BabiLive! » Reuters: Oddly Enough

Putin to meet top U.S. foes in Venezuela

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 8:13am PDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will cement energy and arms ties with Latin America when Prime Minister Vladimir Putin travels to Caracas this week to meet two of the United States' biggest foes, Venezuelan and Bolivian Presidents Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales.

U.S.-Cuba relations under Obama fall to lowest point

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 7:36am PDT

HAVANA (Reuters) - U.S.-Cuban relations have fallen to their lowest point since Barack Obama became U.S. president and are in danger of getting worse unless the two countries take serious steps toward ending five decades of hostility, according to Cuba experts.

U.S. says weapons from Iran sent to Afghanistan

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 7:28am PDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Iran is having a growing, negative influence in its neighbor Afghanistan, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said on Wednesday, citing what he said was a shipment of Iranian arms to fighters.

Bombs kill 12 in Russia, days after metro attacks

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:34am PDT

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (Reuters) - Suicide bombers killed at least 12 people in Russia's North Caucasus on Wednesday, two days after deadly attacks in Moscow that authorities linked to insurgents from the region.

Obama to permit oil exploration off Virginia coast

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:19am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday plans for a broad expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling in an effort to win Republican support for new proposals to fight climate change.

AIG lawsuit alleging missed "red flags" dismissed

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:14am PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Manhattan federal judge dismissed a shareholder lawsuit accusing current and former American International Group Inc executives and directors of ignoring "red flags," leading to the insurer's near collapse and about $180 billion of federal bailouts.

Haiti hopes for $4 billion to rebuild after quake

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 5:09am PDT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - International donors met on Wednesday to pledge up to $4 billion to Haiti, the first step in a worldwide effort to rebuild the country after January's catastrophic earthquake.

Copenhagen Accord climate pledges too weak: U.N.

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 3:46am PDT

OSLO (Reuters) - More than 110 countries have signed up to the Copenhagen Accord on fighting global warming but the United Nations said on Wednesday that their pledges for cutting greenhouse gas emissions were insufficient.

Some Yahoo email accounts hacked in China, Taiwan

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 3:44am PDT

BEIJING/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo email accounts of some journalists and activists whose work relates to China were compromised in an attack discovered this week, days after Google announced it would move its Chinese-language search services out of China due to censorship concerns.

U.S. rebound on good footing: Fed's Fisher

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 2:17am PDT

TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - The U.S. economic recovery is gathering speed as business activity picks up pace, despite lingering weakness in employment, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said on Tuesday.

Obama wants U.N. sanctions on Iran in weeks

Posted: March 31st, 2010, 2:11am PDT

WASHINGTON/GATINEAU, Quebec (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he wanted tougher U.N. sanctions in weeks against Iran over its nuclear program, and the world's leading industrial nations expressed optimism that China will agree on possible next steps.

Putin orders Moscow bombers "scraped from sewers"

Posted: March 30th, 2010, 9:36pm PDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Tuesday said the culprits behind twin suicide bombings that killed 39 people in Moscow's metro must be scraped "from the bottom of the sewers" and exposed.

Iranian nuclear scientist defects to U.S.: report

Posted: March 30th, 2010, 9:03pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iranian nuclear scientist who has been missing since June has defected to the United States and is helping the CIA, ABC news reported on Tuesday.

Greece to sell 5 billion euros bond, demand softer

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 8:22am PDT

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece looked set to sell 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in the first test of investor appetite since a European-IMF debt support deal last week but demand was less than half that of an issue earlier this month.

iPad to hit stores Saturday as consumer test begins

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 8:04am PDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - After months of hype, speculation and secrecy, Apple Inc will finally put the iPad tablet to the test that truly matters: the buying public.

Bombers kill at least 38 in Moscow subway

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 8:01am PDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Two female suicide bombers killed at least 38 people on packed Moscow subway trains during rush hour on Monday, stirring fears of a broader campaign in Russia's heartland by Islamists from the North Caucasus.

