News Archive - 6 December 2016

Iran’s ambassador to the UK and former nuclear negotiator Hamid Baeidinejad has published a note on his Instagram account explaining that the ten-year extension of Iran Sanctions Act does not signify an automatic return to the sanctions included in the law; however, its actual implementation does. Here are a...

>"[Trump] wants to do many things, but none of his actions would affect us ... Do you think the United States can rip up the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal)? Do you think we and our nation will let him do that?" Rouhani said in a...

>Trump was scheduled to meet Branstad on Tuesday, his transition team said earlier, without elaborating.Branstad's office could not be immediately reached for comment and Trump's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters, outside business hours.Trump's dealings with China have been in focus since...

>SINGAPORE Oil major BP (BP.L) is shipping almost three million barrels of U.S. crude to customers across Asia, pioneering a lengthy and complex operation likely to become more popular after OPEC last week announced deep production cuts.BP's efforts, involving one of the world's longest sea routes, seven...

>The Shanghai Consumer Council released a report on Friday detailing battery fires in eight iPhone 6 handsets. It also detailed iPhone 6 handsets powering down before their batteries are depleted - handsets outside of a global iPhone 6 recall range that Apple announced on Nov. 20 to address the issue.

>In a study detailing potential fallout on South Korea's economy, the Bank of Korea said a 10 percent reduction in China's exports to the U.S. will cut overall sales out of Korea by 0.36 percent, based on the assumption of renewed U.S. trade protectionist policies. South Korea's...

>A Michigan state appeals court on Tuesday ordered a halt to the recount of that state's presidential election vote sought by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, while a federal appeals court ordered the process to proceed.The conflicting rulings had both sides claiming victory but left unclear on Tuesday evening...

>LONDON London's standing as Europe's leading destination for tech start-ups is at risk if the British government does not clarify how it plans to keep the best technical talent, entrepreneurs and investors have warned.In an open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, nine leading UK-based technology entrepreneurs and investors,...

>FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. President-elect Donald Trump laid out a U.S. military policy on Tuesday that would avoid interventions in foreign conflicts and instead focus heavily on defeating the Islamic State militancy.In the latest stop on a "thank you" tour of states critical to his Nov. 8 election win,...

>SAN FRANCISCO Apple Watch sales appear to have rebounded for the holidays from mid-year doldrums on a redesign, price cuts and strong promotions, but analysts say long-term demand has yet to be proven.The Watch is Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) first new product under Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and...

>TOKYO The euro and dollar drifted sideways early on Wednesday as a wait-and-see mood prevailed ahead of Thursday's European Central Bank policy meeting, which may set the tone in a post-Trump rally currency market.The euro was little changed at $1.0719 EUR= after slipping 0.5 percent overnight.The...

>BEIJING/GUATEMALA CITY China called on U.S. officials on Tuesday not to let Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen pass through the United States en route to Guatemala next month, days after President-elect Donald Trump irked Beijing by speaking to Tsai in a break with decades of precedent.The U.S. State...

>SINGAPORE Oil prices fell on Wednesday on persistent doubts a planned crude production cut led by OPEC and Russia would be deep enough to end a supply overhang that has dogged markets for over two years.International Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were trading at $53.69 per barrel at...

>NAGASAKI, Japan Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kikuo Iwata said on Wednesday the central bank won't hesitate to expand stimulus if needed to sustain the economy's momentum toward achieving its 2 percent inflation target.Iwata also stressed the BOJ's resolve to continue its huge purchases of government bonds even under...

>TOKYO Asian shares edged up on Wednesday as investors covered short positions in European equities as they pondered the ramifications of Italy's referendum and looked to the upcoming policy meeting of the European Central Bank.MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.2 percent while Japan's Nikkei...

>TOKYO Japanese manufacturers' confidence rose for a fourth straight month to a 16-month high in December and the service sector's mood also rose, a Reuters poll showed, with a weaker yen brightening prospects for exporters.The monthly Reuters Tankan - which tracks the Bank of Japan's key quarterly tankan -...

>WASHINGTON President Barack Obama's legal defense of some key initiatives including his signature healthcare law is collapsing as courts put cases on hold until after President-elect Donald Trump, hostile to the policies, assumes office on Jan. 20.The pending conservative legal challenges could undo important elements of Obama's presidential legacy...

>WASHINGTON Inspired by the remarkable jumping ability of an African primate called a galago, scientists have fashioned a small robot with unique leaping capabilities they hope can someday be used in tricky search-and-rescue situations.The scientists said on Tuesday they had built a robot, dubbed Salto, with vertical jumping agility...

