Merritt.biz

China keeps up pressure Chen's family, supporters

BEIJING (Reuters) - While the blind Chinese rights activist Chen Guangcheng on Sunday enjoyed his first hours in New York after years of jail and detention, relatives and supporters back home remained locked down by security authorities. Chen's escape last month from 19 months of detention in his home village in eastern China and his six-day stay in the U.S. embassy in Beijing exposed embarrassing gaps in the web of security that the ruling Communist Party uses to stifle dissent. ...

Taiwan's Ma signals no China change as term starts

Taiwan's president has signaled that he will continue the China policy that helped him get re-elected as he begins his second four-year term.

Trapped Chinese coal miner rescued after 17 days

A Chinese coal miner has been rescued after being trapped underground for 17 days by an underground flood that killed at least 10 others.

Strong quake hits North Italy, at least three dead

BOLOGNA, Italy (Reuters) - A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy early on Sunday morning, causing at least three deaths and collapsing rural factories and ancient bell towers in towns. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:04 a.m. (0204 GMT) and had a magnitude of 5.9, was in the plains near Modena. But it was felt in nearby regions. One person working a night shift died in the collapse of a factory and two others were killed in the collapse of another building. Rescue officials were checking reports that other people were buried under rubble. ...

NATO leaders seek common path out of Afghanistan

CHICAGO (Reuters) - NATO leaders gather in Chicago on Sunday for a summit that will chart a path out of Afghanistan, as Western nations seek to fend off fissures in their alliance and ensure Afghanistan can hold a still-potent Taliban at bay when foreign troops withdraw. President Barack Obama hosts the summit in his home town, Chicago, a day after leaders of major industrialized nations tackled Europe's debt crisis, backing keeping Greece in the euro zone and vowing to take steps necessary to revitalize the world economy. ...

NATO leaders seek common path out of Afghanistan

CHICAGO (Reuters) - NATO leaders gather in Chicago on Sunday for a summit that will chart a path out of Afghanistan, as Western nations seek to fend off fissures in their alliance and ensure Afghanistan can hold a still-potent Taliban at bay when foreign troops withdraw. President Barack Obama hosts the summit in his home town, Chicago, a day after leaders of major industrialized nations tackled Europe's debt crisis, backing keeping Greece in the euro zone and vowing to take steps necessary to revitalize the world economy. ...

Status update: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg gets married

(Reuters) - Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg wed longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan on Saturday, announcing the nuptials through a status update on the social networking site. The 28-year-old billionaire's wedding took place a day after Facebook's initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock exchange on Friday. More than 280,000 people "liked" Zuckerberg's status change, which was accompanied by a photo of the smiling couple in wedding attire in a small, verdant outdoor setting with a string of lights behind them. ...

Chicago protests on eve of NATO summit raucous, peaceful

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hundreds of demonstrators staged raucous protests against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's budget cuts and other economic issues on the eve of the NATO summit, but police said there were few arrests and only minor clashes. The crowds were in the hundreds on Saturday, down from an estimated 2,500 people on Friday at Daley Plaza, named for longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley, who headed the city during bloody clashes between police and anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. ...

Chicago protests on eve of NATO summit raucous, peaceful

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hundreds of demonstrators staged raucous protests against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's budget cuts and other economic issues on the eve of the NATO summit, but police said there were few arrests and only minor clashes. The crowds were in the hundreds on Saturday, down from an estimated 2,500 people on Friday at Daley Plaza, named for longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley, who headed the city during bloody clashes between police and anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. ...

Chicago protests on eve of NATO summit raucous, peaceful

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hundreds of demonstrators staged raucous protests against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's budget cuts and other economic issues on the eve of the NATO summit, but police said there were few arrests and only minor clashes. The crowds were in the hundreds on Saturday, down from an estimated 2,500 people on Friday at Daley Plaza, named for longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley, who headed the city during bloody clashes between police and anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. ...

Transgender Miss Universe Canada contestant loses

The first-ever transgender contestant to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant strutted the runway Saturday night, making it to the penultimate round before losing her bid to win the title.

Impatient Thai red shirts want justice from PM Yingluck

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's "red shirts" took to the street this weekend to mark the anniversary of the army's bloody repression of their mass rally in Bangkok in 2010 amid growing signs of a rift with the government they helped elect last July. Many red shirts are angry at the failure of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to bring to account those responsible for the 91 deaths during the 2010 events. Some are threatening action that could destabilise her government and start another period of political upheaval, after months of relative calm. ...

Impatient Thai red shirts want justice from PM Yingluck

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's "red shirts" took to the street this weekend to mark the anniversary of the army's bloody repression of their mass rally in Bangkok in 2010 amid growing signs of a rift with the government they helped elect last July. Many red shirts are angry at the failure of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to bring to account those responsible for the 91 deaths during the 2010 events. Some are threatening action that could destabilise her government and start another period of political upheaval, after months of relative calm. ...

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg weds on day after IPO

A day after the historic Facebook IPO, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg updated his status Saturday to "married."

