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Sunday, April 22, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Europe pressed for action to end debt crisis China detains dozens in poison drug capsule scandal Myanmar awaits EU sanction easing; Suu Kyi delays debut Le Pen voters to arbitrate Hollande-Sarkozy duel China lauds North Korea friendship despite tensions Myanmar awaits EU sanction easing; Suu Kyi delays debut Hollande edges Sarkozy in French vote, Le Pen surges Sudan, South Sudan swap accusations of attacks, church raided Egypt cancels gas deal with Israel Afghanistan and U.S. agree on strategic pact text Analysts' view: Hollande tops Sarkozy in French vote Former Iceland PM to learn if guilty in 2008 crisis Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix, protesters kept away Israel intercepts ship for weapons search Peru's Humala gains in poll on kidnap, mine rescues Sri Lanka orders mosque move after Buddhist protest Merkel's FDP ally eyes poll comeback, doubts persist Europe pressed for action to end debt crisis As Myanmar awaits easing of sanctions, row brews over MP no-show Egypt's Moussa promises army voice in key policy body French International Red Cross aide abducted in Yemen Orthodox Church under attack: Russian Patriarch Israel intercepts ship for security check: official Ukraine ex-PM refuses treatment, returned to jail Egypt MPs demand Mufti quit over Jerusalem trip North Korea leader spent nine years in Switzerland: reports China's geologist premier meets unease in Iceland Brazil's Rousseff achieves record approval: newspaper Taylor verdict takes aim at Africa Big Man impunity Israel cabinet OKs break-up of big conglomerates Sudan says repulses rebel attack in border state International Committee of Red Cross aide abducted in Yemen Iran military says copying U.S. drone Libyan leader: no government reshuffle ahead of elections Violence persists in Syria as Annan urges truce compliance Analysis: The Sudans put China in a policy bind Analysis: The Sudans put China in a policy bind Analysis: Political divisions slow Islamic finance in Egypt China military warns of confrontation over seas Annan welcomes monitors force, says "pivotal moment" for Syria Europe pressed for action to end debt crisis Sun,22 Apr 2012 07:46 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global finance chiefs pressed Europe in weekend talks to quickly put in place the economic reforms needed to finally extinguish its debt crisis now that newly increased financial buffers have bought some precious time. A day after advanced and emerging countries agreed to double the firepower of the International Monetary Fund to help contain the crisis, the IMF's governing panel said on Saturday that the 17-nation euro area must cut government debt burdens further, push bold economic reforms and stabilize financial systems. ... Full Story Top China detains dozens in poison drug capsule scandal Sun,22 Apr 2012 07:33 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained 45 people, arrested nine and seized more than 77 million capsules tainted with chromium in China's latest product safety scandal, which has aroused widespread public concern despite repeated pledges to get tough. The government said the companies involved sold gel capsules made with industrial gelatin, which contains a far higher chromium content than the edible gelatin they should have used. ... Full Story Top Myanmar awaits EU sanction easing; Suu Kyi delays debut Sun,22 Apr 2012 07:00 PM PDT Reuters - NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - Myanmar's reformist rulers are looking forward to an eagerly awaited easing of European Union sanctions on Monday but celebrations will be muted over a political stalemate delaying Aung San Suu Kyi's historic parliamentary debut. A protest by Suu Kyi's party over a swearing-in vow for its would-be parliamentarians will dent an image of transformation the government wanted to show off on Monday, when the European Union is all but certain to become the first among Western powers to suspend in earnest sanctions that isolated Myanmar for two decades. ... Full Story Top Le Pen voters to arbitrate Hollande-Sarkozy duel Sun,22 Apr 2012 05:37 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Far-right voters may decide who becomes France's next president after anti-immigration crusader Marine Le Pen's record first-round score jolted the race between Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande and incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. The centre-left Hollande narrowly beat the conservative Sarkozy in Sunday's 10-candidate first round by 28.6 percent to 27.1 percent, the Interior Ministry said with 99 percent of votes counted, but Le Pen stole the show by surging to 18.0 percent, the biggest result for a far-right candidate. ... Full Story Top China lauds North Korea friendship despite tensions Sun,22 Apr 2012 05:00 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's most senior diplomat has vowed to deepen ties with North Korea and praised its young leader Kim Jong-un, despite an international outcry over Pyongyang's recent rocket launch and the possibility of a third nuclear test by the isolated state. State Councillor Dai Bingguo, who steers Chinese diplomacy and outranks the foreign minister, made the show of friendship in a meeting with Kim Yong-il, the Korean Workers' Party director of international affairs, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry late on Sunday. ... Full Story Top