Year

2014

All posts published in 2014

7975 posts

George Clooney criticizes Hollywood in Sony cyber attack

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oscar winner George Clooney slammed Hollywood power players for not supporting Sony Pictures following the cyber attack on the company over the satirical comedy “The Interview” about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sony on Wednesday pulle... More »

Hong Kong former official, property tycoon guilty in graft case

HONG KONG (Reuters) – A former top Hong Kong civil servant was found guilty on Friday of accepting HK$8.5 million ($1.1 million) in bribes from executives of property developer Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd (0016.HK), in the city’s highest profile corruption cas... More »

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Nissan-Renault has suspended orders on some models in Russia

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nissan Motor Co (7201.T ) and French partner Renault SA (RENA.PA ) have stopped taking orders for some cars in Russia and could raise prices on others if the ruble’s plunge continues, alliance Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said on Frid... More »

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Double blow for Roche as Alzheimer’s, breast cancer studies fail

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) – Roche said on Friday it was ending a late-stage study of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug after it failed to prove effective, underlining the difficulty of treating the memory-robbing disease. The Swiss drugmaker also said a breast ca... More »

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Ruble firms as government steps up verbal support

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s ruble strengthened on Friday after Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed his ministry had sold foreign currency and on expectations that exporters will step up dollar sales. At 0815 GMT (03:15 a.m. EST), the ruble was around 2.7... More »

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Russian ruble will firm at start of 2015: finance minister

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Friday the rouble would definitely firm at the beginning of next year. He also confirmed the ministry had been selling foreign currency and it could buy some for its own purposes at the start o... More »

U.S. backed talks with ISIS over American hostage: newspaper

LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. counter-terrorism officials backed negotiations with two prominent jihadi clerics in a failed attempt to save the life of an American hostage who was later beheaded by Islamic State militants, the Guardian newspaper reported on Friday. ... More »

Eight children killed in Australia in reported mass stabbing

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Eight children have been killed and a woman who was mother to seven of them was injured in the northern Australian city of Cairns, police said on Friday, in what several media outlets reported was a mass stabbing. Australia is in a state of ... More »

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Long Todman run helps Jaguars take down Titans

(Reuters) – Jordan Todman produced a 62-yard touchdown run to help the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 21-13 on Thursday in a clash between struggling teams already looking ahead to next season. The Jaguars trailed 10-0 but rallied with 21 unans... More »

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In dealings with the West, Erdogan holds all the cards

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan’s tightening grip on power is likely to meet little more than symbolic resistance from the West next year, as Turkey’s G20 presidency and the fight against Islamic State trump concerns about a slide towards authori... More »

China jails captain for deadly plane crash

BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese court has jailed for three years the captain of a plane that crashed four years ago killing 44 people after finding him guilty of negligence, state media reported on Friday. Qi Quanjun, in charge of the fatal Henan Airlines flight... More »

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Highlights of Thursday’s NBA games

(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Thursday’s National Basketball Association games: Bulls 103, Knicks 97 Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 35 points and added seven assists to lead the Chicago Bulls to a win against the New York Knicks. Chicago (16-9) playe... More »

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Highlights of Thursday’s NHL games

(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Thursday’s National Hockey League games: Hurricanes 4, Maple Leafs 1 Cam Ward made 25 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes rode a strong start and solid finish to a 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs that ended a six-... More »

Stars fill the stage as Stephen Colbert closes his ‘Report’

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stephen Colbert filed his final “Colbert Report” on Thursday, bidding farewell to his popular cable television show with the help of scores of celebrities who crowded onto the stage for a rousing sendoff to the tune of “We’ll Meet Again.” ... More »

Amazon’s cloud business a harder sell in post-Snowden era

SAN FRANCISCO/SEATTLE (Reuters) – This spring, Taser International Inc won a small but high-profile contract to supply body cameras to the London police. But the deal nearly collapsed over one issue: where the video footage would be stored. In the end, the dea... More »

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JPMorgan report to outline improved controls: activist

BOSTON (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co will soon issue a report outlining improved controls it has been enacting in the wake of recent missteps, including its role in the 2008 financial crisis, according to a shareholder activist who has seen a draft. The repo... More »

