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Biden says end to wars gives US new flexibility

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:45:10 +0800

Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday that the United States can now focus on new global challenges after a long decade of war in an election-year commencement address to jubilant graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Bud dumps heavy rain on Mexico's Pacific coast

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:28:13 +0800

MANZANILLO, Mexico (Reuters) - The remnants of the first hurricane of the 2012 season, Bud, dumped heavy rain along Mexico's coast early on Saturday but caused little damage before it turned back into the Pacific. The storm, which on Friday had threatened to hit land with hurricane-force winds, lost strength as it neared the coast and it was downgraded to a tropical depression early on Saturday. Strong winds whipped the area's beaches and rain drenched coastal roads but there were no reports of injuries. ...

Brother of blind Chinese activist returns home: lawyer

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:27:43 +0800

BEIJING (Reuters) - The brother of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng who was reported to have gone missing has returned to his village in northeastern China, a lawyer said on Saturday.

Astronauts float inside SpaceX Dragon capsule

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:25:29 +0800

Astronauts float inside SpaceX Dragon capsule

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:25:29 +0800

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station opened the hatch and floated inside a Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon capsule on Saturday, the first privately owned spaceship to reach the orbital outpost, NASA said. Running ahead of schedule, station commander Oleg Kononenko and flight engineer Don Pettit opened the hatch to Dragon just before 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT), NASA mission commentator Josh Byerly reported from Mission Control in Houston. The bell-shaped capsule, which was making its second test flight, arrived at the space station on Friday. ...

Canada's RIM to cut at least 2000 jobs: report

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:09:53 +0800

TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd is preparing for a major restructuring beginning in the next couple of weeks that will see it eliminate at least 2,000 jobs worldwide, the Globe and Mail reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

Gunman in Indiana standoff dies after shooting himself

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:04:22 +0800

VALPARAISO, Indiana (Reuters) - A gunman took hostages in an Indiana real estate office on Friday, then released them after an eight-hour standoff and fatally shot himself in the head, authorities said. The gunman died at a hospital in Valparaiso, Indiana, about 40 miles southeast of Chicago, police said. "We believe there was some issue over some money," said Valparaiso Police Chief Michael Brickner. He added the man had been to the office previously to complain and had a confrontation with employees. ...

Iran has enough uranium for 5 bombs: expert

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:48:55 +0800

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has significantly stepped up its output of low-enriched uranium and total production in the last five years would be enough for at least five nuclear weapons if refined much further, a U.S. security institute said.

Cannes gets happy ending with river film "Mud"

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:34:53 +0800

CANNES, France (Reuters) - "Mud", a touching coming-of-age tale set on the Mississippi River and starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, brought the Cannes film festival competition to a close on Saturday, earning warm applause at a press screening.

Nomura linked to another insider trading case: sources

Sat, 26 May 2012 18:25:31 +0800

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's securities regulator will seek a fine against a fund management arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings for insider trading for the second time and believes an employee of broker Nomura Holdings was again the source of the leak, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Mexican tribe slams land protection plan

Sat, 26 May 2012 14:59:18 +0800

Huichol chiefs decry state measures to preserve land from mining, calling them a "media ploy".

Afghan parliament approves U.S.-Afghan security pact

Sat, 26 May 2012 14:18:58 +0800

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's parliament approved on Saturday a strategic pact between Kabul and Washington, clearing the way for a U.S. presence in the country for at least a decade after most foreign combat troops leave in 2014.

Clinton to visit Scandinavia, Caucasus, Turkey

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:24:51 +0800

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves next week on an eight-day trip to Scandinavia, the Caucasus and Turkey that will cover security issues such as Iran and Syria as well as the environment and health.

SpaceX capsule docks at space station, opens new era

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:07:29 +0800

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship and guided the privately owned craft into a docking berth on Friday, opening a new chapter in the U.S. space program.

