International News
Rockets hit near Tel Aviv as Gaza death toll rises
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA | Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:39pm EST
(Reuters) - Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip targeted Tel Aviv on Thursday in the first attack on Israel's commercial capital in 20 years, raising the stakes in a showdown between Israel and the Palestinians that is moving towards all-out war.
Earlier, a Hamas rocket killed three Israelis north of the Gaza Strip, drawing the first blood from Israel as the Palestinian death toll rose to 19, six of them children.
Israeli warplanes bombed targets in and around Gaza city for a second day, shaking tall buildings. In a sign of possible escalation, the armed forces spokesman said the military had received the green light to call in up to 30,000 reserve troops.
Palestinians repeat call for U.N. action on Israeli strikes
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS | Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:57pm EST
(Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority renewed its call on Thursday for the U.N. Security Council to take action to stop Israel's attacks against the Gaza Strip, a day after the 15-nation body held an inconclusive emergency meeting on the escalating conflict.
"The mobilization of Israeli occupying forces on the ground, including the amassing of tanks, armored vehicles and buses near the Gaza border are cause for serious concern and demand the attention of the international community," the Palestinian U.N. observer, Riyad Mansour, wrote to the U.N. Security Council.
"We thus reiterate our urgent appeal to the Security Council ... to uphold its (U.N.) Charter duties and to act now to protect the Palestinian civilian population under Israel's occupation in accordance with international humanitarian law," he wrote to Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, president of the Security Council this month.
Japan sets course for December 16 election and seventh PM in six years
By Linda Sieg
TOKYO | Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:42pm EST
(Reuters) - Japan is set to dissolve parliament's lower house on Friday for a December 16 election that is likely to return the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to power with a conservative former prime minister at the helm.
However, few expect the poll, three years after a historic victory swept the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to power for the first time, will fix a policy stalemate that has plagued the economy as it struggles with an ageing population and security challenges due to China's rapid rise.
Political experts worry former Prime Minister and head of the LDP Shinzo Abe, who polls suggest will be the next premier, will further fray ties with China, already chilled by a territorial row over a group of islands.
Mexico lawmaker introduces bill to legalize marijuana
By Noe Torres
MEXICO CITY | Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:29pm EST
(Reuters) - A leftist Mexican lawmaker on Thursday presented a bill to legalize the production, sale and use of marijuana, adding to a growing chorus of Latin American politicians who are rejecting the prohibitionist policies of the United States.
The bill is unlikely to win much support in Congress since a strong majority of Mexicans are firmly against legalizing drugs, but may spur a broader debate in Mexico after two U.S. states voted to allow recreational use of marijuana last week. U.S. officials have said it remains illegal and that they are reviewing the state actions.
The split between local and federal governments in the United States is feeding a growing challenge in Latin America to the four-decade-old policies that Washington promoted, and often bankrolled, to disrupt illegal drug cultivation and smuggling.
U.S News
On eve of "fiscal cliff" talks, positions harden
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:19pm EST
(Reuters) - As President Barack Obama and congressional leaders prepared for budget and tax talks on Friday aimed at preventing the economy from falling back into recession, a top Republican vowed to overhaul the U.S. tax code next year.
Democrats and Republicans dug in on their long-held opposing positions on the eve of the talks, with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell warning, "What we won't do is raise tax rates."
But raising income taxes on the wealthy to help shrink the deficit was exactly what Obama highlighted during his first post-election news conference on Wednesday. Twenty-four hours later, Obama spokesman Jay Carney argued that public sentiment was firmly behind the newly re-elected president.
Intelligence committees see film of Benghazi attack
By Susan Cornwell and Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:19pm EST
(Reuters) - Intelligence officials on Thursday showed lawmakers a real-time film of the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, and discussed a timeline of events in sometimes heated exchanges at a closed-door hearing, lawmakers said.
The House and Senate intelligence committees heard from intelligence, FBI and State Department officials on the events surrounding the September 11 attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.
Questions about the adequacy of security, the U.S. response to the attack, and the administration's initial public comments have led to a growing rift between Republicans and President Barack Obama over where the fault lies.
Man indicted in plot to bomb New York Federal Reserve
By Jessica Dye
NEW YORK | Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:51pm EST
(Reuters) - A Bangladeshi man has been indicted on charges of attempting to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank last month with what he believed was a 1,000-pound bomb, court papers made public Thursday show.
The grand jury indictment charges Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempting to provide material support to a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, al Qaeda. He faces life in prison if convicted.
Nafis was arrested on October 17 after pulling up to the Federal Reserve and attempting to detonate what he believed to be a van packed with explosives.
U.S. Postal Service has record loss, may face cash shortfall
By Emily Stephenson
WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:44pm EST
(Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service reported a record annual loss on Thursday and warned that, without congressional action, it could face a cash shortfall next fall.
The mail service said it lost $15.9 billion in the fiscal year that ended on September 30. That is more than triple its $5.1 billion loss last year.
The USPS, which relies on the sale of stamps and other products rather than taxpayer dollars, has been grappling for years with high costs and tumbling mail volumes as consumers communicate more online.
F-22 fighter crashes in Florida, pilot unhurt
WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:17pm EST
(Reuters) - A U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter crashed on Thursday at Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base, but the pilot ejected safely and was unhurt, a base spokeswoman said.
The F-22 Raptor, one of the most advanced U.S. warplanes, was returning from a routine training mission when it crashed about 3:30 p.m., spokeswoman Ashley Wright said.
