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Thursday, May 10, 2012 8:31 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Syria suicide bombers kill 55, ceasefire in tatters Long road to South Korean stage for Syrian drama Too early to call U.N.-Syria peace plan failure: U.S. JPMorgan has trading loss of at least $2 billion, reputation hit French left set to win parliament vote: polls NBA's "Birdman" Andersen's home raided by Denver-area police U.S. official doubts Iran can find alternative to central bank China's Chen says officials "going crazy" with reprisals Islamists poised for strong showing in Algeria vote British played central role in foiled bomb operation: sources U.S. official doubts Iran can find alternative to cenbank JPMorgan has $2 billion trading loss, reputation hit Chavez rival struggles to close gap in Venezuela race Guinea security forces clash with protesters U.N. says three Libya prisoners likely tortured to death Spain gov't to approve banks cleanup after tough talks British PM faces scrutiny over ties to Murdoch Coalition hopes in doubt as Greek parties meet Yahoo CEO says he never provided a resume: source Globe and Mail to introduce online paywall Risks loom as China orders Big 4 auditors to go local Two Peruvian ministers resign over Shining Path clashes Obama: Europe should have followed U.S. economic lead Bombardier profit drops; shares rise on outlook Magna boosts sales forecast as profit rises Libya finance minister says to resign soon, cites "wastage" Syria suicide bombers kill 55, ceasefire in tatters Putin flexes muscle in shunning U.S.-hosted G8 talks Crash deals blow to Russian aerospace revival Maya lunar calendar notes discovered in Guatemala Senior Mexican judge says Frenchwoman Cassez should go free U.N. Security Council condemns "terrorist attacks" in Syria Sarkozy government resigns ahead of Hollande handover France's Hollande to fight firms that fire workers Montreal police seek four in subway smoke attacks French PM favourite sees no taint from conviction German police suspend officer over Salafist links Insight: Afghan women fade from White House focus as exit nears Extremists taking advantage of Syria chaos: White House Hollande won't let Berlin deter his growth drive Syria suicide bombers kill 55, ceasefire in tatters Thu,10 May 2012 07:47 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide car bombers killed 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus on Thursday, state media said, the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago. The blasts further shredded a ceasefire that was declared by international mediator Kofi Annan on April 12 but that has failed to halt bloodshed pitting Assad's security forces against peaceful demonstrators and an array of armed insurgents. Opposition leaders said Annan's peace plan was dead, while Western powers insisted it remained the best way forward. ... Full Story Top Long road to South Korean stage for Syrian drama Thu,10 May 2012 07:19 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - A woman who was imprisoned in a Syrian jail buries her head in her arms, haunted by the faces of the people who betrayed her to the government. A man uses a mirror to look at the scars from torture on his body. The wrenching new drama enacted by a Syrian troupe, given fresh urgency by the recent months of fighting and arrests in their nation, would not have come to the stage at all if not for two people at a theatre in Seoul. ... Full Story Top Too early to call U.N.-Syria peace plan failure: U.S. Thu,10 May 2012 07:19 PM PDT Reuters - BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - It is too early to write off as a failure U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan's efforts to bring an end to 14-months of violence in Syria, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on Thursday. Rice spoke to Reuters in Florida hours after two suicide car bombers killed 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus, Syrian state media said, the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began last year. "I don't think it's time yet to say that the (U.N. ... Full Story Top JPMorgan has trading loss of at least $2 billion, reputation hit Thu,10 May 2012 07:15 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co said on Thursday that it suffered a trading loss of at least $2 billion from a failed hedging strategy, a surprise disclosure that hit financial stocks and the reputation of the bank and its prominent CEO, Jamie Dimon. For a bank viewed as a strong risk manager that never reported a loss throughout the financial crisis, the errors are embarrassing, especially in light of Dimon's public criticism of the so-called Volcker rule to ban proprietary trading by big banks, and could lead to more heat from Washington on the sector. ... Full Story Top French left set to win parliament vote: polls Thu,10 May 2012 07:04 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - The French left will trounce the conservative UMP party of outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy in parliamentary elections next month after Francois Hollande won a presidential runoff vote at the weekend, two polls indicated on Friday. Hollande's Socialists and other left-wing partner parties could together win 45-46 percent of the vote in the June 10 first round of the election, compared with about one-third for