Thai PM rebuffs demands for dissolving parliament

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 6:41am PDT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday rebuffed a demand by "red shirt" leaders to dissolve parliament in 15 days, dashing hopes of an end to an intensifying political crisis and two weeks of protests.

Israel to allow clothes, shoes into blockaded Gaza

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 6:14am PDT

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel will allow a shipment of clothes and shoes to be delivered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the first time in its almost three-year-old tight blockade of the enclave, Palestinian officials said on Monday.

China jails Rio Tinto staff for 7-14 years

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 5:06am PDT

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A Chinese court jailed four Rio Tinto staff for seven to 14 years on Monday for taking bribes and stealing commercial secrets, a sentence Australia said was harsh.

Rescuers search Morocco lake for Abu Dhabi sheikh

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 4:24am PDT

RABAT/ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Rescuers on Sunday were searching a Moroccan hillside lake for the boss of the world's largest sovereign fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), two days after his plane crashed into it.

Israeli minister says U.S. boosts Arab hardliners

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 4:23am PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Obama administration's pressure on Israel to curb settlement activity will bolster Palestinian hardliners and hinder peace efforts, a senior Israeli cabinet minister said on Monday.

Secrecy, surprise: Anatomy of Obama's Afghan trip

Posted: March 29th, 2010, 4:16am PDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Any trip by a U.S. president requires careful planning, but sneaking him into Afghanistan -- a country in the midst of an eight-year war with Islamic militants -- is a special case.

Obama makes 15 recess appointments

Posted: March 28th, 2010, 5:00am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Saturday announced he would make 15 recess appointments held up by Republicans, including two top Treasury Department positions and two on the National Labor Relations Board that have been vacant for more than a year.

Pope signals won't be intimidated by scandals

Posted: March 28th, 2010, 4:46am PDT

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, facing one of the gravest crises of his pontificate as a sexual abuse scandal sweeps the Church, indicated on Sunday that his faith would give him the courage not to be intimidated by critics.

Faction leader among 6 killed by bombs in western Iraq

Posted: March 28th, 2010, 4:38am PDT

FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - A series of explosions in western Iraq killed six people on Sunday, including an official of a political faction in former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's electoral coalition, police said.

Israelis quit Gaza after worst clash in over a year

Posted: March 28th, 2010, 2:48am PDT

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops and tanks left the Gaza Strip on Saturday, witnesses said, after the bloodiest clash in the Hamas-ruled enclave in 14 months killed two soldiers and a Palestinian.

Thai PM to meet protesters, few concessions seen

Posted: March 27th, 2010, 11:41pm PDT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva agreed on Sunday to meet leaders of an anti-government protest movement in a move to defuse growing tensions and avert possible confrontation but is unlikely to make major concessions.

Tuvalu to Times Square; landmarks off for Earth Hour

Posted: March 27th, 2010, 8:42pm PDT

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Landmarks such as Sydney's Opera House, Beijing's Forbidden City and Taiwan's Taipei 101 office tower temporarily went dark on Saturday as nations dimmed the lights for Earth Hour 2010 to call for action on climate change.

Libya and EU patch up Schengen visa dispute

Posted: March 27th, 2010, 3:36pm PDT

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Libya lifted a visa ban on citizens of 25 European countries on Saturday after EU president Spain said a Swiss-instigated visa blacklist against 188 Libyans in those countries had been scrapped.

U.S. missile strike kills four in Pakistan

Posted: March 27th, 2010, 12:13pm PDT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. missile strike in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border killed four people in a suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban hideout on Saturday, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

South Korea rules out navy ship sunk by North Korea

Posted: March 27th, 2010, 9:47am PDT

BAENGNYEONGDO, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea on Saturday all but ruled out the chance that North Korea was involved in the sinking of one of its navy vessels near their disputed border.