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Merckx and Ickx feted as Belgium’s speed demons

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Eddy Merckx did it on a bicycle, Jacky Ickx drove fast for Formula 1. Now that both are approaching 70, an exhibition is celebrating their feats as two of history’s speediest Belgians. The stunning accomplishments of the “fast friends” are... More »

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White House releases snapshot of plan to rate U.S. colleges

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Friday released a draft of its plan to rate U.S. colleges and tie federal aid to performance as a way to coax institutions to pull up their socks. The U.S. Education Department will rate institutions on their performan... More »

Washington tries to tackle hackers behind Sony attack

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Washington made the woes of cyberattack victim Sony Pictures its own on Thursday as the White House acknowledged that the devastating strike against the big Hollywood studio was a matter of national security that would be me... More »

As U.S. eases hostilities, Cuba faces new challenge

HAVANA (Reuters) – For decades, it was Cuba’s first response to criticism. Poor economic performance? An obvious effect of a U.S. trade embargo that amounted to a blockade of the island nation by a bullying superpower. Arrests of dissidents? A legitimate act o... More »

China’s top judge urges swift, severe sentences in Xinjiang

BEIJING (Reuters) – China must crack down “harshly and quickly” on cases involving terror attacks, national security and social stability in its restive region of Xinjiang, the country’s top judge said, in comments likely to further worry rights groups and exi... More »

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Rondo traded to Mavericks

(Reuters) – The Dallas Mavericks landed point guard Rajon Rondo in a trade with the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Dallas sent Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, two draft picks and a trade exception to the Celtics in exchange for Rondo and center Dwight... More »

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Pacers’ unity a welcome plus for coach Vogel

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – For Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel, the one shining light in an injury-hit campaign where the Eastern Conference finalists of the past two seasons have resembled a sinking ship has been the team’s strong unity. Very few teams, if any,... More »

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With Cuba decision, Obama hands Hillary Clinton a gift

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton knows a political gift when she sees one. She was quick to embrace the step this week when President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat no longer having to face an electorate,... More »

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Washington governor pushes capital gains tax in face of budget gap

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Washington state Governor Jay Inslee on Thursday proposed a new tax on capital gains to try to close a projected budget shortfall of more than $2 billion, rolling back on a no-new-taxes campaign pledge. The proposal, which Inslee said would... More »

EBay parts ways with controversial political group ALEC

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Ebay Inc said on Thursday that it will end its association with the American Legislative Exchange Council, a political group that other tech companies dropped earlier this year due to its views on climate change. “After our annual rev... More »

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Pens’ Crosby in starting lineup after mumps diagnosis

(Reuters) – Sidney Crosby returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup on Thursday after missing three games when he became one of the latest National Hockey League players to be sidelined with the mumps in the past month. The league’s reigning Most Valuable Pl... More »

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U.S. Republicans look for ways to block normal ties with Cuba

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in Congress searched on Thursday for a strategy to sink or at least slow President Barack Obama’s plan to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba, drawing a shrug from the White House. They floated ideas to fight the Democrat Obam... More »

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Canadian teenager Henderson turns professional

(Reuters) – Brooke Henderson, a 17-year-old Canadian who was golf’s top-ranked female amateur, on Thursday announced her decision to turn professional and sign up with sports management company IMG (International Management Group). “I am really excited to begi... More »

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Obama to set up panel to boost trust between police and communities

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Thursday will set up a task force to draw up recommendations to strengthen trust between law enforcement and local communities, following protests over several instances of police killings of unarmed people this... More »

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Autism risk linked to particulate air pollution

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Children whose mothers were exposed to high levels of fine particulate pollution in late pregnancy have up to twice the risk of developing autism as children of mothers breathing cleaner air, scientists at Harvard School of Public Health r... More »

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Sierra Leone’s leading doctor dies of Ebola

FREETOWN (Reuters) – Sierra Leone’s leading doctor died of Ebola on Thursday, hours after the arrival in the country of an experimental drug that could have been used to treat him, the government’s chief medical officer said. Victor Willoughby was diagnosed wi... More »

