Russia's Putin invites Netanyahu to visit Moscow: Israeli official

Russia's Putin invites Netanyahu to visit Moscow: Israeli official


Russia's Putin invites Netanyahu to visit Moscow: Israeli official

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:40 PM PDT

Russian President Putin listens to Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu as they speak after delivering their joint statements in JerusalemJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Russia, an Israeli official said on Wednesday. Putin sent Netanyahu the invitation in a letter but no date for the visit was specified, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Prime Minister Netanyahu received a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulating him on the formation of the new government in Israel and inviting Netanyahu to visit Moscow," the official said. The invitation came hours before U.S. ...


Israeli premier invited to Russia

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:46 PM PDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli official says the country's prime minister has been formally invited to Russia.

How Influencers Will Change the Way we Innovate (Video)

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 07:39 PM PDT

I was struck by one specific moment during my interview with Spigit CEO, Paul Pluschkell. Pluschkell proposed the elimination of most patents so that people with the greatest ideas and the ability to execute on them will win. "If I have an idea today that infringes on a patent that was for some other cause, then the patent system is broke," Pluschkell told me.

Russia's Putin invites Netanyahu to visit Moscow: Israeli official

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:41 PM PDT

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Russia, an Israeli official said on Wednesday.

Xi3 Is Committed to Piston, While Valve's Steam Box Remains Elusive

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:08 PM PDT

A few weeks ago, games publisher Valve announced that it had invested in modular PC maker Xi3, and gamers have been waiting with fascination for more info ever since they came out in public. Since then, their status has changed to "it's complicated." It's become apparent that Valve has at least one other significant other.

Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Opt Out of Genetically Engineered Seafood

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:00 PM PDT

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is likely to approve the introduction of genetically engineered salmon (AquaAdvantage salmon)--the so-called "frankenfish" that has been making headlines for a year or so--later this month. With federal regulation of genetically engineered fish looking unlikely, environment and consumer advocacy groups that oppose the introduction of genetically engineered fish or meat are trying a different tact: Encouraging supermarkets and restaurants to pledge not to buy the stuff.

Seoul says ready to talk to North on resuming resort tours

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:40 PM PDT

South Korea's President Park Geun-hye speaks to the nation at the presidential Blue House in SeoulSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is ready to talk to Pyongyang about resuming tours to the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea if the safety of travelers can be guaranteed, an official said on Wednesday. New President Park Geun-hye has pledged to seek dialogue to ease tensions with Pyongyang that have surged since fresh U.N. sanctions were imposed on North Korea following its February 12 nuclear test. ...


Seoul says ready to talk to North on resuming resort tours

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:41 PM PDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is ready to talk to Pyongyang about resuming tours to the Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea if the safety of travelers can be guaranteed, an official said on Wednesday.

Mexican security forces repel armed attack, kill ten

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:30 PM PDT

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Security forces repelled an attack by suspected criminals armed with AK-47s and other weapons in a mountainous area of central Mexico, killing all 10 of the assailants, authorities said on Tuesday.

Mexican security forces repel armed attack, kill ten

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:30 PM PDT

By Lizbeth Diaz MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Security forces repelled an attack by suspected criminals armed with AK-47s and other weapons in a mountainous area of central Mexico, killing all 10 of the assailants, authorities said on Tuesday. The attack occurred while a group of police and soldiers were on patrol in Mexico state, west of the capital, according to a Mexico state government statement. Only the Army is authorized to use the AK-47 and AR-15 rifles allegedly used by the attackers. ...

Microsoft Whistleblower Allegations Highlight Global Corruption Risks

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:13 PM PDT

It's what makes it difficult for compliance officers to sleep at night.  You're going about your day when the phone rings; on the other end of the line is an attorney from the Department of Justice (DOJ) telling you that they've received an anonymous tip of bribes paid by a distributor in Europe to a foreign government official.  Now what?

Good News for Pall: Agency for Toxic Substances Ignores 1,4 Dioxane Pollution

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:10 PM PDT

If you file a pollution complaint to the government, does anyone bother to investigate?  Or do they just ask others about it?

States, Local Governments Consider Aggressive Tax Collection Efforts To Plug Budget Holes

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:02 PM PDT

All of the taxes in the world don't mean a thing if you can't collect on them - or so many states and localities are figuring out these days. Taxing authorities from Tennessee to New Jersey are reporting shortfalls and lags in collections activities just as cuts from federal funding are being felt.

VIDEO: NK posts imaginary 'missile attack'

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 08:41 PM PDT

North Korea has posted a video on YouTube of what appears to be an imagined missile attack on US government buildings in Washington, including a simulated explosion of the Capitol's dome.

VIDEO: How the US military adapted in Iraq

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 07:48 PM PDT

The shifting nature of combat in Iraq forced the US military to upgrade its equipment, as it sought to minimise casualties.

Big Brewers Peddle Cheap Beer in Africa

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 08:01 PM PDT

SABMiller and Diageo are in a race to target lower-income African drinkers. One of the main ways brewers are expanding market share in Africa: specially negotiated tax deals that help them keep prices low.

U.K. Press Regulation Faces Hurdles

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 06:05 PM PDT

An agreement by Britain's three main political parties on how to regulate the press faced the challenge of how to get the country's newspapers on board with the plan.