Death toll in Iraq bombing rises to 59

Posted: March 27th, 2010, 9:46am PDT

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The death toll from two bombs that struck a crowded market in Iraq's mainly Sunni Diyala province rose to 59, police said on Saturday, as politicians started coalition talks to form a new government.

Sex virus blamed for rise in head and neck cancers

Posted: March 26th, 2010, 4:40am PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The number of head and neck cancers linked to a virus spread by oral sex is rising rapidly and suggests boys as well as girls should be offered protection through vaccination, doctors said Friday.

Fed agency scanning certain Calpers transactions

Posted: March 26th, 2010, 4:23am PDT

(Reuters) - Los Angeles's justice department is scrutinizing certain investment transactions of public pension funds, including Calpers, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Japan PM admits mistakes, asks voters for patience

Posted: March 26th, 2010, 3:50am PDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, his ratings sliding ahead of a key election, admitted on Friday his novice government had made mistakes but asked voters to be patient while he pursued his agenda of change.

ECB's Trichet says euro solution for Greece workable

Posted: March 26th, 2010, 12:25am PDT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone leaders received a cautious stamp of approval from financial markets on Friday for their agreement to create a safety net with the International Monetary Fund to help debt-ridden Greece.

White House to announce housing aid: sources

Posted: March 26th, 2010, 12:11am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House plans to announce on Friday that it will require lenders to lower the mortgage payments of some unemployed workers and encourage lenders to eliminate some principal debt of homeowners who owe more than their home is worth, sources familiar with the plan said on Thursday.

Netanyahu aide sees accord with U.S. on Jerusalem

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 10:15pm PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel insisted Friday it would not change its policy of building homes in East Jerusalem, keeping the Jewish state at odds with Washington on how to renew stalled peace talks with Palestinians.

Congress approves final healthcare changes

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:58pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress approved a package of final changes to President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul on Thursday, and Obama dared Republicans to try to repeal the new law.

Pentagon makes it harder to expel gays in military

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 3:57pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon issued new rules on Thursday making it harder for the U.S. military to discharge gay personnel, an interim step to ease enforcement of the existing "don't ask, don't tell" policy while Congress considers repealing it.

Toyota warned dealers of crash risk in 2007

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 3:50pm PDT

DETROIT (Reuters) - When Toyota Motor Corp concluded that seemingly harmless floormats posed a danger in all of its cars and trucks, the automaker sent a stark warning intended to prevent crashes.

Hacker gets 20 years for U.S. payment card theft

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 2:46pm PDT

BOSTON (Reuters) - One of the world's most notorious computer hackers was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to helping run a global ring that stole tens of millions of payment card numbers.

Jobless claims fall, buoy jobs recovery hopes

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 1:56pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of workers filing for jobless aid fell sharply last week and a gauge of underlying labor market trends hit a 1-1/2 year low, boosting hopes the economy is on the verge of creating jobs.

Key lawmaker backs FCC's spectrum plan

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 1:41pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key U.S. lawmaker expressed support on Thursday for a proposal by communications regulators to give auction proceeds to broadcasters as an incentive to give up some airwaves highly sought by wireless broadband providers.

Bin Laden threatens Americans with execution

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 9:28am PDT

DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden threatened al Qaeda would kill any Americans it takes prisoner if accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is put to death, according to an audiotape aired on al Jazeera on Thursday.

North Korea trespasser on religious mission: activist

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 4:12am PDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. citizen who North Korea will put on trial for illegal entry crossed the border in support of a fellow American Christian missionary who was released last month after a similar transgression, an activist said.

Merkel eyes Greece deal on German terms, ECB helps

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 4:10am PDT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed aid for Greece with IMF involvement as a "last resort" on Thursday, and the European Central Bank extended looser funding rules in a big reprieve for Athens.

Marijuana legalization will be on California ballot

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 3:51am PDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California voter initiative that would legalize possession and sale of marijuana has qualified for the November ballot, state election officials said on Wednesday, in what supporters called a "watershed moment" for their cause.

Israel awaits word but signs are no deal with U.S.

