co-author Dr. Luke C. Pilling, a research fellow at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK.
But that doesn’t mean people who lost parents at younger ages can’t improve their health, noted Pilling.
“Current public health advice about being physically active, eating well, and not smoking are very relevant, so people can take their health into their own hands,” he told Reuters Health by email.
Many factors, including genetics, living in the same environment and similar lifestyle choices, play a role in parental longevity and survival and health in their offspring, said Pilling.
“But even accounting for these factors, parents’ lifespan is still predictive in their offspring,” he said.
The concept that parental disease history predicts offspring disease isn’t new, said Dr. Nisha Parikh, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco who was not involved with the study.
“That’s why we routinely ask about parental history,” she said. “But we haven’t paid attention to longevity, and this study highlights longevity as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.”
The findings should prompt people to pay attention to the health and aging of their parents, she added.
“If you have a parent that died at an early age, this might be a reason to go to a doctor to have them screen for heart disease risks and have those risk factors appropriately treated,” she said.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2bFCLWs Journal of the American College of Cardiology, online August 23, 2016. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-parents-longevity-idUSKCN1111T6?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/535fe03a5fda9b58f9377e4f112da4bf1ca33b2e1a7abbc48367a15d11eae114.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T20:52:36 | null | 2016-08-29T18:59:30 | An investigation launched by Brazilian miner Samarco, and its owners Vale SA and BHP Billiton, into the cause of a dam spill last November found the dam collapsed due to liquefaction, a presentation said on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-brazil-mining-samarco-idUSKCN114259%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151482213&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S17R | en | null | Investigation finds Samarco dam failed due to liquefaction | null | null | www.reuters.com | An aerial view of the Rio Doce (Doce River), (bottom) which was flooded with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, at an area where the river joins the sea (top) on the coast of Espirito Santo in Regencia Village, Brazil, in this file photo dated... REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil An investigation launched by Brazilian miner Samarco, and its owners Vale SA and BHP Billiton, into the cause of a dam spill last November found the dam collapsed due to liquefaction, a presentation said on Monday.
Liquefaction is a process whereby a solid material such as sand loses strength and stiffness and behaves more like a liquid. Norbert Morgenstern, a geotechnical engineering professor that presented the results, said liquefaction occurred because sand in the tailings dam was "loose, uncompacted and saturated."
(Reporting by Marta Nogueira; Editing by Alan Crosby) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-mining-samarco-idUSKCN114259?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/07c1636f2a92ab6b3fc62e928e4c868603d46724b1ee98b28bac80736868db0b.json |
[
"Tom Polansek"
] | 2016-08-26T18:52:10 | null | 2016-08-26T18:32:01 | The type of avian flu that led to the deaths of about 50 million U.S. chickens and turkeys last year has been found in the country for the first time in 14 months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-birdflu-alaska-idUSKCN111256%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Devastating bird flu strain found in U.S. wild duck - USDA | null | null | www.reuters.com | CHICAGO The type of avian flu that led to the deaths of about 50 million U.S. chickens and turkeys last year has been found in the country for the first time in 14 months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday.
The USDA said it detected the H5N2 strain of the disease in a wild duck in Alaska as part of surveillance testing it has been conducting on birds since last year's devastating outbreak. That strain has not been found in any wild birds or poultry since June 2015, according to the agency.
Following the discovery, the agency recommended that all farmers and companies involved in poultry production review their protocols for cleaning and security to assure the health of their birds.
Wild birds can carry the virus without showing symptoms of it and transmit it to poultry through their feathers or feces.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider the risk of infection to the general public to be low, the USDA said.
Last year's outbreak cost poultry exporters millions of dollars in lost business as trading partners limited deals from states and counties with infected flocks. Some countries, such as China, halted all imports of U.S. poultry.
The 2015 outbreak also sent U.S. egg prices to record highs and tightened supplies of turkey meat.
(Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by G Crosse and Frances Kerry) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-alaska-idUSKCN111256?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/3a7bbd2fcc26f19aca9e5270389edeb160fbd07aeae95fcec59614a7d6ca89bd.json |
[
"Suzanne Barlyn"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:27 | null | 2016-08-30T20:12:05 | A former Monsanto Co (MON.N) executive who tipped the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to accounting improprieties involving the company's top-selling Roundup product has been awarded more than $22 million from the agency's whistleblower program, the executive's lawyer said on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-sec-monsanto-whistleblower-idUSKCN1152KG%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151628132&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1I7 | en | null | SEC awards $22 million to Monsanto whistleblower | null | null | www.reuters.com | Monsanto logo is displayed on a screen where the stock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S. on May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
A former Monsanto Co (MON.N) executive who tipped the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to accounting improprieties involving the company's top-selling Roundup product has been awarded more than $22 million from the agency's whistleblower program, the executive's lawyer said on Tuesday.
The award of $22,437,800 was tied to an $80 million settlement between the SEC and Monsanto in February, according to the lawyer, Stuart Meissner in New York, in a statement. It is the agency's second largest under the program.
Meissner declined to reveal the whistleblower's identity.
A Monsanto representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Dodd Frank financial reform law empowered the SEC to award money to whistleblowers who give information to the agency which leads to a fine.
Awards to 33 whistleblowers by the SEC's program have now surpassed a total of $107 million since the agency launched the program in 2011, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday. The largest award, in 2014, was $30 million, the agency said.
Monsanto's $80 million SEC settlement followed allegations that the company misstated its earnings in connection with Roundup, a popular weed killer.
The SEC's case against Monsanto revolved around a corporate rebate program designed to boost Roundup sales.
The SEC had said that Monsanto lacked sufficient internal controls to account for millions of dollars in rebates that it offered to retailers and distributors. It ultimately booked a sizeable amount of revenue, but then failed to recognize the costs of the rebate programs on its books.
That led the St. Louis-based agriculture company to "materially" misstate its consolidated earnings for a three-year period.
Monsanto neither admitted nor denied the charges and said at the time that it fully reserved funds to pay for the penalty in fiscal year 2015.
The SEC announced the award earlier on Tuesday, but did not reveal the enforcement action to which it was linked or the whistleblower's identity.
“Company employees are in unique positions behind-the-scenes to unravel complex or deeply buried wrongdoing. Without this whistleblower’s courage, information, and assistance, it would have been extremely difficult for law enforcement to discover this securities fraud on its own,” said Jane Norberg, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, in a statement.
The award represents more than 28 percent of the total penalty and nearly the 30 percent maximum allowed under the SEC's bounty program for payments higher than $1 million, Meissner said.
(Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn; Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Bernard Orr) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sec-monsanto-whistleblower-idUSKCN1152KG?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/01bd6babd39014226fd71794c0ba4e4c7329538b915472b35c9fa7bd76ab92de.json |
[
"Tom Perry"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:09 | null | 2016-08-26T12:15:31 | Syrian rebels, who this week seized a strategic town from Islamic State, aim to move westward in the next phase of their Turkey-backed operation, an advance that could take weeks or months to complete, a rebel commander said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-rebels-idUSKCN1102PI%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151165336&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0RS | en | null | New Syrian rebel advance against IS may take months, commander says | null | null | www.reuters.com | Turkish army tanks and Turkish-backed Syrian fighters make their way in the Syrian border town of Jarablus as it is pictured from the Turkish town of Karkamis, in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey. REUTERS/Stringer
Turkish soldiers on an armoured personnel carrier escort a military convoy on a main road in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A Turkish armoured personnel carrier escorts a military vehicle on a main road in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Turkish armoured personnel carriers escort military vehicles on a main road in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
BEIRUT Syrian rebels, who this week seized a strategic town from Islamic State, aim to move westward in the next phase of their Turkey-backed operation, an advance that could take weeks or months to complete, a rebel commander said.
Colonel Ahmad Osman, head of the Sultan Murad group, also told Reuters the rebels did not wish to fight Kurdish forces that have advanced in northern Syria as part of a separate campaign against IS, but would do so if necessary.
Sultan Murad is one of the main Syrian rebel groups taking part in the operation that on Wednesday drove IS from the border town of Jarablus with help from Turkish special forces, warplanes and tanks.
The operation aims to expel IS from its last foothold at the Syrian-Turkish border, but also to prevent any further gains by the Kurdish YPG militia whose growing influence in Syria has alarmed Turkey as it battles its own Kurdish insurgency.
Osman, speaking to Reuters from Jarablus, said the priority was now to advance some 70 km (40 miles) westward to Marea, a town where rebels have long had a frontline with IS.
"We want to cleanse this area before moving south," Osman said. Failing to do so would leave the rebels at risk of IS counter attack, he said. "The priority is from Jarablus in the direction of al-Rai, reaching Marea."
Al-Rai is a village between Jarablus and Marea captured by rebels this month.
Osman said there were dozens of villages between Jarablus and Marea that must be recaptured from IS. "Liberating these villages between Jarablus and Marea requires weeks and perhaps months, according to the nature of the battles," he said.
Several rebel groups are taking part in the operation, fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army. They have received varying degrees of help from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's foreign enemies, including military aid and training.
Osman, 49, said both Turkey and the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, of which Ankara is a part, were keen to provide air support for the operation.
The rebel factions have also advanced southward from Jarablus toward the city of Manbij, which was captured earlier this month from Islamic State by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance including Kurdish fighters.
The SDF crossed the Euphrates river in order to attack Manbij. Turkey has demanded the Kurdish YPG fighters now go back across the river.
The rebels fighting with Turkish support are hostile to the YPG, with the sides clashing repeatedly since last year. "We are currently planning not to confront them, but if we have to confront them, we will," Osman said.
Osman, who defected from the Syrian military to join the uprising in 2012, said that for some operations, the number of rebel fighters may need to be increased from its current level of between 1,200 and 1,500.
"We are ready to supply greater numbers, depending on the nature of the battle," he said.
(Writing by Tom Perry, editing by G Crosse) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-rebels-idUSKCN1102PI?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/238dbbcacccdabe0def669ed8136020e7ce7e2beaab77caaba8aae856be62b87.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T10:52:41 | null | 2016-08-30T10:36:45 | French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday an international deal on climate change agreed in Paris last year was still far from being implemented and called on countries to ensure it was ratified by year-end. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-climatechange-france-hollande-idUSKCN11514V%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151559572&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0IX | en | null | France's Hollande says Paris climate change deal far from being implemented | null | null | www.reuters.com | PARIS French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday an international deal on climate change agreed in Paris last year was still far from being implemented and called on countries to ensure it was ratified by year-end.
"The immediate urgency is to ensure the (climate agreement) is put into action by year-end. That's far from being achieved. I ask you to double your efforts to push countries where you reside to ratify the accord before Marrakech," he said addressing an annual gathering of French ambassadors.
(Reporting By John Irish; Editing by Andrew Callus) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-france-hollande-idUSKCN11514V?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/8c1e25118f91526ca18ca69aac46cf483b9ab8f00e04f95971cee165101fe7c4.json |
[
"Lucia Mutikani"
] | 2016-08-29T15:02:53 | null | 2016-08-29T12:55:14 | U.S. consumer spending increased for a fourth straight month in July amid strong demand for automobiles, pointing to a pickup in economic growth that could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-economy-idUSKCN1141B4%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151443467&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0O3 | en | null | Automobiles boost U.S. consumer spending; inflation still tame | null | null | www.reuters.com | Automobiles are shown for sale at a car dealership in Carlsbad, California, U.S. on May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
WASHINGTON U.S. consumer spending increased for a fourth straight month in July amid strong demand for automobiles, pointing to a pickup in economic growth that could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.
The Commerce Department said on Monday that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose 0.3 percent last month after a 0.5 percent gain in June.
July's increase was in line with economists' expectations. When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending also rose 0.3 percent in July after advancing 0.4 percent in June.
Consumer spending appears to have retained some of its momentum from the second quarter, when it grew at a 4.4 percent annual rate, the fastest in nearly two years. That jump helped to mitigate some of the impact of a sharp inventory drop and prolonged business investment downturn.
The economy grew at a lackluster 1.1 percent annual rate in the second quarter.
