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Friday, August 9, 2013

U.S., Russian ministers agree to prepare for Syria peace talks: Lavrov

U.S., Russian ministers agree to prepare for Syria peace talks: Lavrov

U.S., Russian ministers agree to prepare for Syria peace talks: Lavrov

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:46 PM PDT

US Secretary of State Kerry confers with Russian FM Lavrov at the State Department in WashingtonBy Paul Eckert and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and Russian officials agreed on Friday on the need to convene a Syrian peace conference in Geneva as soon as possible and will meet again by the end of the month to prepare for the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Lavrov said the mood of talks in Washington between the top U.S. and Russian diplomatic and defense officials was very positive. The meeting opened after days of recriminations over Moscow's decision to grant asylum to former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. Both Lavrov and U.S. ...

Obama says he has range of candidates to lead Fed

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:45 PM PDT

President Barack Obama gestures during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said he'll work with Congress to change the oversight of some of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs and name a new panel of outside experts to review technologies. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he has a range of outstanding candidates to lead the Federal Reserve and calls Lawrence Summers and Janet Yellen highly qualified to become the next Fed chairman.

Obama pledges greater transparency in surveillance programs

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT

U.S. President Obama addresses a news conference at the White House in WashingtonBy Steve Holland and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced plans on Friday to limit sweeping U.S. government surveillance programs that have come under criticism since leaks by a former spy agency contractor, saying the United States "can and must be more transparent." "Given the history of abuse by governments, it's right to ask questions about surveillance, particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives," Obama told a news conference at the White House. ...

US stocks slide as market heads for weekly loss

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:43 PM PDT

FILE - In this Friday, June 29, 2012 file photo, specialists Frank Masello, left, and John T. O'Hara work on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York shortly before the closing bell. Global stock markets were choppy Friday Aug. 9, 2013 after China reported improved but still tepid economic data. (AP Photo/David Karp, File)NEW YORK (AP) — On the stock market, Friday was the ho-hum capstone to a ho-hum week, where unimpressive earnings kept investors feeling wary.

Obama: New oversight but no change to spying power

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:42 PM PDT

President Barack Obama rubs his eye as he listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said the US will pause and reassess relations with Russia because of Putin's `backward' thinking. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama made clear Friday that he has no intention of stopping the daily collection of phone records from millions of Americans, but he promised "appropriate reforms" to how such surveillance is carried out.

Mexico drug kingpin Caro Quintero ordered released

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:38 PM PDT

The undated file photo distributed by the Mexican government shows Rafael Caro Quintero, considered the grandfather of Mexican drug trafficking. A Mexican court has ordered the release of Caro Quintero after 28 years in prison for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena, a brutal murder that marked a low-point in U.S.-Mexico relations. (AP Photo/File)MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican officials said Friday a court ordered the release of infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero after 28 years in prison, overturning his conviction for the 1985 kidnap and killing of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent. The brutal murder marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations.

Obama: NSA leaker Edward Snowden not a patriot

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:36 PM PDT

President Barack Obama speaks at a news conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The president said he'll work with Congress to change the oversight of some of the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs and name a new panel of outside experts to review technologies. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden is not a patriot for revealing widespread government surveillance programs.

CNN's Gupta: I was wrong about marijuana

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:35 PM PDT

FILE - In this July 31, 2013 file photo, Dr. Sanjay Gupta attends a special screening of "Lee Daniels' The Butler" in New York. Gupta says he spoke too soon in opposing the medical use of marijuana in the past, and that he now believes the drug can have very real benefits for people with specific health problems. Gupta, the network's chief medical correspondent and a brain surgeon, detailed his change of heart in an interview Friday and an article for CNN's website titled "Why I changed my mind on weed." He will narrate a documentary on the topic that the network is airing on Sunday. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK (AP) — CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta says he spoke too soon in opposing the medical use of marijuana in the past and that he now believes the drug can have very real benefits for people with specific health problems.

Officials: Israeli drone strike kills 5 in Egypt

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:34 PM PDT

FILE - In this March 7, 2007, file photo, the Israeli army Heron TP drone, also known locally as the Eitan, flies during a display at the Palmahim Air Force Base in Palmahim, Israel. Egyptian security officials said Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, an Israeli drone fired a missile in the northern Sinai peninsula, killing several suspected Islamic militants and destroying a rocket launcher. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — An Israeli drone strike killed five suspected Islamic militants and destroyed a rocket launcher in Egypt's largely lawless Sinai Peninsula on Friday, two senior Egyptian security officials said, describing a rare Israeli operation carried out in its Arab neighbor's territory.