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 3:39am PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended a troubled U.S. visit on Thursday with no apparent resolution of a serious dispute with Washington over Jewish housing in occupied East Jerusalem.

Healthcare changes headed back to House

Posted: March 25th, 2010, 1:26am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A package of final changes to a landmark healthcare reform law must be approved again by the House of Representatives after the Senate parliamentarian eliminated two minor provisions on Thursday.

FBI probes threats over Democrats' healthcare vote

Posted: March 24th, 2010, 6:55pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI and police are investigating attacks and threats against Democratic members of Congress who voted for healthcare reform, and a senior House of Representatives Democrat said on Wednesday his colleagues are at risk.

Florida jury awards $26.6 million to smoker's widow

Posted: March 24th, 2010, 4:50pm PDT

MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida jury ordered R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris on Wednesday to pay $26.6 million to the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer, the latest verdict against cigarette makers in the "Engle progeny" lawsuits.

U.S. plays down hopes for Afghan reconciliation

Posted: March 24th, 2010, 3:59pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday the timing was still not right for reconciliation with senior Afghan Taliban leaders, acknowledging military pressure had yet to weaken the group enough.

Ex-Madoff aide indicted for fraud, conspiracy

Posted: March 24th, 2010, 3:41pm PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former director of operations at Bernard Madoff's investment firm was indicted by a federal grand jury on securities fraud, conspiracy and other charges related to the largest Ponzi scheme on record.

United States, Pakistan seek to turn around ties

Posted: March 24th, 2010, 2:52pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to overcome years of mistrust, with Washington promising to speed up overdue military payments as the two increase cooperation in tackling militants.

Clinton says Israel faces choices on path to peace

Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 3:00am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday that Israel faces "difficult but necessary choices" on the road to Mideast peace because the status quo with the Palestinians is unsustainable.

Chinese shrug shoulders at possible Google pull-out

Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 2:32am PDT

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - With speculation swirling that Google Inc will soon announce the closure of its China-based Internet portal, the reaction from some Chinese has been hurry up and leave, or simply: so what?

House approves sweeping healthcare overhaul

Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 1:30am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives gave final approval to a sweeping healthcare overhaul on Sunday, expanding insurance coverage to nearly all Americans and handing President Barack Obama a landmark victory.

Karzai holds peace talks with insurgent faction

Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 12:46am PDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met a senior delegation for peace talks with one of the main insurgent groups fighting against his government and foreign troops, Karzai's spokesman said on Monday.

Senators to square off over financial reforms

Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 12:02am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Banking Committee will begin hammering out new rules for the financial system on Monday, two years after Bear Stearns' collapse ushered in the worst financial crisis in decades.

House backs Obama's bid to revamp student loans

Posted: March 21st, 2010, 8:38pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led House of Representatives on Sunday approved President Barack Obama's bid to implement what would be the biggest overhaul in decades of the federal student loan program.

Sarkozy reviews options after French poll defeat

Posted: March 21st, 2010, 7:44pm PDT

PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon will meet President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday to discuss the consequences of the ruling center-right UMP party's heavy loss in regional elections at the weekend.

Immigration activists rally for change

Posted: March 21st, 2010, 5:53pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the U.S. capital on Sunday to demand immigration reform that defends the rights of foreign workers, but their voices may have been muted by Democrats' push for a historic vote on healthcare.

Greenberg sells AIG stock to UBS for $278 million

Posted: March 21st, 2010, 2:50pm PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former chief executive of American International Group Inc, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, reached a deal to sell most of the shares he holds in the insurer to a unit of Swiss bank UBS.

U.S. missile strike kills 8 militants in Pakistan

Posted: March 21st, 2010, 11:10am PDT

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles into an al Qaeda and Taliban hideout in northwest Pakistan on the Afghan border on Sunday, killing eight militants, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

Bomb damages right-wing group's Athens office

Posted: March 19th, 2010, 12:20am PDT

ATHENS (Reuters) - A makeshift bomb damaged the office of a far-right group in central Athens early Friday but no one was hurt, police said.

