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[
"Alicia Powell"
] | 2016-08-26T13:16:25 | null | 2016-08-24T03:03:26 | Actor Robert De Niro has re-entered the ring in the new boxing drama film "Hands of Stone." | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-film-hands-of-stone-premiere-idUSKCN10Y26Z%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DpeopleNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160824&t=2&i=1150804501&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7N02R | en | null | Robert De Niro gets back into the ring with 'Hands of Stone' | null | null | www.reuters.com | Cast member Robert De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower de Niro pose on the red carpet as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Hands of stone' out of competition at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 16, 2016. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Cast members Robert De Niro (C), Edgar Ramirez (R) and Usher Raymond IV pose during a photocall for the film 'Hands of stone' out of competition at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 16, 2016. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Actor Robert De Niro has re-entered the ring in the new boxing drama film "Hands of Stone."
But this time, he's not the one throwing the punches, he's training famed Panamanian fighter Roberto Duran, portrayed by Edgar Ramirez.
Following a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the film celebrated its upcoming release on the red carpet at a New York premiere on Monday evening.
De Niro, 73, who won an Oscar for the boxing movie "Raging Bull" in 1981, plays Duran's trainer Ray Arcel.
Singer Usher takes on Duran's rival as Sugar Ray Leonard and also provided the film's theme track.
"For every great movie there is a song. For every great moment there's a song," said Usher. "Music is the greatest communicator of emotion and time."
Although the film is centered around the life and career of Duran, 65, the film's star said the sport is just the context.
"It could have been golf, it doesn't matter," said Ramirez. "It's a human story, a universal story," .
Cuban actress Ana de Armas, who has the role of Duran's wife, spoke to Ramirez's point, opining that the film is rooted in love.
"This movie isn't only about boxing, it's a beautiful love story. When people see, they'll understand how important Felicidad is in Duran's life," she said.
"Hands of Stone" will be released in U.S. theaters on August 26.
(Reporting by Alicia Powell in New York; Editing by Melissa Fares and Dan Grebler) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-hands-of-stone-premiere-idUSKCN10Y26Z?feedType=RSS&feedName=peopleNews | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e36582cb15a4b33c299c2dc2516248adcf439baf715c5039bc3ad6c671a27781.json |
[
"Christophe Van Der Perre",
"Edgar Su"
] | 2016-08-29T08:52:33 | null | 2016-08-29T07:51:46 | Officials sprayed insecticide and cleared drains of stagnant water in residential areas of Singapore at high risk of further Zika infections on Monday after 41 locally transmitted cases were confirmed in the city state. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-zika-singapore-idUSKCN1140LL%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/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151416628&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0AU | en | null | Singapore mass sprays residences as Zika expected to spread | null | null | www.reuters.com | A National Environment Agency officer informs residents as a worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A general view of the Sims Urban Oasis condominium construction site where work has stopped after 37 workers there were tested positive for Zika virus since May, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A National Environment Agency officer and a worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
SINGAPORE Officials sprayed insecticide and cleared drains of stagnant water in residential areas of Singapore at high risk of further Zika infections on Monday after 41 locally transmitted cases were confirmed in the city state.
Workers wearing fumigation masks traveled methodically through high-rise public housing estates in seven separate areas of the island, inspecting plant pots closely as they sprayed insecticide via thermal fogging machines.
The health ministry on Saturday confirmed Singapore's first locally-transmitted case of Zika, with the tally rising to 41 just a day later. All of the infected people were either residents of the Aljunied district or workers at a construction site owned by GuocoLand in the area.
"We expect to identify more positive cases," the ministry said on Monday in its latest update on the outbreak.
"Given that the majority of Zika cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and mosquitoes in the affected areas may already have been infected, isolation of positive cases may have limited effect to managing the spread," it added.
Singapore, a major regional financial center and busy transit hub, which maintains a constant vigil against the mosquito-borne dengue virus, reported its first case of the Zika virus in May, brought in by a middle-aged man who had been to Brazil.
GuocoLand, which is headquartered in Singapore and has developments across Asia, was ordered on Saturday to stop work on the building site where 36 of the infected people worked. It will remain closed until the company rectifies the conditions that allowed mosquitoes to breed and steps up preventative measures, the health ministry said.
The Zika virus, carried by mosquitoes, 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 1,600 cases of microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday it did not know "which lineage of Zika is circulating" in Singapore or "what the level of population immunity is to this lineage of Zika in Asia."
Singapore's health ministry said some 19 mosquito breeding habitats were detected and destroyed in its first sweep of the Aljunied area on Sunday when it fumigated around a third of the 6,000 homes.
"I feel afraid," said Ng Kai Yee, an 18-year-old female student who lives near the construction site believed to be a source of the outbreak. "I heard quite a lot about how harmful Zika virus is to girls, especially pregnant women."
Authorities have urged those living and working in the risk areas, especially pregnant women, to monitor their health and seek medical attention if they are unwell.
Of the 41 people known to have been infected, 34 have already fully recovered. Only the first case reported was a woman.
(Writing and additional reporting by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Jane Wardell; Graphic by Jessica Wang) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-singapore-idUSKCN1140LL?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/c5ce48dd76a2d7eacde8ebd9c538126212dabee58a02e073ef86883838f73c8e.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T10:52:27 | null | 2016-08-30T10:37:17 | Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) reported on Tuesday third-quarter earnings that were ahead of market expectations, driven by growth in its domestic and international banking businesses. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-scotiabank-results-idUSKCN11514F.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151559706&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0IV | en | null | Scotiabank third-quarter earnings beat market expectations | null | null | www.reuters.com | TORONTO Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) reported on Tuesday third-quarter earnings that were ahead of market expectations, driven by growth in its domestic and international banking businesses.
Canada's third-biggest lender reported earnings per share of C$1.55, up from C$1.46 the year before. Analysts had on average expected earnings of C$1.48 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The bank benefited from a decline in funds set aside to cover bad loans to energy companies, with a partial recovery in the price of oil helping borrowers pay back loans.
Its provision for credit losses declined by C$181 million from the last quarter.
"The majority of the decline related to lower losses in the energy sector, which is consistent with our previously stated expectations that energy losses had peaked during the last quarter," said Chief Executive Brian Porter.
Rivals Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO), Toronto-Dominion (TD.TO), Bank of Montreal BM.TO and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM.TO) all reported results that beat market expectations last week.
(Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Mark Potter) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-scotiabank-results-idUSKCN11514F | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/652e8a35c46f253df60170f5d9d4cb1b0473288e28512e80fe6ba763be0140bd.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T21:04:27 | null | 2016-08-27T19:48:43 | Yemen's Saudi-backed exiled government said on Saturday it welcomed a plan agreed by the United States, Gulf Arab states and the United Nations to restart peace talks with a goal of forming a unity government. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-yemen-security-idUSKCN1120QT%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=20160827&t=2&i=1151297840&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q0KX | en | null | Yemen's exiled government welcomes U.S. plan for restart of peace talks | null | null | www.reuters.com | An armed man loyal to the Houthi movement holds his weapon as he gathers to protest against the Saudi-backed exiled government deciding to cut off the Yemeni central bank from the outside world, in the capital Sanaa, Yemen August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
ABU DHABI Yemen's Saudi-backed exiled government said on Saturday it welcomed a plan agreed by the United States, Gulf Arab states and the United Nations to restart peace talks with a goal of forming a unity government.
U.N.-sponsored negotiations to end 18 months of fighting in the impoverished country on Saudi Arabia's southern border collapsed this month and the dominant Iran-allied Houthi movement there resumed shelling attacks into the kingdom.
In talks in Jeddah this week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the conflict in which Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in favor of the exiled government had gone on too long and needed to end.
On Saturday, a statement from the exiled government carried by the Saba news agency said: "The government is prepared to deal positively with any peaceful solutions...including an initial welcoming of the ideas resulting from the meeting in Jeddah that included the foreign secretaries of the U.S.,the United Kingdom and Gulf states."
The Houthis are yet to respond to the proposal.
Kerry said on Thursday the Houthis must cease shelling across the border with Saudi Arabia, pull back from the capital Sanaa, cede their weapons and enter into a unity government with their domestic foes.
Yemen's internationally recognized government, based in Saudi Arabia, has made similar demands but insisted that the Houthis fulfill all those measures before any new government was formed. However Kerry suggested they could move ahead in parallel.
The Yemen war has killed more than 6,500 people and displaced some 3 million.
Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, has come under stiff criticism from rights groups for air strikes that have repeatedly killed civilians in Yemen.
The United Nations human rights office said in report on Thursday that the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for 60 percent of the 3,799 civilians killed in the war.
(Reporting By Maha El Dahan; Editing by Ros Russell) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-idUSKCN1120QT?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/a2e295667cd5b36461447add8405125a34a6e2fcfb32901363288272fe1f33ac.json |
[
"Jonathan Stempel"
] | 2016-08-26T18:51:12 | null | 2016-08-26T17:57:23 | A federal judge on Friday granted a request by Uber Technologies Inc and its chief executive officer to put a passenger's price-fixing lawsuit against them on hold, while they appeal his refusal to let them arbitrate the dispute. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-uber-lawsuit-pricefixing-idUSKCN11121H.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151197931&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P1AA | en | null | Uber wins halt to N.Y. price-fixing lawsuit during appeal | null | null | www.reuters.com | An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign September 15, 2014. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/Illustration/File Photo
NEW YORK A federal judge on Friday granted a request by Uber Technologies Inc and its chief executive officer to put a passenger's price-fixing lawsuit against them on hold, while they appeal his refusal to let them arbitrate the dispute.
Calling his decision a "close call," U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said the defendants had not made a "strong showing" that their appeal would likely succeed, though they would face irreparable harm if arbitration were wrongfully denied.
But he said the appeals court could clarify whether Spencer Meyer, the Connecticut plaintiff, and others like him consent to arbitration when they buy services subject to conditions in "clickwrap" and "browsewrap" agreements found online.
In his proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit, Meyer said Uber and CEO Travis Kalanick violated antitrust laws by conspiring with drivers to charge high "surge-pricing" fares during periods of heavy demand. Uber takes a share of drivers' earnings.
On July 29, Rakoff denied Uber's request for arbitration, saying Meyer never agreed to it and the San Francisco-based company did not properly notify him about its policies.
Meyer opposed delaying his case while Uber appealed that ruling.
"We look forward to defending Judge Rakoff's decision and having this matter returned to the district court," Brian Feldman, a lawyer for Meyer, said in an email.
Uber and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The company faces several lawsuits over its pricing and its treatment of drivers, and often tries to keep such disputes away from courthouses.
On Aug. 18, a federal judge in San Francisco voided Uber's $100 million settlement with drivers who claimed they were employees rather than independent contractors, and entitled to recoup costs such as gas and vehicle maintenance. The judge said that accord was not fair, reasonable or adequate.
The case is Meyer et al v. Kalanick et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-09796.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-lawsuit-pricefixing-idUSKCN11121H | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/df68dd8e17ba5c4620742549c6b852dbfe54bfc357a3395cd2f52fbbd5f7dac3.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T18:51:29 | null | 2016-08-28T18:22:26 | Ride-hailing companies Uber and Careem have suspended services in Abu Dhabi, thecapital of the United Arab Emirates, since Saturday and do notknow when they can resume operations, they said on Sunday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Femirates-uber-idUSL8N1B90NM%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 | UPDATE 1-Uber, Careem suspend services in UAE capital | null | null | www.reuters.com | (Adds reports of drivers arrested)
ABU DHABI Aug 28 Ride-hailing companies Uber and Careem have suspended services in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, since Saturday and do not know when they can resume operations, they said on Sunday.
The National, a UAE newspaper, quoted unnamed sources as saying that as many as 50 drivers for Uber and Careem had been arrested.
An Abu Dhabi source familiar with the situation told Reuters some drivers had been detained over violations of regulations, but did not specify how many drivers or describe the violations.
"This is a temporary suspension and we will let you know of any further updates," an Uber spokesman in Dubai said via email. He did not respond to questions about the arrests or the reason for the suspension of services.
Christian Eid, vice-president of marketing and communications for Careem, a Dubai-based company, said many of its drivers were being stopped by authorities in Abu Dhabi, apparently over licensing issues, and as a result had become nervous and were staying off the roads. This had forced Careem to halt services there, he said.
The Abu Dhabi government's Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars, which manages the taxi and transport sector, did not respond to queries. The centre oversees about seven taxi operators and 18 limousine operators, some of which are partly government-owned. Abu Dhabi police did not respond to requests for comment.
Uber and Careem said they had not suspended operations in neighbouring Dubai, the commercial and tourist hub of the UAE. The emirate of Abu Dhabi has a population of about 2.8 million and Dubai has roughly 2.5 million.
Uber, which launched services in Abu Dhabi in 2013, said last year that the Middle East and North Africa contained some of its fastest-growing markets and that it planned to invest $250 million to expand in the region. (Reporting by Stanley Carvalho and Celine Aswad; Editing by Andrew Torchia and Susan Thomas) | http://www.reuters.com/article/emirates-uber-idUSL8N1B90NM?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/309f4039b1924516d0bf07be25330d3dda1ad06e4cbfc7f7b89544e48552dba1.json |
[
"Elizabeth Piper"
] | 2016-08-31T11:05:06 | null | 2016-08-31T10:25:44 | After a summer of political earthquakes followed by a few weeks of holiday calm, Prime Minister Theresa May will meet members of her government on Wednesday to discuss how Britain is to leave the European Union. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-britain-eu-idUSKCN1152WC%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=20160831&t=2&i=1151664189&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U03B | en | null | British PM May gathers ministers to hear views on Brexit | null | null | www.reuters.com | Britain's Prime Minister, Theresa May, speaks to the media outside number 10 Downing Street, in central London, Britain July 13, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
LONDON After a summer of political earthquakes followed by a few weeks of holiday calm, Prime Minister Theresa May will meet members of her government on Wednesday to discuss how Britain is to leave the European Union.
It will be the first time that May, appointed in July after David Cameron resigned following Britain's vote to quit the EU, has met her ministers since she asked them to use the break to come up with options for the country's future relationship with the bloc after a divorce.
For many in the EU, it is not before time. Despite giving May breathing space to devise a negotiating stance before triggering the exit procedure, they are keen for Britain to begin the talks and end uncertainty that has hurt investment.
"Before the summer the PM charged all cabinet ministers with identifying the opportunities in their respective areas of responsibility," a government spokeswoman said.
"On Wednesday ... the new team will report back, and discuss the next steps in the negotiations," she said of the meeting at May's official residence at Chequers.
"Once the PM has made a decision she will expect the cabinet to deliver on it."
May has said she will not trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon treaty to start the exit procedure until next year so that she can have time to make sure she has the best chance of winning best deal for Britain, her spokesman said.
The former interior minister, described as "utterly intractable" by a Cameron ally, will ask parliament for its views, but does not legally require its approval.
Her aides are clear that her decision will overcome any divergence of views in her cabinet, which like the wider ruling Conservative Party, is divided over the degree of Brexit - whether Britain should leave the EU's single market to ensure control over migration or find some compromise.
BALANCE
May has stacked her three ministries for Brexit, trade and foreign affairs with some of the most active campaigners for Britain to leave the EU.
But she has balanced them by appointing to vital positions lawmakers who campaigned for Britain to remain in the bloc, such as Philip Hammond at the finance ministry, or Treasury.
The Telegraph newspaper reported that the two sides have disagreed over Hammond's view that access to the single market could be maintained "on a sector-by-sector basis", with Britain retaining a favorable status for its big financial sector.
Asked whether that was Hammond's stance, the Treasury declined to comment.
If it was, that would go against so-called Brexit minister David Davis, who heads the new Department for Exiting the European Union, and trade minister Liam Fox. Citing senior government sources, the Telegraph said both believe Britain can only curb migration if the country leaves the single market.
On Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande seemed to back up that point, underlining that Britain could not opt in to certain parts of the single market without upholding the EU's four freedoms, including freedom of movement.
"This choice means that Britain, once it leaves, cannot take part in European decisions," he told an annual gathering of French ambassadors in Paris.
"It will not be able to access the single market unless its accepts the four freedoms, all its regulation and budgetary solidarity."
(Additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Andrew Roche) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-idUSKCN1152WC?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/9847ad006519a91186b222b07f94cee479c1e4b839aa588a7c5467e5f2b2bc49.json |
[
"Michelle Nichols"
] | 2016-08-30T21:03:08 | null | 2016-08-30T20:02:44 | The U.N. Security Council began talks on Tuesday on whether to impose sanctions on people or entities linked to two chlorine gas attacks on civilians that the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog blamed on the Syrian government. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons-idUSKCN1152M8%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://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151631836&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1J1 | en | null | Talks start at U.N. on possible Syria sanctions over gas attacks | null | null | www.reuters.com | A civilian breathes through an oxygen mask at al-Quds hospital, after a hospital and a civil defence group said a gas, what they believed to be chlorine, was dropped alongside barrel bombs on a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo, Syria, early August 11, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail
UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council began talks on Tuesday on whether to impose sanctions on people or entities linked to two chlorine gas attacks on civilians that the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog blamed on the Syrian government.
A year-long U.N. and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry, unanimously authorized by the 15-member Security Council, also found that Islamic State militants used sulfur mustard gas.
"It is incumbent on the council to act swiftly to show that when we put that Joint Investigative Mechanism in place we were serious about there being meaningful accountability," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said on Tuesday.
"I can't specify or get ahead of where the council's going to be," she said on her way in to the closed-door meeting.
The report's results set the stage for a Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain and France over how to respond to the report.
"The sorts of things we will be looking at are the imposition of a sanctions regime and some form of accountability within international legal mechanisms," said British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he is prepared to work with the United States on a response, but that first the council members must exchange analysis on Tuesday of the report, which he has described as very complicated.
Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Moscow and Washington. The Security Council backed that deal with a resolution that said in the event of non-compliance, "including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone" in Syria, it would impose measures under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
Chapter 7 deals with sanctions and authorization of military force by the Security Council. The body would need to adopt another resolution to impose targeted sanctions - a travel ban and asset freeze - on people or entities linked to the attacks.
"We need a resolution and we need a resolution with teeth," said French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday.
However, Russia, a close Syrian ally, and China have previously protected the Syrian government from council action by blocking several resolutions, including a bid to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons-idUSKCN1152M8?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/c3622cf087799e3d867f520263ef704098180ad18b1e02ffe14f4ed375d281a2.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T08:51:19 | null | 2016-08-30T08:20:31 | Japan's transport ministry on Tuesday said that Mitsubishi Motors Corp (7211.T) had overstated the fuel economy for eight additional models, and ordered the Japanese automaker to correct its readings. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mitsubishimotors-scandal-idUSKCN1150PL%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=1151545045&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0BO | en | null | Japan government: Mitsubishi Motors overstated fuel economy on eight more models | null | null | www.reuters.com | The company logo of Mitsubishi Motors is seen at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, August 2, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
TOKYO Japan's transport ministry on Tuesday said that Mitsubishi Motors Corp (7211.T) had overstated the fuel economy for eight additional models, and ordered the Japanese automaker to correct its readings.
The announcement comes after Mitsubishi in April said it had falsified the fuel economy on two of its mini vehicle models, along with two similar models produced for Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T).
The admission led to a suspension of sales of the four models for nearly three months, and prompted a slump in Mitsubishi's market value. The company sought financial assistance from Nissan, which agreed to buy a controlling one-third stake for $2.2 billion.
(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Christopher Cushing) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mitsubishimotors-scandal-idUSKCN1150PL?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/aa9608b2fcde7eb269dddb2b2aa8039b052b2d21b091c467ddecedb1d54fc6e5.json |
[
"Giulia Segreti"
] | 2016-08-29T12:53:37 | null | 2016-08-29T10:54:20 | The basilica of Saint Benedict in the medieval town of Norcia swayed but held up last week when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake rocked mountainous central Italy. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-italy-quake-protection-idUSKCN11411A%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DlifestyleMolt.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151431697&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0H7 | en | null | Italy's vulnerable beauty lacks funds and attention against earthquakes | null | null | www.reuters.com | ROME The basilica of Saint Benedict in the medieval town of Norcia swayed but held up last week when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake rocked mountainous central Italy.
Just 24 km (15 miles) away in Amatrice, which used to bill itself as the town of 100 churches, the historic center was flattened and not a single holy place escaped undamaged.
The fact that a town in the main quake zone was largely unscathed while others have been crushed might have a lot to do with the vagaries of seismic shocks, which can bring disproportionate damage depending on land formation.
But it might also be because picture-postcard Norcia has consistently invested in anti-seismic protection for its ancient buildings, while its less famous neighbors have not.
Norcia represents the exception, not the rule in Italy, where the majority of buildings were constructed more than a century ago, well before anti-seismic norms were introduced. The question is whether the heavily indebted country has the will and the money to safeguard all its homes and cultural treasures.
Italy is home to more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other nation, with architectural and artistic masterpieces ranging from Greek and Roman remains to the frescoes of the late Mediaeval painter Giotto and residences or "palazzi" of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
But it is also an active seismic zone, experiencing 36 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 and above since 1900. Almost every one has brought death and destruction, with nearly 300 people dying in the latest disaster.
Such tragedies inevitably trigger rounds of recriminations about why successive governments haven't done more to defend Italians' lives and heritage.
"We should get to the churches, monuments and palazzi before the quakes do, but we always end up chasing them," says Paolo Clemente from Italy's multidisciplinary research center ENEA. "If everything is left as it is, our cultural heritage is destined to die...".
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, like other leaders before him, has promised a renewed push to bolster the flimsy earthquake defenses and met the celebrated Italian architect Renzo Piano on Sunday to help devise a national prevention plan.
But like many Italians, Renzi has a fatalistic streak.
"It's illusory to think you can control everything," he said last Thursday. "It's hard to imagine that (this disaster) could have been avoided simply using different building technology. We're talking about towns dating back to the Middle Ages."
RED TAPE
Many experts disagree, saying Italy's towns and cities can be protected so long as you have a very deep pocket.
"It is possible to reconcile (artistic) beauty with security when you have money," said Caterina Bon Valsassina, Italy's director general of cultural heritage, arts and landscape. "Once we were rich, but we aren't anymore."
Some 40 billion euros ($45 billion) would be needed to secure Italy's public buildings, according to the National Engineers' Association. The bill would go up to 360 billion euros to upgrade all the building stock, the country's employers association Confindustria estimates.
Italy has the largest debt mountain in the European Union as a proportion of its output after Greece, and its economy has barely grown in the last 17 years. This means there is very little money for major new budget items, such as nationwide earthquake-proofing.
Government adviser Mauro Grassi says Italy should spend 4 billion euros a year for the next 20 years on disaster prevention programs, arguing that this is roughly what the country is spending now on disaster response and reconstruction.
But even if it did, there is no guarantee it would be spent wisely, with corruption, bureaucracy, shoddy workmanship and organized crime all lurking in the shadows.
Amatrice's main school was reopened in 2012 after the local authorities spent 700,000 euros on a refurbishment, including anti-seismic protection. It now lies in ruins.
"If these buildings had been constructed like they are in Japan, then they would not have collapsed," prosecutor Giuseppe Saieva, who is leading an inquiry into why so many buildings collapsed last week, told la Repubblica newspaper.
The reconstruction effort in L'Aquila, a 13th century city walloped by an earthquake in 2009, is still many years from completion. Seven building contractors were arrested in 2014 on allegations they were working with the Mafia.
Other delays have been caused by often bewildering red tape that would surely snarl any significant campaign to retrofit buildings with anti-seismic protection.
A recently introduced code for assigning public work contracts includes 220 norms. It is designed to root out graft but local authorities say it is a tangled nightmare to follow.
PRIORITIES
Ironically, not all the money that is currently offered by the government to encourage individuals to safeguard their property is used, partly because of bureaucracy.
Following the L'Aquila calamity, the government earmarked almost 1 billion euros for earthquake programs, but only 700 million euros have been committed to defined projects.
In Amatrice, the local region said funds could be spent only on primary residences, despite the fact that many of the properties were secondary, holiday homes. A town clerk then forgot to put in the applications for the handful of local people who had applied for help, missing the deadline.
Experts say that in Italy's old towns and villages, where houses are often crammed together around small squares and narrow lanes, everyone has to retrofit their homes to make it worthwhile. An earthquake proof house can survive a bad tremor only for an unproofed house to collapse into it and destroy it.
With limited resources, working out priorities is tough.
About 500 hospitals and 28,000 schools in at-risk areas do not have anti-seismic cover. Many of Italy's 51 UNESCO heritage sites are found in earthquake zones, such as the central hill town of Assisi, which was badly damaged in a 1997 quake.
It also has 6,000 sites of historical or artistic interest.
"Some hamlets might not have Giotto frescoes, but they are the expression of the beauty and culture of Italy. It is a complex beauty to protect...," says Fabio Carapezza Guttuso, a top manager of the Italian Culture Ministry.
However, the experience of Norcia shows protection is possible, with the small town upgrading its defenses in response to a 1979 earthquake that killed five and left 2,000 homeless.
Although the town's famed Monastery of St. Benedict was damaged on Wednesday, it did not collapse. Nor did any other building within Norcia's ancient walls.
"Since the earthquake that hit the valley in 1979, the mayors and the community have worked hard to spend public funds well in order to become resilient," Norcia mayor Nicola Alemanno told Reuters. "Prevention is an investment for the long-run."
($1 = 0.8932 euros)
(Editing by Crispian Balmer and David Stamp) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-quake-protection-idUSKCN11411A?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/4dfbd016ba4bd6ba0cc856459796ec500428fe2729c15c72ee5bf89af8096156.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T16:59:23 | null | 2016-08-28T16:26:19 | A former top adviser to President Barack Obama on Sunday labeled Donald Trump a "psychopath", saying the Republican presidential nominee met the clinical definition of the personality disorder. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-election-plouffe-psychopath-idUSKCN1130Q4%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=1151359519&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R0FS | en | null | Former Obama aide calls Trump a 'psychopath' | null | null | www.reuters.com | Then White House senior adviser David Plouffe walks to the Marine One helicopter to depart with U.S. President Barack Obama for a day trip to Ohio and New York, from the White House in Washington, June 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON A former top adviser to President Barack Obama on Sunday labeled Donald Trump a "psychopath", saying the Republican presidential nominee met the clinical definition of the personality disorder.
With a little more than two months to go before the Nov. 8 U.S. election, the comments by David Plouffe, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama and manager of his 2008 presidential campaign, mark another escalation in a series of blows exchanged between Trump's camp and that of his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.
"Basically, you have a psychopath running for president. I mean, he meets the clinical definition," Plouffe said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press".
When challenged, Plouffe acknowledged he had no degree in psychology but rattled off what he said were the New York businessman's symptoms: "grandiose notion of self-worth; pathological lying; lack of empathy and remorse."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Clinton accused Trump of fueling America's "radical fringe" with racist rhetoric, while Trump said Clinton was letting down black Americans with failed policies and called her a "bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings."
Obama has also lambasted Trump, saying of him: "Somebody who makes those kinds of statements doesn't have the judgment, the temperament, the understanding to occupy the most powerful position in the world."
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-plouffe-psychopath-idUSKCN1130Q4?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/26683d551f5a46a093110490f083e0c20f32c4acdd5f4da921f0f16865acea71.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T10:52:34 | null | 2016-08-29T10:28:33 | Mylan NV (MYL.O) said on Monday it would launch the first generic to its allergy auto-injector EpiPen at a discount of more than 50 percent to the branded product's list price. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mylan-nl-pricing-idUSKCN1140YF%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/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151429343&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0FS | en | null | Mylan to launch first generic to EpiPen allergy injection | null | null | www.reuters.com | EpiPen auto-injection epinephrine pens manufactured by Mylan NV pharmaceutical company for use by severe allergy sufferers are seen in Washington, U.S. August 24, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo
Mylan NV (MYL.O) said on Monday it would launch the first generic to its allergy auto-injector EpiPen at a discount of more than 50 percent to the branded product's list price.
This company reduced the out-of-pocket costs of EpiPen for some patients last week amid a wave of criticism from lawmakers and the public over the rapid escalation in the product's price in the past few years.
Mylan said it expects to launch the generic product "in several weeks" at a list price of $300 per generic EpiPen, compared with the branded product's cost of about $600.
(Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mylan-nl-pricing-idUSKCN1140YF?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/09f4ebf3c3415becf02d83faa000c497cab1c3945c2061b47ddb6f933442aea8.json |
[
"Koh Gui Qing"
] | 2016-08-30T10:51:13 | null | 2016-08-30T09:34:43 | Some U.S. private equity firms are courting their biggest and savviest investors with privileged access to special fee-saving deals without telling other investors, according to people involved in buyout firms' fundraising. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-privateequity-coinvestments-idUSKCN1150V9%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=20160830&t=2&i=1151552107&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0EH | en | null | Buyout firms' hushed deals with top investors risk SECs' ire | null | null | www.reuters.com | The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission logo adorns an office door at the SEC headquarters in Washington, June 24, 2011. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
NEW YORKSome U.S. private equity firms are courting their biggest and savviest investors with privileged access to special fee-saving deals without telling other investors, according to people involved in buyout firms' fundraising.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has signaled its interest in overseeing such deals after fining several private equity firms in recent months for improper disclosure of fees.
The so-called co-investments allow institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds to invest in target companies, both through the fund and directly without incurring some of the usual management and performance fees, which can translate into millions of dollars of savings.
Due to the big discount in fees, co-investments are popular among investors, and some buyout funds are giving their largest and most sophisticated investors a chance to participate in them before their peers without telling smaller investors about such arrangements.
However, keeping smaller investors in the dark about the way the deals are awarded risk scrutiny from the SEC, say private equity lawyers.
Any omission of "material facts" that may alter an investor's decision to invest in a fund violates rule "10b-5" of the Exchange Act, a person familiar with the SEC's thinking said. Information about the distribution of co-investment deals is likely to be considered "material", the person said.
Given the confidentiality of the arrangements, and the fact that some agreements are not even in writing, it is difficult for the SEC to spot infractions unless alerted by a whistleblower, the person said.
The SEC declined to comment for this story. Last year, however, the regulator called on the private equity industry to adopt a "robust and detailed" co-investment policy that is shared with all investors.
Palico, an online private equity fund marketplace, which has analyzed fundraising documentation, estimates that among 112 buyout firms that raised funds in 2015, only one in six fully disclosed co-investment terms to investors.
The people interviewed by Reuters declined to be identified or to name any of the private equity firms involved, citing confidentiality agreements.
They did identify, however, some of the investors that have benefited from these secretive arrangements. They include Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC and Canada's biggest public pension fund Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
When contacted by Reuters, the funds acknowledged that their size and expertise made them go-to partners for co-investments, but stressed they played by the book.
Michel Leduc, a senior managing director and global head of public affairs and communications at CPPIB, which manages $279 billion in assets, denied that CPPIB was involved in co-investments that were not fully disclosed to other investors. He said CPPIB, which had $275 million worth of co-investments, worked with funds that "demonstrated solid disclosure practices."
"We operate within intensely competitive markets and we are well aware that some institutions enjoy advantages," Leduc said.
Jennifer Lewis, a GIC spokeswoman, said the fund's size, reliability, global reach and expertise across asset classes have made it "a partner of choice" among funds for investments and co-investments.
"These qualities help us gain access to good investment opportunities globally," she said.
People involved in fundraising said some buyout firms do not disclose the preferential terms that big investors get to avoid putting off smaller ones who would like the same treatment.
Private equity firms say they tend to grant co-investment deals to bigger investors, in part because they want to work with experienced teams of managers who can quickly assess a prospective investment.
Lawyers familiar with the private equity industry said the SEC is not known to have brought a case against any fund in the past over co-investments.
Still, the stakes potentially are high for big investors. Private equity funds usually charge a management fee worth around 1.5 percent of total cash managed plus a performance fee of 20 percent of the profits generated. Those fees are waived in co-investments, documents published by private equity investors showed.
Returns on such deals have also outperformed investments in private equity funds in the past due to fee discounts, according to a survey by Preqin, a private equity data provider.
Nearly half of 100 investors polled said returns on co-investments exceeded regular buyout investments by at least 5 percent, Preqin said.
(Reporting by Koh Gui Qing in New York; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis and Tomasz Janowski) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-privateequity-coinvestments-idUSKCN1150V9?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/efd6ad057ce96b6b20ef211e4b11c667fde3af76cde8bd7cad315221c43911b2.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T02:52:11 | null | 2016-08-30T00:35:10 | Distinct Infrastructure Group Inc | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094O4%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-Distinct Infrastructure Qtrly EPS $0.000 | null | null | www.reuters.com | GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks bounce, dollar dips on Fed hike doubts
SYDNEY, Aug 30 Asian shares bounced on Tuesday as doubts the Federal Reserve really would hike rates as soon as September undermined the dollar, while investors continued to count on more policy stimulus elsewhere in the world. | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC094O4?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/d793567e8ae9d7612ae895b5c64ebe1a0a24634f4402c9e04c90b3ad82ddde89.json |
[
"Jason Lange",
"Ann Saphir"
] | 2016-08-28T02:50:15 | null | 2016-08-28T00:51:17 | Federal Reserve policymakers are signaling they could raise U.S. interest rates soon but they are already weighing new tools they may need to fight the next recession. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-fed-tools-idUSKCN11300L%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=20160828&t=2&i=1151312422&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R00D | en | null | As Fed nears rate hikes, policymakers plan for 'brave new world' | null | null | www.reuters.com | JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. Federal Reserve policymakers are signaling they could raise U.S. interest rates soon but they are already weighing new tools they may need to fight the next recession.
A solid U.S. labor market "has strengthened" the case for the first rate increase since last December, Fed Chair Janet Yellen told a central banking conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Several of her colleagues said the increase could come as soon as next month if the economy does well.
Further rate hikes are expected to be few and far between as the U.S. central bank tries to balance a desire to fuel growth against worries it could overheat the economy.
But Fed officials at three-day conference that ended Saturday also said they need to consider new policy tools for use down the road, such as raising the inflation target or even Fed purchases of non-government-backed assets like corporate debt.
Such ideas would test the limits of political feasibility and some would need congressional approval. The view within the Fed is that it could take effort to win over a public already skeptical of the unconventional policies the Fed undertook during the last crisis.
Policymakers think new tools might be needed in an era of slower economic growth and a potentially giant and long-lasting trove of assets held by the Fed. And they are convinced the time to vet them is now, while rates look to be heading up.
"Central banking is in a brave new world," Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.
At the center of the Fed's discussions is its $4.5 trillion balance sheet, built up by bond-buying sprees to combat the 2007-09 recession but which has been criticized by many lawmakers.
While policymakers have maintained the Fed should eventually reduce its bond holdings, Lockhart said some officials were closer to accepting that they needed to learn to live with them.
"I suspect there are colleagues who are contemplating at least maybe a statically large balance sheet is just going to be a fact of life and be central to the toolkit," he said.
Officials have said they will slowly let the balance sheet shrink, a process that would take years and would not begin until interest rate increases are well underway. Substantial progress could be made only in a very long-lived economic expansion.
"I am sure everyone in the audience would be happy if this were the reality. I certainly would be," Simon Potter, the New York Fed's markets chief, said during the conference.
Yellen, in her speech on Friday, said balance sheets would likely swell again in future recessions as the Fed snaps up assets to stimulate the economy.
The conference, attended by all but two of the Fed's 17 policymakers as well as central bankers from around the world, also presented a menu of more exotic proposals. This included a Fed takeover of short-term debt markets and abolishing cash in order to charge negative interest rates.
Many of the more radical proposals, including one to abandon monetary policy altogether and focus on urging runaway deficit-spending, were seen as ivory tower musings.
Most policymakers, including Yellen, said it was likely the tools the Fed used to fight the last crisis, including rate cuts, bond purchases and jawboning on rate expectations, will be adequate.
Still, she said, "future policymakers might choose to consider some additional tools that have been employed by other central banks," including buying a wider range of assets or raising the inflation target. She also cited the possibility of targeting the average level of prices in the economy rather than their rate of change.
Notably, her laundry list of possible tools did not include negative rates, an idea that has been nearly universally panned by Fed officials. She said the Fed is not actively considering additional policy tools but participants at the conference suggested the process is already well underway.
"You are seeing an exploration of how are we going to operate in a quite different world than before the crisis," Lockhart said.
(With reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-tools-idUSKCN11300L?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/56a4df3dc7afefc4d4c421fd47bc92d771c036e28b383363a88ffb274a155a12.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T05:05:02 | null | 2016-08-31T03:31:21 | A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the town of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-quake-png-idUSKCN11609N%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 | Earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude strikes off Rabaul in Papua New Guinea: USGS | null | null | www.reuters.com | First U.S.-Cuba scheduled flight in decades set to depart
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The first regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-quake-png-idUSKCN11609N?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/4cbe817b82d879d997bbb8aa6d4e8f37c9172366aed97f93111f9da422aaedba.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T08:52:14 | null | 2016-08-30T08:17:39 | Japanese carrier ANA Holdings Inc (9202.T) said on Tuesday it could take two to three years to replace engine parts for its Boeing (BA.N) 787 models with new ones. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-ana-rolls-royce-hldg-parts-idUSKCN1150OZ.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151544870&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0BL | en | null | Japan's ANA says replacing 787 aircraft engine parts could take two to three years | null | null | www.reuters.com | A Boeing 787-9 jet ready for delivery to ANA Holdings Ltd is seen at Boeing's delivery center in Everett, Washington, U.S. August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Alwyn Scott
TOKYO Japanese carrier ANA Holdings Inc (9202.T) said on Tuesday it could take two to three years to replace engine parts for its Boeing (BA.N) 787 models with new ones.
ANA said last week it needed to replace damaged compressor blades in the Rolls-Royce (RR.L) engines powering its 787s, forcing it to cancel some Dreamliner flights over the coming weeks.
Rolls-Royce was not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Maki Shiraki; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ana-rolls-royce-hldg-parts-idUSKCN1150OZ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f3363375c905cf0ddfe00439b808a90f9f49ccb25a289cc7c5e16661add2c097.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T19:02:07 | null | 2016-08-29T17:39:10 | The Obama administration will meet its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees a month ahead of schedule, the White House said on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-usa-idUSKCN1141WG%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151468988&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S11H | en | null | U.S. to meet target of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees: White House | null | null | www.reuters.com | Pro-refugee counter-protesters gather during another group's protest against the United States' acceptance of Syrian refugees at the Washington State capitol in Olympia, Washington, November 20, 2015. REUTERS/David Ryder
WASHINGTON The Obama administration will meet its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees a month ahead of schedule, the White House said on Monday.
The 10,000th Syrian refugee was scheduled to arrive in the United States on Monday afternoon, national security advisor Susan Rice said in a statement.
The White House had pledged to admit at least 10,000 displaced Syrians during the current fiscal year, which wraps up at the end of September.
"While refugee admissions are only a small part of our broader humanitarian efforts in Syria and the region, the president understood the important message this decision would send, not just to the Syrian people but to the broader international community," Rice said.
U.S. admission of Syrian refugees has been a hot button issue in the 2016 race for the White House, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump warning that violent militants could enter the country posing as refugees.
Trump has said that if he is elected he would persuade Gulf states to bankroll safe zones for Syrian refugees so they would not have to be brought to the United States.
(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-usa-idUSKCN1141WG?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/421501d800a2fada46c92d3c9ef59181116787a6380deb86b6d39c49fab25c57.json |
[
"Yashaswini Swamynathan"
] | 2016-08-30T14:52:34 | null | 2016-08-30T14:47:23 | Wall Street was little changed on Tuesday morning as investors looked for catalysts to drive the markets while keeping one eye on clues for the timing of the next interest rate hike. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-stocks-idUSKCN1151BU.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151592959&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T136 | en | null | Wall Street flat as investors look for clues on rates | null | null | www.reuters.com | Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) shortly after the opening bell in New York, U.S., August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) shortly after the opening bell in New York, U.S., August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Wall Street was little changed on Tuesday morning as investors looked for catalysts to drive the markets while keeping one eye on clues for the timing of the next interest rate hike.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen painted a rosy picture of the U.S. economy at an economic symposium on Friday and said the case for a rate hike was strengthening, but gave little indication on when the central bank could move.
Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer, in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday, said the U.S. job market is close to full strength and the pace of interest rate hikes will depend on how well the economy is doing.
Investors are awaiting a report on monthly payrolls data due on Friday to assess whether it supports the hawkish tone that Fed officials have taken.
"I think today is going to be flat to down a little bit, simply because of yesterday's strong move," said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer of Commonwealth Financial.
"Investors are going to need some time to digest that. It is a quiet week with a lot of people at the beach."
The S&P 500 and the Dow snapped a three-day losing streak on Monday, helped by a lift in financials and commodity stocks after strong consumer spending data pointed to a pickup in U.S. economic growth.
The dollar index .DXY rose 0.3 percent on Tuesday, continuing to trade at a more than two-week high on higher prospects of a rate increase.
At 9:48 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was down 13.36 points, or 0.07 percent, at 18,489.63.
The S&P 500 .SPX was down 0.62 points, or 0.03 percent, at 2,179.76, while the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC was up 1.66 points, or 0.03 percent, at 5,233.99.
Five of the 10 major S&P 500 indexes were higher, led by a 0.56 percent rise in the energy sector .SPNY on the back of higher oil prices. [O/R]
Shares of Apple (AAPL.O) fell 0.5 percent to $106.32, after European Union antitrust regulators ordered the iPhone maker to pay $14.5 billion to the Irish government, ruling that a scheme to route profits through Ireland was illegal state aid.
The stock was the top drag on all three major U.S. stock indexes.
Hershey (HSY.N) dropped nearly 11.3 percent to $99.06 after Mondelez (MDLZ.O) announced on Monday it was no longer pursuing an acquisition. Hershey's was the biggest percentage loser on the S&P 500.
American Airlines (AAL.O) fell 1.7 percent after Scott Kirby, its No.2 executive, left the company to join rival United Continental (UAL.N). United's shares jumped 4.2 percent to $48.91.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by 1,541 to 1,114. On the Nasdaq, 1,415 issues rose and 862 fell.
The S&P 500 index showed 21 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 58 new highs and two new lows.
(Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks-idUSKCN1151BU | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/72cbd71d2b1b829bc2e9656d194eaa9f7d340f6c0a51bdd0548f6bfc0cb9e4f9.json |
[
"David Schwartz"
] | 2016-08-26T15:01:26 | null | 2016-08-26T13:08:03 | Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio has long battled controversy over his tough stance on illegal immigration but may now face his toughest test as he seeks a seventh term as sheriff of the state’s most populous county. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-arizona-election-sheriff-idUSKCN1111I9%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151171197&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0V0 | en | null | Long-time Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio faces tough re-election bid | null | null | www.reuters.com | Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio addresses the media about a simulated school shooting in Fountain Hills, Arizona, U.S. February 9, 2013. REUTERS/Darryl Webb/File Photo
PHOENIX Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio has long battled controversy over his tough stance on illegal immigration but may now face his toughest test as he seeks a seventh term as sheriff of the state’s most populous county.
Twenty four years after he was first elected sheriff of Maricopa County, which surrounds Phoenix, Arpaio goes to voters facing the possibility of criminal sanctions. Last week, a federal judge recommended that he and three others be prosecuted for contempt of court for failing to comply with an order in a racial profiling case.
Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to charge him with contempt, and Arpaio, 84, is widely expected to win at the primary level on August 30. But the man who styles himself as “America’s toughest sheriff" could be in for a close race in the November general election.
“If I didn’t care, I would say ‘Good,” and would let someone else take over,” Arpaio, a Republican, said in an interview with Reuters. “That’s not how I am.”
A tireless campaigner against illegal immigration, Arpaio drew national attention in 1993 for setting up a tent city outside the Maricopa County Jail, where inmates were housed even in the desert heat. He is also known for making prisoners wear pink underwear.
Arpaio's main competition in Tuesday's primary on the Republican side is from Dan Saban, a former police chief of Buckeye, Arizona who has lost to him twice before.
“Right now, we have an organization built around one person and his image and it’s quite disturbing,” said Saban, 60. “I’m compelled as a citizen to offer the voters another choice.”
By the next fiscal year, county taxpayers are projected to have spent $54 million on the on-going federal racial profiling case.
If Arpaio beats Saban on Tuesday, he will go up against Democrat Paul Penzone, a former Phoenix police officer who narrowly lost to Arpaio in 2012.
Penzone says the public is fed up with what he called Arpaio's antics.
“They are just tired of the nonsense,” said Penzone, 49. “They are embracing the opportunity to move forward with a new, innovative and professional law enforcement approach.”
But Arpaio predicts he will win - as he always has.
“Thanks to the voters and the public, I have always survived and I expect I will now.”
(Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Andrew Hay) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-arizona-election-sheriff-idUSKCN1111I9?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f731cce2712150c55a2db449a3270d0bfdebc299f6343a7eebfff73af884e47c.json |
[
"Maria Haase Coelho"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:05 | null | 2016-08-26T08:28:10 | Inspired by the success of Pokemon Go, a Belgian primary school headmaster has developed an online game for people to search for books instead of cartoon monsters, attracting tens of thousands of players in weeks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-belgium-books-pokemon-idUSKCN1110RG%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DlifestyleMolt.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151140499&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0DJ | en | null | Belgians are hunting books, instead of Pokemon | null | null | www.reuters.com | A man uses a mobile phone in front of an advertisement board bearing the image of Pokemon Go at an electronic shop in Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
BRUSSELS Inspired by the success of Pokemon Go, a Belgian primary school headmaster has developed an online game for people to search for books instead of cartoon monsters, attracting tens of thousands of players in weeks.
While with Pokemon Go, players use a mobile device's GPS and camera to track virtual creatures around town, Aveline Gregoire's version is played through a Facebook group called "Chasseurs de livres" ("Book hunters").
Players post pictures and hints about where they have hidden a book and others go to hunt them down. Once someone has finished reading a book, they "release" it back into the wild.
"While I was arranging my library, I realized I didn't have enough space for all my books. Having played Pokemon Go with my kids, I had the idea of releasing the books into nature," Gregoire told Reuters.
Though it was only set up a few weeks ago, more than 40,000 people are already signed up to Gregoire's Facebook group.
The hidden tomes range from books for toddlers through to Stephen King horrors, placed around Belgian towns and countryside, often wrapped in clear plastic to keep off the rain.
The Detournay family from the town of Baudour in southern Belgium said the game was now part of their morning walks. They found one book and left four others for people to find.
"My daugther said it's like hunting for easter eggs, only with books," Jessica Detournay said.
When they returned home, they received a Facebook notification informing them that somebody had already found two of their books.
Gregoire is now contemplating taking the game a step further and creating an app for it.
(Editing by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Robin Pomeroy) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-belgium-books-pokemon-idUSKCN1110RG?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5f99cb8e5a087008a6167d3c330c4641039e6e62229196bc2d5eea58eb7e1868.json |
[
"Diane Bartz"
] | 2016-08-29T16:52:09 | null | 2016-08-29T16:42:24 | A federal appeals court in California on Monday dismissed a U.S. government lawsuit that accused AT&T Inc of deception for reducing Internet speeds for customers with unlimited mobile data plans once their use exceeded certain levels. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-at-t-lawsuit-ftc-idUSKCN1141R8.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151461968&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0YU | en | null | U.S. appeals court dismisses AT&T data throttling lawsuit | null | null | www.reuters.com | Signage for an AT&T store is seen in New York October 29, 2014. AT&T Inc has made a bid for Yahoo Inc's internet business, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo
WASHINGTON A federal appeals court in California on Monday dismissed a U.S. government lawsuit that accused AT&T Inc of deception for reducing Internet speeds for customers with unlimited mobile data plans once their use exceeded certain levels.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said it reversed a lower court's denial of AT&T's motion to dismiss the "data-throttling" lawsuit, which was filed in 2014 by the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC sued AT&T on the grounds that the No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier failed to inform consumers it would slow the speeds of heavy data users on unlimited plans. In some cases, data speeds were slowed by nearly 90 percent, the lawsuit said.
The FTC said the practice was deceptive and, as a result, barred under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
AT&T argued that there was an exception for common carriers, and the appeals court agreed.
An FTC spokesman said the agency had not yet decided whether it would appeal the decision. "We are disappointed with the ruling and are considering our options for moving forward," FTC spokesman Jay Mayfield wrote in an emailed comment.
AT&T did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Paul Simao) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-lawsuit-ftc-idUSKCN1141R8 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/358d077f9f82017055f8a5baf2f2fca1ef2f4356e743f395bae8860622c6689d.json |
[
"Julie Steenhuysen"
] | 2016-08-30T22:53:00 | null | 2016-08-30T22:36:18 | The largest analysis yet has found Ebola virus particles present in semen as long as 565 days after recovery from an infection, highlighting the potential role of sex in sparking another outbreak, researchers reported on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-ebola-semen-idUSKCN1152UF%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 | Ebola virus lasts in semen for up to 565 days: study | null | null | www.reuters.com | CHICAGO The largest analysis yet has found Ebola virus particles present in semen as long as 565 days after recovery from an infection, highlighting the potential role of sex in sparking another outbreak, researchers reported on Tuesday.
The study, published in the Lancet Global Affairs, involved 429 men seen between July 2015 and May 2016 who were part of the Liberian government's Men's Health Screening Program (MHSP), the first national semen testing program for Ebola virus.
Of the participants, 38 men tested positive during the study period. Within this group, 24 men, or nearly two thirds, had semen samples that tested positive for Ebola fragments a year after recovering from disease. Ebola tended to linger longer in men over age 40, the researchers said.
In one case, Ebola was detected at least 565 days after a man recovered from his illness.
"Before this outbreak, scientists believed that Ebola virus could be found in semen for three months after recovery. With this study, we now know that virus may persist for a year or longer,” said Dr. Moses Soka, coordinator of the Ebola Virus Disease Survivor Clinical Care at the Liberian Ministry of Health, who worked on the study.
As part of Liberia's monitoring program, male survivors aged 15 and older can enroll for monthly tests of their semen. Participants also get counseling on safe sex and condoms at each visit.
"This program provides important insights into how long Ebola remains in semen, a key component to preventing flare-ups of the disease and protecting survivors and their loved ones," Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is collaborating with the ministry. Other partners include the World Health Organization, and the Academic Consortium Combating Ebola in Liberia.
Semen samples in the study were tested for genetic fragments known as the viral RNA, but the tests could not tell if the virus was capable of spreading disease.
Sexual contact with an Ebola survivor in March 2015 resulted in the infection and eventual death of a woman from Monrovia, even after Liberia had been declared free of Ebola. Tests of the man's semen showed the presence of Ebola virus 199 days after he first became ill.
The World Health Organization advises that all male Ebola survivors should be tested three months after the onset of symptoms and then monthly until they know they have no risk of passing on the virus.
(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Leslie Adler) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ebola-semen-idUSKCN1152UF?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/454d56619b62cf164edb63800bcade0a99633c285e1bf204420b9959a1457913.json |
[
"Larry Fine"
] | 2016-08-30T21:00:09 | null | 2016-08-30T19:58:50 | Two-times grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka dealt Fernando Verdasco a rare first-round loss at the U.S. Open, sweeping aside the Spaniard in straight sets on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-tennis-open-wawrinka-idUSKCN1152M3%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=1151631366&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1IQ | en | null | Wawrinka wins revenge against Verdasco | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland hits to Fernando Verdasco of Spain (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Fernando Verdasco of Spain hits to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland hits to Fernando Verdasco of Spain (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Fernando Verdasco of Spain (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland hits to Fernando Verdasco of Spain (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Fernando Verdasco of Spain (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK Two-times grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka dealt Fernando Verdasco a rare first-round loss at the U.S. Open, sweeping aside the Spaniard in straight sets on Tuesday.
The third-seeded Swiss dominated the left-handed Verdasco with his punishing groundstrokes to claim a measure of revenge with a 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Verdasco, ranked 46th, had won 12 of his 13 previous first-round matches at Flushing Meadows.
Wawrinka, winner of last year's French Open and the 2014 Australian Open, had trailed Verdasco 3-2 in head-to-head action after falling to the Spaniard in straight sets in the first round this year at the Queen's Club run-up to Wimbledon.
(Editing by Frank Pingue) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-open-wawrinka-idUSKCN1152M3?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/c70038134da709f756fabe50e1caa71f5f34a2d1aaac2b0b16a64ad454d7f4e4.json |
[
"Tracy Rucinski"
] | 2016-08-26T22:51:24 | null | 2016-08-26T22:34:17 | Caesars Entertainment Corp (CZR.O) must face lawsuits from bondholders seeking some $11 billion in claims, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday in a decision the casino company had warned could plunge it into bankruptcy alongside its operating unit. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-caesars-bankruptcy-idUSKCN1112CD.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151220833&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P1FK | en | null | Caesars must face $11 billion in lawsuits: U.S. judge | null | null | www.reuters.com | Las Vegas Strip casinos are seen from the 550 foot-tall (167.6 m) High Roller observation wheel, the tallest in the world, in Las Vegas, Nevada April 9, 2014. REUTERS/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus
CHICAGO Caesars Entertainment Corp (CZR.O) must face lawsuits from bondholders seeking some $11 billion in claims, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday in a decision the casino company had warned could plunge it into bankruptcy alongside its operating unit.
Shares of the Nevada-based gaming company fell 12 percent after-hours.
Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), which filed for Chapter 11 protection in January 2015, was asking for a third court shield from lawsuits against its parent to protect a multibillion-dollar contribution to its reorganization plan.
The high-stakes CEOC bankruptcy has been plagued by a complex web of litigation pitting some of the most aggressive investors on Wall Street against each other.
A current injunction expires on Aug. 29, a day before Caesars faces a potential ruling in New York on lawsuits from bondholders alleging it reneged on guarantees from bonds issued by CEOC prior to the unit's $18 billion bankruptcy.
CEOC had argued that another halt to a decision on those lawsuits was critical to securing a settlement with holdout creditors before its reorganization plan heads to a confirmation trial in January.
"I can't find that an injunction is likely to enhance the prospects for negotiation," U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Benjamin Goldgar in Chicago said in his courtroom ruling.
Bitter creditors accuse Caesars and its private equity sponsors Apollo Global Management LLC (APO.N) and TPG Capital Management LP [TPG.UL] of stripping the unit of choice assets such as the LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and leaving it bankrupt.
Caesars, Apollo and TPG have denied any wrongdoing, though a court-appointed examiner found they could be on the hook for up to $5.1 billion in claims.
To settle the allegations Caesars has offered to pitch about $4 billion into CEOC's reorganization in exchange for releases from the claims. Goldgar asked on Friday why Apollo and TPG were not also contributing, saying the injunctions to date had provided them "a comfortable free ride" on CEOC's "coattails".
Both Caesars and CEOC said they were disappointed by the decision. The court's refusal to extend the shield puts Caesars' "substantial contribution" to CEOC's reorganization plan "at serious risk," a Caesars spokesman said in an email.
CEOC lawyers said they planned to appeal the ruling.
"It would be hard to reverse Goldgar without dramatically expanding the availability of third-party releases, something that would be out of step with the standards in other circuits," said Douglas Baird, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School.
(Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Matthew Lewis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-caesars-bankruptcy-idUSKCN1112CD | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/3b22becda944c89a79f5d0d973d3610e086e716cc4175369bd42c970aaab14ae.json |
[
"Howard Schneider"
] | 2016-08-26T13:17:39 | 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%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=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=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/eb4ccc3fafb48cba3986380f5b93b0fbb37411389134f265cee75dca4d32244c.json |
[
"Lesley Wroughton"
] | 2016-08-29T11:04:45 | null | 2016-08-29T10:06:57 | U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Bangladesh on Monday to discuss security cooperation after a series of killings by Islamist militants, as well as economic development and human rights. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-bangladesh-usa-idUSKCN1140W2%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=1151427116&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0ET | en | null | Kerry in Bangladesh for talks on security, human rights | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attends a news conference after a meeting on Syria with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva, Switzerland, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy
DHAKA U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Bangladesh on Monday to discuss security cooperation after a series of killings by Islamist militants, as well as economic development and human rights.
Kerry will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opposition and civic leaders during the one-day visit, his first to Bangladesh as secretary of state.