the UMP. ... Full Story Top NBA's "Birdman" Andersen's home raided by Denver-area police Thu,10 May 2012 06:58 PM PDT Reuters - DENVER (Reuters) - Sheriff's deputies raided the Colorado home of Denver Nuggets center Chris "Birdman" Andersen on Thursday as part of an Internet child crimes investigation but the NBA player has not been charged or arrested, police said. Investigators from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office seized some unspecified property during the search of Andersen's home in Larkspur, 40 miles south of Denver, police spokesman Ron Hanavan said in a statement. ... Full Story Top U.S. official doubts Iran can find alternative to central bank Thu,10 May 2012 05:47 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. Treasury official said on Thursday that he was skeptical that Iran could find an alternative payment system to its central bank, which is the target of U.S. sanctions aimed at depriving Tehran of funds needed to develop its nuclear program. "It's fair to say that we are going to be very skeptical about efforts to develop alternative payment methods," David Cohen, Treasury's Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said at an event in Washington. ... Full Story Top China's Chen says officials "going crazy" with reprisals Thu,10 May 2012 05:43 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng and a family lawyer have accused local officials of detaining two of his relatives and hounding and harassing others in revenge for his recent escape from house arrest and for sparking an international furor. Chen, whose escape last month caused embarrassment for China and led to a diplomatic crisis in U.S.-Sino relations, said a sister-in-law and nephew had both been detained, though the lawyer added that Chen's sister-in-law had since been released. ... Full Story Top Islamists poised for strong showing in Algeria vote Thu,10 May 2012 04:46 PM PDT Reuters - ALGIERS (Reuters) - Results of an Algerian parliamentary election to be announced on Friday were likely to hand an unprecedented share of seats to moderate Islamists, easing pressure for change in a country left behind by last year's "Arab Spring." But many people were mistrustful of promises from the ruling elite - in power uninterrupted since independence 50 years ago - that it was embarking on genuine democratic reform. ... Full Story Top British played central role in foiled bomb operation: sources Thu,10 May 2012 04:17 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British intelligence played a central role in the undercover operation to foil an underwear bomb plot involving al Qaeda's Yemeni offshoot, counterterrorism sources told Reuters. The undercover informant in the plot linked to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, was a British citizen, possibly of Saudi origin, the sources said on condition of anonymity. The informant was working in cooperation with Britain's two principal spy agencies. U.S. ... Full Story Top U.S. official doubts Iran can find alternative to cenbank Thu,10 May 2012 04:13 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. Treasury official said on Thursday that he was skeptical that Iran could find an alternative payment system to its central bank, which is the target of U.S. sanctions aimed at depriving Tehran of funds needed to develop its nuclear program. "It's fair to say that we are going to be very skeptical about efforts to develop alternative payment methods," David Cohen, Treasury's Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said at an event in Washington. ... Full Story Top JPMorgan has $2 billion trading loss, reputation hit Thu,10 May 2012 04:03 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co said on Thursday that it suffered a $2 billion trading loss from a failed hedging strategy, a disclosure that hit financial stocks and the reputation of the bank and its prominent CEO, Jamie Dimon. Since the end of March, the company's Chief Investment Office "has had significant mark-to-market losses in its synthetic credit portfolio," the company said in a quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ... Full Story Top Chavez rival struggles to close gap in Venezuela race Thu,10 May 2012 03:51 PM PDT Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - On a heady night in mid-February, Henrique Capriles roared himself hoarse with optimism at his victory rally in Caracas after trouncing rivals to win the Venezuelan opposition's presidential ticket. Three months later, despite an exhausting "house-by-house" tour intended to galvanize the nation behind him, Capriles remains firmly stuck behind President Hugo Chavez in most polls. In some, he has even slipped since his campaign began. ... Full Story Top Guinea security forces clash with protesters Thu,10 May 2012 03:49 PM PDT Reuters - CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea security forces used guns, teargas and truncheons on Thursday to scatter protesters angered by the government's handling of upcoming parliamentary elections, witnesses said. The government said later in the day that 17 members of the security forces had been injured and, amid rumors of further protests planned for Friday, banned all demonstrations. Tensions have been rising in the West African country between the administration of President Alpha Conde and the opposition, which has accused him of attempting to