http://www.rttnews.comGlobal financial news, market analysis, economics and forex newsen-usWed, 16 May 2012 14:15:01 GMTTurkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said Macedonia's NATO membership will greatly contribute to regional stability and that NATO's only Muslim member, Turkey will do everything to tackle barriers facing its membership.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1887283Wed, 16 May 2012 06:11:08 GMTSignaling that Washington could be faced with another bruising battle over raising the debt ceiling, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, insisted in a speech on Tuesday that any increase in the debt ceiling be accompanied by spending cuts larger than the amount of the increase. Addressing the Peter G. Peterson Foundation's Fiscal Summit, Boehner said that the debt limit should be welcomed and not feared, calling it at an "an action-forcing event in a town that has become infamous for inaction."http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1886977Tue, 15 May 2012 21:07:51 GMTA new ad released Tuesday by the Republican National Committee harshly criticized President Barack Obama for what the GOP has called "empty promises" to cut the budget deficit.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1886740Tue, 15 May 2012 18:07:03 GMTThe Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has urged Iran to refrain from meddling in the affairs of the Gulf States in the best interest of the Iran-GCC relations and for maintaining peace and security in the region.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1885886Tue, 15 May 2012 05:35:35 GMTPresident Barack Obama's re-election campaign continues its attacks on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Monday, unveiling an ad that takes square aim at Romney's past business record.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1885637Mon, 14 May 2012 21:22:57 GMTRon Paul effectively ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination Monday, with the Libertarian-leaning Texas Congressman announcing that he will no longer spend money campaigning in states with upcoming primaries. Paul's announcement comes as he trails presumptive nominee Mitt Romney by a substantial margin in the race for the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1885620Mon, 14 May 2012 21:14:23 GMTThe defense of former U.S. Senator John Edwards is set to commence on Monday, with his lawyers attempting to refute claims that the two-time presidential candidate used up to $1 million in donations to conceal his pregnant mistress during the 2008 presidential campaign.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1885390Mon, 14 May 2012 16:11:33 GMTWith the issue of same-sex marriage attracting a lot of attention in recent weeks, the results of a CBS News/New York Times Poll showed that a majority of Americans support some kind of legal recognition for same-sex couples. The poll showed that 38 percent of Americans think same-sex couples should be allowed to get married, while 24 percent said same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1885341Mon, 14 May 2012 14:52:52 GMTThe head of an international organization of exiled Uygurs has come down heavily on the Chinese government for its oppression of the ethnic minority group in that country.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1885127Mon, 14 May 2012 11:51:20 GMTThere is a timeworn saying in Washington that even in the most difficult negotiations, congressmen will always strike a deal once they hear planes taking off from Reagan National Airport for the weekend. That didn't work last week on Capitol Hill, as the Senate grappled with how to keep student loan interest rates from doubling, affecting 7.4 million students.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1883947Sat, 12 May 2012 17:05:36 GMTRep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., requested withdrawal of her Swiss citizenship Thursday, saying she is a "proud American citizen." Bachmann, a former Republican presidential candidate and Tea Party favorite, sent a letter to the Swiss Consulate after news broke that her and her children had recently applied for Swiss papers.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1884011Fri, 11 May 2012 18:37:33 GMTChina on Friday expressed concern over the security of its citizens in the Philippines and hoped that the Philippine side would refrain from actions that would escalate tensions.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1883718Fri, 11 May 2012 12:20:14 GMTSouth Korea is likely to strike a $200 million deal with Peru for the sale of 20 KT-1 single-engine, turboprop trainer jets to the South American country on which talks are progressing between the two countries.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1883480Fri, 11 May 2012 06:50:19 GMTThe Justice Department will review a referendum passed last year in the state of Mississippi requiring all residents to show a photo ID before voting. However, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann questioned the impartiality of the DOJ's investigation Tuesday, saying recent Facebook posts by a DOJ employee show the agency is biased against the South.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882967Thu, 10 May 2012 20:04:14 GMTResponding to a Washington Post article accusing him of bullying his classmates at a prestigious Michigan prep school, Mitt Romney apologized Thursday for doing "dumb things," acknowledging that some his pranks "may have gone too far." The hastily scheduled interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio came after the Washington Post article suggested that Romney targeted his gay peers, including in an incident in which he allegedly pinned down a fellow student and cut his hair.