The Lockheed Martin Corp plane caught fire when it hit the ground, but firefighters quickly put out the blaze, she said. The cause is under investigation.
Four killed, 17 hurt as train hits float at Texas veterans parade
By Matthew Waller
MIDLAND, Texas | Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:13am EST
(Reuters) - A train crashed into a parade float carrying U.S. military veterans and their spouses in West Texas on Thursday, killing four people and injuring 17, police and parade organizers said.
Ten of the hospitalized were in critical condition and seven others were listed as stable, said Midland Police Chief Price Robinson.
Robinson said the Union Pacific train struck an open trailer carrying the veterans and their spouses as it was being pulled across the train tracks at around 4:30 p.m.
Business/Economy
Superstorm boosts jobless claims, hits factories
By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:21pm EST
(Reuters) - Superstorm Sandy drove a surge in new claims for jobless benefits last week and hurt factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region in November, signs it could deal a substantial blow to economic growth in the fourth quarter.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 78,000 to a seasonally adjusted 439,000, the highest level since April 2011, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
It was the biggest one-week jump since a spike caused by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.
Housing not yet out of the woods: Bernanke
By Karen Jacobs
ATLANTA | Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:56pm EST
(Reuters) - The improving housing market is "far from being out of the woods," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday, arguing that overly tight lending standards are part of the problem.
The Fed, which has focused on mortgage bonds in its latest round of asset purchases, will continue to do what it can to support the housing market, Bernanke said in a speech that avoided policy specifics.
A bubble in the U.S. housing market was at the core of the 2007-2009 financial crisis and brutal recession that continues to hamper the world economy. Data in recent months, however, have shown the sector is on the mend.
Wall Street ends flat as wary investors stay defensive
By Leah Schnurr
NEW YORK | Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:02pm EST
(Reuters) - Stocks were little changed on Thursday as the prospect of a drawn-out battle over impending tax and spending changes made investors wary of getting into the water, while retailer Wal-Mart tumbled after disappointing sales.
The S&P 500 is down nearly 2 percent for the week, adding to last week's selloff and eroding more of the market's gains for the year.
What had looked like a stellar 2012 for stocks has turned into merely an average year, and as 2012 draws to a close, investors are becoming more inclined to protect the gains they have.
On the Lighter Side
Detroit's Cabrera wins AL MVP award
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK | Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:23am EST
(Reuters) - Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, the first player to win the Triple Crown in 45 years, added the American League's Most Valuable Player award on Thursday for the 2012 Major League Baseball season.
Cabrera became the first player since Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967 to lead the league in the three top traditional offensive categories with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs, and 139 runs batted in.
He also became the first Venezuelan to win the coveted MVP award, getting the nod over Rookie of the Year winner Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, whose brilliant all-around play had made him a serious challenger to Cabrera.
Giants' Buster Posey wins NL MVP award
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK | Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:48am EST
(Reuters) - Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants added to a career's worth of accomplishments by winning the National League Most Valuable Player award on Thursday in just his third season.
Yet the humble, 25-year-old catcher said what he took away from the 2012 season was a heartfelt appreciation just to be able to play.
Posey had the highest batting average in the major leagues at .336 and pounded 24 homers while driving in 103 to win MLB's top individual award following a 2011 season that ended for him after only 45 games in a devastating collision at home plate.
Hollywood thirsts for young adult films as "Twilight" ends
By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:46pm EST
(Reuters) - As vampires Bella and Edward take their last bites on the big screen, Hollywood studios are on the hunt for the next "Twilight," a movie that plays on teenage angst and, more importantly, lights up the movie box office.
The first four "Twilight" movies earned $2.5 billion at theaters worldwide, propelled by passionate fans of a book series about a vampire-and-werewolf teen love triangle. Box office watchers project "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" will haul in $150 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend, one of the year's biggest film debuts.
Eager to replicate that performance, studios executives have been trolling through young adult novels with the dream of uncovering the next big blockbuster franchise, paying as much as $1 million to secure the film rights to the hottest books.
Psy, Drake, Gotye join American Music Awards birthday bash
By Piya Sinha-Roy
LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 15, 2012 4:21pm EST
(Reuters) - The American Music Awards rings in its 40th year on Sunday, with top nominees like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj battling for the top trophies and Stevie Wonder leading a tribute to the show's late founder, Dick Clark.
Variety is the key to this year's three-hour ceremony from Los Angeles, with performers including Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, 1990s ska-punk band No Doubt, alt-rockers Linkin Park, country-pop darling Taylor Swift, Korean Internet sensation Psy and British-Irish boyband The Wanted.
"The AMAs reflects pop culture, which is all forms of music, all genres, pop, rock, country, hip hop, alternative ... all these things that normally don't together. It's our job to make it flow," producer Larry Klein told Reuters.
"Avengers", Adam Levine lead People's Choice nominations
LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 15, 2012 6:58pm EST
(Reuters) - "The Avengers" led the movie nominations for the annual People's Choice Awards on Thursday in a field packed with action films, while Maroon 5 and frontman Adam Levine won six nods in music and television categories.
Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum - People magazine's latest "sexiest man alive" - and actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone also received multiple nominations for the only Hollywood awards show covering film, music and television that is voted on entirely by the public.
The People's Choice Awards ceremony, set for January 9, is the first in the busy Hollywood awards season, which culminates with the coveted Academy Awards on February 24.
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