Priceline stock flirts with historic $1,000 mark

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:32 PM PDT

FILE - This Thursday, Nov. 2, 2000, file photo, shows Priceline.com's headquarters in Norwalk, Conn. Priceline.com came close Friday Aug. 9, 2013, to becoming the first stock in the Standard & Poor's 500 index to ever cross $1,000. Investors jumped onboard after the travel booking company reported better than expected second-quarter earnings. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Priceline.com came close Friday to becoming the first stock in the Standard & Poor's 500 index to ever cross $1,000.

Swiss apologize for encounter Oprah calls racist

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:30 PM PDT

FILE - In this May 30, 2013 file photo, Oprah Winfrey speaks during Harvard University's commencement ceremonies in Cambridge, Mass. Winfrey says she had a racist encounter while shopping in Switzerland _ and the apologetic national tourist office agrees. The billionaire media mogul told the U.S. program GENEVA (AP) — It's a glamorous playground of the rich and famous, filled with glitterati from princes to movie stars. It's also a land with a sometimes uneasy relationship with foreigners — especially when they aren't white.

Obama signs student loan deal, says job isn't done

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:29 PM PDT

President Barack Obama signs the bipartisan bill to cut student loan interest rates, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. The bill has been awaiting Obama's signature since earlier this month, when the House gave it final congressional approval after a drawn-out process to reach a compromise in the Senate. The bill links student loan interest rates to the financial markets. It would offer lower rates for most students now, but higher ones down the line if the economy improves as expected. From left are, Charlotte Etier; Central Connecticut State University; Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Sen. Angus King, I-Maine; Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill.; Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn.; and Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a measure restoring lower interest rates for student loans, pledging the hard-fought compromise would be just the first step in a broader, concerted fight to rein in the costs of a college education.

Postal Service had $740 million third-quarter loss

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:25 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Postal Service said Friday that it trimmed its losses to $740 million over the last three months by consolidating processing facilities, cutting hours for workers and post offices and reducing workers' compensation costs.

Car in Calif. missing teen case found in Idaho

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:23 PM PDT

CORRECTS AGE OF CHRISTINA ANDERSON TO 42 - FILE - This composite photo provided by the San Diego Sheriff's Department shows: James Lee Dimaggio, 40, left, Ethan Anderson, 8, and Hannah Anderson, 16, whose mother, Christina Anderson, 42, was one of two people found dead in a house fire Sunday night, Aug. 4, 2013. Amber Alerts expanded to Oregon and Washington as authorities searched for Dimaggio, who is suspected of abducting Hannah Anderson and wanted in the death of the girl's mother and possibly her brother Ethan. (AP Photo/San Diego Sheriff's Department, File)SAN DIEGO (AP) — A car belonging to the suspect in the disappearance of a teenage girl in California was found in Idaho after horseback riders reported seeing the man and girl hiking in the wilderness, authorities said on Friday.

Dengue epidemic looms for Central American region

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:15 PM PDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Central America is on track to have one of its worst years ever for the painful, sometimes fatal disease of dengue, prompting governments across the region to mobilize against the mosquito-borne virus.

America Movil makes $9.6 billion bid for rest of KPN

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:12 PM PDT

The data center of Dutch telecoms group KPN is seen in HaarlemBy Alexandra Alper and Sophie Sassard MEXICO CITY/LONDON (Reuters) - Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's America Movil took a swipe at arch-rival Telefonica with a 7.2 billion euro ($9.6 billion) bid for the 70 percent of Dutch telecoms group KPN that it does not already own. Spain's Telefonica last month made an $11 billion offer to buy KPN's crown jewel, Germany's E-Plus, disrupting America Movil's expensive - and on paper money-losing - foray into Europe. America Movil and Telefonica together control about 60 percent of mobile phone business in Latin America. ...

US says Japan has long way to go to open markets

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:12 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Japan still has a long way to go before it can say its markets are open, the top U.S. trade official said on Friday.

Yemen terror boss left blueprint for waging jihad

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:09 PM PDT

FILE - This image provided by IntelCenter on Dec. 30, 2009, shows a frame made from video released Jan. 23, 2009 by al-Malahim Media Foundation, the media arm of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, with a man identified as Nasser al-Wahishi. In 2012, a year before a communication was intercepted of him discussing the terror plot that prompted early August 2013's sweeping closure of U.S. embassies abroad, al-Qaida's top operative in Yemen laid out his blueprint for how to wage jihad in letters sent to a fellow terrorist. Al-Wahishi provided a step-by-step assessment of what worked and what didn't in Yemen. He urged his fellow jihadist to provide food, clean water and electricity to the people living in the areas they control. He even offers tips for more efficient garbage collection. (AP Photo/IntelCenter, File)TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — A year before he was caught on an intercept discussing the terror plot that prompted this week's sweeping closure of United States embassies abroad, al-Qaida's top operative in Yemen laid out his blueprint for how to wage jihad in letters sent to a fellow terrorist.

