Reuters News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama hopes the toughest sanctions ever imposed on Iran will squeeze its oil exports - all without scaring markets, crimping growth, impoverishing ordinary Iranians or antagonizing allies. The geopolitical equivalent of threading a needle is made even more difficult by elections in both the United States and Iran. Obama's goal, persuading Iran to curb its nuclear program, seems far from assured. In recent weeks, U.S. officials have crisscrossed the...Read Full Story

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - On January 13, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut the credit ratings of nine euro zone countries, stripping France and Austria of their triple-A status and triggering new concerns about the region's financial health. Since then, the lead analyst in the downgrades, who long has toiled in obscurity as an economist, has gone largely quiet as he monitors Europe's next move from a Frankfurt office tower. Some policymakers have a nickname for Moritz Kraemer: "Mr...Read Full Story

LONDON (Reuters) - Fashion blogger Sasha Wilkins thinks that there has never been a better time for the eyes of her industry to turn their attention towards London. Wilkins, who is the founder of the successful LibertyLondonGirl.com fashion blog and has covered London Fashion Week for more than 20 seasons, said she has never been more excited than she is for this Friday's kickoff of the autumn/winter 2012 season. "We seem to have got to the point where London can properly take its place on...Read Full Story

AMMAN ( Reuters ) - A former Jordanian intelligence chief was charged Thursday with money laundering, embezzlement and abuse of power, judicial officials said, the latest move in a widening anti-graft campaign propelled by popular protests against corruption. The officials said General Mohammad al-Dahabi, who ran the powerful intelligence services from 2005 to 2009, was charged on the basis of information received from the central bank's anti-money laundering unit. The prosecutor ordered...Read Full Story

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - China's leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping received a warm welcome in the U.S. heartland on Wednesday, moving from Washington and talks on contentious international issues to Iowa, where the Chinese vice president was hailed as an old friend and a boost for billions of dollars in agricultural trade. Before leaving Washington, Xi offered deeper cooperation with the United States on trade and security, citing Iran and North Korea , but called on Washington to heed Beijing...Read Full Story

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Oklahoma lawmakers edged closer toward trying to outlaw abortion on Wednesday by approving "personhood" legislation that gives individual rights to an embryo from the moment of conception. The Republican-controlled state Senate voted 34-8 to pass the "Personhood Act" which defines the word person under state law to include unborn children from the moment of conception. The measure now goes to the state House where pro-life Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than...Read Full Story

Gay marriage bills head toward votes in New Jersey, Maryland (Reuters) - Bills to permit gay marriage in New Jersey and Maryland face key legislative debates and votes on Thursday, highlighting a hot-button issue that is one of several social matters gaining prominence in the election year debate. In New Jersey, the Assembly takes up the "Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act," which passed the Senate on Monday. The bill is expected to pass the Democrat-dominated lower house as well...Read Full Story

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Federal authorities on Wednesday were investigating Shippensburg University's use of a vending machine to dispense morning-after pills to students on the central Pennsylvania campus. The Food and Drug Administration 's probe is aimed at determining whether the school vending machine is in line with a federal requirement that any female under age 17 have a prescription for the drug used after unprotected sex. Typically, Plan B emergency contraception is kept behind the...Read Full Story

(This story corrects to Personhood from Parenthood in 12th paragraph) By Matthew A. Ward PORTSMOUTH , Virginia ( Reuters ) - Virginia lawmakers took a step toward outlawing abortion on Tuesday by approving "personhood" legislation that grants individual rights to an embryo from the moment of conception. The Republican-controlled House of Delegates voted 66-32 in favor of defining the word person under state law to include unborn children "from the moment of conception until birth at every...Read Full Story

NEW YORK (Reuters) - What happened in Atlantic City's past should stay in Atlantic City's past - especially if it involves high-diving horses. That was the decision made by Anthony Catanoso , owner of the Steel Pier amusement park, who scrapped plans for a comeback of the legendary Jersey Shore high-diving horses attraction in response to the cries of outraged animal rights advocates. Catanoso said he was reacting to mounting protests over the stunt in which a horse climbs to the top of a 40...Read Full Story