While security cooperation between the United States and Bangladesh is not new, the Bangladeshi government has insisted the latest attacks, including the recent killings at a cafe that targeted non-Muslims and foreigners, are the work of homegrown groups.
Washington believes the killings carry the hallmarks of Islamic State and al Qaeda, and worries that such attacks could drive away investment in a country fighting widespread poverty.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the July 1 attack on the cafe in the capital Dhaka in which 22 people were killed, mostly non-Muslims and foreigners, including one American. It was the worst militant attack in the country's history.
Bangladesh police believe that Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, was involved in organizing that attack.
On Saturday, security forces killed three Islamist militants, including a Bangladeshi-born Canadian citizen called Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury who was accused of masterminding the assault on cafe.
"In the past several months there has been an intensification of the dialogue" on security, a senior State Department official said ahead of the visit.
"We are deepening that partnership and engaging with both civilian law enforcement bodies and with the military," the official added.
Michael Kugelman of The Wilson Center, a Washington-based think tank, said the U.S administration has not paid enough attention to the growing terror threats in Bangladesh, which is now impacting Americans.
"It has arguably taken its eye off the ball even as this threat has begun to directly affect Americans," he said.
"One of Kerry's core intentions in Dhaka will simply be to emphasize the importance that the U.S. accords to security problems in Bangladesh, and Washington's strong desire to help the government there address them," he added.
(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Simon Cameron-Moore) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-usa-idUSKCN1140W2?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/302aabac4c9e16e9f62d24feccfc40a323c847e23b4b3826fab94e7baf490e01.json |
[
"Aye Win Myint"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:46 | null | 2016-08-25T16:02:39 | Truckloads of soldiers and squadrons of police sealed off some of the centuries-old Buddhist pagodas around Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan on Thursday, a day after at least 187 of the brick temples were damaged in a powerful earthquake. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-myanmar-quake-idUSKCN1100CM%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=20160825&t=2&i=1151015342&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O0SV | en | null | Myanmar soldiers, police seal off ancient temples damaged by quake | null | null | www.reuters.com | The top of a collapsed pagoda is seen after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
A damaged pagoda is seen after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
A damaged pagoda is seen after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar. REUTERS/Stringer
A woman works with a plow as a damaged pagoda is seen in the background after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
The top of a collapsed pagoda is seen after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
Tourists look at a damaged pagoda after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
A Buddhist monk looks at a damaged pagoda after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
The entrance of a collapsed pagoda is seen after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
Tourists take pictures of a damaged pagoda after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
BAGAN, Myanmar Truckloads of soldiers and squadrons of police sealed off some of the centuries-old Buddhist pagodas around Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan on Thursday, a day after at least 187 of the brick temples were damaged in a powerful earthquake.
President Htin Kyaw flew to Bagan to meet local residents as authorities scrambled to assess the full extent of the damage from the 6.8 magnitude quake that shook buildings across the Southeast Asian country and beyond on Wednesday.
"The earth shook for about five minutes," said Soe Lwin, who was inside the Sulamani temple or "Crowning Jewel", one of Bagan's most visited sites, with about 15 other tourists when the quake struck.
"One Spanish girl got lightly injured, so we helped her. After that, we ran outside of the pagoda and saw some parts falling down," said Soe Lwin, who cut short his trip for fear of aftershocks hitting the area.
Although tremors from the quake were felt as far away as Thailand, Bangladesh and eastern India, initial assessments showed the wider damage was limited.
"The overall humanitarian impact has been relatively low despite the earthquake's magnitude," said Pierre Peron, spokesman for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement.
"No major needs have been identified and there has so far been no request for international assistance."
U.N. OCHA and the Red Cross confirmed three people had been killed - two children and one resident from two towns close to the epicenter.
The quake struck near the town of Chauk, on the Ayeyarwaddy River south of Bagan and about 175 km (110 miles) southwest of the country's second city Mandalay, at around 5 p.m. (1030 GMT) the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.
"We continue to provide assistance to injured people, but we don't see this as a major disaster," said Amanda George from the International Red Cross in Myanmar.
The government's Relief and Resettlement Department was leading the response, and has found four schools damaged in northwest Myanmar, U.N. OCHA and local authorities said.
A hospital was damaged in Pakkoku, where one person was injured, and other buildings were affected, while two houses collapsed near Chauk, said U.N. OCHA.
DAMAGED PAGODAS
In a short address to the media and local residents in Bagan, President Htin Kyaw said United Nations cultural body UNESCO, Japan and China have offered to support the restoration of the damaged temples.
"We have to record and repair the damage to the pagodas, but it will have to be done systematically. It will take time, but we will do our best," said Htin Kyaw.
Work would not be able to start until after the monsoon at the end of October, he said.
Bagan is the centerpiece of Myanmar's fast-growing tourism industry and has around 2,000-3,000 pagodas and temples. They are spread over a 42-sq km (16 sq mile) plain ringed by mist-covered mountains. It rivals Cambodia's Angkor Wat and Borobudur in Indonesia as Southeast Asia's premier archaeological site.
As police cordoned off temples and soldiers moved in to start clearing up, tourists took snaps of the damaged buildings.
But hotel and tour operators said the impact on the industry was likely to be small. They have not been contacted by tourists with cancellations, they said, and would remain operating as normal.
Myanmar is in a seismically active part of the world where the Indo-Australian Plate runs up against the Eurasian Plate. A magnitude 6.9 tremor hit northwestern Myanmar in April but caused no major loss of life.
More than half of Bagan's pagodas, including the Sulamani temple, were seriously damaged in a July 1975 earthquake that sent the landmark Buphaya Pagoda tumbling into the Ayeyarwaddy.
(Reporting by Aye Win Myint in Bagan and Shwe Yee Saw Myint in Yangon; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Alex Richardson) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-quake-idUSKCN1100CM?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/3a2aae490e42e47b152f95b479d1b54b4a36635d6113ffbf8413d281134231fd.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T00:51:02 | null | 2016-08-26T22:42:36 | A consortium formed by SempraEnergy and Techint Group offered the best bid to Odebrecht foracquiring its majority stake in a $5 billion natural gaspipeline project in Peru, a source with knowledge of thenegotiations said Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fodebrecht-ma-idUSL1N1B720B%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 | Sempra-Techint made best offer on Odebrecht pipeline in Peru - source | null | null | www.reuters.com | LIMA Aug 26 A consortium formed by Sempra Energy and Techint Group offered the best bid to Odebrecht for acquiring its majority stake in a $5 billion natural gas pipeline project in Peru, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said Friday.
Brazilian engineering group Odebrecht SA is ensnared in a corruption scandal in Brazil and is pulling out of Peru, including natural gas pipeline operator Gasoducto Sur Peruano GSP SA, to raise cash and repay debts.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that a proposal by the Sempra-Techint consortium to buy Odebrecht's 55 percent stake in GSP was the only one still being considered in the final stage of talks.
Last month, the group of about 20 banks working on a syndicated $4.1 billion loan to GSP rejected three bids for Odebrecht's stake, extending the deadline for the sale through this month, according to sources.
Gasoducto Sur Peruano, a 34-year concession to build and operate more than 1,134 kilometers (700 miles) of natural gas pipelines across Peru's southern region, needs $5 billion in investments in coming years.
Sempra and Techint did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Odebrecht declined to comment. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Bernard Orr) | http://www.reuters.com/article/odebrecht-ma-idUSL1N1B720B?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/2abc78971212bae07c999e6aa9df637779f2142b00fea052aa6ef7e35044162d.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T22:52:17 | null | 2016-08-29T21:51:48 | Luna Gold Corp | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094RJ%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-Luna Gold announces closing of previously announced private placement financing | null | null | www.reuters.com | BRIEF-Radient Technologies announces Q1 results
* Conducting a non-brokered private placement of up to 70 million units of corporation at a price of $0.10 per unit Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC094RJ?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/45c0e6aaadd2eafe2f90a1e63137ba66260ffeb37a5e0a9bc2376eeb81423c04.json |
[
"Megan Rowling"
] | 2016-08-31T08:53:05 | null | 2016-08-31T08:03:20 | By Megan RowlingBARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The Green Climate Fund, which aims to channel billions of dollars to help poorer nations tac | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-climatechange-energy-renewables-idUSKCN1160S8%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 | Green Climate Fund needs ideas with low-carbon wow factor: ex-head | null | null | www.reuters.com | 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.
Héla Cheikhrouhou, who was appointed as Tunisia's minister for energy, mining and renewable in its new government on Friday, urged the $10.3-billion fund to provide clearer guidelines on what it is seeking to finance in areas such as water, urban development, energy and transport.
"Now our rules are very broad... the net that exists is very wide, so anything goes," Cheikhrouhou told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview from Tunis.
"We can't continue like that; we need to invest the money wisely to meet the mandate of the fund."
The Green Climate Fund has a specific objective to promote a "paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways", and aims to use its money to achieve "transformational impact".
Since November 2015, the South Korea-based fund has approved investments of around $424 million in 17 projects and has an "aspirational goal" to commit $2.5 billion this year - a goal observers say will be tough to reach.
In the rush to get the first projects approved before the Paris climate talks in December last year, and to hit the 2016 goal, some proposals given the green light have been criticized as "business as usual".
They include a plan to develop solar energy in Chile and another to support World Bank climate action in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Cheikhrouhou, who left the fund after one three-year term, said the agencies eligible to request its cash "need to help us to respect our mandate, and should make a bigger effort to bring us things that are not just ready and have been lying around for a while".
The fund, for its part, is working to produce technical notes to help its partners understand what kind of things it defines as "paradigm-shifting", she added.
For example, where a growing city is struggling to supply enough water to residents, simply piping in extra water could make things worse by attracting more people. Instead urban planning could be changed to spur development in regions with better water resources.
Or, in a country that wants to boost the share of renewable in its energy mix, the Green Climate Fund could back efforts to change regulations or build institutions that would attract investment into its chosen forms of clean energy on a large scale, Cheikhrouhou said.
Merely constructing a bigger wind farm or getting business involved in ongoing government efforts to reduce carbon emissions might not make the grade, she explained.
"If (the fund) became all things to all people, we would have very limited impact in the greater scheme of things. So we need to find ways to signal clearly what is a project that would change the game," she said.
PARIS BUILDING BLOCK
Despite this challenge, Cheikhrouhou said the fund had achieved a great deal in its first three years, and had been an important building block for the new global climate change deal sealed in Paris last year, giving developing countries "extra confidence" to sign up to that agreement.
"It was one of those fast sprints where you have to jump over hurdles," she said. The main hurdles were hammering out the fund's business model, raising $10 billion from governments, and approving the first projects in time for Paris, she added.
This year, she focused on boosting staff numbers at the fund's secretariat to cope with its growing work load, and putting in place the right procedures and systems to enable the fund to run smoothly.
Those efforts still need to be accelerated so that the fund has a firm foundation to expand its activities. "There has to be a lot of hard work," she said.
The board plans to appoint a new executive director after interviewing candidates at its next meeting in October.
Javier Manzanares, the fund's chief financial officer, is acting as interim head until the new leader takes over, which the board hopes will be by early next year.
CLEANER ENERGY FOR TUNISIA
Cheikhrouhou, in her new role as Tunisia's energy minister, said she would seek to promote investment in the north African country's energy sector, with the aim of achieving "a cleaner and more efficient energy mix" over time.
Renewable energy now accounts for only around 3 to 4 percent of electric power generation, she noted, even though Tunisia has significant wind and solar resources.
"That is not where we want to be 10, 20 years from now," she said, adding that the country's democratic transition meant the time was ripe to start shifting that situation.
Tunisia has set targets for raising the share of renewable energy in its electricity production to 14 percent in 2020 and 30 percent in 2030.
(Reporting by Megan Rowling @meganrowling; editing by Laurie Goering. 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-climatechange-energy-renewables-idUSKCN1160S8?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/df235ed65184abee47c3681e0185f87ab29b94dd4a72510267f8f4c15c0ed336.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:53 | null | 2016-08-26T06:28:17 | A man was arrested after he stripped down to his boxer shorts, scaled a fence and rammed a pickup truck into a Southwest airplane parked at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday, police said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-nebraska-flight-idUSKCN1110FR%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Man in boxer shorts jumps fence, crashes pickup into plane: Omaha police | null | null | www.reuters.com | A man was arrested after he stripped down to his boxer shorts, scaled a fence and rammed a pickup truck into a Southwest airplane parked at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday, police said.
Two crew members suffered minor injuries on the Southwest Airlines flight, bound for Denver, as passengers were boarding at 9:30 p.m. local time (0230 GMT) when the man drove the truck into the plane's nose gear, said Omaha Airport Authority Chief of Police.
One of the 18 passengers on board the flight was also injured in the incident, the airline said in a statement.
The unidentified man was taken into custody and there was no suggestion the incident was an act of extremism, Connahan said.
He said airport security personnel had noticed a man "acting in a bizarre manner" near the perimeter of the airport. The man then stripped down to his boxer shorts, climbed over a fence and ran onto an airport runway as officers gave chase.
The man then jumped into a parked truck, which had its engine running, and drove it into the nose gear of the plane he was apprehended by police, Connahan said.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Paul Tait) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nebraska-flight-idUSKCN1110FR?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/43e161c20d342db07a2d2574500f2c6144ac536f80633d784cc8e0d59396743e.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T10:52:26 | null | 2016-08-30T10:27:20 | FreedomPop, a U.S. startup challenging the mobile industry by offering free voice and data plans, has received a $50 million investment to fund international expansion from LetterOne, the investment vehicle owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-telecoms-freedompop-idUSKCN11513H.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151558121&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0I0 | en | null | Fridman's LetterOne invests in mobile challenger FreedomPop | null | null | www.reuters.com | CEO of Alfa's telecoms vehicle LetterOne Telecom Alexei Reznikovich smiles during an interview in Moscow May 29, 2014. Picture taken May 29, 2014. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
FRANKFURT FreedomPop, a U.S. startup challenging the mobile industry by offering free voice and data plans, has received a $50 million investment to fund international expansion from LetterOne, the investment vehicle owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman.
Luxembourg-based LetterOne (L1) said on Tuesday it had received national security clearance from the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to complete the $50 million investment.
FreedomPop announced the investment earlier this year but did not reveal the identity of the investor.
FreedomPop, founded five years ago in Los Angeles, supplies voice and data services for mobile users by leasing wholesale network capacity from established mobile network providers such as Sprint (S.N) and Hutchison's Three UK.
The company offers packages of voice calling minutes, text messages and data plans of around 200 megabytes free of charge, making money when consumers use up their free capacity and by charging for add-on services.
FreedomPop offers mobile voice and data services in the United States, Britain, and Spain. It now plans to enter eight more countries by the end of next year, followed by a fast roll-out across Asia, Europe and Latin America.
The company has introduced a variety of novel offers to the telecom industry including a low-cost Wi-Fi calling and data service across the United States and offers that give callers free access to WhatsApp in 30 countries.
LetterOne will help forge strategic partnerships in emerging markets for FreedomPop, the investor said. It seeks to fund late-stage high-growth Internet companies and announced a $200 million investment in Uber [UBER.UL] earlier this year.
L1 Senior Partner Mustafa Kiral will join FreedomPop’s board of directors. He previously oversaw mergers and acquisitions at Altimo, the telecom investment arm of Fridman, including a joint venture between Russia's Vimpelcom (VIP.O) and Wind Italy.
FreedomPop has raised around $109 million to date from a variety of top-tier Silicon Valley and European venture funds, along with Malaysian telecoms conglomerate Axiata Group (AXIA.KL).
(Reporting By Eric Auchard; Editing by Adrian Croft) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-telecoms-freedompop-idUSKCN11513H | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/c566b5bcbb5115a8da3a351f456f1368e78949c6145bce7558ce4e46450e7632.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T11:04:42 | null | 2016-08-29T10:23:57 | Iran has deployed the Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system around its Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility, Iranian state media reported on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-iran-missiles-fordow-idUSKCN1140YD%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=1151428725&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0FR | en | null | Iran deploys Russian-made S-300 missiles at its Fordow nuclear site: TV | null | null | www.reuters.com | File photo of the S-300 air defence system launching a missile during the International Army Games 2016 at the Ashuluk military polygon outside Astrakhan, Russia, August 7, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
ANKARA Iran has deployed the Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system around its Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility, Iranian state media reported on Monday.
Iranian state TV on Sunday aired footage of deployment of the recently delivered missile system to the nuclear site in the central Iran.
"Our main priority is to protect Iran's nuclear facilities under any circumstances," Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) air defense force told state TV.
Iran and the six major powers reached a landmark nuclear deal in 2015 aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Tehran over its disputed nuclear work.
Enrichment of uranium at the Fordow facility, around 100 km (60 miles) south of Tehran, has stopped since the implementation of the nuclear deal in January.
Russia, under pressure from the West, in 2010 canceled a contract to deliver S-300s to Iran. But Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted that self-imposed ban in April 2015, after an interim deal was reached between Iran and the six powers.
In August, Iran said that Russia had delivered main parts of the system to the country, adding that the missile system would be completely delivered by the end of 2016.
The IRGC's Esmaili did not say whether the system was operational, but added: "Today, Iran's sky is one of the most secure in the Middle East".
Iran's top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the country's military power was for defensive purposes.
"The S-300 system is a defence system not an assault one, but the Americans did their utmost to prevent Iran from getting it," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state TV.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Toby Chopra) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-missiles-fordow-idUSKCN1140YD?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/eda9fdc0ba7951f7e275c361455bd34dcb71d4edf3295dd7194240a475ef9fd7.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:14 | null | 2016-08-18T21:14:21 | Legendary Russian-American dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov has denounced Donald Trump as a "totalitarian opportunist,' saying the Republican presidential candidate's speeches remind him of his years in the Soviet Union. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-election-clinton-baryshnikov-idUSKCN10T26Y%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://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160818&t=2&i=1150214546&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7H189 | en | null | Dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov calls Trump 'totalitarian opportunist' | null | null | www.reuters.com | Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listens during a round table discussion on security at Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Renowned stage performer Mikhail Baryshnikov pauses during a news conference at the Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theatre in Tel Aviv November 13, 2011. REUTERS/Nir Elias
Legendary Russian-American dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov has denounced Donald Trump as a "totalitarian opportunist,' saying the Republican presidential candidate's speeches remind him of his years in the Soviet Union.
Baryshnikov, 68, who defected to the West in 1974, made his views known in a video released on Wednesday in which he threw his support behind Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton.
"Today, as a citizen of the United States, for the first time, I’m hearing rhetoric that reminds me of the Soviet Union of my youth, where it was a crime, and continues to be, a crime to be different," Baryshnikov said.
"Take it from one who knows. Hundreds of thousands of people like me have fled from countries led by dangerous totalitarian opportunists like Donald Trump," he added.
Baryshnikov's video, titled '#ITrustHer', was produced by Humanity for Hillary, a social media campaign of artists that aims to build support for Clinton ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
Baryshnikov, regarded as one of the world's best ballet dancers, defected from what was then the Soviet Union seeking more artistic freedom. He went on to lead the American Ballet Theatre and to co-found the White Oak Dance Project, as well as building a career as an actor in films like "The Turning Point" and the TV series "Sex and the City."
You can watch the video here: bit.ly/2bqM7sn
(Reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by Melissa Fares in New York; Editing by Frances Kerry) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-clinton-baryshnikov-idUSKCN10T26Y?feedType=RSS&feedName=artsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fartsculture+%28Reuters+Arts+%26+Culture+%29 | en | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/7311a9f72b7bc8aea5ff116c2769f994e0cffc2efb7b30e601f470f6d3784fcc.json |
[
"Andrew",
"M. Seaman"
] | 2016-08-30T20:53:02 | null | 2016-08-30T19:00:18 | By Andrew M. Seaman(Reuters Health) - After Ohio enacted a law forcing abortion providers to prescribe an outdated drug regimen, women who received | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-health-abortion-ohio-idUSKCN1152IY%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 | 2011 Ohio law made abortions riskier, more costly | null | null | www.reuters.com | (Reuters Health) - After Ohio enacted a law forcing abortion providers to prescribe an outdated drug regimen, women who received medication abortions there were more likely to experience complications and higher prices, a study shows.
"That’s what happens when laws aren’t based on scientific evidence," said lead researcher Ushma Upadhyay, of the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco.
Medication abortions use drugs to end early pregnancies. The 2011 Ohio law forced prescribers to use a two-drug regimen approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 - even though later research showed that a lower dose of one of the drugs (mifepristone) and a higher dose of the other drug (misoprostol), plus some other changes in the regimen, lead to better outcomes.
The Ohio law forced providers to follow the old 2000 method, which went against international guidelines and was not used by most U.S. abortion providers, the researchers write in PLoS Medicine.
To assess the impact of the 2011 law, researchers studied women who had medication abortions at four Ohio abortion clinics, including 1,156 treated in the year before the law went into effect and 1,627 treated in the three years afterward.
Before the law was enacted, about 14 percent of women needed additional treatments - like more medication or aspirations - to end their pregnancy. With the law in place, women's odds of needing those additional treatments were three times as high.
After accounting for factors like age and weight that may contribute to a need for those extra treatments, the risk was increased by about 10 percent.
The proportion of women experiencing side effects such as nausea and vomiting increased from about 8 percent before the law to about 16 percent afterward.
Before the law, about 4 percent of women needed more than one follow-up visit. Afterward, that rose to about 6 percent.
In the meantime, the price of medication abortions rose by about 16 percent.
"Those additional treatments required additional visits," said Upadhyay. "Also, women opting for medication abortions had more side effects than women before the law. They also had higher costs because the protocol is a bit more expensive."
The FDA updated its regimen in March 2016, and women in Ohio and other states with similar laws can now receive medication abortions backed by the most recent science, the researchers note.
But ongoing studies may again change how providers use these medications, in which case women in those states may again be left behind, Upadhyay said.
"There are a lot of advances that women in these states won't be able to take advantage of," she said. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-abortion-ohio-idUSKCN1152IY?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/8612c8e125e4a03f707aa136447f53cbe62423146e024ca4f30110dbdaf96c79.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T21:04:35 | null | 2016-08-28T19:38:42 | A law banning the full-body "burkini" swimsuit in France would stoke tensions between communities and would be both unconstitutional and ineffective, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in an interview published on Sunday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-religion-burqa-france-idUSKCN1130TW%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=20160828&t=2&i=1151370183&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R0JP | en | null | Anti-burkini law in France would worsen tension: interior minister | null | null | www.reuters.com | Protesters demonstrate against France's ban of the burkini, outside the French Embassy in London, Britain August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall
PARIS A law banning the full-body "burkini" swimsuit in France would stoke tensions between communities and would be both unconstitutional and ineffective, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in an interview published on Sunday.
France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled on Friday against a decision to ban the burkini by the mayor of the resort town of Villeneuve-Loubet.
The ruling may set a precedent for the dozens of French towns that have also ordered burkini bans.
The issue has become politically charged at the start of party primaries ahead of next year's presidential election in France, with several leaders on the right and far-right calling for a law prohibiting the full-body swimming costume worn by some Muslim women.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy who is staging a political comeback and is seeking the ticket of the conservative Les Republicains in primaries set for November, has called for a law allowing mayors to ban the burkini.
But Cazeneuve told La Croix newspaper that such a law was unlikely under the current socialist government.
"The government ... refuses to legislate on this because a law would be unconstitutional, ineffective and likely to create antagonism and irreparable tensions," he said.
"We do not need a new law. Current laws clearly lay out France's secularism."
The debate was fueled by footage of police trying to enforce the ban on a woman on a beach in Nice.
The controversy, coupled with several Islamist militant attacks in France since January 2015, has filtered into early campaigning for the presidential election in April 2017, making French cultural identity and security highly-charged issues in the political debates.
"France needs healing and people coming together, not divisive outbursts by those contesting in primaries," Cazeneuve said.
(Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Andrew Bolton) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-burqa-france-idUSKCN1130TW?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/26a4f698729f45028abf5930f923a3781da7fbba8c7a22dbf9d96dcdf82618ea.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T11:03:01 | null | 2016-08-30T10:29:53 | A car bomb claimed by al Shabaab Islamist militants killed five soldiers outside the president's palace in the Somali capital of Mogadishu and badly damaged two nearby hotels, police said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-somalia-blast-idUSKCN1150TV%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 | Car bomb kills five soldiers outside Somali president's palace: police | null | null | www.reuters.com | MOGADISHU A car bomb claimed by al Shabaab Islamist militants killed five soldiers outside the president's palace in the Somali capital of Mogadishu and badly damaged two nearby hotels, police said.
Reuters witnesses said gunfire could be heard after the explosion and a huge cloud of smoke could be seen above the president's palace, outside which were the remnants of the car and splattered blood.
"A suicide car bomb exploded outside the presidential palace. So far two hotels opposite the palace are partially destroyed," police officer Major Mohamed Ali told Reuters by phone.
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for several recent explosions in Mogadishu, including a car bomb and gun attack last week at a popular beach restaurant in the capital that killed 10 people.
"So far we know five government soldiers died in the blast. It exploded outside the SYL hotel which is also just at the checkpoint outside the palace. We believe the target was SYL which is frequented by officials. The death toll may rise," police officer Colonel Abdikadir Hussein told Reuters.
Al Shabaab's Radio Andaluz said that the group was behind the attack.
In a separate incident, al Shabaab fighters attacked military bases housing government and African Union troops south west of the capital Mogadishu late on Monday, police and the group said on Tuesday.
Military officer Major Bile Farah said a soldier and two al Shabaab fighters were killed in the attack in K-50 and Muri in Lower Shabelle region,
Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the group's fighters had killed 10 soldiers and commandeered a vehicle from the Somali government soldiers.
The militants were pushed out of Mogadishu by the African Union peacekeeping force AMISOM in 2011 but have remained a serious threat, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the government.
Seeking to impose its own harsh form of Islam, al Shabaab has also launched attacks in Kenya and Uganda which have contributed troops to the 22,000-strong AMISOM force.
(Reporting by Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar; Writing by George Obulutsa) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-blast-idUSKCN1150TV?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/8853a241de6175f240351ede44d874ce45553efaae52813edae03f74f54703f5.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T09:04:38 | null | 2016-08-28T08:29:16 | A member of the leadership of Libya's U.N.-backed government who is close to powerful rival factions in the east of the country has said he will end his boycott of the Tripoli-based body. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-libya-security-politics-idUSKCN11306T%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 | Second boycotter says will rejoin Libya's U.N.-backed government | null | null | www.reuters.com | TRIPOLI A member of the leadership of Libya's U.N.-backed government who is close to powerful rival factions in the east of the country has said he will end his boycott of the Tripoli-based body.
The decision by Ali Gatrani could strengthen the Government of National Accord (GNA), coming days after a second boycotting member of the government's nine-member leadership, or Presidential Council, said he would resume his role.
But in a statement late on Saturday, Gatrani referred anew to concerns around the continuing power of armed groups in the politics of the oil-producing North African state.
Eastern factions have blocked the parliament based in the east from approving the GNA, saying they believe the U.N.-backed government is dependent on militias and is undermining eastern forces led by General Khalifa Haftar.
Western states are counting on the GNA as the best option in tackling the political chaos, security vacuum and economic collapse that have convulsed Libya since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising five years ago.
The result of a U.N.-mediated deal signed in December, the GNA arrived in Tripoli, the capital in the west of Libya, three months later where it has gradually moved to install ministers.
But it has failed to win endorsement from the pre-existing parliament in the east, which is seen as indispensable if it is to extend its authority across the country.
Last week, the Council said it would resubmit a list of ministers to the parliament in the east, after some lawmakers there voted for a second time to reject it.
Gatrani said he was resuming his role in response to an invitation to a meeting on Sunday from Fayez Seraj, who heads both the GNA and the Presidential Council.
He said his top concern was "the rights of the Barqa region and its people ... whom we represent, along with their sons' sacrifices in the police and the army". Barqa is the name for Libya's eastern region.
Gatrani said he had been surprised by the Presidential Council's move from Tunis to Tripoli in March, even though the U.N. backed deal "states that the venue of Presidential Council meetings would be in the capital, Tripoli, only after the militias have left".
"For that we inform you that we are not going to respond to the call to convene unless the meeting venue is in a Libyan city controlled by regular police and army," he said.
