Yahoo! News: Politics News

---

• Obama, Romney pass Sunday in church, with families
• Dems slam Ryan over Social Security privatization
• 'Solid South' no longer just all-red or all-blue
• Assange urges US to end Wikileaks 'witch hunt'
• GOP Senate Candidate Akin Says Pregnancy 'Rare' in 'Legitimate Rape'
• China court to give verdict in Gu Kailai murder trial
• Another Afghan insider shooting as U.S. talks to Karzai
• Web snares Vietnam as bloggers spread protests over land
• On 1991 coup anniversary, foes say Putin has turned clock back
• Rep. Akin: Pregnancy from rape is 'really rare'
• As Dodd-Frank looms, Asian banks look to cut U.S. trading ties
• Analysis: Clashes expose India's communal divide as elections loom
• Obama, Romney pass Sunday in church, with families
• Sudan plane crash kills 32 including minister
• Weak euro zone casts long shadows
• German politicians say no leeway for Greece on reforms
• Italian PM sees end of crisis getting closer
• Villain or scapegoat? Verdict awaits Gu Kailai
• Belgians protest possible release of child murderer's ex-wife
• Dems slam Ryan over Social Security privatization
• Akin Remarks Latest Example of GOP Drawing a Line on Rape
• Kevin Madden Defends Attack on Obama for Medicare Cuts
• Madden: New Ad Attacking the President on OBL Capture Makes an Important Point
• Assange makes 1st public appearance in 2 months
• Bomb wounds Iraq cleric who urged end to insurgency
• Germany helping Syria rebels with spy ship intel: paper
• Adviser says Romney to release 2011 tax return by October 15
• End of Italy's economic crisis getting closer: Monti
• Sunday Sound: Heard on 'This Week'
• Landings, protests stoke Japan-China islands dispute
• Attacks Grow Shrill Over Biden's Remarks
• N2K Presidential: Biden's Comments Draw More Heat Than Light
• Mexico's Calderon says he was target of assassination threat: report

Obama, Romney pass Sunday in church, with families Posted: 19 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney spent a quiet Sunday attending church with their families, resting up for the campaign's final 11 weeks and the approaching party nominating conventions.

Dems slam Ryan over Social Security privatization Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:43 AM PDT Democrats are eagerly renewing their fight against privatizing Social Security now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked Paul Ryan as his running mate. It was a fight that didn't go well for the GOP when President George W. Bush pushed the idea in 2005.

'Solid South' no longer just all-red or all-blue Posted: 19 Aug 2012 08:46 AM PDT The "Solid South" was a political fact, benefiting Democrats for generations and then Republicans, with Bible Belt and racial politics ruling the day.

Assange urges US to end Wikileaks 'witch hunt' Posted: 19 Aug 2012 03:18 PM PDT Wikileaks founder Julian Assange portrayed himself Sunday as a victim of an American "witch hunt" over his secret-spilling website in a defiant address from the balcony of an embassy where he has holed up to avoid extradition to face sex assault allegations.

GOP Senate Candidate Akin Says Pregnancy 'Rare' in 'Legitimate Rape' Posted: 19 Aug 2012 03:10 PM PDT Missouri Republican Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, who opposes abortion in most cases, including rape, said in a television interview today that it is "really rare" that victims of "legitimate rape" get pregnant. "From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," Akin, who is...

China court to give verdict in Gu Kailai murder trial Posted: 19 Aug 2012 03:07 PM PDT HEFEI, China (Reuters) - A Chinese court will deliver its verdict on Monday against Gu Kailai, the wife of disgraced politician Bo Xilai, on charges of killing a British businessman last year in a scandal that has shaken the Communist Party's transition to a new leadership. When a court in the eastern city of Hefei announces its verdict at a hearing starting at 9 a.m. (9.00 p.m. EDT), Gu could receive the death penalty, along with a family aide, Zhang Xiaojun, who was also tried for the murder. ...

Another Afghan insider shooting as U.S. talks to Karzai Posted: 19 Aug 2012 03:05 PM PDT KABUL (Reuters) - Another NATO soldier was killed on Sunday by an Afghan police officer, raising the coalition death toll from so-called "green on blue" shootings to nine in 11 days as the United States urged Kabul to step up screening of recruits. The growing insider threat has eroded trust between NATO and its Afghan allies, causing a headache for Western powers who are planning to pull out most of their troops by the end of 2014. U.S. ...

Web snares Vietnam as bloggers spread protests over land Posted: 19 Aug 2012 02:53 PM PDT HANOI (Reuters) - Farmer Le Dung and his fellow villagers stockpiled rocks and petrol bombs to battle police trying to take over their land for a luxury property development near Vietnam's capital city. But their most powerful weapon turned out to be the equipment they had set up with the help of Internet activists to record and broadcast the confrontation, which was ignored by state-controlled media. Within hours of the fight on a clear April morning, video of several thousand police firing tear gas and beating farmers in the Van Giang district just east of Hanoi had gone viral. ...

