U.S. Senator John McCain arrives on a visit at a migrant center near the village of Adasevci, Serbia February 12, 2016. REUTERS/Marko Djurica/File Photo
U.S. Senator and Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at a campaign rally in The Villages, Florida, March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo
WASHINGTON Republican voters in Arizona and Florida are expected to pick Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio as their respective U.S. Senate nominees when they go to the polls on Tuesday, but one name not on either ballot, Donald Trump, looms large.
The Republican presidential nominee has endorsed both McCain and Rubio in their re-election bids even though he has rocky relations with both senators.
Trump offended McCain and many other Republicans last year by suggesting that the maverick senator and party's 2008 presidential nominee was anything but a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War after his airplane was shot down during a bombing mission.
In March, Trump ended Rubio's presidential bid by trouncing him in the Florida primary to cap a race in which the New York businessman taunted the first-term senator as "little Marco," and Rubio insulted Trump on everything from his hair color and the size of his hands to misspelled words in tweets.
During their re-election efforts, both McCain and Rubio have offered support for Trump as the party's White House nominee. But they have tiptoed around him, mainly out of concern that his provocative comments on illegal immigration, Muslims and U.S. support for NATO could alienate moderate and independent voters in their states.
At the same time, they have steered clear of attacks on Trump that might antagonize his core supporters.
Adding to the intrigue is that the fates of the two senators will likely play a big role in whether Republicans can upset expectations and maintain majority control of the Senate after the Nov. 8 election.
But first, McCain will have to win Tuesday's Republican primary in Arizona and Rubio will have to prevail in Florida.
McCain, who is trying to extend a 30-year Senate career, faces a challenge from physician and former state Senator Kelli Ward, who is aligned with the conservative Tea Party movement.
McCain leads Ward by 55 percent to 29 percent, according to a CNN opinion poll released last week. But Ward is ratcheting up her attacks, arguing: "It's time to defeat the establishment and retire McCain."
In an interview last week with Politico, Ward called McCain, 80, "a pretty sour old guy." Citing her medical background, she questioned whether he would even live long enough to complete another six-year Senate term.
Ward has aligned herself with Trump, who will face Democrat Hillary Clinton in November's presidential election.
MIXING THE MORTAR
Echoing Trump's call for the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, Ward has boasted: "It's time to mix the mortar to fix the border."
Trying to neutralize Ward's appeal with conservatives, McCain has touted his support for gun rights, his vow to cut government waste and endorsements from anti-abortion leaders.
If McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, wins on Tuesday, he would face Democratic U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick.
While McCain has said he is in the toughest re-election fight of his career, the CNN poll has him opening a 13-point lead over Kirkpatrick.
Rubio, who decided last year not to seek re-election to the Senate in order to pursue the Republican presidential nomination, jumped into the race in June after his failed White House bid.
His late decision to seek a second Senate term came at the urging of Republican Party leaders, who viewed him as their best hope for preventing Democrats from taking the seat.
That prompted the major Republican Senate candidates to quit, leaving Carlos Beruff, 58, a millionaire homebuilder and newcomer to politics, as Rubio's main primary challenger. Like Ward, Beruff has embraced Trump and has accused Rubio of "tap dancing" around the presidential nominee and only offering him lukewarm support.
Rubio is polling well ahead of Beruff. A win on Tuesday means Rubio would likely face U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, who leads the Democratic field.
(Additional reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)

Trump hovers over McCain, Rubio U.S. Senate re-election contests


Republican voters in Arizona and Florida are expected to pick Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio as their respective U.S. Senate nominees when they go to the polls on Tuesday, but one name not on either ballot, Donald Trump, looms large.


A hand-made sign referencing consent in relation to sexual assault lays on the ground at the Stanford University commencement ceremony in Palo Alto, California, U.S. June 12, 2016. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage
LOS ANGELES California lawmakers, responding to outrage over the six-month jail term given to a former Stanford University swimmer after his conviction for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, passed legislation on Monday closing a loophole that allowed the sentence.
The bill now goes to Democratic Governor Jerry Brown for his approval. He has not indicated whether he will sign it into law.
The measure was introduced in response to the sentence given to 20-year-old Brock Turner by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky in June, which was widely condemned as too lenient.
Prosecutors had asked that Turner be given six years in state prison. He is scheduled to be released on Friday from jail in Northern California.
"Sexually assaulting an unconscious or intoxicated victim is a terrible crime and our laws need to reflect that," Democratic Assemblyman Bill Dodd, a co-author of the legislation, said in a written statement following its passage.
Turner was convicted of assault with intent to commit rape, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person in the January 2015 attack. Under California law, those charges are not considered rape because they did not involve penile penetration.
The uproar over the sentence, fueled in part by the victim's harrowing letter in which she detailed the assault in graphic terms, comes amid growing outrage over sexual assault on U.S. college campuses.
“This bill is about more than sentencing, it’s about supporting victims and changing the culture on our college campuses to help prevent future crimes," Dodd said.
The case has also led to efforts to remove Persky from the bench. Earlier this month, the judge asked for a transfer to civil court.
According to the legislators, current California law calls for a mandatory prison term in cases of rape or sexual assault where force is used, but not when the victim is unconscious or severely intoxicated and thus unable to resist.
The bill, which faced no serious opposition in the Democratic-controlled legislature, would eliminate a judge's discretion to sentence defendants convicted of such crimes to probation. Under its provisions, Turner would have faced a minimum of three years behind bars.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Leslie Adler and Peter Cooney)

California lawmakers pass rape bill inspired by Stanford case


California lawmakers, responding to outrage over the six-month jail term given to a former Stanford University swimmer after his conviction for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, passed legislation on Monday closing a loophole that allowed the sentence.


A National Environment Agency officer informs residents as a worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A general view of the Sims Urban Oasis condominium construction site where work has stopped after 37 workers there were tested positive for Zika virus since May, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A National Environment Agency officer and a worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A worker fogs the corridor of a public housing estate in the vicinity where a locally transmitted Zika virus case was discovered, in Singapore August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su
SINGAPORE Officials sprayed insecticide and cleared drains of stagnant water in residential areas of Singapore at high risk of further Zika infections on Monday after 41 locally transmitted cases were confirmed in the city state.
Workers wearing fumigation masks traveled methodically through high-rise public housing estates in seven separate areas of the island, inspecting plant pots closely as they sprayed insecticide via thermal fogging machines.
The health ministry on Saturday confirmed Singapore's first locally-transmitted case of Zika, with the tally rising to 41 just a day later. All of the infected people were either residents of the Aljunied district or workers at a construction site owned by GuocoLand in the area.
"We expect to identify more positive cases," the ministry said on Monday in its latest update on the outbreak.
"Given that the majority of Zika cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and mosquitoes in the affected areas may already have been infected, isolation of positive cases may have limited effect to managing the spread," it added.
Singapore, a major regional financial center and busy transit hub, which maintains a constant vigil against the mosquito-borne dengue virus, reported its first case of the Zika virus in May, brought in by a middle-aged man who had been to Brazil.
GuocoLand, which is headquartered in Singapore and has developments across Asia, was ordered on Saturday to stop work on the building site where 36 of the infected people worked. It will remain closed until the company rectifies the conditions that allowed mosquitoes to breed and steps up preventative measures, the health ministry said.
The Zika virus, carried by mosquitoes, was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. It poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked in Brazil to more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and brains.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday it did not know "which lineage of Zika is circulating" in Singapore or "what the level of population immunity is to this lineage of Zika in Asia."
Singapore's health ministry said some 19 mosquito breeding habitats were detected and destroyed in its first sweep of the Aljunied area on Sunday when it fumigated around a third of the 6,000 homes.
"I feel afraid," said Ng Kai Yee, an 18-year-old female student who lives near the construction site believed to be a source of the outbreak. "I heard quite a lot about how harmful Zika virus is to girls, especially pregnant women."
Authorities have urged those living and working in the risk areas, especially pregnant women, to monitor their health and seek medical attention if they are unwell.
Of the 41 people known to have been infected, 34 have already fully recovered. Only the first case reported was a woman.
(Writing and additional reporting by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Jane Wardell; Graphic by Jessica Wang)

Singapore mass sprays residences as Zika expected to spread


Officials sprayed insecticide and cleared drains of stagnant water in residential areas of Singapore at high risk of further Zika infections on Monday after 41 locally transmitted cases were confirmed in the city state.


