All posts published in November 2013
(Reuters) – Italian racer Doriano Romboni died on Saturday after being struck by another rider’s bike at an event in memory of late compatriot Marco Simoncelli, who was killed in a similar fashion two years ago. The popular Simoncelli died at the 2011 Malaysia... More »
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – A smaller, paler version of Comet ISON may have survived incineration in the sun’s corona and may be brightening, scientists said on Friday. Since its discovery in September 2012, Comet ISON has been full of surprises. It st... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – A German policeman has been arrested after the chopped-up body of a man he met on a fetishist website for cannibalism was found buried in his garden, police in the eastern city of Dresden said on Friday. “The victim had been fantasizing abou... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain took a step towards holding a public vote on whether it should remain in the European Union when members of parliament backed an effort to enshrine the referendum promise in law. Prime Minister David Cameron is backing the draft legi... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – More than 3,500 bankers in Europe earned 1 million euros ($1.4 million) or more last year after a big jump across the continent and in Britain, which had 12 times as many high earners as any other country. Figures from the bloc’s banking reg... More »
DHAKA (Reuters) – A devastating fire ripped through a Bangladesh garment factory supplying major Western retailers in a blaze set by workers angered over rumors of a colleague’s death due to police gunfire. Garments are a vital sector for the South Asian natio... More »
VILNIUS (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich vetoed last-minute attempts by the European Union to rescue a trade deal that could have been signed at a summit on Friday and would have signaled a historic shift away from Russia, EU diplomats said. U... More »
HUA KHUA, Thailand (Reuters) – Squatting on flat feet, their faces drawn with exhaustion from harvesting rice, Chantee Sanwang and Nang Laor still had the energy to tussle over who loathes Thailand’s anti-government protesters more. “I really hate them,” said ... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – The European Union’s failure to conclude a landmark agreement with Ukraine this week raises questions about a policy designed to surround the bloc with a “ring of friends” that has done little so far to stabilize its neighborhood. The fiasco ... More »
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta said on Friday he would call a new confidence vote in parliament to confirm his government’s majority after the withdrawal of Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party from the ruling coalition. Letta’s comment... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The euro traded near a five-year peak against the yen and a one-month high against the dollar on Friday after euro zone inflation data eased concerns about deflationary pressures in the region. Annual euro zone consumer price inflation rose ... More »
ZURICH (Reuters) – Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX ) ultra-high net worth banker Rolf Boegli is stepping down at year-end due to health reasons, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Friday. The Swiss banker, head of premium clients in Switzerland and external asset m... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Friday, with investors reluctant to make big bets in an abbreviated session, though major indexes remained on track for their third straight month of strong gains. Trading will likely be anemic, as ... More »
(Reuters) – The implementation of a landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers is expected to begin in late December or early January, Iran’s envoy to the U.N. nuclear agency said on Friday. Under the November 24 interim accord, Iran agreed t... More »
BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China sent several fighter jets and an early warning aircraft into its new air defense zone over the East China Sea, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, raising the stakes in a standoff with the United States, Japan and Sout... More »
HONG KONG/TOKYO (Reuters) – China’s new air defense zone, stretching far into East Asia’s international skies, is an historic challenge to the United States, which has dominated the region for decades. For years, Chinese naval officers have told their U.S. cou... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – About 1,500 anti-government protesters forced their way into the compound of Thailand’s army headquarters on Friday, the latest escalation in a city-wide demonstration seeking to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. “We want to know w... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – World stocks hovered around a six-year high on Friday as faith in an improving global economy and support from central banks drove markets towards a third straight month of gains. The Nikkei in Tokyo notched up its best November since 2005 d... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A pick-up in inflation this month eases pressure on the European Central Bank to act next week, and the first fall in unemployment in almost three years shows a tentative euro zone recovery is gaining traction. The double dose of data lent... More »
AMSTERDAM/MADRID (Reuters) – Standard & Poor’s agency cut the Netherlands’ credit rating on Friday, reducing the euro zone club of full triple-A nations to just three, while rewarding Spain for efforts to reform its public finances. S&P lowered the Netherlands... More »
