WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional negotiators have hammered out a bipartisan agreement on a spending package to keep the federal government funded through the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, a senior congressional aide said on Sunday.
Read more
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Twenty-First Century Fox in talks with Blackstone to buy Tribune
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc is in talks with Blackstone Group LP about submitting an acquisition offer for Tribune Media Co, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Read more
Read more
U.S. service member killed near Mosul identified as infantry officer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. service member who died when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on patrol outside the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was identified on Sunday as 1st Lieutenant Weston Lee.
Read more
Read more
Trump says China could have hacked Democratic emails
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said China may have hacked the emails of Democratic officials to meddle with the 2016 presidential election, countering the view of U.S. intelligence officials who have said Moscow orchestrated the hacks.
Read more
Read more
Trump could target 'carried interest' tax loophole: official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration's push to overhaul tax laws might soon target a loophole used by some financial managers to lower their tax rates, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said on Sunday.
Read more
Read more
Pope calls for end to violence, respect for human rights, in Venezuela
ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis called on Sunday for the respect of human rights and an end to violence in Venezuela, where nearly 30 people were killed in unrest this month.
Read more
Read more
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Five killed in Texas tornadoes; rains, winds lash US midsection: media
(Reuters) - Tornadoes killed five people east of Dallas in Texas, local media reported on Saturday, as heavy rains and damaging winds struck a broad swath of the U.S. heartland.
Read more
Read more
South Korea says U.S. reaffirms it will pay THAAD costs; joint drills wrap up
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said Washington had reaffirmed it would shoulder the cost of deploying the THAAD anti-missile system, days after U.S. President Donald Trump said Seoul should pay for the $1-billion system designed to defend against nuclear-armed North Korea.
Read more
Read more
Trump celebrates first 100 days as president, blasts media
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hit the road on Saturday to celebrate his first 100 days in the White House with cheering supporters at a campaign-style rally, touting his initial achievements and lashing out at critics who have given his tenure poor marks.
Read more
Read more
Environmental protesters return to Washington as Trump passes milestone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters marched in Washington on a second consecutive Saturday to challenge President Donald Trump's stance on the environment and call on him to stand by policies to stop climate change championed by his predecessor.
Read more
Read more
EU sets Britain tough divorce terms, slams budget veto
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders endorsed stiff divorce terms for Britain on Saturday and warned Britons to have "no illusions" about swiftly securing a new relationship to keep their access to EU markets.
Read more
Read more
'Phased approach': How to read EU Brexit guidelines
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders approved on Saturday guidelines for their chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, setting priorities that the Union of 27 governments staying in the bloc wants to achieve in talks on Britain's withdrawal.
Read more
Read more
French presidential hopeful Le Pen names nationalist as prime minister
PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen on Saturday chose defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister, a bid to attract his voters and help her to victory over centrist favorite Emmanuel Macron.
Read more
Read more
Friday, April 28, 2017
Trump to order a study on abuses of U.S. trade agreements
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Saturday seeking to identify any problems caused by the nation's existing trade agreements, including an examination of U.S. involvement in the World Trade Organization, a top trade official said.
Read more
Read more
In first 100 days, a reversal of fortune for Trump favorites on Wall Street
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A funny thing happened on Wall Street in Donald Trump's first 100 days in the White House: Shares of companies that got closest to the president lagged the market's march higher.
Read more
Read more
North Korea test-fires ballistic missile, appears to have failed: South Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday from a region north of its capital, but it appears to have failed, South Korea's military said, defying intense pressure from the United States and the reclusive state's main ally, China.
Read more
Read more
U.S. says time to act on North Korea, China says not up to Beijing alone
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned on Friday that failure to curb North Korea's nuclear and missile development could lead to 'catastrophic consequences,' while China and Russia cautioned Washington against threatening military force.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.
Read more
Read more
U.S. first-quarter growth weakest in three years as consumer spending falters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew at its weakest pace in three years in the first quarter as consumer spending barely increased and businesses invested less on inventories, in a potential setback to President Donald Trump's promise to boost growth.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: Trump says he thought being president would be easier than his old life
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is.
Read more
Read more
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Exclusive: Trump vows to fix or scrap Korea trade deal, wants missile system payment
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Thursday he will either renegotiate or terminate what he called a "horrible" free trade deal with South Korea and said Seoul should pay for a U.S. anti-missile system that he priced at $1 billion.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: 'If there's a shutdown, there's a shutdown,' Trump says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump downplayed the severity of a potential government shutdown on Thursday, just two days shy of a deadline for Congress to reach a spending deal to avert temporary layoffs of federal workers.
Read more
Read more
Pentagon probes Trump's ex-adviser Flynn over foreign payments
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon inspector general has launched an investigation into whether Michael Flynn, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, accepted money from foreign entities without the required approval, according to a letter released by House Democrats on Thursday.
Read more
Read more
U.S. Senate confirms Acosta to head Labor Department
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - R. Alexander Acosta was confirmed on Thursday by the U.S. Senate to head the Labor Department.
Read more
Read more
U.S. House may vote within days on tighter North Korea sanctions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives could vote as soon as next week on legislation to toughen sanctions on North Korea by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state, congressional aides said on Thursday.
Read more
Read more
Number of U.S. visas to citizens of Trump travel ban nations drops
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States issued about 40 percent fewer temporary visas in March to citizens of seven countries covered by President Donald Trump's temporary travel bans than it did in an average month last year, according to a Reuters analysis of preliminary government data released on Thursday.
Read more
Read more
U.S. FCC chief unveils plan to scrap Obama-era internet rules
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday released a 58-page draft plan to reverse the landmark 2015 "net neutrality" order and disclosed the agency may withdraw "bright line" rules barring internet companies from blocking, throttling or giving "fast lanes" to some websites.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: Taiwan president says phone call with Trump can take place again
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said a direct phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump could take place again and she urged the self-ruled island's political rival China to step up to its global responsibility to keep the peace as a large nation.
Read more
Read more
Trump's plan to slash business taxes seen as 'guidepost' by congressional Republicans
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump unveiled a one-page plan on Wednesday proposing deep U.S. tax cuts, many for businesses, that would make the federal deficit balloon if enacted, drawing a cautious welcome from fiscal conservatives and financial markets.
Read more
Read more
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Israel strikes arms depot near Syrian capital's airport: sources
AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebel and intelligence sources said Israel struck an arms supply hub on Thursday operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah group near Damascus airport where weapons from Tehran are regularly sent by commercial and military cargo planes.
