News Archive - 7 September 2016

Reports have emerged that a number of high-profile clerics have been trying to persuade Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif to run for presidents, if pressures on Rouhani continue to escalate, Entekhab reported last Saturday.   Ayatollah Mohsen Gharavian, known for his advocacy of moderation and his long-standing feud with...

Tuesday, 16th of Shahrivar – September 6th, 2016 HEADLINES OF IRAN’S MORNING PAPERS   KAYHAN   -Supreme Leader: Muslims should realize reality of Saudi rulers In a message addressed to Muslim pilgrims, the Supreme Leader of Iran has asked Islamic states and nations to understand the dependent, lackey and...

>TOKYO Oil prices extended gains by more than 1.5 percent on Thursday after industry data showed what might be the largest weekly drawdown in crude stocks in over three decades.U.S. crude stocks surprisingly plunged by 12.1 million barrels last week, data from the American Petroleum Institute...

>TOKYO The yen held on to its recent gains on Thursday as markets looked ahead to a speech by Bank of Japan Deputy Governor later in the day for clues on what the central bank might do at its policy review later this month.The yen JPY= rose to 101.

>suggesting demand at home and abroad may finally be perking up and putting the world's second-largest economy on a more balanced footing.Exports fell 2.8 percent from a year earlier, the General Administration of Customs said on Thursday, adding that pressure on shipments was expected to ease further in...

>SAN FRANCISCO Two years after unveiling the Apple Watch with apps and styles that tried to appeal to every need and every customer, Apple Inc has honed its marketing strategy, debuting a second generation product aimed squarely at the health and athletic audience.The focus on fitness will enhance the...

>The ministry noted in its monthly assessment of the economy that growth could be constrained by extensive strikes at automakers. Unionized workers at South Korea's Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) rejected a tentative wage deal last month, signaling more strikes and production losses at its biggest manufacturing base. August export data...

>SYDNEY Asian shares held within one-year peaks on Thursday as Chinese trade data topped forecasts and imports recorded their first annual rise since late 2014, a promising sign for global demand that gave the Australia dollar a lift.Beijing reported imports rose 1.5 percent in August from a year...

>WASHINGTON U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said on Wednesday she hoped "cooler heads will prevail" over the vacancy on the Supreme Court, suggesting that Republicans should act on President Barack Obama's nominee.Ginsburg's comments at Georgetown Law Center came a day after Democrats in the Republican-controlled Senate...

>TOKYO Japan's economic growth over April-June was faster than initially estimated, the Cabinet Office said on Thursday, with upward revisions to capital expenditure and inventories, but weak demand at home and overseas is seen weighing on growth this quarter.The Cabinet Office said the economy grew at a 0.7...

>LONDON Formula One faces its biggest shake-up in decades with the announcement on Wednesday that U.S. cable TV mogul John Malone's Liberty Media has agreed to take control of the cash-generating glamor sport.The deal, which has an enterprise value of $8 billion according to a company statement, heralds...

>Ireland's fragile coalition overcame initial misgivings from independent members of cabinet to join Apple last week in fighting the ruling that Ireland granted state aid to the company through undue and selective tax benefit. The government says Ireland did not give favorable tax treatment to Apple and that no state...

>WASHINGTON The United States and Russia have not reached a ceasefire deal for Syria, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday, saying it could not confirm Moscow's announcement that the U.S. and Russian foreign ministers would meet in Geneva on Thursday."We're not there yet," State Department spokesman...

>LONDON The bounce back in Britain's economy from the initial shock of the Brexit vote has expanded to the country's recruitment and housing markets, according to two surveys which had previously painted a bleak outlook.The Recruitment and Employment Confederation - which last month said hiring was in "dramatic freefall"...

>FRANKFURT The euro zone economy is widely expected to need more stimulus from the European Central Bank, but it may not come at the bank's policy meeting on Thursday.Growth and inflation remain anemic, but the ECB has already exhausted much of its firepower, so ECB President Mario Draghi has...

>Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony Corp (6758.T), unveiled on Wednesday two new versions of its PlayStation 4 Console in an effort to help Sony maintain its sales lead over Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T).The PlayStation 4 Pro, which will launch Nov.

>Carter said forces aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government, who have been aided by U.S. air strikes since the beginning of August, had cornered Islamic State in one small section of the city."I expect that they'll eliminate .... remaining opposition shortly," Carter told a news conference in London.

>TPG will own 51 percent of the new entity, valuing the entire company at $4.2 billion including debt.Intel, which bought McAfee for $7.7 billion in 2011, will retain a 49 percent stake in the business. The deal ends a failed effort by Intel to stake out a...