U.S. stock futures rose after Monday's data, while prices for U.S. Treasuries held earlier gains. The dollar .DXY was trading higher against a basket of currencies. July's consumer spending data added to reports on the goods trade deficit, industrial production, durable goods orders and residential construction that have pointed to an acceleration in economic growth early in the third quarter.
The Atlanta Fed is currently estimating third-quarter GDP growth rising at a 3.4 percent annual pace.
Consumer spending is being driven by a tightening labor market, which is steadily lifting wages. Rising home values and stock market prices, which are boosting household wealth, are also supporting consumption.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen told a gathering of global central bankers on Friday that she believed the case for raising interest rates had been strengthened in recent months by the "solid performance of the labor market and our outlook for economic activity and inflation."
Last month, there was little sign of inflation pressures even as consumer spending firmed.
The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, excluding the volatile food and energy components, edged up 0.1 percent after a similar gain in June.
In the 12 months through July the core PCE increased 1.6 percent. It has risen by the same margin every month since March. The core PCE is the Fed's preferred inflation measure and is running below its 2 percent target.
Consumer spending last month was lifted by a 1.6 percent surge in purchases of long-lasting manufactured goods such as automobiles. Spending on services rose 0.4 percent, but outlays on non-durable goods slipped 0.5 percent.
Personal income increased 0.4 percent in July after rising 0.3 percent in June. Wages and salaries advanced 0.5 percent. Savings rose to $794.7 billion from $776.2 billion in June.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-idUSKCN1141B4?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e4ad2bce4709ddc6c63d80b28391ef28e46d00f2ff215f868d063dc2ac83db4f.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:18 | null | 2016-08-26T12:25:09 | Aug 26 (Reuters) -* Bill Ackman says Jefferies told me Icahn was sellingHerbalife- CNBC* Bill Ackman says "I would have sold Herbalife on d | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSFWN1B70EX%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Bill Ackman says I would have sold Herbalife on day one-CNBC | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 26 (Reuters) -
* Bill Ackman says Jefferies told me Icahn was selling Herbalife- CNBC
* Bill Ackman says "I would have sold Herbalife on day one"-CNBC
* Bill Ackman on Herbalife says "I was willing to buy few million shares"- CNBC
* Bill Ackman on Herbalife says "I would spend $30 million to get Carl out"- CNBC
* Ackman on Icahn says "I think he knows that this thing is toast -CNBC
* Ackman on Icahn looking to sell Herbalife says "I think that accelerates...the demise of the company-CNBC | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1B70EX?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/9cae97c4a65ad760b9dd9b166caf5b2b75109742cd7725ac3b3465ad80c8fca6.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T11:01:53 | null | 2016-08-29T10:18:02 | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued emergency authorization for a Zika diagnostics test from Swiss drugmaker Roche, skirting normal approval channels as the regulator moves to fight the disease's spread. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-roche-zika-idUSKCN1140BL%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151428054&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S05G | en | null | U.S. FDA issues emergency use authorization for Zika test: Roche | null | null | www.reuters.com | Swiss drugmaker Roche's logo is seen at their headquarters in Basel, Switzerland January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
ZURICH The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued emergency authorization for a Zika diagnostics test from Swiss drugmaker Roche, skirting normal approval channels as the regulator moves to fight the disease's spread.
Zika virus, detected in Brazil and elsewhere last year before spreading to the Americas, is associated with microcephaly, a birth defect characterized by an unusually small head and potential developmental problems.
Through last week, the United States reported 2,517 Zika cases, 29 of which were likely acquired locally in Florida through mosquito bites and the rest brought in by travelers, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
Some 9,000 additional cases have been reported in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.
With FDA approval, Roche's test now can be used to screen patients exhibiting Zika symptoms that meet CDC criteria, including fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Samples will be sent for analysis to specially-certified U.S. laboratories with the appropriate equipment, a Roche spokesman said.
"The LightMix Zika test is an easy-to-use molecular diagnostic test that enables healthcare professionals to quickly detect the virus," said Uwe Oberlaender, the head of molecular diagnostics at Basel-based Roche.
The FDA issues such Emergency Use Authorization during public health emergencies, to quickly deploy unapproved medical products for as long as they are needed.
As Zika cases caused by local Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Florida mount and travelers from elsewhere continue to arrive with the disease, the FDA last week recommend universal testing of donated blood across the United States.
In March, Roche won separate investigational approval from the FDA for its Cobas 6800/8800 testing system to be used to test blood at U.S. blood centers including in Puerto Rico, where about 1 percent of donated blood has so far tested positive for the virus.
In Brazil, Zika virus has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, and U.S. officials expect as many as 270 cases in Puerto Rico.
(Reporting by Joshua Franklin and John Miller; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Susan Thomas) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-roche-zika-idUSKCN1140BL?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/c8a772eb7da36bef6887550af5771cbf119cb24de3a1ce3cc0540fc40839bb52.json |
[
"Marius Zaharia"
] | 2016-08-30T06:52:21 | null | 2016-08-30T06:41:48 | Australia, Taiwan and South Korea advised pregnant women and those attempting to get pregnant to avoid travel to Singapore after an outbreak of the Zika virus infected more than 50 people in the city-state. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-zika-singapore-idUSKCN1150HM.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151536313&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T079 | en | null | Australia, Taiwan, South Korea issue travel warnings for Singapore | null | null | www.reuters.com | A worker sprays insecticide along the perimeter of a construction site, at an area where locally transmitted Zika cases were discovered in Singapore August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker mists the common area of a public housing estate with insecticide, near the vicinity where locally transmitted Zika cases were discovered in Singapore August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker mists with insecticide the perimeter of a construction site, at an area where locally transmitted Zika cases were discovered in Singapore August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker sprays insecticide along the common areas of a public housing estate at an area where locally transmitted Zika cases were discovered in Singapore August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
SINGAPORE Australia, Taiwan and South Korea advised pregnant women and those attempting to get pregnant to avoid travel to Singapore after an outbreak of the Zika virus infected more than 50 people in the city-state.
The outbreak and the warnings come as a potential blow to tourism in one of the world's busiest travel hubs, which is already struggling to recover from a slump amid tepid global growth.
Singapore reported its first case of locally-transmitted Zika at the weekend, and the number of reported infections of the mosquito-borne virus has since jumped to 56. At least three dozen of those have since made a full recovery.
The Zika virus was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. It poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked in Brazil to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect where babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains.
The 56 confirmed cases in Singapore include only one woman.
Taiwan, Australia and South Korea advised pregnant women and those planning pregnancy to postpone trips to Singapore. Those returning from the country should avoid pregnancy for two months. South Korean travelers will receive text messages with the warning when they arrive in Singapore.
Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore's closest neighbors, have stepped up protective measures following the outbreak, introducing thermal scanners at airports and border checkpoints.
Singapore's Tourism Board said it was monitoring developments, adding the city state remained a "safe travel destination", and it was premature to consider any impact.
More than 55 million people pass through Singapore's Changi airport every year. In the first half of this year, tourism arrivals reached almost 8.2 million, compared with around 7.3 million in the same period of last year.
Online retailer Lazada Singapore said on Tuesday it has seen sales of mosquito repellent and other deterrent products rise fivefold over the past three days compared to a week ago.
FOREIGN WORKERS
Authorities continued to inspect thousands of homes in seven parts of Singapore, including five foreign worker dormitories, on Tuesday. Officials sprayed insecticide and removed potential mosquito breeding habitats such as stagnant water and moist dirt from drains.
The majority of those infected with Zika in Singapore were foreign workers, but the government has not disclosed their nationalities. The High Commission of Bangladesh, which represents the largest community of foreign workers, said none of the workers were Bangladeshis.
The Chinese and Myanmar embassies in Singapore said they had not been notified by Singapore whether their citizens were among those infected. The Thai embassy did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Foreign workers in Singapore, employed mostly in the construction and marine industries, can earn as little as S$2 ($1.47) an hour, often work 12-14 hours a day and take few days off. They are unlikely to travel often.
The GuocoLand construction site, where the infected workers were found, remained closed on Tuesday morning, according to a Reuters photographer at the scene. It was ordered on Sunday to halt work and rectify the conditions that allowed mosquitoes to breed.
Regional health experts said the Zika virus is likely to be significantly under-reported across tropical Southeast Asia as local health authorities fail to conduct adequate screening.
(Reporting by Marius Zaharia, with additional reporting by Edgar Su, Aradhana Aravindan, Masayuki Kitano and Mark Tay in Singapore and Jeong Eun Lee in Seoul; Editing by Jane Wardell and Ian Geoghegan) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-singapore-idUSKCN1150HM | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/16ab8e2b50413e7dd7efb7f3957a54cd275419d2e1601fef22ae82820243fb36.json |
[
"Susan Guyett"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:55 | null | 2016-08-25T16:44:13 | Several tornadoes plowed through central Indiana on Wednesday, demolishing numerous homes and a Starbucks cafe in the town of Kokomo and cutting off power to thousands of Indianapolis-area residents, but no serious injuries were reported. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-weather-indiana-tornado-idUSKCN10Z2PW%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Tornadoes slam central Indiana, demolishing homes | null | null | www.reuters.com | INDIANAPOLIS Several tornadoes plowed through central Indiana on Wednesday, demolishing numerous homes and a Starbucks cafe in the town of Kokomo and cutting off power to thousands of Indianapolis-area residents, but no serious injuries were reported.
Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, who cut short a campaign trip for running mate Donald Trump and returned to Indiana, said eight funnel clouds were confirmed and three touched down during a "very tough day of weather."
Tornado warnings were issued in 27 counties, but no one was known to have been killed or badly hurt, Pence said, adding that he would remain in Indiana for "as long as we need to be here."
Pence planned to visit storm-ravaged areas with Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb on Thursday.
Ten to 12 people were reported to have suffered minor injuries in Howard County, which apparently bore the brunt of the storms, according to John Erickson, spokesman for the state Homeland Security Department.
At least one "large and extremely dangerous" tornado struck near Indianapolis, the state's capital and largest city, as severe thunderstorms rolled through the region in the late afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
But Kokomo, a city of 45,000 people about 60 miles (100 km) north of Indianapolis, appeared to be the epicenter of storm damage, including a flattened Starbucks outlet and numerous houses left splintered or with roofs and walls torn away.
The entire front wall and facade of the Starbucks could be seen abruptly collapsing in the wind in cellphone video footage shot from a bar across the street and aired by Indianapolis-based NBC News affiliate WTHR-TV.
Starbucks customers and employees "piled into" the restroom to shield themselves as the storm closed in, according to a police account related to Reuters by City Councilman Bob Cameron.
"They all got in there. That was a smart move," he said, adding that shoppers at a nearby Krogers supermarket likewise waited out the storms in coolers at the back of the store.
An adjacent shopping mall was reported to have been heavily damaged, and Erickson said a nursing home in Howard County also sustained storm damage.
Aerial footage of Kokomo broadcast by WTHR showed a five-block residential area where at least 10 homes were largely obliterated and several others heavily damaged.
Photos posted online by Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN-TV showed a garden apartment complex heavily damaged in Kokomo.
The Salvation Army of Indiana reported assisting 200 people in need of food and shelter. Indianapolis public education officials delayed sending school children home on buses for nearly two hours, waiting until the weather cleared.
Power outages were reported across the state, with about 42,000 homes and businesses without electricity at the height of the storms, including 24,000 outages in Howard County alone, Erickson said.
Howard County issued a state of emergency to remain in effect until 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT Thursday).
(Additional reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago, Eric Walsh in Washington, Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Calif.; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Nick Macfie) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-weather-indiana-tornado-idUSKCN10Z2PW?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/ee9468ae9b865a1528401cc84b10de495fd34f9f0df8bf5c7b0f77fef51bda98.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T09:04:34 | null | 2016-08-28T08:37:01 | Turkish warplanes and artillery struck targets held by the Kurdish YPG militia in north Syria on Sunday, security sources said, as Turkey pressed on with a cross-border campaign launched last week with its Syrian rebel allies. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN11305C%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Turkish warplanes, artillery hit targets in north Syria: sources | null | null | www.reuters.com | KARKAMIS, Turkey Turkish warplanes and artillery struck targets held by the Kurdish YPG militia in north Syria on Sunday, security sources said, as Turkey pressed on with a cross-border campaign launched last week with its Syrian rebel allies.