>Republicans will replace President Barack Obama's signature health insurance program that provides coverage to millions of Americans "step by step," said Senator John Thune, another member of the Republican leadership.McConnell did not say when the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as it is officially known, would go into...

>LONDON The field of bidders for SAB Miller's Central and Eastern European beer brands being sold by Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR) has narrowed after U.S. buyout fund Bain Capital walked away, sources told Reuters on Tuesday.Acquisitive Japanese brewer Asahi Group (2502.T) is seen as a front-runner to...

>WASHINGTON Members of New York City's congressional delegation on Tuesday said they were pressing Republican congressional leaders to add $35 million to a year-end federal spending bill to reimburse the city for President-elect Donald Trump's security costs.At a Capitol Hill news conference, John Miller, the New York Police Department's...

>The money would come from a $100 billion investment fund that SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son is setting up with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund and other potential partners, according to the Wall Street Journal.Trump made the announcement in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan where he met with...

>Wednesday's fifth U.S.-Cuban bilateral commission comes at a time of increased uncertainty about the future of U.S.-Cuban relations given Trump's promise to end the detente if Cuba did not offer a better "deal."The administration of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama has pressed American companies...

>SIRTE, Libya Libyan forces backed by U.S. air strikes finished clearing the last Islamic State hold-out in Sirte on Tuesday after a six-month battle for the militant group's former North African stronghold.The forces gained full control over a final patch of ground in Sirte's Ghiza Bahriya district after...

>The California Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said Apple Inc agreed to pay $450,000 to settle state claims that it had mishandled hazardous electronic waste at facilities in Silicon Valley.Apple also agreed to increase inspections to settle allegations about facilities in Cupertino and Sunnyvale, the Agency's Department of Toxic...

>BRUSSELS Greece thanked creditors for modest debt relief on St. Nicholas Day in Brussels but did not hide disappointment it won't get the Christmas gift it wants -- a pass on the latest phase of its bailout program.Athens has been hoping fellow euro zone governments will approve a second...

>WASHINGTON U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sold all of his shares in companies in June, his transition team said on Tuesday, a move that likely raised substantial cash ahead of the presidential election and could now ease concerns about potential conflicts of interest.Trump's stock portfolio was worth roughly $40...

>ROME Italy is preparing to take a 2 billion euros controlling stake in Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) as the bank's hopes of a private funding rescue fade following Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to quit, two sources close to the matter said on Tuesday.The government is...

>Yang, who was appointed by fellow Republican former President George W. Bush for California's Central District, was scheduled to meet with Trump on Monday in New York. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)...

>NEW YORK Makers of the Snuggie blanket and other products sold mainly on TV have sued Amazon.com Inc, accusing the internet retailer of trademark infringement for letting an "astronomical" number of counterfeit products to be sold through its website.The lawsuit was filed on Monday night by Allstar Marketing...

>ESSEN, Germany Angela Merkel laid out her case for a fourth term as German chancellor on Tuesday, seeking to energize her conservatives with a call to ban full-face Muslim veils and the promise of a tougher stance on immigration after a record influx of refugees.Speaking to a party congress...

>BEIRUT/GENEVA Syria's army and allies closed in on areas near Aleppo's Old City on Tuesday, looking closer than ever to achieving their most important victory of the five-year civil war by driving rebels out of their last urban stronghold.Rebels said on Tuesday they would never abandon Aleppo, after reports...

>The latest fourth-quarter GDP estimate was lower than the 2.9 growth rate calculated on Dec. 1, the Atlanta Fed said on its website. (Reporting by Richard Leong)...

>The endorsement fell short of the 96.7 percent Merkel won when she was last re-elected two years ago. Her decision last year to open Germany's doors to some 1 million migrants sapped some grassroots support and has dented the CDU's poll ratings. Merkel's lowest winning score in election as...

>BRUSSELS Microsoft (MSFT.O) won EU antitrust approval on Tuesday for its $26 billion bid for professional social network LinkedIn (LNKD.N), its largest ever acquisition, after agreeing to a series of modest concessions.The deal, which has already received the green light in the United States, Canada, Brazil and...

>The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with Samsung in its big-money smartphone patent fight with Apple, throwing out an appeals court ruling that said the South Korean company had to pay a $399 million penalty to its American rival for copying key iPhone designs.The justices in their 8-0 ruling...

>The Commerce Department said on Tuesday new orders for manufactured goods rose 2.7 percent after an upwardly revised 0.6 percent gain in September. That was the largest increase since June 2015 and marked four straight months of gains.Economists polled by Reuters had forecast factory orders increasing 2.

>The Justice Department's antitrust approval could come as soon as Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Seattle-based Alaska Air has said the merger will create the largest airline on the U.S. West Coast and help it compete with bigger U.S. airlines. (Reporting...

