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Thursday, July 5, 2012 12:19 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Canada PM replaces minister, no major shuffle planned Factbox: Key political risks to watch in Mexico Obama urges immigration reform at July 4 citizen ceremony Bank of England to restart printing presses as outlook dims Iran's Ahmadinejad calls Egypt's Mursi Paraguay accuses Chavez of meddling, withdraws envoy Romney, in switch, says Obama healthcare a tax Mexico recounts votes from over half of polling booths India to give free generic drugs to hundreds of millions Diamond admits traders' behaviour "reprehensible" Diamond admits traders' behavior "reprehensible" Provincial cash crunch triggers strike in Argentina France slaps 7 billion euros in taxes on rich and big firms French PM says gas prices to rise less than inflation Fate of detainees is early test for Egyptian leader Colombian rebels kill five oil workers in south Sudan opposition calls for strikes, protests Advancing radical Islamists lay waste to religious heritage Algeria, France tussle over archives 50 years after split Iran says can destroy U.S. bases "minutes after attack" Engine woes again force A400M out of air demo: sources Former IMF-chief Rodrigo Rato faces court probe Merkel tells Italy benefits of reforms take time Syria pummels rebels as battered city collects bodies Turkey locates bodies of pilots of downed jet In California, immigration bill designed as the "anti-Arizona" Osborne blames Labour, not BoE, for Libor scandal Highlights - Parliament hearing with Barclays' Diamond Libya PM in talks over fate of ex-Gaddafi spy Oman protests suggest jobs, reform pledges fall short Fate of detainees is early test for Egypt leader U.S. "reviewing" UN agency over IT supplies to Iran Studio issues image of Naomi Watts as Princess Diana Syria opposition rifts give world excuse not to act European lawmakers reject global anti-piracy deal Trail of carnage in trash bins of Damascus suburb UK art show paints dark picture of London today Teargas, clashes in Ukraine over language law Wary of sanctions, Kenya cancels Iran oil deal Highlight:Parliament hearing with Barclays' Diamond Canada PM replaces minister, no major shuffle planned Wed,4 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper named a new foreign aid minister on Wednesday and let it be known there were no plans for a larger shake-up of his Cabinet this summer. Harper named former Toronto police chief Julian Fantino as minister of international cooperation, replacing Bev Oda. Oda announced on Tuesday she was resigning from politics, giving no reason for her departure. She had been under fire from opposition politicians for extravagant spending, including a $16 glass of orange juice in a luxury London hotel. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Key political risks to watch in Mexico Wed,4 Jul 2012 04:25 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Opposition front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto won last Sunday's presidential election as expected, but he emerged with a narrower margin than had been forecast, complicating his chances of pushing through reforms. Following are the main political risks to watch in Mexico. ELECTION Pena Nieto, the new face of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, won more than 38 percent of the vote, about 6.5 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. ... Full Story Top Obama urges immigration reform at July 4 citizen ceremony Wed,4 Jul 2012 04:08 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama used an Independence Day ceremony in which immigrants serving in the U.S. military became citizens on Wednesday to renew his election-year call for new immigration laws popular with an important part of his political base. Wearing a red tie to celebrate the July 4th holiday at the White House, Obama addressed about two dozen foreign-born military personnel who were taking advantage of a program that offers them citizenship in return for their service. ... Full Story Top Bank of England to restart printing presses as outlook dims Wed,4 Jul 2012 04:05 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England is expected to fire up its printing presses for a third round of economic stimulus later on Thursday just two months after shutting them down. Policymakers have essentially been forced to act by an increasingly gloomy economic climate. They have already pumped 325 billion pounds into the economy, which nonetheless fell back into recession at the turn of the year. A raft of gloomy data nearly led the policymakers to push the button again last month, after the Bank had stopped its quantitative easing bond-buying in May. ... Full Story Top Iran's Ahmadinejad calls Egypt's Mursi Wed,4 Jul 2012 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday to wish the Muslim Brotherhood politician success, the Egyptian state news agency reported. The call appeared to be the first contact between the two leaders since Mursi was sworn in as president of Egypt, a country which has not had diplomatic relations with Tehran for 30 years. Ahmadinejad invited Mursi to attend a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement scheduled to be held in Tehran on August 29, the state news agency said, quoting Mursi's spokesman. ... Full Story Top Paraguay accuses Chavez of meddling, withdraws envoy Wed,4 Jul 2012 03:25 PM PDT Reuters - ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay's new government ordered home its ambassador in Venezuela on Wednesday after accusing President Hugo Chavez's government of meddling in an attempt avert the impeachment of the leftist Paraguayan president's last month. The swift impeachment of Paraguay's former President Fernando Lugo drew strong criticism from left-leaning governments in South America. Chavez ordered Venezuela's ambassador to leave Paraguay and halted oil shipments in protest. ... Full Story Top Romney, in switch, says Obama healthcare a tax Wed,4 Jul 2012 03:15 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday contradicted his campaign's stance on a key part of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, saying its individual insurance mandate amounts to a tax rather than a penalty. A Romney campaign aide said on Monday that the former Massachusetts governor viewed it as a penalty, a politically sensitive distinction among voters opposed to higher taxes. In reversing course, Romney cited the Supreme Court decision last week. ... Full Story Top Mexico recounts votes from over half of polling booths Wed,4 Jul 2012 02:51 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's election officials on Wednesday recounted votes from more than half the polling booths in Sunday's presidential and congressional elections, responding to claims of fraud and requests for recounts in areas where the race was tight. Officials with the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) said the recount would not significantly change preliminary results of the presidential vote, which showed Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) winning with more than 38 percent of the vote, 6.5 points clear of his nearest rival. ... Full Story Top India to give free generic drugs to hundreds of millions Wed,4 Jul 2012 02:48 PM PDT Reuters - MUMBAI (Reuters) - India has put in place a $5.4 billion policy to provide free medicine to its people, a decision that could change the lives of hundreds of millions, but a ban on branded drugs stands to cut Big Pharma out of the windfall. From city hospitals to tiny rural clinics, India's public doctors will soon be able to prescribe free generic drugs to all comers, vastly expanding access to medicine in a country where public spending on health was just $4.50 per person last year. The plan was quietly adopted last year but not publicized. ... Full Story Top Diamond admits traders' behaviour "reprehensible" Wed,4 Jul 2012 02:27 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The chastened former head of Barclays apologised for the "reprehensible" behaviour of his traders who fixed interest rates, but told British MPs on Wednesday his bank had been unfairly singled out after coming forward to admit wrongdoing. Bob Diamond, 60, quit this week after Barclays agreed to pay nearly half a billion dollars in fines for manipulating the interest rates at the heart of the global financial system. British politicians have seized on the case as a symbol of a culture of greed that has poisoned the entire financial industry. ... Full Story Top Diamond admits traders' behavior "reprehensible" Wed,4 Jul 2012 02:25 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The chastened former head of Barclays apologized for the "reprehensible" behavior of his traders who fixed interest rates, but told British lawmakers on Wednesday his bank had been unfairly singled out after coming forward to admit wrongdoing. Bob Diamond, 60, quit this week after Barclays agreed to pay nearly half a billion dollars in fines for manipulating the interest rates at the heart of the global financial system. British politicians have seized on the case as a symbol of a culture of greed that has poisoned the entire financial industry. ... Full Story Top Provincial cash crunch triggers strike in Argentina Wed,4 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT Reuters - BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Public-sector workers in Argentina's largest province went on strike over pay on Wednesday in a challenge to the popular, centrist governor seen as a potential successor to President Cristina Fernandez. The one-day walkout highlights the dire state of provincial finances in Buenos Aires, which is home to more than a third of Argentina's 40 million people and accounts for about 40 percent of gross domestic product. ... Full Story Top France slaps 7 billion euros in taxes on rich and big firms Wed,4 Jul 2012 01:53 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France's new Socialist government announced tax rises worth 7.2 billion euros on Wednesday, including heavy one-off levies on wealthy households and big corporations, to plug a revenue shortfall this year caused by flagging economic growth. In the first major raft of economic measures since Francois Hollande was elected president in May promising to avoid the painful austerity seen elsewhere in Europe, the government singled out large companies and the rich. An extraordinary levy of 2.3 billion euros ($2.90 billion) on wealthy households and 1. ... Full Story Top French PM says gas prices to rise less than inflation Wed,4 Jul 2012 01:53 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Wednesday that gas prices in France would not rise more than the rate of inflation and that the government was preparing a plan to make gas and electricity more affordable for consumers. Last week, French utility GDF Suez