consolidate power by pre-rigging the polls in his favor. ... Full Story Top U.N. says three Libya prisoners likely tortured to death Thu,10 May 2012 03:39 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Several prisoners likely were tortured to death at a detention center in Libya under government control, the United Nations said on Thursday as it urged the country to make stamping out such practices a top priority. Libya's Justice Ministry has control of 31 detention centers with some 3,000 detainees, but about 4,000 prisoners are still in the custody of Libyan revolutionary brigades, U.N. special envoy for Libya Ian Martin told the U.N. Security Council. ... Full Story Top Spain gov't to approve banks cleanup after tough talks Thu,10 May 2012 03:38 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is expected to present new reforms to complete the clean-up of its banks on Friday after difficult last-minute talks between the government and lenders. At its weekly cabinet meeting, the government will approve a plan to force banks to park their toxic real estate assets in holding companies that would later sell them off. The cabinet is also expected to announce demands for the banks to set aside a further 35 billion euros ($45 billion) to cover sound loans in their real estate portfolios. ... Full Story Top British PM faces scrutiny over ties to Murdoch Thu,10 May 2012 03:36 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron faces potentially embarrassing scrutiny of his ties to Rupert Murdoch on Friday when Rebekah Brooks, a former top lieutenant in the tycoon's media empire, appears at an inquiry into press standards. Brooks, once editor of the News of the World tabloid at the heart of the phone hacking scandal, is expected to be grilled about her ties with Cameron, who was eager to secure the support of Murdoch's newspapers ahead of the 2010 national election. ... Full Story Top Coalition hopes in doubt as Greek parties meet Thu,10 May 2012 03:33 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos meets conservative Antonis Samaras on Friday in a possibly doomed attempt to form a government and avoid a repeat election, while EU leaders are warning that Greece's membership of the euro is at stake. Voters enraged by record unemployment and a deep recession punished both the Socialists and conservatives - the only two parties backing an EU/IMF bailout - in an election on Sunday, backing smaller parties that reject the wage cuts and tax hikes required in return for international aid. ... Full Story Top Yahoo CEO says he never provided a resume: source Thu,10 May 2012 03:29 PM PDT Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc Chief Executive Scott Thompson never provided a resume or incorrect information to Yahoo, he told top executives at a meeting on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the matter. Thompson held a meeting with his top people on Thursday to address a controversy over the educational background that erupted a week ago. Yahoo acknowledged last week that Thompson, the former president of eBay Inc division PayPal, does not have a computer science degree, despite what was stated in his official company biography and in regulatory filings with the U.S. ... Full Story Top Globe and Mail to introduce online paywall Thu,10 May 2012 03:06 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - The Globe and Mail, one of Canada's biggest newspapers, plans to begin charging readers for access to articles on its website amid an industrywide search for alternatives to slumping print business. The Toronto-based newspaper has yet to decide how many articles a reader will be able to access for free or what price it will charge after that number has been reached, it said on Thursday. Staff are also being asked to take unpaid leave over the summer to cut costs. ... Full Story Top Risks loom as China orders Big 4 auditors to go local Thu,10 May 2012 03:02 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China and the world's largest audit firms face credibility risks under an order Beijing issued saying the firms must hire more Chinese citizens to manage operations there, analysts said. Thursday's order follows a string of accounting scandals at Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock markets and amid broader questions about China's willingness and ability to conform with international business standards and rules. ... Full Story Top Two Peruvian ministers resign over Shining Path clashes Thu,10 May 2012 02:53 PM PDT Reuters - LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's defense and interior ministers resigned on Thursday after clashes between armed forces and Shining Path rebels provoked public outcry over security strategy, opening the door to further cabinet changes. Opposition lawmakers called for the resignations after 10 soldiers and police died in recent weeks in a string of jungle valleys where rebels traffic cocaine and last month took 36 natural gas workers hostage. ... Full Story Top Obama: Europe should have followed U.S. economic lead Thu,10 May 2012 02:34 PM PDT Reuters - SEATTLE (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday that Europe was still in a difficult place economically in part because it did not take some of the steps the United States did. Addressing about 70 people at a fundraiser in Seattle, Obama said Europe's troubles were among the factors