There was no immediate comment from the YPG militia, but forces aligned with the Kurdish group had said on Saturday that no Kurdish militia had been in areas being targeted by Turkish troops or its allies. Turkey has said its campaign is against Islamic State and also aims at stopping Kurdish forces extending territory they control.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday Turkish warplanes had struck areas north of Manbij, a city south of Jarablus captured by Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces this month in a U.S.-backed operation.
(Reporting by Umit Bektas in Karkamis, Ece Toksabay in Ankara and Tom Perry in Beirut; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Louise Ireland) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN11305C?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/dfc89b9329d8bfcc2db67ca772963c1d9b1cac595122ca0ce4c14cab8144ea14.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T09:04:51 | null | 2016-08-30T08:53:24 | U.S.-led coalition warplanes hit Islamic State targets near the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus overnight, the Turkish military said on Tuesday, as forces backed by Ankara pushed deeper into north Syria. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-idUSKCN1150LL%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151542438&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T09B | en | null | U.S.-led coalition planes hit Islamic State in north Syria: Turkish military | null | null | www.reuters.com | Free Syrian Army fighters gather on the outskirts of Jarablus, Syria, ahead of an offensive against Islamic State militants, August 24, 2016. Picture taken August 24, 2016. Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkish army tanks make their way towards the Syrian border town of Jarablus, Syria August 24, 2016. Picture taken August 24, 2016. Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkish army tanks and Turkish-backed Syrian fighters make their way in the Syrian border town of Jarablus as it is pictured from the Turkish town of Karkamis, in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey. REUTERS/Stringer
Turkish army tanks and Turkish-backed Syrian fighters make their way in the Syrian border town of Jarablus as it is pictured from the Turkish town of Karkamis, in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey. REUTERS/Stringer
ISTANBUL U.S.-led coalition warplanes hit Islamic State targets near the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus overnight, the Turkish military said on Tuesday, as forces backed by Ankara pushed deeper into north Syria.
Two A-10 planes hit and destroyed two Islamic State targets, the military said in a statement, without elaborating.
Turkey-backed forces seized Jarablus from Islamic State militants last week. They have since pushed into areas held by Kurdish-aligned militias that are supported by Washington.
Differences over Syria policy have long complicated the relationship between NATO allies Turkey and the United States.
While Turkey is a member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, it is concerned about Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish fighters, which it sees as an extension of Kurdish militants who are waging an insurgency in Turkey.
The United States has scrambled to get its feuding allies, Turkey and the Kurdish YPG militia, to focus their firepower on Islamic State instead of each other after clashes that have threatened to unravel U.S. war strategy in Syria.
(Reporting by Asli Kandemir; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Edmund Blair) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-idUSKCN1150LL?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/548a47302df04dc29f2c2c9cc4260d310438ce9f7103e201e6ed6ceec42ba9b9.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:23 | null | 2016-08-26T10:57:31 | Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday the European Union should start setting up a joint European army. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-europe-hungary-defence-idUSKCN11116J%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151157006&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0N4 | en | null | Hungarian PM Orban calls for joint European army | null | null | www.reuters.com | Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico (L to R), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Czech Republic's Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka pose for media in Warsaw, Poland, August 26, 2015. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico (L to R), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Czech Republic's Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka pose for media in Warsaw, Poland, August 26, 2015. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during the news conference in Warsaw, Poland, August 26, 2015. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel
BUDAPEST Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday the European Union should start setting up a joint European army.
Orban, a staunch critic of the EU's migration policies, said security should be a priority for Europe.
"We should list the issue of security as a priority, and we should start setting up a common European army," Orban told a news conference after a meeting between Central European member states and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Warsaw.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; editing by Ralph Boulton) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-hungary-defence-idUSKCN11116J?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/8726f064fda23258eab3240c696608c316123907dd0b892431d4e6a192d70771.json |
[
"Ransdell Pierson"
] | 2016-08-30T20:53:07 | null | 2016-08-30T18:41:21 | University of Michigan researchers on Tuesday said their own experiments undermine recent allegations of security flaws in St. Jude Medical Inc's pacemakers and other implantable medical devices. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-st-jude-medical-cyber-university-idUSKCN1152I0%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151624659&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1GO | en | null | University study finds flaws in criticism of St. Jude cyber security | null | null | www.reuters.com | The ticker and trading information for St. Jude Medical is displayed where the stock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
University of Michigan researchers on Tuesday said their own experiments undermine recent allegations of security flaws in St. Jude Medical Inc's pacemakers and other implantable medical devices.
Shares of St. Jude fell 5 percent on Thursday after short-selling firm Muddy Waters and its business partner, cyber security company MedSec Holdings Inc, alleged finding significant security bugs in the company's Merlin@home device for monitoring implanted heart devices. They said the flaws could potentially enable others to remotely speed up the heart devices or drain their power.
The university said its researchers came "to strikingly different conclusions" after generating the conditions reported by Muddy Waters and not finding a security issue.
The team consisted of several leading medical device security researchers and a cardiologist from the university, it said in a release.
Muddy Waters founder Carson Block had shorted St. Jude shares after MedSec recently approached him with results of research it had conducted into the company's medical device security, he said. In an unusual deal, Block said he hired the cyber security firm as a consultant and agreed to pay it a licensing fee for the research and a percentage of any profits from the investment.
The University of Michigan's team reproduced error messages, or signs of a problem, which Muddy Waters cited as evidence of a successful "crash attack" into a home-monitored implantable heart device. But the messages are the same set of errors that display if the device is not properly plugged in, the university said.
"We're not saying the (Muddy Waters) report is false; we're saying it's inconclusive because the evidence does not support their conclusions," said Kevin Fu, University of Michigan associate professor of computer science and engineering and director of the Archimedes Center for Medical Device Security.
St. Jude has called the Muddy Waters report "false and misleading," saying most of the observations applied to older versions of its Merlin@home devices that had not been patched with security upgrades.
Officials at Muddy Waters could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Frances Kerry) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-st-jude-medical-cyber-university-idUSKCN1152I0?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/3846bc10738b60a0585ef8f2d16aff9ff6b1aa9ac48f756408d1f2655bd7aee9.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T13:02:02 | null | 2016-08-27T12:46:09 | Iran has detected and removed malicious software from two of its petrochemical complexes, a senior military official said on Saturday, after announcing last week it was investigating whether recent petrochemical fires were caused by cyber attacks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-iran-security-cyber-idUSKCN1120E9%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtechnologyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtechnologyNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BTechnology%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Iran detects malware in petrochemical plants, says not linked to recent fires | null | null | www.reuters.com | DUBAI Iran has detected and removed malicious software from two of its petrochemical complexes, a senior military official said on Saturday, after announcing last week it was investigating whether recent petrochemical fires were caused by cyber attacks.
The official said the malware at the two plants was inactive and had not played a role in the fires.
"In periodical inspection of petrochemical units, a type of industrial malware was detected and the necessary defensive measures were taken," Gholamreza Jalali, head of Iran's civilian defense, was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.
Iran is alert to the threat of cyber attack by foreign countries. The United States and Israel covertly sabotaged Iran's nuclear program in 2009 and 2010 with the now-famous Stuxnet computer virus, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges that were enriching uranium.
The National Cyberspace Council announced last week that it was investigating whether the recent petrochemical fires were triggered by a cyber attack.
But when asked if the fire at Iran's Bu Ali Sina refinery complex last month and other fires this month were caused by the newly-discovered malware, Jalali said: "the discovery of this industrial virus is not related to recent fires."
The oil minister said last week that most of the fires in petrochemical plants happened because the privatized petrochemical companies have cut their budgets for health and safety inspections.
(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Ros Russell) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-security-cyber-idUSKCN1120E9?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+%28Reuters+Technology+News%29 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/8dda25abd6f3dc1e7832e81599272b9ddb7c00b0bc57298083a4aaf57df4b364.json |
[
"Jonathan Stempel"
] | 2016-08-29T16:50:43 | null | 2016-08-29T15:44:05 | Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has been sued by owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones who say a design defect causes the phones' touchscreens to become unresponsive, making them unusable. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-apple-lawsuit-touchscreens-idUSKCN1141OJ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151460502&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0WL | en | null | Apple is sued over unresponsive iPhone 6 touchscreens | null | null | www.reuters.com | A man holds an iPhone 6 in a mobile phone shop in Moscow, Russia, September 26, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has been sued by owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones who say a design defect causes the phones' touchscreens to become unresponsive, making them unusable.
According to a proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit filed on Saturday, Apple has long been aware of the defect, which often surfaces after a flickering gray bar appears atop the touchscreens, but has refused to fix it.
The plaintiffs linked the problem to Apple's decision not to use a metal "shield" or "underfill" to protect the relevant parts, as it did on versions of the iPhone 5.
"The iPhones are not fit for the purpose of use as smartphones because of the touchscreen defect," according to the complaint filed in federal court in San Jose, California.
Todd Cleary of California, Jun Bai of Delaware and Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania are the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which accuses Apple of fraud and violating California consumer protection laws. They seek unspecified damages.
Apple did not immediately respond on Monday to a request for comment.
Problems with iPhone 6 touchscreens were described online last week by iFixit, which labeled the issue "Touch Disease."
That company sells repair parts and has previously analyzed other Apple products.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, sold 166.4 million iPhones, generating $108.5 billion of net sales, in the first nine months of its current fiscal year.
The case is Davidson et al v. Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-04942.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-lawsuit-touchscreens-idUSKCN1141OJ?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/8cab142a7bfd1b85d5d37a14f43c1dc34de1b50bd22a8cd471a9458db36935e7.json |
[
"Umit Bektas"
] | 2016-08-27T13:02:31 | null | 2016-08-27T12:55:48 | A group allied to Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it was bombarded by Turkish warplanes on Saturday, after Turkey's military launched an incursion this week into northern Syria against both Islamic State and Kurdish forces. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-village-idUSKCN112094%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160827&t=2&i=1151267831&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q08N | en | null | Kurdish-aligned group in north Syria says targeted by Turkish warplanes | null | null | www.reuters.com | Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) carry their weapons as they take positions in the northeastern city of Hasaka, Syria, August 20, 2016. Picture taken August 20, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said
Smoke rises from the Syrian border town of Jarablus as it is pictured from the Turkish town of Karkamis, in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 24, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer
A Turkish soldier on an armoured personnel carrier waves as they drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A Turkish army convoy drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A Turkish soldier on an armoured personnel carrier waves as they drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
KARKAMIS, Turkey A group allied to Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it was bombarded by Turkish warplanes on Saturday, after Turkey's military launched an incursion this week into northern Syria against both Islamic State and Kurdish forces.
Turkish officials had no immediate comment on the report which, if confirmed, would signal Turkey's action against Kurdish-aligned forces in Syria was being ratcheted up a notch.
The Jarablus Military Council, a group that is part of the SDF, said jets hit positions near the strategic town of Jarablus. It reported civilian casualties and called the strike "a dangerous escalation".
A Reuters witness in Karkamis, a Turkish town on the other side of the border from Syria's Jarablus, saw warplanes flying from Turkish air space early on Saturday into Syria and then heard several blasts. The identity of the planes was not clear.
Syrian rebels backed by Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes entered Jarablus this week, seizing the frontier town that had been an Islamic State stronghold. The rebel force backed by Turkey were largely Arab and Turkmen.
The Turkish campaign pre-empted action by Kurdish-backed forces which had sought to get to Jarablus first.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and other senior officials have made clear that the incursion is as much about pushing away Islamic State as it is about preventing Kurdish forces filling the void left as the Islamists withdraw.
Turkey wants to stop Kurdish forces gaining control of a continuous stretch of territory along its southern border, which Ankara fears they could use to support the Kurdish militant group PKK that is fighting an insurgency on Turkish soil.