Read more
Read more
South Korea, U.S. warn of punishment for North Korea; U.S. stresses sanctions
SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States agreed on Thursday on "swift punitive measures" against North Korea in the event of more provocation, although the United States signaled sanctions and diplomatic pressure were its priorities for now.
Read more
Read more
U.S. chief justice alarmed at Trump administration immigration case stance
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts took issue on Wednesday with the Trump administration's stance in an immigration case, saying it could make it too easy for the government to strip people of citizenship for lying about minor infractions.
Read more
Read more
U.S. House may consider bill to fund government for a week: source
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representative could move soon to consider a bill to fund the government for a week to avoid a shutdown at midnight on Friday and buy time to strike a deal for a long-term funding plan, a House Republican source said on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
U.S. may need stronger defense against North Korea missiles: admiral
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States may need to strengthen its missile defenses, particularly in Hawaii, given the advancing threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs, the top U.S. commander in the Pacific told Congress on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
White House readies order to quit NAFTA: administration official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A draft executive order to withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement is under consideration, a senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday, confirming an earlier report from Politico.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: A New York hotel deal shows how some public pension funds help to enrich Trump
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Public pension funds in at least seven U.S. states have invested millions of dollars in an investment fund that owns a New York hotel and pays one of President Donald Trump's companies to run it, according to a Reuters review of public records. That arrangement could put Trump at risk of violating an obscure constitutional clause, some legal experts say.
Read more
Read more
Russia says U.S. missile strike on Syria was a threat to its forces
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu complained on Wednesday that a U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base earlier this month had posed a threat to Russian troops and was forcing Moscow to take extra measures to protect them.
Read more
Read more
Trump slams federal court ruling on funding for 'sanctuary cities'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked a federal judge's ruling that blocked his executive order seeking to withhold funds from "sanctuary cities" for illegal immigrants, vowing to appeal it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read more
Read more
Trump tax plan slashing business rates to test support in Congress
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will release a tax plan on Wednesday proposing some deep rate cuts, mostly for businesses, including a slashed corporate income tax rate and steeply discounted tax rate for overseas corporate profits brought into the United States, officials said.
Read more
Read more
Congress moves closer to deal to avert U.S. government shutdown
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress was moving closer to crafting a deal to avoid shutting down at the stroke of midnight on Friday, but the details and even broad strokes of an agreement were still murky.
Read more
Read more
Le Pen not an option as French far-left polls members on election round two
PARIS (Reuters) - Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far left candidate who came fourth in the first round of France's presidential election with nearly 20 percent of the vote, is polling core supporters on whether they will back centrist Emmanuel Macron in the second round.
Read more
Read more
French intelligence report says Assad forces behind April 4 sarin attack
PARIS (Reuters) - French intelligence services have concluded that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on April 4 in northern Syria and that Assad or his closest entourage ordered the strike, a declassified report showed.
Read more
Read more
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Trump tax plan will sharply slash corporate tax rates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday will propose slashing corporate income tax rates and steeply discounting the tax rate on overseas corporate profits brought into the United States in a broad blueprint outlining his administration's tax principles, officials said.
Read more
Read more
U.S. judge blocks Trump order to restrict funding for 'sanctuary cities'
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to withhold federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities, dealing another legal blow to the administration's efforts to toughen immigration enforcement.
Read more
Read more
U.S. military begins moving THAAD missile defense to South Korea site: media
SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. military has started moving parts of the controversial THAAD anti-missile defense system into a planned deployment site in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, amid high tensions over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.
Read more
Read more
U.S. FCC to launch 'comprehensive review' of media regulations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday said the top U.S. telecommunications regulator will launch a "comprehensive review" of regulations that restrict consolidation among media companies, potentially opening the door to a new wave of deals among broadcasters and newspapers.
Read more
Read more
Wells Fargo board gets black eye in shareholder vote
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla./BOSTON (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co shareholders showed displeasure with the scandal-hit bank's board on Tuesday, offering scant support for a dozen directors, including Chairman Stephen Sanger, in a vote capping a contentious annual meeting.
Read more
Read more
U.S. government shutdown threat recedes after Trump's wall concession
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The threat of a U.S. government shutdown this weekend appeared to recede on Tuesday after President Donald Trump backed away from a demand that Congress include funding for his planned border wall with Mexico in a spending bill.
Read more
Read more
Trudeau vows to defend Canada interests as U.S. targets lumber
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to stand up for Canadian interests on Tuesday after the U.S. imposed new tariffs on softwood lumber and trade tensions between the two countries escalated, sending the Canadian dollar to a 14-month low.
Read more
Read more
Le Pen's father criticizes her presidential campaign as she steps back from party
PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen said on Tuesday his daughter Marine, who faces centrist Emmanuel Macron in a May 7 presidential runoff, should have campaigned more aggressively for Sunday's first round, following the example of Donald Trump.
Read more
Read more
Government costs could rise $2.3 billion without Obamacare payments: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government's costs could increase by $2.3 billion in 2018 if Congress and President Donald Trump decide not to fund Obamacare-related payments to health insurers, according to a study released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Read more
Read more
Monday, April 24, 2017
U.S. judge temporarily halts second Arkansas execution
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - A U.S. judge temporarily halted the second of Arkansas' two planned executions late on Monday, approximately an hour after the first inmate was put to death.
Read more
Read more
Trump tax push raises questions about scope of his 'reform'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's zeal to unveil a tax plan before his 100th day in office is raising questions about just how thorough his "tax reform" plans will be, amid signals that his focus for now is on slashing tax rates.
Read more
Read more
U.S. sanctions hundreds of employees of Syrian research center
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday blacklisted 271 employees of a Syrian government agency it said was responsible for developing chemical weapons, weeks after a poison gas attack killed scores of people in a rebel-held province in Syria.
Read more
Read more
Congress returns as Trump pressures Democrats ahead of funding deadline
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a deadline looming this week to avert a U.S. government shutdown, Congress returns to work on Monday as President Donald Trump leans on Democrats to include funding for his promised border wall with Mexico in spending legislation.
Read more
Read more
Gloves off in French election as Le Pen aide calls Macron 'arrogant'
PARIS (Reuters) - Round two of the bitter fight for the French presidency got under way on Monday within hours of first round results with far-right leader Marine Le Pen's top aide launching a stinging attack on her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron.
Read more
Read more
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Carrier group heads for Korean waters as Trump calls leaders
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday it was in talks about holding joint drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, as U.S. President Donald Trump called the leaders of Japan and China amid fears North Korea could conduct another nuclear test.
Read more
Read more
BD to acquire Bard in $24 billion medical tech deal
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Becton Dickinson and Co will acquire C R Bard Inc in a $24 billion deal that will give shareholders of the target about 15 percent of the combined entity, the two medical technology companies said on Sunday.