Washington weighs response to Sony hack- options limited

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Thursday said it was weighing the proportional response to the sophisticated perpetrator of a cyberattack that crippled Sony Pictures, exposed its executives and led to the cancellation of the film “Th... More »

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Khan donates 30,000 pounds shorts to Peshawar school

LONDON (Reuters) – Boxer Amir Khan will donate a pair of 30,000 pounds ($47,007) shorts to the Peshawar school in Pakistan where 132 children were killed by Taliban gunmen earlier this week. Khan wore the shorts, featuring a waistband made from 24-carat gold t... More »

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Songbirds fly coop long before tornadoes arrive in Tennessee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – You might want to be careful about who you call a birdbrain. Some of our feathered friends exhibit powers of perception that put humans to shame. Scientists said on Thursday that little songbirds known as golden-winged warblers fled thei... More »

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Colorado awards $8 million to study medical marijuana uses

DENVER (Reuters) – (Corrects paragraph 7 in Dec. 17 story to clarify that funding comes from patient registration fees, not taxes on medical marijuana sales) Colorado health officials awarded $8 million in research grants on Wednesday to study the use of medic... More »

The best place to retire? You get to pick

NEW YORK (Reuters) – There are plenty of lists proclaiming “The Best Places to Retire.” But finding the place that really suits you ultimately depends on what matters most. Do you crave warm weather? Do you want to live among other retirees? Are you looking fo... More »

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SpaceX delays planned cargo run to space station to early January

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Space Exploration Technologies is delaying the planned launch on Friday of an unmanned Falcon 9 rocket, which will carry a cargo ship to the International Space Station for NASA, to early January, officials said on Thursday. Li... More »

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No risk of contagion from Greek vote: Italy economy minister

ROME (Reuters) – Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said on Thursday that possible fallout from Greece’s political showdown would not trigger a euro zone debt crisis like the one that pushed Italy close to default three years ago. “Greece in 2015 is no... More »

New York premiere of North Korea comedy canceled after threats

BOSTON (Reuters) – The New York premiere of “The Interview”, a Sony Pictures comedy about the assassination of North Korean President Kim Jong-Un, has been canceled and a source said one theater chain had scrapped plans to show it, after threats from a hacking... More »

‘Shimmering’ Cezanne to heat up art auction, Christie’s says

LONDON (Reuters) – A “shimmering” Paul Cezanne painting of the Mediterranean with a castle in the background is expected to attract the big-money buyers at a February auction that includes works by Modigliani, Giacometti and Picasso, Christie’s said on Wednesd... More »

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Sierra Leone to start house-to-house searches for Ebola patients

FREETOWN (Reuters) – Sierra Leone said it would start house-to-house searches for Ebola patients on Wednesday and impose internal travel restrictions as part of a new push to combat the epidemic. Health workers will seek Ebola victims and anyone with whom they... More »

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SpaceX to attempt rocket landing at sea

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Space Exploration Technologies will attempt to land its Falcon 9 rocket on a sea platform following launch on Friday, company officials said, a vital step to prove its precision landing capabilities needed before it can gain a ... More »

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Mixed martial artists sue league, allege antitrust

(Reuters) – Former and current mixed martial artists sued the Ultimate Fighting Championship league on Tuesday, alleging the business has a monopoly on the professional fighting market and limits the potential earnings of its athletes. The suit, filed in feder... More »

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Bucks rookie Parker out for season with knee injury

(Reuters) – Highly regarded Milwaukee Bucks rookie Jabari Parker will miss the rest of the season after the forward tore a ligament in his left knee, the team confirmed on Tuesday. Parker suffered the injury, initially believed to be a sprain, when making a dr... More »

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Lions Gate tried to discuss merger with Sony, leaked emails show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Movie maker Lions Gate Entertainment Corp executives last summer tried to meet with Sony Corp CEO Kazuo Hirai to discuss a possible merger or acquisition, according to emails found in documents stolen by hackers. Hirai eventually declin... More »

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NASA rover finds organic molecules, methane gas on Mars

Reuters – NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has found carbon-containing compounds in samples drilled out of an ancient rock, the first definitive detection of organics on the surface of Earth’s neighbor planet, scientists said on Tuesday. The rover also found spurts... More »