On 1991 coup anniversary, foes say Putin has turned clock back Posted: 19 Aug 2012 02:44 PM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kremlin foes criticized Vladimir Putin on Sunday at events commemorating the defeat of a coup that hastened the 1991 Soviet collapse, saying the Russian president had reversed progress toward democracy that seemed unstoppable 21 years ago. Opposition politicians and everyday Russians said the two-year jail sentences handed down to punk performers Pussy Riot for a protest against Putin in a cathedral were part of a crackdown that evoked Soviet-era show trials and scare tactics. ...

Rep. Akin: Pregnancy from rape is 'really rare' Posted: 19 Aug 2012 02:44 PM PDT Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, the conservative Republican U.S. Senate candidate, said in a television interview that it is "really rare" for women to become pregnant when they are raped.

As Dodd-Frank looms, Asian banks look to cut U.S. trading ties Posted: 19 Aug 2012 02:22 PM PDT

Analysis: Clashes expose India's communal divide as elections loom Posted: 19 Aug 2012 02:13 PM PDT NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The anonymous text message on Bhumidhar Das' mobile phone was chilling: "Muslims will attack and kill our people after Ramadan. Return home." Within hours, Das, a Hindu working at a car factory in the city of Pune, joined tens of thousands of fellow migrant workers returning to hometowns in the remote northeast after getting or hearing of similar messages. Nearly 80 people have been killed and 400,000 displaced in fighting between Muslims and mostly Hindu Bodo tribesmen in northeastern Assam state in recent weeks. ...

Obama, Romney pass Sunday in church, with families Posted: 19 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney spent a quiet Sunday attending church with their families, resting up for the campaign's final 11 weeks and the approaching party nominating conventions.

Sudan plane crash kills 32 including minister Posted: 19 Aug 2012 12:20 PM PDT KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Thirty two people including a Sudanese government minister and other officials were killed when a plane taking them to an Islamic festival crashed in the south of the country on Sunday, state media said. The plane went down in mountains around Talodi, a town in the border state of South Kordofan, while taking a delegation there to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, state news agency SUNA said. The report blamed the crash on "bad weather conditions" but did not give further details. ...

Weak euro zone casts long shadows Posted: 19 Aug 2012 12:05 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Drug dealers, money launderers and assorted cash-only criminals love the convenience of the 500 euro note. Will bankers also soon be clamoring for wads of the high-value bill? The question arises because the European Central Bank might have to lower interest rates further to revive growth. Business surveys this week are likely to show the euro zone economy remaining flat on its back in August after contracting by 0.2 percent in the second quarter. But the ECB has already cut to zero the interest it pays banks on excess reserves. ...

German politicians say no leeway for Greece on reforms Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:57 AM PDT BERLIN (Reuters) - Senior German politicians stepped up the pressure on Greece to stick to its reforms before the Greek prime minister visits Berlin this week and made clear that there was no appetite in the German parliament for a third aid package. Greek leader Antonis Samaras, facing mounting social and political discontent at home, is expected to ask for a two-year extension to the deadline international lenders have set when he meets the leaders of Germany and France this week. ...

Italian PM sees end of crisis getting closer Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:51 AM PDT RIMINI, Italy (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Sunday the end of the economic crisis in his country was in sight and that the euro zone must not let the single currency become a source of friction between the north and south in the bloc. Speaking at a conference in Rimini, he said the euro zone's third largest economy was in better shape than it was a year ago while people were more aware of the difficulties it faces. "A year ago we thought less than we do today that we were in a crisis but I believe we were in it more," Monti said. ...

Villain or scapegoat? Verdict awaits Gu Kailai Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:49 AM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - A paranoid killer or a persecuted scapegoat -- Gu Kailai, the woman at the center of China's most politically explosive criminal case in a generation, remains an enigma. A court in the central city of Hefei is due on Monday to deliver a verdict -- and likely also a sentence -- for the wife of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai, after she confessed to killing British businessman Neil Heywood, an ex-family friend. ...

Belgians protest possible release of child murderer's ex-wife Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:47 AM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - About 2,000 Belgians took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the possible early release from prison of the ex-wife and accomplice of child murderer Marc Dutroux and demand tougher rules on freeing convicts. A court ruled in July that Michelle Martin would be able to live in a convent now that she has served 16 years of her 30-year sentence - outraging a nation that was horrified by the crimes committed by the woman and her ex-husband. Dutroux was found guilty of kidnapping and raping six girls in the mid-1990s. ...

Dems slam Ryan over Social Security privatization Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:43 AM PDT Democrats are eagerly renewing their fight against privatizing Social Security now that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked Paul Ryan as his running mate. It was a fight that didn't go well for the GOP when President George W. Bush pushed the idea in 2005.

Akin Remarks Latest Example of GOP Drawing a Line on Rape Posted: 19 Aug 2012 11:18 AM PDT Tea party member and Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin sparked a controversy on Sunday when he struggled to explain if abortion should be legal if the pregnant woman had been raped. But it wasn't the first time such remarks have initiated a national discussion over pregnancies resulting from rape.

