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Official: Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia ... - CBS News Posted: 31 Mar 2013 08:28 AM PDT KAUFMAN, Texas The mayor of the city where a north Texas prosecutor and his wife were found killed in their house says the attack does not appear to have been random. Kaufman County sheriff's Lt. Justin Lewis said Saturday that the bodies of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found Saturday. Two months earlier, an assistant district attorney was gunned down near the office. Police, FBI agents, Texas Rangers and deputies are investigating. Forney Mayor Darren Rozell, whose suburban Dallas city is nearest the slaying scene, says the attack "appears to be a targeted act" and is urging the 40,000 residents in the area to be calm. Sources told CBS affiliate KTVT in Dallas that the DA was shot multiple times with what is believed to be an assault rifle, while Cynthia McLelland was only shot once. Sources also say that there were no signs of forced entry. Authorities have been cautious to say whether or not there is a link to the Jan. 31 fatal shooting of an assistant Kaufman County district attorney, Mark Hasse, because of the ongoing investigation into both shootings. The FBI in Dallas and Denver have been comparing the Hasse shooting to that of Tom Clements, executive director of Colorado Prisons Bureau, KTVT reports. Clements was shot and killed as he answered the front door of his home on March 19. Sam Rosander, who lives in the same unincorporated area of Kaufman County as the McLellands, told The Associated Press that sheriff's deputies were parked in the district attorney's driveway for about a month after Hasse was killed In recent years, Hasse played major roles in Kaufman County's most high-profile cases, including one in which a justice of the peace was convicted on theft and burglary charges and another in which a man was convicted of killing his former girlfriend and her 10-year-old daughter.

Business, labor reach immigration deal on guest workers. Will it stand? - Christian Science Monitor Posted: 31 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT The US Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO have reached a deal on guest workers as a part of comprehensive immigration reform. That was a major issue, but more remain including border security and a pathway to citizenship. By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / March 31, 2013 Several southwest Michigan pastors along with immigrant families and members of the general public take part in a pray-in for immigration reform outside of US Rep. Fred Upton's office in downtown Kalamazoo on Friday. Matt Gade/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group/AP Enlarge A major speed bump on the path to comprehensive immigration reform appears to have been removed. That's the issue of guest workers – low skilled immigrants who come to the United State under a temporary visa program. Skip to next paragraph ' + google_ads[0].line2 + ' ' + google_ads[0].line3 + ' '; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // --> Subscribe Today to the Monitor Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition Over the weekend, senior business and labor representatives came to an agreement on how many such workers could enter the US each year, what jobs they could hold, and what the pay scale would be. The agreement was reached in a phone call late Friday night with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, US Chamber of Commerce head Tom Donohue, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) of New York, who's been mediating the dispute, reports CBS News. By Sunday morning, senior lawmakers of both parties were confirming that a deal had been reached, and that this was an important step toward reform – including how to address the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US today. "I think we've got a deal," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina said on CNN's "State of the Union." "We've got to write the legislation, but 2013, I hope, will be the year that we pass bipartisan immigration reform." "It will pass the [Republican-controlled] House because it secures our borders, it controls who gets a job … [and] the 11 million [undocumented immigrations] will have a pathway to citizenship, but it will be earned, it will be long, and it will be hard," Sen. Graham said. Senators Graham and Schumer are members of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators working to achieve immigration reform.  "I am very, very optimistic that we will have an agreement among the eight of us next week," Schumer said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "[Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick] Leahy has agreed to have extensive markup and debate on the bill in April, and then we go to the floor in, God willing, in May. So I think we're on track. This is a major, major obstacle that's overcome." Another member of the Gang of Eight – Sen. Marco Rubio (R) of Florida – issued a more cautionary statement Sunday morning. "I'm encouraged by reports of an agreement between business groups and unions on the issue of guest workers," he said. "However, reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative proposal are premature." Rubio then laid out what he sees as the legislative road ahead: "We have made substantial progress, and I believe we will be able to agree on a legislative proposal that modernizes our legal immigration system, improves border security and enforcement and allows those here illegally to earn the chance to one day apply for permanent residency contingent upon certain triggers being met. However, that legislation will only be a starting point.