made a formal request to France's energy regulator to have gas prices raised by 5 percent, a request which it subsequently lowered to 4.1 percent, according to the Journal du Dimanche weekly newspaper. ... Full Story Top Fate of detainees is early test for Egyptian leader Wed,4 Jul 2012 01:01 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian revolutionaries piled pressure on new President Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday to free protesters jailed by military courts, as he tried to forge a government strong enough to make a difference to a frustrated population. The popular uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak last year delivered Egypt's first free leadership vote but sparked an economic crisis and a chaotic spell of army rule that saw thousands of civilians given military trials and thrown in jail. ... Full Story Top Colombian rebels kill five oil workers in south Wed,4 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Reuters - BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's leftist guerrillas on Wednesday killed five oil contractors working for the state-run petroleum company Ecopetrol, hurting the country's image as a prime destination for oil and mining investment. Despite a decade-long offensive against Marxist rebels, Latin America's No. 4 oil producer is facing increased attacks on economic infrastructure, especially in remote jungle areas where many oil contractors search for heavy crude. ... Full Story Top Sudan opposition calls for strikes, protests Wed,4 Jul 2012 12:55 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's main opposition parties on Wednesday called for strikes, sit-ins and demonstrations to topple the government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, throwing their weight behind anti-austerity protests. The Arab-African country has been mired in an economic crisis since oil-producing South Sudan seceded a year ago, and tough spending cuts aimed at plugging a budget gap prompted protests across the country about two and a half weeks ago. ... Full Story Top Advancing radical Islamists lay waste to religious heritage Wed,4 Jul 2012 12:32 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - The grim sacking of Sufi shrines in Timbuktu is the latest chapter in an assault on prized religious heritage across the Muslim world that has picked up over the past decade with the spread of radical Islamism. The world got a first taste of this iconoclasm in 2001, when Afghanistan's ruling Taliban blew up two huge 6th-century statues of Buddha despite an international outcry. Since then, radical Islamists have also struck holy sites of other faiths, especially Christian churches. ... Full Story Top Algeria, France tussle over archives 50 years after split Wed,4 Jul 2012 12:28 PM PDT Reuters - ALGIERS (Reuters) - When French soldiers and administrators left Algeria after more than a century of colonial rule, they did not go empty-handed. They took historical artifacts, books and maps, a national heritage that still sits in French libraries and archives today and which Algeria says its former colonial master should return. France and Algeria this week mark the 50th anniversary of the July 5, 1962, independence declaration that ended French rule. Each side will reflect on the problems that entangle them. ... Full Story Top Iran says can destroy U.S. bases "minutes after attack" Wed,4 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has threatened to destroy U.S. military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes of being attacked, Iranian media reported on Wednesday, as Revolutionary Guards extended test-firing of ballistic missiles into a third day. Israel has hinted it may attack Iran if diplomacy fails to secure a halt to its disputed nuclear energy program. The United States also has mooted military action as a last-resort option but has frequently nudged the Israelis to give time for intensified economic sanctions to work against Iran. ... Full Story Top Engine woes again force A400M out of air demo: sources Wed,4 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus is pulling Europe's A400M airlifter out of flying displays at next week's Farnborough Airshow due to continued engine problems, forcing it to sit out popular annual stunts for the second year running, industry sources said. The move repeats a decision at last year's equivalent event outside Paris, but is not expected to disrupt plans to deliver it to its first customer, France, around the end of the year. ... Full Story Top Former IMF-chief Rodrigo Rato faces court probe Wed,4 Jul 2012 11:23 AM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Rodrigo Rato, former head of the IMF and once a powerful economy minister, has suffered a steep fall from grace that mirrors Spain's own fate in the euro zone debt crisis. Rodrigo, an urbane and internationally known official with huge prestige inside the ruling centre-right People's Party, is now under investigation for fraud and other possible crimes in connection with his role during the fall of Spanish bank Bankia . ... Full Story Top Merkel tells Italy benefits of reforms take time Wed,4 Jul 2012 11:13 AM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Italians on Wednesday they could not expect to reap the rewards of economic reforms in just a few months but that the experience of her own country showed it was worth persevering. Speaking at a news conference