Political news

• Some EU states wanted longer Russia sanctions ahead of Trump

  15-12-2016 23:57
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Some EU leaders sought to roll over economic sanctions against Russia for 12 months before a summit on Thursday agreed to a standard six-month renewal, summit chair Donald Tusk told a news conference. Diplomats said some hardliners who want to punish Moscow for its action in Ukraine were concerned that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could seek to ease pressure on Russia when he takes office next month and so wanted a longer sanctions renewal. Tusk said it was too early fo
  
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• EU to use all diplomatic channels to press for aid to Aleppo

  15-12-2016 23:45
  The European Union will use all diplomatic channels to press for humanitarian aid to reach Aleppo and for civilians to be evacuated from the Syrian city, the chairman of EU leaders Donald Tusk said on Thursday. Tusk said it was not possible to stop the conflict in Syria by force and that EU leaders realised they were not effective enough in dealing with it.
  
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• U.S. charges Nigerian with role in cyber scam targeting thousands

  15-12-2016 23:41
  By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Nigerian man is facing U.S. charges that he participated in scams targeting thousands of victims globally in which company executives or vendors were impersonated in emails directing employees to make large wire transfers. David Chukwuneke Adindu, 29, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday to charges including wire fraud, prosecutors said, more than three weeks after the FBI said he was arrested at a Houston airport. The case was the lat
  
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• Pipeline from two Libyan oil fields 'reopens' but output hampered

  15-12-2016 23:41
  By Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A group of oil guards in Libya said on Thursday they had reopened a long blockaded pipeline leading from the major oil fields of Sharara and El Feel, but an oil worker said a separate group had prevented a production restart at El Feel. The apparent agreement by a faction of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) in Rayana to open the pipeline after shutting it for more than two years has raised hopes of a major output boost from Sharara and El Feel, which toge
  
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• EU leaders agree to give Parliament role in preparing for Brexit talks - Tusk

  15-12-2016 23:38
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU leaders have agreed to invite representatives of the European Parliament to participate in meetings to prepare for Britain's departure from the bloc, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday. At a news conference, Tusk said leaders had discussed the Parliament's plea for a greater role in negotiations on Britain's divorce after the chamber's outgoing speaker warned them that it could block a Brexit deal. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald, editing by Elizabet
  
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• U.S. election agency breached by hackers after vote

  15-12-2016 23:36
  The U.S. agency charged with ensuring that voting machines meet security standards was itself penetrated by a hacker after the elections in November, according to a security firm working with law enforcement on the matter. The security firm, Recorded Future, was monitoring underground electronic markets where hackers buy and sell wares and discovered someone offering logon credentials for access to computers at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, company executives said. Posing as a potenti
  
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• Ethics panel looks at California Rep. Duncan Hunter

  15-12-2016 23:31
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee said Thursday it is continuing an investigation into possible ethics violations by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., following an inquiry launched by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics.
  
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• Brexit: EU leaders discuss UK's exit without Theresa May

  15-12-2016 23:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  EU leaders meet without Theresa May amid debate about how long Brexit trade talks will take.
  
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• The Latest: DC police issue permit for women's march

  15-12-2016 23:09
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President-elect Donald Trump (all times EST):
  
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• Labour plans Jeremy Corbyn relaunch to ride anti-establishment wave

  15-12-2016 23:09
  
  Party leader expected to appear on TV more often as senior figures want to exploit populist mood to beat the ToriesLabour strategists are planning to relaunch Jeremy Corbyn as a leftwing populist in the new year, as the party seeks to ride the anti-politics mood in Brexit Britain and narrow the gap with the Tories.While the Islington North MP’s politics are very different from those of Nigel Farage or Donald Trump, senior Labour figures believe his unpolished authenticity could help the pa
  
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• EU offers more funds to Africa curb migration

  15-12-2016 23:04
  By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union offered Niger 610 million euros (£511.4 million) on Thursday to curtail migration from Africa through the Mediterranean to Europe and said it was seeking more such money-for-migration deals ahead. Some 1.4 million refugees and migrants arrived in Europe this year and last, and the EU wants to cut back on the uncontrolled influx of people. Niger's desert city of Agadez is a popular waystation for people trying to cross the Sahara
  
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• How Obama can respond to Russian hacking

  15-12-2016 23:03
  President Obama has promised a “proportional” response to the Russian cyberattack on the Democratic and Republican political committees during the 2016 election. In some ways, his dilemma over how to respond is similar to the one faced by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 at the height of the cold war. After the Soviet Union placed nuclear-capable missiles in Cuba, Kennedy had to ask: Exactly where will retaliation lead?
  