Read more
Read more
Trump pressures Democrats on Obamacare to get border wall deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on congressional efforts to avoid a government shutdown, telling Democrats on Sunday that Obamacare will die without a cash infusion the White House has offered in exchange for their agreement to fund his border wall.
Read more
Read more
Delays dog 'shovel ready' projects in Trump's infrastructure plan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump reassured manufacturers gathered in the White House Roosevelt room on March 31 that a massive infrastructure program was coming soon.
Read more
Read more
Sweet home Chicago: Obama re-emerges in city where it all began
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday makes his first major appearance since leaving office, having chosen Chicago, the city where his political career started, to emerge from a three-month hiatus from the public eye.
Read more
Read more
Saturday, April 22, 2017
North Korea detains third U.S. citizen: Yonhap
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Friday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, bringing the total number of Americans held by the isolated country to three.
Read more
Read more
Japanese ships join U.S. carrier for drills as it nears Korean waters
TOKYO (Reuters) - Two Japanese destroyers on Sunday began an exercise with the U.S. Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the Western Pacific as it approaches waters around the Korean peninsula, Japan's navy said.
Read more
Read more
Trump's 'big announcement' on tax to be broad principles: official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's promised "big announcement" next week on overhauling the U.S. tax code, a top campaign pledge, will consist of "broad principles and priorities," an administration official said on Saturday.
Read more
Read more
March for Science draws big crowds across U.S.
WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Thousands of people turned out in cities across the United States and beyond on Saturday for Earth Day events billed as a "celebration of science" to counter what organizers say is a growing disregard for evidence-based knowledge in Washington.
Read more
Read more
IMF members set aside trade split as French vote rattles nerves
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund members on Saturday dropped a pledge to fight protectionism amid a split over trade policy and turned their attention to another looming threat to global economic integration: the first round of France's presidential election.
Read more
Read more
Japan's Aso pushes back on U.S. call for scrutiny of currency moves
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Saturday trade imbalances cannot be fixed through exchange-rate adjustments alone, pushing back against Washington's calls to have more rigorous IMF scrutiny of currency moves.
Read more
Read more
IMF members delete anti-protectionism pledge, keep currency commitments
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Member countries of the International Monetary Fund on Saturday pledged to work to reduce global imbalances but failed to repeat their past pledge to resist all forms of protectionism.
Read more
Read more
Overseas voters kick off crucial French presidential election
PARIS/PAPEETE, French Polynesia (Reuters) - French overseas territories and French residents in the United States and Canada began voting on Saturday in France's presidential election, a day before the main first-round of a poll that could change the global political landscape.
Read more
Read more
Mourning declared after scores of troops die in Afghan base attack
MAZAR-I-SHARIF/KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - President Ashraf Ghani declared a national day of mourning after scores of soldiers were killed by Taliban fighters disguised as fellow soldiers, in the deadliest attack of its kind on an Afghan military base.
Read more
Read more
American Airlines' employee suspended after row with passengers
(Reuters) - American Airlines has suspended an employee after a video showed an altercation on one of its planes involving crew, several passengers and a crying woman carrying a young child.
Read more
Read more
Hundreds more join Mosul exodus as Iraqi forces retake two more western districts
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Pushing carts loaded with bags, babies and the elderly, hundreds of people fled Mosul on Saturday after Iraqi forces retook two more districts in the west of the city from Islamic State.
Read more
Read more
U.S. spacecraft to take slingshot dive inside Saturn’s rings
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - NASA's Cassini spacecraft soared past Saturn's biggest moon for the last time on Saturday, tapping its gravity to slingshot into a series of exploratory dives inside the planet's rings, followed by a final fatal plunge into the gas giant.
Read more
Read more
Trump warming to EU trade deal with Britain behind in queue: Times
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States could strike a free-trade agreement with the European Union after President Donald Trump warmed to a deal with the bloc, the Times reported on Saturday, quoting sources from both sides of the discussion.
Read more
Read more
Peaceful outcome for Korean peninsula still possible: Pence
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula can still be achieved peacefully because of Washington's new engagement with China, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday, despite growing fears North Korea could soon conduct a new nuclear test.
Read more
Read more
Friday, April 21, 2017
U.S. states realign in legal battle over Trump's travel ban
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens of six Muslim-majority nations faces its second challenge at a U.S. appeals court next month, and this time more Republican states are backing the measure, while one Democratic state attorney general dropped out of the legal fight this week.
Read more
Read more
Uphill battle looms as Trump seeks revamped healthcare plan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, striving to make good on a top campaign promise, is pushing his fellow Republicans who control Congress to pass revamped healthcare legislation but the same intraparty squabbling that torpedoed it last month could do it again.
Read more
Read more
Power restored to most San Francisco customers: PG&E
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fewer that 3,000 customers remained without electricity in San Francisco on Friday after a fire in a utility substation earlier in the day knocked out power for much of the city, according to PG&E.
Read more
Read more
San Francisco power outage hits 90,000, business district affected
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A power outage hit about 90,000 people on Friday morning in San Francisco, closing shops and snarling traffic in the city's technology and finance center as a large swath of the financial district lost electricity.
Read more
Read more
U.S. forces kill Islamic State militant linked to Turkey nightclub attack
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States disclosed on Friday a secret military ground operation that killed an Islamic State operative seen as a close associate of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and linked to an attack on a Turkish nightclub that left 39 people dead.
Read more
Read more
U.S. Treasury says it will not issue drilling waivers to Russia sanctions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury will not give permission to U.S. companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp, to drill in areas prohibited by U.S. sanctions on Russia, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday.
Read more
Read more
Ex-NFL star Hernandez's family wants death scene evidence preserved
(Reuters) - The family of former National Football League star Aaron Hernandez will ask a judge on Friday to order prison officials to preserve evidence collected after he was found dead in his cell on Wednesday from an apparent suicide.
Read more
Read more
Attack overshadows last campaign day in French election first round
PARIS (Reuters) - The killing overnight of a policeman in an Islamist militant attack overshadowed the last day of France's unpredictable presidential election campaign on Friday as centrist Emmanuel Macron held onto his status as frontrunner in the polls.
Read more
Read more
Thursday, April 20, 2017
U.S. judicial panel finds Texas hurt Latino vote with redrawn boundaries
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - A special federal judicial panel ruled for the second time in two months on Thursday that the Republican-led Texas Legislature deliberately redrew political boundaries so as to unfairly diminish voter clout of the state's growing Latino population.
Read more
Read more
South Korea on heightened alert as isolated North readies for army celebration
SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.
