Reuters: Top News

Militants release seven Egyptians kidnapped in Sinai

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:53:45 GMT

CAIRO (Reuters) - Seven members of the Egyptian security forces kidnapped by Islamist militants in Sinai last week were released on Wednesday, ending a crisis that has highlighted lawlessness in the desert peninsula bordering Israel.

Iran, Hezbollah increasing support for Assad: Britain's Hague

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:45:27 GMT

AMMAN (Reuters) - Iran and its militant Shi'ite Lebanese ally Hezbollah are "propping up" President Bashar al-Assad and giving him increasing support, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday.

Afghanistan's Karzai gives India military equipment 'wish list'

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:33:46 GMT

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday he had given a "wish list" of military equipment to India during a visit this week, presenting a conundrum for New Delhi as it weighs whether arming the Afghan army is in its interests.

Mugabe signs Zimbabwe constitution into law

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:07:47 GMT

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed a new constitution into law on Wednesday, replacing a 33-year-old document forged in the dying days of British colonial rule and paving the way for elections later this year.

Rescuers seek Oklahoma tornado survivors as area eyes recovery

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:06:52 GMT

MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue efforts in the tornado-ravaged Oklahoma City suburb of Moore continued through the night into Wednesday morning, with officials increasingly confident that everyone caught in the disaster had been accounted for.

Iran's Ahmadinejad to challenge ally's ban from election

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:37:47 GMT

DUBAI (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday he would ask Iran's supreme leader to reverse a ban preventing his aide from running in next month's presidential poll, a test of stability after the violent trauma of the 2009 vote.

Italy to outline youth jobs plan as government struggles

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:24:58 GMT

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's new government, already sinking in opinion polls and riven by internal disputes, on Wednesday lays out its plans to address one of the main causes of public anger - soaring unemployment among young people.

Millions falling into poverty in recession-racked Italy: report

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:01:40 GMT

ROME (Reuters) - Millions of Italians cannot afford to heat their homes properly or eat meat as their country is racked by recession and soaring unemployment, said a report which found the number of people considered seriously deprived had doubled in the past two years.

China's Li offers to help end Pakistan energy crisis

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:43:40 GMT

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - China and Pakistan should make cooperation on power generation a priority, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said, as Islamabad seeks to end an energy crisis that triggers power cuts of up to 20 hours a day, bringing the economy to a near standstill.

Freeport can't say when Indonesia mine to reopen, confirms 28 dead

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:07:50 GMT

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc said it will not restart production at the world's second-largest copper mine in Indonesia after a tunnel collapse that killed 28 workers until it is convinced of the mine's safety.

Iran bars candidates for presidential election

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:51:30 GMT

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian authorities barred two potentially powerful and disruptive candidates from running in next month's presidential election on Tuesday, ensuring a contest largely among hardliners loyal to the clerical supreme leader.

Insight: No more easy pickings in Russia's banking market

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:40:26 GMT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Foreign banks that once treated Russia as virgin land where easy money could be made are now finding it a cut-throat market tougher than some bargained for.

Prosecutors consider using racketeering law against SAC: source

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:13:07 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prosecutors are considering charging Steven A. Cohen's SAC Capital Advisors as a criminal enterprise engaged in a long pattern of insider trading in stocks, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook made no apology on Tuesday for the iPad maker saving billions of dollars in U.S. taxes through Irish subsidiaries and told lawmakers that his company backs corporate tax reform, even though it may end up paying more.

Senate panel passes immigration bill; Obama praises move

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:23:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel on Tuesday approved legislation to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, setting up a spirited debate next month in the full Senate over the biggest changes in immigration policy in a generation.

Dimon clings to JPMorgan chairman title, after fight

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:40:42 GMT

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co took an unusual step to fight off investors seeking more oversight of his activities - he hinted he might quit.

Tax official at center of scandal won't testify: lawyer

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:26:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service official at the center of a scandal about the targeting of conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny, plans to assert her constitutional right not to answer questions from a congressional committee on Wednesday.

Exclusive: Bob Lutz, Chinese in bid to buy Fisker Automotive - sources

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:52:09 GMT

DETROIT (Reuters) - A boutique carmaker led by former General Motors Co executive Bob Lutz and China's largest auto parts supplier made an offer this month to buy cash-strapped "green" car company Fisker Automotive, people familiar with the matter said.

Prosecutors consider using racketeering law against SAC: source

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:50:36 GMT

Whole neighborhoods razed by Oklahoma tornado that killed 24

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:30:58 GMT

MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescuers went building to building in search of victims and thousands of survivors were homeless on Tuesday after a massive tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, wiping out whole blocks of homes and killing at least 24 people.

Iran bars candidates for presidential election

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:51:08 GMT

Dimon keeps JPMorgan chairman title after bruising battle

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:43:44 GMT

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co's outspoken chairman and chief executive, won a vote of confidence on Tuesday as shareholders recommended that he keep his chairman title, giving him a greater margin of approval than last year.

Tax official at center of scandal won't testify: lawyer

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:36:17 GMT

Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:31:45 GMT

Attacks in Iraq kill over 40, sectarian tensions high

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:21:53 GMT

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - A series of bomb and gun attacks across Iraq killed more than 40 people on Tuesday, a day after over 70 died in violence targeting majority Shi'ites that has stoked fears of all-out sectarian war with minority Sunnis.