Myanmar awaits EU sanction easing; Suu Kyi delays debut Sun,22 Apr 2012 04:32 PM PDT Reuters - NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - Myanmar's reformist rulers are looking forward to an eagerly awaited easing of European Union sanctions on Monday but celebrations will be muted over a political stalemate delaying Aung San Suu Kyi's historic parliamentary debut. A protest by Suu Kyi's party over a swearing-in vow for its would-be parliamentarians will dent an image of transformation the government wanted to show off on Monday, when the European Union is all but certain to become the first among Western powers to suspend in earnest sanctions that isolated Myanmar for two decades. ... Full Story Top Hollande edges Sarkozy in French vote, Le Pen surges Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:38 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Far-rightist Marine Le Pen threw France's presidential race wide open on Sunday by polling nearly 19 percent in the first round - votes that may tip a runoff between Socialist favorite Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy. Hollande led Sarkozy by 28.2 percent to 27.0 percent with more than four fifths of votes counted, the Interior Ministry said, meaning the two will meet head-to-head in a decider on May 6 that may be closer than pundits had been expected. Le Pen's record score of 18. ... Full Story Top Sudan, South Sudan swap accusations of attacks, church raided Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:32 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM/BENTIU, South Sudan (Reuters) - Sudan and newly-independent South Sudan accused each other of launching fresh attacks on their territories on Sunday as neither side showed any sign of bowing to global pressure to return to the negotiating table. South Sudan said Sudanese troops attacked settlements about 10km (6 miles) on its side of the border and carried out air raids in a range of areas including its oil-producing Unity state. ... Full Story Top Egypt cancels gas deal with Israel Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Egyptian energy companies, citing a trade dispute, have terminated a deal to supply Israel with natural gas in a step that may further erode bilateral ties strained by a popular revolt that toppled Egypt's pro-Israeli leader last year. An Israeli partner in the business made the step public on Sunday but an Egyptian firm said the decision to cancel the deal had been made on Thursday. ... Full Story Top Afghanistan and U.S. agree on strategic pact text Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:21 PM PDT Reuters - Afghanistan and the United States on Sunday agreed on a draft of a long-awaited deal that will define the scope and nature of a U.S. presence in the country for up to a decade after the pullout of most NATO combat troops in 2014. The U.S. Ambassador to Kabul, Ryan Crocker, and Afghan national security adviser, Rangin Spanta, initialed copies of the agreement, paving the way for President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, to review it. ... Full Story Top Analysts' view: Hollande tops Sarkozy in French vote Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:12 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Far-rightist Marine Le Pen threw France's presidential race wide open on Sunday by scoring nearly 20 percent in the first round - votes that may determine the outcome of the May 6 runoff between Socialist favorite Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy. Following are comments from analysts on the results: DOMINIQUE BARBET, ECONOMIST, BNP PARIBAS "Overall we've got a vote that is much more uncertain than we thought it would be. The vote has really been marked by the crisis. ... Full Story Top Former Iceland PM to learn if guilty in 2008 crisis Sun,22 Apr 2012 02:07 PM PDT Reuters - REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - The only politician in the world to stand trial for their role in the 2008 financial crisis will learn their fate on Monday when a court in tiny Iceland rules on whether the island's former prime minister was grossly negligent or not. In a verdict that many fear will do little to heal the wounds of the meltdown, a court will decide whether former prime minister Geir Haarde, 61, was personally responsible for failing to rein in the country's banking sector before it imploded. Haarde, who faces four charges of gross negligence, has denied any guilt. ... Full Story Top Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix, protesters kept away Sun,22 Apr 2012 01:38 PM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Grand Prix in Bahrain on Sunday while rage boiled beyond the circuit among protesters who say the island's rulers should not have hosted the race after crushing Arab Spring demonstrations last year. High security kept trouble well away from the track, where Red Bull's Vettel led an uneventful race before half-empty stands. Activists said police fired tear gas to prevent post-race demonstrations in Shi'ite villages around the capital. The villages have seen nightly clashes over the past week. ... Full Story Top Israel intercepts ship for weapons search Sun,22 Apr 2012 01:12 PM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli naval forces intercepted a cargo ship in the Mediterranean on Sunday then boarded the vessel to search for suspected weapons, military officials and media reports said. Israel routinely patrols the seas for ships suspected of carrying weapons