>PARIS The Renault-Nissan alliance is replacing its top executive in charge of combining the carmakers' engines and gearboxes, sources told Reuters, as tightening emissions regulations expose the slow pace of integration so far. Alain Raposo, global head of powertrain engineering, will be moved to an advisory role, and a successor...

>Alphabet’s Google is on track to purchase enough renewable energy to cover all its global electricity consumption next year, the company said on Tuesday.Google expects its purchases of wind and solar energy will be enough to cover its data centers and offices worldwide starting in 2017. Google began with...

>NEW YORK U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday costs for a new Air Force One - one of the most prominent symbols of the U.S. presidency - were out of control, and urged the government to cancel a contract with Boeing Co for the jet.Trump, who...

>LONDON Britain will most likely leave the European Union having signed a bilateral trade agreement, according to a Reuters poll of economists on Tuesday that also suggested there remains little chance of the country slipping into recession.Since the June 23 decision to leave the EU, Britain's economy has performed...

>WASHINGTON The U.S. trade deficit recorded its biggest increase in more than 1-1/2 years in October as exports of soybeans and other goods dropped, suggesting that trade would be a drag on growth in the fourth quarter.The Commerce Department said on Tuesday the trade gap widened 17.8...

>U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plan to incentivize U.S. companies to repatriate their swelling overseas cash piles could spur a new wave of dealmaking in a pharmaceutical industry seeking to buy its way into growth.For years, big U.S. drugmakers have turned to acquisitions of foreign companies to...

>Actelion confirmed it was in talks with J&J on Nov. 25, without giving details. Media reports suggested an initial bid of 246 Swiss francs had been rejected, while subsequent reports have suggested a revised bid of around 250 Swiss francs and the potential for rival companies to also table an...

>Roper said it expected Deltek to generate $535 million in revenue and add $80 million to its cash flow in 2017.The deal would be funded by cash on hand, borrowings under existing credit facility and new debt, Roper said on Tuesday.Reuters had reported in July that Thoma Bravo...

>Moscow said on Monday that Russian and U.S. officials would meet this week to discuss a possible rebel withdrawal from Aleppo. A U.S. official told Reuters that Washington would embrace that as a step to save lives. The Syrian government describes all the rebel groups fighting to bring...

>LONDON Many carmakers are predicting a significant shift to electric vehicles in the next decade. Advances in battery technology and the growth of autonomous driving and ride sharing - suited to electric vehicles - will power this expansion, they reason.But some oil executives take a different view, predicting electricity...

>The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 2.83 points, or 0.01 percent, to 19,219.07. The S&P 500 .SPX gained 1.6 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,206.31. The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 7.51 points, or 0.14 percent, to 5,316.40. (Reporting by Yashaswini...

>WASHINGTON President Barack Obama will make the case on Tuesday that his counterterrorism policies have helped protect Americans from evolving international threats as he prepares to hand over the White House to a successor who has been critical of his approach.Obama will deliver his final major speech on national...

>Businesses, investors and opposition lawmakers in Britain say the government should clarify its negotiating position as ministers have made contradictory statements on key issues such as access to the single market. "It can be smooth and it can be orderly but I think it requires a different attitude on the...

>BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq Iraqi army units surged towards the centre of Mosul on Tuesday in an attack from the city's southeastern edges that could give fresh impetus to the seven-week-old battle for Islamic State's Iraqi stronghold.Campaign commander Lieutenant General Abdul Ameer Rasheed Yarallah was quoted by Iraqi television as saying...

>Volatility in bond yields - as seen after the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President - suggest the BoE should take a cautious approach, and also ensure borrowers can cope with other shocks such as a rise in unemployment, regulators said.Last week the central bank said it...

>HONG KONG McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) is looking to raise $1 billion to $2 billion with the sale of its China and Hong Kong stores after the U.S. fast-food chain decided to keep "a significant minority stake in the business," a person with direct knowledge of the plans said...

>The announcement was the latest by the Japanese firm aimed at making "greener" cars as global automakers face tighter regulations in China, the United States and other regions that will require more environment-friendly cars in the coming years.In addition to improving the efficiency of its hybrid systems and gasoline...

>The central bank holds its next monetary policy meeting on Dec 16."We see recently encouraging signs in the economy, recent PMI data was very strong, Rostat has just published its indicator of business sentiment, which was also very strong," Yudayeva said."I think there will be positive growth in...

>"We want to keep all options open," Hammond told reporters in Brussels. Last week, Britain's minister in charge of the Brexit process, David Davis, said paying for access to the single market was a possibility for the country's future relationship with the EU. Asked about Davis' comments, Hammond said: "That...