that could affect U.S. growth, also mentioning high gasoline prices as a potential economic drag. "We've still got headwinds. Europe is still ... ... Full Story Top Bombardier profit drops; shares rise on outlook Thu,10 May 2012 01:48 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Bombardier Inc reported a sharp drop in quarterly sales and profit on Thursday partly because aircraft deliveries dropped but its shares rose as much as 6.5 percent as investors focused on the company's optimism outlook. The stock, which had fallen after its results were announced, later reversed direction, gathering speed during an afternoon conference call as the world's third biggest commercial planemaker stressed that new orders were picking up and its backlog was healthy. ... Full Story Top Magna boosts sales forecast as profit rises Thu,10 May 2012 01:46 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Magna International Inc posted market-beating quarterly results on Thursday and boosted its sales and margin forecasts, fueled by rebounding vehicle production in its key North American market and improving European operations. Shares in Magna, one of the world's biggest auto parts manufacturers, jumped as much as 7.5 percent after the results were announced before slipping back to a gain of 2.2 percent. Magna raised its total sales outlook for 2012 to between $29.0 billion and $30.5 billion, up from its previous forecast of $28.0 billion to $29.5 billion. ... Full Story Top Libya finance minister says to resign soon, cites "wastage" Thu,10 May 2012 01:17 PM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's interim finance minister said on Thursday he would resign soon because of "wastage of public funds", citing a now-halted scheme to compensate former fighters and pressure from them for payment. "I will resign. I can't keep working in these circumstances," Hassan Ziglam told Reuters in an interview. "There is a wastage of public money because nobody fears God." When asked when he would hand in his resignation, he said "soon", but did not elaborate. ... Full Story Top Syria suicide bombers kill 55, ceasefire in tatters Thu,10 May 2012 01:13 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide car bombers killed 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus on Thursday, state media said, the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago. The blasts further shredded a ceasefire that was declared by international mediator Kofi Annan on April 12 but that has failed to halt bloodshed pitting Assad's security forces against peaceful demonstrators and an array of armed insurgents. Opposition leaders said Annan's peace plan was dead, while Western powers insisted it remained the best way forward. ... Full Story Top Putin flexes muscle in shunning U.S.-hosted G8 talks Thu,10 May 2012 01:05 PM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Of all the signals and symbols that shape Russian foreign policy, this one seemed particularly blunt: Vladimir Putin, in one of the first decisions of his new presidency, will shun a Group of Eight summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama. The May 18-19 visit was to have been Putin's first foreign trip since he returned to the Kremlin on Monday, a chance to begin putting U.S. ties back on track after a growth in tension over missile defense, Syria and Russia's presidential campaign. ... Full Story Top Crash deals blow to Russian aerospace revival Thu,10 May 2012 01:01 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The hilltop crash of a Sukhoi passenger jet ferrying journalists and dignitaries on a mission to drum up foreign sales in Indonesia potentially casts a shadow over Kremlin efforts to restore Russia's once mighty aerospace industry. Analysts can't yet say how far the loss of the first new passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union will damage the rebirth of Russian aviation, but agree it deals a psychological blow at a time when domestic air safety is also under scrutiny. ... Full Story Top Maya lunar calendar notes discovered in Guatemala Thu,10 May 2012 12:44 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the wall of a tiny structure buried under forest debris in Guatemala, archaeologists have discovered a scribe's notes about the Maya lunar calendar, which they say could be the first known records by an official chronicler of this ancient civilization. These notes pertain to the same Maya calendar that is sometimes erroneously thought to predict the world's end on or about December 22, 2012. ... Full Story Top Senior Mexican judge says Frenchwoman Cassez should go free Thu,10 May 2012 12:44 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Frenchwoman imprisoned for participating in a kidnapping ring in Mexico should be released, according to the Mexican judge in charge of reviewing a case that has caused a rift between the two nations, a newspaper reported on Thursday. Judge Olga Sanchez is one of five Supreme Court judges weighing the case of Florence Cassez, 37, who was convicted in 2008 in a closed trial. Cassez was arrested by authorities with her ex-boyfriend on a ranch near Mexico City in 2005. ... Full Story Top U.N. Security Council condemns "terrorist attacks" in Syria Thu,10 May 2012 12:35 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned the "terrorist attacks" in Syria on Thursday, urging all parties to the 14-month conflict to cease armed violence and comply with a U.N.