Read more
Read more
Chaffetz may not finish term, Utah prepares special election: WSJ
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee, said on Thursday he has not ruled out leaving before his term finishes, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Read more
Read more
Trump launches trade probe targeting Chinese steel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump launched an investigation on Thursday to determine whether Chinese and other foreign-made steel threatens U.S. national security, raising the possibility of new tariffs and triggering a rally in U.S. steel stocks.
Read more
Read more
General Motors says Venezuela illegally seizes auto plant
CARACAS (Reuters) - General Motors said on Wednesday that Venezuelan authorities had illegally seized its plant in the industrial hub of Valencia and vowed to "take all legal actions" to defend its rights.
Read more
Read more
Trump to attend three Asian summits in November: Pence
JAKARTA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will attend three summits in Asia in November, Vice President Mike Pence said in Jakarta during a visit to the headquarters of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday.
Read more
Read more
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Exclusive: Buffett likely voted shares to back Wells Fargo board
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett supports Wells Fargo & Co's management and board of directors, and has likely already voted shares owned by him and his conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway Inc , in line with the bank's official suggestions, a representative told Reuters.
Read more
Read more
North Korea says 'don't mess with us' as U.S. plans next move
SEOUL (Reuters) - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States was looking at ways to pressure North Korea over its nuclear program as North Korean state media warned the Americans of a "super-mighty preemptive strike" and said don't "mess with us".
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election - documents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.
Read more
Read more
Tillerson accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations' as U.S. reviews policy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of 'alarming ongoing provocations' to destabilize countries in the Middle East as the Trump administration launched a review of its policy toward Tehran.
Read more
Read more
Bill O'Reilly out at Fox following harassment allegations
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc has parted ways with star cable news host Bill O'Reilly following allegations of sexual harassment, the company said on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
U.S. must keep military options open on North Korea: House speaker Ryan
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States must keep military options on the table when it comes to North Korea, but it does not want to use them unless it has to, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said during a visit to Britain on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
Former NFL star Hernandez hangs self in jail cell: officials
BOSTON (Reuters) - Former New England Patriots football star Aaron Hernandez hanged himself in the jail cell where he was serving a life sentence for murder, just days after being acquitted of a second murder charge, state prison officials said on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
As Trump warned North Korea, his 'armada' was headed toward Australia
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump boasted early last week that he had sent an "armada" as a warning to North Korea, the aircraft carrier strike group he spoke of was still far from the Korean peninsula, and headed in the opposite direction.
Read more
Read more
Trump orders review of lifting sanctions against Iran: Tillerson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal was in the United States' national security interests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.
Read more
Read more
Democrats hope to strike blow at Trump in Georgia congressional race
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Reuters) - U.S. Democrats hope frustration with President Donald Trump will give them a surprise victory on Tuesday in an election to fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades.
Read more
Read more
Three killed in Fresno, California, shooting spree, suspect arrested
(Reuters) - A gunman with an apparent dislike of white people and government killed three people in downtown Fresno, California, on Tuesday, before he was taken into custody while shouting "Allahu Akhbar," police said.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: Asylum applications in Mexico surge after Trump election win
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The number of people applying for asylum in Mexico has soared by more than 150 percent since Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, according to Mexican data, as more Central American migrants seek to stay rather than take their chances in the United States.
Read more
Read more
British PM May calls for early election to strengthen Brexit hand
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by bolstering support for her Brexit plan.
Read more
Read more
Pence reassures Japan of U.S. resolve on North Korea, to work with China
TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reassured Japan of American commitment to reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions on Tuesday, after warning that U.S. strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the strength of its resolve.
Read more
Read more
Facebook murder suspect remains at large as police ask public for help
(Reuters) - A murder suspect who police said posted a video of himself on Facebook shooting an elderly man in Cleveland remained on the loose on Tuesday as authorities appealed to the public for help in the case.
Read more
Read more
U.S. business group urges Washington to 'use every arrow' against China
BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should "use every arrow" in its quiver to ensure a level commercial playing field in China, a U.S. business lobby said on Tuesday, warning that 2017 could be the toughest year in decades for American firms in the country.
Read more
Read more
Monday, April 17, 2017
Pence to seek market access, investment, in Japan talks
SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will meet Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday, kicking off talks in Tokyo the White House hopes will open doors for U.S.-made products and attract Japanese infrastructure investment in the United States.
Read more
Read more
Pence says South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement to be reviewed, reformed
SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told business leaders in Seoul on Tuesday that the Trump administration will review and reform the five-year-old free trade agreement between the two countries.
Read more
Read more
Trump to seek changes in visa program to encourage hiring Americans
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order directing federal agencies to recommend changes to a temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs.
Read more
Read more
Arkansas court halts two executions; U.S. court OKs others
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - Arkansas' Supreme Court halted two executions hours before they were scheduled to take place on Monday, while a federal appeals court allowed a plan by the state that originally called for a record eight executions over 11 days in April.
Read more
Read more
Triumphant Erdogan swats away Western criticism of referendum
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A defiant Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced the West's "crusader mentality" on Monday after European monitors criticized a referendum in which he won sweeping new powers.
Read more
Read more
U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis to talk Islamic State, Syria in Middle East
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On his first trip as U.S defense secretary to parts of the Middle East and Africa, Jim Mattis will focus on the fight against Islamic State and articulating President Donald Trump's policy toward Syria, officials and experts say.His trip may give clarity to adversaries and allies alike about the Trump administration's tactics in the fight against Islamic State militants and its willingness to use military power more liberally than former President Barack Obama did.
Read more
Read more
Mnuchin warns of tax reform delay following healthcare setback: FT
(Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration's timetable for tax reform is set to falter following setbacks in negotiations with Congress over healthcare, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
Read more
Read more
Syrian envoy slams U.S. airfield attack 'message' to North Korea
PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced what he called U.S. aggression and its "history of interventions" on Monday and said that it sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.
Read more
Read more
Sunday, April 16, 2017
China first-quarter GDP grows faster than expected 6.9 percent, steel output hits record
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's economy grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, slightly faster than expected, supported by a government infrastructure spending spree and a frenzied housing market that is showing signs of overheating.
Read more
Read more
Cleveland police seek man they say broadcast killing on Facebook
(Reuters) - Cleveland police urged a suspect who they said broadcast video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man on Sunday to turn himself in to authorities.
Read more
Read more
Pence arrives at U.S. base in South Korea next to DMZ border with North
CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived by helicopter on Monday at a U.S. military base in South Korea next to the highly fortified DMZ border with North Korea, a day after the North launched a missile that blew up almost immediately.