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have extended their control beyond Jarablus, seizing five nearby villages from Islamic State, Turkish security sources said. The Turkish Red Crescent has distributed food in Jarablus since Friday, the sources said.
RIVALRIES AND ALLIANCES
The Jarablus Military Council said the village of al-Amarna, which lies a few km south of Jarablus, was hit by the warplanes. In response to the Turkish strike, it said: "If they do not attack our forces, then we will keep the border strip secure."
The newly formed Jarablus Military Council has said it was made up of people from the area with the aim of capturing the town and the surrounding region from Islamic State militants. However, the Turkish-backed rebels seized Jarablus first.
The Jarablus Military Council has aligned itself with the SDF, which encompasses several militias including Arabs and the Kurdish YPG group.
The SDF alliance is backed by the United States, putting Ankara at odds with NATO ally Washington in the engagement in Syria, where a multi-faceted conflict has raged for five years. A complex web of rivalries and alliances has emerged from what began with an uprising against Syrian President Bashar al Assad, drawing in world powers and regional states.
On Thursday, a day after Turkey began its cross-border offensive, Turkish troops fired on U.S.-backed YPG forces, which is part of the SDF. Turkey's state news agency described that salvo as warning shots. The use of Turkish warplanes against an SDF-aligned group would point to tougher action.
A Reuters witness in Karkamis heard blasts and smoke rising from the nearby Syrian village of Kivircik.
Several militias under the SDF banner pledged support to Jarablus Military Council after it reported the Turkish bombing.
The Northern Sun Battalion, an SDF faction, said in a statement it was heading to "Jarablus fronts" to help the council against "threats made by factions belonging to Turkey".
Tension has mounted in Syria's Aleppo region in the past year between the Kurdish YPG force and its allies on one hand and Turkish-backed rebel groups on the other. The two sides have clashed on several occasions.
(Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay and Orhan Coskun in Ankara and Tom Perry in Beirut; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Ros Russell) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-village-idUSKCN112094?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/76424d9438c2c92a4bfde29af5eb10c6d951f22a46c4d1cd10cca1d70d9b4f97.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:35 | null | 2016-08-26T12:54:37 | "Don't Breathe", a tense psychological horror-thriller, is expected to topple DC antiheroes "Suicide Squad" at the U.S. box office this weekend. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-film-boxoffice-idUSKCN111030%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DentertainmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fentertainment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEntertainment%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151169387&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0UN | en | null | Horror-thriller 'Don't Breathe' set to trump 'Suicide Squad' at the U.S. box office | null | null | www.reuters.com | "Don't Breathe", a tense psychological horror-thriller, is expected to topple DC antiheroes "Suicide Squad" at the U.S. box office this weekend.
According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, “Don’t Breathe,” about a group of friends who plan to rob a blind man's house with terrifying consequences and made for less than $10 million, is predicted to take between $11 million and $14 million in its first three days.
Warner Bros’ "Suicide Squad" is expected to pull in another $9.6 million in its third week of release at the box office this weekend, while Sony Pictures' raunchy animated comedy "Sausage Party" is also expecting a strong holdover in its third week with $7.5 million.
Also opening this weekend is Jason Statham’s action-packed “Mechanic: Resurrection,” boxing drama “Hands of Stone” and romance “Southside With You.”
Statham leads the cast including Jessica Alba and Tommy Lee Jones in "Mechanic: Resurrection", a sequel to the 2011 action film "The Mechanic", which is expected to open with around $9.8 million this weekend.
Weinstein Co’s "Hands of Stone", starring Robert de Niro, singer-actor Usher Raymond and Edgar Ramirez, and “Southside With You,” the Barack and Michelle Obama first date love story starring Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers, are both expected to open between $2 million to $3 million at the box office. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-boxoffice-idUSKCN111030?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fentertainment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Entertainment%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/80bdcd200b46f7015d3ca3510e86b4397d44b6bf86a15fadd1023ca3980a7bcf.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T06:50:31 | null | 2016-08-29T05:37:36 | Japan's Sharp Corp (6753.T) is hoping to team up with its domestic rival Japan Display Inc (6740.T) in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays to catch up with South Korean manufacturers, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-sharp-jdi-idUSKCN1140C4%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151405727&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S05O | en | null | Sharp wants to team up with Japan Display in OLED: Nikkei | null | null | www.reuters.com | A man using his mobile phone walks past Sharp Corp's liquid crystal display monitors showing the company logo in Tokyo, Japan, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/File Photo
TOKYO Japan's Sharp Corp (6753.T) is hoping to team up with its domestic rival Japan Display Inc (6740.T) in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays to catch up with South Korean manufacturers, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday.
"Let's gather all Japanese talents in liquid crystal displays, develop (the OLED technology) and jointly manage," Sharp's new CEO, Tai Jeng-wu, told the Nikkei in an interview on Monday.
Sharp and Japan Display both plan to start mass production of OLED panels in 2018, lagging far behind the likes of Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung Electronics.
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sharp-jdi-idUSKCN1140C4?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/67151bcc11fa2e86d3013cef742ea5f30a9482e1855276d10a9715b824404cf8.json |
[
"Howard Schneider"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:18 | null | 2016-08-26T12:29:30 | Schooled in economic thinking that confines monetary policy to the short run, central bankers gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, are grappling with a singular change: whether they can take over as guardians of long-term growth with programs that may stay in place and influence markets for decades to come. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-fed-policy-analysis-idUSKCN1110B0%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtopNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtopNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BTop%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151163396&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P064 | en | null | Schooled in the short run, central banks struggle with a long-term role | null | null | www.reuters.com | JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. Schooled in economic thinking that confines monetary policy to the short run, central bankers gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, are grappling with a singular change: whether they can take over as guardians of long-term growth with programs that may stay in place and influence markets for decades to come.
The debate, being carried out in technical research and policy forums like the annual meeting here, could herald a break with decades of central bank orthodoxy which has relied on short-term interest rates as the main policy lever in favor of a host of unconventional tools - from outright targeting a certain level of growth, to the permanent use of negative interest rates or massive cash infusions to stimulate inflation.
The discussion has already seen some Fed policymakers radically shift their view of monetary policy, and will be more broadly joined on Friday when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen delivers the opening address to the Fed's annual policy conference here.
Though watched for clues to whether the Fed is likely to raise rates in the near future, the announced subject of Yellen's speech is the Fed's policy "toolkit," and may give insight into how deeply she feels policy should be overhauled in light of what has been learned since the 2007-2009 financial crisis and recession.
Policies put in place then have largely remained intact, much to the surprise -- and chagrin -- of officials including Yellen, who have expected the United States and world economies to return to a pre-crisis "normal" once various "headwinds" diminished.
Instead, the emerging vision is of a changed world where expected growth is lower, deflation remains more of a risk than rising prices, businesses hesitate to invest and individuals' views of the future are so fully "anchored" it becomes hard to nudge them toward, for example, higher inflation.
With the impact of monetary policy muted in its short-run effect on growth, and governments globally leaving a vacuum on longer-term issues like better fiscal and productivity policies, central bankers are struggling over whether and how to step into a different, long-term role.
"When I left the Fed at the beginning of 2009 we talked about having interest rates at extraordinarily low levels for some time. I don't think anyone thought 'for some time' was going to bring us six, seven, eight years later," said Randy Kroszner, a former Fed governor and now an economics professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
"If central banks are being asked to do some longer-run kinds of things, what is the right framework...what is the balance sheet, what are your targets, what are the tools?"
It is a revolutionary question. Disagree as they might, central bankers have a rough consensus on one thing: that monetary policy works in the short run, and does not have an impact on long-term growth and productivity dynamics.
NOT JUST LOWER FOR LONGER, NEGATIVE FOR LONGER?
Negative interest rates have become part of crisis policy in Europe and Japan, but mainstream economists are beginning to pave the way for them to become permanent policy options.
Some $8 trillion of sovereign debt has negative yields and central banks across the globe own $25 trillion of financial assets - a sum larger than the economic output of Japan and the United States combined - according to Bank of America research.
Discussion has even turned to whether central banks should drastically scale back the amount of physical cash in circulation so mattress-stuffing and massive withdrawals can't be used as a way to blunt the effectiveness of negative rates as a tool to stimulate investment or spending.
It's uncertain how far the debate will go in terms of influencing policy. Fed and European officials have urged fiscal policymakers to do more precisely because they feel monetary policy is of limited long-run impact.
And Fed officials generally argue that they can even respond to another recession by relying on the same combination of quantitative easing and forward guidance they used last time.
But there's also a sense that the good old days -- when short-term interest rates were all that mattered and central bankers felt they knew what to do with them -- may not come back.
Fathom Consulting deemed it "the end of monetary policy," while Goldman Sachs analysts David Mericle and Daan Struyven said that as it stands the Fed may be painted into a corner.
Quantitative easing may not work in any future crisis, and if markets have lost faith in the Fed, forward guidance won't either.
"These concerns might well be a key theme both at Jackson Hole and in Fed commentary in the coming year," they wrote.
(Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Andrea Ricci) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-policy-analysis-idUSKCN1110B0?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f3f1a2662a6aa76773f28165a1e9b2caa5a4bb39b089eb764444df1f7a6ef5e8.json |
[
"Roberta Rampton"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:39 | null | 2016-08-26T04:35:17 | U.S. President Barack Obama will dramatically expand the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii on Friday, the White House said, an action that will ban commercial fishing from more than 582,500 sq miles (1.5 million sq km) of the Pacific Ocean. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-obama-oceans-idUSKCN111083%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151120303&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P042 | en | null | Obama expands Hawaii marine reserve in final push on climate | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about transportation infrastructure during a visit to the Port of Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. on July 17, 2014. TO MOVE WITH SPECIAL REPORT USA-DELAWARE/BULLOCK REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
WASHINGTON U.S. President Barack Obama will dramatically expand the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii on Friday, the White House said, an action that will ban commercial fishing from more than 582,500 sq miles (1.5 million sq km) of the Pacific Ocean.
Obama will visit the protected area on Sept. 1 to draw attention to the threat that climate change poses to oceans, traveling to Midway Atoll - a remote coral reef that was the site of a pivotal World War Two battle and is now known for its sea turtles, monk seals, and millions of seabirds.
Obama, who was born in Hawaii and spent most of his childhood there, made curbing climate change a central part of his time in the White House, which draws to a close on Jan. 20.
Some of his efforts have been blocked by Congress or held up in court challenges. But preserving public space from development has been something Obama can do using his own power, and he had moved to permanently protect more than 265 million acres of land and water even before the expansion in Hawaii.
Obama has also sought to use the star power of his office to raise public concern about climate issues. Trailed by camera crews, he has hiked on an Alaska glacier and walked through the Florida Everglades.
His journey to Midway Atoll, a former naval base that is now a rarely visited refuge, is aimed at sending a hopeful message.
"The best science shows that the ocean can recover, if you allow it to," said Senator Brian Schatz, who worked with scientists, environmental groups and native Hawaiians to urge Obama to expand the monument.
"As daunting as the problem of climate change is, and as troubling as the situation is with respect to our oceans, they show remarkable resilience, if you give them a chance," Schatz told Reuters.
The monument was first established 10 years ago by former Republican President George W. Bush, who created the world's largest marine reserve at the time, protecting close to 140,000 sq miles of ocean around the Hawaiian archipelago and inspiring a series of similar projects around the world.
The four-fold boost in territory will cover an area with more than 7,000 marine species, including a coral that is the world's oldest-known living organism at 4,265 years old.
"We think of Papahānaumokuākea's original designation as a catalyst, and we're hoping it will be again," said Seth Horstmeyer, a director with Pew's Global Ocean Legacy project. Only about 3 percent of the world's oceans have similar protections, according to Pew.
Obama is set on Wednesday to address leaders of Pacific islands and a global conference of conservation officials and environmental groups in Honolulu.
"We would like the other nations to follow suit," said Sol Kaho'ohalahala, a seventh-generation native Hawaiian. In an interview, Kaho'ohalahala explained that Papahānaumokuākea, considered a sacred place, figures large in the creation myths of his people.
