US Boy Scouts delay decision on whether to lift policy excluding gays, set new vote for May
IRVING, Texas – The Boy Scouts of America, caught in an ideological crossfire, is putting off a decision on whether to ease its policy of excluding gays. Whatever the organization eventually does, it’s likely to anger major constituencies and worsen schisms within Scouting.
India faulted for failing to curb child sex abuse
NEW DELHI (AP) -- India’s government has failed to curb the rampant sexual abuse of children, especially in schools and state-run child care facilities, a rights group said Thursday.
Jarmoir Jagr scores in 1:46 into overtime as Stars beat Oilers 3-2
EDMONTON – Jaromir Jagr scored in overtime as the Dallas Stars won two games in a row for the first time this season, defeating the injury-riddled Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Australians win race up 1,576 steps at NYC's Empire State Building
NEW YORK, N.Y. – A pair of Australians won a race to the top -- or to the 86th floor, anyway.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
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9-year-old gives birth in Mexico; police search for teenage father
MEXICO CITY – Authorities say a nine-year-old girl has given birth in western Mexico and they are looking for the purported father, a 17-year-old.
UPDATE 1-Australia to crack down on match fixing and crime in sport
* Organised crime a growing influence in Australian sport * One alleged case of match fixing referred to police * Sports chiefs unite to support crackdown on crime, drugs * Rugby league say more than one player and team implicated (Adds detail, quotes) CANBERRA, Feb 7 (Reuters) – The Australian government promised on Thursday to crack down on match fixing and the growing influence of organised crime on sports after a major investigation found links between doping and crime may have led to manipulated results. …
MEXICO CITY – Authorities say a nine-year-old girl has given birth in western Mexico and they are looking for the purported father, a 17-year-old.
UPDATE 1-Australia to crack down on match fixing and crime in sport
* Organised crime a growing influence in Australian sport * One alleged case of match fixing referred to police * Sports chiefs unite to support crackdown on crime, drugs * Rugby league say more than one player and team implicated (Adds detail, quotes) CANBERRA, Feb 7 (Reuters) – The Australian government promised on Thursday to crack down on match fixing and the growing influence of organised crime on sports after a major investigation found links between doping and crime may have led to manipulated results. …
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Quick goals by Tyler Seguin, David Krejci lift Bruins over Canadiens 2-1
MONTREAL – Linemates Tyler Seguin and David Krejci scored in the opening 2:05 of the third period as the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Wednesday night.
MONTREAL – Linemates Tyler Seguin and David Krejci scored in the opening 2:05 of the third period as the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Wednesday night.
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Senator Mike Duffy takes kitchen exit as reporters seek answers on residence
HALIFAX – Senator Mike Duffy took a back exit through a Halifax hotel kitchen after delivering a speech Wednesday night and declined to answer reporters’ questions about his claims for living allowances for an Ottawa residence.
Michael Dell coughs up $750 million cash to buy out Dell
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Michael Dell and his investment firm are ponying up $750 million in cash toward the $24.4 billion purchase of Dell Inc to help bankroll the la rgest private equity-backed buyout since the financial crisis. The Dell founder and CEO this week struck a deal to take private the company he created out of a college dorm room in 1984, partnering with private equity house Silver Lake and Microsoft Corp. …
Vancouver police say stabbing victim expected to live; investigation ongoing
VANCOUVER – Vancouver police say a woman is still recovering from life-threatening injuries after last week’s mass stabbing in a condo building, but she is expected to survive.
HALIFAX – Senator Mike Duffy took a back exit through a Halifax hotel kitchen after delivering a speech Wednesday night and declined to answer reporters’ questions about his claims for living allowances for an Ottawa residence.
Michael Dell coughs up $750 million cash to buy out Dell
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Michael Dell and his investment firm are ponying up $750 million in cash toward the $24.4 billion purchase of Dell Inc to help bankroll the la rgest private equity-backed buyout since the financial crisis. The Dell founder and CEO this week struck a deal to take private the company he created out of a college dorm room in 1984, partnering with private equity house Silver Lake and Microsoft Corp. … Vancouver police say stabbing victim expected to live; investigation ongoing
VANCOUVER – Vancouver police say a woman is still recovering from life-threatening injuries after last week’s mass stabbing in a condo building, but she is expected to survive.
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Chris Brown returns to LA court to address issues with probation; hearing set for April
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Chris Brown briefly returned to a Los Angeles court to face probation issues stemming from the 2009 beating of Rihanna, but the judge has asked for additional reports and scheduled another hearing in two months.
Dell breaks down details of landmark $24.4 billion buyout
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Dell Inc unveiled more details of founder Michael Dell's proposed $24.4 billion buyout on Wednesday, confirming that the billionaire C EO will pony up $500 million of his own cash in return for a larger share of the company he created. The world's No. 3 personal computer maker broke down details of the debt financing secured for the buyout, including $4 billion in senior secured term loans from Bank of America, Barclays, Credit Suisse and RBC. …
Soccer-Romania 3 Australia 2 - international friendly result
Feb 6 (Reuters) – Romania 3 Australia 2 – international friendly result. In Malaga, Spain Scorers: Romania: Cristian Tanase 34, Bogdan Stancu 80, Gabriel Torje 84 Australia: Luke Wilkshire 45pen, Robert Cornthwaite 54 Halftime: 1-1 (Editing by Tom Pilcher; tom.pilcher@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters Messaging: tom.pilcher.reuters.com@reuters.net; ; )
Dell investor sues to block founder's leveraged buyout
(Reuters) – Michael Dell's offer to take Dell Inc private for $24.4 billion should be blocked because the leveraged buyout is unfair to the struggling computer company's stockholders, accordin g to a lawsuit by an individual investor that was filed on Wednesday. The buyout announced on Tuesday at $13.65 per share substantially undervalued the company's long-term prospects, according to the lawsuit, which seeks class action status to represent all Dell investors. …
U.N. hopes delayed peace deal for Congo can be signed this month
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A delayed U.N.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending two decades of conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of th e Congo is now broadly agreed and could be ready for signing later this month, U.N. officials and diplomats said on Wednesday. African leaders failed to sign the deal last week due to concerns of some countries over who would command a new regional force that would deploy in eastern Congo and take on armed groups operating in the conflict-torn region. U.N. …
Sudan says to release five South Sudanese soldiers
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan is to free five South Sudanese soldiers it captured trying to cross the poorly-defined border last year as a sign of goodwill, state news agency SUNA said on Wednesday. The African neighbors came close to war in April over territory and oil payments, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded under a 2011 peace deal which ended decades of civil war. …
Irish PM called on to apologize for Magdalene Laundries
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny was criticized by his government's junior coalition partner on Wednesday for not issuing the state apology sought by ex-inmates of the notorious Magdalene Laundries following a damning report. More than a quarter of the women and girls subjected to harsh discipline and unpaid work at the 10 laundries, run by Catholic nuns, were sent there by the Irish state, an official report that ran to almost 1,000 pages said on Tuesday. …
Tunisia to shake-up government after assassination
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Shaken by the assassination of a prominent leftist opposition leader that unleashed major protests, Tunisia's prime minister announced Wednesday that he would form a new government of technocrats to guide the country to elections "as soon as possible."
Visa profit rises 30 percent; authorizes $1.75 billion buyback
(Reuters) – Visa Inc’s first-quarter profit jumped 30 percent, and the world’s largest credit- and debit-card network authorized a new $1.75 billion share repurchase program. The new share buyback program brings the total outstanding authorization to about $2.9 billion. The company’s profit rose to $1.3 billion, or $1.93 per Class A share, from $1.0 billion, or $1.49 per Class A share, a year earlier. Total operating revenue rose 12 percent to $2.8 billion. Analysts on average expected earnings of $1.79 per share on revenue of $2.82 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. …
Marco Verratti scores late equalizer as Italy draws 1-1 with experimental Netherlands team
AMSTERDAM – Marco Verratti scored a 92nd minute equalizer as Italy salvaged a 1-1 draw against an experimental Netherlands team in a friendly on Wednesday.
Work begins to shore up ancient Pompeii's ruins; In Florence, Uffizi ceiling fragment falls
ROME – Work has begun to shore up Pompeii’s fragile ruins, following several collapses in the sprawling ancient Roman city.
Couple's $30M win is biggest jackpot ever in Newfoundland: Atlantic Lottery
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – A couple from Placentia, N.L., has won a $30-million Lotto Max top prize that’s being described as the biggest jackpot in the province’s history.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Chris Brown briefly returned to a Los Angeles court to face probation issues stemming from the 2009 beating of Rihanna, but the judge has asked for additional reports and scheduled another hearing in two months.