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Pa. Group Gives Helping 'Paw' to... - ABC News Posted: 30 Mar 2013 08:17 AM PDT After a fire broke out at Dorothy Phillips' apartment in Philadelphia, the Red Cross gave her a temporary place to stay. Unfortunately, the shelter would not accept her beloved dog, Max. Who would care for him while she looked for a new home? "As far as I'm concerned, he's one of my grandbabies," Phillips said. Max is now being boarded in a kennel in a Philadelphia suburb thanks to Red Paw, an animal rescue group that has a unique partnership with the southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross. While Red Cross workers tend to human victims of residential disasters like fires, floods or building collapses, Red Paw takes care of their animals. The nearly 2-year-old agency uses a network of volunteers, foster homes and other animal welfare groups to care for pets whose owners are struggling to rebuild their lives. Help includes veterinary care, pet supplies and temporary boarding — all free of charge. "We don't want to see anyone lose their pet because of something completely out of their control," Red Paw founder Jen Leary said. Leary started the nonprofit after seeing the heartbreak and confusion of too many pet owners during her work as a city firefighter and Red Cross volunteer. Red Paw then teamed up with the local Red Cross about 18 months ago. Before Red Paw, the Red Cross had no uniform approach to handling displaced animals — each case depended on the location of the disaster and the available responders, Red Cross spokesman Dave Schrader said. Red Paw is now the go-to group whenever Red Cross clients need help with their animals. It's a model that Leary hopes to replicate in other states. Schrader called Red Paw "invaluable" in helping victims cope with catastrophes. "Knowing that their pets will be cared for certainly reduces the trauma," he said. According to Leary, Red Paw responded to 164 disasters last year in Philadelphia and four surrounding counties, helping nearly 300 animals — including dogs, cats, birds, turtles, ferrets and a snake. The group relies entirely on donations. Red Paw volunteer Kat Nania recalled going out one snowy night in January after a fire had destroyed a house in southwest Philadelphia. A cat was missing, and its owner said the feline had just birthed a litter of kittens. Nania feared the worst when she entered the ruins of the house — its ceiling fallen in, broken glass everywhere, the interior staircase more like a hill than steps. But there, hiding behind a mirror, was a still-pregnant Tabitha. "She was just so frightened, she let me scoop her up and put her in the carrier," Nania said. "When I felt her pregnant belly, I was just like, 'Yes!'" Tabitha gave birth within a day of the rescue. But she and her kittens need a permanent home now; their owner could no longer care for them and surrendered the animals to Red Paw to put up for adoption. "The goal is always to reunite people with their pets," Leary said. "But sometimes after losing everything they had, it's hard to do that." Red Paw aims for reunification within a month, but Leary conceded it can take much longer. The agency was able to reunite 86 families with their pets last year; an additional three dozen animals were surrendered and re-adopted. Max, the German shepherd-pit bull mix owned by Phillips, remains in the group's care while Phillips looks for a new home. She isn't sure when she'll have one, but she calls constantly to check on her dog. In Philadelphia, the city's animal control organization will also respond to animals left homeless by disasters, executive director Susan Cosby said. But Red Paw's capacity for crisis response is valuable because it eases the burden on her agency, which deals with more than 32,000 stray and surrendered animals per year. "They're able to work in a far more specialized way with the animals and families that they're helping," Cosby said, later adding: "We can't do it alone. There's just too much work to be done." ——— Online: http://www.redpawemergencyreliefteam.com http://www.acctphilly.org http://www.redcross-philly.org ——— Follow Kathy Matheson at www.twitter.com/kmatheson

Kenya Supreme Court upholds Uhuru Kenyatta election win - BBC News Posted: 30 Mar 2013 08:44 AM PDT 30 March 2013 Last updated at 11:43 ET Security was tight in Nairobi ahead of the ruling Kenya's Supreme Court has upheld Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential election victory, rejecting several petitions challenging the vote. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga announced the decision, which was unanimous, saying the poll was free and fair. Main challenger PM Raila Odinga, who lodged the appeal, said he would fully respect the verdict. Official results said Mr Kenyatta beat Mr Odinga by 50.07% to 43.28%, avoiding a run-off by just 8,100 votes. There was tight security at the Supreme Court as the judgement was read out. Violence after a disputed election in 2007 left more than 1,200 people dead. The presidential, legislative and municipal elections held on 4 March were the first since the 2007 poll. Mr Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto, are expected to be sworn in as president and vice-president on 9 April. But they are facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly fuelling unrest after that election. They deny the charges. Plea for calm Chief Justice Mutunga said the court's decisions had been unanimous on all the issues they were asked to rule on. He said that Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto had been "validly elected" in a poll carried out in a "free, fair, transparent and credible" manner. "It is the decision of the court that the said elections were indeed conducted in compliance with the constitution and the law," he said. "At this historical moment in our country, the Supreme Court has discharged its constitutional duty in conformity with the solemn oath each one of us took," he added. "It is now for the Kenyan people, their leaders, civil society, the private sector and the media to discharge theirs, to ensure that the unity, peace, sovereignty and prosperity of the nation is preserved. God bless Kenya." Mr Kenyatta has called the election a "triumph of democracy" Supporters of Mr Kenyatta took to the streets of central Nairobi, tooting their horns, blowing on vuvuzelas and chanting. Outside the courthouse, police used tear gas to chase away people protesting against the ruling but the area is now quiet. There are also reports of teargas being fired at stone-throwing youths in the western city of Kisumu, a stronghold of Mr Odinga. Outgoing President Mwai Kibaki has urged people to stay calm and accept the result, but much will depend on Kenyans' faith in their newly reformed judiciary, our correspondent says. Petitions had been filed to the court by Mr Odinga and by civil society groups, who claimed irregularities had affected the election result and called for fresh elections. Mr Odinga said that he did not regret making the challenge, but that he fully respected the decision and wished Mr Kenyatta and his team well. "Although we may not agree with some of [the court's] findings, our belief in constitutionalism remains supreme," he said at a news conference after the verdict. "We must soldier on in our resolve to reform our politics and our institutions." Mr Kenyatta has called the election, which was largely conducted peacefully, a "triumph of democracy". The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has insisted that the vote was credible, despite technical failures with an electronic voter ID system and the vote counting mechanism. International observers said the poll was largely free, fair and credible, and that the electoral commission had conducted its business in an open and transparent manner.