"We are part of this place, we're not the beginning of this place," he said. "Our responsibility is really as a people now how to care for this place."
Some Hawaiians had argued against the expansion. Longline commercial fishermen, who have been praised for sustainable fishing, have counted on the area for an estimated 3 to 13 percent of their annual catch of tuna, which is limited under quotas and governed by extensive conservation measures.
"Excluding American citizens from American waters and forcing in this case fishermen onto the high seas to do their business - something just doesn’t quite sit right," said Sean Martin, president of the Hawaii Longline Association, explaining the expansion could raise his costs.
But Hawaiian Senator Schatz, who worked on a compromise plan to accommodate certain types of fishing and more Native Hawaiian involvement in managing the preserve, said there would be plenty of fish left for longline fishermen in other areas.
"They will have very little difficulty fishing up to the limit under the tuna treaty, even with the new boundaries," Schatz said.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Sandra Maler and Richard Pullin) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-oceans-idUSKCN111083?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/84b78320ea1ffb4581969cb3685d744a7997b71d0135228b943dc63f3a598df0.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:03 | null | 2016-08-26T11:57:57 | Strumming their guitars and clapping together, American musician Lanny Cordola and his Afghan pupils sing a Bob Marley tune as they sit on a hill in Kabul. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-afghanistan-music-school-idUSKCN1111BO%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DlifestyleMolt.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | American guitarist uses music as healing force in Kabul | null | null | www.reuters.com | KABUL Strumming their guitars and clapping together, American musician Lanny Cordola and his Afghan pupils sing a Bob Marley tune as they sit on a hill in Kabul.
The song is one of several the guitarist has taught the children to play at The Miraculous Love Kids music school he founded where he hopes to help some 50 students, mostly girls from poor families.
He wants to help them find a safe place to express themselves and escape the hardships of daily life in Kabul.
"My hope is that ... everybody in Afghanistan will pick up a guitar and sing and make music," Cordola said. "Music is a healing force. It's a peace making force. It's a way to communicate things without even having to know languages."
Cordola, originally from Los Angeles, said he was moved to act after hearing about two sisters Parwana and Khorshid, who were killed in a suicide attack four years ago while selling items on a street in Kabul. He raised money and moved their family into a new home in Kabul.
One of his best students is 12-year-old Mursal, Parwana and Khorshid's sister.
"Playing guitar really makes me happy and it takes me to my dream world but it cannot ease the pain of losing my two sisters," Mursal said. "My ambition is to become a good guitarist and a guitar teacher in the future."
"I wish for peace and stability in Afghanistan and I also urge the people to encourage girls to learn guitar so they can become a better future for Afghanistan," said 14-year-old Shiba Rahmani, another student.
Cordola, who has worked with the likes of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and singer Nancy Sinatra, has also collaborated with Pakistani singers on other projects for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the school’s website.
(Reporting By Reuters Television; Editing by Richard Balmforth) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-music-school-idUSKCN1111BO?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/4c5acca74dc146dd88525f9201f0757ab23b7a203c14333e51a4f44e98f702d0.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T00:51:24 | null | 2016-08-31T00:13:45 | Australia's opposition leader on Wednesday moved a motion for a sweeping public inquiry into the banking system following a series of allegations of misconduct including financial planning scams and insurance fraud. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-australia-banks-politics-idUSKCN11600U%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DbusinessNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FbusinessNews%2B%2528Business%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151654438&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U00B | en | null | Australia's opposition moves motion for Royal Commission into banks | null | null | www.reuters.com | An office worker uses his mobile phone in front of the Sydney Opera House as he leaves Sydney's CBD September 26, 2012. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz
SYDNEY Australia's opposition leader on Wednesday moved a motion for a sweeping public inquiry into the banking system following a series of allegations of misconduct including financial planning scams and insurance fraud.
Bill Shorten told the parliament which returned on Tuesday a Royal Commission was the only avenue that had the necessary coercive powers and jurisdiction to deal with bank misconduct. The government has opposed such an inquiry.
A Royal Commission is the most powerful investigative body in Australia, convened in recent years to address institutional child sexual abuse and corruption in the building trades, with the power to recommend prosecutions and new legislation.
(Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Stephen Coates) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-banks-politics-idUSKCN11600U?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/3025c65e4a93d1b876196b6f30eda23715cce626a00628db88467be25148e664.json |
[
"Laila Kearney"
] | 2016-08-30T18:53:01 | null | 2016-08-30T17:40:37 | New York state will loosen rules on marijuana prescribing, allow home delivery of the drug and take other steps to expand its medical cannabis program, health officials announced on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-new-york-marijuana-idUSKCN1152DS%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151616725&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1EE | en | null | New York expands access to restrictive medical marijuana program | null | null | www.reuters.com | The inside of the Columbia Care medical marijuana dispensary is seen in New York January 7, 2016. New York's first medical marijuana dispensaries are opening their doors on Thursday, as the state launches one of the most conservative programs of its kind in the United... REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo
NEW YORK New York state will loosen rules on marijuana prescribing, allow home delivery of the drug and take other steps to expand its medical cannabis program, health officials announced on Tuesday.
The announcement follows a report issued earlier this month by the New York Department of Health recommending that the state increase access to the program, seen by experts as one of the most restrictive of its kind in the United States.
"We are constantly evaluating the program to make it more effective for patients and practitioners, and we believe that the implementation of these recommendations will do just that,” Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement.
New York opened its first medicinal cannabis dispensaries in January, joining 22 other states and Washington, D.C., with medical marijuana programs.
Its program, which counts 7,000 certified patients and 20 dispensaries, is a far cry from those in states such as California, which has hundreds of dispensaries and more than 750,000 medical marijuana card holders.
Initially, the program allowed only doctors with special training to prescribe cannabis to patients with very serious and terminal illnesses, including cancer, HIV and AIDS, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.
Patients or their caretakers were required to visit the state's small handful of dispensaries to purchase cannabis products, including tinctures and capsules. Unlike all the other states that allow medical marijuana except Minnesota, medical marijuana patients in New York cannot smoke the plant.
Under the new measures, the state will allow nurse practitioners to qualify patients for medical marijuana use and allow home delivery of the drug to patients too ill to visit a clinic.
It will also expand financial aid and consider a proposal to allow those suffering from chronic pain to receive prescriptions.
In the longer term, New York will review additional medical cannabis companies to manufacture and distribute the drug. Currently, the number of companies is limited to five.
New York will also expand research into the drug's uses and medical benefits, the health department said.
(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-marijuana-idUSKCN1152DS?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e814d738e73ab13ebe211c63ebdbf918128263e4bac5ba870e3ee125acf38334.json |
[
"Marius Zaharia"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:48 | null | 2016-08-26T08:42:26 | Air pollution in Singapore rose to the "unhealthy" level on Friday as acrid smoke drifted over the island from fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the city-state's National Environment Agency (NEA) said, in a repeat of an annual crisis. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-indonesia-haze-idUSKCN1110K2%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151132448&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0A0 | en | null | Smoke from Indonesian fires hits 'unhealthy' level in Singapore | null | null | www.reuters.com | A helicopter from the Indonesian National Disaster Management agency (BNPB) drops water on a fire in Ogan Ilir, near Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, August 11, 2016 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Nova Wahyudi/File Photo via REUTERS
A wildfire is seen from a Ministry of Environment and Forestry helicopter over Kubu Raya, near Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia August 25, 2016, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Jessica Helena Wuysang/via REUTERS
A woman wearing a face mask shields her face from the sun as haze shrouds Singapore August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
SINGAPORE Air pollution in Singapore rose to the "unhealthy" level on Friday as acrid smoke drifted over the island from fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the city-state's National Environment Agency (NEA) said, in a repeat of an annual crisis.
Every dry season, smoke from fires set to clear land for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations in Indonesia clouds the skies over much of the region, raising concern about public health and worrying tourist operators and airlines.
The 24-hour Pollution Standards Index (PSI), which the NEA uses as a benchmark, rose as high as 105 in the afternoon. A level above 100 is considered "unhealthy".
The NEA said it planned a "daily haze advisory" as "a burning smell and slight haze were experienced over many areas" in Singapore.
Indonesia repeatedly vows to stop the fires but each year they return. This year, Indonesia has arrested 454 people in connection with the smoke pollution.
When heavy, the choking smog closes airports and schools and prompts warnings to residents to stay indoors.
Pollution levels in neighboring Malaysia were normal on Friday.
Singapore has pushed Indonesia for information on companies suspected of causing pollution, some of which are listed on Singapore's stock exchange.
A forest campaigner for the environmental group Greenpeace Indonesia, Yuyun Indradi, said the government was struggling to enforce laws to prevent the drainage of peatland for plantations and the setting of fires to clear land.
"It has become a challenge for the government to enforce accountability among concession holders, to enforce its directives on blocking canals, and push companies to take part in efforts to restore peatland and prevent fires," Indradi said.
"Now is the time for the government to answer this challenge. It is in the law."
Greenpeace said, according to its satellite information, there were 138 fires across Indonesia on Friday.
(Reporting by Marius Zaharia, Fathin Ungku and JAKARTA bureau; Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-haze-idUSKCN1110K2?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/b81bbc6fed5591252ea1bb1934ef3c6de62adb37b5899769e14dad9549a8e341.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T12:59:21 | null | 2016-08-28T12:09:48 | Germany's Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sunday that talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free trade deal being negotiated by the United States and the European Union, had essentially failed. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-eu-usa-ttip-germany-idUSKCN1130FB%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DpoliticsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FPoliticsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BPolitics%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160828&t=2&i=1151344297&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R07W | en | null | Germany's economy minister: U.S.-EU free trade talks have failed | null | null | www.reuters.com | German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel arrives for a television interview in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, August 7, 2016. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke
Protesters wear masks of U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they demonstrate against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) free trade agreement before the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe in Hanover, Germany April 24, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Protesters depicting Statue of Liberty (L) and Europa on the bull take part in a demonstration against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) free trade agreement ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit in Hannover, Germany April 23, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
BERLIN Germany's Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sunday that talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free trade deal being negotiated by the United States and the European Union, had essentially failed.
"The negotiations with the USA have de facto failed because we Europeans did not want to subject ourselves to American demands," he said, according to a written transcript from German broadcaster ZDF of an interview due to be broadcast on Sunday.
"Things are not moving on that front," said Gabriel, who is also Germany's vice chancellor.
The U.S. and the EU have been negotiating the TTIP for three years and both sides had sought to conclude talks in 2016 but they have differences over various issues, including agriculture.
(Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Louise Ireland) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-usa-ttip-germany-idUSKCN1130FB?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FPoliticsNews+%28Reuters+Politics+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/0f7da22bc5ffa4156d445e929e4228c593a2025253e94502fc3a0249c8bb3b80.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T20:51:03 | null | 2016-08-26T20:23:17 | A U.S. judge refused to extend ashield for Caesars Entertainment Corp from bondholderlawsuits seeking some $11 billion in claims, according to aruling in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fcaesars-bankruptcy-idUSL1N1B7148%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Caesars must face lawsuits worth $11 billion - U.S. judge | null | null | www.reuters.com | CHICAGO Aug 26 A U.S. judge refused to extend a shield for Caesars Entertainment Corp from bondholder lawsuits seeking some $11 billion in claims, according to a ruling in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago on Friday.