Dell breaks down details of landmark $24.4 billion buyout
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Dell Inc unveiled more details of founder Michael Dell's proposed $24.4 billion buyout on Wednesday, confirming that the billionaire C EO will pony up $500 million of his own cash in return for a larger share of the company he created. The world's No. 3 personal computer maker broke down details of the debt financing secured for the buyout, including $4 billion in senior secured term loans from Bank of America, Barclays, Credit Suisse and RBC. … Soccer-Romania 3 Australia 2 - international friendly result
Feb 6 (Reuters) – Romania 3 Australia 2 – international friendly result. In Malaga, Spain Scorers: Romania: Cristian Tanase 34, Bogdan Stancu 80, Gabriel Torje 84 Australia: Luke Wilkshire 45pen, Robert Cornthwaite 54 Halftime: 1-1 (Editing by Tom Pilcher; tom.pilcher@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters Messaging: tom.pilcher.reuters.com@reuters.net; ; )
Dell investor sues to block founder's leveraged buyout
(Reuters) – Michael Dell's offer to take Dell Inc private for $24.4 billion should be blocked because the leveraged buyout is unfair to the struggling computer company's stockholders, accordin g to a lawsuit by an individual investor that was filed on Wednesday. The buyout announced on Tuesday at $13.65 per share substantially undervalued the company's long-term prospects, according to the lawsuit, which seeks class action status to represent all Dell investors. … U.N. hopes delayed peace deal for Congo can be signed this month
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A delayed U.N.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending two decades of conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of th e Congo is now broadly agreed and could be ready for signing later this month, U.N. officials and diplomats said on Wednesday. African leaders failed to sign the deal last week due to concerns of some countries over who would command a new regional force that would deploy in eastern Congo and take on armed groups operating in the conflict-torn region. U.N. … Sudan says to release five South Sudanese soldiers
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan is to free five South Sudanese soldiers it captured trying to cross the poorly-defined border last year as a sign of goodwill, state news agency SUNA said on Wednesday. The African neighbors came close to war in April over territory and oil payments, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded under a 2011 peace deal which ended decades of civil war. …
Irish PM called on to apologize for Magdalene Laundries
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny was criticized by his government's junior coalition partner on Wednesday for not issuing the state apology sought by ex-inmates of the notorious Magdalene Laundries following a damning report. More than a quarter of the women and girls subjected to harsh discipline and unpaid work at the 10 laundries, run by Catholic nuns, were sent there by the Irish state, an official report that ran to almost 1,000 pages said on Tuesday. … Tunisia to shake-up government after assassination
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Shaken by the assassination of a prominent leftist opposition leader that unleashed major protests, Tunisia's prime minister announced Wednesday that he would form a new government of technocrats to guide the country to elections "as soon as possible." Visa profit rises 30 percent; authorizes $1.75 billion buyback
(Reuters) – Visa Inc’s first-quarter profit jumped 30 percent, and the world’s largest credit- and debit-card network authorized a new $1.75 billion share repurchase program. The new share buyback program brings the total outstanding authorization to about $2.9 billion. The company’s profit rose to $1.3 billion, or $1.93 per Class A share, from $1.0 billion, or $1.49 per Class A share, a year earlier. Total operating revenue rose 12 percent to $2.8 billion. Analysts on average expected earnings of $1.79 per share on revenue of $2.82 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. …
Marco Verratti scores late equalizer as Italy draws 1-1 with experimental Netherlands team
AMSTERDAM – Marco Verratti scored a 92nd minute equalizer as Italy salvaged a 1-1 draw against an experimental Netherlands team in a friendly on Wednesday.
Work begins to shore up ancient Pompeii's ruins; In Florence, Uffizi ceiling fragment falls
ROME – Work has begun to shore up Pompeii’s fragile ruins, following several collapses in the sprawling ancient Roman city.
Couple's $30M win is biggest jackpot ever in Newfoundland: Atlantic Lottery
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – A couple from Placentia, N.L., has won a $30-million Lotto Max top prize that’s being described as the biggest jackpot in the province’s history.
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News Corp posts higher quarterly revenue, profit
(Reuters) – News Corp reported higher quarterly revenue and profit on Wednesday on strong growth at its cable networks. The media conglomerate, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, said revenue rose 5 percent to $9.43 billion for the quarter that ended in December. Anal ysts were expecting revenue of $9.28 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. News Corp's global media empire includes Fox Broadcasting, The Wall Street Journal and the film studio Twentieth Century Fox. Net income was $2.38 billion or $1.01 per share, compared with $1. …
Cruise trends for 2013: Multi-generational, specialty food, new attractions
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Cruise trends as the 2013 season gets under way are shaping up to include a bigger focus on multi-generational groups, more specialty food offerings, and continued efforts to wow passengers with new onboard firsts like an aquapark, a glass walkway and a vertical garden.
Manitoba Conservation orders review after Bambi killed at Hutterite colony
WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s conservation minister says it may have been insensitive of wildlife officers to kill a deer at a Hutterite colony as some members who had raised the animal watched in horror.
Government says all dogs in England must be fitted with microchips by 2016
LONDON – Dog owners who refuse to fit Fido with a microchip may someday find themselves fetching a hefty fine, the British government said Wednesday.
RCMP find two dogs that were stolen in Vancouver along with truck
VANCOUVER – Two dogs that were stolen when a thief made off with a dog-walker’s truck in Vancouver have been found more than 100 kilometres away.
Government to appeal court ruling that Metis, other natives are 'Indian'
OTTAWA – The federal government will appeal a landmark Federal Court ruling which vastly expanded the ranks of people considered Indians under the Constitution.
Ireland readies deal to ease costs of bank bailout
DUBLIN (AP) -- The Irish government put lawmakers on standby to pass emergency legislation Wednesday as a deal neared with the European Central Bank to reform the repayment terms of Ireland’s colossal bank-bailout bill, a move designed to reduce Ireland’s deficits and ease its return to normal borrowing.
Senate committee says tariffs one reason for Canada-U.S. price gap
OTTAWA – A Senate committee says Ottawa should launch a comprehensive review of tariffs as a way of narrowing the price gap between Canadian and U.S. consumer goods.
Slovenia, Croatia near solution for row blocking Croatia's EU bid
OTOCEC, Slovenia (Reuters) – Slovenia and Croatia stepped closer to solving a 20-year old bank dispute on Wednesday and will now race to hammer it out in the coming weeks so that Croatia can join the European Union as planned on July 1. “After today’s meeting I think we’re on the right track… We’ve cleared the expert aspects and are now looking for political solutions,” Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec told reporters after a six-hour meeting with his Croatian counterpart, Vesna Pusic. …
In Ontario, abuse of 'hillbilly heroin' being replaced by real thing
Front-line drug-treatment workers and law enforcement officials in Ontario have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for nearly a year.
Report on Parti Quebecois election shooting cites police communication problems
QUEBEC – A report by Quebec’s provincial police apparently describes communication lapses that plagued the force on the night of the shooting at Parti Quebecois headquarters last year.
Exclusive: Herbalife to share more data on pay in investor fight
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Herbalife Inc , the embattled nutritional supplements co mpany, is disclosing more information about how much its U.S. distributors earned in 2012 than it did in 2011, though the details are unlikely to satisfy critics like billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Specifically, Herbalife laid out on Wednesday the ranges of gross compensation it pays to distributors at various levels, how many distributors it had last year at each level, and what their average gross payments were. …
Iran's Salehi thinks Syrian government ready to talk to opposition: MENA
CAIRO (Reuters) – The foreign minister of Iran said on Wednesday he believed that the Syrian government was ready to negotiate with the opposition and that the two sides would have to sit together for talks, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported. "I think that the Syrian government is ready to negotiate with the opposition," Ali Akbar Salehi told MENA. Opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib has made a conditional offer to talk to Syria's rulers about trying to end Syria's conflict. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Tunisia's double blow: political assassination, government dissolution
Tunisia has weathered riots, political squabbling, and economic crisis since protests toppled its former dictator two years ago, kickstarting the Arab uprisings. Today, this fledgling democracy suffered a new blow: its first murder of a political leader, which prompted the prime minister to dissolve his government.
Yemen: Seized Iranian ship carried varied weapons
SANAA, Yemen (AP) -- Yemen’s Defense Ministry says a ship seized by Yemeni authorities last month carried Iranian-made weapons, including material for bombs and suicide belts, explosives, Katyusha rockets, surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and large amounts of ammunition.