Read more
Read more
Wall Street banker Cohn moving Trump toward moderate policies
WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - In a White House marked by infighting, top economic aide Gary Cohn, a Democrat and former Goldman Sachs banker, is muscling aside some of President Donald Trump's hard-right advisers to push more moderate, business-friendly economic policies.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: Anbang's Fidelity & Guaranty acquisition set to fall through - sources
(Reuters) - China's Anbang Insurance Group will let its agreement to acquire U.S. annuities and life insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL) for $1.6 billion lapse, after failing to secure all the necessary regulatory approvals, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
Read more
Read more
In Afghanistan, Trump aide promises coordinated response to enemies
KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser met Afghan officials in Kabul on Sunday and said the new administration was weighing diplomatic, military and economic responses to its Taliban and Islamic State enemies in Afghanistan.
Read more
Read more
U.S., allies weigh options after North Korea's missile test: adviser
WASHINGTON/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest attempted ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.
Read more
Read more
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Hacker documents show NSA tools for breaching global money transfer system
HONG KONG/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Documents and computer files released by hackers provide a blueprint for how the U.S. National Security Agency likely used weaknesses in commercially available software to gain access to the global system for transferring money between banks, a review of the data showed.
Read more
Read more
Right, left-wing protesters clash in Berkeley, California park
BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuters) - Right and left-wing protesters clashed on Saturday at a park in downtown Berkeley, California, exchanging blows and throwing bottles and cans as police in riot gear sought to separate the two camps, using explosive devices at one point.
Read more
Read more
Protesters to take to streets to demand Trump release tax returns
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across the United States and beyond on Saturday to press President Donald Trump to release his tax returns and to dispute his claim that the public does not care about the issue.
Read more
Read more
Erdogan makes final push before vote on presidential powers
ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan appealed for support from Turkish voters in final campaign rallies on Saturday, the eve of a referendum which could tighten his grip over a country bridging the European Union and a conflict-strewn Middle East.
Read more
Read more
Blast hits Syrian bus convoy near Aleppo: state media, monitors
BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion near a bus convoy waiting to enter the Syrian city of Aleppo killed or wounded several people on Saturday, pro-government media outlets, pro-opposition activists and a monitor reported.
Read more
Read more
Arkansas encounters two new legal hurdles in execution plans
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - The state of Arkansas on Friday ran into a pair of new legal obstacles to its plan to carry out lethal injections on seven murderers in an unprecedented series of executions before the end of the month.
Read more
Read more
Friday, April 14, 2017
'Right time' to use huge bomb in Afghanistan: U.S. general
ACHIN, Afghanistan/KABUL (Reuters) - The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said on Friday that the decision to deploy one of the largest conventional bombs ever used in combat was purely tactical, and made as part of the campaign against Islamic State-linked fighters.
Read more
Read more
Apple receives permit in California to test self-driving cars: DMV
(Reuters) - Apple Inc has secured a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California, the state Department of Motor Vehicles said on Friday.
Read more
Read more
Rain in Pyongyang as North Koreans prepare for 'Day of the Sun'
PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Koreans placed flower baskets and bouquets below portraits of founder president Kim Il Sung on Friday, showing little sign of tension despite fears the reclusive nation may conduct a nuclear test and the United States would retaliate.
Read more
Read more
U.S. business wary of skin-deep results from Trump-Xi trade talks
BEIJING (Reuters) - The 100-day trade talks announced after a Sino-American presidential summit last week will aim to deal with decades of thorny trade issues, leaving some U.S. business leaders wary that the short timeline might yield superficial results.
Read more
Read more
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Trump administration issues final rule on stricter Obamacare enrollment
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Thursday issued a final rule that will shorten the Obamacare enrollment period and give insurers more of what they say they need in the individual insurance market, likely making it harder for some consumers to purchase insurance, healthcare experts said.
Read more
Read more
Four shot at Atlanta rail station, suspect held: transit authority
(Reuters) - Four people were shot on Thursday at an Atlanta rail station and a suspect was in custody, the city's transit authority said.
Read more
Read more
Detroit doctor charged with female genital mutilation of seven-year-olds
(Reuters) - U.S. authorities have charged a Detroit doctor with performing genital mutilation on 7-year-old girls in what is believed to be the first case brought under a law prohibiting the procedure.
Read more
Read more
Trump signs resolution allowing U.S. states to block family planning funds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a resolution that will allow U.S. states to restrict how federal funds for contraception and reproductive health are spent, a move cheered by anti-abortion campaigners.
Read more
Read more
Separate mothers and children: How a Trump threat deterred illegal migrants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has won the first major battle in his war on illegal immigration, and he did it without building his wall.
Read more
Read more
Ballooning bills: More U.S. hospitals pushing patients to pay before care
(Reuters) - Last year, the Henry County Health Center in Iowa started providing patients with a cost estimate along with pre-surgery medical advice.
Read more
Read more
Improperly stored raw meat among violations found at Trump's Mar-a-Lago
(Reuters) - Restaurant inspectors found 13 violations at Mar-a-Lago, the exclusive Florida resort owned by President Donald Trump, the Miami Herald reported.
Read more
Read more
U.S.-led coalition mistakenly kills 18 militia allies in Syria, says Pentagon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S.-led air strike mistakenly killed 18 members of a Kurdish and Arab militia backed by Washington south of the Syrian city of Tabqa, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Read more
Read more
Wells Fargo's profit flat, mortgage banking revenue down
(Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co, which has been mired in litigations stemming from a sales scandal, posted a nearly flat first-quarter profit, hurt by lower mortgage banking revenue and higher expenses.
Read more
Read more
Citi profit beats estimates as fixed-income trading jumps
(Reuters) - Citigroup Inc reported a better-than-expected 17 percent jump in quarterly profit, boosted by strong fixed-income trading as clients adjusted their positions following rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and changes in the forex and credit markets.
Read more
Read more
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
In abrupt shift, Trump warms to China and NATO, sours on Russia
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After less than three months in office, President Donald Trump has abruptly shifted his stance on an array of foreign policy issues from the U.S. relationship with Russia and China to the value of the NATO alliance.
Read more
Read more
Foreign journalists in North Korea gather for 'big event' amid tensions
PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Foreign journalists visiting North Korea gathered in Pyongyang for "a big and important event" on Thursday with tensions high over the possibility of a new weapons test by the isolated state and as a U.S. carrier group sails towards the Korean peninsula.
Read more
Read more
Russia blocks U.N. Security Council condemnation of Syria attack
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia blocked a Western-led effort at the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to condemn last week's deadly gas attack in Syria and push Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate with international inquiries into the incident.