MADRID (Reuters) – Real Madrid’s Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has not recovered sufficiently from a muscle strain and will miss Saturday’s La Liga game at home to Real Valladolid (1900 GMT), coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday. Ronaldo, who has netted 1... More »
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ won rave reviews from South Africans who flocked to its opening night but critics were unimpressed, with one describing the latest biopic about the anti-apartheid leader as overly reverential ANC propaga... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Ryan Giggs was the first graduate of the so-called ‘Class of ’92’ to make his mark at Manchester United and on the day he turns 40, he is preparing for the weekend the same way he has for most of his life. The mercurial Welshman has out-last... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government will compile a $70 billion extra budget for the fiscal year to next March, including a previously announced economic stimulus package, while revived economic growth is expected to boost tax revenues above initial forecasts,... More »
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Standard & Poor’s raised its long-term sovereign debt rating on Cyprus to B- from CCC+ on Friday, saying immediate risks to debt repayments on the bailed-out Mediterranean nation appeared to have receded. “The stable outlook reflects our vi... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant plans to rechannel 740 billion yen ($7.24 billion) from its 10-year capital investment budget to address problems at the crippled facility such as a buildup of contaminated water, people involved in... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – The phone hasn’t stopped ringing at the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce since six world powers reached a deal with Tehran to curb its nuclear program, opening the prospect that Iran can begin to shake off its economic isolation. A strateg... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L ) is on the verge of appointing Norman Blackwell, currently chairman of its Scottish Widows arm, as the company’s new chairman, a person familiar with the matter said. Conservative peer Lord Blackwell is going th... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – A British exit from the European Union would be a dreadful decision that would cost billions of pounds and leave the world’s sixth largest economy isolated, former Prime Minister John Major was quoted as saying on Friday. Prime Minister Davi... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – With his face hidden behind sunglasses and a white surgical mask, the artist is almost as invisible as the radioactive contamination he is protesting against – yet his stickers are graphic reminders of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Known as... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Sotheby’s will hold its first major auction on the Chinese mainland on Sunday as competition between the New York-based auction house and its long-time rival Christie’s moves into one of the world’s hottest art markets amid a government cra... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The euro zone is early on its climb out of economic crisis but it is on the right track, ECB Executive Board member Yves Mersch said on Friday. “The euro area is early on in the climb out of the crisis. The summit is still far and covered... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Overnight leader Adam Scott battled through the Sydney wind and rain for a mixed bag of a round of two-under-par 70 to take a two-stroke lead over Rory McIlroy at the halfway stage of the Australian Open on Friday. McIlroy, growing in confid... More »
TOYOTA, Japan (Reuters) – The first time Japan’s Mao Asada set foot on a skating rink nearly two decades ago she wore a helmet and protective pads on her knees and elbows, wanting only to follow her big sister. Now she stands as a prime contender for gold at t... More »
(Reuters) – DeMarco Murray ran for three touchdowns to spearhead the Dallas Cowboys to a 31-24 Thanksgiving Day comeback win over the Oakland Raiders on Thursday. Trailing 21-7 in the second quarter, the Cowboys (7-5) rallied behind 24 straight points to remai... More »
(Reuters) – A comet’s 5.5-million-year journey to the inner solar system apparently ended during a suicidal trip around the sun, leaving no trace of its once-bright tail or even remnants of rock and dust, scientists said on Thursday. The comet, known as ISON, ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s plan to ban khat, a leafy plant chewed as a stimulant in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula, should be dropped because it could alienate immigrants and damage counter-terrorism operations, lawmakers said on Friday. Parlia... More »
BERNE (Reuters) – Lazio won 2-0 at Legia Warsaw on Thursday to qualify for the Europa League knockout stages after a tie marred by violence when Italian fans fought with Polish police on the way to the stadium. Olympique Lyonnais, Real Betis, Eintracht Frankfu... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The publisher of a controversial and much-criticized study suggesting genetically modified corn caused tumors in rats has withdrawn the paper after a yearlong investigation found it did not meet scientific standards. Reed Elsevier’s Food and... More »
ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Central African Republic needs up to four times more peacekeepers than are now deployed to quell a worsening sectarian conflict and provide security for aid workers, the European Union’s top humanitarian official said. The country has desce... More »