Penn State ex-president sues over Sandusky emails: report

Sat, 26 May 2012 10:36:56 +0800

(Reuters) - Pennsylvania State University's former president filed suit on Friday to force the school to turn over emails that are relevant to its probe of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, the Centre Daily Times newspaper reported. Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach, goes on trial next month on charges he molested 10 boys over a period of 15 years. Trustees fired President Graham Spanier and head football coach Joe Paterno in November 2011 over the scandal. ...

SpaceX's Dragon makes historic space station dock

Sat, 26 May 2012 10:10:39 +0800

SpaceX became the first commercial outfit to send its own cargo capsule to the International Space Station, heralding the start of a new era for private spaceflight.

Florida toughest state on jobless benefits: nonprofit groups

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:24:59 +0800

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida is the stingiest state in the country when it comes to providing jobless benefits for the unemployed, two workers' rights groups argued in a complaint lodged with the U.S. Labor Department. In a letter sent to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis this month, the National Employment Law Project and Florida Legal Services asked for an investigation into changes to the unemployment compensation system made by Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott's administration. ...

U.S. data, Europe woes to set tone

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:23:43 +0800

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors will grapple next week with major U.S. economic reports and the looming possibility of a Greek exit from the euro zone, which is likely to keep dragging on equities for weeks to come.

Wheldon's death lingers over Indy 500

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:03:14 +0800

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - The Indianapolis 500 will roar into its second century on Sunday with one eye on the future and another on the past.

New Jersey man charged in Etan Patz death after 33 years

Sat, 26 May 2012 07:34:39 +0800

New Jersey man charged in Etan Patz death after 33 years

Sat, 26 May 2012 07:34:39 +0800

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A man who police say confessed to strangling Etan Patz was charged with second-degree murder on Friday, 33 years after the 6-year-old boy vanished from his New York neighborhood and soon changed the way the nation responds to missing children. Pedro Hernandez, 51, who worked as a stock boy in a small food store on the Manhattan SoHo street where Patz was last seen on May 25, 1979, was charged with a single count of second-degree murder, according to court records. ...

U.S. debates "terrorist" sanctions for Nigerian militants

Sat, 26 May 2012 07:07:56 +0800

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is debating the wisdom of designating the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram a "foreign terrorist organization" despite entreaties from lawmakers and the Justice Department to do so.

Lotus Group CEO Bahar suspended

Sat, 26 May 2012 07:02:09 +0800

MONACO (Reuters) - Dany Bahar, the chief executive with ambitious plans for British-based sports car maker Lotus in Formula One and U.S.-based IndyCars, has been suspended by the new Malaysian owners of Group Lotus.

Gunman in Indiana standoff shoots himself

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:57:09 +0800

VALPARAISO, Indiana (Reuters) - An armed man took several hostages in an Indiana real estate office on Friday, then released them after an eight-hour standoff and shot himself in the head, authorities said. The gunman, who had complained he was owed money, was in critical condition, Valparaiso Police Chief Michael Brickner said. "We believe there was some issue over some money," Brickner said, adding the man had been to the office previously to complain and had a confrontation with employees. "We were hoping he would surrender unharmed. ...

John Edwards' trial jury ends week with no verdict

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:41:48 +0800

GREENSBORO, North Carolina (Reuters) - The sixth day of jury deliberations in former U.S. Senator John Edwards' federal campaign finance trial ended without a verdict on Friday after the judge held a closed-court session about an undisclosed juror matter. U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles recessed jurors until Tuesday, giving them a long Memorial Day weekend break from their discussions about whether Edwards broke the law while trying to hide his affair with Rielle Hunter as he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. ...

John Edwards' trial jury ends week with no verdict

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:41:48 +0800

Exclusive: Merrill misstep may hurt battle vs. broker claims

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:23:35 +0800

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merrill Lynch's battle to void a $10 million arbitration ruling suffered a setback this week after a new court filing raised questions about its claims that a panel member had not disclosed her potential conflicts.

