ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan has told civil servants not to wear socks as the country turns off air-conditioners amid a chronic power crisis and soaring temperatures. The government has turned off all air-conditioning in its offices as the country endures blackouts of up to 20 hours a day in some places. "There shall be no [...]
By Hugo Dixon LONDON, May 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) – It is perhaps too much to expect Britain’s Conservative-led government to head any initiatives on Europe, such is the orgy of self-destruction in the party over whether the UK should stay in the European Union. But, insofar as David Cameron manages to get some respite from [...]
By Jason Lange and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chances of a deal between Democratic and Republican lawmakers that would overhaul the tax system, trim government spending and reform safety net spending programs appear to be fading. A sudden improvement in the outlook for the government deficit over the next decade has alleviated some [...]
By Nichola Groom LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – In October 2004, then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rolled up to a pioneering fueling station at Los Angeles International Airport in a hydrogen-powered metallic blue Hummer loaned to him by General Motors Corp. The "California Hydrogen Highway," Schwarzenegger’s vision to ensure that every Californian would have access to [...]
By Kristen Hays and Jonathan Leff HOUSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – For the past three years, the boom in the U.S. shale oil industry has outstripped all expectations. Production surged far faster than any forecasts; drillers raced to secure space in new pipelines to get their crude to market. Now, at the periphery, that may be [...]
By Ernest Scheyder WATFORD CITY, North Dakota (Reuters) – In towns across North Dakota, the wellhead of the North American energy boom, the locals have taken to quoting the adage: "Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting." It’s not that they lack water, like Texas and California. They are swimming in it, and [...]
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s recent designation of an acting head of its diplomatic mission in the United States shows the OPEC nation’s desire to restore full diplomatic relations, the foreign minister said in an interview broadcast on Sunday. Disputes between Caracas and Washington were common during the 14-year-rule of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, leaving [...]
By Chris Francescani (Reuters) – A massive storm front swept north through the central United States on Sunday, hammering the region with fist-sized hail, blinding rain and tornadoes, including a half-mile wide twister that struck near Oklahoma City. News reports said at least one person had died. By 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, more than [...]
By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Izumi Nakagawa TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese government upgraded its assessment of the economy on Monday, as emerging signs of an upturn in exports and factory output added to growing evidence that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aggressive polices are beginning to reignite growth. The world’s third-biggest economy is gradually recovering, according [...]
By Serajul Quadir and Rafiqur Rahman GAZIPUR, Bangladesh (Reuters) – A Bangladesh factory where Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Inditex SA inspectors spotted cracks in the wall this month is still making Wrangler shirts for the world’s largest apparel maker, U.S.-based VF Corp. VF confirmed on Saturday it was still using Liz Apparels to make its [...]