(Reuters) – The Detroit Lions overcame a sloppy start to maul the Green Bay Packers 40-10 in a key National Football League clash on Thursday to kick off the traditional American Thanksgiving gridiron feast. The Lions (7-5) have not won the NFC North division ... More »
(Reuters) – Twenty current and former footballers in the Austrian league are being treated as suspects over match-fixing and up to 17 first and second division matches could have been manipulated in the last seven years, criminal investigators said Thursday. T... More »
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Google’s practice of combining personal data from its many different online services violates Dutch data protection law, the country’s privacy watchdog said on Thursday after a seven-month investigation. The Dutch Data Protection Authorit... More »
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A fatal construction accident at Sao Paulo’s World Cup stadium may delay its opening until February, but FIFA is not worried about it being ready on time to host the tournament’s opening game in June, a source with direct knowledge of the... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Alcatel-Lucent could rejoin France’s blue-chip CAC 40 index next month as the telecom gear maker’s turnaround gains traction and its stock hits two-year highs, analysts and fund managers said. If restored to the CAC 40, Alcatel would benefit ... More »
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s state-run Ethio Telecom said on Thursday it had picked Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world’s second largest telecom equipment maker, to roll out a high-speed 4G network across the capital Addis Ababa. The introduction of th... More »
ZURICH/DUBAI (Reuters) – Swiss lender UBS is scaling back corporate advisory and investment banking services for ultra-rich clients in some emerging market countries to reduce overlap with other departments, three sources familiar with the plan said. The move ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – BT will show NBA basketball matches live on its TV channels from this weekend, strengthening its challenge to BSkyB in the battle to attract British sports fans. BT entered the sports market only in August when it launched three channels aft... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain signaled it would force tobacco companies to scrap branded cigarette packaging on Thursday in an attempt to reduce the number of children who may be drawn to smoking by striking and brightly colored packs. In a surprise decision that... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – In the latest mishap to befall the Olympic flame, a Russian torchbearer’s clothing caught fire this week as he carried it through a Siberian city. A clip posted on YouTube by the Russian site Lifenews shows former Olympic bobsledder Pyotr Ma... More »
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – One in five South African clinics are running short of life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs, affecting nearly half a million people and undermining the success of the world’s largest treatment program, medical charities said on Thursday. With ab... More »
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – India’s Competition Commission (CCI) is to investigate Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson in regard to a dispute over charges levied on Indian group Micromax for the use of Ericsson’s patents. Ericsson had sued Micromax in March 20... More »
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch Health Ministry sounded an early warning on Thursday about the possible health risks of electronic cigarettes, announcing plans to clamp down on labeling ahead of European regulations. The move followed an analysis of existing s... More »
(Note: Strong language in the 13th paragraph) By Angus MacSwan LONDON (Reuters) – Bob Dylan played London’s Albert Hall this week for the first time since his fabled and tumultuous concerts there in 1966, his vitality and mystique intact five decades on since ... More »
DOHA/LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists have found cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in camels in Qatar, health officials said on Thursday, fuelling speculation that camels might be the animal reservoir that allowed the virus to infect and kill human... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s upstart mobile player Iliad is seeking talks with larger rivals Vivendi’s SFR and Bouygues Telecom over joining the duo’s network sharing plan, according to a letter published online by Les Echos newspaper. The letter attributed to I... More »
(Reuters) – Macy’s Inc and a slew of other U.S. retailers are opening on Thanksgiving for the first time ever in a bare-knuckled brawl for a bigger slice of overall holiday sales. But it might not be so easy to lure most Americans from their turkey and footbal... More »
VILNIUS (Reuters) – The European Union told Ukraine on Thursday its rejection of a free-trade deal in favor of closer ties with Russia would risk its economic future, as EU leaders prepared for what is likely to be a fraught meeting with President Viktor Yanuk... More »
VIENNA (Reuters) – Activity has been observed at a North Korean nuclear site that is consistent with an effort to restart a reactor, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said on Thursday. North Korea announced in April that it would revive its... More »