California Governor Jerry Brown leaves the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Scott Audette
California Governor Jerry Brown on Monday signed into law a measure that bans the use of bullhooks and other devices to control elephants, the latest victory for animal rights activists who condemn the practice.
Brown's action comes a month after Rhode Island became the first U.S. state to ban the use of a bullhook, a device that resembles a fireplace poker, on elephants and cities such as Los Angeles and Oakland passing similar measures amid public pressure calling for more humane treatment of wild animals used in entertainment.
"California has once again demonstrated its commitment to animal protection. This bill aligns the state’s policies with the values of its residents," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, in a statement.
Trainers and handlers who break the California law, which goes into effect in 2018, faces a fine up to $10,000 and revocation of the their permit.
Brown vetoed a similar bill in 2015 because it created a new crime instead of levying civil penalties and revocation of permits, legislative documents showed.
The law also prohibits brandishing, exhibiting or displaying bullhooks and other devices such as a baseball bat, axe handle or pitchfork in the presence of an elephant, according to legislative documents.
The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians said in a letter to California lawmakers in March that while it supported a ban on the use of devices to inflict pain, it opposed the legislation on the grounds that devices are used to communicate with elephants.
"By removing the elephant guide, the State of California would be removing an essential safety and welfare tool for a large and potentially dangerous animal," the organization said.
Industry standards have changed over the last few years making the use of a bullhook and other devices obsolete, according to legislative documents that noted elephant rides are no longer available at county fairs in California.
Reflecting a shift in U.S. attitudes toward animal entertainment, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus ended its uses of elephants in its shows in April after a 145 years.
In March, SeaWorld said it would stop breeding killer whales in captivity, but would still put on performances with orcas at its marine parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio. That could change in California, where lawmakers passed a bill on Friday, sending the measure to Brown for his signature.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Nick Macfie)

California Governor Brown signs law banning use of bullhooks on elephants


California Governor Jerry Brown on Monday signed into law a measure that bans the use of bullhooks and other devices to control elephants, the latest victory for animal rights activists who condemn the practice.


Workers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department kill mosquitoes outside a construction site near a residential area in Hong Kong, China August 26, 2016, after the first case of Zika was confirmed in the city. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
HONG KONG Hong Kong's first suspected Zika patient tested negative for the virus and has been discharged from hospital, broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reported on Saturday.
The 38-year-old woman left hospital on Friday evening. She had been admitted after suffering symptoms of joint pain and red eyes after spending two weeks in the Caribbean.
Zika was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
(Reporting by Michelle Chen; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

Hong Kong's first suspected Zika case tests negative: radio


Hong Kong's first suspected Zika patient tested negative for the virus and has been discharged from hospital, broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reported on Saturday.


U.S. Senator Marco Rubio looks on during an official photo with Honduran Attorney General Oscar Chinchilla (not pictured) at the attorney's facilities in Tegucigalpa, Honduras May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera
WASHINGTON Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year, was chosen on Tuesday as the Republican Party nominee for a second U.S. Senate term from Florida, according to the Associated Press.
Rubio was projected to win the party nominating contest in Florida over novice politician Carlos Beruff, a wealthy homebuilder. Rubio could face Democratic U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, who was expected to win his party's nominating contest, in the Nov. 8 election.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Florida Republicans pick Marco Rubio for Senate race: AP


Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year, was chosen on Tuesday as the Republican Party nominee for a second U.S. Senate term from Florida, according to the Associated Press.


FILE PHOTO: Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of CBS Corp. and Viacom, arrives at the premiere of 'The Guilt Trip' in Los Angeles December 11, 2012. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/File Photo
CANTON, Mass. A Massachusetts judge on Friday told attorneys to see if they could agree to resolve at least parts of a lingering family dispute over the fate of the empire built by Sumner Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc (VIAB.O).
Judge George Phelan gave the instruction before declaring a break in a hearing on Friday that is part of the ongoing legal saga over whether Redstone was mentally competent when he removed former Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and board member George Abrams from a trust that will determine the fate of his media empire.
The proceedings likely will not affect the removal of Dauman and Abrams from Viacom and Redstone's trust, according to people familiar with the situation.
On Saturday, Viacom announced that it had come to an agreement with Redstone, and his privately-held National Amusements Inc, which owns 80 percent of the voting shares of Viacom and CBS Corp (CBS.N)
Dauman has stepped down as CEO and will receive as much as $90 million in cash and stock-based compensation, according to the agreement.
But Keryn Redstone, who is Shari Redstone's niece and was replaced as a trustee in 2012, is challenging the validity of the settlement agreement because she believes her grandfather is being manipulated by his daughter Shari.
Under the settlement, the board of Viacom added the five directors that National Amusements put forward in June, bringing the board to 15 directors after Dauman departs. Three of those directors are expected to step down after Viacom's annual meeting next year, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters last week.
Despite that settlement, Redstone's granddaughter Keryn Redstone has filed a cross-complaint in connection to Dauman's lawsuit. In a filing on Thursday she also questioned if Dauman's side did enough to assure themselves that Redstone had the mental capacity to understand the terms.
At the hearing on Friday in Norfolk County Probate and Family Court in Canton, Massachusetts, Judge Phelan said that he has "some concerns about what information was being given to Sumner."
Phelan urged attorneys for the various sides to see if they could resolve some of Keryn Redstone's concerns, such as by amending trust documents or arranging for her to speak with her grandfather via a video link.
(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Judge in Redstone hearing urges attorneys to reach agreements


A Massachusetts judge on Friday told attorneys to see if they could agree to resolve at least parts of a lingering family dispute over the fate of the empire built by Sumner Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc (VIAB.O).


U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks about health insurance marketplace enrollments and the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
NEW YORK Nearly a third of U.S. counties will likely be served by only one insurer that participates in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace in 2017, according to an analysis published Sunday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The 31 percent of U.S. counties that will have just a single option of insurers within the ACA's exchanges would represent an increase from 7 percent this year, the nonpartisan group found.
UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) and Aetna Inc (AET.N) have decided to largely exit government-run online marketplaces in 2017 that sell subsidized plans created under President Barack Obama's national healthcare reform law, citing low enrollment and high service costs.
The bulk of the decrease in counties with a choice of insurers is due to UnitedHealth's pullback, which was announced in April.
The data underscores the degree to which industry retrenchment is curtailing individual's options within the marketplaces. Insurer departures may lead to higher costs within that market, analysts have said.
One county - Pinal County, Arizona - risks having no insurer options at all within the marketplace, the analysis found.
However, the study's authors said another plan offered elsewhere in the state could expand to serve the county. The foundation also said it could take more months and more data for the full impact of the changes for 2017 to become clear.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was not immediately available for comment, but the agency has said that the ACA has helped increase the number of options available to individuals.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Paul Tait)

More U.S. counties to see Obamacare marketplace monopoly: analysis


Nearly a third of U.S. counties will likely be served by only one insurer that participates in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace in 2017, according to an analysis published Sunday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.


Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera speaks at the launch of the Pirelli Calendar 2016 in London, Britain November 30, 2015. REUTERS/Neil Hall
Cast member Lupita Nyong'o poses at the premiere of 'The Jungle Book' at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California April 4, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Cast member Kate Winslet poses for photographers at the closing night premiere of the film 'Steve Jobs' at the BFI London Film Festival October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Neil Hall
Actress Nicole Kidman arrives at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California January 30, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Penelope Cruz poses for a picture before the Spanish Film Academy's Goya Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Susana Vera
LONDON Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o have posed for the 2017 Pirelli Calendar, which features a host of Hollywood's biggest names.
The likes of Uma Thurman, Kate Winslet and 'House of Cards' actress Robin Wright are also among the 15 stars who appear in the calendar.
The photos were taken by the German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, who has shot for Pirelli twice before.
Other movie greats featured include Alicia Vikander and Helen Mirren, with the photos taken in Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Le Touquet and New York.
The first Pirelli Calendar was published in 1963, and the publication has since featured many of cinema's best known performers.
(Reporting by Francis Maguire; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Hollywood stars pose for 2017 Pirelli Calendar


Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o have posed for the 2017 Pirelli Calendar, which features a host of Hollywood's biggest names.


LPC: Private equity firms put more capital, less debt into LBOs
NEW YORK, Aug 26 Higher company valuations and lenders wary of risky investments are pushing private equity firms to increase the size of equity contributions, or checks, for leveraged buyouts near historic highs in the face of fierce competition from cash-rich corporate buyers.

BRIEF-Northern Shield mobilizes drill to Huckleberry


WRAPUP 1-Declining inventories curb U.S. second-quarter growth; consumption surges
WASHINGTON, Aug 26 U.S. economic growth was a bit more sluggish than initially thought in the second quarter as businesses aggressively ran down stocks of unsold goods, offsetting a spurt in consumer spending.

BRIEF-RioCan REIT announces completion of $250 mln public offering of Series X senior unsecured debentures


GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks bounce, dollar dips on Fed hike doubts
SYDNEY, Aug 30 Asian shares bounced on Tuesday as doubts the Federal Reserve really would hike rates as soon as September undermined the dollar, while investors continued to count on more policy stimulus elsewhere in the world.