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• Yahoo under scrutiny after latest hack, Verizon seeks new deal terms

  15-12-2016 22:56
  By Greg Roumeliotis and Jessica Toonkel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc came under renewed scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers on Thursday after disclosing the largest known data breach in history, prompting Verizon Communications Inc to demand better terms for its planned purchase of Yahoo's internet business. Verizon, which agreed to buy Yahoo's core internet business in July for $4.8 billion, is now trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect
  
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• US Sen. Warren "100" percent concerned about Russian hacking

  15-12-2016 22:50
  
  BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she's "100" percent concerned about reports of Russian hacking into the email accounts of Democratic officials.
  
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• Dollar, bond yields gain on Fed rate outlook

  15-12-2016 22:49
  By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar hit a 14-year high and bond yields rose broadly on Thursday, extending gains from a day earlier when the Federal Reserve hiked U.S. interest rates and signalled increases would follow at a faster pace next year. The Fed's rate rise of 25 basis points was well flagged but investors were spooked when the "dot plots" of members' projections showed a median of three hikes next year, up from two previously. The central bank's decision to raise
  
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• DeVry agrees to $100M settlement in case alleging deception

  15-12-2016 22:49
  The DeVry University for-profit college chain and its parent company are paying $100 million to settle a federal lawsuit alleging the school misled students. DeVry and the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday ...
  
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• APNewsBreak: Army says some misconduct trends are increasing

  15-12-2016 22:49
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Sexual misconduct and harassment allegations against senior Army leaders increased this year and more were substantiated than in 2015, according to a closely held report by the Army Inspector General.
  
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• Trump picks his Interior chief, a supporter of more drilling

  15-12-2016 22:38
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Edging closer to completing his Cabinet, President-elect Donald Trump announced his choice of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary Thursday, picking a man who should fit smoothly into an administration favoring more energy drilling and less regulation.
  
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• U.S. says Singapore man pleads guilty to plot to export Iraq bomb parts

  15-12-2016 22:36
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Singapore citizen pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal charge stemming from his role in illegally exporting, through Iran, parts found in improvised explosive devices in Iraq, the U.S. Justice Department said. Lim Yong Nam, also known as Steven Lim, 42, was extradited from Indonesia earlier this year. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9 in Washington, and the parties have agreed that he would face between 46 and 57 months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000,
  
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• US withholds aid, calls Duterte killing boasts 'troubling'

  15-12-2016 22:34
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States said Thursday it is withholding a major aid package to the Philippines and is deeply troubled by a boast from the nation's leader that he used to drive around looking for criminals to kill.
  
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• Presidents and speakers: A crucial Washington relationship

  15-12-2016 22:33
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Smooth, rocky or in between, relationships between the leader in the White House and the House speaker on Capitol Hill can be the most important and defining in a presidency. Donald Trump and Paul Ryan were hardly pals during the campaign, but they appear to be moving together now.
  
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• Trump lags predecessors on diversity as he picks Cabinet

  15-12-2016 22:29
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — As Donald Trump fills out his Cabinet, it's looking less like America's population and more like the world Trump has always orbited: wealthy, white, male-dominated and business-minded.
  
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• Donald Trump and Paul Ryan learn how to get along _ for now

  15-12-2016 22:28
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have put their rocky start behind them and are learning how to get along — for now.
  
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• UK and US ramp up criticism of Russia and Iran over Aleppo crisis

  15-12-2016 22:18
  
  Boris Johnson says neither Assad ally deserves praise for letting people flee, as US and UK defence secretaries blame Putin for humanitarian disasterThe UK and US have stepped up criticism of the role of Russia and Iran in Aleppo’s humanitarian disaster, amid uncertainty about whether the incoming Trump administration might enter into a deal with Vladimir Putin.Speaking in Washington DC, the US secretary of state John Kerry said that the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies
  
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• Italy prepared to pump 15 billion euros into ailing banks - sources