U.S. judge OKs Seattle artist’s ‘Angry Birds’ lawsuit

SEATTLE (Reuters) – A U.S. judge has allowed a Seattle artist’s intellectual property lawsuit to go forward over her claims she was cheated out of possibly millions of dollars from the sale of “Angry Birds” pet toys she designed, her attorney said on Tuesday. ... More »

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U.S. will bid for 2024 Summer Games, city undecided

REDWOOD CITY, California (Reuters) – The United States will bid for the 2024 Olympics, seeking to host the Summer Games for the first time since 1996, the country’s Olympic committee said on Tuesday. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Washington are under ... More »

Alabama police find heroin in toddler’s diaper, arrest father

(Reuters) – Police in Alabama arrested a man after finding 14 grams of heroin hidden in his 2-year-old daughter’s diaper, a discovery aided by a tip from the girl’s 5-year-old sister, authorities said on Tuesday. Narcotics detectives in the Birmingham suburb o... More »

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Review of evidence finds e-cigarettes may help smokers quit

LONDON (Reuters) – Evidence suggests e-cigarettes help smokers quit, but more research is needed to confirm this and find out if “vaping” nicotine is better than using patches or gum, scientists said on Wednesday. In an international review of available eviden... More »

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Ethiopian health workers arrive in Liberia to help fight Ebola

MONROVIA (Reuters) – Scores of Ethiopian health workers arrived in Liberia on Tuesday to bolster the response to an Ebola outbreak that the government says it wants to stamp out before Christmas. The 87 doctors and nurses will join an African Union (AU) missio... More »

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Mumps outbreak has likely reached peak: experts

(Reuters) – The mumps outbreak that has spread through the National Hockey League over the past month and recently claimed the game’s best player has likely reached its peak, experts said on Tuesday. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sat out his team’s... More »

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Ferrari wield axe in structural shake-up

ROME (Reuters) – Ferrari have parted company with chief designer Nikolas Tombazis and engineering director Pat Fry, two of the men responsible for designing this year’s car as the team endured their first season without a win since 1993. “Nikolas Tombazis and ... More »

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World set to end year in brittle economic state

LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) – The global economy is ending the year in a fragile state with factory activity shrinking in China, euro zone business growth remaining weak, and emerging market giant Russia in a spiraling currency crisis. “These are uncertain times a... More »

Sony Pictures warns staff on fraudsters misusing stolen data

(Reuters) – Sony Pictures Entertainment advised its current and former employees to be on the alert for fraudsters looking to use their stolen data, which included detailed personal information. In what is Sony’s most detailed description on the types of data ... More »

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Robot flies to Germany as airline passenger from Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A humanoid robot with a head, hands and feet and wearing stylish red sneakers boarded a flight for Germany at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, becoming what was billed as the first robot traveling as a paid passenger on an a... More »

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Ancient DNA reveals history of horse domestication

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Speed, smarts, and the heart of a champion: using genomic analysis, scientists have identified DNA changes that helped turn ancient horses such as those in prehistoric cave art into today’s Secretariats and Black Beautys, researchers repor... More »

‘Early Mona Lisa’ traced to English country home

GENEVA (Reuters) – Researchers into the provenance of a painting dubbed the “Early Mona Lisa” reported on Monday they had identified an English noble who probably bought it in Italy in the late 18th century and a country house where it was found in 1911. The r... More »

NBC anchor Brian Williams renews contract: network

(Reuters) – Brian Williams, anchor of the “NBC Nightly News” for the past decade, has renewed his contract and will continue to lead the newscast and serve as managing editor, NBC said on Monday. NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a message to staff, s... More »

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Abe coalition secures big Japan election win with record low turnout

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, brushing aside suggestions that a low turnout tarnished his coalition’s election win, vowed on Monday to stick to his reflationary economic policies, tackle painful structural reforms and pursue his muscula... More »

Oil hits new five-year low before rallying to $63

LONDON (Reuters) – Brent crude hit a fresh five-year low close to $60 a barrel on Monday after oil producer group OPEC restated its determination not to cut output despite a global fuel glut, but the North Sea benchmark later rallied to trade around $63. Marke... More »