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Top GOP leaders slam lawmaker's use of racial slur - USA TODAY Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:29 AM PDT Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, speaks at a forum in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Oct. 16, 2012. Young issued a statement Thursday apologizing for using a derogatory term in reference to Hispanic migrant workers.(Photo: Sam Harrel, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, via AP) Story Highlights House speaker, GOP chairman says language is 'offensive' Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, said he 'meant no disrespect' with term used to describe farm workers GOP trying to improve standing with Hispanics, who strongly supported President Obama WASHINGTON — Top Republicans denounced a veteran House GOP member's use of a racial slur to describe migrant farm workers, saying such language is not helpful as the party tries to improve its standing with Hispanics. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn all decried Rep. Don Young, who used the term "wetbacks" in a radio interview earlier this week. The Alaska congressman, in office since 1973, said late Thursday he "meant no disrespect" and explained the term was commonly used when he was growing up on a farm in central California. STORY: GOP congressman uses slur to describe farm workers "Congressman Young's remarks were offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds," Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement. "I don't care why he said it — there's no excuse and it warrants an immediate apology." Young's timing could not be worse. A bipartisan group of senators and House members plan to unveil bills in April that would dramatically revamp the nation's immigration laws and include a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee is spending $10 million starting this year on outreach efforts to minorities, women and gay voters as the party seeks to become more inclusive and welcoming. The new outreach is the result of the GOP's scathing post-election "autopsy" report, which noted that much work needs to be done to attract Hispanics. In the last election, President Obama won 71% of the Hispanic vote. Priebus, the national GOP chairman, said Young's words "emphatically do not represent the beliefs of the Republican Party." "As I have continued to say, everyone in this country deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," he said. "Our party represents freedom and opportunity for every American and a beacon of hope to those seeking liberty throughout the world." Cornyn, R-Texas, noted that migrant workers come to America looking for ways to improve their lives and those of their families. "They do not come to this country to hear ethnic slurs and derogatory language from elected officials," Cornyn said. "The comments used by Rep. Young do nothing to elevate our party, political discourse or the millions who come here looking for economic opportunity." Members of Congress drafting immigration legislation are also considering the number of work visas that are granted to immigrants in several areas of the economy, including high-tech workers, agricultural workers and lower-skilled fields. Many of those visas would end up going to people from Mexico, Central and South America. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said an immigration overhaul will only be possible through bipartisanship. He noted that Young, who has served beside many Hispanics in his decades in Congress, "should know terms like 'wetback' have never been acceptable." "Now, more than ever, we must resolve the many issues of our broken immigration system," Hinojosa said. "But as we move forward, it's important that our Republican colleagues are mindful of how words have consequences. When elected officials use racial slurs, it sets back our nation and sets back legislators who are seriously working toward real, bipartisan solutions." Contributing: Alan Gomez

EPA orders cuts in sulfur content of gasoline and tighter emissions standards - Washington Post Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:24 AM PDT WASHINGTON — The Obama administration proposed new regulations Friday to clean up gasoline and automobile emissions, claiming the new standards would provide $7 in health benefits from cleaner air for each dollar spent to implement them. The costs likely would be passed on to consumers in higher gasoline and automobile prices. The Environmental Protection Agency said the new rule would reduce sulfur in gasoline and tighten automobile emission standards beginning in 2017, resulting in an increase in gas prices of less than a penny per gallon. The agency estimated it also would add $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025, but predicted it would yield billions of dollars in health benefits by slashing smog- and soot-forming pollution. EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe said the proposal is designed to "protect the environment and public health in an affordable and practical way." The oil industry, Republicans and some Democrats wanted EPA to delay the rule, citing higher costs. An oil industry study says it could increase gasoline prices by 6 to 9 cents a gallon. "Consumers care about the price of fuel, and our government should not be adding unnecessary regulations that raise manufacturing costs, especially when there are no proven environmental benefits," said Bob Greco, an American Petroleum Institute official. "We should not pile on new regulations when existing regulations are working." Environmentalists hailed the proposal as potentially the most significant in President Barack Obama's second term. The so-called Tier 3 standards would reduce sulfur in gasoline by more than 