  15-12-2016 22:06
  By Giuseppe Fonte and Paola Arosio ROME/MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's government is ready to pump 15 billion euros (£12.5 billion) into Monte dei Paschi di Siena and other ailing banks, sources said, as the country's third-largest lender pushes ahead with a private rescue plan that is widely expected to fail. The world's oldest bank has until Dec. 31 to raise 5 billion euros in equity or face being wound down by the European Central Bank, potentially triggering a wider banking and political cr
  
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• Brazil's Temer launches stimulus plan to counter discontent

  15-12-2016 22:00
  By Alonso Soto BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Michel Temer on Thursday unveiled a slew of stimulus measures to reduce the debt burden of businesses and consumers struggling with the country's worst recession on record amid growing popular discontent. Although limited in scope, the measures aim to appease Brazilians angry at the deepening recession in Latin America's biggest economy and allegations of corruption against Temer and some of his closest allies. "We are taking measures to pu
  
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• Trump taps retired general, TV analyst for U.S. NSC posts

  15-12-2016 21:55
  (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced two appointments to the National Security Council on Thursday: retired Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg as chief of staff and executive secretary, and former Fox News Channel analyst Monica Crowley as senior director of strategic communications. Kellogg served in the Vietnam War and has worked in the private sector since retiring from the Army in 2003, said a statement by Trump's transition team. ...
  
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• Oracle CEO Catz to join Trump transition team, remain at Oracle

  15-12-2016 21:55
  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oracle Corp Chief Executive Safra Catz will join the executive committee of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, and she will remain at the company in the process, Oracle spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger said on Thursday. Catz was one of several technology industry executives who met with Trump this week, and she went into the meeting saying that her industry would be better off if Trump reformed the tax code, negotiated better trade deals and reduced regul
  
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• Miss World contender speaks out on China human rights

  15-12-2016 21:54
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Poised but defiant, Miss Canada will be vying for more than the winner's tiara when she competes in the annual Miss World pageant in Washington this weekend. Anastasia Lin wants to tell the world about the evil of organ-harvesting.
  
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• Labor Secretary Tom Perez announces bid to lead DNC

  15-12-2016 21:51
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Labor Secretary Tom Perez officially announced his bid to head the Democratic National Committee on Thursday, casting himself as the candidate best able to speak to "the big tent" of a decimated and dispirited Democratic Party.
  
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• U.N. Syria envoy says rebel city Idlib risks Aleppo fate if no peace talks

  15-12-2016 21:43
  U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura warned on Thursday that without a ceasefire or political agreement the rebel-stronghold of Idlib risked becoming a new Aleppo after the evacuation of thousands from the besieged city started. The operation to evacuate civilians and fighters from Aleppo began on Thursday, part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc A
  
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• Buses evacuate thousands of exhausted Aleppo residents in ceasefire deal

  15-12-2016 21:43
  By Laila Bassam, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom Perry ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A first convoy of ambulances and buses with nearly 1,000 people aboard drove out of the devastated rebel-held area of Aleppo, which was besieged and bombarded for months by Syrian
  
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• Oil prices settle flat despite rising dollar, trade volatile

  15-12-2016 21:41
  By Scott DiSavino NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil settled little changed on Thursday after sliding to its lowest level in a week in volatile trade, but a surging dollar did not pressure prices below technical support levels as OPEC members told customers they would cut crude supplies. Oil tumbled early as the dollar rallied near a 14-year high against a basket of other currencies the day after the Federal Reserve raised U.S. interest rates for the first time in a year. The market declined earlier in th
  
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• Husband's cancer delays Graham's decision on governor's race

  15-12-2016 21:41
  
  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham says she wants to run for governor, and she plans to run for governor. But there's one very important factor that's weighing on her decision: her husband has cancer.
  
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• Kerry says Assad government carrying out 'massacre' in Aleppo

  15-12-2016 21:38
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is carrying out "nothing short of a massacre" in Aleppo. Kerry, speaking at a news briefing, said the United States was seeking an immediate, verifiable, and durable cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, and he called on the international community to exert pressure to move the process forward. (Reporting by David Alexander and Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Jonathan Oati
  
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• Husband's cancer delays Graham decision on Florida gov race

  15-12-2016 21:38
  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of Florida says she wants to run for governor, and she plans to run for governor. But there's one very important factor that's weighing on her decision: her husband has cancer.
  
