| Obama has a big money month; Romney in Florida Posted: 06 Oct 2012 11:46 AM PDT  A month before Election Day, President Barack Obama's campaign and Democrats posted an impressive fundraising haul, easing the party's concerns that he would face a significant money disadvantage against his well-financed Republican rival in the crucial closing days. Romney shrugged off a drop in unemployment, an issue at the heart of the race, contending it's "crystal clear" a jobs crisis endures.
|
| WHY IT MATTERS: Issues at stake in election Posted: 06 Oct 2012 09:58 AM PDT  A selection of issues at stake in the presidential election and their impact on Americans, in brief:
|
| O'Reilly, Stewart to tangle in mock debate Posted: 06 Oct 2012 08:42 AM PDT  Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart are to tangle in a sold-out mock presidential debate that's as much about laughs as about politics.
|
| Egypt's Mursi says falls short of goals, seeks to assuage critics Posted: 06 Oct 2012 03:02 PM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said on Saturday he had fallen short of goals he promised to fulfill in his first 100 days in office, but aimed to assuage critics by highlighting his most prominent achievements. Mursi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, was handed power in June by the army council that ruled Egypt for 16 months following Hosni Mubarak's ouster in a popular uprising in 2011 and after a presidential election. ...
|
| Thousands march to protest austerity cuts in Spain Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:52 PM PDT  Several thousand people marched in downtown Madrid on Saturday to protest austerity measures they say will lead to cuts in cherished national health care and the privatization of public services.
|
| Death toll from meningitis outbreak rises to seven Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:13 PM PDT NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - The death toll from a widening outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to steroid injections has risen to seven, with 65 cases now reported in nine states, officials said on Saturday. The latest two deaths were reported on Saturday in Michigan, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those affected fell ill after receiving steroid injections linked to a pharmaceutical compounding plant in Massachusetts. New cases in Ohio and Minnesota on Saturday brought to nine the number of states affected, officials said. ... |
| Tehran's Grand Bazaar reopens, currency trade still frozen Posted: 06 Oct 2012 01:51 PM PDT  DUBAI (Reuters) - Tehran's Grand Bazaar reopened under close police supervision on Saturday, traders said, days after it was shut by clashes between riot police and protesters blaming the government for the collapse of the Iranian currency. Iran's government remained locked in a test of wills with currency dealers as it tried unsuccessfully to impose a stronger exchange rate for the rial, which lost about a third of its value in 10 days. ...
|
| U.S. says receives Airbus A350 loan funding documents Posted: 06 Oct 2012 01:38 PM PDT  WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Saturday it had received European Union documents on funding for the Airbus A350 after requesting them from the World Trade Organization over a month ago in an ongoing transatlantic dispute over aircraft subsidies. "The compliance panel directed the EU to provide documents and briefing upon a request made by the United States more than a month ago, and we received the documents just yesterday," a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's Office said. ...
|
| Turkey strikes back at Syria after Erdogan warning Posted: 06 Oct 2012 01:26 PM PDT  ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey returned fire after Syrian mortar bombs landed in a field in southern Turkey on Saturday, the day after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned Syria that Turkey would not shy away from war if provoked. It was the fourth day of Turkish retaliation for firing by Syrian forces that killed five Turkish civilians on Wednesday. The exchanges are the most serious cross-border violence in Syria's conflict, which began as a democracy uprising but has evolved into a civil war with sectarian overtones. They highlight how the crisis could destabilize the region. ...
|
| Israeli leaders confront political rift as election looms Posted: 06 Oct 2012 01:21 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned his defense minister, Ehud Barak, on Saturday to discuss allegations he had undermined the premier during recent trips to the United States, raising further speculation of an early election. The rift between Netanyahu and Barak, once close allies who have largely presented a united front when it comes to dealing with what they see as an Iranian drive to obtain a nuclear bomb, could grow into an issue that brings down the government. ...
|
| Captain killed, tourists hurt in blast on Greek boat Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:56 PM PDT ATHENS (Reuters) - A small replica cannon blew up on a mock pirate ship off the southern Aegean island of Kos on Saturday, killing the boat's captain and injuring five passengers, Greek coastguard officials said. The cannon had been loaded with explosive powder, such as that found in fireworks. A coastguard official, who declined to be named, said the captain died in the explosion. Two Dutch passengers, a Belgian and two German children were hurt, a second coastguard official told Reuters. ... |
| Ann Romney Surprises Florida Volunteers With Pizza and Chit Chat Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:50 PM PDT ORLANDO — Ann Romney surprised volunteers at a Victory Center here this morning, popping in with two pizza pies in hand to cheers of shock and awe. "We appreciate all the work you're doing, all the help you're giving us and how important this state... |
| Obama and Democrats raise record funds, poll holds steady Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:41 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign and its Democratic allies raised $181 million in September for his re-election effort, the largest total that either side has announced yet in the 2012 campaign. The big September number and a good jobs report on Friday that showed unemployment dipping to 7.8 percent shifts some attention from Obama's lackluster debate performance on Wednesday against Republican Mitt Romney. ...