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli conglomerate Delek Group (DLEKG.TA ) reported a 25 percent drop in quarterly net profit due to a loss in its U.S. fuel sector operations and a one-time tax expense. Delek, an energy, insurance and biochemicals company, said on Thu... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The Bank of England moved to head off the risk of a bubble in house prices on Thursday, making a surprise announcement that it would heavily scale back a scheme launched last year to boost mortgage lending. Britain’s economy and its housing ... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra breezed through a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday as confusion emerged over the goals of an anti-government protest movement massing at government offices. Waving multi-co... More »
VIENNA (Reuters) – Iran has invited U.N. inspectors to visit its Arak heavy-water production plant on December 8, the first concrete step under a cooperation agreement to clarify concerns about Tehran’s disputed nuclear program. Yukiya Amano, director general ... More »
TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) – Japanese and South Korean military aircraft flew through disputed air space over the East China Sea without informing China, officials said on Thursday, challenging a new Chinese air defense zone that has increased regional tensions and... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s campaign against online rumors, which critics say is crushing free speech, has been highly successful in “cleaning” the Internet, a top official of the country’s internet regulator said on Thursday. China has the world’s most sophis... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain announced an independent review of tobacco packaging on Thursday and said it was ready to introduce new laws banning branding on cigarette packets if the report found sufficient evidence to support it. The government, which in July d... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Thomas Cook (TCG.L ) raised its revenue and cost-cutting targets in the latest stage of a profit-boosting turnaround at the world’s oldest travel firm, sending its shares to a near three-year high. The tour operator is recovering from a dram... More »
ZURICH/DUBAI (Reuters) – Swiss lender UBS is scaling back corporate advisory and investment banking services for ultra-rich clients in some key emerging market countries to reduce overlaps with other departments, three sources familiar with the plan said. The ... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – A contraction in loans to households and companies in the euro zone quickened in October, piling pressure on the European Central Bank to do more to buoy the euro zone’s weak recovery. The ECB cut its main refinancing rate earlier this mo... More »
NEW DELHI, Nov 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The man at the center of a sexual assault scandal that has whipped India’s media into a frenzy is no average Joe. Tarun Tejpal is one of India’s most powerful journalists, and accusations that he sexually assaul... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will encourage people who wish to lodge petitions about perceived injustices to do so online rather than taking their grievances directly to officials, as the government seeks to bring order to an often chaotic and abusive system. Pet... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – World shares rose toward six-year highs on Thursday and the yen languished at fresh lows against the euro and dollar after sentiment was boosted by a batch of strong U.S. economic data. The signs of an improving U.S. jobs market and more che... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – German unemployment rose to its highest level in two-and-a-half years in November, new data showed, a day after Chancellor Angela Merkel unveiled coalition plans that row back on decade-old reforms credited with rejuvenating the labor market... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States pledged support for ally Japan on Wednesday in a growing dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea and senior U.S. administration officials accused Beijing of behavior that had unsettled its neighbors. U.S. ... More »
DUBLIN (Reuters) – When Toby Gilbert decided to emigrate last year, he did not choose Australia over Dublin for sunshine and sandy beaches. He just wanted a few more free hours to see his wife. Fed up with working punishing hours and barely seeing each other, ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Ross Brawn will stand down as principal and leave the Mercedes Formula One team at the end of the year, Mercedes said in a statement on Thursday. The Briton, who turned 59 last week, will hand over his responsibilities to executive directors... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The yen struggled near lows against the euro and the dollar on Thursday, and was on track for one of its worst monthly performances this year as investors sold the low-yielding currency to buy higher-yielding assets. The greater appetite for... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s manufacturing activity probably grew at a slower pace in November as demand weakened, a Reuters poll showed, reinforcing signs of a modest slowdown in the economy at the year-end as Beijing shifts its focus to market-based reforms. ... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Adam Scott revived memories of Greg Norman’s glory days when he wowed the Sydney crowds with a brilliant 10-under-par 62 to take a three-stroke lead after the opening round of the Australian Open on Thursday. The world number two, who manage... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Rory McIlroy is driving as well as ever but his putting let him down on Thursday when he ended the first round of the Australian Open seven shots behind leader Adam Scott after shooting a three-under-par 69. The world number six’s problems s... More »
