UPDATE 2-Fight over Iraq war funds heads toward new phase

(Reuters) - By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON, April 28 - A fierce political battle over a Democratic plan to pull U.S. troops from Iraq is moving toward a critical stage as President George W. Bush prepares to veto it, but talks on a new bill have quietly begun.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

UPDATE 1-Fight over Iraq war funds heads toward new phase

(Reuters) - WASHINGTON, April 28 - A fierce political battle over a Democratic plan to pull U.S. troops from Iraq is moving toward a critical stage as President George W. Bush prepares to veto it, but talks on a new bill have quietly begun.

The Democratic-led Congress plans to send Bush a bill on Tuesday that gives $124 billion for the Iraq war but requires a pullout to begin by Oct. 1. The White House has said Bush will waste no time in vetoing it.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

U.S. fight over Iraq war funds to enter new phase

(Reuters) - The Democratic-led Congress plans to send Bush a bill on Tuesday that gives $124 billion for the war in Iraq but requires a pullout to begin by Oct. 1. The White House has said Bush will waste no time in vetoing it and may do so the day he gets it.

Debate on the bill has been marked by escalating rhetoric, with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada saying Bush has already lost the war and Republicans labeling him a defeatist.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Canada's Dollar Hits Seven-Month High on Economy, Rising Commodity Prices

(Bloomberg) -- Canada's dollar reached a seven-month high as investors pared bets that the Bank of Canada will cut interest rates this year amid a strengthening economy and rising commodity prices.

Canada's currency gained for a sixth straight week, its longest winning streak since 2004, after Statistics Canada reported yesterday that its survey of managers showed increased expectations for manufacturing production. Rising prices for commodities, accounting for 54 percent of exports, also bolstered the Canadian dollar.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

RBS group threatens hostile offer, ABN opens books

(Reuters) - Three banks led by Royal Bank of Scotland threatened to launch a hostile bid for ABN AMRO in a sign of their growing resolve to elbow aside rival Barclays to secure the world's biggest banking takeover.

In response, ABN lifted a contentious "standstill" condition attached to opening its books to the group, saying it was "committed to exploring the consortium's proposal in a constructive manner."


Read more at Reuters Africa

U.S. can't alter 'dolphin-safe' tuna rules -court

(Reuters) - The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was the latest in a long dispute on what tuna sold in the United States can be labeled "dolphin safe" -- a designation that means tuna is fished using practices that protect dolphins.

Previous such decisions angered Mexican and South American fishing industries.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

1-cent option plan reduces payment deals-SEC

(Reuters) - Quoting options in one-cent increments has given investors better choices on prices and significantly narrowed bid/ask spreads, according to preliminary data, said Elizabeth King, associate director in the market regulation division at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Options continue to be quoted in nickels and dimes and prior to the pilot, several exchanges offered programs where customers could obtain price improvements in one-cent increments.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News