BRIEF-Distinct Infrastructure Qtrly EPS $0.000


A man pushes his shopping cart down an aisle at a Home Depot store in New York, July 29, 2010. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
WASHINGTON, U.S. economic growth was a bit more sluggish than initially thought in the second quarter as businesses aggressively ran down stocks of unsold goods, offsetting a spurt in consumer spending.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 1.1 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday in its second estimate of GDP. That was slightly down from the 1.2 percent rate reported last month.
The revision also reflected more imports than previously estimated as well as weak spending by state and local governments. The economy grew at a 0.8 percent pace in the first quarter. It grew 1.0 percent in the first half of 2016.
The revision to second-quarter GDP growth was in line with economists' expectations. The economy has struggled to regain momentum since output started slowing in the last six months of 2015, which puts it in danger of stalling.
While data so far for the third quarter has been mixed, a strong labor market should continue to support consumer spending and underpin growth in the coming quarters. Output will also likely get a boost as businesses restock warehouses after liquidating inventories in the second quarter.
The government also reported that after-tax corporate profits fell at a 2.4 percent rate last quarter after increasing at an 8.1 percent pace in the first quarter. Weak profits could limit an anticipated rebound in business spending.
With profits declining, an alternative measure of growth, gross domestic income, or GDI, increased at only a 0.2 percent rate in the second quarter, the weakest since the first quarter of 2013. GDI measures the economy's performance from the income side. It increased at a 0.8 percent pace in the first quarter.
Business inventories fell $12.4 billion in the second quarter, the first drop since the third quarter of 2011, instead
of the $8.1 billion reported last month.
As a result inventories sliced off 1.26 percentage points from GDP growth, the largest drag in more than two years, and up from the 1.16 percentage points subtraction in last month's estimate.
It was the fifth straight quarter that inventories weighed on output. Economists say some of the inventory drawdown could partially be attributed to robust consumption.
Consumer spending, which makes up more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, was revised up to show it increased at a 4.4 percent rate -- the fastest since the fourth quarter of 2014. Consumer spending, which was previously reported to have
advanced at a 4.2 percent rate, accounted for the bulk of the rise in output last quarter.
With consumption accelerating, imports were revised to show them growing at a 0.3 percent rate instead of declining at a 0.4 percent rate. There was also a modest downward revision to export growth. As a result, trade contributed one-tenth of a percentage point to GDP growth in the second quarter instead of 0.23 percentage point as reported last month.
Business spending on equipment fell at a 3.7 percent rate and not the 3.5 percent pace reported last month. Business spending on equipment contracted for a third consecutive quarter, the longest stretch since the 2007-2009 recession, though the pace of decline slowed.
Business spending has been hurt by cheap oil, which has squeezed profits in the energy sector, forcing companies to cut capital spending budgets. There are signs that the worst of the decline is probably over, with a report on Thursday showing demand for manufactured capital goods rising in July for a second straight month.
There were also downward revisions to investment in nonresidential structures, which include oil and gas wells.
Residential construction spending estimates were also trimmed.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

U.S. second-quarter growth trimmed to 1.1 percent; consumer spending raised


U.S. economic growth was a bit more sluggish than initially thought in the second quarter as businesses aggressively ran down stocks of unsold goods, offsetting a spurt in consumer spending.


BRIEF-Transeastern Power Trust Q2 diluted net earnings per unit of $0.04


BRIEF-Siyata Mobile Q2 top line revenue of $2.0 mln


Monsanto logo is displayed on a screen where the stock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S. on May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
NEW DELHI Major international seed companies formed an alliance on Friday to oppose a proposal by India that would force them to share their genetically modified crop technology with local players.
Executives from the India businesses of Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, Dupont Pioneer and Syngenta, which have formed the alliance, said seed prices should be set by the market rather than by regulation.
The show of solidarity comes after Monsanto, which pioneered the use of GM cotton in India, pulled an application for its next-generation product from the approvals process on concerns over the security of its intellectual property.
An executive from Bayer India said nobody would invest in research if the proposed introduction of compulsory licensing - which would force a company to share its intellectual property if the government so orders - is implemented.
India does not yet allow GM food crops, whose introduction could help reduce heavy import bills for items like edible oils that it needs to feed its huge and growing population. A domestically developed GM mustard product is, however, inching its way through the approvals process.
But political and public opposition to lab-altered food remains strong amid fears that GM crops could compromise food safety and biodiversity.
(Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Mayank Bhardwaj; Writing by Malini Menon; Editing by Douglas Busvine)

Foreign seed firms team up to oppose new India GM crop rules


Major international seed companies formed an alliance on Friday to oppose a proposal by India that would force them to share their genetically modified crop technology with local players.


U.S. Senator Marco Rubio looks on during an official photo with Honduran Attorney General Oscar Chinchilla (not pictured) at the attorney's facilities in Tegucigalpa, Honduras May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera
WASHINGTON Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year, was chosen on Tuesday as the Republican Party nominee for a second U.S. Senate term from Florida, according to the Associated Press.
Rubio was projected to win the party nominating contest in Florida over novice politician Carlos Beruff, a wealthy homebuilder. Rubio could face Democratic U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, who was expected to win his party's nominating contest, in the Nov. 8 election.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Florida Republicans pick Marco Rubio for Senate race: AP


Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year, was chosen on Tuesday as the Republican Party nominee for a second U.S. Senate term from Florida, according to the Associated Press.


BRIEF-CHC Student Housing announces qtrly loss per share $0.16


FILE PHOTO: Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of CBS Corp. and Viacom, arrives at the premiere of 'The Guilt Trip' in Los Angeles December 11, 2012. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/File Photo
CANTON, Mass. A Massachusetts judge on Friday told attorneys to see if they could agree to resolve at least parts of a lingering family dispute over the fate of the empire built by Sumner Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc (VIAB.O).
Judge George Phelan gave the instruction before declaring a break in a hearing on Friday that is part of the ongoing legal saga over whether Redstone was mentally competent when he removed former Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and board member George Abrams from a trust that will determine the fate of his media empire.
The proceedings likely will not affect the removal of Dauman and Abrams from Viacom and Redstone's trust, according to people familiar with the situation.
On Saturday, Viacom announced that it had come to an agreement with Redstone, and his privately-held National Amusements Inc, which owns 80 percent of the voting shares of Viacom and CBS Corp (CBS.N)
Dauman has stepped down as CEO and will receive as much as $90 million in cash and stock-based compensation, according to the agreement.
But Keryn Redstone, who is Shari Redstone's niece and was replaced as a trustee in 2012, is challenging the validity of the settlement agreement because she believes her grandfather is being manipulated by his daughter Shari.
Under the settlement, the board of Viacom added the five directors that National Amusements put forward in June, bringing the board to 15 directors after Dauman departs. Three of those directors are expected to step down after Viacom's annual meeting next year, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters last week.
Despite that settlement, Redstone's granddaughter Keryn Redstone has filed a cross-complaint in connection to Dauman's lawsuit. In a filing on Thursday she also questioned if Dauman's side did enough to assure themselves that Redstone had the mental capacity to understand the terms.
At the hearing on Friday in Norfolk County Probate and Family Court in Canton, Massachusetts, Judge Phelan said that he has "some concerns about what information was being given to Sumner."
Phelan urged attorneys for the various sides to see if they could resolve some of Keryn Redstone's concerns, such as by amending trust documents or arranging for her to speak with her grandfather via a video link.
(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Judge in Redstone hearing urges attorneys to reach agreements


A Massachusetts judge on Friday told attorneys to see if they could agree to resolve at least parts of a lingering family dispute over the fate of the empire built by Sumner Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc (VIAB.O).


Three storm systems are shown (L TO R) Tropical Depression Nine to the southeast of Florida, Tropical Depression Eight just off the coast of the Carolinas and Hurricane Gaston in the central Atlantic Ocean are shown in this GOES East satellite image captured August 29, 2016.... REUTERS
Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning on Wednesday for the Florida Gulf Coast, where preparations were being made for life-threatening flooding and fierce winds, while residents of Hawaii's Big Island were warned of an encroaching hurricane.
Some local governments in Florida have begun distributing sandbags as the unnamed tropical depression heads toward the state's Gulf Coast where as much as 15 inches of rain could fall from Indian Pass on the panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico to north of Tampa, the National Hurricane Center said in an early morning advisory.
"Persons located within these areas should be prepared to take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water," the center said.
The center also issued a hurricane watch for the coast, saying the system, which is currently packing 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts, is expected to strengthen as it heads east.
Flooding, storm surge, fierce winds and tornadoes were all threats to the region, which could begin feeling the storm late on Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement.
On its current path, the system could make landfall on Florida's north-central Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing storms into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida raised the activation status of its State Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday to begin preparing.
Another unnamed tropical depression was turning out to sea on Wednesday after threatening the North Carolina coast, according to the hurricane center.
On Hawaii's Big Island, residents were warned on Tuesday of an encroaching hurricane expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains.
The National Weather Service (NWS) tracked Hurricane Madeline swirling about 235 miles (380 km) east of the town of Hilo around 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The storm was forecast to "pass dangerously close" on Wednesday, prompting the NWS to issue a hurricane warning for the island.
Madeline was ranked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph), the weather service said.
The County of Hawaii sent residents an alert about the hurricane's dangers, including heavy rains that could lead to mudslides, as well as possibly damaging ocean swells.
"Preparations to protect life and property should be completed by nightfall today," the alert said.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Storm bears down on Florida, hurricane threatens Hawaii


Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning on Wednesday for the Florida Gulf Coast, where preparations were being made for life-threatening flooding and fierce winds, while residents of Hawaii's Big Island were warned of an encroaching hurricane.