Tough times for Hezbollah as it struggles to balance alliances with internal stability
BEIRUT – These are tough times for Hezbollah. The Shiite militant group’s uncompromising support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations that it attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria are both unpopular in Lebanon, where it is increasingly accused of putting the interests of longtime patrons Iran and Syria over those of its home country.
Satellite appears to show Syria building unscathed by Israel strike
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A research center that Syria said was hit by an Israeli strike last week remained unscathed in the attack, an Israeli television channel said satellite images it broadcast on Wednesday showed. Diplomats, Syrian rebels and security sources said Israeli jets bombed a convoy near the Lebanese border last week, apparently hitting weapons destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006. …
(Reuters) – News Corp reported higher quarterly revenue and profit on Wednesday on strong growth at its cable networks. The media conglomerate, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, said revenue rose 5 percent to $9.43 billion for the quarter that ended in December. Anal ysts were expecting revenue of $9.28 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. News Corp's global media empire includes Fox Broadcasting, The Wall Street Journal and the film studio Twentieth Century Fox. Net income was $2.38 billion or $1.01 per share, compared with $1. … Cruise trends for 2013: Multi-generational, specialty food, new attractions
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Cruise trends as the 2013 season gets under way are shaping up to include a bigger focus on multi-generational groups, more specialty food offerings, and continued efforts to wow passengers with new onboard firsts like an aquapark, a glass walkway and a vertical garden.
Manitoba Conservation orders review after Bambi killed at Hutterite colony
WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s conservation minister says it may have been insensitive of wildlife officers to kill a deer at a Hutterite colony as some members who had raised the animal watched in horror.
Government says all dogs in England must be fitted with microchips by 2016
LONDON – Dog owners who refuse to fit Fido with a microchip may someday find themselves fetching a hefty fine, the British government said Wednesday.
RCMP find two dogs that were stolen in Vancouver along with truck
VANCOUVER – Two dogs that were stolen when a thief made off with a dog-walker’s truck in Vancouver have been found more than 100 kilometres away.
Government to appeal court ruling that Metis, other natives are 'Indian'
OTTAWA – The federal government will appeal a landmark Federal Court ruling which vastly expanded the ranks of people considered Indians under the Constitution.
Ireland readies deal to ease costs of bank bailout
DUBLIN (AP) -- The Irish government put lawmakers on standby to pass emergency legislation Wednesday as a deal neared with the European Central Bank to reform the repayment terms of Ireland’s colossal bank-bailout bill, a move designed to reduce Ireland’s deficits and ease its return to normal borrowing.
Senate committee says tariffs one reason for Canada-U.S. price gap
OTTAWA – A Senate committee says Ottawa should launch a comprehensive review of tariffs as a way of narrowing the price gap between Canadian and U.S. consumer goods.
Slovenia, Croatia near solution for row blocking Croatia's EU bid
OTOCEC, Slovenia (Reuters) – Slovenia and Croatia stepped closer to solving a 20-year old bank dispute on Wednesday and will now race to hammer it out in the coming weeks so that Croatia can join the European Union as planned on July 1. “After today’s meeting I think we’re on the right track… We’ve cleared the expert aspects and are now looking for political solutions,” Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec told reporters after a six-hour meeting with his Croatian counterpart, Vesna Pusic. …
In Ontario, abuse of 'hillbilly heroin' being replaced by real thing
Front-line drug-treatment workers and law enforcement officials in Ontario have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for nearly a year.
Report on Parti Quebecois election shooting cites police communication problems
QUEBEC – A report by Quebec’s provincial police apparently describes communication lapses that plagued the force on the night of the shooting at Parti Quebecois headquarters last year.
Exclusive: Herbalife to share more data on pay in investor fight
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Herbalife Inc , the embattled nutritional supplements co mpany, is disclosing more information about how much its U.S. distributors earned in 2012 than it did in 2011, though the details are unlikely to satisfy critics like billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Specifically, Herbalife laid out on Wednesday the ranges of gross compensation it pays to distributors at various levels, how many distributors it had last year at each level, and what their average gross payments were. … Iran's Salehi thinks Syrian government ready to talk to opposition: MENA
CAIRO (Reuters) – The foreign minister of Iran said on Wednesday he believed that the Syrian government was ready to negotiate with the opposition and that the two sides would have to sit together for talks, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported. "I think that the Syrian government is ready to negotiate with the opposition," Ali Akbar Salehi told MENA. Opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib has made a conditional offer to talk to Syria's rulers about trying to end Syria's conflict. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Tunisia's double blow: political assassination, government dissolution
Tunisia has weathered riots, political squabbling, and economic crisis since protests toppled its former dictator two years ago, kickstarting the Arab uprisings. Today, this fledgling democracy suffered a new blow: its first murder of a political leader, which prompted the prime minister to dissolve his government.
Yemen: Seized Iranian ship carried varied weapons
SANAA, Yemen (AP) -- Yemen’s Defense Ministry says a ship seized by Yemeni authorities last month carried Iranian-made weapons, including material for bombs and suicide belts, explosives, Katyusha rockets, surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and large amounts of ammunition.
Tough times for Hezbollah as it struggles to balance alliances with internal stability
BEIRUT – These are tough times for Hezbollah. The Shiite militant group’s uncompromising support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations that it attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria are both unpopular in Lebanon, where it is increasingly accused of putting the interests of longtime patrons Iran and Syria over those of its home country.
Satellite appears to show Syria building unscathed by Israel strike
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A research center that Syria said was hit by an Israeli strike last week remained unscathed in the attack, an Israeli television channel said satellite images it broadcast on Wednesday showed. Diplomats, Syrian rebels and security sources said Israeli jets bombed a convoy near the Lebanese border last week, apparently hitting weapons destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006. …
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Alberta envoy moves to Ottawa as pivotal new energy rules in the works
OTTAWA – As federal officials hash out how to control greenhouse-gas emissions from the oil and gas sector, Alberta is opening an office in Ottawa to make sure its voice is heard.
Tough times for Hezbollah in fast changing region
BEIRUT (AP) -- These are tough times for Hezbo llah. The Shiite militant group's uncompromising support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations that it attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria are both unpopular in Lebanon, where it is increasingly accused of putting the interests of longtime patrons Iran and Syria over those of its home country.
COUNTDOWN TO SOCHI:Let the speculation on Canada's hockey team begin
It isn’t official that NHL players will skate at the 2014 Winter Games that begin in a year from Thursday in Sochi, Russia.
Tunisia PM calls for new government of technocrats
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Tunisia's prime minister has announced the formation of a new government of technocrats to guide the country to elections later this year.
Fans mark 68th birthday of Bob Marley in Jamaica, where his lyrics remain beacon of hope
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Hundreds of tourists have joined Rastafarian priests and reggae musicians at Bob Marley’s old house in Jamaica to mark the 68th anniversary of the late reggae icon’s birth.
Tunisian opposition leader killed, riots ensue
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- The assassination of a prominent leftist opposition leader in Tunisia unleashed protests Wednesday across an already-tense nation teetering on the edge of a political crisis, and left armored vehicles patrolling the tear gas-choked streets of the capital.
Egypt opposition leader warns over death edict
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's most prominent opposition leader has criticized the Islamist government for its silence over a Muslim cleric's edict calling for the death of opposition supporters.
Maldives sets presidential poll for September 7, risking protests
COLOMBO (Reuters) – The Maldives will hold presidential elections on September 7, officials said, spurning calls for an earlier vote and risking further protests by supporters of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed who says he was overthrown in a coup last year. Nasheed’s followers have already taken to the streets several times since his departure amid political turmoil that has threatened the Indian Ocean nation’s key tourism industry. …
Canada eyes revoking citizenship of dual nationals tied to terror
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government is eyeing legislation that would let it revoke the citizenship of dual nationals involved in acts of terrorism following news that a Canadian-Lebanese man participated in an attack that killed Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. The Conservative government said on Tuesday that a Canadian dual national was one of three people who attacked a tourist bus in Bulgaria last summer, killing five Israelis. Canada is investigating a separate charge by Algeria that a Canadian coordinated last month's attack on a gas plant there. …
OTTAWA – As federal officials hash out how to control greenhouse-gas emissions from the oil and gas sector, Alberta is opening an office in Ottawa to make sure its voice is heard.