Healthcare bill to cut deficit: CBO

Posted: March 19th, 2010, 12:00am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional budget analysts said on Thursday a broad healthcare overhaul would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and sharply expand insurance coverage, boosting the momentum for final passage in the House of Representatives.

China tries to cool yuan dispute with U.S.

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 11:59pm PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Friday said it was sending an envoy to Washington to try to ease trade frictions as its currency regime comes under fire, warning that threats from U.S. legislators could stifle room for progress.

Cable networks eye Sarah Palin reality show

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 11:08pm PDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Sarah Palin is closer to landing a deal for a reality show.

New Zealand's "Madoff" jailed for $13 million fraud

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 10:01pm PDT

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand banker defrauded clients of $13 million to fund a lavish lifestyle of prostitutes, property and wine, local media reported on Friday.

Israel, U.S. seek to defuse settlement dispute

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 7:15pm PDT

JERUSALEM/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Israel tried to defuse a dispute with the United States on Friday over plans to expand settlements, saying it would propose "confidence-building" steps to the Palestinians to encourage a renewal of peace talks.

Obama backs "framework" to revamp immigration

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 5:19pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, under pressure to keep a campaign promise to revamp U.S. immigration policy, embraced a "promising, bipartisan framework" on Thursday offered by two senior senators.

U.S. says driver error possible in NY Prius crash

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 3:45pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. safety officials believe driver error may be behind the crash in New York of a Toyota Motor Corp Prius that has been investigated as a possible case of unintended acceleration, federal investigators said on Thursday.

Domestic militants harder to profile: experts

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 2:20pm PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The changing face of U.S. homegrown extremism has officials and analysts worried as a growing number of unlikely militants in small-town America radicalize themselves using the Internet and plot attacks at home and abroad.

Chicago man pleads guilty in Mumbai attack

Posted: March 18th, 2010, 2:09pm PDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago man pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to scouting targets for the 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed more than 160 people, including six Americans.

China envoy urges Iran to compromise, wary on sanctions

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 8:28am PDT

GENEVA (Reuters) - China has urged Iran to accept a nuclear fuel swap proposal to ease demands for new sanctions on Tehran, a senior Chinese diplomat said, adding that Beijing wants "every avenue" tried before considering sanctions.

U.S. missile strikes kill 6 militants in Pakistan

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 8:17am PDT

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - Two missile strikes by pilotless U.S. drone aircraft on Wednesday killed at least six militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan, a major al Qaeda and Taliban sanctuary, intelligence officials and residents said.

Insurer targeted HIV patients to drop coverage

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:17am PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In May, 2002, Jerome Mitchell, a 17-year old college freshman from rural South Carolina, learned he had contracted HIV. The news, of course, was devastating, but Mitchell believed that he had one thing going for him: On his own initiative, in anticipation of his first year in college, he had purchased his own health insurance.

Five Americans charged with terrorism in Pakistan

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:14am PDT

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court formally charged Wednesday five young Americans of plotting terrorism in the country, their lawyer said, in a case that has raised alarm over the danger posed by militants using the Internet.

Thai "red shirts" splatter blood at PM's home

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:12am PDT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Red-shirted protesters emptied bottles of their blood outside the home of Thailand's prime minister on Wednesday in a symbolic sacrifice after the government rejected calls for elections.

Israel moves to ease diplomatic dispute with U.S.

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:11am PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Barack Obama on Wednesday and spoke by telephone with his vice president as a vocal feud over Jewish settlements took on softer tones.

China unyielding on yuan as U.S. raises pressure

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 5:55am PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it would not waver in sticking to a stable exchange rate and was being made a "scapegoat" after Congress threatened to seek duties on Chinese goods unless it revalues its yuan.