|
| Tanzania asks for mediation over Lake Malawi dispute Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:37 PM PDT DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania called on Saturday for an international mediator to resolve a long-standing border dispute with Malawi, conceding the latest talks over territorial rights to Lake Malawi and its potential reserves of oil and gas have failed. The call comes after Malawi accused its neighbor of intimidating its citizens, halting talks with Tanzania over the ownership of the lake. "It is clear now, that we cannot resolve the issue between us," Tanzania's foreign affairs minister, Bernard Membe, told a news conference. ... |
| Obama to designate Chavez home as nat'l monument Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:37 PM PDT  Maria Ybarra's trailer is one of two left on the property that for over two decades was home to Latino labor leader Cesar Chavez and farmworkers like Ybarra who made up his movement.
|
| Indiana Senate race may hinge on disenchanted Lugar backers Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:36 PM PDT JEFFERSONVILLE, Indiana (Reuters) - Indiana Republicans last spring spurned long-time Senator Richard Lugar for a more conservative candidate, but now supporters of the soft-spoken moderate may tip the balance in the race that could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Republican Richard Mourdock, the state treasurer, and his Democratic opponent, Congressman Joe Donnelly, are wooing not just independent voters but disaffected and angry "Lugar Republicans." "Dick Lugar is a statesman," said Karl Stein, 63, a Republican, as he was walking the dog near Indianapolis. ... |
| Panetta: Syria clash with Turkey may escalate Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:25 PM PDT  The continued exchange of artillery fire between Syria and Turkey raises additional concerns that the conflict may escalate and spread to neighboring countries, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Saturday.
|
| Obama still more liked than Romney despite poor debate Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:22 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's strong debate performance did little to convince more voters he understands them or is a "good person" even though he has narrowed President Barack Obama's overall poll lead, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey released on Saturday. Just a month before the November 6 election, the Democratic president is ahead of his Republican challenger on character attributes that can win over undecided voters who have not been swayed on policy points. ...
|
| Israeli air force shoots down drone aircraft Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:09 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli air force shot down a drone after it crossed into southern Israel on Saturday, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from. The drone was first spotted above the Mediterranean in the area of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to the west of Israel, said military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich. It was kept under surveillance and followed by Israeli air force jets before it was shot down above a forest in an unpopulated area near the border with the occupied West Bank. Leibovich said it was shot down at about 10 a.m. ...
|
| Iranian relief workers in Libya freed Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Seven Iranian relief workers who had been taken hostage by an armed group in July in the Libyan city of Benghazi were freed on Saturday, a Libyan security source and the Libyan Red Crescent Association said. The seven Iranian men arrived in Benghazi in late July as guests of the Libyan Red Crescent to help with relief work in the city. They were seized from their vehicle by an unknown armed group in the heart of Benghazi. ... |
| Somali president names political newcomer as PM, urges unity Posted: 06 Oct 2012 11:58 AM PDT  MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday named political newcomer Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid as the country's new prime minister, a man diplomats say is untainted by the clan rivalry and feuding that has plagued Somalia for decades. "I know (Saaid) and have selected him because he is competent," said Mohamud, who along with his prime minister face the daunting task of trying to set up Somalia's first effective central government since the outbreak of civil war in 1991. "I urge the parliament and the civilians to support him," he said in a statement. ...
|
| Obama has a big money month; Romney in Florida Posted: 06 Oct 2012 11:46 AM PDT A month before Election Day, President Barack Obama's campaign and Democrats posted an impressive fundraising haul, easing the party's concerns that he would face a significant money disadvantage against his well-financed Republican rival in the crucial closing days. Romney shrugged off a drop in unemployment, an issue at the heart of the race, contending it's "crystal clear" a jobs crisis endures. |
| Touring South America, Panetta renews defense ties with Peru Posted: 06 Oct 2012 11:38 AM PDT  LIMA (Reuters) - Defense ministers from Peru and the United States agreed on Saturday to update their 60-year-old defense cooperation agreement as a step toward deepening military ties between the two countries. The accord was reached as the United States works to re-engage Latin America, a region that has at times complained of being neglected over the past decade as Washington fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...