The recovered first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is transported to the SpaceX hangar at launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida May 14, 2016. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Elon Musk's SpaceX has signed its first customer to use a previously flown rocket, with launch planned for later this year, the companies said on Tuesday.
The launch for Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES SA SESFg.LU will mark the first commercial reuse of a Falcon 9 rocket, which is crucial to efforts by technology entrepreneur Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp to reduce the cost of space launches.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell previously said the company was targeting a 30 percent discount for launches aboard previously flown rockets, which would bring the price down to about $43 million per flight, a fraction of what competitors charge.
SpaceX has so far landed six Falcon 9 rockets and will attempt to land its seventh after Saturday's scheduled launch in Florida of an Israeli communications satellite.
"We believe reusable rockets will open up a new era of spaceflight, and make access to space more efficient in terms of cost and manifest management,” Martin Halliwell, SES chief technology officer, said in a statement.
SES, which in 2013 became SpaceX’s first commercial customer, plans to launch its SES-10 communications satellite on a used Falcon 9 rocket in late 2016.
The rocket previously flew in April to send a cargo ship on its way to the International Space Station for NASA, said SpaceX spokesman John Taylor.
"Re-launching a rocket that has already delivered spacecraft to orbit is an important milestone on the path to complete and rapid reusability,” Shotwell said in the statement.
Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the goal of slashing launch costs to make travel to Mars affordable. The company plans to fly its first unmanned spacecraft to Mars in 2018 and send humans to Mars as early as 2024.
Musk is expected to unveil details of his Mars program at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, next month.
SpaceX's major competitors are United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and Europe's Arianespace.
(Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by Alistair Bell)

SpaceX signs first customer for used Falcon rocket


Elon Musk's SpaceX has signed its first customer to use a previously flown rocket, with launch planned for later this year, the companies said on Tuesday.


UPDATE 2-United Airlines hires No. 2 at American to be its president
Aug 29 United Continental Holdings Inc has hired the No. 2 executive at rival American Airlines Group Inc, Scott Kirby, to be its president, the companies said on Monday.

BRIEF-Tangelo reports 2016 Qtrly EPS $ 0.00


Automobiles are shown for sale at a car dealership in Carlsbad, California, U.S. on May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
WASHINGTON U.S. consumer spending increased for a fourth straight month in July amid strong demand for automobiles, pointing to a pickup in economic growth that could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.
The Commerce Department said on Monday that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose 0.3 percent last month after a 0.5 percent gain in June.
July's increase was in line with economists' expectations. When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending also rose 0.3 percent in July after advancing 0.4 percent in June.
Consumer spending appears to have retained some of its momentum from the second quarter, when it grew at a 4.4 percent annual rate, the fastest in nearly two years. That jump helped to mitigate some of the impact of a sharp inventory drop and prolonged business investment downturn.
The economy grew at a lackluster 1.1 percent annual rate in the second quarter.
U.S. stock futures rose after Monday's data, while prices for U.S. Treasuries held earlier gains. The dollar .DXY was trading higher against a basket of currencies. July's consumer spending data added to reports on the goods trade deficit, industrial production, durable goods orders and residential construction that have pointed to an acceleration in economic growth early in the third quarter.
The Atlanta Fed is currently estimating third-quarter GDP growth rising at a 3.4 percent annual pace.
Consumer spending is being driven by a tightening labor market, which is steadily lifting wages. Rising home values and stock market prices, which are boosting household wealth, are also supporting consumption.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen told a gathering of global central bankers on Friday that she believed the case for raising interest rates had been strengthened in recent months by the "solid performance of the labor market and our outlook for economic activity and inflation."
Last month, there was little sign of inflation pressures even as consumer spending firmed.
The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, excluding the volatile food and energy components, edged up 0.1 percent after a similar gain in June.
In the 12 months through July the core PCE increased 1.6 percent. It has risen by the same margin every month since March. The core PCE is the Fed's preferred inflation measure and is running below its 2 percent target.
Consumer spending last month was lifted by a 1.6 percent surge in purchases of long-lasting manufactured goods such as automobiles. Spending on services rose 0.4 percent, but outlays on non-durable goods slipped 0.5 percent.
Personal income increased 0.4 percent in July after rising 0.3 percent in June. Wages and salaries advanced 0.5 percent. Savings rose to $794.7 billion from $776.2 billion in June.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao)

Automobiles boost U.S. consumer spending; inflation still tame


U.S. consumer spending increased for a fourth straight month in July amid strong demand for automobiles, pointing to a pickup in economic growth that could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.


UPDATE 2-S.African rand weakens as U.S. rate hike expectations strengthen
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 29 South Africa's rand weakened against the dollar on Monday as the greenback rose on expectations that U.S. interest rates would rise soon, adding pressure on the currency which has been knocked by concerns over the finance minister's future.

BRIEF-Prism medical says court approval granted for deal with Handicare Group AB


A woman looks at a Center for Disease Control (CDC) health advisory sign about the dangers of the Zika virus as she lines up for a security screening at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, U.S., May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Florida health officials on Tuesday said they were investigating three new Zika virus cases likely stemming from local mosquito bites in Miami-Dade County, including two cases outside of the known areas of active transmission.
The new infections bring the state's total of non-travel-related cases to 46, according to the Florida Department of Health. Only one of Tuesday's three new cases was linked to Miami Beach, which is known to be an active area for local Zika transmission.
The health department said it was investigating the other two cases to determine where they occurred, but cautioned, "One case does not mean ongoing active transmission is taking place."
The department said it believes ongoing transmission is only taking place in parts of Miami Beach and the trendy Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, the site of the first local Zika transmission in the United States.
Zika infections have been mounting in popular tourist areas and may have caused concern among wary vacationers. Travelers have booked fewer hotel rooms in downtown Miami, and leisure airfares to the greater Miami area have inched down in the weeks since the Zika virus was detected there.
Florida health department workers have been going door-to-door in Pinellas, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties to talk to residents about the virus and offer voluntary tests.
The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Three new cases of local Zika transmission in Florida: officials


Florida health officials on Tuesday said they were investigating three new Zika virus cases likely stemming from local mosquito bites in Miami-Dade County, including two cases outside of the known areas of active transmission.


Iran's national flags are seen on a square in Tehran February 10, 2012, a day before the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl
DUBAI Iran has arrested a member of the team that negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with world powers on suspicion of spying, a judiciary spokesman said on Sunday.
The suspect was released on bail after a few days in jail but is still under investigation, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said at a regular weekly news conference, calling the unidentified individual a "spy who had infiltrated the nuclear team," state media reported.
The deal that President Hassan Rouhani struck last year has given Iran relief from most international sanctions in return for curbing its nuclear program, but it is opposed by hardliners who see it as a capitulation to the United States.
(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Editing by William Maclean)

Iran arrests nuclear negotiator suspected of spying


Iran has arrested a member of the team that negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with world powers on suspicion of spying, a judiciary spokesman said on Sunday.