The parliament now in the east left Tripoli in 2014 after armed opponents seized the capital and installed rival institutions there. The GNA has largely displaced the former government in Tripoli, but has struggled to win popular support.
(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by Mark Heinrich) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-politics-idUSKCN11306T?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/ba596667d88a767ed65d28ff2e512c62923603abdcbe76542e2152edf9c9e3d6.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T16:50:33 | null | 2016-08-26T16:34:59 | Tornado Global Hydrovacs Ltd: | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094DT%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-Tornado Global Hydrovacs posts qtrly loss per share $0.006 | 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/idUSASC094DT?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/0ca07d2e0871e927e1c425a8b8bc3875d4f762dd24a18258f9606e3af5a06706.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T14:52:16 | null | 2016-08-29T14:10:00 | A truck that was transporting Takata Corp (7312.T) air bag inflators and propellants at the center of a global recall exploded in Texas last week, killing one woman and injuring four other people, the auto parts supplier said on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-autos-takata-blast-idUSKCN1140NJ.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151423500&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0BO | en | null | Truck carrying Takata air bag inflators explodes in U.S., killing one | null | null | www.reuters.com | The logo of Takata Corp is seen on its display through a vehicle at a showroom for vehicles in Tokyo, Japan, May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
A truck that was transporting Takata Corp (7312.T) air bag inflators and propellants at the center of a global recall exploded in Texas last week, killing one woman and injuring four other people, the auto parts supplier said on Monday.
The truck, operated by a subcontractor, was traveling to a Takata warehouse in Eagle Pass, Texas, early on Aug. 22 when an accident occurred, causing an explosion that incinerated a nearby home, local media reports said.
The truck “was involved in an accident," Takata said in a statement on Monday. "According to preliminary reports, the accident caused a fire, which led to an explosion."
Texas state officials did not immediately return calls for comment early on Monday.
A Takata spokesman in Tokyo said earlier on Monday the blast killed one woman and that the truck was carrying air bag inflators and propellants containing ammonium nitrate, a volatile chemical compound. These bags have in the past exploded and been linked to the deaths of at least 14 people, triggering the biggest recall in the global auto industry.
The force of the explosion damaged about 10 nearby homes, breaking windows and dislodging doors from their hinges, local media reports said, with rubble and truck parts found almost a mile away from the site of the blast.
Takata has a warehouse in Eagle Pass, which is near the Mexico-U.S. border, that stocks inflators manufactured in Monclova in Mexico. That plant has been confirmed as one of the sources of the company's defective air bags.
Local media reports said the driver of the truck was a 20-year-old man who, along with a passenger, were able to escape from the truck before it exploded. However, a 69-year-old woman was killed when the blast occurred in front of her home, the reports said.
A two-day search was conducted to find the woman, but the search was called off after she was identified by dental records, local media reported.
More than 100 million vehicles worldwide have been slated for recall to replace Takata inflators, which in addition to the deaths, are linked to more than 150 injuries, mostly in the United States and involving Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) cars.
Prolonged exposure of the defective Takata inflators to hot conditions has been found to cause air bags to explode with excessive force, spraying shrapnel into passenger compartments.
(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu in Tokyo and Bernie Woodall in Detroit; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Bernadette Baum) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-takata-blast-idUSKCN1140NJ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/b8c796c8cb3a95acc3527654d652994ba57490604b2ecf4c85542137aeac8651.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T20:52:31 | null | 2016-08-29T19:36:39 | Taylor Swift was the most high-profile absence at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) but on Monday but the singer happily took photos with fans after reporting for jury duty in Nashville. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-people-taylorswift-idUSKCN11427P%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://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151485806&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S194 | en | null | Taylor Swift poses with fans at jury duty a day after VMA snub | null | null | www.reuters.com | LOS ANGELES Taylor Swift was the most high-profile absence at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) but on Monday but the singer happily took photos with fans after reporting for jury duty in Nashville.
Swift, 26, was photographed by other potential jurors as she was waiting to be selected as a jury member ahead of a trial in a Nashville court, according to Twitter user Tracy Bates (@TracysActivism).
Bates had initially tweeted, "I am on jury duty with @taylorswift13" and said at first Swift's security personnel initially would not let her take a picture. But later she posted a video and numerous photos, including a selfie with Swift, who was wearing a simple black dress and smiling, in the waiting room.
Bates said Swift was happy to pose with other potential jurors and she also posted an autograph from the pop star that said "So nice to meet you!!"
While Bates was happy to snap the star doing her civil duty, she said she did not consent for any media to use her photos, saying they were not for sale. Another user who posted a photo of Swift with her mother on jury duty made her account private.
Swift, named Forbes' top-earning female celebrity this year with $170 million in earnings, did not receive a single nomination at Sunday's MTV's VMAs and did not appear at the New York show.
She was however mentioned on stage by rapper Kanye West, with whom she has a long-running feud, as he rambled about asking her for permission to use her in an explicit lyric in his song "Famous."
A representative for the singer did not respond for comment on Swift's jury duty or on West's VMAs speech.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Melissa Fares; Editing by Bill Trott) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-taylorswift-idUSKCN11427P?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/5f76acd0dbfdcbd3c77366ec7a2fb095ab7df1653320bc44af4786e08dc53843.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T16:52:14 | null | 2016-08-30T15:45:12 | Twitter Inc said it would sharesome of the advertising revenue on videos created by itsindividual users in the United States as part of an expandedvideo advertising program. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Ftwitter-video-idUSL3N1BB4L7%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 | Twitter to share ad revenue on videos by U.S. individual users | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 30 Twitter Inc said it would share some of the advertising revenue on videos created by its individual users in the United States as part of an expanded video advertising program.
The microblogging service provider's Amplify Publisher Program is currently restricted to organizations such as the National Football League.
Twitter will also allow advertisements that precede the streaming of videos uploaded by individual users, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday. (bit.ly/2c8qoDx) (Reporting by Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey) | http://www.reuters.com/article/twitter-video-idUSL3N1BB4L7?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/362042ba9341fef8720c3ced18b2412f69d4b2a1b90f9f568070b920238f4950.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:52 | null | 2016-08-26T14:23:19 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC0948Q%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 | Michaels Companies posts Q3 earnings per share $0.17 | null | null | www.reuters.com | BRIEF-PPL Corp sets quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share
* PPL Corp says declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.38 per share, payable on Oct. 3 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC0948Q?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/27891baece67fa449bd3d1ce76a0eb85ebdd39eabed00407d34d96afd0b5f6b8.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T12:52:59 | null | 2016-08-30T12:01:17 | Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental drug to treat a bleeding disorder met its main goal in the first of two late-stage trials, sending its shares up 12 pct in premarket trade. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-rigel-trial-idUSKCN1151AF%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 | Rigel's bleeding disorder drug clears first of two key trials | null | null | www.reuters.com | Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental drug to treat a bleeding disorder met its main goal in the first of two late-stage trials, sending its shares up 12 pct in premarket trade.
The drug, fostamatinib, is being studied to treat chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in which the immune system attacks and destroys the body's own blood platelets.
About 18 percent of the 76 adult patients who were treated with fostamatinib achieved a stable platelet response in the study, compared with none on placebo.
Patients typically had an increase in platelet counts to a level above 50,000/uL within the initial weeks of treatment.
ITP patients can suffer extreme bruising, bleeding and fatigue due to low platelet counts. Chronic ITP affects an estimated 60,000 to 125,000 people in the United States.
Rigel said results from the second late-stage trial are expected in October or November.
The company expects to file an application for marketing approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the first quarter of 2017.
Rigel's shares had closed at $2.64 on Monday on the Nasdaq.
(Reporting by Shailesh Kuber; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Anil D'Silva) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-rigel-trial-idUSKCN1151AF?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/028e91a17c22be81a9c674adb18e47f394bd180ebbf03e51796cf025511a7bc7.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T00:52:38 | null | 2016-08-30T00:22:08 | The state of Victoria plans to ban shale and coal seam gas fracking in what would be Australia's first permanent ban on unconventional gas drilling, citing the concerns of farmers and potential health and environment risks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-australia-gas-idUSKCN11500J%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 | Australian state to permanently ban onshore gas fracking | null | null | www.reuters.com | MELBOURNE The state of Victoria plans to ban shale and coal seam gas fracking in what would be Australia's first permanent ban on unconventional gas drilling, citing the concerns of farmers and potential health and environment risks.
However the government left the door open to allowing onshore conventional gas drilling after 2020.
The decision was made despite the fact that most of eastern Australia's gas supply is produced from coal seam gas and comes as a blow to manufacturers who have been clamoring for more gas supply to help keep prices down.
"Our farmers produce some of the world's cleanest and freshest food. We won't put that at risk with fracking," state Labor Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement on Tuesday.
Farmers are worried that groundwater reserves could be depleted or contaminated by onshore gas drilling.
"Victorians have made it clear that they don't support fracking and that the health and environmental risks involved outweigh any potential benefits," Andrews said.
Gas supply has become an issue following the opening of three liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants in the state of Queensland, which together are set to triple gas demand in eastern Australia by 2018 from 2014.
Andrews said Victoria, which gets most of its gas from offshore fields in the Bass Strait, would extend a moratorium on onshore conventional gas drilling until 2020, while it evaluates the risks and benefits of allowing it.
The state has banned fracking since 2012.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) has said there is no environmental reason to ban onshore gas exploration and development.
Companies with onshore gas tenements in Victoria include Origin Energy, Beach Energy, Cooper Energy and Bass Strait Oil.
(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Richard Pullin) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-gas-idUSKCN11500J?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/1d8b1bde89ee9bb3f38a4003ad7bddadd1a5664ab46dd5ae5f644e3ab322205c.json |
[
"Naomi Tajitsu"
] | 2016-08-30T15:03:02 | null | 2016-08-30T13:44:10 | Mitsubishi Motors Corp (7211.T) said on Tuesday more of its vehicle models were involved in a mileage cheating scandal than initially stated, and that it would temporarily stop domestic sales of affected vehicles and compensate owners. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mitsubishimotors-scandal-idUSKCN1150PL%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://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151584719&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T0F1 | en | null | Mitsubishi says overstated mileage for more vehicle models | null | null | www.reuters.com | The company logo of Mitsubishi Motors is seen at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, August 2, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
Mitsubishi Motors Corp's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Osamu Masuko bows as he takes his seat at a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Mitsubishi Motors Corp's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Osamu Masuko (L) and Head of Research and Development Mitsuhiko Yamashita attend a news conference in Tokyo, Japan August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Mitsubishi Motors Corp's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Osamu Masuko (L) and Head of Research and Development Mitsuhiko Yamashita bow their heads to apologize over the company's mileage scandal at a news conference in Tokyo, Japan August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
TOKYO Mitsubishi Motors Corp (7211.T) said on Tuesday more of its vehicle models were involved in a mileage cheating scandal than initially stated, and that it would temporarily stop domestic sales of affected vehicles and compensate owners.
Earlier in the day, Japan's transport ministry said its investigation had shown the automaker had overstated the fuel economy for eight vehicles including the RVR, Pajero and Outlander SUV models, in addition to four minivehicles initially confirmed in April.
The latest announcement deals another reputational blow to Japan's sixth-largest automaker, which has been struggling to recover from the mileage scandal, which affected two minivehicle models produced for Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T).
The company's market value has tumbled since the scandal broke, and the ordeal prompted the company to seek financial assistance from Nissan, which agreed to buy a controlling one-third stake for $2.2 billion.
Mitsubishi said it had submitted new mileage readings to the ministry earlier in the day, after the ministry's probe had shown the fuel economy for some models was as much as 8.8 percent lower than stated in marketing catalogues.
"Both competition and compliance have tightened in the industry, but we had a lax approach to compliance and this was one of the factors which led to this issue," Mitsubishi Motors President Masuko Osamu said at a briefing.
"We need to change this."
Mitsubishi said it would pay compensation of up to 100,000 yen ($977) each to roughly 76,000 owners in Japan. This would amount to an extraordinary loss of 7 billion yen, although the company said the amount would be covered in the expected extraordinary loss of 205 billion yen for this year.
The automaker expects to post a net loss of $1.4 billion this year as the scandal will likely push it into the red for the first time in eight years due to lost sales, compensation costs to customers and payments to Nissan, along with dealers and suppliers.
An internal investigation by the automaker uncovered poor communication, slack governance and pressure on resource-starved engineers at the root of the automaker's problems.
Mitsubishi said it would comply with the ministry's demand for the automaker to stop selling the eight affected models while it corrects marketing materials, a process the ministry expected would take a few weeks.
Masuko said the latest issue would affect some overseas models and the company was considering possible compensation for affected owners, although vehicle numbers would be limited.
Mitsubishi has admitted to using unapproved methods to calculate mileage for 25 years, while it also used estimates, rather than data from actual tests, to calculate the fuel economy for its minivehicles.
Japan is Mitsubishi fifth-largest market, following markets including Asia ex-Japan, Europe and other regions. Its home country comprised roughly 10 percent of its vehicle sales during 2015/16.
($1 = 102.3700 yen)
(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Additional reporting by Maki Shiraki; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Mark Potter) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mitsubishimotors-scandal-idUSKCN1150PL?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/5e88a1df5a1d7db14480f37c7e5c5ee63c9f5af0fde16ecc70a3c605b7d2e730.json |
[
"Karolin Schaps"
] | 2016-08-29T18:50:50 | null | 2016-08-29T18:01:46 | The huge global oil oversupply that has weighed on prices for the past two years may not clear until the second half of 2017, Shell's chief energy adviser Wim Thomas told Reuters. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-shell-oil-market-idUSKCN11421B%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=1151476342&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S15L | en | null | Oil market rebalancing could take until end 2017: Shell | null | null | www.reuters.com | STAVANGER, Norway The huge global oil oversupply that has weighed on prices for the past two years may not clear until the second half of 2017, Shell's chief energy adviser Wim Thomas told Reuters.
The potential return to the market of some 1.5 million barrels per day of supply from Libya and Nigeria and uncertainty about Iranian and Iraqi production levels could push a rebalancing further away than many in the oil industry are hoping.
"All these things when they come back on the market can again postpone the true balancing," Thomas said in an interview on the sidelines of the ONS oil conference in Stavanger, Norway.
He said the most optimistic scenario was for rebalancing, meaning that huge volumes of stored crude have to be absorbed, to kick in this year and that Shell was prepared for all outcomes.
"It can happen any time between the second half of this year and the second half of next year."
Oil prices fell more than 70 percent from 2014 highs earlier this year and are still more than 50 percent below those levels as a fierce battle for market share between major producers has flooded the world with oil.
Thomas, a naval engineer by training, said three aspects could disrupt the current situation.
Oil demand from energy hungry nations China and India will be a key driver for oil prices, as well as the resilience of U.S. shale producers to weak prices.
Any OPEC agreement to freeze oil production could also result in a sudden boost for oil prices, Thomas said.
Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF), which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria on Sept. 26-28.
(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; Editing by Adrian Croft) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-shell-oil-market-idUSKCN11421B?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/e2e2a77c8034a5f3668932748645ade227bfce383abe9b245a7329a269aa3daf.json |
[
"Yashaswini Swamynathan"
] | 2016-08-29T14:52:15 | null | 2016-08-29T14:01:16 | Wall Street rose on Monday morning, helped by financial stocks that gained a day after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the case for an interest rate hike had strengthened. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-stocks-idUSKCN11413B.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151450067&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0S1 | en | null | Wall Street rises as hawkish Fed boosts financial stocks | null | null | www.reuters.com | Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Wall Street rose on Monday morning, helped by financial stocks that gained a day after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the case for an interest rate hike had strengthened.
Yellen, addressing a gathering of global central bankers on Friday, said the central bank was close to meeting its goals of maximum employment and stable prices, while describing consumer spending as "solid".
Yellen gave little indication of when the Fed would move but Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer suggested that a move as soon as next month could be possible.
"It's a delicate yet deliberate delivery of reality," said Andre Bakhos, managing director at Janlyn Capital. "Rates are going to move higher, based on the economic evidence, but the "when" of the move is up in the air."
Financial stocks, which stand to gain the most in a higher interest rate environment, rose as traders raised bets on a hike in the coming months.
The S&P 500 financial index .SPSY rose 0.6 percent, with Wells Fargo (WFC.N) and JPMorgan (JPM.N) rising about 0.8 percent.
The index was trading at its highest level since Dec. 30, shortly after the Fed raised rates for the first time in nearly a decade.
The chances of a rate hike in September jumped to 30 percent from 21 percent, while the measure rose to 45.1 percent from 41.4 percent for December, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool.
A report from the U.S. Commerce Department showed consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose for the fourth straight month in July.
Still, in the 12 months through July the core personal consumption expenditure, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, increased 1.6 percent, below its 2 percent target.
At 9:39 a.m. ET (1339 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI was up 74.82 points, or 0.41 percent, at 18,470.22.
The S&P 500 .SPX was up 8.05 points, or 0.37 percent, at 2,177.09.
The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC was up 11.51 points, or 0.22 percent, at 5,230.42.
The dollar index .DXY rose 0.25 percent, trading at more than a two-week high, while oil prices slipped more than 1 percent.
Microsoft (MSFT.O) rose 0.8 percent and gave the biggest boost to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq after UBS raised its price target.
Mylan (MYL.O) shares rose 1 percent after the drugmaker announced a generic version of its allergy treatment EpiPen.
Herbalife (HLF.N) rose 4 percent after Carl Icahn bought 2.3 million shares in the nutritional supplements maker after denying reports of attempts to sell his stake.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by 1,763 to 859. On the Nasdaq, 1,327 issues rose and 903 fell.
The S&P 500 index showed eight new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 44 new highs and three new lows.
(Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks-idUSKCN11413B | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/0f695d443e44d08d2bac04e94a35c9c35e2fa27827f4953faf5bf20e75451a4c.json |
[
"Jonathan Stempel"
] | 2016-08-29T19:02:01 | null | 2016-08-29T17:29:40 | A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit in which Citizens United sought to block New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman from enforcing rules requiring the conservative group to disclose more information about its donors. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-citizensunited-new-york-lawsuit-idUSKCN1141YK%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151472967&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S14G | en | null | Judge dismisses Citizens United challenge to New York donor rules | null | null | www.reuters.com | New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaks at a news conference with other U.S. State Attorney's General to announce a state-based effort to combat climate change in the Manhattan borough of New York City, March 29, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar
NEW YORK A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit in which Citizens United sought to block New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman from enforcing rules requiring the conservative group to disclose more information about its donors.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein in Manhattan said the attorney general did not violate Citizens United's First Amendment rights by requiring registered charitable organizations to disclose names, addresses and contributions of big donors before soliciting funds in the state.
Citizens United is perhaps best known as the plaintiff in the landmark 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case that allowed unlimited independent spending by corporations and labor unions in election campaigns.
The nonprofit group, which advocates for limited government, free enterprise and strong families, had argued that its donors would "reasonably fear public backlash, financial harm, and worse" should their support be disclosed.
But the judge found no evidence that this would occur, and that the policy advanced New York's "unquestionably important" interest that charitable groups not engage in crime or fraud.
He also said Citizens United did not show that the policy substantially burdened the rights of charities to free speech and association, or that Schneiderman exceeded his authority, or that federal law pre-empted him from acting.
"The complaint states not a single plausible claim upon which relief can be granted," Stein wrote.
Michael Boos, Citizens United's general counsel, in a statement said the group is "quite disappointed" and is reviewing its options, including a possible appeal.
Stein had in July 2015 refused Citizens United's request for a preliminary injunction against enforcing New York's policy, which reflected Schneiderman's interpretation of a 2006 regulation on donor disclosures.
The judge on Monday said Citizens United may bring its First Amendment claim again, but not its claims regarding federal pre-emption and Schneiderman's authority.
"Today's decision is a victory for common sense oversight of New York's vast nonprofit sector," Schneiderman said in a statement. "New Yorkers deserve to know their donations are protected against fraud and abuse."
The case is Citizens United et al v. Schneiderman, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-03703.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-citizensunited-new-york-lawsuit-idUSKCN1141YK?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/02c79b239dfbcf86f7d0fe8d9fce96fb13fc1df5074b14650165904572b0b3b0.json |
[
"Ruthy Munoz"
] | 2016-08-26T13:16:28 | null | 2016-08-25T01:35:34 | Actors Susan Sarandon, Riley Keough and Shailene Woodley joined members of North Dakota's Standing Rock Sioux Tribe outside a courthouse in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to protest against construction of a pipeline they say would pollute water and desecrate sacred land. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-pipeline-nativeamericans-idUSKCN11003R%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DpeopleNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160825&t=2&i=1150951801&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O01V | en | null | Celebrities join Native American pipeline protest in Washington, DC | null | null | www.reuters.com | Actress Susan Sarandon poses ahead of a debate ''Kering Women in Motion'' during the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, in this file photo dated May 15, 2016. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
WASHINGTON Actors Susan Sarandon, Riley Keough and Shailene Woodley joined members of North Dakota's Standing Rock Sioux Tribe outside a courthouse in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to protest against construction of a pipeline they say would pollute water and desecrate sacred land.
About 100 members of the Native American group demonstrated outside the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia while others filled a courtroom inside where a legal battle unfolded over the $3.7 billion project.
The 1,100 mile (1770.28 km) pipeline, being built by a group of firms led by Energy Transfer Partners, would be the first to bring Bakken shale from North Dakota directly to refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The group behind the pipeline, called Dakota Access, had planned to start operations in the fourth quarter of this year, but construction has been dogged since April by protests in North Dakota, and some work has been halted.
A Dakota Access spokeswoman said earlier this week that the company has "temporarily deferred grading activities" across a short section of the right-of-way, while "law enforcement works to contain the unlawful protests."
Tribal leaders say it is they that need the protection of the law.
"In our land, it was never protected, it was just taken and they strategically placed the dams so that tribal lands would get flooded," said David Archambault II, chairman of the tribe, speaking outside the courtroom in Washington on Wednesday.
Dakota Access filed a restraining order against Archambault and other members of the tribe in federal court in North Dakota earlier this month.
In turn, the tribe has sought a preliminary injunction in Washington to halt pipeline construction, accusing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of violating historic preservation and environmental laws by approving the pipeline, which would cross just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.
The Army Corps of Engineers declined comment on Wednesday.
The tribe says the pipeline would leave it vulnerable to contamination from oil spills and would damage historic and culturally significant sites in violation of the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act.
Supporters of the pipeline have said in court filings that it would provide a safer and more cost-effective way to transport Bakken shale to the U.S. Gulf than by road or rail.
On Wednesday, District Court Judge James Boasberg held a hearing on the tribe's motion for a preliminary injunction, and said he would announce his decision by Sept. 9. He set a status hearing for Sept. 14.
In the meantime, work on the pipeline will go no further, as Dakota Access waits for permissions to cross certain federal lands, which must be authorized by the Army Corps of Engineers and approved by Congress.
Outside the court, Sarandon and other celebrities showed support for the tribe.
"I'm here as a mother and a grandmother to thank the people of the Standing Rock community for bringing our attention to this horrible thing that is happening to their land, which in turn will endanger all of us ... because all of our waters are connected," said Sarandon, the Oscar-winning actress known for social and political activism.
The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has 15,000 members throughout the United States with 6,000 to 8,000 living on tribal lands in North Dakota.
Other participants in Dakota Access include Sunoco Logistics Partners and Phillips 66. Earlier this month, Enbridge Inc and Marathon Petroleum Corp announced it would take a minority stake in the pipeline.
(Reporting by Ruthy Munoz; Additional reporting by Catherine Ngai; Editing by Bill Rigby) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipeline-nativeamericans-idUSKCN11003R?feedType=RSS&feedName=peopleNews | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/7fb83f624f111aa646b71069abb50581062ec6f2b293aedc9655a0c1fe030840.json |
[
"Julie"
] | 2016-08-31T11:00:16 | null | 2016-08-31T10:37:42 | China Everbright Ltd, part of the state-owned China Everbright Group, is not in talks to buy a stake in British soccer team Liverpool FC, Chief Executive Chen Shuang said on Wednesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-everbright-soccer-idUSKCN11614O%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=20160831&t=2&i=1151703506&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U0LM | en | null | China Everbright says not in talks to buy Liverpool stake | null | null | www.reuters.com | Liverpool's Divock Origi celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates. Burton Albion v Liverpool - EFL Cup Second Round - Pirelli Stadium - 23/8/16. Reuters / Darren Staples Livepic
General view of Liverpool fans before the match. Football Soccer - Liverpool v Borussia Dortmund - UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg - Anfield, Liverpool, England - 14/4/16. Reuters / Darren Staples Livepic
HONG KONG China Everbright Ltd, part of the state-owned China Everbright Group, is not in talks to buy a stake in British soccer team Liverpool FC, Chief Executive Chen Shuang said on Wednesday.
Chen said that, after media reports of Everbright's interest in the English Premier League club, he called several executives at different units of Everbright that might be involved in outbound mergers and acquisitions and found no one was working on any such deal.
"I really don't know where the media sources come from. I called everyone who might be involved and found no one was aware of this deal," he said at a news briefing.
The Financial Times reported Liverpool's owners had hired an investment bank to advise on a possible sale to a consortium that included Everbright.
Sports assets are not the investment focus of the Chinese conglomerate and Everbright plans to invest instead in the culture and entertainment industry, including movie theaters, in the second half of this year, Chen said.
The U.S. owners of Liverpool have said the club is not for sale.
(Reporting by Julie Zhu; Writing by Elzio Barreto; Editing by Christopher Cushing) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-everbright-soccer-idUSKCN11614O?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/70dd66e24bcd2bbcfb282a064408375521f6b20bea82eadf70cb5c0780ccd371.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T22:57:30 | null | 2016-08-29T21:00:36 | After upsetting lawmakers and a senior church leader with comments that have triggered chuckles and raised eyebrows, Peru's new president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has observed that Peruvians do not get his "English humor". | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-peru-politics-idUSKCN1142BK%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=20160829&t=2&i=1151494282&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S1BC | en | null | Peru's president says local people do not get his 'English humor' | null | null | www.reuters.com | Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski poses for a photo after exercising at the Government Palace in Lima, Peru, August 4, 2016. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo
LIMA After upsetting lawmakers and a senior church leader with comments that have triggered chuckles and raised eyebrows, Peru's new president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has observed that Peruvians do not get his "English humor".
Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former investment banker who studied in Britain in the 1950s, took office in Peru in July.
The most recent example of his unusual style occurred last week when a judge issued an order that said public health centers could distribute the emergency contraceptive pill, a matter of contention in the Catholic country.
When his minister for health, Patricia Garcia, said the decision would be challenged by the government, he said straight-faced, "First you better ask the Cardinal".
And in Puno near the Bolivian border, a place known for large markets selling black market goods, he said he "wasn't worried about a bit of smuggling".
While the comments may seem fairly innocuous, they have generated controversy in the conservative Andean country.
"I was educated in England and it's English humor," he said when asked about it during an interview on Sunday that was broadcast by America Television. "It's a bit ironic, and I'm going to have to quickly adapt."
Kuczynski, whose parents were of Swiss and Polish descent, has also caused amusement with his idiosyncratic style, ordering his ministers to do a weekly workout before their cabinet meeting.
The president, who has pledged to cut taxes and invest in infrastructure, has begun with approval ratings around 70 percent, according to a poll earlier this month.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-peru-politics-idUSKCN1142BK?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FoddlyEnoughNews+%28Reuters+Oddly+Enough%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/6eb16192b25f3efe76a14cdc361aff4c07d1648e09a776c947be7c5ae740bb2d.json |
[
"Abhishek Takle"
] | 2016-08-28T16:59:52 | null | 2016-08-28T15:27:03 | FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium,(Reuters) - German Nico Rosberg steered clear of the chaos unfolding behind him to cruise to an unchallenged victory in a disrupted Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-motor-f1-belgium-idUSKCN1130OV%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=20160828&t=2&i=1151355048&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R0ER | en | null | Rosberg eases to victory in chaotic Belgian GP | null | null | www.reuters.com | Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Fire is seen at the bottom of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland's car during the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Olivier Matthys/Pool
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Former Formula One driver Mark Webber of Australia drinks champagne from the shoe of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (L) while Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany (R) looks on after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/08/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany leads the race at the start of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany leads the race ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo of Australia during the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany (C) celebrates on the podium with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of Britain (L) and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (R) after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany (2ndR) celebrates on the podium with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of Britain (R) and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (L) after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates on the podium after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates on the podium after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany (C) celebrates on the podium with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of Britain (R) and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (L) after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates on the podium after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates on the podium after the Belgian F1 Grand Prix. REUTERS/Yves Herman
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium,German Nico Rosberg steered clear of the chaos unfolding behind him to cruise to an unchallenged victory in a disrupted Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
His Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, the world championship leader, finished third from the back row of the grid, behind Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
The pole-sitting Rosberg kept the lead at the start and was never headed, after his main rivals, fellow front-row starter Max Verstappen and the Ferrari pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, collided at the first corner.