Tough times for Hezbollah in fast changing region
BEIRUT (AP) -- These are tough times for Hezbo llah. The Shiite militant group's uncompromising support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations that it attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria are both unpopular in Lebanon, where it is increasingly accused of putting the interests of longtime patrons Iran and Syria over those of its home country. COUNTDOWN TO SOCHI:Let the speculation on Canada's hockey team begin
It isn’t official that NHL players will skate at the 2014 Winter Games that begin in a year from Thursday in Sochi, Russia.
Tunisia PM calls for new government of technocrats
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Tunisia's prime minister has announced the formation of a new government of technocrats to guide the country to elections later this year. Fans mark 68th birthday of Bob Marley in Jamaica, where his lyrics remain beacon of hope
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Hundreds of tourists have joined Rastafarian priests and reggae musicians at Bob Marley’s old house in Jamaica to mark the 68th anniversary of the late reggae icon’s birth.
Tunisian opposition leader killed, riots ensue
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- The assassination of a prominent leftist opposition leader in Tunisia unleashed protests Wednesday across an already-tense nation teetering on the edge of a political crisis, and left armored vehicles patrolling the tear gas-choked streets of the capital. Egypt opposition leader warns over death edict
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's most prominent opposition leader has criticized the Islamist government for its silence over a Muslim cleric's edict calling for the death of opposition supporters. Maldives sets presidential poll for September 7, risking protests
COLOMBO (Reuters) – The Maldives will hold presidential elections on September 7, officials said, spurning calls for an earlier vote and risking further protests by supporters of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed who says he was overthrown in a coup last year. Nasheed’s followers have already taken to the streets several times since his departure amid political turmoil that has threatened the Indian Ocean nation’s key tourism industry. …
Canada eyes revoking citizenship of dual nationals tied to terror
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government is eyeing legislation that would let it revoke the citizenship of dual nationals involved in acts of terrorism following news that a Canadian-Lebanese man participated in an attack that killed Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. The Conservative government said on Tuesday that a Canadian dual national was one of three people who attacked a tourist bus in Bulgaria last summer, killing five Israelis. Canada is investigating a separate charge by Algeria that a Canadian coordinated last month's attack on a gas plant there. … seenewstoday.com : Top News updates
Putin scolds officials over delays, cost overruns in building ski jump venue for Olympics
SOCHI, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin scolded government officials Wednesday over a two-year delay and huge cost overruns in the construction of the ski jump facility for the Sochi Olympics.
Libs say CRTC should investigate new robocalls over Sask riding boundaries
OTTAWA – Deputy Liberal leader Ralph Goodale is asking the CRTC to investigate the Conservative party’s latest use of robocalls in his Saskatchewan home turf.
Haitian schools expand use of Creole language
CROIX-DES-BOUQUETS, Haiti (AP) -- Teenagers in blue-and-white uniforms pour out of classrooms of this boarding school at the edge of Haiti's capital, chattering in their native language of Creo le about the science test they have just taken.
Syria, Sunni-Shiite split arise at Muslim summit
CAIRO (AP) -- An Islamic summit that opened in Egypt on Wednesday lay bare the multiple divisions within the Muslim and Arab worlds, with conflicting approaches to the Syrian civil war exposing the Sunni-Shiite sectarian fault lines that have torn the region for years.
Tesco takes own-brand spaghetti bolognese off shelves
LONDON (Reuters) – Tesco said on Wednesday it had pulled its own-brand frozen spaghetti bolognese from its stores as a precaution after the manufactur er Findus withdrew a beef product on the advice of its supplier. The product withdrawals follow revelations that beef products sold at some of Britain's major supermarkets and chain Burger King contained horsemeat. This has prompted investigations into suppliers. Findus removed its beef lasagne on the advice of its supplier, which also produces Tesco's Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese. …
Toronto FC practices run like clockwork as new regime tries to get MLS team ticking
ORLANDO, Fla. – New coach Ryan Nelsen led Toronto FC through a carefully orchestrated training session Wednesday under the Florida sun.
Doctor: Palestinian inmates sneak sperm to wives
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) -- A Palestinian fertility doctor claimed Wednesday that he has used prisoners’ sperm smuggled out of Israeli jails to help their wives have babies, and that five women have become pregnant so far.
Exclusive: TD Asset Management CEO Brian Murdock resigns
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Brian Murdock, the chief executive of Toronto-Dominion Bank unit TD Asset Management, has resigned to return to the United States, a company spokesman said. Murdock has been replaced by Tim Wiggan, who on Monday took on the new position, the spokesman said. Wiggan had previously been managing director and co-head of institutional sales at TD Securities’ institutional equities business, the spokesman said. (Reporting By Jessica Toonkel; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
So, this is the office that will investigate Afghanistan's Kam Air?
Yesterday, I wrote about Afghan airline Kam Air, which was removed from a US military contracting blacklist for alleged involvement in drug smuggling after complaints from the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai.
Zimbabwe draft constitution cleared for referendum
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe's parliament has been presented with a long-awaited draft constitution, opening the way for a referendum followed by elections this year in the impoverished southern African country. The charter, which would restrict presidential powers, has taken more than three years to produce due to bickering between President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and the rival MDC. The draft must become law to allow elections to take place under a power-sharing deal between Mugabe's party and rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). …
COUNTDOWN TO SOCHI:Sport-by-sport look at Canada a year out from 2014 Olympics
CALGARY – The Sochi Olympics open one year from Thursday. Canada won 26 medals four years ago in Vancouver. Here’s a sport-by-sport look at Canada’s team and predicted medal haul in Russia:
Heavy clashes frighten residents in Syria capital
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian rebels and regime forces fought their most intense clashes in weeks inside the heavily guarded capital of Damascus on Wednesday, activists said, with the sounds of shell blasts echoing through the downtown area and keeping many children home from school while residents hid in their houses.
Berlusconi brother slammed for soccer player slur
ROME (AP) -- Last week it was Silvio Berlusconi who got into hot water for praising Mussolini. This week it's the former premier's younger brother who has sparked outrage -- by calling an Italian superstar soccer player of African descent the family's "little black boy."
Budget will maintain sound fiscal position: Flaherty
OTTAWA – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the best thing his government can do in uncertain times is to not blow the budget.
Questions remain over Russian dissident's suicide
MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian opposition activist who committed suicide at a Dutch deportation center after his request for political asylum was turned down was laid to rest Wednesday, as fellow activists demanded answers from the Netherlands over the murky circumstances of his death.
UK to borrow more in 2012-13, deeper job cuts loom - institute
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will borrow more rather than less this fiscal year and its multi-year austerity plan will lead to 1.2 million public sector job cuts, a leading policy institute said on Wednesday. The forecasts, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies said supported the case for the Bank of England to do more to boost the economy, are more pessimistic than those used by Chancellor George Osborne to set policy, with the IFS pencilling in an extra 270,000 job losses by 2018. …
SOCHI, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin scolded government officials Wednesday over a two-year delay and huge cost overruns in the construction of the ski jump facility for the Sochi Olympics.
Libs say CRTC should investigate new robocalls over Sask riding boundaries
OTTAWA – Deputy Liberal leader Ralph Goodale is asking the CRTC to investigate the Conservative party’s latest use of robocalls in his Saskatchewan home turf.
Haitian schools expand use of Creole language
CROIX-DES-BOUQUETS, Haiti (AP) -- Teenagers in blue-and-white uniforms pour out of classrooms of this boarding school at the edge of Haiti's capital, chattering in their native language of Creo le about the science test they have just taken. Syria, Sunni-Shiite split arise at Muslim summit
CAIRO (AP) -- An Islamic summit that opened in Egypt on Wednesday lay bare the multiple divisions within the Muslim and Arab worlds, with conflicting approaches to the Syrian civil war exposing the Sunni-Shiite sectarian fault lines that have torn the region for years. Tesco takes own-brand spaghetti bolognese off shelves
LONDON (Reuters) – Tesco said on Wednesday it had pulled its own-brand frozen spaghetti bolognese from its stores as a precaution after the manufactur er Findus withdrew a beef product on the advice of its supplier. The product withdrawals follow revelations that beef products sold at some of Britain's major supermarkets and chain Burger King contained horsemeat. This has prompted investigations into suppliers. Findus removed its beef lasagne on the advice of its supplier, which also produces Tesco's Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese. … Toronto FC practices run like clockwork as new regime tries to get MLS team ticking
ORLANDO, Fla. – New coach Ryan Nelsen led Toronto FC through a carefully orchestrated training session Wednesday under the Florida sun.