A woman looks at a Center for Disease Control (CDC) health advisory sign about the dangers of the Zika virus as she lines up for a security screening at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, U.S., May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Travelers have booked fewer hotel rooms in downtown Miami, and leisure airfares to the greater Miami area have inched down in the weeks since the Zika virus was detected there, data reviewed by Reuters shows.
Hotels sold 2.9 percent fewer rooms in Miami's central business district and northern neighborhoods during the first three weeks of August than they did a year earlier in the same period, according to hotel data and analytics firm STR.
That area includes the Wynwood arts district where on July 29 Florida officials said they confirmed cases of people who contracted the virus, marking the first transmissions by mosquitoes in the continental United States.
The decline in hotel bookings may be an early indication of the virus's effect on Miami's robust tourism industry, which had an economic impact of $24.4 billion in 2015, according to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau.
The drop in the number of hotel room sales for the downtown and north Miami areas is a departure from largely uninterrupted growth in bookings there at least since 2010. From January 2016 through July, hotel stays by paying travelers were up 1.2 percent from a year ago, according to STR data.
But for the latest week ended Aug. 20, the number of hotel rooms sold was down 4.2 percent, compared to a year earlier.
Jan Freitag, senior vice president of lodging insights at STR, said the decline was not due to abnormally strong numbers the year before, and could reflect the impact of Zika virus concerns.
"We don't know enough yet," Freitag told Reuters, saying he would like to see up to two months of data, and monitor traffic to Miami from Europe and Brazil, both major sources of visitors to South Florida.
"Zika is not only a serious threat to public health. It has the potential to be an equally serious threat to a community’s economy," said travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, adding that worries about the virus likely contributed to the decline in Miami.
AIRFARES DOWN
The Zika virus was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause a severe birth defect known as microcephaly. In Brazil, more than 1,800 cases of the condition have been linked to Zika.
Earlier this week, officials reported new Zika infections in Wynwood, and also one case hundreds of miles away in Pinellas County, on the Gulf Coast.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that pregnant women who are worried about exposure to Zika might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended universal testing of donated blood for the virus in the United States and its territories.
Miami tourism officials said hotel managers have not alerted them to bookings weakness related to the Zika virus.
It was too early to tell from the data that Zika had an impact on travel or bookings, tourism officials said.
"These numbers don't turn this quickly," said William Talbert, chief executive of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In a sign that airlines are trying to stimulate demand to and from Miami, airfares have gotten cheaper from a year ago, according to an analysis of the top U.S. domestic routes by Harrell Associates that was reviewed by Reuters.
Leisure fares on Miami routes were down 9 percent in late July from the prior year, while those to Fort Lauderdale were down 14 percent, the Harrell Associates data shows. Fares were sampled July 18 and July 25.
Since the first Zika cases were announced, the decline in leisure fares to and from Miami had widened to 16 percent, while fares for nearby Fort Lauderdale had dropped an average of 18 percent from a year earlier, the analysis found. That data is based on samples of airfares taken Aug. 15 and 22.
Nationwide, the high-restriction leisure fares are down 3 percent in mid-August from the prior year, the analysis by Harrell Associates found.
American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), the largest carrier in Miami, declined to comment on individual markets or whether the virus would impact its business. Its rival in the area, JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O), did not immediately comment.
Airlines have been struggling for months to curb the decline of ticket prices amid growing competition in popular markets.
While Miami Beach has continued to see hotel demand rise through August, that rate has appeared to slow: from 6.4 percent higher in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2015, to only 2.6 percent higher this month, the STR data showed. The same trend holds true for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, according to the data.
Miami Beach has about 2.5 times the number of hotels as downtown and north Miami, STR said.
(Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Miami hotel bookings slow, airfares fall since Zika outbreak


Travelers have booked fewer hotel rooms in downtown Miami, and leisure airfares to the greater Miami area have inched down in the weeks since the Zika virus was detected there, data reviewed by Reuters shows.


LOS ANGELES A fast-growing brush fire prompted the evacuation of roughly 700 people on Tuesday from a mobile home park and nearby community in Southern California's Riverside County, state fire officials said.
The blaze erupted shortly before 12:30 p.m. local time and charred about 400 acres of drought-parched vegetation within three hours as flames roared through canyons and foothills in the Cherry Valley area, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
No property losses or injuries were reported. But sheriff's deputies issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Highland Springs Village Mobile Home Park and dwellings in the nearby Banning Bench community to the northeast, said Liz Brown, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The trailer park consists of roughly 200 homes, but the majority of the estimated 700 evacuees were from Banning Bench, she said.
As of late afternoon, winds were blowing the flames mostly away from both populated areas, "but we have them under evacuation because we have a ton of equipment coming in, and this is our access point to that fire," Brown told Reuters.
More than 320 firefighters were initially assigned to the blaze, dubbed the Bogart Fire, with reinforcements expected to arrive soon, according to Brown. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
She said temperatures that had reached into the low-triple-digits earlier in the day had subsided somewhat, but humidity remained low and winds were relatively light, at 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Cal Fire reported about 12,000 firefighters battling about 10 other large fires across the state on Tuesday, most of which were largely contained or burning in remote areas. To date this year, a total of 4,270 wildfires large and small have blackened more than 183,000 acres statewide, 30,000 acres more than at the same time last year.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Tom Brown)

Brush fire prompts evacuation of 700 people east of Los Angeles


A fast-growing brush fire prompted the evacuation of roughly 700 people on Tuesday from a mobile home park and nearby community in Southern California's Riverside County, state fire officials said.


TAIPEI Taiwan artist Lee Chien-chu stands in front of Xilou Bridge proudly holding up a miniature carving of the landmark, the latest offering in his pencil sculpture series.
Lee has been peering through a magnifying glass to create miniature sculptures of various landmarks and symbols out of pencil lead for six years at his home in Yunlin County in western Taiwan.
His tiny sculptures can be as little as 0.1 mm long and take hours to finish.
"I have created a series about Buddha hands, a series about architecture, one about traditional (Chinese) weapons and one about the alphabet. Those are all artworks that I like very much," Lee told Reuters.
(Reporting by Damon Lin. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

Taiwan artist draws pleasure from miniature pencil carvings


Taiwan artist Lee Chien-chu stands in front of Xilou Bridge proudly holding up a miniature carving of the landmark, the latest offering in his pencil sculpture series.


INDIANAPOLIS Several tornadoes plowed through central Indiana on Wednesday, demolishing numerous homes and a Starbucks cafe in the town of Kokomo and cutting off power to thousands of Indianapolis-area residents, but no serious injuries were reported.
Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, who cut short a campaign trip for running mate Donald Trump and returned to Indiana, said eight funnel clouds were confirmed and three touched down during a "very tough day of weather."
Tornado warnings were issued in 27 counties, but no one was known to have been killed or badly hurt, Pence said, adding that he would remain in Indiana for "as long as we need to be here."
Pence planned to visit storm-ravaged areas with Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb on Thursday.
Ten to 12 people were reported to have suffered minor injuries in Howard County, which apparently bore the brunt of the storms, according to John Erickson, spokesman for the state Homeland Security Department.
At least one "large and extremely dangerous" tornado struck near Indianapolis, the state's capital and largest city, as severe thunderstorms rolled through the region in the late afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
But Kokomo, a city of 45,000 people about 60 miles (100 km) north of Indianapolis, appeared to be the epicenter of storm damage, including a flattened Starbucks outlet and numerous houses left splintered or with roofs and walls torn away.
The entire front wall and facade of the Starbucks could be seen abruptly collapsing in the wind in cellphone video footage shot from a bar across the street and aired by Indianapolis-based NBC News affiliate WTHR-TV.
Starbucks customers and employees "piled into" the restroom to shield themselves as the storm closed in, according to a police account related to Reuters by City Councilman Bob Cameron.
"They all got in there. That was a smart move," he said, adding that shoppers at a nearby Krogers supermarket likewise waited out the storms in coolers at the back of the store.
An adjacent shopping mall was reported to have been heavily damaged, and Erickson said a nursing home in Howard County also sustained storm damage.
Aerial footage of Kokomo broadcast by WTHR showed a five-block residential area where at least 10 homes were largely obliterated and several others heavily damaged.
Photos posted online by Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN-TV showed a garden apartment complex heavily damaged in Kokomo.
The Salvation Army of Indiana reported assisting 200 people in need of food and shelter. Indianapolis public education officials delayed sending school children home on buses for nearly two hours, waiting until the weather cleared.
Power outages were reported across the state, with about 42,000 homes and businesses without electricity at the height of the storms, including 24,000 outages in Howard County alone, Erickson said.
Howard County issued a state of emergency to remain in effect until 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT Thursday).
(Additional reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago, Eric Walsh in Washington, Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Calif.; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Nick Macfie)

Tornadoes slam central Indiana, demolishing homes


Several tornadoes plowed through central Indiana on Wednesday, demolishing numerous homes and a Starbucks cafe in the town of Kokomo and cutting off power to thousands of Indianapolis-area residents, but no serious injuries were reported.


The 2010 Mazda CX-7 is unveiled at the 2009 New York International Auto Show April 9, 2009. REUTERS/Eric Thayer
DETROIT Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) will recall 190,000 of its CX-7 sport utility vehicles from model years 2007 to 2012 in the United States because of an issue that may cause a loss of steering control, U.S. safety regulators said on Friday.
"In the affected vehicles, water may enter the front suspension ball joint fittings," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement on its website.
"If the water is contaminated with salt, such as from driving on snowy roads that have been treated, the ball joint may corrode and separate from the lower control arm, resulting in a loss of steering control."
Mazda told regulators it will work to fix CX-7s in cold-weather U.S. states first.
In July 2015, Mazda recalled about 193,000 of its larger CX-9 SUVs from model years 2007 to 2014, for a similar issue.
Mazda said it has gotten no reports of injuries or crashes in the CX-7 SUVs.
Mazda did not immediately respond to an inquiry on whether any vehicles outside of the U.S. market will be recalled.
(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Mazda recalling 190,000 CX-7 vehicles in U.S.


Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) will recall 190,000 of its CX-7 sport utility vehicles from model years 2007 to 2012 in the United States because of an issue that may cause a loss of steering control, U.S. safety regulators said on Friday.