The operating unit of Caesars, which filed for bankruptcy in January 2015, had argued that a halt to lawsuits against its non-bankrupt parent was critical to protecting a multibillion-dollar contribution to its reorganization plan. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) | http://www.reuters.com/article/caesars-bankruptcy-idUSL1N1B7148?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/243072dbf8240c145cb9868925b3e8682f3d458f1aef772f05c51a5fcc899f0e.json |
[
"Alessandro Bianchi"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:17 | null | 2016-08-16T12:11:37 | Luigi Lineri's home workshop is covered in stones -- tens of thousands of them. They resemble animal heads, human faces and other forms, and the artist and poet believes may have been shaped by prehistoric humans. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-italy-stones-idUSKCN10R16M%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DartsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Bnews%252Fartsculture%2B%2528Reuters%2BArts%2B%2526%2BCulture%2B%2529.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160816&t=2&i=1149865884&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7F0N0 | en | null | No stone left unturned in Italian artist's workshop | null | null | www.reuters.com | Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, walks along Adige river as he searches for stones in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, holds a stone collected and categorised by shape (a sheep's head) at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, holds a stone collected and categorised by shape (a dog's head) at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stones collected and categorised by shape (female genitalia) are seen at the home workshop of Luigi Lineri in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stones collected and categorised by shape (male genitalia) are seen at the home workshop of stone collector Luigi Lineri in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
A stone collected and categorised by shape (female genitalia) is seen at the home workshop of Luigi Lineri in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
A part of the stone collection of Luigi Lineri, called 'Grande Madre' (Great Mother), is seen at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stones collected by Luigi Lineri are seen at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stones collected by Luigi Lineri are seen at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, looks at his collection of stones found along Adige river, at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, walks through his stone collection found along Adige river, at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
A shoemaking machine is surrounded by the stone collection of Luigi Lineri at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, holds a stone collected and categorised by shape (a sheep's head) at his home workshop in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stones collected and categorised by shape (faces) are seen at the home workshop of stone collector Luigi Lineri in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stone collector Luigi Lineri, 79, holds a horse jaw bone that is shaped like a fish, discovered along Adige river in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Stones collected and categorised by shape (fish) are seen at the home workshop of Luigi Lineri in Zevio, near Verona, Italy, June 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
ZEVIO, Italy Luigi Lineri's home workshop is covered in stones -- tens of thousands of them. They resemble animal heads, human faces and other forms, and the artist and poet believes may have been shaped by prehistoric humans.
Lineri has built his vast collection over the last 50 years, making his finds along the Adige river, near Verona in northern Italy.
"I haven't counted them and don't intend to do so but the quantity is significant," Lineri said.
"At first I thought that a few stones for each different shape would be enough and then I understood that in their thousands, they give a sense of community ... For me the quantity is sacred: it takes a lot to build a cathedral."
Lineri says there has been no independent verification of whether the stones are indeed prehistoric sculpture and has not sought one, being more interested in them as "a work of art".
"When I found one and picked it up, I was overcome with emotion - who was this, how did he live, what was he thinking when he made this beautiful thing. It all began then and I started reading and learning about prehistoric mankind."
"I don't make any changes (to the stones), they are all authentic," he said. "Someone told me I was obsessed but if I am it is to better understand the mind of the primitive man."
Among the forms on display are fish, dog and sheep heads and female body forms. Visitors have come to see the collection and he has also exhibited some of it.
For a Reuters photo essay, click: reut.rs/2bjoLlB
"When people see the stones, their reactions differ. Some laugh, others cry," Lineri said.
"There is a strong energy in this 'cosmos' made of stones and whoever touches them has to do so with the respect and right frame of mind... Each day I try to put the stones in order, to give a sense to each chapter of this poem."
Lineri hopes someone will one day look after his collection. But he is also mulling returning them to the riverbed.
"I did this to safeguard these stones and hold onto their message," he said. "(Taking them back) would be a small finishing touch. But it's just an idea for now."
(Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-stones-idUSKCN10R16M?feedType=RSS&feedName=artsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fartsculture+%28Reuters+Arts+%26+Culture+%29 | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/4f57e7c66d874e31e8983407351adfb7bc816439477caf0a731e81585bcde601.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T00:51:40 | null | 2016-08-28T23:54:43 | Canada's Unifor union says it has votedto be in strike position if terms are not reached in talks withU.S. "Big Three" carmakers. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSL1N1B90M9%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | BRIEF-Canada's Unifor union votes for strike mandate in auto talks | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 28 Canada's Unifor union says it has voted to be in strike position if terms are not reached in talks with U.S. "Big Three" carmakers.
* Unifor in talks with General Motors Co, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford Motor Co.
* Current contract between Unifor and U.S. "Big Three" expires on Sept. 19. Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto; Editing by Bill Trott) | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N1B90M9?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/322901ac12d9516ae9186acc7a4a78c9eca44fa8c4ddbaaa2efc44190d209ce2.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:29 | null | 2016-08-26T11:42:12 | Patrick Reed gave his Ryder Cup hopes a timely boost as he charged into a share of the first-round lead at The Barclays on Thursday with defending champion Jason Day in hot pursuit, two strokes back. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-golf-pga-idUSKCN1102DO%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DsportsNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FsportsNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BSports%2BNews%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160825&t=2&i=1151074636&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O1J6 | en | null | Golf: Reed and Laird set pace at Bethpage, Day two back | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 18, 2016; Greensboro, NC, USA; Patrick Reed tees off on the first hole during the first round of the 2016 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 25, 2016; Farmingdale, NY, USA; Patrick Reed putts on the 10th green during the first round of The Barclays golf tournament at Bethpage State Park - Black Course. Mandatory Credit: Eric Sucar-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Reed gave his Ryder Cup hopes a timely boost as he charged into a share of the first-round lead at The Barclays on Thursday with defending champion Jason Day in hot pursuit, two strokes back.
American Reed opened with a sizzling five-under-par 66 in the first of the PGA Tour's four lucrative FedExCup playoff events, finishing level with Scotland's Martin Laird on a sunny but breezy day at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
World number one Day, who triumphed by six shots last year when the tournament was held at Plainfield Country Club, returned a 68 while fellow golfing heavyweights Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy carded 71s.
"It was a clean day," Reed, a four-times winner on the PGA Tour, told reporters after a bogey-free round that also included an eagle and three birdies, all of them coming on his homeward nine. "I feel like I hit the ball pretty solid.
"All the shots I hit, even though (they) might not have been down some of the lines I wanted to, I was still in the fairway and still on the greens, so I was still able to attack."
Reed is scrambling for one of the last three automatic spots on the United States Ryder Cup team to take on holders Europe at Hazeltine outside Minneapolis from Sept. 30-Oct. 2.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, Spieth, Phil Mickelson, PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker and Ryder rookie Brooks Koepka have already secured their berths, with the final three automatic selections to be decided after The Barclays.
Reed, who sits eighth in the Cup standings, is vying with players such as Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson, Watson and Olympic bronze medallist Matt Kuchar for those spots.
"Of course it's on my mind," Reed said of his Cup bid. "But really at the end the day, it's just trying to get better and play this tournament. If I play well, that means those other guys are going to have to play even better to try to catch me."
Day, the game's hottest player over the past year with seven tournament wins in his last 23 starts, was relatively happy with a return of four birdies and a lone bogey in his first competitive round in nearly a month.
"Overall, I felt great about how I felt like I played," said the 28-year-old Australian, who finished second at the PGA Championship last month in his most recent start.
"Did a lot of good quality things out there, and hopefully I can just keep pushing that from the second to fourth round now."
American world number two Dustin Johnson opened with a 70 while Rio golf gold medallist Justin Rose, of England, battled to a 73.
British Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden withdrew from tournament after shooting a three-over 74, citing a knee injury.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Andrew Both) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-golf-pga-idUSKCN1102DO?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/012faba43183e4088b3159fabc25fbb96987b62dd8c355a5946e814a15682f51.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T08:52:57 | null | 2016-08-31T07:39:59 | (Repeats story filed on Tuesday, no changes)* Washington warns $14.5 billion Irish bill may hurtrelations* U.S. probe first alerted EU to ta | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Feu-apple-taxavoidance-transatlantic-idUSL8N1BC19T%3Ftype%3DcompanyNews%26feedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DcompanyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FcompanyNews%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BCompany%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | RPT-U.S. slams EU, but Apple tax demand first issued in Washington | null | null | www.reuters.com | (Repeats story filed on Tuesday, no changes)
* Washington warns $14.5 billion Irish bill may hurt relations
* U.S. probe first alerted EU to tax schemes by Apple and others
* Senator who chaired hearings blames IRS, says EU 'fills vacuum'
By Foo Yun Chee and Alastair Macdonald
BRUSSELS, Aug 30 The United States is furious at the European Union for handing Apple Inc a $14.5 billion tax demand on Tuesday but EU officials say it was Washington which put them on to the scheme in the first place.
It was a U.S. Senate report in May 2013 revealing the tech giant's deal with the Irish government to rule a big slice of its global earnings untaxable that prompted the European Commission to launch its own inquiries the following month.
The U.S. Treasury said the Commission's order that Apple pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland - which the company and Dublin are appealing - endangers EU-U.S. economic relations just as efforts to reach a transatlantic free trade pact unravel .
A senior Democratic senator said Brussels had made "a cheap money grab" for U.S. revenues.
But his party colleague who chaired hearings into Apple's taxes three years ago, Carl Levin, said the Europeans were only trying to take what U.S. authorities had failed to claim by not closing loopholes that allowed firms to hoard profits overseas.
"The IRS has failed to stake a claim for U.S. taxes on those revenues," he said in a statement, referring to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. "So Europe attempts to fill the vacuum. Shame on Apple for dodging U.S. taxes. Shame on the IRS for failing to challenge Apple's tax avoidance."
For Marcel Fratzscher, president of leading German economic think-tank DIW Berlin and author of a new book on growing inequality, the mudslinging between politicians reflects how global corporations have exploited competition for investment to blunt states' efforts to co-operate against tax avoidance.
"Companies are playing one government against another," he told Reuters.
EU LISTENED TO SENATE
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, a straight-talking Dane who dismisses talk of leading an anti-American crusade, says the hearings at the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chaired by Levin were what gave her Spanish predecessor grounds to demand disclosure by Apple and Ireland.
"The Commission listened and decided to look deeper into the matter," Vestager said in June, crediting media reporting and hearings in the British parliament for also providing evidence to help break secrecy around nearly 1,000 cases across Europe.
The Commission said in its judgment on Apple that the United States and other countries were welcome to try and claim some of the unpaid taxes for themselves - highlighting just the complaints of Levin and other senators three years ago when they skewered Apple CEO Tim Cook for failing to bring cash home.
As well as Apple, Starbucks Corp was ordered to pay more Dutch taxes and Amazon.com Inc and McDonald's Corp are still being investigated; a series of EU accusations that Google, part of Alphabet Inc, has abused its market power have also fuelled complaints from U.S. President Barack Obama's administration that Europe is out to punish American success.
Competition lawyer Pierre Sabbadini said political pressures drove different responses by different authorities. Leaks and public hearings on tax deals had created pressure among voters for the EU to act in 2013, he said, while the size of the companies targeted gave them clout with political leaders, too.
"When investigation-target companies have grown to the size of Apple, they can reach out for political support," he said.
The Obama administration has taken its own action to curb tax avoidance schemes lately. In April, amid public controversy over drug company Pfizer Inc's proposed merger with Allergan Plc of Ireland, it announced plans to curb so-called "tax inversions", by which U.S. firms have undertaken cross-border mergers in order to switch to a domicile abroad and so avoid U.S. taxes.
Pfizer abandoned the merger. (Additional reporting by David Morgan in Washington; Editing by Bill Rigby) | http://www.reuters.com/article/eu-apple-taxavoidance-transatlantic-idUSL8N1BC19T?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/63a9881241db762ec0c3a3d7d6d05428ea3421dfbef81eef179bf91f9a8d1458.json |
[
"Jonathan Stempel"
] | 2016-08-30T23:02:12 | null | 2016-08-30T21:11:27 | The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit accusing Alabama county officials of violating a Christian woman's religious rights by forcing her to remove her headscarf before taking her driver's license photo. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-religion-hair-covering-usa-idUSKCN1152PE%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Christian woman told to remove headscarf for license: ACLU lawsuit | null | null | www.reuters.com | The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit accusing Alabama county officials of violating a Christian woman's religious rights by forcing her to remove her headscarf before taking her driver's license photo.
Yvonne Allen, of Tuskegee, said a court clerk told her when she sought a license renewal last December that "only Muslim women have the right to cover their hair," according to the complaint filed with the federal court in Opelika, Alabama.
Allen described herself as a devout Christian woman whose faith compels her to cover her hair in public.
She said she agreed to remove her headscarf for the photo, believing she had no other choice, but felt ashamed and that she had been disobedient to God.