60 percent and reduce nitrogen oxides by 80 percent, by expanding across the country a standard already in place in California. For states, the regulation would make it easier to comply with health-based standards for the main ingredient in smog and soot. For automakers, the regulation allows them to sell the same autos in all 50 states. The Obama administration already has moved to clean up motor vehicles by adopting rules that will double fuel efficiency and putting in place the first standards to reduce the pollution from cars and trucks blamed for global warming. "We know of no other air pollution control strategy that can achieve such substantial, cost-effective and immediate emission reductions," said Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. Becker said the rule would reduce pollution equal to taking 33 million cars off the road. But the head of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Charles Drevna, questioned the motives behind the agency's regulation, since refining companies already have spent $10 billion to reduce sulfur by 90 percent. The additional cuts, while smaller, will cost just as much, Drevna said, and the energy needed for the additional refining actually could increase carbon pollution by 1 percent to 2 percent. "I haven't seen an EPA rule on fuels that has come out since 1995 that hasn't said it would cost only a penny or two more," Drevna said. A study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute estimated that lowering the sulfur in gasoline would add 6 cents to 9 cents a gallon to refiners' manufacturing costs, an increase that likely would be passed on to consumers at the pump. The EPA estimate of less than 1 cent is also an additional manufacturing cost and likely to be passed on. A senior administration official said Thursday that only 16 of 111 refineries would need to invest in major equipment to meet the new standards, which could be final by the end of this year. Of the remaining refineries, 29 already are meeting the standards because they are selling cleaner fuel in California or other countries, and 66 would have to make modifications. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rule was still undergoing White House budget office review. ___ Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dinacappiello Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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S&P 500 sets new closing record Posted: 28 Mar 2013 04:36 PM PDT NEW YORK: The S&P 500 set an all-time closing record on Thursday in a sign of growing confidence in the US economy. The widely-watched, broad-based index, a bellwether of US markets and the US economy, closed at 1,569.19, up 6.34 points, or 0.41 per cent, pushing past the previous record of 1,565.15, set on October 9, 2007. The narrower Dow Jones Industrial Average, which burst through its October 2007 record three weeks ago, propelled to yet another new closing peak of 14,578.54, up 52.38 points (0.36 per cent). The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite finished up 11.00 points (0.34 per cent) higher at 3,267.52. The S&P 500's run on Thursday came after a revised estimate for the fourth quarter of 2012 that placed GDP growth at just 0.4 per cent, lower than some analysts had expected. New jobless claims came in worse than forecast, and the Chicago purchasing managers index reading pointed to slowing growth. "The data was somewhat on the negative side," said Paul Edelstein, an economist at IHS Global Insight. However, he said markets were likely reassured by news out of Cyprus, where banks reopened relatively uneventfully. The surge in US stocks also suggests investors are distinguishing the US' prospects from those of Europe. In spite of Thursday's data, key recent indicators, such as housing and unemployment, have improved in recent weeks in the US. "We're doing well and the eurozone's not, but at least on the current path, the eurozone shouldn't matter too much for the US," Edelstein said. "There is confidence that the US has decoupled from Europe and the US financial system is likely to be immune to Europe and their current level of crisis there," said Chris Low, chief economist at FTN Financial. - AFP

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Warrants reveal arsenal found in Newtown shooter's home - USA TODAY Posted: 28 Mar 2013 08:59 AM PDT A police officer leads two women and a child from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, shortly after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 26 people.(Photo: Shannon Hicks, AP) Adam Lanza.(Photo: AP) Story Highlights Weapons, ammo were seized from Lanza home after massacre School attack took less than five minutes No indication Lanza tried to buy a gun himself NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Hundreds of rounds of ammunition, guns, knives and three samurai swords were among the items seized from the home of school killer Adam Lanza in the days after the tragedy, search warrants released Thursday revealed. Lanza killed 20 students, six adults and himself at Sandy Hook Elementary School in less than five minutes, Danbury State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky said in a detailed statement issued when the documents were released. Lanza's body was found dressed in military garb and a bullet-proof vest. The guns Lanza used were apparently purchased by Nancy Lanza, he said. Despite press reports that Adam Lanza had tried to buy at least one gun before the rampage, there is no indication that he attempted a purchase and was denied, Sedensky said. There was "no indication of a struggle" when Lanza shot his mother, Nancy, with a .22-caliber rifle as she slept in the home they shared shortly before the bloodbath at the school, Sedensky said. DOCUMENTS: Search warrants