News Archive - 18 May 2015

>ANKARA Iran is using its sea power in the Gulf to show it will not be cowed by Washington's newly assertive Arab allies, prompting critics to accuse Tehran of destabilizing the region. Iranian ships fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker which it said damaged an Iranian oil platform, causing the...

>Setting the stage for renewed fighting over the city, Islamic State militants advanced in armored vehicles from Ramadi towards the base where the Shi'ite paramilitaries were massing for a counter-offensive, witnesses and a military officer said.At the same time, U.S.-led warplanes stepped up raids against the Islamists,...

>Charter, the No. 4 U.S. cable operator, clinched the deal with Bright House in March contingent on completion of Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) $45.2 billion merger with Time Warner Cable Inc (TWC.N).Charter had previously lost out to Comcast in a bid to acquire Time Warner Cable.

>TPG Capital LP may have helped its own campaign to go public after pulling Par Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc's IPO.TPG was preparing to begin an IPO investor roadshow for Par Pharmaceutical Holdings before it agreed to sell the generics drugmaker to Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) for around $8 billion.

>Exelon Corp (EXC.N) said on Monday it would agree to conditions placed last week by the state of Maryland on the power company's $6.8 billion bid for Pepco Holdings Inc (POM.N), clearing one of the deal's last hurdles. Maryland's Public Service Commission said on Friday it would...

>Sanchez had hoped to use the party's twice-annual meeting to build a case for her candidacy against state Attorney General Kamala Harris in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in 2016. Instead, she had to engage in damage control."In this crazy and exciting rush of meetings...

>The U.S. Supreme Court is expected by the end of June to make a landmark ruling that could make gay marriage the law of the land or return the decision to individual states."It's at the core of the Catholic faith and to imagine how we are going to...

>NEW YORK AT&T Inc is gearing up to bring connected car users exclusive content such as videos and games that can be streamed onto personal mobile devices later this year, AT&T's senior vice president of emerging devices Chris Penrose said."It's no different than being able to hook onto a...

>WASHINGTON Lockheed Martin Corp said on Monday it is working to resolve "relatively minor" issues with a portable version of the F-35 fighter jet's automated logistics system, but the problems should not impede a Marine Corp milestone this summer.Jeff Streznetcky, the Lockheed executive in charge of the logistics system...

>ANKARA The United States and United Nations expressed deep concern on Monday about the death sentences handed down in Egypt for President Mohamed Mursi and other Islamists, while Turkey warned of Middle East turmoil if they are carried out.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he will closely monitor the...

>NEW YORK The U.S. dollar made broad-based gains on Monday, recovering some ground after several weeks of selling that brought the greenback to more attractive levels.The euro, which rose nearly 9 percent in value against the U.S. dollar in the course of a month, pulled back close...

>A government report late last month put first-quarter growth at a mere 0.2 percent, far below economists' expectations and uncomfortably close to an outright contraction like that experienced in the first quarter of 2014. But by running a series of statistical corrections for the way the government accounts for...

>SYDNEY BHP Billiton's (BLT.L) (BHP.AX) spin-off South32 (S32.L) (S32.AX) began trading with a market value of about $9 billion on Monday, a third below the highest forecasts and underlining investor nerves about the outlook for the battered mining sector. The cautious response to mining's biggest listing...

>Ascena Retail Group Inc, which runs Lane Bryant and Dressbarn women's clothing stores, is to buy Ann Inc for $2.15 billion, mainly for the popular LOFT brand, which offers everyday fashion to a wide age group.LOFT's dresses, office wear and accessories are aimed at women between 18 and...

>Endo International Plc (ENDP.O) said it would buy Par Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc from private-equity firm TPG Capital for about $8 billion, including debt, to become a top-five global generic drugmaker.The deal will add about 100 approved generic drugs and about four manufacturing facilities, Endo said on Monday.Generics...

>New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is considering a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, plans to urge Congress to abandon its budget caps and boost defense spending, according to excerpts of a speech he will give on Monday.In the excerpts, released by Christie's political action committee, he...

>WASHINGTON President Barack Obama plans to put in place new restrictions on the use of military equipment by police departments, following unrest in U.S. cities over the deaths of black men at the hands of police officers, the White House said on Monday.Obama will ban police use of...

>Acast, which was launched a year ago, has grown sharply and currently has 1 million unique users with 12 million streams per month."Acast has a strong team with a proven and scalable concept. We are convinced that Acast has a very interesting position on a growing podcast market," said...

>HANGZHOU, China When it comes to fighting fakes, Alibaba's head of internet security says cooperation beats the courtroom any day.Ni Liang, who runs the Hangzhou, China-based company's anti-counterfeiting operations, was speaking to Reuters days after Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and other luxury brands owned by Paris-based Kering SA (PRTP.

>Earlier discussions on a deal fell through as the companies were unable to agree on a price, Reuters reported in April.Altera's shares jumped 7 percent to $47.50 in premarket trading on Monday, while Intel's shares were up slightly at $33.15. One way or the other, an outcome...

>ADEN/RIYADH Saudi-led forces resumed military operations in Yemen after a five-day ceasefire ended late on Sunday, and Yemen's foreign minister blamed the Iranian-allied Houthis for failure to renew the truce.The end of the ceasefire came despite appeals by the United Nations and rights groups for extra time to allow...

>ATHENS Greece needs to strike a deal with its creditors by the end of the month to stay afloat, the government said on Monday, as investors ditched Greek bonds in a sign of growing concern about possible bankruptcy.Despite its precarious position, Athens said it would not abandon its "red...

>NEW YORK A U.S. appeals court on Monday reversed part of a $930 million verdict that Apple Inc (AAPL.O) won in 2012 against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), saying the iPhone maker's trademark-related appearance could not be protected. In a highly anticipated ruling stemming from the global...

>The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market index fell to 54 from 56 the month before, the group said in a statement. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted the index would rise to 57. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view market conditions as favorable than poor. The index has not been...

>U.S. stocks lost their early gains on Monday, after the Dow Jones industrial average hit a record high, as homebuilder confidence index fell, adding to a stream of weak economic data that has muddied the outlook for interest rates.The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index...