Season's first Atlantic tropical storm forms off South Carolina

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Alberto formed off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Although the storm was likely to remain offshore, forecasters issued a tropical storm warning for the South Carolina coast late on Saturday, saying there was "too little margin for error" not to issue the warning. Alberto was in the Atlantic about 110 miles southeast of Charleston with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. ...

Season's first Atlantic tropical storm forms off South Carolina

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Alberto formed off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Although the storm was likely to remain offshore, forecasters issued a tropical storm warning for the South Carolina coast late on Saturday, saying there was "too little margin for error" not to issue the warning. Alberto was in the Atlantic about 110 miles southeast of Charleston with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. ...

Two smaller unions agree deals with Lockheed

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp said on Saturday it had negotiated new contracts with two smaller unions at its Fort Worth, Texas plant, even as a strike by the larger machinists union stretched into a fifth week. Lockheed said about 70 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on Friday ratified a new contract that would extend for four years. On Saturday, a new five-year contract was approved by 430 members of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). Both agreements take effect on Monday. ...

Two smaller unions agree deals with Lockheed

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp said on Saturday it had negotiated new contracts with two smaller unions at its Fort Worth, Texas plant, even as a strike by the larger machinists union stretched into a fifth week. Lockheed said about 70 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on Friday ratified a new contract that would extend for four years. On Saturday, a new five-year contract was approved by 430 members of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). Both agreements take effect on Monday. ...

Rubio Comes Out Swinging at Obama at S.C. GOP Dinner

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., doled out attacks on President Obama tonight in a high-profile speech before South Carolina Republicans, laying out aggressive criticisms of the president as he called him the most “divisive figure” in American politics. “The president and his party’s...

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg marries sweetheart

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg updated his status to "married" on Saturday.

Air Canada dispute with pilots goes to arbitrator

TORONTO (Reuters) - The union representing 3,000 Air Canada pilots said on Saturday that it had failed to reach a contract agreement with the country's largest airline after 10 days of mediated talks, leaving the dispute in the hands of a government arbitrator. A federal arbitrator will now have less than 90 days to choose between proposals submitted by the pilots and airlines, imposing an agreement on both sides. "To say we are disappointed would be a vast understatement," said Captain Jean-Marc Belanger, chair of the Master Executive Council of the Air Canada Pilots Association. ...

Blind Chinese activist Chen arrives in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States on Saturday and declared "equality and justice have no boundaries" after China let him leave a Beijing hospital to quell a sensitive diplomatic rift between the two countries. Chen escaped from house arrest in northeastern China last month and sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, embarrassing China and creating an uncomfortable backdrop for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies. ...

Blind Chinese activist Chen arrives in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States on Saturday and declared "equality and justice have no boundaries" after China let him leave a Beijing hospital to quell a sensitive diplomatic rift between the two countries. Chen escaped from house arrest in northeastern China last month and sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, embarrassing China and creating an uncomfortable backdrop for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies. ...

Obama Sees 'Emerging Consensus' on Eurozone Rescue, Promotes Growth

WASHINGTON — There were a couple new faces in town at the annual Group of Eight summit, and a couple new allies for President Obama, who has been urging Europeans to follow America’s lead. And with 4 million jobs created in the United States in...

Google says it has China's approval for Motorola deal

(Reuters) - Google said on Saturday that Chinese authorities have approved its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings, the last regulatory hurdle to a deal that would allow the world's No. 1 Internet search engine to develop its own line of smart phones. Google, which will be the newest entrant to the handset market, announced plans for the acquisition last year in a bid to secure Motorola's valuable patents and pave the way for a pairing of Google's Android mobile software and Motorola's handset business. U.S. ...

Google says it has China's approval for Motorola deal

(Reuters) - Google said on Saturday that Chinese authorities have approved its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings, the last regulatory hurdle to a deal that would allow the world's No. 1 Internet search engine to develop its own line of smart phones. Google, which will be the newest entrant to the handset market, announced plans for the acquisition last year in a bid to secure Motorola's valuable patents and pave the way for a pairing of Google's Android mobile software and Motorola's handset business. U.S. ...

Climber dies in 1,100-foot fall on Alaska's Mount McKinley

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A climber on Alaska's Mount McKinley died in a 1,100-foot fall that started with an effort to retrieve a sliding backpack during an attempt to ascend North America's tallest peak, the National Park Service said on Saturday. The Friday afternoon fall was the first serious accident in this year's climbing season, the service said. The climber - who was not from the United States - was in a three-person party that was not roped together. At the time of the accident, the group was heading up from the 16,200-foot level of the 20,320-foot mountain, officials said. ...

Climber dies in 1,100-foot fall on Alaska's Mount McKinley

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A climber on Alaska's Mount McKinley died in a 1,100-foot fall that started with an effort to retrieve a sliding backpack during an attempt to ascend North America's tallest peak, the National Park Service said on Saturday. The Friday afternoon fall was the first serious accident in this year's climbing season, the service said. The climber - who was not from the United States - was in a three-person party that was not roped together. At the time of the accident, the group was heading up from the 16,200-foot level of the 20,320-foot mountain, officials said. ...