released STORY: New ad features Newtown families Police officers who entered the Lanza home after the shootings found a gun locker. "It was unlocked, and there was no indication it had been broken into," Sedensky said. He said Lanza killed all 26 victims inside Sandy Hook Elementary School with a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle before taking his own life with a Glock 10 mm handgun. He said Lanza had another loaded handgun with him inside the school as well as three, 30-round magazines for the Bushmaster. The Bushmaster was loaded with a 30-round capacity magazine. Fourteen rounds were in the magazine when the Bushmaster was recovered by police, Sedensky said. There was one round in the chamber. The four warrants released Thursday involve searches at the Newtown home on Yogananda Street and for the black Honda Civic that he drove to the school on Dec. 14. The warrants were sealed for 90 days in late December. Sedensky asked Judge John Blawie to seal certain information, including the identity of a witness and undisclosed items obtained during the searches, for another 90 days. The warrants say that a loaded 12-gauge shotgun was found in the glove compartment of Lanza's Honda Civic. Two magazines containing 70 rounds of Winchester 12-gauge shotgun rounds also were found in the car. At the house, authorities found hundreds of rounds of ammunition and numerous knives, including samurai swords. They found a military-style uniform in Lanza's bedroom and handwritten notes containing the addresses of local gun shops. Investigators also found books about autism and Asperger's syndrome as well as an NRA guide to pistol shooting. The documents indicate authorities found a brown gun safe with shotgun shells and numerous boxes of bullets. In a bedroom closet, they found ear plugs, a handwritten note regarding ammunition and magazines, paperwork on guns and a metal bayonet. In a top drawer of a filing cabinet, they found paper targets. In a duffel bag, they found ear and eye protection, binoculars, numerous paper targets and Lanza's NRA certificate. Contributing: Associated Press A redacted excerpt from one of the search warrants issued by the Danbury Superior Court for the home of Adam Lanza, the shooter in the Newtown school killings.(Photo: Danbury Superior Court)

An Edgy Calm as Banks in Cyprus Reopen - New York Times Posted: 28 Mar 2013 08:49 AM PDT By LIZ ALDERMAN Published: March 28, 2013 NICOSIA — An air of orderly, if edgy, resignation pervaded the streets of Cyprus on Thursday, the first day in nearly two weeks banks here were open. Having waited since March 16 for access to his money, Dimitris Dimitriou was willing to stand in line for 45 minutes to get into his bank, as it and others across this Mediterranean island re-opened after a seemingly interminable stretch. Since the government froze bank accounts here two Saturdays ago amid an unprecedented financial crisis, Mr. Dimitirou's wholesale optical business has been slumping. On Thursday, he desperately needed to see a teller to pay outstanding business transactions. He, like other Cypriots, are having to work with — and around — strict new controls on the flow of money that international lenders have imposed to prevent a bank run in this economically distressed country. Despite the curbs, Cypriot authorities were bracing for as much as 10 percent of the €64 billion, or $83 billion, on deposit in the country's banks to be pulled out on this first day of banking in the bailout era. "Financially it's been a disaster, for me and for the entire population," Mr. Dimitriou said as a small crowd pressed him toward a revolving door at a branch of Laiki Bank, where security guards were letting in only a few customers at a time. The throng around him was patient. But Mr. Dimitriou said he had a feeling this was only the beginning of what could be a wave of withdrawals at Cypriot banks in the days and weeks ahead. He said he expected the government to continue restrict the amounts of money people could take out well beyond a seven-day limit currently in place, once officials realize the magnitude of hardship that Cyprus is likely to face in the coming months. "They need to control the money," he said. "People here have not recovered from the shock that has just happened to us." When they do, he said, "a lot more people will want to get their money out of the banks." Bank accounts were frozen in Cyprus while the government held emergency talks with European lenders to secure a financial bailout needed to keep the country's banks from collapsing. The ensuing drama, including the government's unprecedented plan to skim bank accounts to help pay for the bailout, shook confidence here and in other European countries where banks are in a precarious position. As revised, the bailout terms would dip into deposit accounts at levels only above the €100,000 threshold that is guaranteed against losses. Still, the controls on access to and transfer of money that Mr. Dimitriou and tens of thousands of other Cypriot depositors were grappling with Thursday represented a whole new world. Never since the introduction of the euro has a European country prevented bank depositors from having full access to their own cash. Analysts said the measures, usually imposed in emerging countries like Argentina, effectively created two classes of the same money: euros in Cyprus are worth less than euros in France or Germany as long as the bulk of the money in Cypriot banks essentially remains frozen. Under European Union treaties, restricting the free movement of capital is normally forbidden. But the European Commission issued a statement Thursday morning that the unprecedented imposition of capital controls in the euro area in Cyprus was legal. Meanwhile, in the halls of power, Parliament was scheduled to vote later