That elevated Ricciardo, starting fifth, to second and the
Australian kept that place until the end, crossing the line 14.1 seconds behind the triumphant Rosberg.
The race was briefly halted with nine of the 44 laps completed after a massive crash for Kevin Magnussen, who lost control of his Renault as he crested the fearsome Eau Rouge.
The Dane, who was taken to hospital for routine checks after suffering a small cut to his left ankle, slammed violently into the barriers.
Officials deployed first the safety car then the red flag as marshals worked to repair the damage.
Sunday’s win was the 20th of Rosberg’s career.
It was also his sixth win of the season, but first since June’s European Grand Prix, and it cut the deficit to Hamilton to nine points in the standings.
The Briton’s rise through the order was helped by the first corner chaos that forced both Ferraris and Verstappen into the pits and by the safety car and red flag deployed after Magnussen’s crash.
Nevertheless, the triple champion, who had gone into the weekend gunning to become only the third driver to score 50 career wins, was happy to come away still ahead in the title race.
Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth for Force India ahead of team mate Sergio Perez, on a strong day for the Silverstone-based team that took them ahead of Williams into fourth in the constructors’ standings.
Vettel fought back to finish sixth ahead of Fernando Alonso who also enjoyed a strong race having started dead last.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was ninth and Red Bull's Verstappen finished a disappointing 11th.
(Editing by Ed Osmond) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-belgium-idUSKCN1130OV?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/4b5145b796a7be90f2bb6c20f7dd25de81827b4f9d967c558ff952db1e92d795.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:56 | null | 2016-08-25T05:32:17 | Novartis AG said a late-stage study showed its oral, once-daily BAF312, or siponimod, reduced the risk of disability progression in a severe form of multiple sclerosis. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-novartis-siponimod-idUSKCN1100CU%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DhealthNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FhealthNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BHealth%2BNews%2529.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160825&t=2&i=1150969136&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O072 | en | null | Novartis announces positive phase III results for MS drug siponimod | null | null | www.reuters.com | The logo of Swiss drugmaker Novartis is seen at its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland October 22, 2013. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
ZURICH Novartis AG said a late-stage study showed its oral, once-daily BAF312, or siponimod, reduced the risk of disability progression in a severe form of multiple sclerosis.
The Phase III EXPAND study, the largest randomized, controlled study in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) to date, met its primary endpoint, compared with placebo, the Swiss drugmaker said in a statement on Thursday.
"SPMS is a particularly disabling form of MS, and there is a need for effective treatment options to help delay disability progression in those living with the condition," Vasant Narasimhan, global head of drug development and chief medical Officer for Novartis, said in the statement.
(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-siponimod-idUSKCN1100CU?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/9dbe4914e8b994bec5d6ed5f0d07c4aa92eafee47ab19d99dbaa53acfe38a98e.json |
[
"Abhishek Takle"
] | 2016-08-27T20:59:41 | null | 2016-08-27T20:29:42 | FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton is preparing for a tough Sunday slog in sweltering conditions as he bids to claw his way through the field at the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-motor-f1-belgium-hamilton-idUSKCN1120RL%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=1151299872&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q0LH | en | null | Hamilton ready for slog from back of the field | null | null | www.reuters.com | SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium Lewis Hamilton is preparing for a tough Sunday slog in sweltering conditions as he bids to claw his way through the field at the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver will start from the last row or the pit lane after being hit with a 55-place grid penalty for exceeding his permitted allocation of engine-related components with three power-unit changes this weekend.
"It's going to be a very, very hard race," Hamilton told reporters after Saturday's qualifying session where he drove only a handful of laps, watching the rest of it in his shorts in his driver's room.
"Being this hot it's going to be hard to follow, being in traffic...I envision tomorrow's going to be hard to get into the top-10 with the tires the way they are."
The Briton has long been aware he would have to take engine-related penalties at some point this year after suffering a spate of reliability woes earlier in the season.
Mercedes had already earmarked the 7km-long Spa track or Monza, venue for the Italian Grand Prix next weekend, as the tracks to take the penalties as both offer plenty of opportunities for overtaking.
But the uncharacteristically hot temperatures this weekend combined with high mandated tire pressures have made conditions tricky for teams and drivers.
Triple world champion Hamilton, who has a 19-point cushion over team mate Nico Rosberg at the top of the drivers' standings, appeared relaxed though.
"It's been a vacation weekend," joked Hamilton who has focused his attention this weekend on race pace rather than flat-out qualifying blasts.
"We've kind of been chilling. Okay I've done lots of laps but not been out pushing for the car to be the quickest," he added as he munched on chocolate.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-belgium-hamilton-idUSKCN1120RL?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/42885ebb115d39899ccc589fb6389b0de768e0f2a355b59b9e754a17406d46fc.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T00:53:03 | null | 2016-08-30T22:53:16 | Endesa Chile, the country's largest power generator, said on Tuesday it is rescinding the water rights to several hydroelectric projects and will take a $52 million writedown this year associated with those investments. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-enersis-chile-hydro-idUSKCN1152UR%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 | Endesa Chile gives up water rights to hydroelectric projects | null | null | www.reuters.com | SANTIAGO Endesa Chile, the country's largest power generator, said on Tuesday it is rescinding the water rights to several hydroelectric projects and will take a $52 million writedown this year associated with those investments.
"Endesa Chile wants to only move forward on projects that are technically and economically viable and that are embraced by the local communities," said Chief Executive Valter Moro.
"In the case of these projects ... we've concluded that they are not viable and for that reason we are returning the water rights to the state so they can be used for some other type of development," he said in a statement.
The company will give up water rights for the Bardon, Chillan 1 and 2, Futaleufu, Puelo and Huechun hydroelectric projects.
Endesa Chile is a unit of Italian utility Enel SpA.
(Reporting by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Matthew Lewis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-enersis-chile-hydro-idUSKCN1152UR?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/9a6cc7c1a353e7b1b974173309ea75c641c6f1668de81aa4ce327af3f682b004.json |
[
"Jeffrey Dastin"
] | 2016-08-31T05:05:00 | null | 2016-08-31T04:03:50 | The first regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-cuba-usa-flights-idUSKCN1160BK%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 | First U.S.-Cuba scheduled flight in decades set to depart | null | null | www.reuters.com | FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The first regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe.
The first of several U.S. carriers to begin serving Cuba in the coming months, JetBlue Airways Corp will fly from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Santa Clara, a city in the center of Cuba known for its monument to revolutionary Che Guevara.
Among the passengers on the 150-seat Airbus A320 will be U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, JetBlue Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes, news reporters and photographers and other officials. Regular travelers, including some of Cuban descent, will occupy nearly half the seats on a route that may be a commercial challenge, at least initially.
Cuba and the United States began normalizing relations in December 2014 after 18 months of secret talks. The countries had been hostile for more than five decades, since Fidel Castro ousted U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in a revolution that steered the island on a communist course and made it a close ally of the Soviet Union.
Since Obama has been unable to persuade the U.S. Congress to lift a longstanding trade embargo, U.S. citizens are still prohibited from visiting Cuba as tourists. The U.S. government has approved exceptions to the ban, ranging from cultural, religious and educational travel to business and visiting family.
Despite those limitations, U.S. airlines have rushed to start flights - adding a lot of capacity and setting themselves up to lose money on the trips in the short run, said industry consultant Robert Mann.
"Most carriers look at international markets that have been restricted and are just opening up as an investment," Mann said. "You need to get your foot in the door."
Services on regional carrier Silver Airways and American Airlines Group Inc from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area to Cuba's outlying provinces are the next to start, in September. Three other carriers will follow.
Mann said the companies probably offered to fly to Cuban cities unknown to many American travelers, so that U.S. officials would look favorably on their applications to fly to Havana.
A memorandum of understanding between Cuba and the United States will limit Havana flights to 20 round trips per day. U.S. officials have yet to announce a final decision on which companies will get those coveted routes.
(Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in Fort Lauderdale; Editing by Christian Plumb and Jonathan Oatis) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-usa-flights-idUSKCN1160BK?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/061711c59e9a19049166d34a87ab41bb7424e87b75bba7c2a8ebe5c1a70875e8.json |
[
"Julia Fioretti"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:38 | null | 2016-08-26T11:54:02 | Websites such as Google's YouTube, DailyMotion and Pinterest could be required by the European Union to seek licenses or revenue-sharing deals with artists for content that is uploaded by their users. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-eu-copyright-idUSKCN1101NQ%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=20160825&t=2&i=1151029701&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O12M | en | null | EU may require YouTube, DailyMotion to seek deals with music industry | null | null | www.reuters.com | People are silhouetted as they pose with mobile devices in front of a screen projected with a Youtube logo, in this picture illustration taken in Zenica October 29, 2014. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Files
BRUSSELS Websites such as Google's YouTube, DailyMotion and Pinterest could be required by the European Union to seek licenses or revenue-sharing deals with artists for content that is uploaded by their users.
The music industry has long complained that services such as YouTube do not pay artists enough for their music and has urged regulators to close what it calls the "value gap".
They say that Alphabet Inc's Google makes vast sums from ad-supported services such as YouTube, but only a small share of the money goes to the music industry.
The European Commission, the EU executive, is looking at imposing an obligation on platforms hosting user-uploaded content -- such as YouTube, Vimeo and DailyMotion -- to seek agreements with rights holders "reflecting the economic value of the use made of the protected content", according to a draft paper, seen by Reuters, listing the preferred options for the EU's copyright reform.
The agreement could take the form of a copyright license or a monetization agreement such as sharing of revenue, an option that is already widely used.
The Commission also wants online sharing platforms to put in place "appropriate and proportionate measures, such as content identification technologies, to ensure the functioning" of the agreements with rights holders.
The proposal is still being discussed and the final version is expected in late September.
Google says that YouTube alone has generated more than $2 billion for rights holders by striking licensing agreements with music labels and publishing societies around the world.
YouTube uses Content ID, which automatically identifies an artist's content, to give rights holders the choice of whether to leave it up, block it or monetize it through a revenue-sharing deal.
Google says that more than 98 percent of all YouTube copyright removal claims use Content ID and the music industry chooses to monetize 95 percent of its Content ID claims.
But rights holders say they do not have enough bargaining power and are presented with a "take it or leave it" deal since the online platforms have no obligation to negotiate with them.
The draft paper said its proposals are likely to increase revenues for rights holders but did not estimate by how much.
Google declined to comment.
The music industry says that Content ID does not work well enough and subscription-based services such as Spotify generate more revenue for the industry despite a smaller user base.
NEWS PUBLISHERS STRENGTHENED
The Commission also wants to give news publishers a new exclusive right covering the online use of their content to give them more bargaining power vis-à-vis search engines such as Google when demanding payment for showing snippets of their articles.
The media industry has often accused Google of making money at its expense by making its content freely available via Google News.
The Commission expects the new right to increase publishers' revenues, though they can still decide to make their content freely available.
"The market power of Google/YouTube is such that many content owners will choose not to charge the fees; the quid pro quo being that in return for allowing free access to their content they will obtain exposure to users via Google/YouTube’s huge platforms," said Matthew Jones, a partner at EIP, a law firm specializing in intellectual property.
A Commission spokesman said that the granting of a new right to publishers would not affect the way users share hyperlinks on the Internet.
(Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Mark Potter and David Goodman) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-copyright-idUSKCN1101NQ?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/4b4c2baaabb1953cc12ba071a522b79f64e1fc332bb36b57cbabb762db072e27.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T19:02:13 | null | 2016-08-30T17:59:22 | A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner arrived in Uruguay on Tuesday after being deported from Venezuela, where he set off alarm bells for traveling without proper documents and was detained earlier this month, a government official said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-uruguay-guantanamo-idUSKCN1152EZ%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Ex-Guantanamo prisoner deported to Uruguay from Venezuela | null | null | www.reuters.com | MONTEVIDEO A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner arrived in Uruguay on Tuesday after being deported from Venezuela, where he set off alarm bells for traveling without proper documents and was detained earlier this month, a government official said.
Jihad Diyab was held for 12 years in Guantanamo without being charged and was released to Uruguay in 2014 in a deal to reduce the number of detainees at the U.S. military prison.
"He arrived early this morning," Susana Muñiz, the director of Uruguayan health services said on local television, adding that he was being taken for a medical check-up.
The Syrian national had not been seen in Montevideo since mid-June and arrived in Caracas by way of Brazil in late July.
Diyab's lawyer told Reuters earlier this month that he asked the Uruguayan consulate in Caracas to help him travel to Turkey where he was to meet with his family. But he was then arrested by Venezuelan security forces.
"He did not properly enter either Brazil or Venezuela, and was deported to Uruguay. He will continue to be treated as a refugee," Uruguayan Interior Minister Eduardo Bonomi told local paper El País.
News that Diyab had left Uruguay led a group of U.S. lawmakers to demand that President Barack Obama halt transfers of Guantanamo prisoners, arguing that they represented a security risk to Americans.
(Reporting by Matias Larramendi, writing by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Alan Crosby) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uruguay-guantanamo-idUSKCN1152EZ?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/784d394590fdae9a0b28fbfe6fcf4d0253a6876640865981c2848c119bfecb35.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:48 | null | 2016-08-30T16:57:57 | Germany said it has resolved a dispute with the European Union so that German firms that generate power for their own consumption can remain exempt from a green energy surcharge, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-germany-renewables-idUSKCN11529L%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 | Germany outlines deal with EU on green levy for co-generation plants | null | null | www.reuters.com | BERLIN Germany said it has resolved a dispute with the European Union so that German firms that generate power for their own consumption can remain exempt from a green energy surcharge, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Tuesday.
Gabriel said the agreement covers existing plants with co-generation systems combining heat and power production - the so-called "Kraft-Waerme-Kopplungsanlagen" (KWK) - that will continue to be exempt from the surcharge.
"With the agreement, we've created planning security for companies," said Gabriel, the vice chancellor and leader of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). His ministry had opposed the EU's demands to impose the surcharge on the companies, which would have cost them some 760 million euros per year.
Future KWK plants, however, will have to pay 40 percent of a green energy surcharge from 2017 for newly built combined heat and power plants under a new deal with the EU.
Gabriel also said, however, that the agreement with the European Commission states that the government would restrict subsidies to combined heat and power plants in firms' factories.
Germany has been discussing the disputed issue of exemptions to the country's renewable energy levy with the European Commission for years. Germany's chemicals and steel sectors in particular are affected. Overall, about a quarter of the power consumed by industry is generated in-house.
Until now, many companies, especially those in energy-intensive industries, have been exempted from paying the green energy surcharge that has helped finance Germany's shift away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources.
In 2014, the European Commission said that waivers granted to energy-intensive industry did not constitute unfair competition, but it approved an exception for power generated by industry up to 2017.
(Reporting by Markus Wacket; writing by Madeline Chambers and Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Mark Heinrich) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-renewables-idUSKCN11529L?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/e25fcf38ffd5e4384eb23d8579a3818f3cde471a9d222cf362731403569702eb.json |
[
"Svea Herbst-Bayliss"
] | 2016-08-28T20:50:22 | null | 2016-08-28T20:36:10 | Bayliss | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-herbalife-shortseller-idUSKCN1130V0%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=20160828&t=2&i=1151373073&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R0KC | en | null | Herbalife may have misled investors, SEC on impact of FTC deal, one short-seller says | null | null | www.reuters.com | An Herbalife logo is shown on a poster at a clinic in the Mission District in San Francisco, California April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/File Photo
BOSTON After U.S. multi-level marketing company Herbalife (HLF.N) settled a probe of its sales practices with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission last month, top executives assured investors that the company would be able to thrive under the new rules.
The consumer protection agency had questioned the company's sales methods.
Billionaire investor William Ackman in 2012 claimed the company was running a pyramid scheme, recruiting members with a promise of payment for enrolling others in distribution, rather than depending on the actual sale of its nutritional supplements and weight management products.
In its July 15 settlement Herbalife agreed to restructure its U.S. business so distributors are rewarded for sales rather than for recruitment of sales agents and it agreed to pay a $200 million fine.
But Herbalife's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission painted a much less optimistic picture than its presentation to analysts and investors, according to a private investor who flagged the differences to the SEC this month.
Matthew Handley, an investor based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida alleged Herbalife made "purposefully deceptive statements" in its Aug. 3 quarterly earnings conference call and regulatory filings.
Handley, who is betting Herbalife's stock price will fall, told Reuters about his outreach to the SEC and provided a copy of his letter to its whistleblower office.
"The transcript of the conference call, when compared directly against the actual language the company issued in their 10Q, depict a clear pattern of purposeful intent to deceive investors and the market," Handley wrote in the Aug. 16 letter.
"The things you say on the call and write in the filing have to match up, and I thought they just didn't," he later said in an interview with Reuters.
Because Herbalife's conference call transcript and its SEC filings are publicly available, securities law experts said the company probably did not violate the SEC's disclosure rules such as Regulation FD.
Corporate filings are often more legalistic and technical than what executives say during presentations to analysts and investors, when they may sound optimistic about the company's outlook, law professors and private lawyers noted.
But such presentations are usually highly scripted, with companies trying to ensure oral statements are not inconsistent with their filings, and the difference in tone and substance in Herbalife's case is noteworthy, securities lawyers said.
"Securities laws say that you cannot lie," said Yale law professor Jonathan Macey. "Reading these two documents (the filing and transcript of the conference call), would suggest they've changed their point of view," he added.
Herbalife spokesman Alan Hoffman declined repeated requests from Reuters for comment. Brian Lane, a partner at law firm Gibson Dunn, which vets Herbalife's disclosures, did not respond to a call or email seeking comment. Herbalife has disclosed inquiries from the SEC and other government authorities in the past.
SEC spokesman John Nester also declined to comment.
COMPLYING WITH THE FTC
Herbalife hailed the FTC settlement as a victory for its business model as the FTC said the company may have deceived hundreds of thousands of people but stopped short of calling it a pyramid scheme.
In August executives assured analysts and investors on a conference call that Herbalife would suffer little financial damage from the settlement.
Chief Executive Michael Johnson said, "We have the greatest confidence in our ability to comply with the agreement and continue to grow our business in the U.S. and around the world."
Chief Financial Officer John DeSimone saw "minimal disruption to the business" and President Desmond Walsh also struck an optimistic tone, saying, "The most important thing is that we don't see any long-term impact in our business."
Herbalife's SEC filing was more circumspect though, saying the company does not currently expect the settlement to have a "long-term and materially adverse impact."
However, the filing also noted "there is no guarantee that we will be able to fully comply with the consent order" and that "the company's business and its member base, particularly in the United States, may be negatively impacted."
If Herbalife cannot comply with the consent order, "this could result in a material and adverse impact to the company's results of operations and financial condition," the filing said.
Herbalife also noted the settlement's effect "could be significant."
BILLIONAIRES' TARGET
Herbalife has until next year to comply with the July 15 order from the Federal Trade Commission to restructure its U.S. business.
It is not clear whether other short sellers and investors will respond to Handley's accusations on inconsistency between the company's verbal optimism and its more cautious SEC filings, some experts said.
"If you invest in this company, you will want to know what the odds are of this FTC ruling screwing up their business," Yale Law School professor Macey added.
Herbalife's stock price has gone on a wild ride over the last four years when two billionaires began squaring off over its future. After seeing a high around $81.00 in January 2014, the stock fell to a low around $30.26 in January 2015 before recovering to close at $60.50 on Friday.
Hedge fund manager William Ackman, who called Herbalife a pyramid scheme, placed a $1 billion short bet but so far has suffered some losses as the stock climbed.
On Friday in a letter to investors, Ackman also noted differences between presentations to investors by Herbalife executives and the company's official quarterly filing. In his letter, Ackman wrote "management's latest commentary is a continuation of prior misrepresentations."
Ackman and Handley, who registered his complaints about Herbalife's communications with the SEC, both said they have never spoken to each other and reached their conclusions independently.
By contrast, in 2013 billionaire Carl Icahn expressed confidence in Herbalife, becoming its biggest shareholder and named directors to the board.
This week, Ackman and Icahn tangled anew when Ackman said an investment bank approached him to try and sell some of Icahn's shares, but on Friday, Icahn said he was buying shares, not selling.
A key institutional owner, Fidelity, sold some of Herbalife's shares in August, it said in a filing. Fidelity declined to make the fund manager available for an interview.
(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra, Nick Zieminski and Clive McKeef.) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-herbalife-shortseller-idUSKCN1130V0?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/c8c3802512e0f23ef8e1efc90ec0d5a77c1632fac644c940e2f0d03ab75a0de9.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T17:04:50 | null | 2016-08-29T16:29:04 | Searches were launched on Monday after a Swiss air force jet flown by a single pilot went missing, the ministry of defense said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-swiss-air-airplane-idUSKCN1141U5%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 | Swiss air force jet goes missing, search launched | null | null | www.reuters.com | ZURICH Searches were launched on Monday after a Swiss air force jet flown by a single pilot went missing, the ministry of defense said.
The plane, a one-seater F/A-18C, went missing near Susten in central Switzerland at around 14:30 GMT (10:30 EDT), the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier this year a Swiss F-5E air demonstration fighter jet collided with another plane and crashed into a pond in the northern Netherlands ahead of an air show.
The Swiss airforce lost another F/A 18 in 2013 when the plane crashed during a training flight in the canton of Obwalden.
(Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Richard Balmforth) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-swiss-air-airplane-idUSKCN1141U5?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/0008356d05f759c6f1687afa782b61ff43621b1cacc5b40a734f6a721b78cbd6.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:30 | null | 2016-08-26T12:49:39 | Norway's appeal case against a legal ruling that found the state had violated the human rights of mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik will most likely be held in January, a court said on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-norway-breivik-appeal-idUSKCN1111H4%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=1151168792&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P0UG | en | null | Norway reschedules appeal against mass murderer Breivik to January | null | null | www.reuters.com | Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik attends the second day of his terrorism and murder trial in Oslo, Norway, April 17, 2012. REUTERS/Hakon Mosvold Larsen/Pool/File Photo
OSLO Norway's appeal case against a legal ruling that found the state had violated the human rights of mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik will most likely be held in January, a court said on Friday.
Far-right militant Breivik killed 77 people in July 2011 - eight in a bomb attack in Oslo and 69 in a shooting spree at a youth meeting of the Labour Party on a nearby island.
The case was originally scheduled for November, but Breivik's lawyer Oeystein Storrvik said earlier this month he would ask for a later court date, as he had another case scheduled on those days.
Oslo's district court ruled on April 20 that the state had denied Breivik his human rights by keeping him in solitary confinement, a judgement that shocked many in Norway and abroad.
(Reporting by Joachim Dagenborg, writing by Stine Jacobsen) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-breivik-appeal-idUSKCN1111H4?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/2e7cca9e16138bf83e8f4d0c2a045767fea877690b95ca6197821d781f5429a3.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T09:05:13 | null | 2016-08-31T08:55:28 | An Islamic State supporter who was shot dead in Russia after he attacked police officers with an ax had planned to travel to Germany to join members of his family there, two people who knew him told Reuters. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-russia-germany-islamists-attacks-idUSKCN1160W0%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=20160831&t=2&i=1151695453&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U0GF | en | null | Exclusive: Islamic State ax attacker planned to move to Germany - sources | null | null | www.reuters.com | A still image taken on August 19, 2016 from an August 18, 2016 video posted on social media shows two Islamic State spokespersons of the Islamic State, as they claim responsibility for an attack on a traffic police post outside Moscow, Russia. Social Media
VALERIK, Russia An Islamic State supporter who was shot dead in Russia after he attacked police officers with an ax had planned to travel to Germany to join members of his family there, two people who knew him told Reuters.
Usman Murdalov, 21, and his friend Sulim Israilov, 18, armed themselves with axes and attacked a traffic police post near Moscow on Aug. 17. In a video posted online a day later, they professed loyalty to Islamic State.
The two people who knew him said that Murdalov, up to the point when he left his home village in the Russian region of Chechnya on Aug. 12, had been making arrangements to travel to Germany to join his father and his step-mother who moved there three months earlier.
Germany has seen a spate of violent attacks in the past few months, including two blamed on Islamists. Security officials have said that people with extremist links, some of them Chechens, are getting into Germany by passing themselves off as migrants and asylum seekers.
Ingo Decker, head spokesman for the interior ministry of the German state of Brandenburg, declined to comment on Murdalov or his family, but said the state had been dealing with large numbers of Chechen refugees for years.
"A large majority of those refugees come from the Islamic republics of Russia, and they generally come through eastern Europe," Decker said.
"Nearly all the Islamists and suspected terrorists that we are tracking in our state come from these regions, not generally from Iraq or Syria."
GERMAN PLANS
Chechnya is a mainly Muslim region of southern Russia which is the scene of a low-level Islamist insurgency. Russian security officials have said about 10,000 people from Russia and other ex-Soviet republics are fighting in the Middle East in the ranks of jihadist groups. There are no figures for the number of Chechens, but they make up a significant contingent within Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
In the village of Valerik, where Murdalov had his family home, a relative said that Murdalov had successfully applied to the Russian authorities for a passport so he could travel to Germany.
"He did not have a visa," to enter Germany, the relative said. "His family, who left earlier, didn't have visas either."
A neighbor in Valerik, who knows the family, also said Murdalov was planning to go to Germany, following his family.
"They went there illegally by car through Poland. That's for sure," the neighbor said, adding that he did not know their current location.
People in the village said they could not explain why Murdalov had scrapped his plan to travel to Germany.
He was last seen in Valerik on Aug. 12, when he and Israilov said they were leaving for the nearby Caspian Sea resort of Izberbash for a break.
Five days later, the two attacked the police post in Balashikha, a town near Moscow and about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) from Izberbash. They injured two police officers, one of whom later died in hospital. Murdalov and Israilov were shot dead.
A day later, Islamic State media channels released a video purporting to show Murdalov and Israilov before the attack.
"We are in Moscow on the orders of our emir, our caliph, Omar al-Baghdadi, who ordered us to do everything in our power," one of the men said in the video, referring to the leader of Islamic State.
"We are calling this a revenge operation, revenge because you are killing our brothers, because you are killing our brothers and sisters every day in Iraq and Syria."
People pledging allegiance to Islamic State have staged violent attacks in Russia's mainly Muslim north Caucasus region, but the Balashikha attack was the first time Islamic State sympathizers had mounted an attack so close to Moscow.
COLLEGE DROPOUT
Relatives of Murdalov and Israilov said neither man had exhibited signs of radicalisation. They said they could not understand what could have changed in them to make them carry out the attack.
Murdalov and Israilov worked together at a small manufacturing company in Valerik producing windows and doors, according to relatives. The business is owned by Murdalov's family.
The relatives said that Israilov's parents divorced when he was a baby. He was raised by his father and his father's second wife, whom he believed to be his biological mother. He only found out she was his step-mother when his biological mother visited him, unannounced, at his school, when he was a teenager.
Israilov had been in his second year at a teacher training college in Grozny, the Chechen capital, where he studied physics and information technology.
He was expelled from the college due to poor academic performance on Feb. 24 this year, according to a document seen by Reuters.
A college official said she did not know what happened to him. "He used to have good marks but later he got worse," she said.
Israilov's aunt, who did not want to be identified, said the police visited the family and told them he died in the attack.
"We didn't want to believe it because a person who was supposed to be in Izberbash turned out to be in Moscow and, furthermore, in such circumstances."
RUSSIAN INFLUX
Decker, the Brandenburg interior ministry spokesman, said the state was aware of about 80 suspected Islamist extremists in its jurisdiction, including several dozen with previous combat experience. Most were from the North Caucasus, which includes Chechnya.