destined for Palestinian militants. A year ago Israel seized a cargo ship it said held Iranian-supplied arms intended for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. ... Full Story Top Peru's Humala gains in poll on kidnap, mine rescues Sun,22 Apr 2012 01:12 PM PDT Reuters - LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Ollanta Humala's approval rating climbed to 56 percent in April, boosted by the release of energy industry workers kidnapped by Shining Path rebels, an Ipsos Apoyo poll showed on Sunday. The president's approval rating rose 3 percentage points from the previous monthly opinion poll following last weekend's liberation of the 36 gas pipeline workers in a remote jungle region in southern Peru. ... Full Story Top Sri Lanka orders mosque move after Buddhist protest Sun,22 Apr 2012 12:15 PM PDT Reuters - COLOMBO (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan government ordered a mosque relocated on Sunday after Buddhist monks said the 50-year-old structure had been built illegally in an area sacred to Buddhists and threatened to demolish it. The monks in the island nation's central town of Dambulla protested against the mosque on Friday, stopping the Islamic prayers, and threatened violence if it was not removed. They also have asked that a Hindu temple in the area be removed. ... Full Story Top Merkel's FDP ally eyes poll comeback, doubts persist Sun,22 Apr 2012 12:12 PM PDT Reuters - KARLSRUHE, Germany (Reuters) - Poll figures may be low and forecasts gloomy, but Martina Reuter felt certain things were looking up for her party - Germany's Free Democrats (FDP), the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition. "At the moment there is a real mood of change ... There is a return to the old, fundamental values," the 50-year-old party member told Reuters at a weekend FDP congress in Karlsruhe, western Germany. Her comments were in tune with the atmosphere of determined bonhomie among the hundreds of delegates at the gathering. ... Full Story Top Europe pressed for action to end debt crisis Sun,22 Apr 2012 11:54 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global finance chiefs pressed Europe in weekend talks to quickly put in place the economic reforms needed to finally extinguish its debt crisis now that newly increased financial buffers have bought some precious time. A day after advanced and emerging countries agreed to double the firepower of the International Monetary Fund to help contain the crisis, the IMF's governing panel said on Saturday that the 17-nation euro area must cut government debt burdens further, push bold economic reforms and stabilize financial systems. ... Full Story Top As Myanmar awaits easing of sanctions, row brews over MP no-show Sun,22 Apr 2012 11:10 AM PDT Reuters - NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - Myanmar's reformist rulers are looking forward to an eagerly awaited easing of European Union sanctions on Monday but celebrations will be muted over a political stalemate delaying Aung San Suu Kyi's historic parliamentary debut. A protest by Suu Kyi's party over a swearing-in vow for its would-be parliamentarians will dent an image of transformation the government wanted to show off on Monday, when the European Union is all but certain to become the first among Western powers to suspend in earnest sanctions that isolated Myanmar for two decades. ... Full Story Top Egypt's Moussa promises army voice in key policy body Sun,22 Apr 2012 11:03 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Ex-foreign minister Amr Moussa, a leading contender for Egypt's presidency, said on Sunday he would give the military a voice in key policies via a national security council, a move to reassure ruling generals about their status after a power transfer. Moussa, a self-described liberal nationalist whose main election rivals are Islamists, also said Egypt needed a president with lobbying skills to work effectively with the Islamist-dominated parliament and other institutions after decades of autocratic government. ... Full Story Top French International Red Cross aide abducted in Yemen Sun,22 Apr 2012 10:58 AM PDT Reuters - SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) - Armed men kidnapped a French an aid worker of the International Committee of the Red Cross as he was travelling from north Yemen to the Red Sea port city of Hudaida, the ICRC said on Sunday. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the kidnapping but seizing foreigners or Yemenis in order to secure releases of jailed relatives is common in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state. Most hostages are freed unharmed. ... Full Story Top Orthodox Church under attack: Russian Patriarch Sun,22 Apr 2012 10:52 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church warned tens of thousands of believers on Sunday they were "under attack by persecutors" on a nationwide day of prayer intended to heal divisions over a protest at the altar by a women's punk band. At least 40,000 people came to hear Patriarch Kirill lead them in prayer at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, where Pussy Riot performed a "punk prayer" on February 21 deriding the Church's close relationship with President-elect Vladimir Putin. ... Full Story Top Israel intercepts ship for security check: official Sun,22 Apr 2012 10:32 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli naval forces intercepted a cargo ship in the Mediterranean on Sunday and troops have boarded the vessel for a "security check", military sources said. Israel routinely patrols the seas for ships suspected of carrying weapons destined for Palestinian militants. A year ago Israel seized a cargo ship it said held Iranian-supplied arms intended for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The official said so far "nothing outstanding has been found" on the ship, and declined to provide details, describing the interception as "routine protection of our territorial waters". ... Full Story Top Ukraine ex-PM refuses treatment, returned to jail Sun,22 Apr 2012 10:26 AM PDT Reuters - KIEV (Reuters) - Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, whose jailing last year damaged the ex-Soviet republic's ties with the West, has been returned to a prison after refusing to be treated for back pain at a state-run hospital, her party said on Sunday. The seven-year prison sentence handed down last October to Tymoshenko, a fierce opponent of President Viktor Yanukovich, has been condemned by the European Union as an example of selective justice. ... Full Story Top Egypt MPs demand Mufti quit over Jerusalem trip Sun,22 Apr 2012 10:24 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament on Sunday called on the Mufti to quit after a visit to Jerusalem, stepping up pressure on the state-appointed official over a trip that critics say bestowed recognition of Israeli control of the city. Mufti Ali Gomaa's trip to East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, has caused a stir in Egypt and across the Arab region, where he has been criticized for a visit that has revived debate about normalization with Israel. ... Full Story Top North Korea leader spent nine years in Switzerland: reports Sun,22 Apr 2012 09:52 AM PDT Reuters - ZURICH (Reuters) - North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un spent more of his childhood being educated under a pseudonym in Switzerland than originally thought, Swiss newspapers reported on Sunday. Jong-un first travelled to Switzerland in 1991, aged eight or nine, rather than in 1998 as has previously been established, Le Matin Dimanche and the SonntagsZeitung reported, citing official Swiss police documents. Little is known about the leader of the reclusive communist state, who took over from the late Kim Jong-il last year, not even his exact age. ... Full Story Top China's geologist premier meets unease in Iceland Sun,22 Apr 2012 09:41 AM PDT Reuters - REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Few suspicions are raised by the sight of another geologist pottering around Iceland's natural wonders of rock, fire and ice - unless that geologist is also the Chinese premier. Wen Jiabao put on his hiking boots and donned a windbreaker in communist red at the weekend for time in Iceland's wilds at the start of a visit to Europe. As admiringly as any tourist, he gave a thumbs up as the force of the Strokkur geyser blew water and steam meters into the air. ... Full Story Top Brazil's Rousseff achieves record approval: newspaper Sun,22 Apr 2012 09:12 AM PDT Reuters - SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's administration reached a record-high approval rating in April but voters still long for the return of predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a newspaper reported on Sunday. Sixty-four percent of Brazilians believe Rousseff's administration is doing a good or excellent job, up from 59 percent in January, the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said, citing a poll by its Datafolha research division. It is the highest approval rating for Rousseff's administration since she took office in January 2011, the newspaper said. ... Full Story Top Taylor verdict takes aim at Africa Big Man impunity Sun,22 Apr 2012 08:07 AM PDT Reuters - THE HAGUE/FREETOWN (Reuters) - Begging outside a supermarket in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, Tamba Ngaujah has little doubt who was behind the Revolutionary United Front rebels who, 20 years ago, gave him "short sleeves". "They put my arms on the sticks, took machetes, and cut them ... They only thing I can tell you about Charles Taylor: I heard from the RUF who amputated my hands that they were supported by Charles Taylor," 46-year-old Ngaujah said. ... Full Story Top Israel cabinet OKs break-up of big conglomerates Sun,22 Apr 2012 08:04 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved a plan to break up some of the country's largest conglomerates, aiming to increase competition and bring down prices after protests over the cost of living last year. Israel has one of the highest concentrations of corporate power in the developed world with the government estimating that the country's 10 largest business groups control 41 percent of the market value of public companies. "The government's decision today is another step in lowering the cost of living," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Sudan says repulses rebel attack in border state Sun,22 Apr 2012 08:01 AM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM/BENTIU, South Sudan (Reuters) - Sudan said on Sunday it had repulsed a "major" rebel attack on a strategic town in its South Kordofan state, the latest outbreak of violence in its volatile border area with South Sudan. Rebels had launched an attack on Talodi, a border town the rebels have repeatedly tried to seize, Sudanese army spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid said. "Dozens of the rebels were killed. The army is expelling the remaining rebel forces," he added. ... Full Story Top International Committee of Red Cross aide abducted in Yemen Sun,22 Apr 2012 07:25 AM PDT Reuters - SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) - Armed men kidnapped a French official of the International Committee of the Red Cross as he was travelling from north Yemen to the Red Sea port city of Hudaida, the ICRC said on Sunday. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the kidnapping but seizing foreigners or Yemenis in order to secure releases of jailed relatives is common in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state. Most hostages are freed unharmed. ... Full Story Top Iran military says copying U.S. drone Sun,22 Apr 2012 07:20 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's military has started to build a copy of a U.S. surveillance drone captured last year after breaking the software encryption, Iranian media reported on Sunday. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, said engineers were in the final stages of decoding data from the Sentinel aircraft, which came down in December near the Afghan border, Mehr news agency reported. ... Full Story Top Libyan leader: no government reshuffle ahead of elections Sun,22 Apr 2012 07:19 AM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The head of Libya's ruling National Transitional Council said on Sunday he did not envisage a government reshuffle before national elections slated for June, despite reports of possible changes earlier this month. Mustafa Abdel Jalil told reporters there was "motivation" for changes in the government, but said a reshuffle was impractical because it would affect the timing of the planned parliamentary election. "In my opinion there will be no change in the government and we will push through," he said. ... Full Story Top Violence persists in Syria as Annan urges truce compliance Sun,22 Apr 2012 06:28 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian soldiers stormed a town east of Damascus on Sunday and rebels bombed a military convoy in the north of the country as international mediator Kofi Annan urged both sides to work with an expanded team of U.N. ceasefire monitors. The group of unarmed military monitors has been operating in Syria for a week, overseeing a 10-day-old truce agreement that has curbed some of the violence but failed to bring a complete halt to 13 months of bloodshed. The U.N. ... Full Story Top Analysis: The Sudans put China in a policy bind Sun,22 Apr 2012 04:24 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - When one of your big oil suppliers splits into rival states, that's a problem for any country. When you're China, with its huge appetite for energy and a tradition of never wanting to take sides, it becomes a foreign policy migraine. China's balancing act between South Sudan and Sudan will take centre stage when the South's president visits Beijing on Monday, seeking political and economic backing amid escalating tensions with its northern neighbor. ... Full Story Top Analysis: The Sudans put China in a policy bind Sun,22 Apr 2012 04:21 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - When one of your big oil suppliers splits into rival states, that's a problem for any country. When you're China, with its huge appetite for energy and a tradition of never wanting to take sides, it becomes a foreign policy migraine. China's balancing act between South Sudan and Sudan will take centre stage when the South's president visits Beijing on Monday, seeking political and economic backing amid escalating tensions with its northern neighbor. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Political divisions slow Islamic finance in Egypt Sun,22 Apr 2012 04:11 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO/DUBAI (Reuters) - AlexBank, one of Egypt's biggest commercial banks, says it expects to launch Islamic financial services next April. But the country's political divisions mean the regulatory environment in which the bank will operate is not clear. Last year's ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, whose regime neglected or discouraged Islamic finance for ideological reasons, has cleared the way for rapid growth of Islamic finance in Egypt, bankers believe. ... Full Story Top China military warns of confrontation over seas Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:33 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military warned the United States on Saturday that U.S.-Philippine military exercises have raised risks of armed confrontation over the disputed South China Sea in the toughest high-level warning yet after weeks of tensions. China's official Liberation Army Daily warned that recent jostling with the Philippines over disputed seas where both countries have sent ships could boil over into outright conflict, and laid much of the blame at Washington's door. ... Full Story Top Annan welcomes monitors force, says "pivotal moment" for Syria Sun,22 Apr 2012 03:31 AM PDT Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - International mediator Kofi Annan said on Sunday that the U.N. Security Council's decision to deploy a further 300 ceasefire monitors in Syria marked a "pivotal moment for the stabilization of the country". In a statement issued in Geneva, he called on both Syrian government forces and opposition fighters to put down their weapons and work with the unarmed observers to consolidate the fragile ceasefire that took effect 10 days ago. ... Full Story Top

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