Civil rights group NAACP endorses gay marriage

(Reuters) - The nation's largest civil rights group, the NAACP, endorsed gay marriage on Saturday, giving a boost to the movement to legalize same-sex nuptials despite reservations expressed by some black ministers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed the resolution at its board meeting in Miami "as a continuation of its historic commitment to equal protection under the law," the organization said. "Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. ...

Civil rights group NAACP endorses gay marriage

(Reuters) - The nation's largest civil rights group, the NAACP, endorsed gay marriage on Saturday, giving a boost to the movement to legalize same-sex nuptials despite reservations expressed by some black ministers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed the resolution at its board meeting in Miami "as a continuation of its historic commitment to equal protection under the law," the organization said. "Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. ...

Civil rights group NAACP endorses gay marriage

(Reuters) - The nation's largest civil rights group, the NAACP, endorsed gay marriage on Saturday, giving a boost to the movement to legalize same-sex nuptials despite reservations expressed by some black ministers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed the resolution at its board meeting in Miami "as a continuation of its historic commitment to equal protection under the law," the organization said. "Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. ...

Pakistani leader may face friction over supply routes at NATO summit

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Chicago on Saturday for a NATO summit to what could be a chilly reception if a hoped-for deal allowing trucks to again supply alliance troops in Afghanistan fails to materialize. While Western officials sought to portray Zardari's presence as a sign of improving NATO-Pakistan ties, possible friction at the meeting underscores the challenges NATO countries face as they struggle to ensure a stable future for Afghanistan after Western troops withdraw. ...

Blind justice the inspiration for Chinese dissident Chen

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chen Guangcheng, a blind activist whose campaign for justice in China threatened to upend relations between the world's two superpowers, does not believe in waiting for miracles. For Chen, his extraordinary achievements over the past month - from his escape from house arrest in April to his dramatic arrival in the United States at the weekend - came from a lifetime of learning to defy the odds. ...

Weather helps battle against Southwest wildfires

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Improving weather helped firefighters in Arizona make progress on Saturday against wildfires that have charred more than 65 square miles (168 square km) of forest, brush and grass in the U.S. Southwest and forced the evacuation of several small towns. More than 2,000 firefighters were battling five blazes in Arizona and Colorado from the ground and air. Meanwhile, a small blaze in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness area ballooned in size as wind whipped the flames. ...

Weather helps battle against Southwest wildfires

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Improving weather helped firefighters in Arizona make progress on Saturday against wildfires that have charred more than 65 square miles (168 square km) of forest, brush and grass in the U.S. Southwest and forced the evacuation of several small towns. More than 2,000 firefighters were battling five blazes in Arizona and Colorado from the ground and air. Meanwhile, a small blaze in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness area ballooned in size as wind whipped the flames. ...

Thousands mark 'Red Shirt' crackdown in Bangkok

Monjes budistas encabezaron las oraciones de decenas de miles de personas que se congregaron en la capital tailandesa el sábado, en el segundo aniversario de los mortíferos choques entre soldados y los manifestantes "Camisas Rojas".

World leaders back Greece, vow to combat financial turmoil

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - World leaders backed keeping Greece in the euro zone on Saturday and vowed to take all steps necessary to combat financial turmoil while revitalizing a global economy increasingly threatened by Europe's debt crisis. A summit of the G8 leading industrialized nations came down solidly in favor of a push to balance European austerity - an approach long driven by German Chancellor Angela Merkel - with a new dose of U.S.-style stimulus seen as vital to healing ailing euro-zone economies. But it was clear that divisions remained. ...

UK may keep troops in Afghanistan post-2014 to fight terrorism

CAMP ROUND MEADOW, Maryland (Reuters) - Britain may keep a small number of soldiers in Afghanistan to fight terrorism after 2014, when NATO forces are due to end combat operations, a senior British government official said on Saturday. It is the first time Britain has given any indication it may keep forces in Afghanistan after 2014 apart from a small training contingent. Britain plans to withdraw 500 soldiers from its 9,500-strong force in Afghanistan this year before ending combat operations in 2014 when Afghan security forces are due to have taken over responsibility for security. ...

UK may keep troops in Afghanistan post-2014 to fight terrorism

CAMP ROUND MEADOW, Maryland (Reuters) - Britain may keep a small number of soldiers in Afghanistan to fight terrorism after 2014, when NATO forces are due to end combat operations, a senior British government official said on Saturday. It is the first time Britain has given any indication it may keep forces in Afghanistan after 2014 apart from a small training contingent. Britain plans to withdraw 500 soldiers from its 9,500-strong force in Afghanistan this year before ending combat operations in 2014 when Afghan security forces are due to have taken over responsibility for security. ...

Chinese activist Chen glad China showing "restraint, calm"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng said on Saturday after arriving in the United States that he was gratified the Chinese government had been dealing with his situation with "restraint and calm." "I hope to see that they continue to open discourse and earn the respect and trust of the people," Chen, speaking through a translator, told reporters outside a New York University housing building in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood. He will be studying as a fellow at NYU's School of Law. Chen arrived in the United States shortly after 6 p.m. ...