Delphi in $1 bn bid for French auto firm

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:13:08 +0800

Delphi, the giant automotive supplier that was once part of General Motors, has offered just under $1 billion for the major piece of a French company that makes electronic connectors.

Making France's "Intouchables" bankable in the U.S

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:00:27 +0800

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Last year around this time of France's Cannes film festival, movie producer Harvey Weinstein pondered how to turn a silent black-and-white film, "The Artist," into Oscar gold. His answer was to charm the socks off audiences with a simple tale of old Hollywood romance.

Keira Knightley engaged to British rocker boyfriend

Sat, 26 May 2012 05:16:29 +0800

(Reuters) - "Pirates of the Caribbean" actress Keira Knightley is engaged to marry her musician boyfriend James Righton, her publicist said on Friday.

Facebook's market maker losses may top $115 million: sources

Sat, 26 May 2012 05:12:31 +0800

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four of Wall Street's major market makers involved in Facebook's botched initial public offering last Friday expect their losses from technical glitches on Nasdaq's exchange to be around $115 million.

Klinsmann hopes Dempsey gets Champions League move

Sat, 26 May 2012 05:07:44 +0800

MIAMI (Reuters) - United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann hopes that his forward Clint Dempsey gets a move to a Champions League club after his fine season with English side Fulham.

Police: Tapes could hold clues to more Manson Family murders

Sat, 26 May 2012 05:03:59 +0800

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles police detectives are seeking to review old audio tapes of conversations between Manson Family member Charles "Tex" Watson and his former lawyer, hoping they will shed light on any additional murders the cult may have committed. The eight hours of recorded discussions between Watson and attorney Bill Boyd were made more than 40 years ago and have surfaced as a part of a bankruptcy case involving Boyd's now-defunct Texas law firm. "We are trying to get our hands on a copy of those recordings," Los Angeles police commander Andrew Smith told Reuters on Friday. ...

Judge says Enron's Skilling can seek new trial

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:51:55 +0800

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former Enron Corp Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling is reviving his quest for a new trial based on evidence his legal team received from prosecutors long after he was convicted of 19 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors.

Hurricane Bud weakens off Mexico's Pacific coast

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:48:34 +0800

MANZANILLO, Mexico (Reuters) - Hurricane Bud weakened as it churned closer to Mexico's coast on Friday, but brought heavy rains and strong winds that downed trees and closed schools and a major Pacific shipping port. The first hurricane of the 2012 season, Bud will hit the coast between the port city of Manzanillo and the tourist town of Puerto Vallarta later on Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. It weakened to a Category 1 storm during the day, packing winds of 75 mph. ...

Police find mother of abandoned Oregon children

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:42:13 +0800

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Authorities in Oregon said on Friday they had located the mother of three small children found abandoned in a shed in Portland. The youngsters, two girls and a boy aged between a few months and about three years old, were found on Thursday, police said. The youngest child, a girl, is estimated to be between eight and 15-months-old. Another girl is estimated to be about two-years-old and a boy about three-years-old. "The mother of the missing children has been located and we thank everyone who helped with information," Portland police said in a news release. ...

Wall Street scores weekly gains, but sags for the day

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:39:35 +0800

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended their first positive week in four with a down day on Friday as investors were reluctant to buy going into a long weekend, with uncertainty still swirling around Europe.

Bemused Bolt disappointed with slow time in Ostrava

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:27:51 +0800

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Usain Bolt laboured to victory in the men's 100 metres at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava on Friday but was at a loss to explain why after failing to improve on his season best or meet the target he had set himself before the race.

Facebook options debut a wild card for volatility

Sat, 26 May 2012 03:26:53 +0800

(Reuters) - Investors can hope the debut of options on Facebook Inc goes more smoothly than the long-awaited debut of the social networking service's stock on May 18.

Apple chief passes on $75 mn in stock dividends

Sat, 26 May 2012 03:15:37 +0800

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has opted not to take $75 million in dividend payout on restricted shares of stock he owns in the maker of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macintosh computers.