A shopper walks out of a Woolworths store in Sydney, Australia, May 12, 2016. Picture taken May 12, 2016. REUTERS/David Gray
SYDNEY Woolworths Ltd (WOW.AX) said on Monday the U.S. company with which it had a hardware retail joint venture had started legal proceedings, five days after Australia's No.1 grocery chain said it was exiting the business.
Woolworths's joint venture partner, Lowe's Companies Inc (LOW.N), has filed a court application in relation to their hardware chain, the company said in a statement.
The Australian company did not give details of the court application but said it "is yet to be served with documents relating to this application".
In a statement, Lowe's said "Woolworths has engaged in oppressive conduct, including by invalidly and in bad faith attempting to terminate" the joint venture.
Woolworths said last week its three-way plan to shut down and sell parts of its home wares business will proceed as planned.
(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

Australia's Woolworths says hardware JV partner Lowe's takes it to court


Woolworths Ltd (WOW.AX) said on Monday the U.S. company with which it had a hardware retail joint venture had started legal proceedings, five days after Australia's No.1 grocery chain said it was exiting the business.


A woman wearing a burkini walks in the water August 27, 2016 on a beach in Marseille, France, the day after the country's highest administrative court suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has outraged Muslims and opened divisions within the government, pending... REUTERS/Stringer
GENEVA The United Nations human rights office has called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a "stupid reaction" that did not improve security but fueled religious intolerance.
France's highest administrative court last Friday suspended one seaside town's ban on the full-body swimsuit sometimes worn by Muslim women, on the grounds it violated fundamental liberties.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein welcomed the decision by the Conseil d'Etat against the Mediterranean resort of Villeneuve-Loubet, his spokesman Rupert Colville said. A dozen other towns also have such bans.
"We call on the authorities in all the other French seaside towns and resorts that have adopted similar bans to take note of the Conseil d’Etat’s ruling that the ban constitutes a grave and illegal breach of fundamental freedoms," he told a briefing.
"We urge all remaining local authorities which have adopted similar bans to repeal them immediately."
The "highly discriminatory" bans should be repealed before the summer holiday season ends, Colville said.
Bans have been defended on the grounds that burkinis violate French principles of secularism.
They come after mass killings by Islamist militants in France over the past 20 months. Colville said the U.N. rights office understood the grief and anger generated by the attacks.
But he said of the burkini ban: "It's frankly a stupid reaction to what we are ... facing, in terms of terrorist attacks. It does nothing to increase security, it does nothing to improve public order."
Such decrees "fuel religious intolerance and the stigmatization of Muslims in France, especially women", he said.
They "may actually undermine the effort to fight and prevent violent extremism, which depends on cooperation and mutual respect between communities".
The bans were "nothing to do with health or hygiene", as argued by some French officials, Colville said.
"And it's a complete contradiction to think we liberate people from clothing impositions by making other clothing impositions. So the idea that by banning this form of clothing you are somehow advancing women's freedom is complete nonsense."
(Editing by Andrew Roche)

U.N. rights office urges French towns to repeal burkini bans


The United Nations human rights office has called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a "stupid reaction" that did not improve security but fueled religious intolerance.


General Motors auto workers prepare rows of the new Chevrolet Camaro for delivery, at the company's Oshawa Ontario facility April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill/File Photo
TORONTO The union representing most Canadian autoworkers has voted for a strike mandate, it said on Sunday, bolstering its position in contract negotiations with the Big Three U.S. carmakers.
Unifor, which represents more than 20,000 autoworkers, is pushing General Motors Co (GM.N), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) and Ford Motor Co (F.N) to invest further in the province of Ontario, home to nearly all of Canada's auto industry, in talks that began this month.
Members voted close to 100 percent in favor of granting Unifor a mandate to strike, according to a statement from the union.
That means workers are in a position to walk off the job if the parties cannot come to terms. The union's current four-year contract with automakers expires on Sept. 19.
Unifor President Jerry Dias has said the union is asking for higher wages and would not agree to a deal unless GM commits to building new vehicles in Oshawa, and Ford decides to keep its engine plant operating in Windsor.
GM's Oshawa plant could shut one of its two assembly lines, with several vehicles already produced elsewhere or expected to move in 2017.
Between 2001 and 2013, some 14,300 jobs were lost in vehicle manufacturing in Canada, according to Hamilton's Automotive Policy Research Center. Some automakers have found cheaper labor in places such as the southern United States and Mexico.
GM Canada has said the negotiations are separate from the carmaker's future investments because labor is not the only cost it considers when deciding where to make new products.
GM said it will make future product decisions for Oshawa only after a labor agreement.
Automakers, however, had agreed to make investments during bargaining with the United Auto Workers in the United States. GM's 2015 deal with the UAW generated $1.9 billion in additional investment in U.S. plants.
GM, Fiat Chrysler and Ford did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto; Editing by Bill Trott)

Union votes for strike mandate in Canadian auto talks


The union representing most Canadian autoworkers has voted for a strike mandate, it said on Sunday, bolstering its position in contract negotiations with the Big Three U.S. carmakers.


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The first regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe.
The first of several U.S. carriers to begin serving Cuba in the coming months, JetBlue Airways Corp will fly from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Santa Clara, a city in the center of Cuba known for its monument to revolutionary Che Guevara.
Among the passengers on the 150-seat Airbus A320 will be U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, JetBlue Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes, news reporters and photographers and other officials. Regular travelers, including some of Cuban descent, will occupy nearly half the seats on a route that may be a commercial challenge, at least initially.
Cuba and the United States began normalizing relations in December 2014 after 18 months of secret talks. The countries had been hostile for more than five decades, since Fidel Castro ousted U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in a revolution that steered the island on a communist course and made it a close ally of the Soviet Union.
Since Obama has been unable to persuade the U.S. Congress to lift a longstanding trade embargo, U.S. citizens are still prohibited from visiting Cuba as tourists. The U.S. government has approved exceptions to the ban, ranging from cultural, religious and educational travel to business and visiting family.
Despite those limitations, U.S. airlines have rushed to start flights - adding a lot of capacity and setting themselves up to lose money on the trips in the short run, said industry consultant Robert Mann.
"Most carriers look at international markets that have been restricted and are just opening up as an investment," Mann said. "You need to get your foot in the door."
Services on regional carrier Silver Airways and American Airlines Group Inc from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area to Cuba's outlying provinces are the next to start, in September. Three other carriers will follow.
Mann said the companies probably offered to fly to Cuban cities unknown to many American travelers, so that U.S. officials would look favorably on their applications to fly to Havana.
A memorandum of understanding between Cuba and the United States will limit Havana flights to 20 round trips per day. U.S. officials have yet to announce a final decision on which companies will get those coveted routes.
(Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in Fort Lauderdale; Editing by Christian Plumb and Jonathan Oatis)

First U.S.-Cuba scheduled flight in decades set to depart


The first regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe.


Tropical storm Madeline has formed in the northern Pacific ocean, well east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory on Friday.
The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (65 km per hour), is about 1,235 miles (1,990 km) east-southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect as the storm headed west at 12 miles per hour (19 km per hour), the NHC said.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Stephen Coates)

Tropical Storm Madeline forms east-southeast of Hawaiian: NHC


Tropical storm Madeline has formed in the northern Pacific ocean, well east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory on Friday.


The SWIFT logo is pictured in this photo illustration taken April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Illustration/File Photo
SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February's high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank.
In a private letter to clients, SWIFT said that new cyber-theft attempts - some of them successful - have surfaced since June, when it last updated customers on a string of attacks discovered after the attack on the Bangladesh central bank.
"Customers’ environments have been compromised, and subsequent attempts (were) made to send fraudulent payment instructions," according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Reuters. "The threat is persistent, adaptive and sophisticated - and it is here to stay."
The disclosure suggests that cyber thieves may have ramped up their efforts following the Bangladesh Bank heist, and that they specifically targeted banks with lax security procedures for SWIFT-enabled transfers.
The Brussels-based firm, a member-owned cooperative, indicated in Tuesday's letter that some victims in the new attacks lost money, but did not say how much was taken or how many of the attempted hacks succeeded. It did not identify specific victims, but said the banks varied in size and geography and used different methods for accessing SWIFT.
A SWIFT spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the recently uncovered incidents or the security issues detailed in the letter, saying the firm does not discuss affairs of specific customers.
All the victims shared one thing in common: Weaknesses in local security that attackers exploited to compromise local networks and send fraudulent messages requesting money transfers, according to the letter.
Accounts of the attack on Bangladesh Bank suggest that weak security procedures there made it easier to hack into computers used to send SWIFT messages requesting large money transfers. The bank lacked a firewall and used second-hand, $10 electronic switches to network those computers, according to the Bangladesh police.
SWIFT has repeatedly pushed banks to implement new security measures rolled out after the Bangladesh heist, including stronger systems for authenticating users and updates to its software for sending and receiving messages. But it has been difficult for SWIFT to force banks to comply because the nonprofit cooperative lacks regulatory authority over its members.
SWIFT told banks Tuesday that it might report them to regulators and banking partners if they failed to meet a November 19 deadline for installing the latest version of its software, which includes new security features designed to thwart the type of attacks described in its letter.
The security features include technology for verifying credentials of people accessing a bank's SWIFT system; stronger rules for password management; and better tools for identifying attempts to hack the software.
SWIFT is trying coerce members into prioritizing cyber-security by threatening to share confidential information about security lapses that banks want to keep private, said Shane Shook, an independent security consultant who advises central banks.
"That type of information sharing is something that no bank likes to see happen without their direct approval and involvement, because it can affect market confidence," Shook said.
SWIFT disclosed the new hacks after reports of previous incidents prompted regulators in Europe and the United States to urge banks to bolster cyber-security.
Other cases involving fraudulent transfer requests include the theft of more than $12 million from Ecuador's Banco del Austro and a failed attempt later in 2015 to steal money from Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank.
The attacks have prompted regulators globally to press banks to bolster defenses.
The Bank of England in April ordered UK firms to detail actions to secure computers connected to the SWIFT system, while the European Banking Authority in May said domestic authorities should stress test banks for cyber risks.
The Federal Reserve and other U.S. agencies told banks in June to review protections against fraudulent money transfers.
Six U.S. senators on Monday urged the G20 nations to agree when they meet at a summit this weekend on a “coordinated strategy to combat cyber-crime at critical financial institutions.”
(Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston. Additional reporting by Jonathan Spicer in New York.; Editing by Brian Thevenot.)

