Category: Big Decisions

Taliban attack international compound in Afghan capital

Taliban attack international compound in Afghan capital

By Amie Ferris-Rotman and Mirwais Harooni KABUL (Reuters) – Taliban militants launched a large-scale attack involving the United Nations in the center of the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, sparking a five-hour battle with security forces. A plume of smoke hung over Kabul after the attack was launched, with the sound of .50 caliber heavy [...]

Africa backs Kenya call for Hague court to drop Kenyatta case

Africa backs Kenya call for Hague court to drop Kenyatta case

By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – African nations have backed a request by Kenya for charges of crimes against humanity by its president to be referred back to the east African country, African Union documents show. President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, are both facing trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC), [...]

Magnitude 5.7 quake strikes Northern California

(Reuters) – A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Northern California on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter of the quake was 6 miles northwest of the town of Greenville, and near the smaller community of Canyondam, the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Allen Shephard, a hunting and fishing guide [...]

Truck crash may have caused Washington state bridge collapse

By Jonathan Kaminsky OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) – A bridge collapse that sent cars and drivers tumbling off a four-lane interstate and into a frigid river in Washington state may have been caused when a semi-trailer truck crashed into the structure, officials said on Friday. Three people were rescued from the Skagit River after a span [...]

Venezuela prosecutor to open probe over leaked recording

Venezuela prosecutor to open probe over leaked recording

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s prosecutor’s office said on Thursday it would open an investigation into in a recording the opposition says features a top government ally accusing the deputy head of the ruling Socialist Party of corruption and conspiring against the new president. Opposition deputies on Monday broadcast the recording of a conversation they said [...]

Analysis: Markets face rough summer ride as Fed pullback feared

Analysis: Markets face rough summer ride as Fed pullback feared

By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) – For the past few months, the Federal Reserve has been squarely in the financial markets’ corner, thanks to its massive dollops of monetary stimulus. But signs that the central bank is discussing reducing that support by purchasing fewer bonds mean that trading is likely to get bumpier in [...]

Former Goldman banker settles SEC ‘pay-to-play’ charges

By Lisa Lambert and Jonathan Stempel WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) – A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. investment banker has agreed to a five-year securities industry ban and a record fine to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges that he broke rules against influence peddling to win bond underwriting business in Massachusetts. Without admitting or denying wrongdoing, [...]

Proxy advisory firm settles SEC charges over data breach

Proxy advisory firm settles SEC charges over data breach

By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Institutional Shareholder Services has settled civil charges by U.S. regulators that an employee of the prominent proxy advisory firm shared nonpublic voting data in exchange for meals and concert tickets. The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday that ISS, a unit of MSCI Inc, will pay a [...]

Obama seeks end to perpetual U.S. ‘war on terror’

Obama seeks end to perpetual U.S. ‘war on terror’

By Matt Spetalnick and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Twelve years after the "war on terror" began, President Barack Obama wants to pull the United States back from some of the most controversial aspects of its global fight against Islamist militants. In a major policy speech on Thursday, Obama narrowed the scope of the targeted-killing [...]

EU probes ally of Kosovo PM, ambassador for war crimes

EU probes ally of Kosovo PM, ambassador for war crimes

By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) – European Union police said on Thursday they had arrested five people, including a wartime ally of Kosovo’s prime minister, and were investigating the ambassador to Albania on suspicion of war crimes during Kosovo’s 1998-99 conflict. The EU police and justice mission in Kosovo, EULEX, did not release the names [...]