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Friday, November 25, 2011 8:30 PM PST

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Mexican group asks ICC to probe president, officials Moderate Islamists claim Moroccan election win Justice and Development Party says won Morocco poll Arab League prepares for Syria sanctions Protesters dig in to keep pressure on Egypt army Violence, pepper spray mars Black Friday shopping Libya leader, in Khartoum, thanks Sudan for weapons Turkey seen as door to Syrian "humanitarian corridor" Arms smugglers thrive on Syrian uprising Analysis: Bahrain digests inquiry as protests continue Columnist says assault shows why Egypt revolt goes on U.S. defeated in bid on cluster bomb accord Analysis:Catholics, Muslims pursue dialogue amid Mideast tension Three Westerners kidnapped in Mali, fourth killed Bad sale of Italian debt adds to Monti's headaches Analysis: Tsar sacking unlikely to curb Nigerian graft Exclusive: Spain's incoming government may seek outside aid Gambia's Jammeh declared winner of criticized poll Egypt's Brotherhood plunges into political maelstrom Mexican group asks ICC to probe president, officials U.S. urges civilian Egypt government as soon as possible Russians to cut Putin's party majority in vote: poll Doctor brain drain costs Africa $2 billion Analysis: Ethiopia dragged reluctantly back into Somalia Syrian army says 10 personnel killed in foreign-backed attack Australian boy, 14, jailed for drug use in Bali EU calls for civilian government in Egypt Russia says Syria needs dialogue, not sanctions Morocco votes in test of king's reform drive Turkey says can no longer tolerate Syria bloodshed Egypt's army council names Ganzouri prime minister Factbox: Who's in charge of Libya's oil industry? Russia, China, urge Syria talks, stress U.N. role Afghan opium production to expand after troops exit Insight: New cars for clunkers: Myanmar on road to change Analysis: Philippine graft fight carries risk as Arroyo case Trinidad PM says police thwarted assassination plot Several killed in central Nigeria religious violence Italy's brightest look abroad for opportunity Syria faces Arab sanctions deadline over monitors Mexican group asks ICC to probe president, officials Fri,25 Nov 2011 07:05 PM PST Reuters - THE HAGUE/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican human rights activists want the International Criminal Court to investigate President Felipe Calderon, top officials and the country's most-wanted drug trafficker, accusing them of allowing subordinates to kill, torture and kidnap civilians. Netzai Sandoval, a Mexican human rights lawyer, filed a complaint with the ICC in The Hague on Friday, requesting an investigation of the deaths of hundreds of civilians at the hands of the military and traffickers. ... Full Story Top Moderate Islamists claim Moroccan election win Fri,25 Nov 2011 05:25 PM PST Reuters - RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's Justice and Development Party (PJD) claimed victory on Saturday in a parliamentary election that should produce a stronger government after King Mohammed ceded some powers to prevent any spillover from Arab Spring uprisings. The PJD, which finds its support largely among Morocco's poor, would be the second moderate Islamist party to lead a North African government since the start of the region's Arab Spring uprisings, following Tunisia. ... Full Story Top Justice and Development Party says won Morocco poll Fri,25 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST Reuters - RABAT (Reuters) - The Justice and Development Party (PJD) said it had won the largest number of seats in Morocco's parliamentary election on Friday. "Based on reports filed by our representatives at polling stations throughout the country, we are the winners. We won Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Kenitra, Sale, Beni Mellal and Sidi Ifni to cite just a few," Lahcen Daodi, second in command of the moderate Islamist party, told Reuters. "Our party has won the highest number of seats," he added. Government officials could not immediately confirm the party's claim. ... Full Story Top Arab League prepares for Syria sanctions Fri,25 Nov 2011 03:22 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Arab officials will prepare plans for sanctions against Syria on Saturday over its failure to let Arab League monitors oversee an initiative aimed at ending a violent crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad. Damascus missed a Friday deadline to sign an agreement under which the Arab League planned to send observers to Syria, where the United Nations says 3,500 people have been killed since the start of the uprising in March. ... Full Story Top Protesters dig in to keep pressure on Egypt army Fri,25 Nov 2011 03:18 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Protesters demanding an end to army rule in Egypt sought on Saturday to build on momentum from a mass protest, bedding down in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a ninth day just two days before the first free parliamentary polls in living memory. Thousands stayed in the square late into the night on Friday, aiming to keep up pressure on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to further speed up a transition to democracy which they believe requires the generals to leave power now. ... Full Story Top Violence, pepper spray mars Black Friday shopping Fri,25 Nov 2011 08:01 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - A shopper pepper-sprayed other bargain hunters and robbers shot at customers to steal their Black Friday purchases, marring the start of the U.S. holiday shopping season, according to authorities. Up to 20 people were injured after a woman used pepper spray at a Walmart in Los Angeles to get an edge on her competitors. In a second incident, off-duty officers in North Carolina used pepper spray to subdue rowdy shoppers waiting for electronics. ... Full Story Top Libya leader, in Khartoum, thanks Sudan for weapons Fri,25 Nov 2011 02:16 PM PST Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese weapons and ammunition sent through Egypt helped Libya's former rebels oust