North Korea has 1,000 missiles, South says

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 5:49am PDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has increased its missile arsenal by 25 percent in the past two years to about 1,000, expanding the threat the state poses to the region, the South's defense chief said Wednesday.

PM, now trailing in Iraq vote count, cries fraud

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 5:46am PDT

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Supporters of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki complained of vote fraud Wednesday after new but incomplete results from a March 7 election showed their candidate trailing secularist challenger Iyad Allawi.

World Bank tells China to tighten policy

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 4:23am PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - The World Bank raised its 2010 growth and inflation forecasts for China and recommended a tighter monetary policy as well as a stronger exchange rate to restrain inflation expectations and asset bubbles.

$17.5 billion jobs bill nears final OK

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 4:30pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first of several Democratic job-creation efforts cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Monday and appeared to be headed toward final congressional approval.

Euro ministers say have Greek aid plan if needed

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:52pm PDT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Finance ministers from the 16-country euro zone agreed on Monday to mobilize financial aid for Greece rapidly if needed but revealed little of how their standby plan for the debt-stricken nation would work.

Killing of Americans pressures Mexico in drug war

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:47pm PDT

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - The killing of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Mexico's bloodiest drug war hotspot has thrown President Felipe Calderon a major test as he heads to this border city on Tuesday to try to contain spiraling violence.

Mitchell Mideast travel in flux amid U.S.-Israel row

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 2:47pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy's plans to visit the Middle East were up in the air on Monday, the State Department said, as it waited for Israel to respond to U.S. demands it show that it is serious about peace talks with the Palestinians.

Snowstorms curb industrial output, rebound seen

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 1:34pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial production braked sharply in February, held back by severe winter storms that slammed parts of the country, while manufacturing activity in New York state stalled this month.

People leave unique trail of germs

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 1:19pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People leave more than fingerprints when they touch stuff -- they also deposit a tell-tale trail of germs that could help investigators solve crimes, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Mexico gunmen kill American consulate staff

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 6:00am PDT

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Gunmen in the drug war-plagued Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez killed two Americans and a Mexican linked to the local U.S. consulate and President Barack Obama expressed outrage at the attack.

Investigators say no explanation yet for Calif. Prius claim

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 5:52am PDT

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Monday it had found no evidence to support the driver's version of a widely publicized "runaway" Prius episode a week ago, suggesting that authorities examine whether the incident happened as reported to police.

U.N. chief urges donors to keep Haiti funds flowing

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 5:29am PDT

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon vowed on Sunday to work to keep donor funds flowing for Haiti's recovery and reconstruction following the devastating January earthquake in the poor Caribbean state.

EU to discuss Greek aid, Germany skeptical

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 5:15am PDT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers on Monday will look at how to give Greece financial aid should it ask for help, but there were signs France and Germany were holding out on making concrete commitments.

Protesters push for polls as Thai tensions build

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 4:30am PDT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of protesters pressed ahead with a mass street rally in Bangkok on Monday after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rebuffed their demand for elections at a time of heightened political tension.

Israeli envoy sees "historic crisis" with U.S.: report

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:59am PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel and the United States are in a "crisis of historic proportions" over a settlement dispute that has brought relations to a 35-year low, Israel's ambassador to Washington was quoted on Monday as saying.

A week on, Maliki pulls ahead in Iraq race

Posted: March 15th, 2010, 3:22am PDT

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki pulled ahead on Sunday in early results of an election Iraqis hoped would end years of sectarian strife, but a divided vote suggested long and fraught talks to form a government are ahead.

U.S. official set up unit to kill Afghan militants: report

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 11:07pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Monday it was looking into "serious allegations" about a U.S. Defense Department official accused of setting up a unit of private contractors in Afghanistan and Pakistan to help track and kill suspected militants.

Senate financial reform bill boosts Fed: sources

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 9:33pm PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve would take on a greatly expanded role in financial regulation under new legislation unveiled on Monday by a top Senate Democrat, in a push to move ahead with the regulatory reform that has been a top priority of President Barack Obama.

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