Democrats doubt deadline on healthcare WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Tuesday cast doubt on their chances of meeting the White House's March 18 deadline for voting on a stalled healthcare overhaul, but said they are moving as fast as they can.
UK proposes tougher steps on disclosing bankers' pay LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will on Wednesday propose to force banks to reveal how many of their staff earn top wages, in steps that go further than previous proposals, financial services minister Paul Myners said.
Israeli minister apologizes to Biden over homes plan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli cabinet minister apologized on Wednesday after Israel embarrassed visiting Vice President Joe Biden by announcing plans to build 1,600 more homes for Jewish settlers.
BUSINESS NEWS
Reuters Business News
Fiscal issues hit euro, sterling; stocks flat LONDON (Reuters) - Concerns over Europe's fiscal problems hit the euro and sterling on Wednesday, while world stocks hovered near their recent six-week highs, though they were still up 66 percent from a low hit one year ago.
AIG devises new formula for employee bonuses: report (Reuters) - American International Group Inc has formulated a new "forced ranking" system to determine bonuses and rate employee performance, Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
China's Geely secures financing to buy Volvo: report STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The parent of China's Geely Automobile has secured financing to buy Ford-owned Volvo cars for about 15 billion Swedish crowns ($2.10 billion), a Swedish business daily reported on Wednesday.
STRANGE NEWS
Reuters Oddly Enough News
Ex-president's body stolen for ransom, Cyprus says NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus said Tuesday ransom was the motive of thieves who stole the body of former President Tassos Papadopoulos, found in a shallow grave Monday three months after it disappeared from its tomb.
Residents flee Angolan village invaded by elephants LUANDA (Reuters) - Wild elephants rampaged through a southern village in Angola last weekend, destroying farms and dozens of houses and prompting most of its 4,000 residents to flee to neighboring Namibia, a local official said Tuesday.
Chocolate-powered racecar makes sustainability sexy BOSTON (Reuters Life!) - Fueled by leftover chocolate and with components made from carrots, potato starch and flax, the world's first sustainable Formula 3 racing car has a top speed of 135 miles per hour and can go from zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds.
SPORTS NEWS
Reuters Sports News
Woods practice reports set tour tongues wagging MIAMI (Reuters) - Media reports that Tiger Woods is working with his swing coach Hank Haney have leading golfers talking of a possible return to action for the world number one.
Kobe sinks Raptors as Lakers end losing run LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kobe Bryant delivered yet another game-winning shot to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a three-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
Samuelsson hat-trick lifts Canucks over Avalanche DENVER (Reuters) - Mikael Samuelsson's hat-trick inspired a stirring fightback for the Vancouver Canucks in a 6-4 victory over Northwest Division rivals the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Reuters Entertainment News
Bigelow's Oscars will change Hollywood, slowly LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow wrapped her fingers around that little golden man called Oscar on Sunday and cracked one of Hollywood's glass ceilings, but truly shattering it may take more time.
Accused Letterman extortionist pleads guilty NEW YORK (Reuters) - A television producer pleaded guilty Tuesday to trying to extort $2 million from U.S. talk show host David Letterman by threatening to reveal his affairs with women who worked on his late-night program on CBS.
De Niro signs up to play football icon Lombardi LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - He has played killers and cops in the movies, and two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro may soon take on the role of iconic U.S. football coach Vince Lombardi in a film backed by sports television network ESPN.
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Reuters Technology News
Chinese group file complaint over faulty HP laptops SHANGHAI (Reuters) - More than 100 Chinese consumers have filed an official complaint against Hewlett-Packard Co over faulty laptop computers, leaving the door open for a lawsuit against the U.S. technology company, a lawyer for the group said on Wednesday.
MySpace readies site overhaul to rekindle growth SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - With shrinking audiences, deep layoffs and two management shake-ups, MySpace, the one-time leader in Internet social networking, has had a rocky year.
U.S. weighing China Internet censorship case WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is studying whether it can legally challenge Chinese Internet restrictions that hurt Google and other U.S. companies operating in China, but direct talks with Beijing might yield faster results, the top U.S. trade official said on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
Reuters Environment News
Obama pushes climate change in White House meeting WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, weighing in on the Senate's efforts to pass a climate change bill, gathered Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday to try to jumpstart an overhaul of U.S. energy policy.
U.S. "cap and trade" rebranded "pollution reduction" WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Like a savvy Madison Avenue advertising team, senators pushing climate-control legislation have decided to scrap the name "cap and trade" and rebrand their product as "pollution reduction targets."
China and India endorse Copenhagen climate deal NEW DELHI (Reuters) - China and India joined almost all other major greenhouse gas emitters Tuesday in signing up to the climate accord struck in Copenhagen, boosting a deal strongly favored by the United States.
WORLD NEWS
Reuters International News
UK proposes tougher steps on disclosing bankers' pay LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will on Wednesday propose to force banks to reveal how many of their staff earn top wages, in steps that go further than previous proposals, financial services minister Paul Myners said.
UK's Miliband urges push for Afghan peace deal LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband urged Afghans on Wednesday to push energetically for a peace settlement with Taliban insurgents and said Afghanistan's neighbors must support such an agreement.
Bomber's death fresh blow to Indonesia militants CANBERRA/JAKARTA (Reuters) - A suspected mastermind of the Bali bombings was killed in a police raid in Indonesia in the latest blow to an Islamist militant movement in the world's most populous Muslim country.