Thursday on a resolution demanding the resignation of Cyprus's central bank chief, Panicos Demetriades. The Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades, has sought to blame Mr. Demetriades for implementing measures required by Cyprus's lenders that will lead to the closure of Laiki Bank, the nation's most troubled. The move raised questions about maintaining the independence of the central bank. In central Nicosia, people started gathering before the opening hour of noon for access to at least some their money or to conduct corporate transactions after a nearly two-week delay that had put their businesses in peril. Before the open, lines of around 30 to 50 people were a common sight at branches of Bank of Cyprus and Laiki Bank, the country's two largest banks, as customers pressed their noses to the glass doors. By early afternoon, they had they dwindled to small groups, and bank tellers inside calmly discussed clients' needs. One of the customers lined up at a Bank of Cyprus branch, a 27-year-old businessman who would give only his first name, Miltos, shook the stack of papers in his hand. It represented nearly €40,000 of bills he owed the suppliers of his small telecommunications company. The long bank closure had damaged his business "terribly," said Miltos, standing under a warm sun. Unless he could persuade Bank of Cyprus to let him transfer more than the €5,000 limit for the month that the government has decreed, he said he feared he might soon go out of business. "I'm trying to hold on by tooth and nail," he said. The capital controls are aimed at clipping the wings of money that might otherwise fly from the county. They include prohibiting electronic transfer of funds from Cyprus to other countries, while capping at €3,000 — about $3,900 — the amount of cash that can be taken abroad. Daily withdrawals from automated teller machines will be limited to €300 per person, an improvement on the €100 cap that had been in place the past few days. Credit and debit card charges will be limited to €5,000 per person per month. Banks will not cash checks. And while they will accept checks as deposits, many people might be reluctant to put more money into a bank here. Banking clients, moreover, will not be able to withdraw money from fixed-term deposits before their maturity date. Bank employees started preparing early in the morning for reopening day. Bags of coins were piled high on a desk at Laiki Bank, while a manager wearing a dark suit stood at the front door waving away a retiree who was trying to get in before the doors opened. Yiannis Koumis, 27, a cashier at Laiki Bank, said employees were given three pages of instructions to follow when customers came in to demand their money, outlining the transactions they are permitted to carry out. But his mood was grim. Under the terms of the €10 billion bailout that Cyprus secured from international creditors on Monday, Laiki's good assets will be merged into Bank of Cyprus. Thousands will lose their jobs — very possibly Mr. Koumis among them. "We have orders to work for the next four days, and then all we have is uncertainty," he said. Some people planned to wait until the fuss quieted down. "I don't want to wait two or three hours in line today, so I'll go next week," said Christoforos Parisis, the manager of the Icebody Shop clothing store. He said he had withdrawn as much money as possible from teller machines while the banks were closed. But being without full access to cash has been a hardship, he said. "There's no money, no nothing," he said. "It affects me and my business very much. And we don't know what will happen after." Maroulla Chrysanthou, a retiree from Nicosia who lives with her divorced son and her daughter, woke up early Thursday morning to head to the bank. She does not have an A.T.M. card and has not been able to get her money from the bank since March 16, when it closed. For the 12 days during which the banks were closed, her family was just barely covering its needs. "We got by with what we had and my children were withdrawing some money so we could buy basic stuff," Ms. Chrysanthou said. When asked how much she planned to take from her account, she said: "As much as I can." When the European Commission issued its statement Thursday stating that the imposition of capital controls by Cyprus was legal, if unprecedented, it stressed that the measures should be rescinded as soon as possible. "In current circumstances, the stability of financial markets and the banking system in Cyprus constitutes a matter of overriding public interest and public policy justifying the imposition of temporary restrictions on capital movements," said the commission, one of three members of the so-called troika, which also includes the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, that oversees bailouts of euro zone states. The commission said it expected the measures to apply for seven days but added that it would "continue monitoring the need to extend the validity of or revise the measures." To make sure enough cash was on hand, the European Central Bank on Wednesday sent an airplane filled with about €1.5 billion in a container to Larnaca airport near Nicosia on Wednesday. The container was loaded onto a truck and escorted by police to the Cypriot central bank for safekeeping, said a person with knowledge of the operation who was not authorized to speak publicly. The person said the European Central Bank had indicated it would continue flying cash to the country as needed. Andreas Riris in Nicosia and James Kanter in Brussels contributed reporting. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: March 28, 2013 An earlier version of this article stated erroneously that capital controls had never been applied in Europe. They have not been applied since the introduction of the euro.