Read more
Read more
Trump won't rule out second Yellen term, signaling drift to the mainstream
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump signaled on Wednesday he could be moving closer to the mainstream on monetary policy, saying he had not ruled out reappointment of Janet Yellen to a new four-year term as Fed chair as he considers his choices for the central bank.
Read more
Read more
U.S. tax reform debate moves away from Ryan blueprint
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan's tax reform blueprint appears to be losing its status as the likely framework for the first major tax overhaul since 1986, with rival approaches emerging from the White House, Senate and other quarters in Congress.
Read more
Read more
Trump says dollar 'getting too strong': Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the dollar was "getting too strong" and would eventually hurt the U.S. economy, even as he said he would like to see interest rates stay low, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Read more
Read more
United won't use police to remove overbooked passengers - CEO
NEW YORK (Reuters) - United Airlines will no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights after global outrage erupted over a video showing a passenger dragged from one of its planes in Chicago.
Read more
Read more
Putin says trust erodes under Trump, Moscow icily receives Tillerson
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday trust had eroded between the United States and Russia under President Donald Trump, as Moscow delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over Syria.
Read more
Read more
Putin says U.S.-Russia ties worse since Trump took office
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Levels of trust between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
Israeli cabinet minister welcomes Spicer's apology over Hitler remarks
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior member of Israel's government welcomed on Wednesday White House spokesman Sean Spicer's apology for saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons, comments that overlooked the killing of millions of Jews in Nazi gas chambers.
Read more
Read more
Oil prices rise on potential extension of output cuts
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Wednesday, putting crude futures on track for their longest streak of gains since August 2016, as Saudi Arabia was reported to be lobbying OPEC and other producers to extend a production cut beyond the first half of 2017.
Read more
Read more
China's Xi calls for peaceful resolution of North Korea tensions in call with Trump
BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful resolution of rising tensions on the Korean peninsula in a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steams towards the region.
Read more
Read more
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
White House accuses Russia of Syria chemical attack 'cover up'
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration accused Russia on Tuesday of trying to shield Syria's government from blame for a deadly gas attack, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brought a Western message to Moscow condemning its support for President Bashar al-Assad.
Read more
Read more
North Korea warns of nuclear strike if provoked; Trump 'armada' steams on
PYONGYANG/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korean state media warned on Tuesday of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression, as a U.S. Navy strike group steamed toward the western Pacific - a force U.S. President Donald Trump described as an "armada".
Read more
Read more
Democrats face uphill fight if Trump gets second U.S. high court pick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If Democrats thought it was hard to stop President Donald Trump's first U.S. Supreme Court nominee, it promises to be even tougher for them if he gets to fill another vacancy, potentially to replace the most influential justice, Anthony Kennedy.
Read more
Read more
U.S.-Russia tensions over Syria will not 'spiral out of control': Mattis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tensions between the United States and Russia will not "spiral out of control" following last week's U.S. cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday, describing it as a one-off response to Syria's use of banned chemical weapons.
Read more
Read more
Trump spokesman sparks outcry by comparing Assad to Hitler
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House spokesman Sean Spicer triggered an uproar on social media on Tuesday by saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons, which critics said overlooked the fact that millions of Jews were killed in Nazi gas chambers.
Read more
Read more
Sessions visits U.S.-Mexico border to push migrant crackdown
Nogales, Ariz. (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday to make his case for increased prosecutions of illegal immigrants.
Read more
Read more
Exclusive: OPEC figures show oil output cuts exceed pledge in March - sources
DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC states cut oil output in March by more than they pledged under supply curbs, according to figures the exporter group uses to monitor its supply, extending a record of higher-than-expected adherence to its first production cut in eight years.
Read more
Read more
China will get better U.S. trade deal if it solves North Korea problem: Trump
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had told China's President Xi Jinping at a summit last week that Beijing would get a better trade deal with Washington if it helped solve the U.S. problem with North Korea.
Read more
Read more
Monitor says Syrian forces use barrel bombs despite U.S. warning, Syria denies
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian government warplanes dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held areas of Hama province on Tuesday, a day after the United States said their use could lead to further U.S. strikes in Syria.
Read more
Read more
Main suspect in Stockholm truck attack admits to terrorist crime - lawyer
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Rakhmat Akilov, the main suspect in the truck attack in Stockholm that killed four people and injured 15, has admitted to committing a terrorist crime, his lawyer told a court on Tuesday.
Read more
Read more
Monday, April 10, 2017
Alabama governor, facing possible impeachment, to resign: lawmaker
(Reuters) - Alabama Governor Robert Bentley will resign later on Monday, as a state legislative committee began hearings that could have led to his impeachment on allegations stemming from his relationship with a former adviser, a state representative said.
Read more
Read more
U.S. bolsters protection of forces in Syria as tensions climb
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has made slight adjustments to its military activities in Syria to strengthen protection of American forces following cruise missile strikes last week on a Syrian air base that heightened tensions, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.
Read more
Read more
At least four people shot at California elementary school: police
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - At least four people were hit by gunfire in a classroom shooting on Monday at a Southern California elementary school, police and fire officials said, and a local NBC News television affiliate reported two fatalities.
Read more
Read more
Russia's Foreign Ministry says U.S. strike on Syria an aggressive act
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that the missile strike on Syria carried out by the United States was a aggressive act against a sovereign state and violated international law.
Read more
Read more
Families gather after Egypt church attack, state of emergency approved
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Families of victims of Sunday's bombing at Alexandria's Coptic cathedral gathered at the Monastery of Saint Mina under heavy security on Monday as Egypt's cabinet approved a three-month state of emergency ahead of a scheduled trip by Pope Francis.
Read more
Read more
Trump considers trade order that could lead to duties: official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is considering an executive order to launch a trade investigation that could lead to supplemental duties in certain product categories, a Trump administration official told Reuters.
Read more
Read more
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Exclusive - 'Dollars and euros': How a Malaysian firm helped fund North Korea's leadership
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Over the past two decades, North Korean-born Han Hun Il, the founding chief executive of a Malaysian conglomerate, funneled money to the leadership in Pyongyang, a North Korean defector, speaking out for the first time, told Reuters.
Read more
Read more
Palm Sunday bombings of Egyptian Coptic churches kill 44
TANTA,Egypt/CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 44 people were killed in Egypt in bomb attacks at the cathedral of the Coptic Pope and another church on Palm Sunday, prompting anger and fear among Christians and leading to troop deployments and the declaration of a three-month state of emergency.
Read more
Read more
U.S. officials say Russian inaction enabled Syria chemical attack
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trump administration officials on Sunday blamed Russian inaction for enabling a deadly poison gas attack against Syrian civilians last week as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson prepared to explain to Moscow a U.S. retaliatory missile strike.