>Discussing his latest book, "The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe," the Columbia Business School don told the Reuters Global Markets Forum that Europe's already weak banking systems could face capital outflows.Here are edited excerpts from the discussion:Q: What is wrong with the euro?A:...

>GW Pharmaceuticals Plc (GWP.L), a developer of marijuana-based epilepsy treatments, is working with an investment bank after other drugmakers approached it to express interest in an acquisition, people familiar with the matter said. The move shows how the Cambridge, England-based company is emerging as a coveted target for larger...

>The release described the probe as a "preliminary inquiry." Mylan has been criticized - including by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton - for sharply raising the price of EpiPens, which are carried by people with life-threatening allergies. Mylan raised the price from about $100 in 2008 to about $600...

> "In all likelihood, I would say yes," Cohen who served as defense secretary under former U.S. President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, told MSNBC in an interview when asked if she had earned his vote. "I would not feel comfortable," with Donald Trump, Clinton's Republican rival and a political...

>The new Apple iPhone has something missing: the small socket millions of us have used for years to plug in headphones.While some fans opposed the widely anticipated move - one online petition urging Apple to keep the headphone jack drew more than 300,000 signatures - equipment suppliers and experts heralded...

>BRUSSELS U.S. tech giants Google and Facebook are among multinationals spending more in Brussels as the European Commission eyes new business regulation after last week handing Apple a 13-billion-euro tax demand.A new annual filing by Google to the EU's Transparency Register showed it spent roughly 15-20 percent more...

>LONDON/SHANGHAI/SEOUL Standardized testing giant ACT Inc continues to partner with Asian test-preparation operators, despite widespread cheating at overseas education centers it licenses.The maker of America’s most popular college entrance exam approved South Korea’s Seoul Scholars International school to administer the ACT test this year, Reuters found, even though the...

>Lacker will not have a vote on policy at the Fed's Sept. 20-21 meeting but he will participate in discussions, and his comments point to an ongoing debate within the U.S. central bank on when to tighten policy."It looks like the case for a rate increase is going...

>Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (HPE) (HPE.N) is nearing a deal to sell its software division to Britain's Micro Focus International Plc (MCRO.L), a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, as the U.S. company looks to slim down its focus to serve large corporate customers. HPE...

>NEW DELHI U.S. ride-hailing firm Uber said that the recent deal to fold its China operations into local rival Didi Chuxing would allow it to invest more in India, where it has recorded rapid growth this year, according to a letter to investors obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.Three...

>WASHINGTON The U.S. economy expanded at a modest pace in July and August, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, but there was little sign that wage pressures are being felt beyond highly skilled jobs.Most of the U.S. central bank's 12 districts around the country reported wage pressures...

>NEW YORK Messaging app Snapchat said on Wednesday it has cut a number of jobs in New York and Los Angeles responsible for pulling together user-generated content in its local stories section, as the company shifts its focus to covering bigger events like award shows and sports.Snapchat had an...

>AMSTERDAM A Dutchman died on Wednesday after his Tesla (TSLA.O) collided with a tree, according to local authorities, and it took firefighters hours to remove his body from the vehicle due to fears they could be electrocuted.The cause of the crash on a highway about 40 kilometers east...

>Xinwei agreed last month to buy Space Communications (Spacecom) for $285 million, pending the successful launch and operation of Spacecom's $200 million Amos-6 communications satellite.The launch had been due to take place on Saturday but the satellite was destroyed a few days earlier when a Falcon 9 rocket belonging...

>WASHINGTON/BERLIN A Russian fighter jet carried out an "unsafe and unprofessional" intercept of a U.S. spy plane flying a regular patrol over the Black Sea, coming within 10 feet (3.05 meters) of the American aircraft, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Wednesday.The incident comes at...

>BEIRUT/BAGHDAD An Iraqi Shi'ite militia said on Wednesday it had dispatched more than 1,000 fighters to the frontline in neighboring Syria, escalating foreign involvement in the battle for Aleppo, the biggest prize in five years of relentless civil war.New footage emerged of civilians choking in the aftermath of an...

>T. Rowe Price Group Inc (TROW.O), NetSuite Inc's (N.N) largest outside shareholder, said it would not tender its shares in Oracle Corp's (ORCL.N) proposed acquisition of the U.S. cloud computing company, arguing the $9.3 billion deal undervalues it.T. Rowe's stance, disclosed in a letter...

> The report did not offer a breakdown of the amount raised by he New York real estate magnate, but Trump said at a rally on Tuesday that he himself contributed a lot of the money to his campaign in August. In July, Trump took in $80 million. (Reporting by...

>Trump had banned The Washington Post, Politico and Buzzfeed after coverage that was critical of him. The banned organizations had continued covering his campaign, but had not been able to get credentials to formally attend his events. Press freedom advocates strongly condemned such bans. Reporters without Borders said when the...