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Ringgit higher in early trade Posted: 27 Mar 2013 06:58 PM PDT The ringgit traded higher against the US dollar in early trade today amid renewed concerns over the Euro debt crisis, dealers said. At 9am, the ringgit was quoted at 3.0950/0970 from yesterday's close of 3.0980/1000. A dealer said sentiment remained fragile as investors are still worried of more unwanted surprises stemming from the Euro debt crisis. Meanwhile, the ringgit also traded higher against other major currencies. The local currency strengthened against the Singapore dollar at 2.4903/4940 from 2.4912/4930 on Wednesday, but depreciated against the Japanese yen to 3.2828/2863 from 3.2752/2790 previously. The ringgit also rose against the British pound to 4.6868/6910 from 4.6984/7024 yesterday, and strengthened against the euro to 3.9560/9589 from 3.9757/9785.-- Bernama

Short-term rates to stay stable Thursday Posted: 27 Mar 2013 07:03 PM PDT Short-term interbank rates are expected to remain stable today as Bank Negara Malaysia intervenes to absorb excess liquidity from the financial system. The central bank has estimated today's liquidity at RM27.344 billion in the conventional system and RM8.539 billion in Islamic funds. Bank Negara will call for four conventional tenders comprising RM1.5 billion each for seven and 28 days, respectively, and RM500 million each for 14 and 21 days. It will conduct four Al-Wadiah tenders comprising RM2.2 billion for seven days, RM100 million for 14 days, RM200 million for 28 days, and RM300 million for 92 days. At 4pm, the central bank will conduct an up RM23.5 billion conventional overnight tender and RM6 billion Al-Wadiah overnight tender.-- Bernama

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Justices raise concerns about Defense of Marriage Act defense - Los Angeles Times Posted: 27 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON -- A lawyer defending the federal law that denies benefits to legally  married same-sex couples faced skeptical questions from key Supreme Court justices, who suggested the law wrongly discriminated against gays and improperly intruded into the right of states to define marriage. Paul Clement, the former solicitor general who was defending the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act on behalf of the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives told the justices in Wednesday's argument that the law made only a "narrow" technical point, defining marriage for the purposes of federal law. But a majority of the justices indicated doubts about his attempt to minimize the law's impact. Marriage affects "every aspect of life," said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For the federal government to say that some legally married couples deserve benefits and others don't "diminishes what the state says is marriage." Couples would be left with "full marriage" on the one hand and "skim-milk marriage," on the other, she said. PHOTOS: Supreme Court considers gay marriage Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who is widely seen as the swing vote in the case, also challenged Clement on that point, noting that in defining marriage, the law affected benefits under roughly 1,100 federal statutes. In doing so, he said, the federal government was putting itself in conflict with "the essence" of a state's power -- the right  to define which of its citizens is considered to be married. "The question is whether the federal government" has "the authority to regulate marriage," he said later in the argument. Kennedy's past opinions often have shown considerable concern about federal encroachment on state powers. His comments suggested two possible routes that the justices could use to strike down the law -- either that it violates the rights of same-sex couples by treating them differently than opposite-sex couples or that it violated the rights of states to decide for themselves how marriage should be defined. Gay marriage through the years In one of the argument's most dramatic moments, Justice Elena Kagan read from the House report which accompanied the law when it passed, quoting a passage that said Congress was passing the law to express "moral disapproval of homosexuality." "When Congress targets a group that isn't everyone's favorite group in the world," the courts traditionally have treated those statutes as suspect, she said. The report "sends up a pretty good red flag that that's what was going on." Clement partially conceded the point. "If that's enough to invalidate the statute, you should invalidate the statute," he said, before going on to argue that the justices should look at the other reasons Congress had for passing the law and uphold it if any of them could be considered valid. FULL COVERAGE: Battle over gay marriage Follow Politics Now on Twitter and Facebook david.lauter@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidLauter david.savage@latimes.com

David Petraeus Apologizes for Affair in First Speech Since Resignation From CIA - ABC News Posted: 27 Mar 2013 09:03 AM PDT David Petraeus apologized in front of an audience of about 600, who welcomed him with a standing ovation, for an extramarital affair with his biographer in his first public speech since resigning as the head of the CIA. "Needless to say, I join you, keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago," Petraeus said Tuesday night to an audience of mostly veterans at the University of Southern California's annual ROTC dinner at a hotel in Los Angeles. "I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing. So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret -- and apologize for -- the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters," Petraeus said. RELATED: Shocking Celebrity Confessions The decorated war hero and former four-star general has remained out of the public eye since his affair with writer Paula Broadwell was revealed in November. The former commander of U.S. and ISAF forces in Afghanistan addressed the affair only one other time in a statement the day he resigned as CIA director. "After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair," Petraeus confessed in a letter to CIA staff. Since announcing his resignation, Petraeus has only appearing in closed-door hearings before the House and Senate intelligence committees to testify about what he learned first-hand about the Sept. 11 attack in the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. RELATED: See the Timeline of the Petraeus/Broadwell Affair "I know I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and a number of others," Petraeus said Tuesday. Petraeus' wife, Holly, was not in attendance at the dinner. "As I close, I want to say thank you for words of encouragement to family. ... This has been difficult episode for us ... to fall as far as I did," Petraeus said in his closing remarks before he received another standing ovation. Petraeus, 60, spent much of his time at the ROTC dinner speaking about what can be done for veterans and the families facing transition challenges from military life to civilian life. "In reality, the transition often is quite challenging. Hanging up the uniform is quite difficult," he said. Petraeus also penned an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal about helping veterans find employment, assimilate into the workforce and set them on a definitive career path. The speech and op-ed are Petraeus' first steps in what appears to be a carefully choreographed comeback bid as he tries to rehab his once-pristine image. Petraeus' affair with Broadwell was discovered during an FBI investigation into emails she sent to Florida socialite Jill Kelley. Broadwell, 40, who is also married, wrote the biography on Petraeus, "All In." ABC News' Maria Nikias contributed to this report.