Doctor: Palestinian inmates sneak sperm to wives
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) -- A Palestinian fertility doctor claimed Wednesday that he has used prisoners’ sperm smuggled out of Israeli jails to help their wives have babies, and that five women have become pregnant so far.
Exclusive: TD Asset Management CEO Brian Murdock resigns
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Brian Murdock, the chief executive of Toronto-Dominion Bank unit TD Asset Management, has resigned to return to the United States, a company spokesman said. Murdock has been replaced by Tim Wiggan, who on Monday took on the new position, the spokesman said. Wiggan had previously been managing director and co-head of institutional sales at TD Securities’ institutional equities business, the spokesman said. (Reporting By Jessica Toonkel; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
So, this is the office that will investigate Afghanistan's Kam Air?
Yesterday, I wrote about Afghan airline Kam Air, which was removed from a US military contracting blacklist for alleged involvement in drug smuggling after complaints from the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai.
Zimbabwe draft constitution cleared for referendum
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe's parliament has been presented with a long-awaited draft constitution, opening the way for a referendum followed by elections this year in the impoverished southern African country. The charter, which would restrict presidential powers, has taken more than three years to produce due to bickering between President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and the rival MDC. The draft must become law to allow elections to take place under a power-sharing deal between Mugabe's party and rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). … COUNTDOWN TO SOCHI:Sport-by-sport look at Canada a year out from 2014 Olympics
CALGARY – The Sochi Olympics open one year from Thursday. Canada won 26 medals four years ago in Vancouver. Here’s a sport-by-sport look at Canada’s team and predicted medal haul in Russia:
Heavy clashes frighten residents in Syria capital
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian rebels and regime forces fought their most intense clashes in weeks inside the heavily guarded capital of Damascus on Wednesday, activists said, with the sounds of shell blasts echoing through the downtown area and keeping many children home from school while residents hid in their houses. Berlusconi brother slammed for soccer player slur
ROME (AP) -- Last week it was Silvio Berlusconi who got into hot water for praising Mussolini. This week it's the former premier's younger brother who has sparked outrage -- by calling an Italian superstar soccer player of African descent the family's "little black boy." Budget will maintain sound fiscal position: Flaherty
OTTAWA – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the best thing his government can do in uncertain times is to not blow the budget.
Questions remain over Russian dissident's suicide
MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian opposition activist who committed suicide at a Dutch deportation center after his request for political asylum was turned down was laid to rest Wednesday, as fellow activists demanded answers from the Netherlands over the murky circumstances of his death. UK to borrow more in 2012-13, deeper job cuts loom - institute
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will borrow more rather than less this fiscal year and its multi-year austerity plan will lead to 1.2 million public sector job cuts, a leading policy institute said on Wednesday. The forecasts, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies said supported the case for the Bank of England to do more to boost the economy, are more pessimistic than those used by Chancellor George Osborne to set policy, with the IFS pencilling in an extra 270,000 job losses by 2018. …
seenewstoday.com : Top News updates
COUNTDOWN TO SOCHI: Canada's skiers, sliders and skaters gearing up for 2014
CALGARY – Canada won more gold medals than any country at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but that’s not the goal a year from now in Sochi.
Ontario man who picked up 12-year-old Kansas girl he met online pleads guilty
WICHITA, Kan. – An Ontario man who was found last year in Michigan with a 12-year-old Kansas girl he met on the Internet has admitted his intent was to have sex with the girl.
Intact Financial profit boosted by M&A, investments
(Reuters) – Intact Financial Corp said fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, driven by rising investment gains and the impact of acquisitions, and the company’s CEO indicated the company was in the market for more M&A. Intact, Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer, also raised its quarterly dividend by 10 percent. Profits were helped by the insurer’s C$530 million acquisition of recreational vehicle insurer Jevco, which closed in September and helped boost direct premiums written by 7 percent to C$1.7 billion during the fourth quarter. …
Canada hasn't decided on future infrastructure plan: Flaherty
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government has not yet decided whether to boost spending on infrastructure to help the economy, Fina nce Minister Jim Flaherty said on Wednesday. Officials have said next month's budget could include measures to boost infrastructure, possibly by extending the life of the C$33 billion ($33 billion) Building Canada plan, which the Conservative government introduced in 2007. The plan is due to expire in 2014. …
Quebec independence on foreign aid? Province muses about going solo on aid
QUEBEC – The Quebec government is taking initial steps aimed at potentially creating its own international-aid agency.
Smithsonian American Indian museum tackles racist stereotypes, mascots in American sports
WASHINGTON – The ongoing debate over the Washington Redskins’ team name moves to the Smithsonian American Indian museum this week as sports writers, scholars, Native Americans and others gather for a conference.
Irish PM criticised for lack of apology on Magdalene Laundries
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny was criticised by members of his own government on Wednesday for not issuing the state apology sought by ex -inmates of the notorious Magdalene Laundries following a damning report. More than a quarter of the women and girls subjected to harsh discipline and unpaid work at the 10 laundries, run by Catholic nuns, were sent there by the Irish state, an official report that ran to almost 1,000 pages said on Tuesday. …
Bulgaria: IDs, location of 2 terror suspects known
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) -- The two living suspects behind a bus attack that killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year have been identified and both are now living in Lebanon, a top Bulgarian security official said Wednesday.
Ex-backer denounces "cultish devotion" to WikiLeaks founder
LONDON (Reuters) – Jemima Khan, a celebrity backer of Julian Assange who put up bail money for him, has gone public with her frustrations about the WikiLeaks founder, saying he demands "blinkered, cultish devotion" and should face justice in Sweden. An article by Khan published on Wednesday on the website of British magazine The New Statesman gives an insight into how Assange, whose whistleblowing website angered Washington by releasing thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, has alienated some of his staunchest allies. …
Behaviour of diluted bitumen in dispute at Northern Gateway pipeline hearings
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – A dispute has erupted at the Northern Gateway hearings over whether diluted bitumen that would course through Enbridge’s proposed pipeline would sink to the ocean floor.
Stash of weapons, rocket rattle Mali town of Gao
GAO, Mali (AP) -- Soldiers combing abandoned jihadist hideouts and sand-dusted streets for weapons have found industrial-strength explosives, raising the specter Wednesday of bomb attacks by the jihadists who fled into the desert after the arrival of French forces.
Ex-backer denounces "cultish devotion" to WikiLeaks founder
LONDON (Reuters) – Jemima Khan, a celebrity backer of Julian Assange who put up bail money for him, has gone public with her frustrations about the WikiLeaks founder, saying he demands "blinkered, cultish devotion" and should face justice in Sweden. An article by Khan published on Wednesday on the website of British magazine The New Statesman gives an insight into how Assange, whose whistleblowing website angered Washington by releasing thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, has alienated some of his staunchest allies. …
Sleep for the stressed-out: Vienna studio offers half-hour power nap for 11 euros ($15)
VIENNA – One sleepy little side street in Vienna just got sleepier.
US Virgin Islands bans smoking at protected beaches
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, Virgin Islands – The U.S. Virgin Islands has banned smoking at all beaches inside its national park system.
Egypt: end Syrian crisis before warm Iran ties
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's presidential spokesman says an end to Syrian crisis is a condition to restore relations with Iran and that his country supports the Syrian opposition's proposal for talks with the regime in Damascus.
NTSB chairman: Lithium batteries not necessarily unsafe in aviation but safeguards needed
WASHINGTON – The use of lithium ion batteries to power aircraft systems isn’t necessarily unsafe despite a battery fire in one Boeing 787 Dreamliner and smoke in another, but manufacturers need to build in reliable safeguards, the nation’s top aviation safety investigator said Wednesday.
CALGARY – Canada won more gold medals than any country at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but that’s not the goal a year from now in Sochi.
Ontario man who picked up 12-year-old Kansas girl he met online pleads guilty
WICHITA, Kan. – An Ontario man who was found last year in Michigan with a 12-year-old Kansas girl he met on the Internet has admitted his intent was to have sex with the girl.
Intact Financial profit boosted by M&A, investments
(Reuters) – Intact Financial Corp said fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, driven by rising investment gains and the impact of acquisitions, and the company’s CEO indicated the company was in the market for more M&A. Intact, Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer, also raised its quarterly dividend by 10 percent. Profits were helped by the insurer’s C$530 million acquisition of recreational vehicle insurer Jevco, which closed in September and helped boost direct premiums written by 7 percent to C$1.7 billion during the fourth quarter. …
Canada hasn't decided on future infrastructure plan: Flaherty
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government has not yet decided whether to boost spending on infrastructure to help the economy, Fina nce Minister Jim Flaherty said on Wednesday. Officials have said next month's budget could include measures to boost infrastructure, possibly by extending the life of the C$33 billion ($33 billion) Building Canada plan, which the Conservative government introduced in 2007. The plan is due to expire in 2014. … Quebec independence on foreign aid? Province muses about going solo on aid
QUEBEC – The Quebec government is taking initial steps aimed at potentially creating its own international-aid agency.