According to the complaint, Alabama considers head coverings in driver's license photos "only acceptable due to religious beliefs or medical conditions."
The complaint names as defendants Becky Frayer, the chief clerk of the Lee County Probate Judge's office, and Probate Judge Bill English, her supervisor.
Allen said Frayer has defended her office's policy, telling her that she was also a Christian but did not cover her hair.
Frayer and English did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit accused the defendants of violating Allen's religious freedom under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and also Alabama's state constitution.
It seeks a court order letting Allen have her photo retaken while she wears her headscarf, plus unspecified damages.
The case is Allen v English et al, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama, No. 16-00712.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Alan Crosby) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-hair-covering-usa-idUSKCN1152PE?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/0df50056ba6180e946d7296ad6538e32b17c91e91093688d24ffa81bcf2a8e38.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T11:05:07 | null | 2016-08-30T10:50:07 | At least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's 18-month-old civil war, the United Nations on Tuesday, almost double the estimates of more than 6,000 cited by officials and aid workers for much of 2016. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-yemen-security-toll-idUSKCN11516W%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DworldNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BReuters%252FworldNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BWorld%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151560785&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0JW | en | null | U.N. says 10,000 killed in Yemen war, nearly twice other estimates | null | null | www.reuters.com | People look at the gate of the northwestern city of Saada, Yemen after a Saudi-led air strike destroyed it, August 23, 2016. REUTERS/Naif Rahma
SANAA At least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's 18-month-old civil war, the United Nations on Tuesday, almost double the estimates of more than 6,000 cited by officials and aid workers for much of 2016.
U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick told a news conference in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa the new figure was based on official information from medical facilities in Yemen. It might rise as some areas had no medical facilities, and people were often buried without any official record being made.
The conflict has displaced three million Yemenis and forced 200,000 people to seek refuge abroad, McGoldrick said.
The United Nations had information that 900,000 of those displaced intended to try to return to their homes, he said.
"This is a big challenge, especially in areas still experiencing conflict," McGoldrick said.
Some 14 million of Yemen's 26 million population need food aid and 7 million are suffering from food insecurity, he said.
(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by William Maclean and Louise Ireland) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-toll-idUSKCN11516W?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/13eb9880408b4ac70998775f52a16a9e4d71b181d24b2d9adffdd6f7dc49d513.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:31 | null | 2016-08-26T12:13:42 | Major international seed companies formed an alliance on Friday to oppose a proposal by India that would force them to share their genetically modified crop technology with local players. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-india-gmo-regulation-idUSKCN11111R.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151152265&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0JR | en | null | Foreign seed firms team up to oppose new India GM crop rules | null | null | www.reuters.com | Monsanto logo is displayed on a screen where the stock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S. on May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
NEW DELHI Major international seed companies formed an alliance on Friday to oppose a proposal by India that would force them to share their genetically modified crop technology with local players.
Executives from the India businesses of Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, Dupont Pioneer and Syngenta, which have formed the alliance, said seed prices should be set by the market rather than by regulation.
The show of solidarity comes after Monsanto, which pioneered the use of GM cotton in India, pulled an application for its next-generation product from the approvals process on concerns over the security of its intellectual property.
An executive from Bayer India said nobody would invest in research if the proposed introduction of compulsory licensing - which would force a company to share its intellectual property if the government so orders - is implemented.
India does not yet allow GM food crops, whose introduction could help reduce heavy import bills for items like edible oils that it needs to feed its huge and growing population. A domestically developed GM mustard product is, however, inching its way through the approvals process.
But political and public opposition to lab-altered food remains strong amid fears that GM crops could compromise food safety and biodiversity.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Mayank Bhardwaj; Writing by Malini Menon; Editing by Douglas Busvine) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-gmo-regulation-idUSKCN11111R | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/b7bd083ac23ca4cd4da44ba9c4706bffd546aacd0c2f8526a6cb3f58a80bfe1b.json |
[
"Seda Sezer"
] | 2016-08-30T20:53:55 | null | 2016-08-30T18:21:05 | With the summer holiday almost over, computer science student Hande Tekiner should be gearing up for a year of cram sessions and late-night homework. Instead, she may have nowhere to return to, as her university was shut after Turkey's failed coup. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-turkey-security-education-idUSKCN1152DN%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DlifestyleMolt.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151622273&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1G3 | en | null | Turkey's post-coup purges shake higher education | null | null | www.reuters.com | The seal is seen on a gate of a girls dormitory which was sealed by Turkish authorities over alleged links to the followers of U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accused of staging a coup attempt in July, in Ankara, Turkey, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A Turkey's national flag hangs on the facade of a girls dormitory which was sealed by Turkish authorities over alleged links to the followers of U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accused of staging a coup attempt in July, in Ankara, Turkey, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
The seal is seen on a gate of a girls dormitory which was sealed by Turkish authorities over alleged links to the followers of U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accused of staging a coup attempt in July, in Ankara, Turkey, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
ISTANBUL With the summer holiday almost over, computer science student Hande Tekiner should be gearing up for a year of cram sessions and late-night homework. Instead, she may have nowhere to return to, as her university was shut after Turkey's failed coup.
Authorities have closed 15 universities and around 1,000 secondary schools linked to Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric blamed for the July 15 attempted putsch. Gulen has denied involvement in the plot and condemned it.
The closures have left about 200,000 students in Turkey in academic limbo, wondering if they can continue their studies and worried about the black mark of a Gulen school on their college record. Tens of thousands of academics and school teachers have also been purged, deepening concern about curtailment of academic freedom and free speech.
"As students at universities that have been shut, we are being victimized, even though those schools were opened with state approval," said Tekiner.
The 23-year-old had been due to start her fourth and final year at Mevlana University in the central city of Konya before the coup. "I have doubts if I will be able to finish my studies," she said.
Tekiner said she and others were harassed on social media, labeled by anonymous accusers as supporters of the coup because they attended Gulen schools.
President Tayyip Erdogan and the government say the cleric's network used the schools to recruit followers who then infiltrated the military, civil service and judiciary. Gulen, who has lived in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies the charges.
Turkey has asked the United States to extradite him but Washington says only a federal court can make that decision. Since the coup, in which at least 240 people died, Turkey has detained about 40,000 people and formally arrested half of them.
Rights groups and some in the West fear Erdogan is using the purges to stifle dissent and tighten his grip on power.
PIOUS MASSES
Until a public falling-out in 2013, Erdogan and Gulen were allies. Erdogan initially saw the cleric as useful in taming the influence of the military and secular elite who had dominated Turkey since the founding of the modern republic.
For years Gulen's followers have run schools across Turkey and as far afield as Africa and the United States, blending Islam with an emphasis on science and interfaith dialogue.
The schools helped to open up higher education to Erdogan's voter base - the pious masses often from poorer regions who were traditionally shut out of elite universities in Istanbul and Ankara.
Erdogan, himself a graduate of a religious school, has fought to bring religious education into the mainstream of constitutionally secular Turkey and worked to overturn a ban on the headscarf in parliament and universities.
But the closure of Gulen schools is troubling for students in towns where there are no other universities. Those from modest backgrounds - and female students from pious families - cannot afford, or may not be allowed, to live away from home.
"The reason I chose my university is to be close to home," said another student from Konya's Mevlana University. "As a girl, my family would never allow me to study in another town."
The Council of Higher Education, known as "YOK" in Turkish, provoked widespread outrage when it said students would be placed at new universities based on exam scores, meaning they could end up at a school on the other side of the country.
It later relented following a number social media campaigns, including one under the hashtag "#YOKbizimagduretme" or "YOK, don't victimize us".
PURGES
Roughly 80,000 people in the military, civil service, and judiciary have been sacked or suspended in the purges. Around half of those have been in education, according to state media.
Teachers' unions and some opposition politicians say authorities are targeting educators based on evidence that is tenuous at best - such as having opened a savings account at Bank Asya, a now defunct lender founded by Gulen's followers.
The government has said the investigations and other measures are necessary to prevent another coup.
But Kamuran Karaca, who heads one of Turkey's biggest teachers' unions, said the wrong people were being targeted. Since the coup, 88 members of his Egitim-Sen union have been suspended.
"All of our members who have been suspended, rather than being supporters of Gulen, are on the contrary people who strive for secular education and a secular life," said Karaca.
"We believe they were blacklisted because they deposited their rent in Bank Asya, or took a loan from it, or a relative took a loan from it."
Gaye Usluer, a lawmaker from the opposition Republican People's Party, criticized what she said was a "sweeping" crackdown that has also harmed people who may be innocent.
Candan Badem, a Marxist historian, was briefly detained for possessing a book by Gulen in his home, his lawyer told Reuters. He was later released. Badem signed an "Academics for Peace" petition this year that criticized military action in the largely Kurdish southeast.
Erdogan denounced the more than 1,000 signatories, which also included U.S. linguist and activist Noam Chomsky, and some Turkish academics were detained over it.
DEFENDING THE PURGE
Several academics and teachers declined to talk to Reuters about the purge, saying they were afraid to go on the record.
"The freedom to communicate and the freedom to collaborate are essential to functioning good science," said Rush Holt of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, who wrote an open letter to Erdogan urging protection of the rights of the scientific community.
The European University Association has said that measures introduced in the wake of coup "go in the wrong direction".
Still, some academics defend the crackdown.
"Nobody knows where this illegal organization starts and where it ends," said Sedat Gumus, an associate professor at Necmettin Erbakan University in central Konya.
"In such a context, suspending many people from their jobs is understandable. In the investigation it will be revealed who was involved to what extent. If there are people who are falsely accused, they should be able to return to their jobs."
(Editing by David Dolan and David Stamp) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-education-idUSKCN1152DN?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/70b9a54ee4ee57c9df8f55fddc2d7235b8c1e3e6c6dde75534b2b2ac328174d3.json |
[
"David Henry"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:04 | null | 2016-08-25T22:27:10 | A consortium of banks holding the majority of U.S. consumer accounts plans to launch its instant, person-to-person payments brand Zelle in the first half of 2017, a spokesman said on Thursday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-banks-payment-usa-idUSKCN1102MX%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DtechnologyNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FtechnologyNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BTechnology%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | U.S. bank group to launch Zelle instant payments brand in 2017 | null | null | www.reuters.com | NEW YORK A consortium of banks holding the majority of U.S. consumer accounts plans to launch its instant, person-to-person payments brand Zelle in the first half of 2017, a spokesman said on Thursday.
The group has posted its logo - which includes a vertical line bisecting the letter "Z" like a backwards dollar sign - on (www.zellepay.com), said Andrew Tilbury, a branding consultant and spokesman hired by the bank consortium, Early Warning Services.
Early Warning operates clearXchange, which earlier this year began connecting banks to allow individuals to send money by email and text message to people with accounts at other banks for their immediate use. In the meantime, the group has been working on its marketing plan.
Zelle is the consortium's response to challenges from Silicon Valley, such as Venmo, a payments app run by PayPal Holdings Inc. Venmo has become popular with young adults making payments to one another for shared expenses, such as rent and lunch tabs.
Banks that are part of clearXchange include Bank of America Corp, Capital One Financial Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co, U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Co.
Tilbury said the brand name Zelle was chosen after considering several names. The banks selected it because it "feels more personal than product-like." He said it has an "approachable personality" that "will help financial institutions create and build relationships."
The choice of the name Zelle was first reported on Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal.
(Editing by Matthew Lewis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-banks-payment-usa-idUSKCN1102MX?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+%28Reuters+Technology+News%29 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/276b8c4158c486d5f37c0a883cd1706b951264e4a613df9c052408200a897917.json |
[
"Lawrence Hurley"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:52 | null | 2016-08-25T17:03:35 | Immigration advocates on Thursday mounted a long-shot effort to revive part of U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to shield millions of immigrants from deportation by filing a lawsuit challenging the national scope of a court order that blocked it. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-court-immigration-idUSKCN11023N%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160825&t=2&i=1151056355&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O1EW | en | null | Lawsuit opens new front in Obama immigration legal fight | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about transportation infrastructure during a visit to the Port of Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. on July 17, 2014. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
WASHINGTON Immigration advocates on Thursday mounted a long-shot effort to revive part of U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to shield millions of immigrants from deportation by filing a lawsuit challenging the national scope of a court order that blocked it.
