Gales, aftershocks shake quake hit New Zealand

Strong aftershocks and gale-force winds buffeted a clean-up of New Zealand's second biggest city.

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Christchurch and a large surrounding area of rural towns and farms on South Island were struck by the magnitude 7.1 quake early on Saturday morning, bringing down power lines, ripping up roads, smashing water and sewage pipes, and w Full Story

Six tips to manage credit cards

The new credit fees rules are finally here, but issuers have been rolling out new cards and tricks designed to keep consumers paying. Here's what you need to know to make the most of your cards.

By Linda Stern

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Finally, the new limits on credit card fees called for in last year's credit card legislation are here. Card issuers can no longer pile fee upon fee or charge you ridiculous amounts for a payment that is a day or two late.

That's good, but it doesn't mean you can ignore your card policies going forward. Issuers have been rolling out new cards, and new tricks, designed to keep consumers paying and paying Full Story

BP Gulf well 'secured,' awaiting final kill

BP Plc's ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well is secure with no threat of spewing crude again, the top U.S. official overseeing the spill response said.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - "We basically have secured this well," retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said. "We have essentially eliminated the threat of discharge from the well at this point."

A cap atop failed blowout preventer equipment on the Macondo well had sealed in all oil flow since July 15. On Friday, BP replaced the failed equipment with a new giant stack of valves and pipes.

Once the new blowout preventer is tested, BP can resume dr Full Story

Conquer your retirement worries

There's a never-ending stream of reports saying Americans are woefully unprepared for retirement. If you're one of them, here's how to stop worrying and take charge.

ACROSS THE U.S. (Reuters) - Could you read another report that shows how little Americans have saved for retirement in these troubled times? I know it’s difficult, so I came up with a simple formula for figuring out how much you need.

Pencil in how much money it would take for you to live comfortably for 25 years. Include items that are not covered by insurance – deductibles, travel, home maintenance, taxes. Then project how much Social Securi Full Story

Special Report: FDA and the war on drug ads

The downturn hasn't stopped the pharmaceutical industry from spending big on advertising and an outgunned FDA has vowed to crack down on increasingly aggressive ad tactics. But there's only so much the agency can do.

By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - It wasn't what you would call a casual get-together.

In February 2009, a popular New York blogger attended a brunch with fellow "frazzled moms." They took in tips from a style expert and listened to a nurse extol the virtues of Mirena, a birth control device sold by Bayer Healthcare.

The nurse was on Bayer's payroll. In a series of events organized with the help of a w Full Story

The secret killers

Capture/kill teams leave a trail of dead civilian bodies and recrimination in their wake, undermining any goodwill created by U.S. reconstruction projects.

By Pratap Chatterjee

KABUL, Afghanistan (YN) - "Find, fix, finish, and follow-up" is the way the Pentagon describes the mission of secret military teams in Afghanistan which have been given a mandate to pursue alleged members of the Taliban or al-Qaeda wherever they may be found. Some call these “manhunting” operations and the units assigned to them “capture/kill” teams.

Whatever terminology you choose, the details of dozens of their sp Full Story