Smithsonian American Indian museum tackles racist stereotypes, mascots in American sports
WASHINGTON – The ongoing debate over the Washington Redskins’ team name moves to the Smithsonian American Indian museum this week as sports writers, scholars, Native Americans and others gather for a conference.
Irish PM criticised for lack of apology on Magdalene Laundries
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny was criticised by members of his own government on Wednesday for not issuing the state apology sought by ex -inmates of the notorious Magdalene Laundries following a damning report. More than a quarter of the women and girls subjected to harsh discipline and unpaid work at the 10 laundries, run by Catholic nuns, were sent there by the Irish state, an official report that ran to almost 1,000 pages said on Tuesday. … Bulgaria: IDs, location of 2 terror suspects known
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) -- The two living suspects behind a bus attack that killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year have been identified and both are now living in Lebanon, a top Bulgarian security official said Wednesday.
Ex-backer denounces "cultish devotion" to WikiLeaks founder
LONDON (Reuters) – Jemima Khan, a celebrity backer of Julian Assange who put up bail money for him, has gone public with her frustrations about the WikiLeaks founder, saying he demands "blinkered, cultish devotion" and should face justice in Sweden. An article by Khan published on Wednesday on the website of British magazine The New Statesman gives an insight into how Assange, whose whistleblowing website angered Washington by releasing thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, has alienated some of his staunchest allies. … Behaviour of diluted bitumen in dispute at Northern Gateway pipeline hearings
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – A dispute has erupted at the Northern Gateway hearings over whether diluted bitumen that would course through Enbridge’s proposed pipeline would sink to the ocean floor.
Stash of weapons, rocket rattle Mali town of Gao
GAO, Mali (AP) -- Soldiers combing abandoned jihadist hideouts and sand-dusted streets for weapons have found industrial-strength explosives, raising the specter Wednesday of bomb attacks by the jihadists who fled into the desert after the arrival of French forces. Ex-backer denounces "cultish devotion" to WikiLeaks founder
LONDON (Reuters) – Jemima Khan, a celebrity backer of Julian Assange who put up bail money for him, has gone public with her frustrations about the WikiLeaks founder, saying he demands "blinkered, cultish devotion" and should face justice in Sweden. An article by Khan published on Wednesday on the website of British magazine The New Statesman gives an insight into how Assange, whose whistleblowing website angered Washington by releasing thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, has alienated some of his staunchest allies. … Sleep for the stressed-out: Vienna studio offers half-hour power nap for 11 euros ($15)
VIENNA – One sleepy little side street in Vienna just got sleepier.
US Virgin Islands bans smoking at protected beaches
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, Virgin Islands – The U.S. Virgin Islands has banned smoking at all beaches inside its national park system.
Egypt: end Syrian crisis before warm Iran ties
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's presidential spokesman says an end to Syrian crisis is a condition to restore relations with Iran and that his country supports the Syrian opposition's proposal for talks with the regime in Damascus. NTSB chairman: Lithium batteries not necessarily unsafe in aviation but safeguards needed
WASHINGTON – The use of lithium ion batteries to power aircraft systems isn’t necessarily unsafe despite a battery fire in one Boeing 787 Dreamliner and smoke in another, but manufacturers need to build in reliable safeguards, the nation’s top aviation safety investigator said Wednesday.
seenewstoday.com : Top News updates
South Africa mining to shed jobs in troubled times
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – The 14,000 jobs on the line in an Anglo American plan to bring profits back to its South African platinum arm are the just the first of many the sector is about to bleed. Once an engine of job creation, South Africa's mining industry faces soaring costs, labor unrest and falling production that is threatening other mines with closure. The social consequences will be huge as much of the mine labor force, drawn from rural areas far from the shafts, is illiterate and will be hard pressed to find work elsewhere. …
Concordia disaster hurt cruise industry last year but recovery under way
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Cruise watchers looking back at the industry’s past year say the Concordia disaster affected everything from prices to safety drills to first-time cruisers, but bookings appear to be picking up as the 2013 cruise booking season gets under way.
Congo, M23 rebels sign preliminary agreement
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Representatives of the Congolese government and the M23 rebels have signed a preliminary agreement in which both parties accept responsibility for the failure of an earlier peace deal.
Tired in Vienna? Nap for a price at new studio
VIENNA (AP) -- One sleepy little side street in Vienna just got sleepier.
Italy's Bersani faces choice between Monti and leftist ally
ROME (Reuters) – The leader of Italy's center-left Democratic Party is facing pressure to ditch his leftist allies and seek a pact with outgoing premier Mario Monti as a resurgent Silvio Berlusconi threatens to spoil an election victory that once seemed assured. With national elections due on February 24-25, Berlusconi's mix of German-bashing rhetoric and promises to scrap the hated IMU housing tax is causing growing alarm on the center-left, which has seen its impregnable-seeming opinion poll lead chipped away. …
Construction boss' credibility comes under attack at Quebec inquiry
MONTREAL – A construction boss who pinned the blame for a collusion on a mid-level Montreal municipal functionary admits companies rigged contracts without the help of civil servants.
In beer antitrust case, U.S. puts successful theory to a new test
NEW YORK (Reuters) – In challenging beer company Anheuser-Busch InBev SA's proposed deal with Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo , the U.S. government is a pplying a powerful legal theory it has used to stop other mergers. The government alleges in a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., federal court that even though Modelo beers only account for 7 percent of the U.S. …
Impunity feeds Egypt's sexual assaults, group says
CAIRO (AP) -- An international rights group warns that mob-led sexual assaults targeting Egypt’s female protesters could increase if perpetrators are not punished.
Germany warns of 'consequences' for Hezbollah if link to Bulgaria attack confirmed
BERLIN – Germany has warned of “consequences” for Hezbollah if allegations the group was behind an attack that killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year are confirmed.
Desperate Greeks scuffle at free food handout
ATHENS (Reuters) – Hundreds of Greeks scuffled for free vege tables handed out by farmers on Wednesday, leaving one man trampled and injured and prompting an outcry over the growing desperation created by economic crisis. Startling images of Greeks struggling to seize bags of tomatoes and leeks thrown from a truck dominated Greek television, triggering a bout of soul-searching over the new depths of poverty in the debt-laden country. "These images make me angry. …
Egypt court orders retrial for 2 Mubarak officials
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's official news agency says the country's top appeals court has granted retrials for two senior officials under former President Hosni Mubarak.
Alicia Keys to sing for NBA All-Star; John Legend, Fall Out Boy, Ne-Yo also on tap for weekend
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Next stop for Alicia Keys? NBA All-Star weekend.
Clarification: Denmark-Shooting story
COPENHAGEN – In a Feb. 5 story about a shooting incident in Denmark, The Associated Press reported that the writer who was targeted, Lars Hedegaard, was convicted of hate speech in 2011 and fined 5,000 kroner ($1,000). The story failed to mention that Hedegaard appealed that ruling and was acquitted by Denmark’s Supreme Court in 2012.
Dual citizens who commit terrorist acts should lose Canadian status: Kenney
OTTAWA – Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says the government should consider changing the law so that Canadians with dual citizenship who commit terrorist acts abroad can be stripped of their Canadian status.
1865 baseball card found at Maine yard sale to be sold at auction; only 2 known to exist
BIDDEFORD, Maine – Six-figure bids are expected when a rare 148-year-old baseball card discovered at a rural Maine yard sale is auctioned.