Plane approaching Conn. airport crashes into homes

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:50 PM PDT

EAST HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A small plane crashed in a working-class neighborhood near an airport Friday and engulfed two houses in flames, killing at least two people and leaving a third feared dead.

Fla. murder suspect posted photo of wife's body

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:06 PM PDT

Police tape blocks the entrance to a murder scene in Miami, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013. Derek Medina, who authorities say fatally shot his wife — and apparently then posted a photo of her body on Facebook — turned himself in to police on Thursday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)SOUTH MIAMI, Fla. (AP) — The South Florida man who authorities say killed his 26-year-old wife and apparently posted a photo of her corpse on Facebook told residents of his townhouse complex that he possessed a concealed weapon permit and belonged to a neighborhood watch patrol.

Obama signs student loan deal

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 12:01 PM PDT

Chart shows projected student loan rates; 1c x 3 inches; 46.5 mm x 76 mm;WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a measure restoring lower interest rates for student loans, pledging the hard-fought compromise would be just the first step in a broader, concerted fight to rein in the costs of a college education.

Ackman pushes for Penney chairman to go

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:55 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The battle over J.C. Penney's future just got uglier.

Oil rises near $106 on strong China economic data

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:54 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose more than 2 percent Friday as positive economic news from China outweighed expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would soon start withdrawing its bond-buying program.

Caesars Entertainment selling Macau property

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:54 AM PDT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Casino giant Caesars Entertainment Corp. informed regulators Friday that it is selling its property in Macau to an Asian developer for $438 million.

AP Exclusive: Yemen terror boss wrote about jihad

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:45 AM PDT

TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — A year before he was caught on an intercept discussing the terror plot that prompted this week's sweeping closure of United States embassies abroad, al-Qaida's top operative in Yemen laid out his blueprint for how to wage jihad in letters sent to a fellow terrorist.

Gunmen abduct 2 Turkish Airlines pilots in Lebanon

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:42 AM PDT

Lebanese policemen stand guard outside a hotel where the rest of a Turkish Airlines crew stayed after six gunmen ambushed their vehicle on an old airport road and snatched two of the crewmembers, a pilot and a co-pilot, according to Lebanese officials, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)BEIRUT (AP) — Gunmen intercepted a van carrying Turkish Airlines employees from Beirut's international airport to a hotel in the Lebanese capital Friday, kidnapping two pilots but leaving the four other crew members behind, officials said.

NYC library selling 22,000 vinyl LPs for $1 each

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:39 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Vinyl record collectors are flocking to New York City's Lincoln Center for a sale of albums that were donated to the New York Public Library.

About half Greek businesses caught cheating taxman

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:33 AM PDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Nationwide spot checks by Greek tax inspectors have found that almost every other business is cheating the taxman in some way, as the debt-hobbled country's authorities struggle to improve revenue collection amid a crippling recession.

Court grants conservatorship over actress Bynes

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:29 AM PDT

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 9, 2013 file photo, Amanda Bynes, accompanied by attorney Gerald Shargel, arrives for a court appearance in New York on allegations that she chucked a marijuana bong out the window of her 36th-floor Manhattan apartment. A judge has granted Amanda Bynes' mother a conservatorship over the former child actress. Ventura County Judge Glen Reiser ruled Friday, Aug. 9, that Richard and Lynn Bynes should be allowed to limited control their daughter's personal affairs, including medical treatment.The former star of Nickelodeon shows OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — A judge granted the mother of Amanda Bynes a temporary conservatorship on Friday to make decisions about her daughter's treatment in case the former child actress is released from a facility where she is being treated for mental health issues.

Zimbabwe opposition glum, resigned to more Mugabe

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:27 AM PDT

Movement For Democratic Change (MDC)supporters are seen next to a police vehicle outside their party offices in Harare, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. Zimbabwean President elect, Robert Mugabe, received the mandate to rule the country for the next five years after receiving more than 60 percent of the vote beating his main challenger Morgan Tsvangirai, who has declared the election null and void and vowed to fight the outcome in court. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The gloom among some Zimbabweans following elections last week was evident on a recent minibus ride into Harare as conversation turned to politics. Passengers stared at the passing landscape of winter-scorched grass and scattered trees. Gradually, conversation turned to politics.

Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:25 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Guest lineups for the Sunday TV news shows:

Suit cites seatbelts in San Francisco plane crash

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:24 AM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Three San Francisco Bay Area families have sued Boeing over the deadly crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, alleging that coach passengers suffered more serious injuries than business class travelers because of different seatbelt configurations.

San Diego sheriff to update missing girl case

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:21 AM PDT

CORRECTS AGE OF CHRISTINA ANDERSON TO 42 - FILE - This composite photo provided by the San Diego Sheriff's Department shows: James Lee Dimaggio, 40, left, Ethan Anderson, 8, and Hannah Anderson, 16, whose mother, Christina Anderson, 42, was one of two people found dead in a house fire Sunday night, Aug. 4, 2013. Amber Alerts expanded to Oregon and Washington as authorities searched for Dimaggio, who is suspected of abducting Hannah Anderson and wanted in the death of the girl's mother and possibly her brother Ethan. (AP Photo/San Diego Sheriff's Department, File)SAN DIEGO (AP) — Police are warning that a California man suspected of abducting a 16-year-old family friend may have abandoned his car while on the run and rigged it with explosives.

Scott keeps rolling as rain lets up at Oak Hill

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:18 AM PDT

Adam Scott, of Australia, watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, in Pittsford, N.Y. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The rain let up at soggy Oak Hill.

GrubHub, Seamless complete combination

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:18 AM PDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rivals Seamless and GrubHub said Friday that they have completed their combination, creating an online takeout company covering about 25,000 restaurants in 500 cities.

Israel risks loss of EU funding over settlements

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:12 AM PDT

FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 7, 2009 file photo, an Israeli flag is seen in front of the West Bank Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israel risks losing hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants over Europe's tough new anti-settlement stance _ the heftiest price the Jewish state has ever been asked to pay for continued building on occupied lands the Palestinians want for their state. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)JERUSALEM (AP) — Europe's tough new stance against Jewish settlements could cost Israel hundreds of millions of dollars in EU research grants, putting a hefty price tag on its refusal to stop building on lands Palestinians want for a state.

Yemen: 7 Saudis among militants killed by drones

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:10 AM PDT

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2011 file photo, a Predator B unmanned aircraft taxis at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. Two U.S. drone strikes killed a total of nine suspected al-Qaida militants Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013, a Yemeni military official said, the sixth and seventh such attacks in less than two weeks as the Arab nation is on high alert against terrorism. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)SANAA, Yemen (AP) — At least seven suspected militants from Saudi Arabia were among the alleged al-Qaida members killed in Yemen in a recent wave of U.S. drone strikes, senior Yemeni officials said Friday, suggesting that Saudis are increasingly crossing the border to carry funds or seek terrorist training.

FCC votes to cap, slash prison phone rates

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:53 AM PDT

Bethany Fraser, a family member affected by phone rates, listens to testimony during the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing at the FCC in Washington, Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. The FCC approved limits on rates that prison inmates pay to make phone calls. The FCC voted 2-1 Friday - a decade after inmates' families asked for action. Fraser is a family member impacted by the high phone rates for prison inmates. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON (AP) — A decade after families of prison inmates asked for action, the Federal Communications Commission agreed to limit how much companies can charge for phone calls made from behind bars.

'Star Wars' film won't be previewed at Disney expo

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:51 AM PDT

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2009 handout photo released by Disney, Mickey Mouse stands in front of the Anaheim Convention Center in preparation for the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif. The Walt Disney Co. is cracking open the vault, rolling out the red carpet and pulling back the curtain for more than 45,000 expected fans at this weekend's D23 Expo, Aug. 9-11, 2013, a three-event celebration of all things Disney at the Anaheim Convention Center. On the animation front, the studio will showcase Walt Disney Animation Studios' computer-generated adventure "Frozen" and Pixar's prehistoric comedy "The Good Dinosaur" during a Friday presentation, as well as the "Finding Nemo" sequel "Finding Dory," the manga-style Marvel adaptation "Big Hero 6" and the new Mickey Mouse short film "Get a Horse!" (AP Photo/Disney, Scott Brinegar, File)ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Force may not be with Disney fans this weekend.

US wholesale stockpiles fell 0.2 percent in June

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:46 AM PDT

In this July 25, 2013, photo, Trucks move into the container terminal at the Port of Wilmington in Wilmington, N.C. The government reports how much wholesale businesses adjusted their stockpiles in June and how much they collected in sales on Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesalers cut their stockpiles in June for a third straight month even as their sales rose again. Businesses may need to speed up restocking if demand continues to increase, a trend that could boost economic growth in the second half of the year.
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