MANILA (Reuters) – Annual growth in the Philippines cooled to its lowest in more than a year in the third quarter, and this month’s destructive typhoon is set to dim the lights further in one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. Growth is expected to slow shar... More »
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A haircut and some makeup was all it took for a Hong Kong musician to transform himself into one of the world’s most notorious dictators, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. When Kim inherited power from his dead father, friends teased the A... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – The breakneck pace of growth in China’s 10 trillion yuan ($1.64 trillion) investment trust industry is unsustainable and earnings risk drying up as the government steps up financial reforms that will change sources of revenue, research show... More »
(Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s healthcare law is facing its biggest test this weekend since its disastrous October 1 launch, as Americans find out whether the administration has met a self-imposed deadline to fix its insurance shopping website. Another m... More »
DALLAS (Reuters) – American cardiologists appear staunch in their support for President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform, although some fear that its rocky launch could derail efforts to improve preventive care for needy patients. The broad support for the Aff... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Justin Bieber has been asked to clean up his mess by the mayor of the Gold Coast in Australia after the Canadian pop star spraypainted the wall of a hotel during his “Believe” tour. The abstract graffiti was painted in the tennis court area ... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Adam Scott shot a course record 10-under-par 62 in the first round of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney on Thursday but the world number two was left ruing a mid-round dip that prevented him from posting an even lower score. Scott has been... More »
KIEV (Reuters) – Europe’s envoys have beaten a path to Viktor Yanukovich’s door almost daily for months to clear the way for a historic trade pact between Ukraine and the European Union. But the shock of EU leaders when his government last week pulled the plug... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The agency in charge of the troubled HealthCare.gov website said on Wednesday is it switching providers of Web hosting services, the latest change for the website at the heart of President Barack Obama’s health care reforms. The Centers ... More »
(Reuters) – A California federal judge has dismissed a consumer lawsuit over data privacy against Apple Inc, saying the plaintiffs had failed to show they had relied on any alleged company misrepresentations and that they had suffered harm. The four plaintiffs... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee accused the White House on Wednesday of using “over the top” rhetoric and “fear-mongering” tactics to try to halt new sanctions against Iran after the United States b... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The headquarters of the Washington Post is being sold to Carr Properties, a real estate investment company, for about $159 million, the newspaper’s former owner said on Wednesday. Graham Holdings Co, which sold the Post to Amazon founder... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s decade-long boom in mining investment is not slowing nearly as quickly as many feared, while other sectors are beefing up spending at a rate that should greatly ease concerns about the economic outlook. A closely-watched report f... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – America’s Cup challengers Hamilton Island Yacht Club (HIYC) have recruited Iain Murray to head up Team Australia’s challenge for the 35th addition of the regatta in 2014. Murray, a veteran of Australian challenges, recently held the dual ... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s current account surplus surged to a record high in October as exports grew more than imports, official data showed on Thursday, underscoring still-weak domestic demand while adding to upward pressures on the won. Asia’s fourth-l... More »
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Two workers were killed on Wednesday when a crane collapsed at the stadium hosting the opening match of next year’s World Cup of soccer, causing damage to the exterior and renewing questions about whether Brazil will be ready to host the ... More »
(Reuters) – Barclays Capital Inc has been ordered to pay $2.1 million to a New York-based trader it fired last year in connection with the alleged rigging of the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, according to arbitration documents. The Financial Industr... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Holiday movies are often filled with feel-good messages and festive cheer, but as the United States whets its appetite for the Thanksgiving weekend, psychological drama “Oldboy” attempts to serve up a platter of old-fashioned revenge. “... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama phoned Saudi King Abdullah on Wednesday to discuss the interim deal between Iran and six world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program, and emphasized that it will be important for Iran to follow through on commitm... More »
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Illinois legislative leaders on Wednesday reached a long-elusive deal to reform the state’s woefully underfunded public pensions, but the plan must still win support of lawmakers and could face legal challenges if approved. Powerful House S... More »