Exclusive: SWIFT discloses more cyber thefts, pressures banks on security


SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February's high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank.


BRIEF-Mondelez International no longer pursuing combination with Hershey
* Mondelez International Inc says it has ended discussions with Hershey Company regarding a possible combination of two companies

BRIEF-IF Bancorp q4 earnings per share $0.29


(Editor's note: This story contains language that may offend some readers in paragraph five)
By Scott Malone
BOSTON Combative Maine Governor Paul LePage said on Tuesday he would consider resigning as he faces a wave of criticism from both fellow Republicans and rival Democrats after leaving a lawmaker a profanity-filled voicemail last week.
LePage's latest outburst came after a newspaper reporter told the two-term, Tea Party-backed governor that state Representative Drew Gattine had described the governor as racist for focusing on black people as bearing primary responsibility for the drug trade in the state.
"I'm looking at all options," LePage said in a weekly interview on WVOM-FM radio when asked if he would finish his term.
"I'm not going to say that I'm not going to finish it, I'm not saying that I am going to finish it. What I'm going to do right now is I'm taking one step at a time. I want to meet with Mr. Gattine and then I want to meet with my team at my office and we're going to look at what the proper steps are to move the state forward."
In last week's voicemail, LePage called Gattine a "little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker" and encouraged him to share the message publicly "because I am after you."
LePage, 67, said he had lost his temper when he was told that Gattine had described his views as racist. He told reporters he would like to engage in a duel with Gattine, a remark he later described as metaphoric.
"I just want to apologize to the Maine people, to Gattine's family and most of all to my family," LePage said during the 15-minute interview. "And we will take action."
LePage had scheduled a Wednesday town hall meeting in the Portland suburb of Westbrook, part of Gattine's district, but the event was canceled on Tuesday after officials at the youth center selected to host it voted against having the event.
Some Democratic lawmakers have called for a special session of the legislature to censure LePage, who earlier this year fought off an impeachment effort. State Senate President Michael Thibodeau and other Republican legislative leaders late Tuesday convened a closed-door meeting with LePage to discuss his future.
(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Bill Trott)

Maine governor says may not finish term amid racism flap


Combative Maine Governor Paul LePage said on Tuesday he would consider resigning as he faces a wave of criticism from both fellow Republicans and rival Democrats after leaving a lawmaker a profanity-filled voicemail last week.


Brazilian top model Gisele Bundchen poses before a fashion show by German designer Karl Lagerfeld as part of his latest inter-seasonal Cruise collection for fashion house Chanel at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, in this file photo dated May 3, 2016. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen remained the highest-paid female model in the world with annual income of $30.5 million, while Kardashian clan member Kendall Jenner more than doubled her earnings, according to Forbes' 2016 list on Tuesday.
Jenner, 20-year-old member of reality TV's Kardashian family, tied for third, up from 16th the prior year, and she was the biggest gainer on the 2016 list. Her salary increased from $4 million in 2015 to $10 million in 2016 in part due to partnerships with Estee Lauder and Calvin Klein, Forbes said.
Illinois native Karlie Kloss, 24, was also ranked third and doubled her income to $10 million. The magazine said Kloss had more campaigns than any other model on the list.
Bundchen, 35, has made more money than any other model since 2002 and continues to collect top dollar from endorsement deals with Chanel, Carolina Herrera and Pantene.
Coming in second with $10.5 million was fellow Brazilian Adriana Lima. The longtime Victoria's Secret model works with Maybelline and IWC watches.
The highest-ranked of six newcomers on the list was Gigi Hadid at fifth. Hadid has more than 22 million fans on Instagram, and Forbes said brands like Maybelline and Tommy Hilfiger are eager to reach her audience.
The 20 models earned a combined $150 million between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. The results included income from cosmetics, fragrance and other contracts and were based on interviews with managers, agents and brand executives.
(Reporting by Reuters TV,; Writing by Melissa Fares; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Brazil's Gisele holds top spot in Forbes model list; Jenner jumps


Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen remained the highest-paid female model in the world with annual income of $30.5 million, while Kardashian clan member Kendall Jenner more than doubled her earnings, according to Forbes' 2016 list on Tuesday.


Joe Sutter, Boeing's chief engineer on the original jumbo, and known as the ''father of the 747.'' walks in front of a newly unveiled 747-8 jumbo passenger jet at the company's Everett, Washington commercial airplane manufacturing facility, February 13, 2011. REUTERS/Anthony Bolante
Joe Sutter, known for leading Boeing Co's engineering team for the iconic 747 jumbo jet in the mid-1960s, died on Tuesday at the age of 95.
In addition to the 747, Sutter worked on projects including the 737 and 707 aircraft models, Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive officer Ray Conner said in a message to employees.
Sutter and his team became known as "the Incredibles," for producing the world's largest airplane within 29 months from the time of conception.
Sutter served the company as a consultant after his retirement from the company in 1986.
(Reporting by Shalini Nagarajan in Bengaluru, editing by G Crosse)

Joe Sutter, father of the 747, passes away at 95


Joe Sutter, known for leading Boeing Co's engineering team for the iconic 747 jumbo jet in the mid-1960s, died on Tuesday at the age of 95.


Job seekers fill out applications during the 11th annual Skid Row Career Fair the Los Angeles Mission in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on May 31, 2012. REUTERS/David McNew/File Photo
SAN FRANCISCO Wall Street will fixate on a wave of U.S. economic data next week, crested by payrolls data on Friday that could sway expectations about the timing of future interest rate hikes and spark volatility in record-high stock prices.
Fresh data about employment and consumer confidence could help investors solidify expectations for a December interest rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve, or lend weight to a minority of strategists predicting a rate rise as early as next month.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the case for a rate hike is strengthening, but she left open the timing of what would be the first increase since December 2015.
"She did put the market on notice that she'd like to raise rates, which means the payrolls data out on Friday is very important. The wage component, length of the workweek and types of jobs, all are crucial in order to extrapolate to inflation,” said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey.
Following Yellen's speech, prices for fed funds futures implied investors see roughly a 60 percent chance of a December hike, up from just above 50 percent on Thursday. Investors see chances of a September hike at 36 percent, up from 21 percent.
Almost a decade of ultra-low interest rates has helped propel stock prices to record highs, even as the economy expands at a lukewarm rate and U.S. largecaps struggle with over a year of declining earnings.
Expectations for higher interest rates would likely continue a recent trend of investors selling high-dividend payers like utilities and telecoms, in favor of sectors tied to economic expansion like financials and industrials.
Underscoring the importance of the upcoming jobs report, Yellen pointed to a recent rebound in employment and said in her speech at a symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming that the Fed expects the economy to continue expanding.
"Chairwoman Yellen put a magnifying glass on next Friday’s jobs report. That really I do believe is going to be a determining factor of the market’s direction for its next leg," said David Schiegoleit, managing director at U.S. Bank Private Client Reserve in Los Angeles.
The August jobs report is expected to show the U.S. economy created 180,000 jobs this month after rising by 255,000 in July, according to a Reuters poll. The forecast is for the unemployment rate to dip one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.8 percent.
Other data in investors' crosshairs next week include personal consumption on Monday, consumer confidence on Tuesday, and car sales and factory activity on Thursday.
The S&P 500 fell Friday for the fifth time in six sessions, but is just 1 percent below its record high set earlier this month.
"Any potential strength in consumer and jobs data could be very helpful to support equity prices where they are right now," said Jon Adams, senior investment strategist at BMO Global Asset Management in Chicago.
(Reporting by Noel Randewich, additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Rodrigo Campos and Chizu Nomiyama)

Jobs data to be a big deal for record-high stocks


Wall Street will fixate on a wave of U.S. economic data next week, crested by payrolls data on Friday that could sway expectations about the timing of future interest rate hikes and spark volatility in record-high stock prices.