|
| French police kill one in raid linked to Jewish market attack Posted: 06 Oct 2012 11:08 AM PDT  STRASBOURG/PARIS (Reuters) - An Islamist suspected of a grenade attack on a Jewish market was shot and killed by police in the northeastern city of Strasbourg on Saturday and 11 others detained in what prosecutors called a "vast anti-terrorist operation". Elite police squads carried out simultaneous operations against a network of radical Islamists in the Paris region and in Strasbourg, Nice and Cannes early on Saturday. ...
|
| Comedian Steve Martin in ad for Nebraska Senate candidate Posted: 06 Oct 2012 11:06 AM PDT  OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - Steve Martin has released an off-beat ad endorsing Bob Kerrey's candidacy in Nebraska's U.S. Senate race, in which the actor and comedian demonstrates how to build a wad of paper while cue cards offering praise for Kerrey are displayed on the screen. Martin, playing the role of "home crafts expert," mangles a blank single sheet of white paper with paper clips, scissors, staples, chewing gum and a hammer, while a hand emerges from off screen offering typed messages in praise of Kerrey. "He is a principled man whom I have known and respected for many years," reads ...
|
| Web Extra: Read a Chapter From Bill O'Reilly's New Book Posted: 06 Oct 2012 10:53 AM PDT Excerpt from the book KILLING KENNEDY by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Copyright © 2012 Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Reprinted by arrangement with Henry Holt, an imprint of Henry Holt and Company LLC. Chapter 24 NOVEMBER 22, 1963 TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY, DALLAS 9:45... |
| Iran denies offering new plan on nuclear impasse Posted: 06 Oct 2012 10:29 AM PDT  DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran denied on Saturday a U.S. media report that it had offered a "nine-step plan" aimed at solving its stand-off with the West over its disputed nuclear program. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Iran had proposed a plan to European officials that required the West to lift harsh oil and economic sanctions in return for the eventual suspension of uranium enrichment by Tehran. It reported Iranian officials tried to gather support for the proposal during a visit last month to the United Nations. ...
|
| Analysis: Romney would lean on Congress for tax code overhaul Posted: 06 Oct 2012 10:11 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If Mitt Romney is elected president on November 6, he likely would look to fellow Republicans in Congress to fill in the blanks of a framework to slash rates and pare deductions as part of an overhaul of the U.S. tax code. Accused by Democrats and some academics of not spelling out how he would fund his proposed 20 percent across-the-board tax cut, Romney this week offered a hint of a solution: imposing a $17,000 to $50,000 deduction cap on tax breaks for Americans. ...
|
| It's not just the economy: Why football and sharks can affect elections Posted: 06 Oct 2012 10:09 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the Saturday before the November 6 election, President Barack Obama might want to root for Ohio State University's football team when it takes on his home-state University of Illinois. A win by the Buckeyes could boost his chances of carrying Ohio, a crucial battleground state. Obama can take heart that Florida beachgoers haven't suffered from a spate of shark attacks this year, which could have hurt his prospects there. On the other hand, the brutal drought that has gripped much of the Midwest could make it tougher for the president to win Iowa. ...
|
| Maine Republicans blast opponent for World of Warcraft play Posted: 06 Oct 2012 10:05 AM PDT  LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - A Maine Senate race has turned into a fight over trolls, dwarves and goblin-like creatures known as orcs. In a mailing this week, state Republicans accused Democrat Colleen Lachowicz of living in a fantasy world and making "crude, vicious and violent comments" in online forums dedicated to World of Warcraft, a popular online game. Lachowicz, who is challenging incumbent Senator Tom Martin, has responded by accusing Republicans of focusing on her hobbies rather than public policy issues. ...
|
| WHY IT MATTERS: Issues at stake in election Posted: 06 Oct 2012 09:58 AM PDT A selection of issues at stake in the presidential election and their impact on Americans, in brief: |
| Revised Greek GDP figures show recession deeper than thought Posted: 06 Oct 2012 09:44 AM PDT  ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greek economy shrank even more over the last five years than previously estimated, according to revised economic growth figures released by the debt-ridden country's statistics agency. In a statement published late on Friday, the ELSTAT agency said gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 4.9 percent in 2010 and 7.1 percent in 2011, exceeding previous estimates of 3.5 percent and 6.9 percent respectively. The revision took account of "significant reductions ... in the consumption expenditure of households," ELSTAT said. ...
|
No comments:
Post a Comment