Read more
Read more
Russia's Lavrov and U.S. Tillerson spoke by phone about situation in Syria
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by phone on Saturday about the situation in Syria after the U.S. strikes on a Syrian air base, the Russian ministry said in a statement.
Read more
Read more
Tillerson cites Russian inaction as helping to fuel Syrian poison gas attack
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday blamed Russia's inaction for helping fuel a deadly poison gas attack against Syrian civilians last week, saying Moscow failed to carry out a 2013 agreement to secure and destroy chemical weapons in Syria.
Read more
Read more
Iran's Rouhani calls Assad to stress backing for Syrian state
BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani stressed Iran's support for the Syrian state in "its war against terrorism" during a call with his counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, condemning a U.S. missile strike on Syria as a violation of its sovereignty.
Read more
Read more
In Georgia, a Democrat's 'Make Trump Furious' campaign rattles Republicans
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Reuters) - After the crushing electoral losses that swept Donald Trump into the White House and sealed Republican control of the U.S. Congress, the Democrats' road to recovery winds through the leafy, well-heeled suburbs of north Atlanta.
Read more
Read more
U.S. Navy strike group to move toward Korean peninsula: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula as a show of force, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program.
Read more
Read more
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Trump's U.N. envoy says ouster of al-Assad is a priority of U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration's priorities in the country wracked by civil war.
Read more
Read more
Feuding Trump aides meet and agree to end 'palace intrigue': source
PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top White House aides Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner met and agreed to "bury the hatchet" over their differences, a senior administration official said on Saturday, in a bid to stop infighting that has distracted from President Donald Trump's message.
Read more
Read more
North Korea calls U.S. strikes on Syria 'unforgivable'
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian airfield on Friday were "an unforgivable act of aggression" that showed its decision to develop nuclear weapons was "the right choice a million times over".
Read more
Read more
Iran's Rouhani wants chemical attack in Syria investigated
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for an impartial probe of this week's suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria and warned that U.S. missile strikes in response risked escalating extremism in the region.
Read more
Read more
Friday, April 7, 2017
Three killed by truck driven into crowd in Swedish capital: police
STOCKHOLM(Reuters) - A truck drove into a crowd on a shopping street and crashed into a department store in central Stockholm on Friday, killing three people and wounding eight in what the prime minister said appeared to be a terrorist attack.
Read more
Read more
In big win for Trump, Senate approves his conservative court pick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led Senate on Friday gave Donald Trump the biggest triumph of his young presidency, confirming his Supreme Court nominee over stout Democratic opposition and restoring a conservative majority on the highest U.S. judicial body.
Read more
Read more
U.S. job growth slows sharply, unemployment rate falls to 4.5 percent
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. employers added the fewest number of workers in 10 months in March, but a drop in the unemployment rate to a near 10-year low of 4.5 percent pointed to a labor market that continues to tighten.
Read more
Read more
In abrupt shift on Syria, Trump turns to military advisers
WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH (Reuters) - Hours after a poison gas attack in Syria killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday, President Donald Trump's intelligence advisers provided evidence Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was behind the atrocity, officials said.
Read more
Read more
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Trump, China's Xi dine ahead of talks on security, trade
PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down together to dine on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak on Thursday, spending some social time before digging into thorny bilateral security and trade issues.
Read more
Read more
Stocks skid, safe-haven assets jump as U.S. missiles strike Syria
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Safe-haven bonds and the yen jumped in Asia on Friday, while stocks fell after the United States launched cruise missiles against an air base in Syria, raising the risk of confrontation with Syrian backers Russia and Iran.
Read more
Read more
Trump says 'something should happen' with Assad as U.S. weighs military options
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that "something should happen" with President Bashar al-Assad after a deadly poison gas attack in Syria, as the Pentagon and the White House launched detailed discussions on military options.
Read more
Read more
Is the sky blue? Depends on what Donald Trump says
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans generally agree that politicians should not enrich themselves while running the country. Yet most think it is okay for President Donald Trump to do so.
Read more
Read more
Senate fails to end Democratic blockade of Trump high court pick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans failed on Thursday to end a Democratic bid to block a U.S. Senate confirmation vote on President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nomination but were poised to quickly resort to a rule change dubbed the "nuclear option" to allow approval of Neil Gorsuch a day later.
Read more
Read more
Nunes temporarily steps down from House probe on Russia: statement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chairman of the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, said on Thursday that he was temporarily stepping down as head of the panel's investigation into Russia, citing what he said were "entirely false" accusations filed against him with the Office Of Congressional Ethics.
Read more
Read more
House Freedom Caucus signals support for healthcare bill with changes
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The majority of House Freedom Caucus members will vote for a Republican healthcare bill if changes offered by the White House are included in the legislation, the head of the conservative group of House Republicans said on Thursday.
Read more
Read more
Russian police find explosives similar to device used by suicide bomber
ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Russian authorities raided a residential building in St Petersburg on Thursday and found explosives similar to those used by a suicide bomber who this week blew up a metro carriage killing 14 people, two security sources said.
Read more
Read more
'Nuclear option' fallout? More extreme U.S. justices, experts say
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican-backed Senate rule change expected on Thursday could make it more likely that presidents will pick ideologically extreme U.S. Supreme Court nominees with little incentive to choose centrist justices, experts said.
Read more
Read more
Is North Korea putting nuclear-tipped bargaining chip on table
SEOUL (Reuters) - As the leaders of China and the United States sit down for a summit on Thursday, North Korea has made sure it also has something on the negotiating table: A nuclear-tipped bargaining chip.
Read more
Read more
Australian regulator sues Apple alleging iPhone 'bricking'
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's consumer watchdog has sued Apple Inc alleging it used a software update to disable iPhones which had cracked screens fixed by third parties.
Read more
Read more
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
House will not reach healthcare deal before two-week break
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deep divisions cut short Republican hopes for a quick revival of Obamacare replacement legislation on Wednesday, as Congress prepared to leave town for a two-week recess without a deal to end party infighting.
Read more
Read more
Trump drops Steve Bannon from National Security Council
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council on Wednesday, reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security discussions.
Read more
Read more
U.S. companies hire most workers in over two years: ADP
(Reuters) - U.S. companies added 263,000 workers in March, the most since December 2014, suggesting further tightening of the labor market, payrolls processor ADP said on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
EU lawmakers adopt Brexit resolution, reject pro-Gibraltar hint
STRASBOURG (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers adopted a resolution on Wednesday setting their red lines for the two-year divorce talks with Britain and rejected attempts by British MEPs to recognize Gibraltar's pro-EU stance in the Brexit referendum.