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• Officials in 24 states urge Trump to kill Obama carbon plan

  15-12-2016 21:34
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials in two dozen states are asking President-elect Donald Trump to issue an executive order on his first day in office declaring as illegal President Barack Obama's plan to curb planet-warming carbon emissions.
  
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• Peace can transform Colombia into breadbasket for world, president says

  15-12-2016 21:27
  By Alex Whiting ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Curbing poverty and hunger in rural areas is crucial to building lasting peace in Colombia and in turn will help the nation become a breadbasket for the world, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday. Rural reforms to address unequal land distribution and boost development are key to the peace agreement signed last month by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Santos, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reach a
  
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• Public finance sought for Welsh nuclear plant

  15-12-2016 21:24
  Hitachi in talks over state funding for Wylfa in Anglesey
  
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• French investigators say not possible yet to say what caused Egyptair crash

  15-12-2016 21:08
  French investigators said on Thursday that it was not possible at this stage to draw conclusions on what might have caused the crash of an Egyptair flight in May with the deaths of all 66 people on board. "In the absence of detailed information on the conditions and ways in which samples were taken leading to the detection of traces of explosives, the BEA considers that it is not possible at this stage to draw conclusions on the origin of the accident," a spokeswoman for the agency said in an em
  
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• US F35 fighters to deploy from Royal Navy aircraft carrier

  15-12-2016 21:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  US and UK F35 fighters are deploy alongside each other on the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier.
  
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• White House suggests Putin was involved in US hacking

  15-12-2016 21:04
  
  The Obama administration suggested Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the hacking of Democratic officials' email accounts in the run-up to the presidential election and ...
  
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• From New York to London, rapid talks seal Sky-Fox deal

  15-12-2016 21:04
  By Kate Holton and Sophie Sassard LONDON (Reuters) - British business veteran Martin Gilbert was at his desk in early December when he received the call he had been expecting for years. James Murdoch wanted to meet. Days later, Gilbert, the deputy chairman of Sky , was in the New York offices of Twenty-First Century Fox meeting James, brother Lachlan, father Rupert and the U.S. firm's finance director John Nallen.
  
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• Study: Repealing Obama health law cuts taxes for wealthy

  15-12-2016 21:02
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study says Republicans may be handing wealthy Americans a big tax cut by repealing President Barack Obama's health care law.
  
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• Feds end airline price-gouging probe without finding fault

  15-12-2016 20:59
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Department says it has ended its investigation into allegations of price gouging by five airlines operating flights in the Northeast without finding any wrongdoing.
  
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• Miss World contestant challenges China on organ-harvesting

  15-12-2016 20:58
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Miss Canada will be vying for more than the winner's tiara when she competes in the annual Miss World pageant in Washington this weekend. Anastasia Lin wants to tell a global TV audience about the evil of organ-harvesting.
  
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• Do-it-yourself social care only works for the very rich | Gaby Hinsliff

  15-12-2016 20:58
  
  Most individuals can’t afford long-term nursing care. Pooling the risks of old age is the only solutionDon’t get old. It’s tricky advice, obviously, not least because the alternatives to living to a ripe old age tend to be even worse. But after a week in which we have heard once again how social care is teetering on the verge of collapse, while politicians have once again failed to produce much beyond emergency financial sticking plasters, for a moment it almost makes sense.Who
  
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• EU agrees to extend Russia sanctions until mid-2017

  15-12-2016 20:57
  By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to extend the bloc's main economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine for six months until mid-2017, diplomats said. The decision was expected and the formal process to extend the sanctions on Russia's defence, energy and financial sectors will take place early next week, they said. "We welcome unanimous decision by the EU to extend economic and sectoral sanctions against Russia," Ukraine's Pre
  
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• Richer Scots to pay higher tax bills

  15-12-2016 20:56
  Richer Scots to pay higher tax bills
  
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• Putin supervised Russia cyber attacks in U.S. election - officials

  15-12-2016 20:55
  Russian President Vladimir Putin supervised his intelligence agencies' hacking of the U.S. presidential election and turned it from a general effort to discredit the process to a specific attempt to support Donald Trump, three U.S. officials said on Thursday. Accusations that Russia tried to influence the election by hacking people and institutions, including Democratic Party bodies, has angered President-elect Trump who says he won the Nov. 8 vote fairly. Russian officials have denied all accus
  
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