Palestinian President Abbas chides leaders over Gaza visits
CAIRO (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hit out at leaders who make official visits to the Hamas -run Gaza Strip, telling an Islamic summit on Wednesday such trips deepened the schism among Palestinians. The remarks by the West Bank-based leader of the Palestinian Authority follow recent visits to Gaza by the Emir of Qatar and the prime minister of Malaysia. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, a major sponsor of Hamas, said this week he too would like to visit the territory. …
Islamic summit opens with calls for Syrian dialogue
CAIRO (Reuters) – Leaders of Islamic nations called for a negotiated end to Syria& #039;s civil war at a summit in Cairo that began on Wednesday, thrusting Egypt's new Islamist president to center stage amid turbulence at home. The summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation opened on a day when the assassination of a leading Tunisian opposition politician highlighted the fragility of "Arab Spring" democratic revolutions in North Africa. …
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – The 14,000 jobs on the line in an Anglo American plan to bring profits back to its South African platinum arm are the just the first of many the sector is about to bleed. Once an engine of job creation, South Africa's mining industry faces soaring costs, labor unrest and falling production that is threatening other mines with closure. The social consequences will be huge as much of the mine labor force, drawn from rural areas far from the shafts, is illiterate and will be hard pressed to find work elsewhere. … Concordia disaster hurt cruise industry last year but recovery under way
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Cruise watchers looking back at the industry’s past year say the Concordia disaster affected everything from prices to safety drills to first-time cruisers, but bookings appear to be picking up as the 2013 cruise booking season gets under way.
Congo, M23 rebels sign preliminary agreement
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Representatives of the Congolese government and the M23 rebels have signed a preliminary agreement in which both parties accept responsibility for the failure of an earlier peace deal.
Tired in Vienna? Nap for a price at new studio
VIENNA (AP) -- One sleepy little side street in Vienna just got sleepier. Italy's Bersani faces choice between Monti and leftist ally
ROME (Reuters) – The leader of Italy's center-left Democratic Party is facing pressure to ditch his leftist allies and seek a pact with outgoing premier Mario Monti as a resurgent Silvio Berlusconi threatens to spoil an election victory that once seemed assured. With national elections due on February 24-25, Berlusconi's mix of German-bashing rhetoric and promises to scrap the hated IMU housing tax is causing growing alarm on the center-left, which has seen its impregnable-seeming opinion poll lead chipped away. … Construction boss' credibility comes under attack at Quebec inquiry
MONTREAL – A construction boss who pinned the blame for a collusion on a mid-level Montreal municipal functionary admits companies rigged contracts without the help of civil servants.
In beer antitrust case, U.S. puts successful theory to a new test
NEW YORK (Reuters) – In challenging beer company Anheuser-Busch InBev SA's proposed deal with Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo , the U.S. government is a pplying a powerful legal theory it has used to stop other mergers. The government alleges in a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., federal court that even though Modelo beers only account for 7 percent of the U.S. … Impunity feeds Egypt's sexual assaults, group says
CAIRO (AP) -- An international rights group warns that mob-led sexual assaults targeting Egypt’s female protesters could increase if perpetrators are not punished.
Germany warns of 'consequences' for Hezbollah if link to Bulgaria attack confirmed
BERLIN – Germany has warned of “consequences” for Hezbollah if allegations the group was behind an attack that killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year are confirmed.
Desperate Greeks scuffle at free food handout
ATHENS (Reuters) – Hundreds of Greeks scuffled for free vege tables handed out by farmers on Wednesday, leaving one man trampled and injured and prompting an outcry over the growing desperation created by economic crisis. Startling images of Greeks struggling to seize bags of tomatoes and leeks thrown from a truck dominated Greek television, triggering a bout of soul-searching over the new depths of poverty in the debt-laden country. "These images make me angry. … Egypt court orders retrial for 2 Mubarak officials
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's official news agency says the country's top appeals court has granted retrials for two senior officials under former President Hosni Mubarak. Alicia Keys to sing for NBA All-Star; John Legend, Fall Out Boy, Ne-Yo also on tap for weekend
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Next stop for Alicia Keys? NBA All-Star weekend.
Clarification: Denmark-Shooting story
COPENHAGEN – In a Feb. 5 story about a shooting incident in Denmark, The Associated Press reported that the writer who was targeted, Lars Hedegaard, was convicted of hate speech in 2011 and fined 5,000 kroner ($1,000). The story failed to mention that Hedegaard appealed that ruling and was acquitted by Denmark’s Supreme Court in 2012.
Dual citizens who commit terrorist acts should lose Canadian status: Kenney
OTTAWA – Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says the government should consider changing the law so that Canadians with dual citizenship who commit terrorist acts abroad can be stripped of their Canadian status.
1865 baseball card found at Maine yard sale to be sold at auction; only 2 known to exist
BIDDEFORD, Maine – Six-figure bids are expected when a rare 148-year-old baseball card discovered at a rural Maine yard sale is auctioned.
Palestinian President Abbas chides leaders over Gaza visits
CAIRO (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hit out at leaders who make official visits to the Hamas -run Gaza Strip, telling an Islamic summit on Wednesday such trips deepened the schism among Palestinians. The remarks by the West Bank-based leader of the Palestinian Authority follow recent visits to Gaza by the Emir of Qatar and the prime minister of Malaysia. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, a major sponsor of Hamas, said this week he too would like to visit the territory. … Islamic summit opens with calls for Syrian dialogue
CAIRO (Reuters) – Leaders of Islamic nations called for a negotiated end to Syria& #039;s civil war at a summit in Cairo that began on Wednesday, thrusting Egypt's new Islamist president to center stage amid turbulence at home. The summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation opened on a day when the assassination of a leading Tunisian opposition politician highlighted the fragility of "Arab Spring" democratic revolutions in North Africa. … seenewstoday.com : Top News updates
U.S. sanctions Iran broadcasters for alleged censorship
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Wednesday it has sanctioned state sponsored broadcasters in Iran for alleged censorship. The U.S. Treasury Department said it named the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting and its director Ezzatollah Zarghami as subject to sanctions. U.S. law permits the agency to sanction anybody in Iran it believes restricts the flow of information to the Iranian public. Washington is tightening sanctions on Iran’s access to its oil revenues in an effort to slow its nuclear program, which the West believes is aiming to develop weapons. …
Ancient order of the Knights of Malta confronts modern world as it marks 900 years
ROME – Matthew Festing -- aka His Most Eminent Highness The Prince and Grand Master of the Knights of Malta -- bounds into the sitting room of his magnificent Renaissance palazzo sweaty and somewhat disheveled, and asks an aide if he should take off his sweater to be photographed.
A missed flight could have meant a missed cruise but travel insurance saved the day
ON THE DANUBE RIVER, Germany – We finally made it to our European river cruise, but not exactly according to plan.
Senior ranks of Canadian military get makeover ahead of tough federal budget
OTTAWA – A major shakeup is in the offing amid the senior ranks of the Canadian military.
Toronto police officer murder trial hears about his last moments
TORONTO – The trial of a man accused of purposely killing a Toronto police officer by hitting him with a stolen snowplow is hearing about the officer’s last moments.
Mafia fighter turns to politics, sees Monti as danger
ROME (Reuters) – Sicilian prosecutor Antonio Ingroia has left his job fighting the mafia to stand in Italy 9;s election, saying politicians have totally failed to fight organized crime, corruption and tax evasion that are crippling the economy. Ingroia, heading the most leftwing force in the campaign, says outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is a bigger danger politically than center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi, who he believes has no chance of winning the February 24-25 poll. …
'Star Wars' reboot director J.J Abrams speaks at video gaming conference in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – If the force is with die-hard fans, J.J. Abrams will give away a few clues to his vision for the seventh live-action “Star Wars” film.
Bulgarian opposition questions blaming of Hezbollah for bomb
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria's opposition criticized a government statement that Hezbollah carried out a bomb attack that killed Israeli tourists , saying on Wednesday the conclusion was unjustified and dangerous. The July attack in the coastal city of Burgas raised tensions in the Balkan country, where 15 percent of the 7.3 million population are Muslim, and opposition parties said the government acted under Israeli and U.S. pressure. …
Iranian envoy urges U.S. to show goodwill at nuclear talks
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Progress at talks between world powers and Iran on its nuclear program later this month will depend on the United States showing "genuine honesty and goodwill", the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Russia said on Wednesday. The two sides will meet in Kazakhstan on February 26 in another effort to forge a deal on Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran says it wants only peaceful energy from nuclear fuel while the powers suspect it is pursuing the means to develop nuclear weapons. …
Official: More than two dozen vehicles in fiery Georgia interstate pileup; 3 dead, 12 hurt
MONTROSE, Ga. – An emergency official says a fiery pileup involving more than two dozen vehicles on a Georgia interstate has left at least three people dead and 12 others hurt.
Zimbabwe's parliament mulls constitutional reforms
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe’s parliament has begun discussing a new constitution that reduces some of the president’s powers, demands political impartiality from his longtime loyalists in the police and military and paves the way for a peace and reconciliation commission to investigate charges of human rights and electoral abuses.