Those Islamists melt into the growing number of Russian citizens - many of them Chechens - who enter Germany seeking asylum. Applications recorded in Brandenburg from Russians in the first six months of this year stand at 1,764, already exceeding the number for the whole of 2015.
Security officials said many people who pose a potential security threat enter Germany via Poland, a border that has only very limited immigration controls because the two countries are part of the European Union's free movement zone.
Anja Ducklauss-Nitschke, deputy chief of Germany’s federal police union, said it was practically impossible to even determine if the Murdalov family was in Germany given the lack of controls at the German-Polish border.
“Without fingerprints and other personal data, it’s practically not even researchable,” she said. “That’s what’s so horrifying.”
(Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in BERLIN; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova; editing by Janet McBride) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-germany-islamists-attacks-idUSKCN1160W0?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/ae13d9339372bada39361a7dcedda337a92d9cefd835b7598257f9d2fec69139.json |
[
"Anthony Boadle"
] | 2016-08-29T05:04:40 | null | 2016-08-29T03:03:48 | Suspended President Dilma Rousseff will make a last stand in Brazil's Senate on Monday in an impeachment trial that is widely expected to remove her from office and end more than a decade of leftist rule by her Workers Party. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-brazil-impeachment-idUSKCN114071%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=20160829&t=2&i=1151395276&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S03E | en | null | Brazil's Dilma Rousseff takes stand in impeachment trial | null | null | www.reuters.com | People walk next to an official photo of Brazil's suspended President Dilma Rousseff, at a camp in support of Rousseff, in Brasilia, Brazil, August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly
BRASILIA Suspended President Dilma Rousseff will make a last stand in Brazil's Senate on Monday in an impeachment trial that is widely expected to remove her from office and end more than a decade of leftist rule by her Workers Party.
Rousseff, who is being impeached on charges of breaking budget laws, has denied wrongdoing and denounced the nine-month impeachment process that has paralyzed Brazilian politics as a conspiracy to overthrow her and roll back policies that have favored Brazil's poor during 13 years of Workers Party governments.
But a deep recession that many Brazilians blame her for and a huge corruption scandal involving state-run energy company Petrobras [PETR4.SA] have undermined Rousseff's popularity since she was re-elected in 2014.
Her vice president, Michel Temer, has been interim president since mid-May, when Rousseff was suspended after Congress decided it would continue the impeachment process that began in the lower house.
If the Senate convicts Rousseff on Tuesday or Wednesday as expected, Temer, 75, will be sworn in to serve out the rest of her term through 2018. His business-friendly government vows to take unpopular austerity measures to plug a growing fiscal deficit that cost Brazil its investment-grade credit rating last year.
"She will appeal to undecided senators to respect democracy and stop the coup that is under way," a spokesman for Rousseff told Reuters. "She is in good spirits."
In her 30-minute speech, the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rousseff, 68, would point to a lifetime fighting for democracy, from her arrest and torture by a military dictatorship for belonging to a left-wing guerrilla group to election as Brazil's first female president.
Twenty of her former Cabinet ministers will support her from the Senate gallery, along with her political mentor and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, founder of the Workers Party.
With the odds stacked against her, Rousseff's testimony appears to be aimed at making a point for the history books that her impeachment was a travesty rather than a bid to sway the 81-seat Senate to block her eviction from office.
FIFTY-FOUR VOTES NEEDED TO CONVICT
Temer is confident he has the two-thirds of the chamber needed to remove Rousseff, and he has planned an address to the nation on Wednesday before heading to China to attend the summit of the G20 group of leading economies.
"We need 54 votes, and we expect to get at least 60," Temer's press spokesman, Marcio de Freitas, told Reuters.
He said the more votes Temer got, the stronger would be his mandate to take the difficult measures needed to restore confidence in Brazil's economy, caught in a two-year recession.
A survey published by O Globo newspaper on Sunday showed 53 senators would vote against Rousseff and only 18 would back her - 10 short of the 28 she needs to avoid being ousted. Ten senators have not stated a position or were not polled.
Even senators not convinced the accounting charges brought against Rousseff warrant her impeachment have decided to vote against her because they see her return to the presidency prolonging Brazil's political crisis.
"I will vote against her even though I think it is a tragedy to get rid of an elected president, but another 2-1/2 years of a Dilma government would be worse," centrist Senator Cristovam Buarque said in a phone interview.
Rousseff has lost her base of support in Congress and can no longer run the country effectively, he said.
Senator Helio Jose, who was the Rousseff government's deputy whip in the Senate, has not declared his vote. But he said in a telephone interview that Temer was doing a good job restoring stability since he took over from Rousseff.
"I don't think the return of President Dilma would be good for the country. Temer has built support in Congress to pass austerity measures we need to recover confidence and draw investment to Brazil," he said.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Peter Cooney) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-impeachment-idUSKCN114071?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/220a8dc6aac7ace9621e9d8640d5ea29a5b4417fb7af0512500296e153815ed6.json |
[
"Helen Murphy",
"Luis Jaime Acosta"
] | 2016-08-26T17:04:19 | null | 2016-08-26T16:34:45 | After three decades fighting in the remote mountains of Colombia for a Marxist revolution, 60-year-old FARC rebel Cesar Gonzalez must now return to a society he barely recognizes. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-colombia-rebels-peace-idUSKCN1111S7%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=1151196504&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P195 | en | null | Colombia's FARC rebels face tricky return under peace deal | null | null | www.reuters.com | A couple from the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rest inside a tent at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. Picture taken August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Leidi, a member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), poses for a picture at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Members of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have a haircut and a beard shave at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
A member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) walks at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Members of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) listen to a lecture on the peace process between the Colombian government and their force at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Members of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) stand in line to get food at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Yuli and Eduar of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) eat at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Members of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) prepare food at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Patricia, a member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), feeds chickens at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Members of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) listen to a lecture on the peace process between the Colombian government and their force at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Members of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) patrol in the remote mountains of Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Alexandra, a member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), poses for a picture at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Carlos, a member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), is seen at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Eduar, a member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), is seen wearing a cap with badges showing images of Che Guevara and FARC's late founder Manuel Marulanda at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
A machine gun and a chair are pictured in at a camp of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
A couple from the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) pose for the camera at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
Leidi, a member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), poses for a picture at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
A member of the 51st Front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) walks at a camp in Cordillera Oriental, Colombia, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino
CORDILLERA ORIENTAL, Colombia After three decades fighting in the remote mountains of Colombia for a Marxist revolution, 60-year-old FARC rebel Cesar Gonzalez must now return to a society he barely recognizes.
A peace deal unveiled on Wednesday between Colombia's government and guerrilla leaders will end half a century of war and allow the rebels to set up a political party and seek power peacefully, at the ballot box.
But reintegrating 7,000 fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - many of whom have spent at least half their lives at war – will be a crucial part of making the peace deal work, and it is no easy task.
"The world has changed so much - technology - we are out of date, but we must get up to speed," said Gonzalez, who says he left his wife and their four children and took up arms to prevent being killed for his Communist beliefs in the 1980s and hasn't seen them since.
He knows little of iPhones, the Internet or even washing machines.
"In those days telephones had dials," he said, laughing at how out of touch he is with modern Colombia.
Returning guerrilla groups to society at the end of civil wars is always difficult and the challenges are even bigger in Colombia because the conflict has gone on for so long.
Gonzalez, who teaches Marxism at a FARC camp high in Colombia's Cordillera Oriental, or Eastern Mountain Range, says he has no regrets about his guerrilla life and is preparing for a new life in community politics.
Even for some younger rebels, like 33-year-old Gissella Mendoza, civilian life may be tough.
Trained as a medic during her 20 years in the FARC's ranks, she has saved lives, amputating limbs and stemming bleeding from major wounds. But it is unlikely she will be able to practice her field when she demobilizes.
With only a fifth grade education, little money and most of her life hidden from society, she would need to start from scratch and learn alongside much more privileged students.
"God willing, I'll be able to continue, what else can I do?" she says, a 9 mm pistol strapped to her waist. "It would be so hard."
The rebels' base is extremely remote, accessible only with a three-day journey by mule - fording furious rivers and climbing rock faces.
The camp itself is a hodge podge of wooden structures that run along planks stretched across the mud. Fattened pigs loll at the entrance and blustering wind competes with the constant whir of a generator.
FARC fighters here say they are optimistic a binding end to the war is possible but would not flinch at returning to armed struggle if the government shirks on its commitments to protect demobilizing rebels, allow the rebel group to enter politics and invest in rural areas.
"If the government fails to meet its obligations, we will take up arms again," said Gabriel Mendez, 32, an 18-year veteran who teaches peace accords to the rebels and worries they may be targeted by death squads.
Fear of being killed is real. During a previous peace process in 1985 thousands of former FARC rebels and supporters were assassinated by paramilitary groups.
A repeat of that violence seems unlikely now, but some guerrillas are wary. They know how to obtain weapons, and disarming as part of the accord would be easily reversible, said one rebel who asked that his name not be connected to such comments.
Under the peace deal, the FARC committed to disarm, end its involvement in the illegal drugs trade and provide reparations to its victims.
'DIABOLICAL'
For now, the rebels believe peace will hold and they will be able to compete for power at the ballot box.
"Peace will allow us to talk; we want to talk," said Leiber Ramires, 38, a soft-spoken rebel commander dressed in olive green fatigues and rubber boots. "Colombians have been sold a story that we're diabolical - we aren't and we want to form a political party that will allow us to fight alongside society."
The fighters listen in silence - except for the constant coughing - to Leiber's lecture before standing in line for breakfast, then another class. The teachings seem archaic for a post-conflict Colombia and Latin America's fourth-biggest economy.
"We are revolutionaries," said Ramires.
When asked about their future, the rebels say they want to be involved in a political solution. They expect to live off funds from international aid.
Few talk about government programs for reintegration or see any problem entering the work place after decades at arms.
"We will await orders from our leaders, see what they tell us to do," said 28-year-old female fighter Amalfi, her nom de guerre, who has been in the ranks since she was 17.
The rebels patrol the valleys beyond the camp and cook rice, beans and pork in the kitchen's clay oven. They bathe in ice-cold mountain water and sleep on frames of tree trunks filled with leaves. The forest provides privacy for their toilet needs.
Food arrives at the camp by pack mules. Every month, sacks of potatoes, toiletries and other staples are strapped to the beasts which totter along slippery mountain paths.
The FARC has for decades used proceeds from extortion and the illegal drugs trade to fund its war.
"We have more than most Colombians, we have food," said Amalfi, who wants to seek out her family as soon as possible.
Women make up about 30 percent of the camp and while they carry the same weapons and wear the same uniforms as men, they also use colorful hair accessories and makeup. Permission is required from the camp's commander for sex between fighters.
The 51st front and the nearby 53rd, a two-hour hike on foot, form part of the FARC's feared Eastern Bloc. Both have seen their fair share of war.
When the FARC tried to seize the capital Bogota in 2001, rebels from here were stationed in surrounding towns until a hardline offensive spearheaded by then-President Alvaro Uribe pushed them back into the inhospitable mountains.
They suffered nightly bombing raids that they remember as the worst time of the war.
A bilateral ceasefire agreed in June means camp life is easier now. Smoking is permitted past 6 p.m. and torches guide the way along slippery walkways.
The final accord, which still needs to be signed and put to voters in a referendum, will test the country's tolerance. Both sides are suspicious of each other and many Colombians despise the FARC because of its involvement in drug trafficking and kidnappings.
Without forgiveness, peace could fail and the nation return to war, says 29-year old Katerine Mendoza, who wears a necklace depicting the FARC's late founder, Manuel Marulanda.
"We were born civilians. We took up arms out of necessity and if the state isn't careful we will return with pain in our souls," she said.
(Reporting by Helen Murphy; Editing by Kieran Murray) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-rebels-peace-idUSKCN1111S7?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/c0e21f6447a83a0eb062aae8538bc5be248919aa66c4a2937c4327f2d35514cb.json |
[
"Isaack Omulo"
] | 2016-08-27T12:59:36 | null | 2016-08-27T10:23:13 | Kenya has arrested three top members of its Olympic committee, a Reuters witness said, after mismanagement of the contingent nearly derailed the country's participation in the Rio Games. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-olympics-kenya-arrests-idUSKCN1120AB%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=1151262271&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q064 | en | null | Athletics: Kenya arrests three officials over Rio mismanagement | null | null | www.reuters.com | NAIROBI Kenya has arrested three top members of its Olympic committee, a Reuters witness said, after mismanagement of the contingent nearly derailed the country's participation in the Rio Games.
The east African nation notched up its biggest ever haul of medals in Brazil but doping and organizational challenges had plagued its preparations in the run-up to the event.
On Friday, chef de mission Stephen arap Soi and assistant secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) James Chacha were taken to a police station in Nairobi upon arrival from the Olympics, alongside the body's Secretary General F. K. Paul, according to the witness.
Another official, Chief Executive of Athletics Kenya Susan Kamau, told Reuters she too was questioned by police but shortly released.
With six golds, as many silvers and one bronze medal, Kenya finished second only to the United States in the athletics table, making South America's first Olympic Games its best outing so far.
But its athletics pedigree has been tainted with up to 40 runners failing dope tests in the past four years. Its struggle to convince authorities it was taking the issue seriously threatened its participation in Rio.
In April, Kenya's president signed into law a bill criminalizing doping, as demanded by the World Anti-Doping Agency, to avoid a Rio ban and the government has promised a tighter rein in the future.
At the Games, Kenya's Olympic committee sent home a sprinting coach after he was accused of posing as an athlete to doping testers. The coach said he had borrowed an accreditation pass to seek a meal in the athletes' village.
Kenya's athletics manager was also sent home from the Olympics and is being detained while police investigate allegations that he had warned athletes before the Games about drugs tests in return for cash. He denies any wrongdoing.
Government officials had warned of measures against officials accused of mismanaging preparations ahead of the competition's conclusion.
On Thursday, Sports Minister Hassan Wario said he had disbanded NOC-K and set up a committee to probe mismanagement. It will report its findings by Sept. 30.
(Writing by Aaron Maasho; editing by Amlan Chakraborty) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-kenya-arrests-idUSKCN1120AB?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/5a6bf8339eaa7d2100e5ff65d89559a0a90d4960cfebec9f7915fd313cb4f9d3.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T12:51:32 | 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.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 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/7231eb190081ffaa598fd04d55ba8f9ced9af83c7ccb0b3d648e52c00d6d6a8c.json |
[
"John Miller"
] | 2016-08-31T11:02:16 | null | 2016-08-31T10:40:10 | Novartis has won U.S. approval for a copy of Amgen's blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel, but the Swiss drugmaker's bid to muscle in on the medicine's $4.7 billion in annual U.S. revenue remains blocked by court battles. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-novartis-fda-biosimilars-idUSKCN11619F%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160831&t=2&i=1151706165&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U0MO | en | null | Novartis bid to sell new biosimilar crimped by U.S. court battles | null | null | www.reuters.com | The logo of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is seen on its headquarters building in Basel, Switzerland October 27, 2015. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
ZURICH Novartis has won U.S. approval for a copy of Amgen's blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel, but the Swiss drugmaker's bid to muscle in on the medicine's $4.7 billion in annual U.S. revenue remains blocked by court battles.
Novartis's Sandoz unit said on Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Erelzi, its biosimilar copy of Enbrel, for rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other diseases.
Yet Erelzi remains stuck in the starting blocks because U.S. courts have ruled makers of biosimilars must wait 180 days after winning FDA approval before beginning sales of the near-copies. [tinyurl.com/he4govy]
That could delay Erelzi's sales launch until March 2017.
Amgen is also waging an aggressive patent war, seeking to fend off Novartis's incursion on Enbrel's turf by arguing in U.S. federal court its drug has patent protection until 2029.
"We are fully committed to bringing Erelzi to U.S. patients and payers as soon as possible," Novartis said in a statement, adding: "However, we cannot speculate on product commercial availability."
Biosimilars aim to copy biologic products made inside living cells.
Novartis, whose first biosimilar Zarxio was approved last year after a separate court fight with Amgen, is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in biosimilar manufacturing in Austria and France to make cheaper biotech copies of brand-name drugs.
The Basel-based company is betting these copies will be irresistible for insurers, healthcare systems and governments aiming to contain costs.
In Erelzi's case, the prize is big as Enbrel was the world's fifth-biggest selling medicine in 2014.
In trying to accelerate sales, Novartis has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the ruling by a U.S. federal appeals court forcing biosimilar makers to wait six months after FDA approval. [tinyurl.com/jncdnhx]
Meanwhile, Amgen's battle to prolong patents it maintains shield Enbrel for another 13 years is far from resolved. In an Aug. 11 ruling, a U.S. federal judge in New Jersey blocked Sandoz from selling its version.
While court documents indicate Novartis and Amgen have struck a pact over the matter, their agreement has been sealed by U.S. District Judge Claire Cecchi and is not public.
"We will not comment on the pending litigation at this time," Novartis said in a statement.
However, the patent fight could take months or years to resolve. Cecchi has released a schedule for hearings, with a potential trial due to begin only in April 2018.
(Editing by David Holmes) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-fda-biosimilars-idUSKCN11619F?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/19c3588b7ddb1a3b7a09ff1608299834ed0f8d58d84a44205323f3f56f1d815b.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:15:09 | null | 2015-01-08T21:05:51 | Media companies thatare starting to allow their programs onto Internet-delivered TVand mobile devices are putting limits on digital rights as asafety hatch if problems arise with the new distributionsystems, executives say. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fces-tvfees-idUSL1N0UM1G120150108%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DvcMedia.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Media embracing digital TV with strings attached | null | null | www.reuters.com | NEW YORK/LAS VEGAS Jan 8 Media companies that are starting to allow their programs onto Internet-delivered TV and mobile devices are putting limits on digital rights as a safety hatch if problems arise with the new distribution systems, executives say.
The debate over digital rights that determine how and when content is consumed is adding a new layer of complexity to negotiations between media companies and distributors, leading to drawn-out wrangling and programming blackouts in some cases.
Such disputes are not new, but the need to hammer out a variety of digital rights is making talks more complicated.
Media companies are considering joining streaming-only services, or launching their own like HBO and CBS, to attract young people who do not subscribe to traditional pay TV packages. But programmers also fear the packages could become so popular that they undercut current, more profitable deals with cable companies.
The unveiling of Dish Network Corp's video streaming service, Sling TV, at the Consumer Electronics Show this week marks a turning point as Walt Disney Co offered its sports juggernaut ESPN in a package that does not require a traditional TV subscription.
One catch is that ESPN has a clause that lets it get out of Sling TV if the service signs up a certain number of subscribers, technology news website Re/code reported, citing anonymous sources. ESPN declined to comment on the specifics of the agreement.
Some content providers that are considering joining video streaming services are mulling caps that would trigger new negotiations if viewership reaches certain levels, said two media executives who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Executives at various media companies said they have a new check list of questions for digital rights to Web-only television, mobile apps or on-demand programming. Distributors want more rights to air shows over a variety of services but there is also more pressure to monetize programming.
Now programmers are asking: Is the content viewed in the home or outside the home? Is there video on demand? Do payment terms change if the number of subscribers skyrocket?
CBS Corp, which was involved in a contract dispute with Dish late last year, granted Dish Showtime video-on-demand content but only within the home.
Satellite and cable providers say they want to satisfy consumers' demands. "We want our customers to have the ability to watch content on the screen of their choice and the location of their choice," said Cox Communications CEO Patrick Esser. "All of that is a negotiation."
Dish CEO Joe Clayton said his company had no choice but to embrace new technology.
"When the economy changes, consumers taste changes, technology changes, the competition changes, guess what? You better change," said Clayton. "A lot of media companies don't want to change their business model."
For Sling TV, Clayton said "we don't have a cap on what we are going to sell," but he declined to offer specific details on agreements with programmers.
Dish has been involved in numerous contract disputes in recent months with media companies ranging from CBS to Time Warner Inc's Turner Broadcasting, to Twenty-First Century Fox, whose news and business cable networks have been blacked out to Dish's 14 million customers since late December.
Clayton said his company's role as "disruptors and pioneers, especially in technology" has led to disputes with programmers.
The digital rights battle comes as profit margins are thinning for many cable and satellite companies, which are trying to keep subscribers as programming costs rise. Rights for sporting events, in particular, have soared.
The average cost for a cable company to carry a network has risen from 25 cents a month per subscriber in 2010 to 30 cents in 2014, SNL Kagan estimated.
"When programmers and broadcasters ask for 200 or 300 percent increases, somebody's got to say 'whoa,'" said Clayton.
At the same time, the growth in pay TV subscriptions - once tied to a robust housing market - is at a near standstill. MoffettNathanson Research estimates quarterly subscriber losses of about 0.1 percent over the past two years.
"People love television. They want it all and it's getting expensive," Charter Communications CEO Tom Rutledge said.
"Operators ... are trying to control costs and programmers are not growing, so they are trying to make up for that." (Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York and Lisa Richwine in Las Vegas; Editing by Richard Chang) | http://www.reuters.com/article/ces-tvfees-idUSL1N0UM1G120150108?feedType=RSS&feedName=vcMedia | en | 2015-01-08T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/a0ef0c68395c78b85b38e05006b4fce3b9335720f361a57510dabfa7a8598a44.json |
[
"Michelle Nichols"
] | 2016-08-30T21:04:58 | null | 2016-08-30T20:02:44 | The U.N. Security Council began talks on Tuesday on whether to impose sanctions on people or entities linked to two chlorine gas attacks on civilians that the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog blamed on the Syrian government. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons-idUSKCN1152M8%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=20160830&t=2&i=1151631836&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1J1 | en | null | Talks start at U.N. on possible Syria sanctions over gas attacks | null | null | www.reuters.com | A civilian breathes through an oxygen mask at al-Quds hospital, after a hospital and a civil defence group said a gas, what they believed to be chlorine, was dropped alongside barrel bombs on a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo, Syria, early August 11, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail
UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council began talks on Tuesday on whether to impose sanctions on people or entities linked to two chlorine gas attacks on civilians that the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog blamed on the Syrian government.
A year-long U.N. and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry, unanimously authorized by the 15-member Security Council, also found that Islamic State militants used sulfur mustard gas.
"It is incumbent on the council to act swiftly to show that when we put that Joint Investigative Mechanism in place we were serious about there being meaningful accountability," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said on Tuesday.
"I can't specify or get ahead of where the council's going to be," she said on her way in to the closed-door meeting.
The report's results set the stage for a Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain and France over how to respond to the report.
"The sorts of things we will be looking at are the imposition of a sanctions regime and some form of accountability within international legal mechanisms," said British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he is prepared to work with the United States on a response, but that first the council members must exchange analysis on Tuesday of the report, which he has described as very complicated.
Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Moscow and Washington. The Security Council backed that deal with a resolution that said in the event of non-compliance, "including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone" in Syria, it would impose measures under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
Chapter 7 deals with sanctions and authorization of military force by the Security Council. The body would need to adopt another resolution to impose targeted sanctions - a travel ban and asset freeze - on people or entities linked to the attacks.
"We need a resolution and we need a resolution with teeth," said French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday.
However, Russia, a close Syrian ally, and China have previously protected the Syrian government from council action by blocking several resolutions, including a bid to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons-idUSKCN1152M8?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/0bcb5fb6cb7ff46bc9eee290b8e4824a47a4e3f3ef2dbbc16db913efbf979762.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T04:52:54 | null | 2016-08-31T03:07:18 | Hurricane Gaston reached major hurricane strength once again on Tuesday, the NHC said in its advisory. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-storm-gaston-nhc-idUSKCN11608M%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 | Hurricane Gaston reaches major hurricane strength again: NHC | null | null | www.reuters.com | Africa forest elephants may take almost a century to recover from poaching: study
JOHANNESBURG Africa's rare forest elephants which play a key role in replenishing the central African rainforests will need almost a century to recover from an onslaught by ivory poachers because of their slow birth rate, a study published on Wednesday said. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-gaston-nhc-idUSKCN11608M?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/8c4e10eaa2cdc0f63ca1d56ecdc72fa5aee1b149d6524ccb804a2baf244cc324.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T19:01:36 | null | 2016-08-27T16:53:14 | National League quarterback Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco 49ers refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game on Friday, drawing boos from some fans and criticism on social media, but his team said it backed his right to protest. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-nfl-kaepernick-idUSKCN1120NM%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160827&t=2&i=1151287984&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q0HO | en | null | NFL's 49ers support quarterback after he refused to stand for anthem | null | null | www.reuters.com | San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stands on the field before their NFL pre-season football game against the Denver Broncos in San Francisco, California, U.S. August 8, 2013. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo
National League quarterback Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco 49ers refused to stand for the national anthem before a preseason game on Friday, drawing boos from some fans and criticism on social media, but his team said it backed his right to protest.
Kaepernick, a former starter who led San Francisco to the 2013 Super Bowl but has since been demoted to backup, said he sat on the bench during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to make a statement about racial injustice in the United States.
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick later told NFL Media in an article posted on Saturday. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way."
Kaepernick appeared to be referring to police use of deadly force, which has come under increased criticism in recent years as incidents have been captured on cellphone video.
He said he was prepared for rejection by the public and did not warn anyone of his plans.
"If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right," Kaepernick said.
When Kaepernick came into the game at the team's home stadium in Santa Clara, California, fans greeted him with boos and cheers.
The team, which has unsuccessfully tried to trade Kaepernick to another team since his demotion, issued a statement of support after the game.
"The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony," the team said. "In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem."
Social media was less forgiving. While some Twitter users supported his right to free speech, the feed of sports website Busted Coverage, which has 70,000 followers, called him "an idiot."
"Colin Kaepernick can get the hell out of our country. No respect for this guy," said Tyler Nelson, who calls himself a Carolina Panthers fan with 134 followers.
Athletes have long used their fame to make political statements, as typified by the Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos holding up their fists in a black power salute during a medals ceremony in 1968.
Two seasons ago, players on the NFL's St. Louis Rams entered the stadium for a home game with their hands raised, a reference to the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" slogan adopted by protesters in demonstrations against the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nfl-kaepernick-idUSKCN1120NM?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/5b9325e74f06e028855a7fe544df19d574d79f76de5f98606971e5ee8ce10d87.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T16:52:17 | null | 2016-08-30T16:43:58 | Twitter Inc said it would share some of the advertising revenue on videos created by its individual users in the United States as part of an expanded video advertising program. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-twitter-video-idUSKCN11522S.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160830&t=2&i=1151601332&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T16Q | en | null | Twitter to share ad revenue on videos by U.S. individual users | null | null | www.reuters.com | A 3D-printed logo for Twitter is seen in this picture illustration made in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Twitter Inc said it would share some of the advertising revenue on videos created by its individual users in the United States as part of an expanded video advertising program.
The microblogging service provider's Amplify Publisher Program is currently restricted to large companies such as CBS Corp's CBS News and organizations such as the National Football League and Major League Baseball.
A user has to check a box prior to tweeting videos, after which ads will run on the video before it starts. "A portion of the ad revenue is then shared back with creator," Twitter said in a blog post on Tuesday. (bit.ly/2c8qoDx)
Twitter will share 70 percent of the revenue with the video creator, technology website Recode reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Google's YouTube shares 55 percent of the ad revenue, Recode said. Twitter's terms for individual video creators will be the same as those for its Amplify partners, the website reported. (on.recode.net/2coLtxB)
Twitter said individual users would also be allowed to share their videos on other platforms.
Under Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, the company has made a significant push into video, signing deals with several media companies and sports organizations to stream major events.
Twitter shares down slightly at $18.45 in noon trading.
(Reporting by Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-video-idUSKCN11522S | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/659ca93c0185d8172993ffd60f670fe40a0df55580d5ad144222364566d0931b.json |
[
"Angus Mcdowall",
"Yara Bayoumy"
] | 2016-08-30T21:03:07 | null | 2016-08-30T20:44:03 | The Islamic State group announced on Tuesday that one of its longest-serving and most prominent leaders, responsible for attacks overseas, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, had been killed in Aleppo province in Syria. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mideast-crisis-islamic-state-spokesma-idUSKCN1152GG%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=20160830&t=2&i=1151635870&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7T1JV | en | null | Islamic State leader in charge of foreign attacks killed in Syria | null | null | www.reuters.com | An Islamic State flag is seen in this picture illustration taken February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
IS spokesman and head of external operations Abu Muhammad al-Adnani is pictured in this undated handout photo, courtesy the U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State/ REUTERS
BEIRUT/WASHINGTON The Islamic State group announced on Tuesday that one of its longest-serving and most prominent leaders, responsible for attacks overseas, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, had been killed in Aleppo province in Syria.