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Fiscal policy moves have to accompany ECB action: Nowotny

VIENNA (Reuters) – European Central Bank measures to swell its balance sheet to spur the euro zone economy and avoid low inflation can work only if accompanied by fiscal policy steps, ECB policymaker Ewald Nowotny said on Monday, adding he saw no room to cut r... More »

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Moscow shifts to tougher economic relationship with Ukraine: PM

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Moving closer to the European Union offers no panacea for Ukraine’s financial problems and will mean big losses in economic ties with Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an article published on Monday. He said Moscow had f... More »

Yen rises in choppy trading, euro on defensive

LONDON (Reuters – The yen rose on Monday as financial markets shrugged off Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s widely expected election win, while a new low for euro zone inflation expectations kept the bloc’s currency on the defensive. Japan’s Nikkei stock a... More »

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Hungary may cut bank tax in 2016 or 2017: PM Orban

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary may cut its windfall tax on banks in 2016 or 2017 if the government can strike a good deal with the banking sector, Prime Minister Viktor Orban was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in an interview published on Sunday. The government w... More »

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Hostage taking in Sydney cafe sparks fears of Islamist-linked attack

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian police locked down the center of the country’s biggest city on Monday after an armed man walked into a downtown Sydney cafe, took hostages and forced them to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihadist attack. Police sai... More »

China says approves $18 billion worth of new road projects

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s economic planner has approved the construction of 112 billion yuan ($18.1 billion) of new roads in the latest government effort to increase investment and support the slowing economy. The five projects are located in China’s souther... More »

VW’s Bentley raises car sales target on new models: report

BERLIN (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s ultra-luxury brand Bentley has raised its target for sales as the British carmaker plans to add models such as its first ever sport-utility vehicle, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Monday. Bentley is now targeting 20,... More »

Xiaomi made $56 mln profit in 2013: filing

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Xiaomi Technology Ltd Co made a profit of 347.48 million yuan ($56.15 million) on 26.58 billion yuan ($4.30 billion) in revenue in 2013, according to new Chinese securities filings, showing the razor-thin margins at one of the hands... More »

Asian shares fall to nine-month low as oil prices sink

TOKYO (Reuters) – Global shares prices came under pressure on Monday as oil prices briefly sank to fresh 5-1/2 year lows in choppy trade, doing little to allay concerns that some energy producers and exporters could find themselves in dire straits as revenues ... More »

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Dez Bryant scores three touchdowns to clip Eagles’ wings

(Reuters) – Fired-up receiver Dez Bryant scored three touchdowns to ignite Dallas’s 38-27 win over the rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday as the Cowboys regained control of the NFC East. Bryant got into a pre-game shouting match with Philadelphia’s Malcolm Je... More »

Early slowdown signs emerge for U.S. oil states after crude slide

(Reuters) – After leading the U.S. economic recovery out of recession, some of the nation’s top oil states are showing early signs of a slowdown as a result of the plunge in crude prices. In Houston, Texas, the first oil industry layoffs have been announced, w... More »

Fed faces big decision over a few choice words

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Federal Reserve officials will decide this week whether to make a critical change to their policy statement that would widen the door for interest rate hikes next year and effectively bet the United States will continue to shine in a gloom... More »

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Australia’s budget deficit blows out amid commodity slide

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s government expects its budget deficit to balloon to A$40.4 billion ($33.2 billion) in the year to June as falling prices for key resource exports and sluggish wage growth blew a gaping hole in tax revenues. Releasing his midyear ... More »

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Brazil mascots named after ‘Girl from Ipanema’ composers

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The mascots for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be named ‘Tom’ and ‘Vinicius’ after the singer-songwriters who wrote ‘The Girl from Ipanema’, organizers said on Sunday. The names won 44 percent of votes in an online poll an... More »

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Highlights of Sunday’s NHL games

(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Sunday’s National Hockey League games. Maple Leafs 4, Kings 3 (Shootout) Joffrey Lupul was the only player to score in the shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Los Angeles Kings. The victory extended the Maple L... More »