Rugby-Dublin test the perfect barometer of England's progress
LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) – England have not won a Six Nations game away to Ireland for 10 years and travel to Dublin on Sunday for a match that will go a long way towards showing where they really stand in the game’s pecking order. Should they produce anything like that 2003 five-try 42-6 thrashing that earned them their last grand slam to date and set them up for their successful assault on the World Cup later that year then coach Stuart Lancaster will be a very contented man having overseen back-to-back wins over Scotland and New Zealand. …
Exclusive: Deutsche Bank suspends traders over Euribor - source
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank has suspended five traders suspected of inapprop riate conduct following an internal investigation into possible manipulation of the Europe Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor), a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The traders, who worked on Deutsche Bank's money market team, were suspended on Tuesday, the source said. Deutsche Bank declined to name the traders, and said that no current or former board members have been implicated. It gave no further details. …
U.S. launched drone from secret Saudi base: reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is operating a secret base out of Saudi Arabia and used it to launch a CIA drone strike in 2011 that killed U.S.-born al Qaeda leader Anwar Al Awlaki, according to a media report. The Washington Post, in a report on Wednesday, said the Middle East base was set up two years ago as part of U.S. officials effort to ramp up its search for members of the militant group. Representatives for the CIA declined to comment on the report. …
NHS ravaged by hospital scandal
LONDON (Reuters) – The deaths of hundreds of hospital patients, left without food or water in filthy conditions, exposed an urgent need to change the culture of National H ealth Service (NHS), a report said on Wednesday. Between 400 and 1,200 patients are estimated to have died needlessly at Stafford Hospital in central England between January 2005 and March 2009 in one of the worst scandals to hit the NHS since it was founded in 1948. …
C$ seen strengthening in 2013, helped by U.S. recovery: Reuters poll
TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canadian dollar is expected to strengthen over the course of 2013, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday, with forecasters looking past recent dovish central bank comments and focusing on the positive impact of an improving U.S. economy. The median forecast in the poll of 51 economists and foreign exchange strategists saw the commodity-linked Canadian dollar trading at C$0.99 to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0101, in one and three months. It is expected to change hands at C$0.98 in six and 12 months. The forecasts were similar to a month-earlier poll. The currency traded at C$0. …
Violent clashes as India's Modi makes speech to Delhi students
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian protesters clashed with police on Wednesday outside the University of Delhi, where Narendra Modi, a popular but divisive contender to run for prime minister within a year, was making a speech to cheering students. Left-wing student groups waved black flags, shouted “Modi go back” and tussled with police, who swung wooden batons to disperse the crowd of around 200 protesters. The contrasting receptions inside and outside the packed hall highlighted how much the chief minister of Gujarat state polarizes public opinion. …
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Wednesday it has sanctioned state sponsored broadcasters in Iran for alleged censorship. The U.S. Treasury Department said it named the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting and its director Ezzatollah Zarghami as subject to sanctions. U.S. law permits the agency to sanction anybody in Iran it believes restricts the flow of information to the Iranian public. Washington is tightening sanctions on Iran’s access to its oil revenues in an effort to slow its nuclear program, which the West believes is aiming to develop weapons. …
Ancient order of the Knights of Malta confronts modern world as it marks 900 years
ROME – Matthew Festing -- aka His Most Eminent Highness The Prince and Grand Master of the Knights of Malta -- bounds into the sitting room of his magnificent Renaissance palazzo sweaty and somewhat disheveled, and asks an aide if he should take off his sweater to be photographed.
A missed flight could have meant a missed cruise but travel insurance saved the day
ON THE DANUBE RIVER, Germany – We finally made it to our European river cruise, but not exactly according to plan.
Senior ranks of Canadian military get makeover ahead of tough federal budget
OTTAWA – A major shakeup is in the offing amid the senior ranks of the Canadian military.
Toronto police officer murder trial hears about his last moments
TORONTO – The trial of a man accused of purposely killing a Toronto police officer by hitting him with a stolen snowplow is hearing about the officer’s last moments.
Mafia fighter turns to politics, sees Monti as danger
ROME (Reuters) – Sicilian prosecutor Antonio Ingroia has left his job fighting the mafia to stand in Italy 9;s election, saying politicians have totally failed to fight organized crime, corruption and tax evasion that are crippling the economy. Ingroia, heading the most leftwing force in the campaign, says outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is a bigger danger politically than center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi, who he believes has no chance of winning the February 24-25 poll. … 'Star Wars' reboot director J.J Abrams speaks at video gaming conference in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – If the force is with die-hard fans, J.J. Abrams will give away a few clues to his vision for the seventh live-action “Star Wars” film.
Bulgarian opposition questions blaming of Hezbollah for bomb
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria's opposition criticized a government statement that Hezbollah carried out a bomb attack that killed Israeli tourists , saying on Wednesday the conclusion was unjustified and dangerous. The July attack in the coastal city of Burgas raised tensions in the Balkan country, where 15 percent of the 7.3 million population are Muslim, and opposition parties said the government acted under Israeli and U.S. pressure. … Iranian envoy urges U.S. to show goodwill at nuclear talks
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Progress at talks between world powers and Iran on its nuclear program later this month will depend on the United States showing "genuine honesty and goodwill", the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Russia said on Wednesday. The two sides will meet in Kazakhstan on February 26 in another effort to forge a deal on Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran says it wants only peaceful energy from nuclear fuel while the powers suspect it is pursuing the means to develop nuclear weapons. … Official: More than two dozen vehicles in fiery Georgia interstate pileup; 3 dead, 12 hurt
MONTROSE, Ga. – An emergency official says a fiery pileup involving more than two dozen vehicles on a Georgia interstate has left at least three people dead and 12 others hurt.
Zimbabwe's parliament mulls constitutional reforms
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe’s parliament has begun discussing a new constitution that reduces some of the president’s powers, demands political impartiality from his longtime loyalists in the police and military and paves the way for a peace and reconciliation commission to investigate charges of human rights and electoral abuses.
Rugby-Dublin test the perfect barometer of England's progress
LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) – England have not won a Six Nations game away to Ireland for 10 years and travel to Dublin on Sunday for a match that will go a long way towards showing where they really stand in the game’s pecking order. Should they produce anything like that 2003 five-try 42-6 thrashing that earned them their last grand slam to date and set them up for their successful assault on the World Cup later that year then coach Stuart Lancaster will be a very contented man having overseen back-to-back wins over Scotland and New Zealand. …
Exclusive: Deutsche Bank suspends traders over Euribor - source
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank has suspended five traders suspected of inapprop riate conduct following an internal investigation into possible manipulation of the Europe Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor), a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The traders, who worked on Deutsche Bank's money market team, were suspended on Tuesday, the source said. Deutsche Bank declined to name the traders, and said that no current or former board members have been implicated. It gave no further details. … U.S. launched drone from secret Saudi base: reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is operating a secret base out of Saudi Arabia and used it to launch a CIA drone strike in 2011 that killed U.S.-born al Qaeda leader Anwar Al Awlaki, according to a media report. The Washington Post, in a report on Wednesday, said the Middle East base was set up two years ago as part of U.S. officials effort to ramp up its search for members of the militant group. Representatives for the CIA declined to comment on the report. …
NHS ravaged by hospital scandal
LONDON (Reuters) – The deaths of hundreds of hospital patients, left without food or water in filthy conditions, exposed an urgent need to change the culture of National H ealth Service (NHS), a report said on Wednesday. Between 400 and 1,200 patients are estimated to have died needlessly at Stafford Hospital in central England between January 2005 and March 2009 in one of the worst scandals to hit the NHS since it was founded in 1948. … C$ seen strengthening in 2013, helped by U.S. recovery: Reuters poll
TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canadian dollar is expected to strengthen over the course of 2013, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday, with forecasters looking past recent dovish central bank comments and focusing on the positive impact of an improving U.S. economy. The median forecast in the poll of 51 economists and foreign exchange strategists saw the commodity-linked Canadian dollar trading at C$0.99 to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0101, in one and three months. It is expected to change hands at C$0.98 in six and 12 months. The forecasts were similar to a month-earlier poll. The currency traded at C$0. …
Violent clashes as India's Modi makes speech to Delhi students
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian protesters clashed with police on Wednesday outside the University of Delhi, where Narendra Modi, a popular but divisive contender to run for prime minister within a year, was making a speech to cheering students. Left-wing student groups waved black flags, shouted “Modi go back” and tussled with police, who swung wooden batons to disperse the crowd of around 200 protesters. The contrasting receptions inside and outside the packed hall highlighted how much the chief minister of Gujarat state polarizes public opinion. …
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