in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Merkel said Germany had gone through tough and unpopular reforms such as raising the retirement age, in order to bring down unemployment and turn around the economy. ... Full Story Top Syria pummels rebels as battered city collects bodies Wed,4 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Reuters - YAYLADAGI, Turkey (Reuters) - Syrian artillery pounded a northwestern town on Wednesday and areas near the ghost city of Douma, where residents recovered mutilated corpses after a rampage by militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, activists said. They said at least 11 people, including a six-year-old girl and an elderly man, were killed by shelling in the towns of Misraba and Rihan near Douma, and three more were shot dead. ... Full Story Top Turkey locates bodies of pilots of downed jet Wed,4 Jul 2012 10:58 AM PDT Reuters - ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's armed forces command said on Wednesday it had found the bodies of both pilots of an F-4 jet shot down by Syria last month and was trying to retrieve them from the seabed. Relations between Ankara and Damascus hit a new low after Syria shot down the Turkish reconnaissance plane over the Mediterranean on June 22, prompting a sharp rebuke from Turkey, which said it would respond "decisively". Syria says it downed the jet in self-defense when it was inside Syrian airspace. ... Full Story Top In California, immigration bill designed as the "anti-Arizona" Wed,4 Jul 2012 10:21 AM PDT Reuters - SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - While America's debate over immigration has been dominated recently by crackdowns in states like Arizona and Alabama, California legislators are trying to turn that tide with a bill to protect illegal immigrants that they dub the "anti-Arizona." Last week, the top U.S. court upheld the most controversial aspect of Arizona's immigration statute: a requirement that police officers check the immigration status of people they stop, even for minor offenses such as jay-walking. ... Full Story Top Osborne blames Labour, not BoE, for Libor scandal Wed,4 Jul 2012 10:06 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister George Osborne has said people close to former prime minister Gordon Brown, rather than the Bank of England, were to blame for the rate-fixing scandal that is rattling the country's financial industry. Barclays received a record fine last week for publishing artificially low estimates of its borrowing costs, and a memo from outgoing Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond on Tuesday appeared to implicate BoE deputy governor Paul Tucker. ... Full Story Top Highlights - Parliament hearing with Barclays' Diamond Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:52 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Bob Diamond faced a grilling by MPs on Wednesday, a day after quitting as Barclays' chief executive over an interest rate rigging scandal. ... Full Story Top Libya PM in talks over fate of ex-Gaddafi spy Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:37 AM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib arrived in Mauritania on Wednesday to discuss the potential extradition of Muammar Gaddafi's former spy chief who was captured in the West African state in March. Libyan government spokesman Nasser al-Manee said Keib had arrived in Nouakchott to discuss the extradition. He gave no more details. Abdullah al-Senussi's arrest started a three-way tug-of-war among Libya, France and the International Criminal Court for the extradition of one of the most fear member's Gaddafi's fallen regime. ... Full Story Top Oman protests suggest jobs, reform pledges fall short Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:30 AM PDT Reuters - MUSCAT (Reuters) - When the "Arab Spring" protests started to threaten - and eventually topple - the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt, the sultan of Oman took note and defused his own potential bombshell with promises of jobs and reforms. It seems to have mostly worked: nearly a year after scattered strikes and protests against unemployment and corruption, Oman had yet to experience anything like the anti-government protests in Gulf neighbor Bahrain, or those that paved the way for military intervention in Libya. ... Full Story Top Fate of detainees is early test for Egypt leader Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:28 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian revolutionaries impatient for the release of protesters jailed by military courts piled pressure on new President Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday as he tried to forge a government strong enough to make a difference to a frustrated population. The popular uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak last year delivered Egypt's first free leadership vote but sparked an economic crisis and a chaotic spell of army rule that saw thousands of civilians given military trials and thrown in jail. ... Full Story Top U.S. "reviewing" UN agency over IT supplies to Iran Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:25 AM PDT Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it was reviewing a U.N. agency's dealings with sanctioned countries such as Iran after documents showed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) had supplied IT equipment to the Islamic Republic. The Geneva-based WIPO, a 185-member