With favorable court rulings, the lawyers filing the lawsuit say it has the long-term potential to unravel decisions that blocked Obama's November 2014 plan nationwide. The White House program, if it had been fully implemented, could have allowed up to four million people with no legal immigration status to obtain work authorization.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in New York on behalf of Martin Batalla Vidal, 25, an immigrant from Mexico who has lived in the United States since he was seven and has benefited from the program.
He initially received a three-year work authorization, which has now been revoked due to a Texas judge's ruling in February 2015 that blocked Obama's plan. Texas and 25 other states had challenged it.
Vidal would still be eligible for a two-year work authorization under an earlier program, which has not been challenged and was not covered by the injunction.
Vidal's lawyers at the National Immigration Law Center say that if he wins, the ruling could have broad implications because it could help to eventually reinstate Obama's program for up to 60 percent of potential applicants in parts of the country not covered by the Texas ruling.
The Texas judge's ruling was upheld on appeal. On June 23, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on the case, leaving the appeals court decision in place.
The court is currently one justice short following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. The Supreme Court is currently considering whether to rehear the case once it has a full complement of justices.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Alistair Bell) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-immigration-idUSKCN11023N?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/a3a4d07a1abe30a0866ffd9c65a43eee40360d70ce8275723df833e03ec7dfff.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T03:02:01 | null | 2016-08-30T02:40:41 | A former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who confessed to stealing more than $136,000 in seized drug money and spending it on cars and cosmetic surgery for his wife was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-california-fbi-idUSKCN115065%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Former FBI agent gets three years' jail for using drug cash on cars, cosmetic surgery | null | null | www.reuters.com | A former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who confessed to stealing more than $136,000 in seized drug money and spending it on cars and cosmetic surgery for his wife was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday.
Scott Bowman, 45, pleaded guilty in May to charges of conversion of property by a federal employee, obstruction of justice, falsifying records, and witness tampering, according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Bowman was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jesus Bernal in Riverside, California, on Monday. Bernal also ordered Bowman to pay $136,462 in restitution, the Justice Department statement said.
Bowman's attorney, James W. Spertus, said he was disappointed in the sentence.
"Scott Bowman served his country for 18 years and had multiple tours of duty in combat, then had one month of bad judgment as a member of a corrupt task force," Spertus said.
According to a written agreement with prosecutors, Bowman admitted to misappropriating drug money seized by agents during the execution of three search warrants in the summer of 2014.
Bowman further admitted using the money to buy a 2012 Dodge Challenger and 2013 Scion FR-S coupe and to outfit the vehicles with speakers, rims, tires and other equipment, the court documents show.
He also admitted to spending $15,000 on cosmetic surgery for his wife, according to the plea agreement, and put some $10,000 of stolen funds into a new checking account.
The Justice Department said Bowman tried to hide the wrongdoing by falsifying FBI reports and submitting a receipt with a forged signature understating how much money had actually been seized.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in SAN FRANCISCO; Editing by Paul Tait) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-fbi-idUSKCN115065?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/c50ccae96cebb6fddbec56e0e562c45213c799a727da3c5f79e2b0ae75a439e9.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T12:52:03 | null | 2016-08-28T11:41:25 | The head of EDF Energy has urged the British government to approve the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project, an explicit appeal by the French energy giant ahead of a decision due within weeks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-edf-britain-nuclearpower-idUSKCN1130EJ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DenvironmentNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252Fenvironment%2B%2528News%2B%252F%2BUS%2B%252F%2BEnvironment%2529.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160828&t=2&i=1151342742&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R07I | en | null | EDF chief urges Britain to give go-ahead to nuclear plant | null | null | www.reuters.com | Men work at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site near Bridgwater in Britain, August 4, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Staples/File Photo
LONDON The head of EDF Energy has urged the British government to approve the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project, an explicit appeal by the French energy giant ahead of a decision due within weeks.
Prime Minister Theresa May intervened last month to delay the 18 billion pound ($24 billion) project, just hours after it was approved by EDF's board, former cabinet colleague Vince Cable said.
The government says it will make a final decision in the early autumn. Cable said May was concerned about China's involvement, particularly in terms of national security.
The state-owned China General Nuclear Power Corp (CGN) is EDF's partner in building the two new reactors at Hinkley Point, southwest England, which would provide about 7 percent of Britain's electricity.
EDF Energy Chief Executive Vincent de Rivaz said the Chinese, who will provide 6 billion pounds of funding, were a trusted partner with whom the French had worked building two nuclear reactors in China.
"(The Hinckley Point project) brings the benefits of a 30-year partnership between EDF and CGN in nuclear construction in China, a country with the largest civil nuclear program in the world," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.
"We know and trust our Chinese partners."
Addressing security concerns, he said all staff on nuclear projects were rigorously vetted and the control systems at Hinkley Point would be isolated from IT systems and the internet.
EDF and its partners have agreed to fund the new stations, and in return Britain has committed to paying a minimum price for the power generated for 35 years. Critics say the price, around double current market levels, is too high.
But de Rivaz said it was fair.
"Hinkley Point C is competitive with all other future energy options, even including fossil fuels like gas when the cost of carbon is taken into account," he said.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-edf-britain-nuclearpower-idUSKCN1130EJ?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f5f9e77e506a75f47899ebfb599b6a29b02782a4d899de9a6245b0a9a8c7f4bf.json |
[
"Kathryn Doyle"
] | 2016-08-30T16:53:03 | null | 2016-08-30T16:18:10 | By Kathryn Doyle(Reuters Health) - People who have had gallstone disease are more likely than others to develop coronary heart disease, according to | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-gallstones-heart-disease-idUSKCN11525M%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | History of gallstones may signal higher risk of heart disease | null | null | www.reuters.com | (Reuters Health) - People who have had gallstone disease are more likely than others to develop coronary heart disease, according to a large analysis of past studies.
Hardened deposits known as gallstones form in the gallbladder when the bile contains too much cholesterol or other abnormal substances, and while the cause is not fully understood, factors like obesity, high-calorie diets and metabolic syndrome are associated with gallstone risk.
The same factors increase the risk for coronary heart disease, which kills 370,000 Americans per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Several previous studies have suggested a potential link between gallstones and cardiovascular disease,” said senior author Dr. Lu Qi, professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans. “Our study provides the first consistent evidence in a U.S. population.”
There are more than three million cases of gallstones in the U.S. each year, according to the National Institutes of Health. If they cause pain the whole organ can be surgically removed.
The researchers combined the results of seven U.S. studies including more than 800,000 people and 51,000 cases of coronary heart disease – defined in the studies as heart attack or having a procedure to clear a blocked artery to the heart.
Six percent of women and 3 percent of men had a history of gallstones. These people tended to be older, were more often smokers or regular aspirin users, were less physically active, had a higher body mass index and more often had a history of high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol than others, according to the results in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
After adjusting for the common heart disease risk factors, as well as age, lifestyle and other factors, researchers found that people with a history of gallstones had a 23 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease compared to others.
“Our study is observational in nature,” Qi said, which can’t determine cause and effect. “Further investigations are needed to demonstrate whether the observed relation is causal.”
Obesity, diabetes, being female, and eating foods high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber all increase the risk of gallstones, which affects up to 25 percent of adults in the Western world, Qi said.
Patients with gallstones should be monitored closely based on a careful assessment of gallstone and heart disease risk factors, Qi said.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2b9uv3z Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, online August 18, 2016. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-gallstones-heart-disease-idUSKCN11525M?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/ecc3090eba83e1ce3e11cbe77433de92ffbaaefbc147d8e4a22ca7d7f4b4a576.json |
[
"Jonathan Stempel",
"Nate Raymond"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:46 | null | 2016-08-25T22:09:34 | Sheldon Silver, former speaker of the New York State Assembly, can stay free on bail while he appeals his corruption conviction, a Manhattan federal judge ruled on Thursday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-new-york-corruption-silver-idUSKCN1102HA%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160825&t=2&i=1151080066&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O1KB | en | null | Judge lets ex-NY assembly speaker Silver stay free during appeal | null | null | www.reuters.com | Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver exits the Manhattan U.S. District Courthouse in New York City, U.S., May 3, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
NEW YORK Sheldon Silver, former speaker of the New York State Assembly, can stay free on bail while he appeals his corruption conviction, a Manhattan federal judge ruled on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said Silver raised a "substantial question" of law as to whether she instructed his jury properly, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's subsequent overturning of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's corruption conviction.
Caproni ruled three weeks after another Manhattan judge, also citing McDonnell, said former New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam could stay free while they appeal corruption convictions.
The convictions of Silver, a Democrat, and Skelos, a Republican, have been the biggest wins in U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's campaign against public corruption.
Bharara's office, which opposed continuing Silver's bail, declined comment.
Once among New York's most powerful politicians, Silver, 72, represented Manhattan's Lower East Side and was assembly speaker from 1994 to 2015.
He is appealing his November conviction and 12-year prison sentence for fraud, extortion and money laundering. Silver had been scheduled to begin his prison sentence on Aug. 31.
Prosecutors accused Silver of collecting close to $4 million of illegal fees for awarding state grants to a prominent cancer researcher and steering two real estate developers to a friend's law firm and supporting their interests on rent legislation.
In the McDonnell case, the Supreme Court narrowed the definition of what could justify a corruption prosecution, saying routine political activities such as arranging meetings or reaching out to public officials generally were not "official acts."
Prosecutors argued that the McDonnell case, decided June 27, had nothing to do with Silver's, and that any error in Caproni's jury instructions was harmless.
The judge partially agreed, calling Silver's case "factually almost nothing like McDonnell," and saying there was "no question" he undertook official acts.
But she said her jury charge omitted "key language" from the McDonnell case's definition of an official act and it was a "close question" whether its absence was harmless.
Silver's lawyers Steven Molo and Joel Cohen said they were "grateful" for the decision and look forward to Silver's appeal.
Caproni spared Silver most of a $1.75 million fine, saying he would suffer irreparable harm if forced to sell two homes and liquidate a retirement account.
She ordered him to pay $5,846 monthly on the fine, and extended a freeze on assets he may be required to forfeit.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Andrew Hay) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-corruption-silver-idUSKCN1102HA?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f53900176d5928f1ab369a94c647b0155463b3637b1d98daabae3c6db01a7116.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:53 | null | 2016-08-26T04:42:44 | Blood-testing company Theranos Inc said it plans to appeal the sanctions imposed by a U.S. regulator last month on one of its labs alleging its practices jeopardized patient health and safety. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-theranos-cms-idUSKCN1110A1%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Theranos to appeal regulatory sanctions on its lab | null | null | www.reuters.com | Blood-testing company Theranos Inc said it plans to appeal the sanctions imposed by a U.S. regulator last month on one of its labs alleging its practices jeopardized patient health and safety.
Theranos has filed a notice of intent to appeal sanctions imposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the company's lab in Newark, California, the privately held company said late Thursday.
Theranos was not conducting any patient testing at the Newark lab and has taken measures including enhancing clinical policies and procedures and revamping training programs, to rectify the issues CMS identified, it said in a statement.
CMS revoked a key certificate for the lab in July and terminated the facility's approval to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments for all services.
Medicare is the government's medical insurance program for the elderly, while Medicaid is for the poor.
The sanctions, which also include an unspecified monetary penalty, came six months after the regulator sent a scathing letter to the company criticizing its practices.
The Palo Alto, California-based company ran into trouble after the Wall Street Journal published a series of articles beginning October that suggested its devices were flawed.
Theranos was founded by CEO Elizabeth Holmes in 2003 to develop a blood-testing device that would deliver quicker results using only a drop of blood.
(Reporting by Vishal Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-theranos-cms-idUSKCN1110A1?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/02a09349d0e5d853fc5ef41920c80d0965f77e919fc2211942fc3c396edc01d6.json |
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