>St. Jude Medical Inc on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against short-selling firm Muddy Waters and cyber security company MedSec Holdings Ltd, saying they intentionally disseminated false information about its heart devices to manipulate its stock.St. Jude's shares fell sharply on Aug. 25 after Muddy Waters, run by Carson Block,...

>DUBLIN The European Union's demand that Ireland claw back billions in tax from Apple has hit the country's reputation as an investment destination just as it eyes up opportunities from Brexit, but officials say the damage will be limited. Apple (AAPL.O) and the Irish government are both appealing against...

>Germany's flagship lender - which the International Monetary Fund has branded as the world's systemically most risky bank for its numerous links to other lenders - is one of the biggest users of SWIFT. It is one of the first large banks to publicly urge changes. SWIFT is only as...

>WASHINGTON U.S. job openings surged to a record high in July, but a lag in hiring suggested employers were struggling to find qualified workers to fill the positions. The monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, released by the Labor Department on Wednesday also pointed to tightening...

>OXFORD, England U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday warned Russia against interfering with Western "democratic processes" and accused Moscow of aggressive behavior aimed at eroding the international order.He did not elaborate on what Russia might be attempting to do or whether he was referring to hacking attacks...

>LONDON Governor Mark Carney defended the Bank of England's major stimulus package of last month as signs grow that the economy has held up better than expected to the initial shock of Britain's vote in June to leave the European Union.Carney also told lawmakers on Tuesday he was "absolutely...

>BOSTON Repairing burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill will not be easy but billionaire activist investor William Ackman's new involvement in the company could push management to move more quickly, research analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote on Wednesday.Chipotle has been struggling to recover from food-borne illness outbreaks and its share...

>Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition of Inspirus, based in Fort Worth, Texas, with a staff of 120 and a client base of over 350, will boost Sodexo's footprint in the high-growth employee incentive market and in the United States, the statement said.It comes two years after Sodexo...

>LONDON Microsoft Corp is introducing a complete set of cloud services from data centers in Britain, its second biggest market for cloud-based software after the United States, as demand for data localization spreads across Europe and around the world.The new offering will allow a range of British customers from...

>BERLIN Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will launch its first battery-powered van later this month as it shifts to zero-emission vehicles following its diesel cheating scandal, but customers are still skeptical about the benefits of going electric."If electric drives offer no distinct benefits to cost-oriented entrepreneurs, they will not join in,"...

>ISTANBUL Turkey would be ready to join any initiative proposed by the United States to capture an Islamic State stronghold in Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks published on Wednesday, as Turkish-backed forces took more Syrian land from jihadists.Obama floated the idea of joint action with Turkey to...

>LONDON Prime Minister Theresa May wants to make Britain a global leader in trade after Brexit, but former negotiators say the country faces a long slog despite warm words from some world leaders over forging new relationships.With other countries reluctant to get involved in detailed discussions until Britain's future...

>LONDON Britain should negotiate transition arrangements with the European Union to avoid "cliff edge" disruption to financial markets when the country leaves the bloc, a top British banking official said on Wednesday.Once Britain has begun formal talks to withdraw from the EU by triggering Article 50, the country will...

>Wall Street was set to open little changed on Wednesday as investors sought more clues on the timing of the next interest rate hike. A number of U.S. Federal Reserve officials have recently hinted at a potential interest rate hike in the near term. However, a set of weak...

>PHILADELPHIA Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, pledging a major new military buildup, and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton get a chance on Wednesday to show how they would lead the U.S. armed forces as commander-in-chief.The two Nov. 8 election opponents are to make back-to-back appearances at an NBC "commander-in-chief"...

>LONDON The dollar fell to its lowest in more than a week against the yen on Wednesday as subdued U.S. data made an interest rate increase this month unlikely and drove investors to cut favorable bets in the greenback.In Europe, the focus will be on Bank of England...

>Amazon said in a statement on Wednesday that its "Amazon Restaurants" service would be available to subscribers of its Prime delivery scheme and that delivery would be free for orders over 15 pounds ($20). Mopeds and bicycles sporting either the Just East, UberEats or Deliveroo logos are an increasingly common...

>COPENHAGEN The EU should aim to conclude a trade deal with the United States this year despite recent doubts, as "worrying" protectionist policies from both U.S. presidential candidates will make a deal increasingly difficult, the Danish prime minister said.Talks over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have...

>SAN FRANCISCO The iPhone 7 is expected to make its global debut on Wednesday, but many consumers and investors are already setting their sights on Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) 2017 version of the popular gadget, hoping for more significant advances. At its annual product launch in San Francisco on Wednesday,...