-backed peace plan. Two suicide car bombers killed 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus earlier on Thursday, state media said, in the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began last year. ... Full Story Top Sarkozy government resigns ahead of Hollande handover Thu,10 May 2012 12:32 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - The conservative government of outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy resigned on Thursday, paving the way for Socialist president-elect Francois Hollande to take office on May 15. Prime Minister Francois Fillon delivered a letter of resignation to the presidential palace, although he will handle government business until Hollande is sworn in on Tuesday, Sarkozy's office said. ... Full Story Top France's Hollande to fight firms that fire workers Thu,10 May 2012 12:27 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French president-elect Francois Hollande aims to make it financially painful for healthy firms to fire workers and will "arm wrestle" big employers like General Motors to force them to take a more "moral" approach, a senior adviser said on Thursday. Hollande, who takes office on May 15, said before his election victory on Sunday he would seek to impose financial penalties on profitable companies that announce layoffs only in order to improve their share price. ... Full Story Top Montreal police seek four in subway smoke attacks Thu,10 May 2012 11:58 AM PDT Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - Montreal police are searching for four suspects after smoke bombs at least three subway stations disrupted service for thousands of commuters in Canada's second-largest city during the morning rush hour, police said on Thursday. City police declined to say why the four individuals were under suspicion, but they released photos, provided by a subway passenger, showing three women and a man riding in a train. Earlier on Thursday, officers found three devices after receiving dozens of calls about dense smoke in several underground stations. ... Full Story Top French PM favourite sees no taint from conviction Thu,10 May 2012 11:55 AM PDT Reuters - NANTES, France (Reuters) - Socialist Jean-Marc Ayrault, a favourite to become prime minister under French president-elect Francois Hollande, said on Thursday a 15-year-old conviction for an improperly tendered town hall contract did not taint him personally. Ayrault, who is mayor of the northwestern city of Nantes and the Socialists' head in the National Assembly, received a six-month suspended prison sentence in 1997 and a fine worth roughly 4,500 euros ($5,800) for a printing contract for a local newspaper that was awarded without a public tender. ... Full Story Top German police suspend officer over Salafist links Thu,10 May 2012 11:48 AM PDT Reuters - Berlin (Reuters) - German police have suspended an officer over links to ultra-conservative Salafist Muslims after violent clashes between supporters of the radical group and police this month. Police spokesman Lars Lindemann told Reuters on Thursday the 31-year-old officer, identified as Ali K., had helped distribute "radical materials" promoting Islam at information stands in the western town of Duisburg. Questioned about his activities, Ali K. ... Full Story Top Insight: Afghan women fade from White House focus as exit nears Thu,10 May 2012 11:48 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON/KABUL (Reuters) - Shortly after sending U.S. troops to Afghanistan in October 2001, President George W. Bush focused so intently on freeing Afghan women from the shackles of Taliban rule that empowering them became central to the United States' mission there. More than a decade later, as his successor Barack Obama charts a way out of the unpopular war, Afghan girls are back in school, infant and maternal survival rates are up and a quarter of the parliament's seats are reserved for women who at least on paper have the same voting, mobility and other rights as men. ... Full Story Top Extremists taking advantage of Syria chaos: White House Thu,10 May 2012 11:39 AM PDT Reuters - ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - The White House condemned Thursday's suicide car bombings in Damascus, which it said were not representative of the opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, arguing they showed the need to end the country's upheaval. "Attacks like these that result in the indiscriminate killing and injury of civilians are reprehensible and cannot be justified," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "They also remind us of the urgent necessity of achieving a political solution before it is too late. ... Full Story Top Hollande won't let Berlin deter his growth drive Thu,10 May 2012 11:25 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French president-elect Francois Hollande signaled to Germany on Thursday that he will not be deflected from his drive to change Europe's focus from austerity to growth after Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected any economic stimulus on credit. Hollande met Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker in Paris as he tries to rally European partners to support his push to change the focus of euro zone policy. ... Full Story Top

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