Kevin Madden Defends Attack on Obama for Medicare Cuts Posted: 19 Aug 2012 10:24 AM PDT Romney campaign senior adviser Kevin Madden defended Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., over his charge that President Obama has "raided" Medicare to pay for "Obamacare" – despite Ryan including the same cuts in his own budget. "What President Obama did actually weakens...

Madden: New Ad Attacking the President on OBL Capture Makes an Important Point Posted: 19 Aug 2012 10:14 AM PDT Asked about a new web video released by a group of former U.S. Special Forces operatives and national security officers that accuses President Obama of taking undue credit for the death of Osama bin Laden and leaking intelligence information, Romney Campaign Senior Adviser Kevin Madden...

Assange makes 1st public appearance in 2 months Posted: 19 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange urged President Barack Obama to end a so-called "witch hunt" against his secret-spilling website, appearing in public Sunday for the first time since he took refuge two months ago inside Ecuador's Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex crimes allegations.

Bomb wounds Iraq cleric who urged end to insurgency Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:59 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A prominent Iraqi Sunni cleric who urged Islamist armed groups to end their insurgency was critically wounded, and four of his bodyguards killed, when a car bomb hit his convoy in Baghdad on Sunday. Mehdi al-Sumaidai, who once fought U.S. troops in Iraq and was part of a Sunni body issuing religious edicts, had been negotiating with insurgent groups who vowed to fight on after the withdrawal of American troops in December. ...

Germany helping Syria rebels with spy ship intel: paper Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:58 AM PDT BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is helping Syrian rebels by providing them with information gathered by a German navy vessel off the coast of Syria, a newspaper said on Sunday, without citing sources. Germany's Bild am Sonntag said the boat had spying equipment from the German intelligence service on board, enabling it to observe Syrian troop movements up to 600 km (375 miles) inland. Information on the military operations of President Bashar al-Assad's troops that is collected by the ship is passed on to U.S. and British secret services, who then give it to the Free Syrian Army, Bild said. ...

Adviser says Romney to release 2011 tax return by October 15 Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:51 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential challenger Mitt Romney plans to make public his 2011 tax return by October 15, a senior campaign adviser said on Sunday, as President Barack Obama's re-election team pressed its criticism of Romney's decision not to disclose more about his personal taxes. Romney, a former private equity executive who is one of the richest men ever to run for president, has come under pressure for months from the Obama campaign to release more years of tax returns. ...

End of Italy's economic crisis getting closer: Monti Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:46 AM PDT RIMINI, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's economic difficulties are not as serious as they were a year ago and the end of the crisis is getting closer, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Sunday. "A year ago we thought less than we do today that we were in a crisis but I believe we were in it more," Monti told a conference in Rimini. He said that he saw the end of the crisis "getting closer in some ways". ...

Sunday Sound: Heard on 'This Week' Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:42 AM PDT Below are some of the notable comments made Sunday on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Guests included Obama campaign deputy manager Stephanie Cutter; Romney campaign senior adviser Kevin Madden; Senate Budget Committee member Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.; House Budget Committee ranking member Rep. Chris Van...

Landings, protests stoke Japan-China islands dispute Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:40 AM PDT EAST CHINA SEA (Reuters) - Anti-Japanese protests rocked Chinese cities on Sunday after nationalists from Japan landed on an East China Sea island at the heart of a territorial dispute between the two nations, the largest flare-up of Chinese public anger over Japan in years. In several Chinese cities, thousands took to the streets, including in Shenzhen where small groups overturned Japanese cars and shouted slogans denouncing Japan's claim over the islands, in footage carried by Hong Kong's Cable Television. ...

Attacks Grow Shrill Over Biden's Remarks Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:35 AM PDT Despite meaty issues on deck such as the future of Medicare and Social Security, the presidential campaigns and their surrogates used Sunday's talk shows for another round of thrust and parry over Vice President Joe Biden's controversial remarks this week, with the tone of some attacks growing ever more shrill.

N2K Presidential: Biden's Comments Draw More Heat Than Light Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:23 AM PDT The presidential campaign took a turn for the shrill on Sunday as discussion of Vice President Joe Biden's controversial remarks dominated the talk shows, drawing sharp words from both campaigns and their surrogates.At the core of the clash were comments Biden made on Tuesday before a diverse audience in Virginia, when he said that Romney wanted to repeal Wall Street regulations. "He's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules – unchain Wall Street!" Biden said, adding, "They're going to put y'all back in chains. ...

Mexico's Calderon says he was target of assassination threat: report Posted: 19 Aug 2012 09:17 AM PDT MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon was warned during the early years of his administration of a credible threat to assassinate him while he was in the presidential jet, Mexican media reported on Sunday. According to reports in major newspapers, Calderon said on Saturday that security advisers told him before a trip within Mexico that they had information about the assassination attempt, although he took the plane anyway. ...

You are subscribed to email updates from Politics News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610