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882943Thu, 10 May 2012 19:27:48 GMTWould selecting Ohio Sen. Rob Portman as his running mate improve Mitt Romney's chances of winning in the key swing state of Ohio? Results of a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday suggest that the answer is "no."http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882909Thu, 10 May 2012 18:25:35 GMTMembers of the House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to approve an amendment to the 2013 defense authorization bill that would ban same-sex marriages from taking place on U.S. military bases.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882897Thu, 10 May 2012 18:02:07 GMTPresident Barack Obama is expected to pull in $15 million at a fundraising dinner at George Clooney's Studio City home on Thursday, a day after the President announced he was in support of legalizing gay marriage. The timing of the announcement couldn't be better, as Obama will meet many members of his liberal base at the dinner.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882756Thu, 10 May 2012 14:51:57 GMTPakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday that his country and UK would further enhance cooperation in fighting extremism and terrorism. http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882682Thu, 10 May 2012 13:11:53 GMTTurkey will not extradite fugitive Iraqi Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi to Baghdad despite an Interpol arrest warrant pending against him.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882363Thu, 10 May 2012 09:54:18 GMTOne of the closest confidants of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak announced on Thursday that he would run for the presidency in the year-end election, promising sweeping political reforms centered on revising the current single, five-year term presidency to two four-year terms pending re-election.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1882206Thu, 10 May 2012 07:23:51 GMTHouse Republican Robert Dold, R-Ill., one of just a few pro-choice GOP legislators, introduced a bill Wednesday aimed at saving Planned Parenthood from cuts to government funding. The bill comes just a week after Arizona became the eighth state to pass a bill blocking the organization from receiving state funds.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1881535Wed, 09 May 2012 19:20:03 GMTSen. Chuck Grassley said he is so far unaware of any senators who have called for Holder's resignation - and he said there is not yet sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Instead, Grassley said he wanted the resignation of the top Justice employee below Holder who can be proved to have breached the law.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1881467Wed, 09 May 2012 17:20:11 GMTPresident Barack Obama announced Tuesday he was nominating Kristine L. Svinicki for another term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a move that goes against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Svinicki became a controversial figure after she accused current NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko of creating an intolerant environment for female staffers.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1881434Wed, 09 May 2012 16:38:54 GMTAfter serving 36 years in the U.S. Senate, Dick Lugar was defeated Tuesday by Tea Party-backed Richard Mourdock in Indiana's Republican primary. Mourdock was declared the winner only 90 minutes after the polls closed. With 98 percent of the vote counted, Mourdock crushed Lugar 61 percent to 39 percent, according to the Indianapolis Star.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1881407Wed, 09 May 2012 15:36:33 GMTVoters in North Carolina on Tuesday passed Amendment One, a strict definition of marriage between a man and a woman as the "only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized" by the state. The highly controversial and divisive state constitutional amendment could effect not only gay couples but also unmarried straight ones and will most likely undergo extensive litigation, pundits say.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1881281Wed, 09 May 2012 13:02:54 GMTMajor General Robert Mood, head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria, escaped unhurt from an explosion that wounded six Syrian soldiers as they escorted a convoy of U.N. officials in the restive Syrian town of Dera'a on Wednesday, media reports said.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1881218Wed, 09 May 2012 12:08:29 GMTThe ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has decided to rescind the suspension of former leader Ichiro Ozawa who was found not guilty last month of violating the country's political funds control law.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1880877Wed, 09 May 2012 07:03:52 GMTTurkish President Abdullah G�l has warned that xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia are threatening Europe's own values and advised the 27-member European Union bloc to continue with an open vision. http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1880802Wed, 09 May 2012 06:18:31 GMTThe Obama campaign announced Tuesday it would release the second in a series of Spanish language ads aimed at "highlighting the President's record on issues of particular importance to the Hispanic community." The ads will air in Colorado, Nevada and Florida.http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=1880266Tue, 08 May 2012 19:42:35 GMT