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Judge recommends dismissal of Facebook case Posted: 26 Mar 2013 07:21 PM PDT A federal judge on Tuesday recommended the dismissal of a lawsuit against Facebook Inc in which Paul Ceglia, an upstate New York wood pellet salesman, claimed a huge ownership stake in the social media company. US Magistrate Judge Leslie Foschio said there is "clear and convincing evidence" that an alleged 2003 contract with Mark Zuckerberg, now Facebook's chief executive, that Ceglia claimed entitled him to a one-half interest in the company is a "recently created fabrication." In October, federal prosecutors in Manhattan announced criminal mail and wire fraud charges against Ceglia, whom US Attorney Preet Bharara accused of seeking "a quick pay day based on a blatant forgery." Ceglia, who has lived in Wellsville, New York, pleaded not guilty. Each criminal charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Paul Argentieri, a lawyer for Ceglia, was not immediately available on Tuesday for comment. In his 2010 civil lawsuit, Ceglia claimed that a 2003 contract he signed with Zuckerberg, then a Harvard University freshman, entitled him to the Facebook stake. Though Zuckerberg had done programming work for Ceglia's company StreetFax.com, Facebook maintained that a separate agreement involving that entity, which did not entitle Ceglia to a big Facebook stake, was the real contract between the two. In a 155-page recommendation, Foschio said Ceglia's arguments largely consisted of "self-defeating inconsistencies" that established the "fraudulent nature" of his claims. "Plaintiff has utterly failed to rebut the plethora of evidence establishing that it is highly probable and reasonable the StreetFax document was the operative contract," the Buffalo, New York-based judge wrote. Foschio also said it is "highly probable and reasonably certain" that the contract Ceglia said was real was "fabricated for the express purpose of filing the instant action." The case now goes to US District Judge Richard Arcara, who will decide whether to approve Foschio's recommendation. Colin Stretch, deputy general counsel of Facebook, said in a statement that Foschio's recommendation "confirms what we have said from day one: this lawsuit is an inexcusable fraud based on forged documents." Facebook's market value is now about US$60 billion. The accusations against Facebook and Zuckerberg had been an unusual distraction during the Menlo Park, California-based company's march toward its May 2012 initial public offering. Facebook's origin was also the focus of separate litigation by Zuckerberg's twin Harvard classmates Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, chronicled in the 2010 movie "The Social Network." Ceglia claimed that Zuckerberg shared his plans for a social networking website while working at StreetFax, and contracted to give him a stake in exchange for a US$1,000 investment. To build his case, Ceglia submitted what he said were emails from Zuckerberg that proved the pair discussed the project that eventually became Facebook. But Facebook said Zuckerberg did not even conceive of the idea for a social media company until December 2003. Its lawyers said Ceglia had produced fraudulent documents, citing work by forensic experts who concluded that he had typed text into a Microsoft Word document, and declared it the text of emails with Zuckerberg in 2004. Ceglia went through a string of lawyers from prominent firms, including DLA Piper and Milberg, who worked with him on various parts of the civil case but later withdrew. Earlier this month, Ceglia filed a separate civil lawsuit against Bharara and US Attorney General Eric Holder to halt the criminal case. The civil case is Ceglia v. Zuckerberg et al, US District Court, Western District of New York, No. 10-00569. The lawsuit against Bharara and Holder is Ceglia v. Holder et al in the same court, No. 13-00256. The criminal case is US v. Ceglia, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No 12-cr-00876.-- Reuters

Facebook expands ad targeting system Posted: 26 Mar 2013 06:51 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc is expanding the advertising system that lets marketers tailor messages to users of the No.1 social network based on their browsing history, in the company's latest step to refine its ad business. So far, the system has been used to target graphical display ads on the right side of a Facebook user's page, based on websites visited in the past, such as for products or potential vacation destinations. The move announced on Tuesday will incorporate this system, called Facebook Exchange, to the ads in Facebook's News Feed. It ties together two of the most significant innovations that Facebook Inc has made in the past year to its advertising business, which accounts for roughly 84 per cent of the company's revenue. Marketers last year welcomed the launch of Facebook Exchange as it provided a common online advertising technique long missing on the social network. Ads that appear directly within the Facebook News Feed are considered crucial to its future business prospects since they can be seen on mobile devices such as smartphones. About two-thirds of Facebook users accessed the site on a mobile device in December. Facebook said the Facebook Exchange system will initially be available for newsfeed ads that appear on desktop PCs but not on mobile devices. "Desktop is more in line with what FBX (Facebook Exchange) has been doing effectively in the right hand side. And we also find that desktop is the place where more people convert from seeing direct-response ads," said Facebook spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana. The company is testing the new service with a limited set of partners, with plans for broader availability in the coming weeks. Shares of Facebook closed 7 cents higher at US$25.21 on Nasdaq.-- Reuters

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