Adnani had been one of the last living senior members, along with self-appointed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, that founded the group and stunned the Middle East by seizing huge tracts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
As Islamic State's spokesman, he was its most visible member. As head of external operations, he was in charge of attacks overseas, including Europe, that have become an increasingly important tactic for the group as its core Iraqi and Syrian territory has been eroded by military losses.
Advances by Iraq's army and allied militia toward Islamic State's most important possession of Mosul have put the group under new pressure at a moment when a U.S.-backed coalition has cut its Syrian holdings off from the Turkish border.
Those military setbacks have been accompanied by airstrikes that have killed several of the group's leaders, undermining its organizational ability and dampening its morale.
A U.S. counter-terrorism official who monitors Islamic State said that Adnani's death will hurt the militants "in the area that increasingly concerns us as the group loses more and more of its caliphate and its financial base ... and turns to mounting and inspiring more attacks in Europe, Southeast Asia and elsewhere".
Under Adnani's auspices, Islamic State has launched large-scale attacks, bombings and shootings, on civilians in several countries outside its core area, including France, Belgium and Turkey.
The official said Adnani's role as propaganda chief and director of external operations have become "indistinguishable" because the group uses its online messages to recruit fighters and provide instruction and inspiration for attacks.
Islamic State's Amaq News Agency reported that Adnani was killed "while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo". Islamic State holds territory in the province of Aleppo, but not in the city where rebels are fighting Syrian government forces.
Amaq did not say how Adnani, born Taha Subhi Falaha in Syria's Idlib Province in 1977, was killed. Islamic State published a eulogy dated Aug. 29 but giving no further details.
INROADS INTO ISLAMIC STATE
Recent advances by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, and by Syrian rebels backed by Turkey, have made inroads into Islamic State holdings in Aleppo province, cutting them off from the Turkish border and supply lines along it.
Iraqi army advances against the jihadist group meant that Baghdad was on track to retake Mosul from it by the end of this year, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command General Joseph Votel said earlier on Tuesday.
Among senior Islamic State officials to have been killed in airstirkes this year are both Abu Ali al-Anbari, Baghdadi's formal deputy, and the group's "minister of war", Abu Omar al-Shishani. Adnani had joined the group under its founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
There are conflicting reports as to where and how he died.
A senior Syrian rebel official said Adnani was most probably killed in the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab in an air strike. Citing unconfirmed reports, he said Adnani was in the Aleppo region to raise morale as the group comes under mounting pressure.
Hisham al-Hashimi, a security analyst who advises the Iraqi government on Islamic State, said Adnani was injured in a coalition strike on Aug. 17 near al-Rai, north of Aleppo, where Islamic State is fighting Turkish and U.S.-backed Syrian rebels.
Hashimi said he died from his wounds on Monday.
Islamic State's territory around Aleppo is of particular significance to the group because it is also the location of Dabiq, where an Islamic prophecy holds the last battle between Muslims and infidels will rage, heralding the end of time.
FACE OF GROUP
Iraq said in January that Adnani had been wounded in an air strike in the western province of Anbar and then moved to the northern city of Mosul, Islamic State’s capital in Iraq.
Adnani is a Syrian from Binish in Idlib, southwest of Aleppo, who pledged allegiance to Islamic State's predecessor al Qaeda more than a decade ago and was once imprisoned by U.S. forces in Iraq, according to the Brookings Institution.
He was from a well-to-do background but left Syria to travel to Iraq in order to fight the U.S. forces there after its 2003 invasion, and only returned to his homeland after the start of its own civil war in 2011, a person who knew his family said.
He has been the chief propagandist for the ultra-hardline jihadist group since he declared in a June 2014 statement that it was establishing a modern-day caliphate spanning swaths of territory it had seized in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Adnani has often been the face of the Sunni militant group, such as when he issued a message in May urging attacks on the United States and Europe during the holy month of Ramadan.
Adnani is likely to be succeeded in his military role by the financial comptroller of the group, Iyad al-Obaidi, also known as Saleh Haifa, a security officer and Saddam, Hashimi said.
The United States designated him a "global terrorist" this year and says he was one of the first foreign fighters to oppose U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq since 2003 before becoming spokesman of the militant group.
There is a $5 million reward on his head under the U.S. "Rewards for Justice" program.
(Reporting by Angus McDowall in Beirut, Stephen Kalin in Erbil, Iraq, Maher Chmaytelli in Baghdad, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Yara Bayoumy, Warren Strobel and John Walcott in Washington; Editing by Ralph Boulton) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-islamic-state-spokesma-idUSKCN1152GG?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/9c5a22cc20d5303cd33e8e4877255b0e8eac064f1a4c3ea2715e56e6fd03874a.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-28T16:51:29 | null | 2016-08-28T16:14:40 | Two United Airlines pilots were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol in Scotland on Saturday as they were about to fly to the United States, police and the airline said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-ual-pilots-arrested-idUSKCN1130QS.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Two United Airlines pilots held on alcohol charge in Scotland | null | null | www.reuters.com | LONDON Two United Airlines pilots were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol in Scotland on Saturday as they were about to fly to the United States, police and the airline said.
Police Scotland said the two men, aged 35 and 45 years, were detained under a section of the Railways and Transport Safety Act which covers carrying out pilot function or activity whilst exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol.
The men are expected to appear in court in Paisley, near Glasgow, on Monday.
The flight from Glasgow to Newark Airport, New Jersey, carrying 141 passengers, eventually took off nearly 10 hours late on Saturday evening with a new crew, the airline said.
United said two pilots had been removed from service and their flying duties.
"We're collaborating with the authorities and will conduct our own investigation," said spokeswoman Erin Benson.
"The safety of our customers is our highest priority."
The pilots were arrested in the cockpit shortly before the 0800 GMT flight to the New Jersey airport was due to depart, the BBC reported.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle in London and Chris Prentice in New York; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ual-pilots-arrested-idUSKCN1130QS | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/414065271aac1068b217fc52237644306120e1338a6931639afd72b7097cac39.json |
[
"Tom Polansek"
] | 2016-08-26T19:01:33 | 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%3DdomesticNews.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=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/98a20b9308e6021cec0bec620c3f1d3d02b73104b20e60d816457cdd1b49574d.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T06:52:46 | null | 2016-08-31T06:26:14 | Japanese stocks rose on Wednesdayin heavy trade, led by exporters and financials as the dollarstood tall against the yen and upbeat U.S. consumer confidencedata lifted expectations of a near-term U.S. interest rate hike. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fjapan-stocks-close-idUSL3N1BC2DS%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 | Nikkei rises to over 2-wk closing high on weak yen; Topix hits 6-wk high | null | null | www.reuters.com | TOKYO Aug 31 Japanese stocks rose on Wednesday in heavy trade, led by exporters and financials as the dollar stood tall against the yen and upbeat U.S. consumer confidence data lifted expectations of a near-term U.S. interest rate hike.
The Nikkei gained 1.0 percent to 16,887.40, the highest closing level since Aug. 12. The benchmark index gained 1.9 percent this month.
The broader Topix gained 1.3 percent to a near six-week closing high of 1,329.54, with 2.089 billion shares changing hands, the highest since Aug. 8.
Turnover was 2.205 trillion yen, the highest since Aug. 9.
The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 advanced 1.3 percent to 11,967.56. (Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) | http://www.reuters.com/article/japan-stocks-close-idUSL3N1BC2DS?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/fc01f89ca63f3f5c05fff53e28557dd6fe041e2edc8d86993c0006c5f89c5d07.json |
[
"Chris Kahn"
] | 2016-08-26T20:59:06 | null | 2016-08-26T19:33:58 | U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton leads her Republican rival Donald Trump by 5 percentage points among likely voters, down from a peak this month of 12 points, according to the Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-election-poll-idUSKCN11128U%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=20160826&t=2&i=1151214378&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7P1DS | en | null | Clinton leads Trump by 5 points in Reuters/Ipsos poll | null | null | www.reuters.com | NEW YORK U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton leads her Republican rival Donald Trump by 5 percentage points among likely voters, down from a peak this month of 12 points, according to the Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Friday.
The Aug. 22-25 opinion poll found that 41 percent of likely voters supported Clinton ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election, while 36 percent supported Trump. Some 23 percent would not pick either candidate and answered "refused," "other" or "wouldn't vote."
Clinton, a former secretary of state, has led real estate developer Trump in the poll since Democrats and Republicans ended their national conventions and formally nominated their presidential candidates in July. Her level of support has varied between 41 and 45 percent during that period, and her lead over Trump in the tracking poll peaked this month at 12 percentage points on Tuesday.
During the past week, Clinton has been dogged by accusations by Trump, which she has denied, that donations to her family's charitable foundation influenced her actions while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Questions have also surfaced again about her use of a private email server and address rather than a government one during her period at the State Department.
Meanwhile, Trump and Clinton also sparred over who would be a better advocate for African Americans and other minorities, and Trump hinted he could soften his hard-line stance on immigration. [nL1N1B714Z]
In a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll that includes candidates from small, alternative parties, Clinton leads the field by a smaller margin. Some 39 percent of likely voters supported Clinton in the four-way poll, compared with 36 percent for Trump, 7 percent for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and 3 percent for Green Party nominee Jill Stein.
Both polls were conducted online in English in all 50 states. They included 1,154 likely voters and have a credibility interval of 3 percentage points.
The results may differ from the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project, which includes a separate weekly tracking poll that measures support for the major party candidates in every state and Washington D.C.
The States of the Nation, released on Wednesday, estimated that if the election were held now Clinton would have a 95 percent chance of winning by a margin of about 108 votes in the Electoral College, the body that decides the election through a count of the candidates' wins in each state.
(Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Frances Kerry) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll-idUSKCN11128U?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FPoliticsNews+%28Reuters+Politics+News%29 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/7bf5c9d4e873eed329bcd9157e1e0249c5bc4d3ed6c13384d3a343cd0eb95fad.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T00:52:00 | null | 2016-08-28T23:32:11 | Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, a musical icon across Latin America for more than 40 years, died on Sunday of a heart attack at age 66, broadcaster Televisa reported. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-mexico-juangabriel-idUSKCN1130XT%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=20160828&t=2&i=1151382274&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R0LK | en | null | Mexican singer Juan Gabriel dies of heart attack aged 66 | null | null | www.reuters.com | Singer Juan Gabriel (L) smiles after receiving the 2009 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year award from singer Enrique Iglesias at the 10th annual Latin Grammy awards in Las Vegas, Nevada November 5, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
MEXICO CITY Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, a musical icon across Latin America for more than 40 years, died on Sunday of a heart attack at age 66, broadcaster Televisa reported.
The prolific songwriter and performer, who was known for his powerful love ballads, died in Santa Monica, California, Televisa reported. He was due to sing at a concert in El Paso, Texas, later on Sunday.
Gabriel, whose real name was Alberto Aguilera, was born in 1950 into a poor family in the western Mexican state of Michoacan and rose to sell millions copies of his albums and have his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gabriel, who lived much of his young life in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, entertained generations of Latin Americans with his energetic performances of songs such as "Querida" and "Amor Eterno" in glittering mariachi outfits.
"A voice and a talent that represented Mexico," Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Twitter. "His music, a legacy for the world."
(Reporting by Mexico City Newsroom; Editing by Bill Trott) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-juangabriel-idUSKCN1130XT?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fentertainment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Entertainment%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/ad7df572cf8d386119bf850771efd4f1d31515188c391991a8afacf437880e08.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T02:50:53 | null | 2016-08-27T00:49:16 | AT&T Inc : | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094ER%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-AT&T and HBO reach multi-platform programming agreement | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 26 AT&T Inc :
* AT&T and HBO reach historic multi-platform programming agreement
* AT&T and Home Box Office, Inc reached multi-year, strategic agreement that will extend HBO's award-winning content across all AT&T products
* AT&T and HBO are not disclosing financial and other details of new agreement
* Agreement renews HBO's existing contract with AT&T Directv and U-verse services, will also make all HBO and cinemax content available on Directv now
* Expect new streaming service to roll out by end of year
* Directv and U-verse customers will continue to have access to HBO and cinemax content on linear tv, online and tv everywhere apps Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Bengaluru Newsroom) | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC094ER?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 | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/119dc532f7b92994372435b0fbfe16831405800eb23c0c58273b63c1eca0e3e0.json |
[
"Canice Leung"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:47 | null | 2016-08-17T04:05:13 | Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump looks out at Lake Michigan during a visit to the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin August 16, 2016. REUTERS/Eric Thayer | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fnews%2Fpicture%2Feditors-choice%3FarticleId%3DUSRTX2L5Z6.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160817&t=2&i=1149975264&w=&fh=545&fw=810&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=2016-08-17T040513Z_23682_S1AETVVIYCAA_RTRMADP_0_USA-ELECTION-TRUMP | en | null | Editor's Choice | null | null | www.reuters.com | Darya Klishina of Russia competes in the women's long jump qualifying. Klishina booked a place in the Olympic long jump final on Tuesday, keeping alive her country's slim hopes of an athletics medal in Rio following the exclusion of its track and field squad over doping allegations. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned Russia's track and field team in June over allegations of state-sponsored cheating...more
Darya Klishina of Russia competes in the women's long jump qualifying. Klishina booked a place in the Olympic long jump final on Tuesday, keeping alive her country's slim hopes of an athletics medal in Rio following the exclusion of its track and field squad over doping allegations. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned Russia's track and field team in June over allegations of state-sponsored cheating but initially allowed Klishina to compete as she trains and undergoes drug testing in the United States. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Close | http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/editors-choice?articleId=USRTX2L5Z6 | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e2285e50d84fc4c7ff925e8e78561ee21f88ed85d6f6180c03c447f4bf16cac4.json |
[
"Supriyo Hazra"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:40 | null | 2016-03-31T19:58:26 | An overpass under construction in the bustling Indian city of Kolkata collapsed on Thursday on to vehicles and street vendors below, killing at least 14 people with more than 100 people feared trapped. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-india-collapse-idUSKCN0WX0T7%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://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160331&t=2&i=1129160143&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC2U106 | en | null | India overpass collapse kills 14; scores feared trapped | null | null | www.reuters.com | People are seen standing on the debris of a a flyover which collapsed, in Kolkata, in this still image taken from video March 31, 2016. REUTERS/ANI via Reuters TV
Rescue workers attempt to rescue a person trapped in a car after a flyover collapsed, in Kolkata, in this still image taken from video March 31, 2016. REUTERS/ANI via Reuters TV
Vehicles are seen trapped under a flyover which collapsed in Kolkata, in this still image taken from video March 31, 2016. REUTERS/ANI via Reuters TV
A view shows the flyover which collapsed in Kolkata, in this still image taken from video March 31, 2016. REUTERS/ANI via Reuters
A view shows the flyover which collapsed in Kolkata, India, in this still image taken from video March 31, 2016. REUTERS/ANI via Reuters
Rescue members carry a policeman after he was rescued at the site of an under-construction flyover that collapsed in Kolkata, India, March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
Rescue members rush a policeman to an ambulance after he was rescued at the site of an under-construction flyover that collapsed in Kolkata, India, March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
Rescue members carry a victim from the site of an under-construction flyover that collapsed in Kolkata, India, March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
A man is seen trapped amid the debris of an under-construction flyover after it collapsed in Kolkata, March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
Firefighters and rescue workers search for victims at the site of an under-construction flyover after it collapsed in Kolkata, India, March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
KOLKATA, India An overpass under construction in the bustling Indian city of Kolkata collapsed on Thursday on to vehicles and street vendors below, killing at least 14 people with more than 100 people feared trapped.
Residents used their bare hands to try to rescue people pinned under a 100-metre (110-yard) length of metal and cement that snapped off at one end and came crashing down in a teeming commercial district near Girish Park.
"The concrete had been laid last night at this part of the bridge," resident Ramesh Kejriwal told Reuters.
"I am lucky as I was planning to go downstairs to have juice. When I was thinking about it, I saw that the bridge had collapsed."
Video footage aired on TV channels showed a street scene with two auto rickshaws and a crowd of people suddenly obliterated by a mass of falling concrete that narrowly missed cars crawling in a traffic jam.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose center-left party is seeking re-election in the state of West Bengal next month, rushed to the scene.
"We will take every action to save lives of those trapped beneath the collapsed flyover. Rescue is our top priority," she said.
Banerjee, 61, said those responsible for the disaster would not be spared. Yet she herself faces questions about a construction project that has been plagued by delays and safety fears.
A newspaper reported last November that Banerjee wanted the overpass - already five years overdue - to be completed by February. Project engineers expressed concerns over whether this would be possible, The Telegraph said at the time.
The disaster could play a role in the West Bengal election, one of five being held next month that will give an interim verdict on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nearly two years in power.
Indian company IVRCL (IVRC.NS) was building the 2-km (1.2-mile) Vivekananda Road overpass, according to its web site. Its shares closed down 5 percent after falling by up to 11.8 percent on news of the disaster.
IVRCL's director of operations, A.G.K. Murthy, said the company was not sure of the cause of the disaster.
"We did not use any inferior quality material and we will cooperate with the investigators," Murthy told reporters in Hyderabad where the firm is based. "We are in a state of shock."
NO ACCESS
A coordinated rescue operation was slow to get under way, with access for heavy lifting gear and ambulances restricted by the buildings on either side of the flyover and heavy traffic.
Police said that 78 injured had been taken to Kolkata's Medical College Hospital after the disaster struck at around noon.
"Most were bleeding profusely. The problem is that nobody is able to drive an ambulance to the spot," said Akhilesh Chaturvedi, a senior police officer.
Eyewitness Ravindra Kumar Gupta, a grocer, said two buses carrying more than 100 passengers were trapped. Eight taxis and six auto rickshaws were partly visible in the wreckage.
"Every night, hundreds of laborers would build the flyover and they would cook and sleep near the site by day," said Gupta, who together with friends pulled out six bodies.
"The government wanted to complete the flyover before the elections and the laborers were working on a tight deadline ... Maybe the hasty construction led to the collapse."
(Additional reporting by Rupam Jain, Tommy Wilkes, Neha Dasgupta and Aditya Kalra and Reuters TV in New Delhi; Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Nick Macfie) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-collapse-idUSKCN0WX0T7?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/25db25c5eddc1af511f537a939f7f5ac9d257c7d22c820d6224d374829f79577.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T22:52:06 | null | 2016-08-29T22:07:42 | Fred's Inc | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSASC094RN%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-Fred's Inc to appoint Michael Bloom as CEO | null | null | www.reuters.com | BRIEF-Radient Technologies announces Q1 results
* Conducting a non-brokered private placement of up to 70 million units of corporation at a price of $0.10 per unit Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSASC094RN?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/ed17b2641a3e27ed7b86970fc09c6544726e825b2af1917469f22fdfea4eabbc.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:53 | null | 2016-08-25T06:17:19 | A Japanese truck driver playing Pokemon Go while driving hit two women, killing one and injuring the other, in Japan's first death related to the Nintendo Co craze. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-nintendo-pokemon-death-idUSKCN110091%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DoddlyEnoughNews%26utm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Breuters%252FoddlyEnoughNews%2B%2528Reuters%2BOddly%2BEnough%2529.json | http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160825&t=2&i=1150963917&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O04O | en | null | Japanese truck driver playing Pokemon Go kills pedestrian | null | null | www.reuters.com | A man uses a mobile phone in front of an advertisement board bearing the image of Pokemon Go at an electronic shop in Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
Men play the augmented reality mobile game 'Pokemon Go' by Nintendo on their mobile phone as they walk at a busy crossing in Shibuya district in Tokyo, Japan, July 22, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
A man plays the augmented reality mobile game 'Pokemon Go' by Nintendo on his mobile phone as he walks at a busy crossing in Shibuya district in Tokyo, Japan, July 22, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
Flowers are laid near the scene where a passer-by was killed after being hit by a driver playing 'Pokemon Go' while driving in Tokushima, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 24, 2016. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
TOKYO A Japanese truck driver playing Pokemon Go while driving hit two women, killing one and injuring the other, in Japan's first death related to the Nintendo Co craze.
The driver said he had been distracted by the game after his arrest for negligent driving following the accident on Wednesday evening, a spokesman for the Tokushima prefectural police said.
"The driver is still in custody. No decision has been made yet on whether to proceed with a prosecution," he added
A spokesman for Niantic Inc, which developed Pokemon GO jointly with Nintendo affiliate Pokemon Company, said the company had added a pop-up to the Pokemon Go screen when it detected an increase in speed asking for confirmation the user was not driving.
He didn't say whether the developer would take further steps to guard against accidents.
A spokesman for Nintendo offered condolences to the family of the dead woman.
"Pokemon Company and Niantic endeavor to create an environment where people can play the game safely and we will continue to do that," he added when asked whether the company would take any new measures to guard against accidents.
The popularity of augmented-reality Pokemon Go around the world has generated crowds of people in parks and other public places as user search for monsters, but has also been blamed for injuries and robberies of distracted users.
Signs at parks and other places in Japan have asked users to avoid creating a nuisance.
Pokemon incidents elsewhere have spurned warnings from authorities for users to play responsibly.
In Taiwan on Sunday Pokemon Go monster hunters caused a stampede in Taipei blocking streets in the capital. Police there have increased fines on scooter riders found playing the game in traffic.
News reports in July claimed that a Guatemalan teenager was the first Pokemon fatality after he was shot breaking into a house while playing the game.
Also in July, Pokemon Go players were robbed of their smartphones at gunpoint in a north London park in Britain, while four teens in Missouri in the U.S. used the game to target around a dozen people into armed robberies.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Nick Macfie) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nintendo-pokemon-death-idUSKCN110091?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FoddlyEnoughNews+%28Reuters+Oddly+Enough%29 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/192e19bc044bc09053b3ca88a627b3a6b58bad4d19d7e55643b3e8944427dd75.json |
[
"Richard Martin"
] | 2016-08-29T15:00:02 | null | 2016-08-29T14:18:16 | Spain defender Sergio Ramos was surprised to learn that the country's record appearance maker and long-time captain Iker Casillas had been left out of the Spain squad by coach Julen Lopetegui. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-soccer-spain-idUSKCN1141IY%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=20160829&t=2&i=1151451927&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0SS | en | null | Ramos surprised by Casillas exclusion from Spain squad | null | null | www.reuters.com | Spain's Iker Casillas at the end of the game. Italy v Spain - EURO 2016 - Round of 16 - Stade de France, Saint-Denis near Paris, France - 27/6/16. REUTERS/Lee Smith Livepic
BARCELONA Spain defender Sergio Ramos was surprised to learn that the country's record appearance maker and long-time captain Iker Casillas had been left out of the Spain squad by coach Julen Lopetegui.
The Spain players met up with their new manager for the first time on Monday to prepare for the international friendly in Belgium on Sept. 1 and their opening World Cup qualifier at home to Liechtenstein on Sept. 5.
Casillas was the most high-profile absence from Lopetegui's squad announcement since succeeding Vicente del Bosque, although Pedro Rodriguez and Cesc Fabregas, who won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, were also excluded.
"We were all surprised by the absence of Casillas because he is a historic player, not just in Spanish football but on a global level," Ramos told reporters on Monday at Spain's Las Rozas training base.
"It's odd to come here and not see Casillas but it's a decision he took with the new coach. I can't speak for him, all I can do is respect the decision they have taken."
Ramos met with Lopetegui last week.
"I didn't know him but I've got a good first impression and we're going to work together to achieve the objectives we have ahead," said Ramos, vice-captain under Del Bosque and now the team's skipper following Casillas's exclusion.
"Apart from the absence of Iker, which is surprising, the group hasn't changed a lot and the captains and coach want to recover our winning spirit," Ramos added.
"We have to be calm and patient with Lopetegui and let him get to work. We all have to row in the same direction."
Casillas made 167 appearances for Spain and captained them to the 2010 World Cup win and successive European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012.
The Porto goalkeeper was not picked for any of Spain's games at Euro 2016, Del Bosque choosing David de Gea as his number one, and the coach revealed last month that the captain had reacted angrily to his demotion.
"With his team mates he was OK, but his behavior with the coaching staff wasn't good. His anger was directed at us,” Del Bosque said.
Del Bosque also revealed Casillas was the only player he did not write a letter of gratitude to after resigning as coach following Spain's elimination by Italy in the last 16 of Euro 2016.
(Editing by Ed Osmond) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-spain-idUSKCN1141IY?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/d2ca0482b15231bd8d501f8dbbeca45fec77dfd4c4b8c87f4cc0f61caa7a02f6.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T10:53:03 | null | 2016-08-31T10:38:53 | Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning on Wednesday for the Florida Gulf Coast, where preparations were being made for life-threatening flooding and fierce winds, while residents of Hawaii's Big Island were warned of an encroaching hurricane. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-storm-atlantic-idUSKCN11618M%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=20160831&t=2&i=1151705959&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U0ML | en | null | Storm bears down on Florida, hurricane threatens Hawaii | null | null | www.reuters.com | Three storm systems are shown (L TO R) Tropical Depression Nine to the southeast of Florida, Tropical Depression Eight just off the coast of the Carolinas and Hurricane Gaston in the central Atlantic Ocean are shown in this GOES East satellite image captured August 29, 2016.... REUTERS
Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning on Wednesday for the Florida Gulf Coast, where preparations were being made for life-threatening flooding and fierce winds, while residents of Hawaii's Big Island were warned of an encroaching hurricane.
Some local governments in Florida have begun distributing sandbags as the unnamed tropical depression heads toward the state's Gulf Coast where as much as 15 inches of rain could fall from Indian Pass on the panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico to north of Tampa, the National Hurricane Center said in an early morning advisory.
"Persons located within these areas should be prepared to take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water," the center said.
The center also issued a hurricane watch for the coast, saying the system, which is currently packing 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts, is expected to strengthen as it heads east.
Flooding, storm surge, fierce winds and tornadoes were all threats to the region, which could begin feeling the storm late on Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement.
On its current path, the system could make landfall on Florida's north-central Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing storms into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida raised the activation status of its State Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday to begin preparing.
Another unnamed tropical depression was turning out to sea on Wednesday after threatening the North Carolina coast, according to the hurricane center.
On Hawaii's Big Island, residents were warned on Tuesday of an encroaching hurricane expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains.
The National Weather Service (NWS) tracked Hurricane Madeline swirling about 235 miles (380 km) east of the town of Hilo around 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The storm was forecast to "pass dangerously close" on Wednesday, prompting the NWS to issue a hurricane warning for the island.
Madeline was ranked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph), the weather service said.
The County of Hawaii sent residents an alert about the hurricane's dangers, including heavy rains that could lead to mudslides, as well as possibly damaging ocean swells.
"Preparations to protect life and property should be completed by nightfall today," the alert said.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Richard Balmforth) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-atlantic-idUSKCN11618M?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/8f8efd850e2f1151a865d488259e7812806119d3d82db736af5620c8c25abc6d.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:36 | null | 2016-08-31T13:41:07 | Turnover in the U.S. residential property market is set to rise over the coming year, according to a strong majority of analysts polled by Reuters who also forecast the pace of house price gains to remain relatively steady this year and next. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-property-poll-idUSKCN1161RT%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=1151729290&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7U11S | en | null | U.S. housing market turnover to improve over coming year: Reuters poll | null | null | www.reuters.com | A sold sign is seen outside a house built by KB Home in Golden, Colorado, United States October 27, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo
Turnover in the U.S. residential property market is set to rise over the coming year, according to a strong majority of analysts polled by Reuters who also forecast the pace of house price gains to remain relatively steady this year and next.
The results, from a poll taken Aug. 15 to 30, are based on optimism about a continued strong job market and spell good news for the U.S. economy given all of the industries tied to housing, from construction to furniture sales.
House prices are forecast to rise at more than double the rate of inflation this year, by 5.2 percent, followed by 4.6 percent next year, according to the poll, roughly similar to findings from a Reuters survey three months ago.
