Obama leads in key swing states, new polls find
Thu, 24 May 2012 19:13:00 GMT

Two of the states are familiar bellwethers, the third a relative newcomer to the swing state category. For either Mitt Romney or President Obama, a clean sweep would guarantee victory on Election Night.

U.S. senators penalize Pakistan for jailing doctor who aided CIA
Thu, 24 May 2012 21:48:05 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators scandalized by Pakistan's jailing of a doctor for helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden voted on Thursday to cut aid to Islamabad by $33 million -- one million for each year in the doctor's sentence.

Iran, big powers agree to hold more nuclear talks in June
Thu, 24 May 2012 21:17:02 GMT

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran and world powers agreed to meet again in Moscow next month for more talks to try to end the long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme, but there was scant progress to resolve the main sticking points between the two sides.

Brotherhood make claims as Egypt polls close
Thu, 24 May 2012 20:59:03 GMT

CAIRO (Reuters) - Millions of Egyptians, choosing their leader freely for the first time in their history, voted on Thursday with the Muslim Brotherhood saying their candidate had an early lead over fellow Islamists and rivals who served ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

Times-Picayune in New Orleans cuts publication to 3 days a week
Thu, 24 May 2012 20:36:00 GMT

The New Orleans Times-Picayune will move to a three-day-a-week print schedule in the fall, becoming the largest metro newspaper to cut back paper publication in what has increasingly become an electronic world of information.

NOAA sees "near normal" Atlantic hurricane season
Thu, 24 May 2012 19:33:00 GMT

MIAMI, Florida (Reuters) - The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season will be "near normal" with nine to 15 tropical storms and four to eight of those will strengthen into hurricanes, the U.S. government weather agency predicted on Thursday.

Jury in ex-Senator Edwards' trial asks to see more evidence
Thu, 24 May 2012 18:44:03 GMT

GREENSBORO, North Carolina (Reuters) - Jurors deciding whether former U.S. Senator John Edwards broke federal election laws while running for president asked for 20 more pieces of evidence on Thursday, suggesting their fifth day of deliberations is likely not their last.

Dragon cleared to dock with space station
Thu, 24 May 2012 17:21:12 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL -- After its Dragon capsule passed maneuvering tests early Thursday morning, SpaceX has tentative permission from NASA to dock its spacecraft with the International Space Station Friday morning, marking the world's first private cargo delivery in space.

Double jeopardy issue: Court OKs some trials after vote to acquit
Thu, 24 May 2012 17:09:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has limited the Constitution's protection against double jeopardy in cases involving multiple charges and a deadlocked  jury.

Unabomber can't make Harvard reunion, sends update
Thu, 24 May 2012 16:55:00 GMT

BOSTON (Reuters) - The 50th reunion for Harvard's University's undergraduate class of 1962 took a strange turn when Ted Kaczynski, the year's most infamous graduate, sent in a status update that was published in the alumni book.

Suspect held in case of New York boy missing since '79
Thu, 24 May 2012 16:50:09 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey man was in custody on Thursday in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz from his New York City neighborhood, a case that drew national attention to the plight of missing children, authorities said.

CIA honors officer killed in the line of duty in Yemen
Thu, 24 May 2012 15:09:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- At Jeffrey Patneau's funeral in October 2008, his family was not allowed to talk about where he had worked or what he had done.

Divided Syrian opposition to choose new leader
Thu, 24 May 2012 13:20:09 GMT

AMMAN (Reuters) - The main Syrian National Council opposition group said it had accepted the resignation of its president, setting the stage for a showdown between the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and its political rivals over who will be the new leader.

Fire aboard nuclear sub in Maine is out; no deaths
Thu, 24 May 2012 12:44:00 GMT

BOSTON (Reuters) - A fire that broke out Wednesday evening on a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine docked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine has been extinguished. Seven people were injured but there were no deaths, a Navy spokesman said on Thursday.

Private Dragon spacecraft rendezvous with space station
Thu, 24 May 2012 11:56:59 GMT

The world's first private spacecraft has flown by the International Space Station and completed its first several of tests to demonstrate whether the rocket company SpaceX can deliver the goods.

Analysis: Are the new Gallup numbers on abortion meaningful?
Thu, 24 May 2012 11:45:00 GMT

Gallup received considerable attention Wednesday for new poll numbers showing that the share of Americans who call themselves "pro-choice" on the abortion issue has hit a record low of 41% while 50% now call themselves "pro-life."

Obama defends foreign policy record against Republicans
Thu, 24 May 2012 06:12:00 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday staunchly defended his foreign policy record against Republican election-year criticism that he has overseen a decline in American power in the world.

U.S. drone strike kills 10 in northwest Pakistan: officials
Thu, 24 May 2012 04:31:04 GMT

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike on suspected Islamist militants in northwest Pakistan killed 10 people on Thursday, Pakistani intelligence officials said, an attack likely to raise tensions in a standoff with Washington over NATO supply routes to Afghanistan.

Winds, heat hamper fight to contain Southwest wildfires
Thu, 24 May 2012 04:31:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Fire crews hampered by wind gusts and the driest conditions in two decades in the U.S. Southwest made slow gains on Wednesday battling dangerous forest and brush fires, including a wildfire in Nevada that doubled in size overnight and destroyed 17 buildings and two homes.

Asians lead U.S. in college degrees: Census
Thu, 24 May 2012 04:30:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Asians are the most highly educated group of Americans, with more than half with a bachelor's degrees or higher, the Census Bureau reported on Thursday.

Obama officials press Senate to ratify sea treaty
Thu, 24 May 2012 04:10:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington's failure to ratify the Law of the Sea Convention puts the U.S. military at increasing risk of confrontation with rising powers like China, U.S. officials said on Wednesday as the Obama administration began a new push to join the 30-year-old treaty.

Chinese couple bury woman alive, sparking outrage
Thu, 24 May 2012 04:10:00 GMT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have arrested a young couple who buried an old woman alive believing she was dead after their car hit the 68-year-old, newspapers said on Thursday, in a case which has sparked outrage over declining public morality.

'I SAW DEATH'
Thu, 24 May 2012 02:48:11 GMT

Thousands of pages of evidence detail the killing of FAMU drum major Robert Champion during a hazing in Orlando

The beatings began well before the Nov. 19 hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion, according to more than 2,300 pages of documents and 30 audio files released Wednesday by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office.

Female soldiers sue to lift combat ban
Thu, 24 May 2012 02:16:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two female soldiers filed suit on Wednesday to scrap the U.S. military's restrictions on women in combat, claiming the policy violated their constitutional rights.

Missouri to vote on 'right to pray' constitutional amendment
Thu, 24 May 2012 02:02:00 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Voters in the U.S. state of Missouri will decide on August 7 whether to approve a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to pray in public places.