Protesters demonstrate against France's ban of the burkini, outside the French Embassy in London, Britain August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall
PARIS A law banning the full-body "burkini" swimsuit in France would stoke tensions between communities and would be both unconstitutional and ineffective, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in an interview published on Sunday.
France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled on Friday against a decision to ban the burkini by the mayor of the resort town of Villeneuve-Loubet.
The ruling may set a precedent for the dozens of French towns that have also ordered burkini bans.
The issue has become politically charged at the start of party primaries ahead of next year's presidential election in France, with several leaders on the right and far-right calling for a law prohibiting the full-body swimming costume worn by some Muslim women.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy who is staging a political comeback and is seeking the ticket of the conservative Les Republicains in primaries set for November, has called for a law allowing mayors to ban the burkini.
But Cazeneuve told La Croix newspaper that such a law was unlikely under the current socialist government.
"The government ... refuses to legislate on this because a law would be unconstitutional, ineffective and likely to create antagonism and irreparable tensions," he said.
"We do not need a new law. Current laws clearly lay out France's secularism."
The debate was fueled by footage of police trying to enforce the ban on a woman on a beach in Nice.
The controversy, coupled with several Islamist militant attacks in France since January 2015, has filtered into early campaigning for the presidential election in April 2017, making French cultural identity and security highly-charged issues in the political debates.
"France needs healing and people coming together, not divisive outbursts by those contesting in primaries," Cazeneuve said.
(Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Andrew Bolton)

Anti-burkini law in France would worsen tension: interior minister


A law banning the full-body "burkini" swimsuit in France would stoke tensions between communities and would be both unconstitutional and ineffective, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in an interview published on Sunday.


Swiss drugmaker Roche's logo is seen at their headquarters in Basel, Switzerland January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
ZURICH Swiss drugmaker Roche (ROG.S) said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its test for the Zika virus.
"The LightMix Zika test is an easy-to-use molecular diagnostic test that enables healthcare professionals to quickly detect the virus," said Uwe Oberlaender, the head of molecular diagnostics at Basel-based Roche.
The virus has been associated with microcephaly, a birth defect characterized by an unusually small head and potential developmental problems.
(Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Roche says U.S. FDA issues Emergency Use Authorization for Zika test


Swiss drugmaker Roche (ROG.S) said on Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its test for the Zika virus.


LOS ANGELES A fast-growing brush fire prompted the evacuation of roughly 700 people on Tuesday from a mobile home park and nearby community in Southern California's Riverside County, state fire officials said.
The blaze erupted shortly before 12:30 p.m. local time and charred about 400 acres of drought-parched vegetation within three hours as flames roared through canyons and foothills in the Cherry Valley area, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
No property losses or injuries were reported. But sheriff's deputies issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Highland Springs Village Mobile Home Park and dwellings in the nearby Banning Bench community to the northeast, said Liz Brown, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The trailer park consists of roughly 200 homes, but the majority of the estimated 700 evacuees were from Banning Bench, she said.
As of late afternoon, winds were blowing the flames mostly away from both populated areas, "but we have them under evacuation because we have a ton of equipment coming in, and this is our access point to that fire," Brown told Reuters.
More than 320 firefighters were initially assigned to the blaze, dubbed the Bogart Fire, with reinforcements expected to arrive soon, according to Brown. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
She said temperatures that had reached into the low-triple-digits earlier in the day had subsided somewhat, but humidity remained low and winds were relatively light, at 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Cal Fire reported about 12,000 firefighters battling about 10 other large fires across the state on Tuesday, most of which were largely contained or burning in remote areas. To date this year, a total of 4,270 wildfires large and small have blackened more than 183,000 acres statewide, 30,000 acres more than at the same time last year.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Tom Brown)

Brush fire prompts evacuation of 700 people east of Los Angeles


A fast-growing brush fire prompted the evacuation of roughly 700 people on Tuesday from a mobile home park and nearby community in Southern California's Riverside County, state fire officials said.


An Herbalife logo is shown on a poster at a clinic in the Mission District in San Francisco, California April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/File Photo
BOSTON After U.S. multi-level marketing company Herbalife (HLF.N) settled a probe of its sales practices with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission last month, top executives assured investors that the company would be able to thrive under the new rules.
The consumer protection agency had questioned the company's sales methods.
Billionaire investor William Ackman in 2012 claimed the company was running a pyramid scheme, recruiting members with a promise of payment for enrolling others in distribution, rather than depending on the actual sale of its nutritional supplements and weight management products.
In its July 15 settlement Herbalife agreed to restructure its U.S. business so distributors are rewarded for sales rather than for recruitment of sales agents and it agreed to pay a $200 million fine.
But Herbalife's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission painted a much less optimistic picture than its presentation to analysts and investors, according to a private investor who flagged the differences to the SEC this month.
Matthew Handley, an investor based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida alleged Herbalife made "purposefully deceptive statements" in its Aug. 3 quarterly earnings conference call and regulatory filings.
Handley, who is betting Herbalife's stock price will fall, told Reuters about his outreach to the SEC and provided a copy of his letter to its whistleblower office.
"The transcript of the conference call, when compared directly against the actual language the company issued in their 10Q, depict a clear pattern of purposeful intent to deceive investors and the market," Handley wrote in the Aug. 16 letter.
"The things you say on the call and write in the filing have to match up, and I thought they just didn't," he later said in an interview with Reuters.
Because Herbalife's conference call transcript and its SEC filings are publicly available, securities law experts said the company probably did not violate the SEC's disclosure rules such as Regulation FD.
Corporate filings are often more legalistic and technical than what executives say during presentations to analysts and investors, when they may sound optimistic about the company's outlook, law professors and private lawyers noted.
But such presentations are usually highly scripted, with companies trying to ensure oral statements are not inconsistent with their filings, and the difference in tone and substance in Herbalife's case is noteworthy, securities lawyers said.
"Securities laws say that you cannot lie," said Yale law professor Jonathan Macey. "Reading these two documents (the filing and transcript of the conference call), would suggest they've changed their point of view," he added.
Herbalife spokesman Alan Hoffman declined repeated requests from Reuters for comment. Brian Lane, a partner at law firm Gibson Dunn, which vets Herbalife's disclosures, did not respond to a call or email seeking comment. Herbalife has disclosed inquiries from the SEC and other government authorities in the past.
SEC spokesman John Nester also declined to comment.
COMPLYING WITH THE FTC
Herbalife hailed the FTC settlement as a victory for its business model as the FTC said the company may have deceived hundreds of thousands of people but stopped short of calling it a pyramid scheme.
In August executives assured analysts and investors on a conference call that Herbalife would suffer little financial damage from the settlement.
Chief Executive Michael Johnson said, "We have the greatest confidence in our ability to comply with the agreement and continue to grow our business in the U.S. and around the world."
Chief Financial Officer John DeSimone saw "minimal disruption to the business" and President Desmond Walsh also struck an optimistic tone, saying, "The most important thing is that we don't see any long-term impact in our business."
Herbalife's SEC filing was more circumspect though, saying the company does not currently expect the settlement to have a "long-term and materially adverse impact."
However, the filing also noted "there is no guarantee that we will be able to fully comply with the consent order" and that "the company's business and its member base, particularly in the United States, may be negatively impacted."
If Herbalife cannot comply with the consent order, "this could result in a material and adverse impact to the company's results of operations and financial condition," the filing said.
Herbalife also noted the settlement's effect "could be significant."
BILLIONAIRES' TARGET
Herbalife has until next year to comply with the July 15 order from the Federal Trade Commission to restructure its U.S. business.
It is not clear whether other short sellers and investors will respond to Handley's accusations on inconsistency between the company's verbal optimism and its more cautious SEC filings, some experts said.
"If you invest in this company, you will want to know what the odds are of this FTC ruling screwing up their business," Yale Law School professor Macey added.
Herbalife's stock price has gone on a wild ride over the last four years when two billionaires began squaring off over its future. After seeing a high around $81.00 in January 2014, the stock fell to a low around $30.26 in January 2015 before recovering to close at $60.50 on Friday.
Hedge fund manager William Ackman, who called Herbalife a pyramid scheme, placed a $1 billion short bet but so far has suffered some losses as the stock climbed.
On Friday in a letter to investors, Ackman also noted differences between presentations to investors by Herbalife executives and the company's official quarterly filing. In his letter, Ackman wrote "management's latest commentary is a continuation of prior misrepresentations."
Ackman and Handley, who registered his complaints about Herbalife's communications with the SEC, both said they have never spoken to each other and reached their conclusions independently.
By contrast, in 2013 billionaire Carl Icahn expressed confidence in Herbalife, becoming its biggest shareholder and named directors to the board.
This week, Ackman and Icahn tangled anew when Ackman said an investment bank approached him to try and sell some of Icahn's shares, but on Friday, Icahn said he was buying shares, not selling.
A key institutional owner, Fidelity, sold some of Herbalife's shares in August, it said in a filing. Fidelity declined to make the fund manager available for an interview.
(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra, Nick Zieminski and Clive McKeef.)

Herbalife may have misled investors, SEC on impact of FTC deal, one short-seller says