The data coincide with increased optimism from Federal Reserve officials that the case for another interest rate rise is getting stronger, a view that could be bolstered by expected strong August hiring data due later this week.
"The tighter U.S. labor market will lead to stronger wage income growth over the coming year. Combined with still-low mortgage rates, income growth will lead to stronger purchase demand," said Andres Carbacho-Burgos, analyst at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pa.
With the Fed likely to raise rates only gradually, 30-year mortgage rates are not expected to rise much either, according to the poll. Currently at 3.67 percent, they are expected to climb to 4.08 percent next year and 4.60 percent in 2018.
The recovery from the housing market collapse that began nearly a decade ago, knocking prices down by 40 percent in some areas and triggering a global financial crisis, has been relatively swift in recent years. It has been driven in part by institutional investors as well as existing owners.
That has left the housing market overall, which still varies greatly across the country, rated a median of 6 on an affordablity scale ranging from 1 as cheap and 10 as most expensive, according to the poll.
Many young aspiring first-time buyers, who are frequently burdened by exceptionally high piles of student debt, remain priced out of the market, left behind by existing home owners and speculators.
But many said that with the job market improving and pay for younger people eventually rising, it is only a matter of time before the young begin supporting the market again and bring home ownership up from multi-generational lows.
"More millennials will become first-time buyers," wrote BMO Capital Markets senior economist Sal Guatieri in Toronto. "Twenty-five-year-olds are the single largest population group, and they will be of prime home buying age early next decade."
But no analyst polled expected a surge in U.S. home prices like those in Canada, which did not have a major market correction and where prices are forecast in a similar poll to rise an average 10 percent this year. [CA/HOMES]
Still, more than two-thirds of economists who answered an extra question thought housing turnover would rise in the coming year, with only a handful saying it would fall.
In the meantime, existing home sales are forecast to run at a 5.55 million annualized unit rate over the coming several quarters, slightly higher than the 5.39 million unit rate reported for July.
"Continued equity build-up will allow some homeowners who have been waiting to sell to list their homes. Additionally, growth in the new home market will free up resale inventory," wrote Matthew Gardner, economist at Windermere Real Estate Company in Seattle. "That said, I do not expect to see any tangible expansion of inventory until we get into 2017."
(Poll data: POLL67)
( other Reuters poll stories on housing markets)
(Writing by Ross Finley; Polling by Kailash Bathija and Vartika Sahu; Graphic by Shrutee Sarkar; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-property-poll-idUSKCN1161RT?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/388393576ce1a42b238f14ff2cddd97e39e3342dd1834dae1cfdff9ccf1a23e8.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T19:01:38 | null | 2016-08-27T16:55:08 | The Kansas City area was flooded late Friday after a three-day downpour, forcing emergency services to conduct about 10 water rescues in Missouri's largest city, officials said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-missouri-weather-idUSKCN1120NO%3FfeedType%3DRSS%26feedName%3DdomesticNews.json | http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Kansas City area hit by floods after three days of downpour | null | null | www.reuters.com | The Kansas City area was flooded late Friday after a three-day downpour, forcing emergency services to conduct about 10 water rescues in Missouri's largest city, officials said.
News photos showed vehicles stopped or abandoned as flood waters swelled across streets. No injuries nor fatalities were reported.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency notice to the Kansas City area for the first time ever on Friday night that went into Saturday morning.
The flooding had receded within the urban center later on Saturday, but rivers in more rural regions north of the city were still overflowing, said Dan Hawblitzel, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Kansas City.
Rains and some thunderstorms were forecast in parts of the region on Saturday, but were not expected to cause further flooding, Hawblitzel said.
Widespread precipitation in the region had brought anywhere from 3 to 8 inches of rainfall to the city since Wednesday, causing waterways in the region including the Missouri River to overflow, Hawblitzel said.
"Some parts of the city received more rain last night than they had seen all summer long," he said in a phone interview, noting it was the first time the weather service had issued a flash flood emergency for the region since it began such notices in the past decade.
Kansas City's Fire Chief Paul Berardi posted the emergency warning on Twitter late Friday, adding the department was conducting water rescues in three parts of the city.
A spokeswoman for the Johnson County Emergency Management office on Saturday said they had received reports of approximately 10 water rescues and had no reports of injuries or fatalities.
(Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Bernard Orr) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-missouri-weather-idUSKCN1120NO?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/39e310aecb07696b0ee33769e6283fd514987b4b0dd72690ae9a46d5d4e77a25.json |
[
"Brent Lang"
] | 2016-08-28T16:51:39 | null | 2016-08-28T16:44:52 | By Brent LangLOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - "Don't Breathe," a twisty story of a group of teenage delinquents who pick the wrong house to burglarize, do | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-boxoffice-idUSKCN1130O9%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_v2/images/rcom-default.png | en | null | Box Office: 'Don't Breathe' scares up $26.1 million as hot summer for horror continues | null | null | www.reuters.com | LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - "Don't Breathe," a twisty story of a group of teenage delinquents who pick the wrong house to burglarize, dominated the late summer box office, debuting to a potent $26.1 million and topping charts. It joins a long list of recent horror films such as "The Purge: Election Year," "The Conjuring 2," "Lights Out," and "The Shallows" that have all found success with audiences. It's a genre that's particularly attractive to studios, because these films don't require much in the way of special effects or star power, making them cheaper to produce than comic book adventures and science-fiction fantasies.
"These are the films of bean counters' dreams," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. "They are profit machines and even when they're poorly reviewed, people line up for them."
"Don't Breathe" was backed by Sony's Screen Gems and Steve Bersch's Stage 6 Films, and cost less than $10 million to produce. It more than doubled its production budget in a single weekend, after rolling out across 3,051 locations. The film follows a gang of thieves who find out that the blind man whose house they've targeted isn't as helpless as he appears. Instead of making off with loot, they are pitted in a deadly cat-and-mouse game.
Sony screened the film at SXSW and Comic-Con in order to build buzz. It also relied heavily on digital platforms to drive enthusiasm for the picture, debuting spots on Snapchat, crafting animated gifs for Twitter and Facebook, and launching interactive mobile apps.
"This film is going to be a big moneymaker for us," said Rory Bruer, Sony's distribution chief. "We knew we had something special here. This is a film that's all about keeping people jumping out of their seats and holding on to the person next to them."
"Don't Breathe" displaced "Suicide Squad" from its perch atop charts. After finishing in first for three consecutive weekends, the super villain mash-up had to settle for second place this weekend with about $12.1 million at 3,582 locations. The Warner Bros. release has earned $282.9 million.
Among new releases, Lionsgate bowed "Mechanic: Resurrection," a follow-up to the 2011 cult hit "The Mechanic," in 2,258 locations, where it earned $7.5 million. That's less than the first "Mechanic's" $11.4 million domestic debut. The sequel centers on an assassin (Jason Statham) who is lured out of retirement for a series of hits. It co-stars Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh, and Jessica Alba.
Fans of the 44th president got a tour down memory lane with "Southside with You" from Roadside Attractions and Miramax. The romantic drama looks at Barack and Michelle Obama's first date, debuting to $3.1 million from 813 sites. It will have a modest increase in screens next weekend. The film hits theaters as popular opinion of the Obama administration continues to rise, but the improvement in the president's standing didn't factor into release plans, the studios say.
"It helps, but we weren't banking on it," said Howard Cohen, Roadside Attractions' co-president. "If it had been the reverse, it might have given us pause, but it's not like we read the approval ratings and said, 'ok, let's go to 800 screens."
The Weinstein Company countered with the boxing drama "Hands of Stone," a biopic about Panamanian fighter Roberto Duran, that opened to $1.7 million at 810 locations. The indie label plans to expand the film to roughly 2,500 locations over Labor Day. Executives at the company said they were particularly pleased by the film's A CinemaScore rating; a sign that the film is being embraced by those who see it.
"People love the movie," said David Glasser, the Weinstein Company's COO and president. "The conversation around the movie has begun and we think it's going to continue to keep building."
In third place, Focus Features' "Kubo and the Two Strings" added $7.8 million to its $24.8 million domestic haul. Sony's "Sausage Party" nabbed fourth position, picking up roughly $7.7 million to bring its total to just under $80 million. Rounding out the top five, Disney's "Pete's Dragon" snagged $7.3 million driving its stateside gross to $76.2 million.
In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics bowed "The Hollars," a family dramedy that marks "The Office" star John Krasinski's feature film directorial debut, on four screens where it made $46,068, for a per-theater average of $11,517.
Paramount and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Ben-Hur" solidified its status as one of the year's biggest bombs joining the likes of "Ghostbusters" and "The Huntsman: Winter's War." The biblical epic dropped 60% to $4.5 million, bringing its total to $19.6 million. Rival studios estimate that the film could lose $100 million, while sources close to the film peg that figure as between $60 million to $75 million. MGM put up 80% of the film's cost.
Overall revenues were up 31% from the year-ago period; a weekend that saw the debut of the religious drama "War Room" and the Owen Wilson thriller "No Escape." After a sluggish start and a series of high-profile bombs such as "The BFG" and "Alice Through the Looking Glass," ticket sales have rebounded. Receipts are running neck-in-neck with last year and some think that this summer's revenues could be the second highest in history when not factoring in inflation.
That's somewhat deceptive, however. Ticket prices have hit record highs, which are helping to boost revenues. As it currently stands, ticket sales could be the lowest in roughly two decades, according to Box Office Mojo.
"These films have no longevity," said Jeff Bock, a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations. "Hollywood gave audiences what it thought they wanted -- a bunch of sequels and reboots -- and guess what, it didn't work. So they have to ask themselves, what can we offer now?" | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-boxoffice-idUSKCN1130O9?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fentertainment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Entertainment%29 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/363640902e1082f6eed1816a6c15bbafe4da11879fbcfbecf41f94f2016ae8aa.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:11 | null | 2016-08-19T00:08:06 | The portraits of all 10 members of the first Olympic refugee team now have a permanent place on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-olympics-rio-refugeesmural-idUSKCN10S21M%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://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160817&t=2&i=1150066067&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7G19V | en | null | Refugee team mural unveiled in Rio | null | null | www.reuters.com | 2016 Rio Olympics - Opening ceremony - Maracana - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 05/08/2016. Flagbearer Rose Nathike Lokonyen (ROT) of the Refugee Olympic Athletes leads her contingent during the opening ceremony. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
(Story corrects Luna's job title in paragraph 8)
Rio de Janeiro The portraits of all 10 members of the first Olympic refugee team now have a permanent place on the streets of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazilian artists Rodrigo Sini and Cety dedicated a spray- painted mural on Thursday to the refugee athletes as a way of highlighting their importance.
"For me, they're already gold medal champions," Sini said while taking a short break from putting the finishing touches on the mural, which covers a 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) high and wide wall on Olympic Boulevard in the redeveloped port district.
"There is no medal that justifies the pleasure or the weight each of them carries, for the story each of them has, for the determination and courage they all had when they had to abandon their home countries to restart their lives somewhere else."
The team of six men and four women includes athletes competing in swimming, judo and athletics. Five are from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from the Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia.
During the opening ceremony on Aug. 5, the refugee athletes marched into the games to thunderous applause under the Olympic flag.
From Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini to South Sudanese runner Rose Nathike Lokonyen, the athletes have been big crowd pleasers in Rio, especially as their stories of survival have spread.
Juliana Luna, who works as the #TeamRefugees Snapchat host and with the New York-based Purpose group, which helped bring the mural project to fruition, said the artwork was meant to compel people to think about the plight of some 65 million displaced people around the world.
"I hope they feel inspired. I hope they ask questions. 'Who are these people? Who are these faces?' These are the faces of hope. These are the faces of, you know, struggle," said Luna.
"These are the faces of overcoming that struggle."
(Reporting by Reuters TV; editing by Nina Chestney) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-refugeesmural-idUSKCN10S21M?feedType=RSS&feedName=artsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fartsculture+%28Reuters+Arts+%26+Culture+%29 | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/f045114b85019eb1e5956649b13fb0c537e5d898785c1a781b5d7f3c8bcedbbb.json |
[
"Abhishek Takle"
] | 2016-08-27T12:59:38 | null | 2016-08-27T11:51:30 | FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen set the pace for Ferrari in the final practice session for Sunday’s Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-motor-f1-belgium-practice-idUSKCN1120BR%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=1151267030&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q08C | en | null | Raikkonen fastest in final Belgian GP practice | null | null | www.reuters.com | Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz of Spain during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - William's Felipe Massa of Brazil during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Haas' Romain Grosjean of France during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - McLaren's Fernando Alonso of Spain during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of Britain during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Red Bull's Max Verstappen of the Netherlands during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 27/8/16 - Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland during the final practice session. REUTERS/Yves Herman
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium Kimi Raikkonen set the pace for Ferrari in the final practice session for Sunday’s Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.
The Finn, four-time winner at Spa-Francorchamps, lapped the track in one minute 47.974 seconds on a hot and sweltering morning.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo carried over Red Bull’s strong form from Friday’s practice sessions to take second, 0.215 seconds behind.
Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel was third, with Ferrari, which struggled in the uncharacteristically hot temperatures on Friday, looking more competitive ahead of qualifying.
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who took on a third fresh power unit ahead of the hour-long session, was fifth.
The Briton is set to start Sunday’s race dead last after being hit with a cumulative 55-place grid penalty and, like Friday, spent most of the session on refining his Mercedes’ long-run pace.
Like team-mate Nico Rosberg, who was seventh, Hamilton went out for a final blast on the fastest super-soft tires in the dying minutes of the session.
Dutchman Max Verstappen, for whom this race is the closest he has to a home event, was only able to drive two laps in front of his legions of orange-clad supporters without setting a time.
The 18-year-old, who ended Friday’s opening day of practice on top of the timesheets, was sidelined with problems with his Red Bull’s gearbox, with the team investigating the issues.
Hamilton heads into the weekend gunning to become only the third driver ever to take 50 career wins.
The triple champion has won six of the last seven races, four of those in succession, and leads Rosberg by 19 points in the standings.
(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-belgium-practice-idUSKCN1120BR?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/3f2e4225ddc352b5442fea3351ab2c07160444759ce0894f22e693279a3b12d0.json |
[
"Marius Zaharia"
] | 2016-08-28T05:02:36 | null | 2016-08-28T03:24:45 | The secretive communist government of Laos, a country with a population of less than 7 million, rarely causes a ripple on the diplomatic circuit. And yet its sleepy capital will spring to life next week when global leaders arrive for an Asian summit. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-laos-china-vietnam-idUSKCN11300Z%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://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160828&t=2&i=1151319639&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7R010 | en | null | As Obama heads to Laos, signs of a tilt away from China | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. President Barack Obama takes his jacket off as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S. after visiting the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Laos' Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith (L) and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi hold a news conference after a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, August 3, 2016. REUTERS/Rolex Dela Pena/Pool/File Photo
VIENTIANE The secretive communist government of Laos, a country with a population of less than 7 million, rarely causes a ripple on the diplomatic circuit. And yet its sleepy capital will spring to life next week when global leaders arrive for an Asian summit.
Barack Obama will be among them, making the last push of his presidency to 'rebalance' Washington's foreign policy toward Asia, a strategy widely seen as a response to China's economic and military muscle-flexing across the region.
The might of Laos' giant neighbor to the north is hard to miss in Vientiane: wealthy Chinese driving SUVs overtake tuk-tuks sputtering along the roads and Chinese-backed hotels sprout from noisy construction sites in one of Asia's most low-rise cities.
But diplomats say Obama could be pushing on an open door in Laos, thanks to a change of government there in April.
They say the country's new leaders appear ready to tilt away from Beijing and lean more closely toward another neighbor, Vietnam, whose dispute with China over the South China Sea has pushed it into a deepening alliance with the United States.
"The new government is more influenced by the Vietnamese than the Chinese," said a Western diplomat in Southeast Asia." "It's never too late for a U.S. president to visit."
Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit landlocked Laos, where the United States waged a "secret war" while fighting in Vietnam, dropping an estimated two million tonnes of bombs on the country. About 30 percent of the ordnance failed to explode, leaving a dangerous and costly legacy.
Laos has strategic importance to both Vietnam and China. Vietnam has a long land border with Laos that gives it access to markets in Thailand and beyond. For China, Laos is a key gateway to Southeast Asia in its "new Silk Road" trade strategy.
Laos, which is developing a series of hydro power plants along one of the world's longest rivers, the Mekong, aims to become "the battery of Asia" by selling power to its neighbors.
SHIFTING POLICY
It is difficult to read policy in Laos because its leaders are so uncommunicative, but Western diplomats have detected some shifts.
First, deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad - who ran the steering panel for a $7 billion Chinese rail project - retired. The project is now believed to be on hold because Laos is unhappy with the terms of the deal.
Officials of Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith's new government, many of them educated in Vietnam, have visited Hanoi en masse in recent weeks, their first foreign trip.
At two of the past meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is currently chaired by Laos, Vientiane has taken a more nuanced stance on Beijing than neighboring Cambodia, which is increasingly seen as a Chinese satellite.
"The U.S. strategic interest in Laos is to see the country be able to exert a certain degree of strategic autonomy because you don't want ... (to) have something akin to the relationship between China and Cambodia," said Phuong Nguyen of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.
A defense official in Washington did not comment on wider strategic issues but described Laos as "an important partner."
A China foreign ministry spokesman said "we welcome any country, including those inside and outside this region, developing constructive relations, as long as these ties are really beneficial to regional peace, stability and prosperity."
LONG-TERM BATTLE
Beijing has invested around $1 billion annually in Laos in 2014 and 2015, a step up from the $4.5 billion invested historically before 2014, according to figures from China's Ministry of Commerce and state-run media.
For the United States, impoverished Laos is not a strong investment draw.
"In Laos, we bring 7-8 companies to the table compared with 30-40 companies that Vietnam brings. But China- that's a totally different ball game," said Anthony Nelson, director of the U.S.-ASEAN business council.
"So there's no coincidence that the countries with the lowest levels of development, Laos and Cambodia, are the most willing to advocate for China's position in international discussions."
But the Lao are closer culturally to Vietnam than they are to China. Their businesses use Lao language signs and mixed Lao-Vietnamese families incorporate local customs, while Lao-Chinese families tend to be isolated.
"We are a bit frustrated with (China). They create their own eco-system," a Lao businessman said.
(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed, Idrees Ali, Michael Martina and Ben Blanchard.; Editing by John Chalmers and Bill Tarrant) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-laos-china-vietnam-idUSKCN11300Z?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/9da7047c2b05dc27a2c0ad61f407ffd8e3a8c3a287ea1a1563645c2436e96671.json |
[
"Abhishek Takle"
] | 2016-08-29T12:59:56 | null | 2016-08-29T11:04:47 | FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg was handed a much-needed break in the Formula One title battle which he duly converted by winning Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, but victory could have tasted much sweeter for the German. Rosberg went into the weekend knowing this was his race to lose. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-motor-f1-belgium-rosberg-idUSKCN11411X%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=20160829&t=2&i=1151432486&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0HW | en | null | Hamilton podium sours Rosberg’s Belgian win | null | null | www.reuters.com | Belgium Formula One - F1 - Belgian Grand Prix 2016 - Francorchamps, Belgium - 28/8/16 - Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany (C) celebrates on the podium with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of Britain (R) and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (L) after the Belgian F1 Grand... REUTERS/Yves Herman
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Nico Rosberg was handed a much-needed break in the Formula One title battle which he duly converted by winning Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, but victory could have tasted much sweeter for the German. Rosberg went into the weekend knowing this was his race to lose.
Mercedes team mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton was set to start at the back of the field after taking a planned series of engine-related grid penalties. That gave Rosberg the perfect opportunity to reignite his title challenge after a run of lackluster form and make major inroads into the Briton’s 19-point advantage in the standings.
Instead, he came away still trailing Hamilton by nine points after the reigning triple world champion took full advantage of collisions involving his rivals, race disruptions and some spectacular overtaking, to finish a shock third. “I just saw at the end after the checkered flag I looked at the results and I knew Daniel was behind me and then I see Hamilton in third,” said Rosberg, who cruised to a comfortable win from pole-position in a chaotic race ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.
“I was like ‘What, seriously?’. I don’t know what happened, I haven’t looked at the details, but for sure he must have done a great job.” Rosberg, runner-up to Hamilton in 2014 and last year, opened the season with four wins in the first four races. He led Hamilton by 43 points following May’s Spanish Grand Prix, but has steadily lost ground to his former childhood friend who blitzed to six wins from seven races leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix.
The race at Spa-Francorchamps was Rosberg’s one "free race", as Hamilton referred to it, in which the Briton was set to serve his long-pending engine-related penalties. With the championship now heading to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, before the Asian leg which Hamilton has dominated the last two years, Rosberg was asked if he had hoped to come away with more from Sunday’s race.
“That’s not what I’m focusing on," he told reporters. “I came here, Belgian Grand Prix, and I wanted to win it. So, just happy it worked out, perfect weekend for me.” Hamilton, meanwhile, who now has three new engines, was upbeat. “Definitely things have happened in the right way in that second quarter of the season and to go into the break 19 points ahead and now only lose 10 today… I’ll take it,” he said.
(Editing by Ed Osmond) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-belgium-rosberg-idUSKCN11411X?feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FsportsNews+%28Reuters+Sports+News%29 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/6faf66270554a9d7a91bddeed4dbc349564dd197292da5832ea03f08c76e609c.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-27T15:04:29 | null | 2016-08-27T14:52:23 | South Africa's wealthy Gupta family, which has been accused of holding undue political sway over President Jacob Zuma, said on Saturday it planned to dispose of all the stakes it holds in South African businesses before the end of the year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-safrica-guptas-idUSKCN1120HT%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=20160827&t=2&i=1151275924&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7Q0CG | en | null | Gupta family, hit by scandal, says it plans to sell South African holdings | null | null | www.reuters.com | An entrance to the ANN7 Television and The New Age newspaper offices, owned by the Gupta family, is seen in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
JOHANNESBURG South Africa's wealthy Gupta family, which has been accused of holding undue political sway over President Jacob Zuma, said on Saturday it planned to dispose of all the stakes it holds in South African businesses before the end of the year.
"As a family, we now believe that the time is right for us to exit our shareholding of the South African businesses which we believe will benefit our existing employees," the family said in a statement.
"As such, we announce today our intention to sell all of our shareholding in South Africa by the end of the year. We are already in discussions with several international prospective buyers," the statement said.
The Guptas have denied accusations that they have used their friendship with Zuma to influence his decisions or advance their business interests.
South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog in July said it will receive additional funds to investigate whether Zuma allowed the family to make government appointments.
The prominent business family is accused of being behind Zuma's abrupt sacking of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December, a move that rattled investor confidence and triggered calls for the president's resignation.
The scandal surrounding the Guptas took a dramatic turn earlier this year after deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas said the family had offered him his boss's job.
Zuma has said that the Guptas are his friends, but denied doing anything improper. The Guptas have also denied making job offers to anyone in government.South African markets were rattled again this week on news Nene's replacement Pravin Gordhan had been summoned by an elite police unit over an investigation into a suspected rogue spy unit in the tax service.
The Gupta family's assets in South Africa would include its holding company Oakbay Investments, which controls Johannesburg-listed Oakbay Resources. They also own the New Age newspaper and the ANN7 news network.
(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; editing by Ros Russell) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-guptas-idUSKCN1120HT?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/a3ef8436bfd6ac42290e045a4897f975ee4627de2bd247b735ecf696afbaf04b.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-29T12:52:18 | null | 2016-08-29T12:50:00 | Aleris Corp (ALSD.PK), a U.S.-based aluminum rolled products maker, said it would be bought by a unit of Chinese aluminum products manufacturer China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd (1333.HK) in a $2.33 billion deal. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-aleris-m-a-china-zhongwang-idUSKCN1141A9.json | http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160829&t=2&i=1151442723&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7S0N0 | en | null | China Zhongwang to buy U.S. aluminum products maker Aleris | null | null | www.reuters.com | China Zhongwang Holdings Chairman Liu Zhongtian (C) speaks during the debut of Zhongwang Holdings at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange May 8, 2009. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
Aleris Corp (ALSD.PK), a U.S.-based aluminum rolled products maker, said it would be bought by a unit of Chinese aluminum products manufacturer China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd (1333.HK) in a $2.33 billion deal.
Zhongwang USA LLC will pay $1.11 billion in cash and take on Aleris' $1.22 billion in net debt, the U.S. company said.
(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-aleris-m-a-china-zhongwang-idUSKCN1141A9 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.reuters.com/e90d8a311824b348d50d7c15a808c97c057eeca86ed770569480320dba886732.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:32 | null | 2016-08-26T00:40:41 | Paisley Park, the suburban Minneapolis estate and studio of late rock musician Prince, will be opened for public tours starting on Oct. 6, the administrator of the singer's estate said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-people-prince-idUSKCN1101KP%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://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160826&t=2&i=1151105001&w=&fh=545px&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC7O0ZF | en | null | Home, studio of late U.S. rocker Prince to be opened to public | null | null | www.reuters.com | Singer Prince performs in a surprise appearance on the 'American Idol' television show finale at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California in this May 24, 2006. REUTERS/Chris Pizzello/Files
U.S. music superstar Prince fan, Mona Shelton, 42, of Bloomington, Minnesota, and an unidentified employee (L) of Prince's estate Paisley Park place flowers on a fence in Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S. April 21, 2016. REUTERS/Craig Lassig/File Photo
A sheriff's car leaves Paisley Park, U.S. music superstar Prince's estate, in Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S. April 21, 2016. REUTERS/Craig Lassig/File photo
Paisley Park, the suburban Minneapolis estate and studio of late rock musician Prince, will be opened for public tours starting on Oct. 6, the administrator of the singer's estate said.
Prince, 57, collapsed and died at the 65,000-square-foot (6,040-square-meter) estate in April after an accidental overdose of the powerful opioid fentanyl.
“Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on," Tyka Nelson, his sister, said in a statement on Wednesday from Bremer Trust, which is administering his unresolved multi-million-dollar estate.
“Only a few hundred people have had the rare opportunity to tour the estate during his lifetime. Now, fans from around the world will be able to experience Prince’s world for
the first time as we open the doors to this incredible place.”
An application for development review and a business plan have been submitted to Chanhassen officials, the statement said.
Guided tours will include the main floor of Paisley Park,
including recording and mixing studios. Visitors also will be able to see video editing suites, rehearsal rooms, the private NPG Music Club, a soundstage and concert hall, and items from Prince's personal archives.
Tickets will go on sale at 2 p.m. CDT (1900 GMT) on Friday for tours starting Oct. 6. Information on tickets and tours is available at OfficialPaisleyPark.com.
Media reports on Monday said that pills containing fentanyl were seized from Prince's home after his death but they were mislabeled hydrocodone.
Prince's hits included "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry."
(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott) | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-prince-idUSKCN1101KP?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/f729cdb193b2d8b59b54c9d0b2476ccb16b74415d45aef847b6778ad79114d84.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-31T10:52:48 | null | 2016-08-31T10:18:47 | Green Bancorp Inc | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FidUSFWN1BC07N%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-Green Bancorp named interim CFO until replacement selected | null | null | www.reuters.com | Aug 31 Green Bancorp Inc
* On August 30, 2016, John Durie notified co he was resigning as executive vice president and chief financial officer of co
* On August 30, 2016, board of company appointed Durie as a member of bank's board effective November 1, 2016 - SEC Filing
* Elizabeth Vandervoort will be named interim CFO until replacement is selected. Source text: [bit.ly/2bBpBcq] Further company coverage: | http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1BC07N?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/46498a1e65582ab3acf76b5168b21551a260c7dace48e88a52ad984401ff5f23.json |
[
"Reuters Editorial"
] | 2016-08-30T05:04:57 | null | 2016-08-30T04:54:02 | An explosion around the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan killed and wounded several people, Interfax news agency cited a local emergency ministry's representative as saying on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-kyrgyzstan-blast-china-idUSKCN1150AO%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 | Several dead, wounded in blast at Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan: Interfax | null | null | www.reuters.com | U.S. tries to stop feuding allies from unraveling Syria strategy
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. | http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kyrgyzstan-blast-china-idUSKCN1150AO?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/5651c423d7ba6d171fb43bd4a3b63d961f6a7090e433191f35aeaee0dd4986f1.json |
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