Mexico Considers Opening Its Waters

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 06:26 PM PDT

As Mexico marks 75 years since it expropriated oil assets, the government is considering how to attract private investment. But a history of false starts has made a lot of skeptics.

Obama heads to Israel on first official visit

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 08:03 PM PDT

Little hope for new policy among Palestinians or Israelis as White House downplays US president's first official trip.

U.N.: Syria’s humanitarian crisis is ‘dramatic beyond description’

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 07:12 PM PDT

The United Nations official responsible for aiding Syrian refugees painted his bleakest picture to date Tuesday, describing a humanitarian crisis that is "dramatic beyond description" and a country and people so destroyed that they could take years to recover under the best of circumstances.

Read full article >>

Senate Gun Bill Will Exclude Assault Weapons Ban

Senate Gun Bill Will Exclude Assault Weapons Ban


Senate Gun Bill Will Exclude Assault Weapons Ban

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:21 PM PDT

The Senate next month will consider a bill to increase the penalties for people who buy and sell illegal guns, a measure greatly reduced in scope from what President Obama sought.

Seven killed in blast at US arms depot

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:52 PM PDT

Mortar shell explodes unexpectedly during army training exercise in state of Nevada, leaving many others injured.

Dissident's visit warms Washington's Cuba Cold War

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:59 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A visit to the Congress on Tuesday by Cuba's best-known dissident may have slightly narrowed one of Washington's long-standing political gaps - the angry dispute over the U.S. embargo against the Communist government in Havana.

U.K. Flies Cash to Cyprus For Its Troops

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:42 PM PDT

The British government has sent a plane to Cyprus with €1 million on board in case its military personnel stationed there is in need of an emergency loan during the country's bailout crisis, the Ministry of Defense said Tuesday.

Banned Mutton Found in Horse Meat Probe

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:38 PM PDT

French authorities have discovered banned mutton at the French company at the heart of Europe's horse meat scandal, fueling concerns about food safety controls.

Italy Issues Public-Spending Review

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:48 AM PDT

Italy's technocrat administration issued a long-awaited analytical report on how to cut public spending.

Photos of the Day: March 19

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:39 PM PDT

In today's pictures, a gecko sits in a zoo in Zurich, a woman feeds pigeons in Nepal, Pope Francis holds his inaugural Mass at the Vatican, and more.

In West Bank, faint hopes for Obama’s visit

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:26 PM PDT

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — President Obama, whose visit to Israel begins Wednesday, is scheduled to travel to this Palestinian city during his trip, but there is little anticipation and much skepticism in the air.

Read full article >>

Russian analyst: Moscow believes Washington is gripped by 'strategic insanity'

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:14 PM PDT

I'm skeptical that anyone outside of the Kremlin could diagnose its view of American foreign policy with real certainty, but Fyodor Lukyanov is probably about as close as an outside observer can get. He's the editor of a journal called Russia in Global Affairs, which is published in partnership with Foreign Affairs, and he sits on all sorts of foreign policy councils in Russia. So, while his estimation of Moscow's viewpoint is drawn in part from imperfect inference, it's probably still got some truth so it.

Read full article >>

High-tech hunt for pirates

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:49 AM PDT

On board the HDMS Iver Huitfeldt, the captain has just had them execute what on land would be considered a three point turn.

U.S. flies B-52s over South Korea

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 06:50 AM PDT

The U.S. Air Force is breaking out some of its heaviest hardware to send a message to North Korea.

Could 'Terminator' surrender bring peace to Congo?

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:03 AM PDT

Is this choice why Congo's 'Terminator' finally surrendered?

VIDEO: Malala attends first day at school

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 10:58 AM PDT

Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for girls' rights to education, has attended her first day at school in the UK.

Saudi Arabia says arrests 18 in spying investigation

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:30 PM PDT

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that 18 people, including one Iranian, one Lebanese citizen and 16 Saudis, had been arrested for spying.

Saudi Arabia arrests 18 for spying

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:03 PM PDT

Saudi Arabia arrests an Iranian, a Lebanese and 16 Saudis accused of being part of a "spying cell for a state", officials say.

Saudi Arabia arrests Iranian, Lebanese and 16 Saudis for spying

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 12:13 PM PDT

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that 18 people, including one Iranian and one Lebanese citizen, had been arrested for spying.

Owen one of the best, says Lineker

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PDT

Gary Lineker says retiring striker Michael Owen would have broken Sir Bobby Charlton's England goalscoring record but for injury.

Cyprus Rejects Bank Deposit Tax, Scuttling Bailout Deal

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:20 PM PDT

President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus was set to return to the negotiating table with lenders after lawmakers rejected a package that had sought to tax depositors to help pay for a bailout.

Guatemalan trial of ex-dictator Rios Montt begins

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:59 AM PDT

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - The trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity opened on Tuesday, the first time a country has prosecuted an ex-head of state in a national court on such charges.

Witness in ICC case against Kenya's Ruto withdraws: defense

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 11:58 AM PDT

THE HAGUE/NAIROBI (Reuters) - A lawyer for Kenya's deputy president-elect William Ruto, who is charged with crimes against humanity, said a key prosecution witness had withdrawn, potentially complicating another case related to election violence five years ago.