body that includes Iran, sent IT equipment to Iranian authorities, according to correspondence between WIPO and the Iranian agency dealing with intellectual property, dated August 2010 and provided to Reuters by a source close to WIPO. U.N. ... Full Story Top Studio issues image of Naomi Watts as Princess Diana Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:24 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Movie company Ecosse Films on Wednesday released the first image of British-born actress Naomi Watts in the role of Princess Diana in an upcoming biopic of the late royal, "Diana". The film, likely to generate intense media interest in Britain and the United States where the late princess was hugely popular, had originally been titled "Caught in Flight". A statement from Ecosse said the film would be a "compelling portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales during the final two years of her life. ... Full Story Top Syria opposition rifts give world excuse not to act Wed,4 Jul 2012 09:07 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A brawl at a meeting of the Syrian opposition this week in Cairo put on display the divisions among those struggling to oust President Bashar al-Assad and provides an excuse for world powers who have been wary of intervention to sit on their hands. The row that spilled into the marble-lined corridors of a five-star Cairo hotel on Tuesday came at the end of a two-day meeting sponsored by the Arab League that had begun with appeals from Arab and Turkish ministers for a show of unity. ... Full Story Top European lawmakers reject global anti-piracy deal Wed,4 Jul 2012 08:56 AM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament rejected a global agreement against copyright theft on Wednesday, handing a victory to protesters who say the legislation would punish people for sharing films and music online. The vote marked the culmination of a two-year battle between legislators who supported the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and it's largely young, digitally savvy opponents. Tens of thousands of activists held rallies across Europe in February to protest against the law, which they said would curb their freedom and allow officials to spy on their online ... Full Story Top Trail of carnage in trash bins of Damascus suburb Wed,4 Jul 2012 08:47 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrians in the city of Douma have recovered mutilated corpses and sifted through trash for body parts hacked off by death squads who swept through anti-government districts after the army drove out rebel fighters, activists said on Wednesday. Video shot by opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in the city about 15 km (10 miles) north of Damascus on Tuesday displayed gory scenes in homes they said had been overrun by pro-government "shabbiha" paramilitary gangs, after army shelling over the weekend forced rebel fighters to retreat. ... Full Story Top UK art show paints dark picture of London today Wed,4 Jul 2012 08:40 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Contemporary artists have big business and social unrest in their sights in a politically charged exhibition that presents a far from flattering picture of Britain, and London in particular, in the run up to the Summer Olympics. "The London Open", which opens at the Whitechapel Gallery on Wednesday, comes as the city gears up for the sporting showcase and just weeks after spectacular Diamond Jubilee celebrations marked the queen's 60th year on the throne. ... Full Story Top Teargas, clashes in Ukraine over language law Wed,4 Jul 2012 08:19 AM PDT Reuters - KIEV (Reuters) - Police fired teargas and used batons to disperse hundreds of protesters in Kiev on Wednesday after parliament voted to make Russian, rather than Ukrainian, the main language in schools and local government in some parts of the former Soviet republic. The clashes occurred after protesters, led by opposition members of parliament defending the role of Ukrainian as the only state language, massed in front of a building where President Viktor Yanukovich was due to hold a press briefing. ... Full Story Top Wary of sanctions, Kenya cancels Iran oil deal Wed,4 Jul 2012 07:57 AM PDT Reuters - NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya is cancelling an agreement to import 4 million tonnes of Iranian crude oil per year because of international sanctions against Iran, its top energy official said on Wednesday. Kenya's move earlier this week to turn to Iran for up to 80,000 barrels of oil per day had surprised Western powers. Kenya is a key strategic ally in the U.S.-led fight against militant Islam in east Africa. Britain earlier on Wednesday urged Kenya to reconsider the move at a time the international community is increasing pressure on Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme. ... Full Story Top Highlight:Parliament hearing with Barclays' Diamond Wed,4 Jul 2012 07:52 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Bob Diamond faced a grilling by British lawmakers on Wednesday, a day after quitting as Barclays' chief executive over an interest rate rigging scandal. Following are comments from Diamond from the hearing in parliament's Treasury Select Committee: ON HOW SORRY HE IS "I don't want to leave any impression about how sorry I am, how angry we are, how disappointed we are. ... Full Story Top

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