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Top Stories:
 | Bernanke expected to stay the course on Fed policy By Jonathan Spicer NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is not expected to hint at a pending policy change when he testifies before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday despite some speculation among investors that the central bank could soon reduce its massive bond buying program. Bernanke's close ally, New York Fed President William Dudley, stressed repeatedly on Tuesday that uncertain economic conditions meant it was too early to determine whether to taper the Fed's $85 billion in monthly purchases. ... Wed, 22 May 2013 09:04:26 -0400 |
 | Garcetti elected Los Angeles mayor over Greuel LOS ANGELES (AP) — City Councilman Eric Garcetti defeated Controller Wendy Greuel to become next mayor of Los Angeles after a campaign in which he depicted his rival a pawn of powerful labor bosses. Wed, 22 May 2013 09:03:35 -0400 |
 | Syria rebels call for reinforcements as war spreads abroad By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebels fighting for control of the Syrian town of Qusair called for reinforcements on Wednesday to repel forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war which is spreading violence through an already volatile region. Opposition fighters said air strikes and shelling rocked the small town on the Syrian-Lebanese border that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in months in the two-year-old war that has so far cost at least 80,000 lives. ... Wed, 22 May 2013 09:10:25 -0400 |
 | Mortar lands in Congo as UN chief arrives GOMA, Congo (AP) — A mortar round exploded in Goma, a city in eastern Congo which has been in the crosshairs of this country's latest rebellion, officials said Wednesday, as the United Nations secretary-general arrived in Congo's capital for a two-day visit expected to take him to Goma. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:50:51 -0400 |
 | Iran's Ahmadinejad denounces election decision TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that a decision by election overseers to disqualify his top aide from next month's presidential race is an act of "oppression" and that he will take the case to the country's supreme leader. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:36:56 -0400 |
 | Militants release seven Egyptians kidnapped in Sinai By Tom Perry and Yousri Mohamed CAIRO/ISMAILIA (Reuters) - Seven members of the Egyptian security forces kidnapped by Islamist militants in Sinai last week were freed on Wednesday and President Mohamed Mursi announced a new crackdown on lawlessness in the desert peninsula. Their abduction underlined the threat posed by jihadists who became active in a security vacuum that opened up in the isolated Sinai after the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The state has struggled to restore order there since. ... Wed, 22 May 2013 08:34:46 -0400 |
 | Vatican releases 1st report of financial watchdog VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican took another step Wednesday to show greater financial transparency by publishing the first annual report from its financial watchdog agency and announcing new regulations to fight money laundering and terror financing. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:32:28 -0400 |
 | Anthony Weiner launches bid to become NYC mayor NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Weiner's run for a renaissance is officially on. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:26:38 -0400 |
 | Target's 1Q profit drops 26 pct on weak sales NEW YORK (AP) — Target Corp. reported a 26 percent drop in first-quarter profit as cool temperatures and financial pressures limited customers' appetite for spending. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:26:15 -0400 |
 | Rescuers comb Oklahoma tornado rubble for buried survivors By Ian Simpson and Alice Mannette MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue workers with sniffer dogs and searchlights picked through the wreckage of a massive tornado to ensure no survivors remained buried in the rubble of primary schools, houses and buildings in an Oklahoma City suburb. The massive tornado on Monday afternoon flattened entire blocks of the town, killed at least 24 people and injured about 240 in Moore, Oklahoma. ... Wed, 22 May 2013 08:23:32 -0400 |
 | AP Interview: Rogge cites need for targeted tests LONDON (AP) — Olympic officials agree that more targeted, out-of-competition testing in high-profile sports is needed to catch the drug cheats who are escaping the net, IOC President Jacques Rogge said Wednesday. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:21:44 -0400 |
 | GOP questions IRS scrutiny of anti-abortion groups IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — When a small anti-abortion group in Iowa sought nonprofit status, the Internal Revenue Service asked its board to promise not to organize protests outside Planned Parenthood and demanded to know how its prayer meetings and protest signs were educational. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:18:36 -0400 |
 | Lowe's 1Q profit rises, but results miss Street NEW YORK (AP) — Lowe's Cos. said Wednesday that its first-quarter net income rose nearly 3 percent, but results fell short of expectations as rainy weather hurt spring gardening sales. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:14:32 -0400 |