Read more
Read more
U.S. court rules 1964 civil rights law protects LGBT workers from bias
(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court, for the first time ever, on Tuesday ruled that federal civil rights law protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Read more
Read more
Islamic State kills 31 in Iraq's Tikrit: security sources, medics
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - At least 31 people were killed, including 14 police officers, and more than 40 wounded in attacks overnight by Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, security and medical sources said on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
Russia denies Assad to blame for chemical attack, on course for collision with Trump
MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia suggested on Wednesday it would publicly stand by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad despite outrage over a chemical weapons attack, setting Donald Trump's new U.S. administration on course for a head-on diplomatic collision with Moscow.
Read more
Read more
Window closing for Republican stealth assault on U.S. regulations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The clock began running out this week on a strategy that has provided U.S. Republicans in Congress with their only notable legislative successes this year: aggressive use of an obscure U.S. law known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
Read more
Read more
U.S., France, Britain propose U.N. resolution on Syria gas attack
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France on Tuesday proposed a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria, which diplomats said would likely be put to a vote on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Blast in Pakistani city of Lahore kills at least six
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on army personnel that killed at least six people and wounded 18 in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday.
Read more
Read more
Warplanes mount fresh airstrikes in Idlib area: Syrian Observatory
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Warplanes mounted five air strikes on Wednesday in a rebel-held area of northwestern Syria where dozens of people were killed the day before in a suspected chemical attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Read more
Read more
Fed's Lacker leaves U.S. central bank over role in Medley leak
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker left the U.S. central bank on Tuesday after saying a conversation he had with a Wall Street analyst in 2012 may have disclosed confidential information about Fed policy options.
Read more
Read more
House Speaker Ryan says healthcare talks at 'conceptual stage'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday Republican lawmakers are having productive talks on a new healthcare reform bill, but it was too soon to say if and when a new proposal would be put forth.
Read more
Read more
Senate battle over Trump Supreme Court pick gathers steam
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate fight over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, begins moving on Tuesday to its decisive phase as Democrats seek to block a final vote and Republicans vow to ensure the conservative judge's confirmation.
Read more
Read more
Suspected gas attack on Syria's rebel-held Idlib kills at least 35: Observatory
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A suspected gas attack by Syrian government or Russian jets killed at least 35 people, including nine children, in the northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, a British-based war monitoring group said.
Read more
Read more
St. Petersburg metro blast suspect likely born in central Asia
BISHKEK/ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A blast in a St Petersburg train carriage on Monday that killed 11 people and wounded 45 was probably carried out by a Russian citizen born in Kyrgyzstan, authorities from the predominantly Muslim central Asian state said on Tuesday.
Read more
Read more
Monday, April 3, 2017
Likely suspect in St. Petersburg blast is Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen
BISHKEK (Reuters) - The likely suspect in a deadly blast in the Russian city of St. Petersburg is a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen, Kyrgyzstan's security service said on Tuesday.
Read more
Read more
'Not natural friends': Trump, Xi will be 'odd couple' at first summit
WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, their summit will be marked not only by deep policy divisions but a clash of personalities between America’s brash “tweeter-in-chief” and Beijing’s cautious, calculating leader.
Read more
Read more
U.S. Homeland Security announces steps against H1B visa fraud
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced steps on Monday to prevent the fraudulent use of H1B visas, used by employers to bring in specialized foreign workers temporarily, which appeared to fall short of President Donald Trump's campaign promises to overhaul the program.
Read more
Read more
New York, other states take on Trump over energy efficiency
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A coalition of U.S. states has mounted a broad legal challenge over what it called the Trump administration's illegal suspension of energy efficiency rules for ceiling fans, portable air conditioners and other products.
Read more
Read more
Trump tells al-Sisi U.S., Egypt will fight terrorism together
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday that he strongly backs Sisi's leadership and that they would work together to fight Islamic militants.
Read more
Read more
Panel expected to back Trump high court pick, set up Senate showdown
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee was expected on Monday to approve President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, for a full Senate vote later in the week, setting up a political showdown as Democrats work to block his confirmation.
Read more
Read more
Blasts in St. Petersburg metro stations kill 10: authorities
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in explosions in two train carriages at metro stations in St. Petersburg on Monday, Russian authorities said.
Read more
Read more
Trump's son-in-law, Kushner, flies into Iraq with top U.S. general
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, flew into Iraq on Monday with the top U.S. military officer to get a first-hand assessment of the battle against Islamic State from U.S. commanders on the ground and to meet Iraqi officials.
Read more
Read more
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Trump presses China on North Korea ahead of Xi talks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump held out the possibility on Sunday of using trade as a lever to secure Chinese cooperation against North Korea and suggested Washington might deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs on its own if need be.
Read more
Read more
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner visits Iraq: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, is visiting Iraq with Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior Trump administration official said on Sunday.
Read more
Read more
Rescuers, locals dig for Colombia flood victims, 254 die
MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Families and rescuers searched desperately on Sunday through mud-plastered rubble for victims of flooding and landslides in Colombia that have killed 254 people, injured hundreds and devastated entire neighborhoods.
Read more
Read more
Top Senate Democrat says unlikely Trump court pick can clear procedural hurdle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate said on Sunday it was unlikely that Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch would be able to clear a procedural hurdle to a final vote, even as a third Senate Democrat threw support behind the pick.
Read more
Read more
Flynn did not disclose income from Russian companies: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, failed to disclose payments from a Russian television network and a second firm linked to Russia in a February financial disclosure form, according to documents released by the White House on Saturday.
Read more
Read more
Schiff says Trump wants us to follow the tweets, not the Russia probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee accused President Donald Trump on Sunday of trying to divert Congress from its investigations of Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. election and any links between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
Read more
Read more
U.S.-backed forces repel Islamic State attack near Syrian dam
AMMAN (Reuters) - U.S. backed Syrian forces repelled a major counter-attack by Islamic State militants holding out at the country's largest dam and in the nearby town of Tabqa, the group and activists said on Sunday.
Read more
Read more
Twenty tortured, then murdered in Pakistan Sufi shrine: police
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Twenty people were tortured and then murdered with clubs and knives at a Pakistani Sufi shrine, the police said on Sunday, in an attack purportedly carried out by the shrine's custodian and several accomplices.
Read more
Read more
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Iraqi state-run TV says Islamic State's second-in-command killed in airstrike
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Ayad al-Jumaili, the man believed to be the deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been killed in an air strike, Iraqi State TV said on Saturday, citing Iraq's military intelligence.
Read more
Read more
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)