 | Canet seeks gritty New York in 'Blood Ties' CANNES, France (AP) — The problem with New York these days is there's just not enough litter. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:06:03 -0400 |
 | Iraqi PM orders army shakeup after deadly attacks BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi government spokesman says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered changes in senior ranks of the military in the wake of bloody attacks that have killed dozens of people in the past few days. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:05:34 -0400 |
 | 7 Egyptian security men kidnapped in Sinai freed CAIRO (AP) — Six Egyptian policemen and a border guard kidnapped by suspected militants in the volatile Sinai Peninsula last week were freed by their captors Wednesday after successful mediation, the country's military spokesman said. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:04:29 -0400 |
 | Syrian opposition urges rebels to join key battle BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's main opposition alliance on Wednesday urged fighters to come from around the country to reinforce a rebel-held town under attack by President Bashar Assad's troops and their allies from the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:59:02 -0400 |
 | Boy Scout leaders to vote on lifting gay ban GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America will convene a two-day meeting of 1,400 local leaders to consider changing its long-standing ban openly gay boys belonging to the scouting movement. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:51:30 -0400 |
 | Futures rise; all eyes on the Fed NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock futures are rising with the nation's central bank seemingly committed to ushering along a financial rebound and the housing market nearing an important milestone. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:43:55 -0400 |
 | Parents face tough choice when tornadoes bear down MOORE, Okla. (AP) — With an ominous storm approaching, the Moore Public School District flashed a text alert to parents: "We are currently holding all students until the current storm danger is over. Students are being released to parents only at this time." Wed, 22 May 2013 07:40:36 -0400 |
 | Japan approves joining int'l child abduction pact TOKYO (AP) — Japan's parliament on Wednesday approved joining an international child custody treaty amid foreign pressure for Tokyo to address concerns that Japanese mothers can take children away from foreign fathers without recourse. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:36:39 -0400 |
 | Ryan Gosling breaks Cannes' heart, misses premiere CANNES, France (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival is missing one of its biggest stars of this year's festival: Ryan Gosling. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:34:32 -0400 |
 | Conn. rail service returns to normal NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Regular train service returned to Connecticut on Wednesday, five days after a derailment injured scores of commuters and damaged tracks. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:29:26 -0400 |
 | North Korean leader sends special envoy to China PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — After months of ignoring China's warnings to give up its nuclear program, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a high-level confidant to Beijing on Wednesday, in a possible effort to mend strained ties with its most important ally and the latest sign that Pyongyang may be giving diplomacy a chance. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:25:26 -0400 |
 | Republican divisions may hinder party's momentum WASHINGTON (AP) — A string of unrelated events is highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they'd like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama's latest political problems. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:22:58 -0400 |
 | Mugabe signs Zimbabwe constitution into law HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed a new constitution into law on Wednesday, replacing a 33-year-old document forged in the dying days of British colonial rule and paving the way for elections later this year. The constitution, approved overwhelmingly in a referendum in March, clips the powers of the president and imposes a two-term limit. However, it does not apply retroactively so the 89-year-old Mugabe could extend his 33 years in power by another decade. ... Wed, 22 May 2013 07:22:21 -0400 |
 | Artillery lands in east Congo city, humanitarian camp GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Artillery rounds landed in a heavily populated neighbourhood of Congo's eastern city of Goma on Wednesday, killing a child and injuring other civilians a day before a planned visit by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a human rights group said. From early morning, government troops and M23 rebels exchanged heavy weapons fire for a third straight day outside the city, the largest in Democratic Republic of Congo's turbulent and mineral-rich east. "A shell landed in Goma's Ndosho neighbourhood around 9 a.m. ... Wed, 22 May 2013 07:11:09 -0400 |