Muammar Gaddafi and take control of the North African country, the head of Libya's interim ruling council said on Friday. Relations between Khartoum and Tripoli were strained during Gaddafi's rule because of the slain leader's support for rebels in Sudan's western Darfur region and in South Sudan, which seceded in July under a 2005 peace deal. Sudanese officials now hope for better ties with Libya, which shares a desert border with Sudan. ... Full Story Top Turkey seen as door to Syrian "humanitarian corridor" Fri,25 Nov 2011 01:39 PM PST Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The border wends 800 km (500 miles) eastwards through hilly Turkish terrain, much of it mined. On squat concrete buildings across the valley, the Syrian flag flutters and soldiers clamber over rooftops watching for movement. Villages around are occupied by military. The frontier between Turkey's Hatay province and Syria offers the probable site for the "humanitarian corridor" proposed by France to help civilians caught in the spiraling violence as President Bashar al-Assad fights to stay in power. But the Syrian military shows no sign of yielding control. ... Full Story Top Arms smugglers thrive on Syrian uprising Fri,25 Nov 2011 12:39 PM PST Reuters - BAALBEK, Lebanon (Reuters) - Weapons dealer Abu Wael has traded guns in Lebanon's Bekaa valley since the last days of his country's civil war, nearly a quarter of a century ago. This has been his busiest year ever. Unrest in neighboring Syria has sent demand for weapons soaring, doubling prices for Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons and helping supply the increasingly well armed insurrection challenging President Bashar al-Assad. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Bahrain digests inquiry as protests continue Fri,25 Nov 2011 12:30 PM PST Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - A report that slammed Bahrain for using systematic torture to crush pro-democracy protests has put pressure on the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state to take some steps toward political reform but the opposition doubt anything substantive is in the works. The hardhitting findings of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), headed by international rights lawyer Cherif Bassiouni, vindicated majority Shi'ites and opposition groups over claims of repression during martial law brought in after the government broke the protests up. ... Full Story Top Columnist says assault shows why Egypt revolt goes on Fri,25 Nov 2011 12:29 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian-American columnist who said she was sexually assaulted by Egyptian riot police this week said her experience showed why protesters are pressing their demands for democratic government, nine months after Hosni Mubarak was toppled. Riot police also broke Mona El Tahawy's hand and arm during the assault Wednesday night near Cairo's Tahrir Square, where protesters have been demonstrating for a week against the military council which replaced Mubarak in February. "I was surrounded by four or five guys and systematically assaulted," Tahawy said in a telephone interview. ... Full Story Top U.S. defeated in bid on cluster bomb accord Fri,25 Nov 2011 12:15 PM PST Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - A U.S.-led push to regulate, rather than ban, cluster munitions failed Friday after 50 countries objected, following humanitarian campaigners' claims that anything less than a outright ban would be an unprecedented reversal of human rights law. While the United States, China and Russia want rules about the manufacture and use of cluster bombs, activists say such regulations would legitimize the munitions, backtracking from the Oslo Convention, an international treaty that seeks a worldwide ban. ... Full Story Top Analysis:Catholics, Muslims pursue dialogue amid Mideast tension Fri,25 Nov 2011 10:36 AM PST Reuters - BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, Jordan (Reuters) - Only five years ago, critical remarks by Pope Benedict about Islam sparked off violent protests in several Muslim countries. Never very good, relations between the world's two largest religions sank to new lows in modern times. This week, while protesters in the Arab world were demanding democracy and civil rights, Catholics and Muslims met along the Jordan River for frank and friendly talks about their differences and how to get beyond their misunderstandings. ... Full Story Top Three Westerners kidnapped in Mali, fourth killed Fri,25 Nov 2011 10:17 AM PST Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Gunmen kidnapped three Westerners and killed a fourth in the historic northern Mali town of Timbuktu Friday, the second hostage-taking in the region in two days, Malian government and local sources said. One government source and a local tourist guide identified the person who was killed as a German. The guide said two of those taken hostage were Dutch and one South African, though there was no official confirmation of their nationalities. ... Full Story Top Bad sale of Italian debt adds to Monti's headaches Fri,25 Nov 2011 09:30 AM PST Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - A punishing sale of Italian debt on Friday was not just bad news for the country's finances and the euro zone as a whole but increased political problems for the new technocrat government of Mario Monti. The sale, in which Italy was forced to pay a record 6.5 percent for six month paper, comes on top of early sniping by politicians who were dragooned into accepting Monti a week ago only because of Italy's soaring borrowing costs. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Tsar sacking unlikely to curb Nigerian graft Fri,25 Nov 2011 09:16 AM PST Reuters - LONDON (TrustLaw) - The sacking this week of Nigeria's anti-graft chief may give the country's fight against corruption a short-term boost, but significant change is unlikely without deeper reforms to the justice system, analysts say. President Goodluck Jonathan's unexpected firing of Farida Waziri, the chair of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday was welcomed by critics who saw Waziri's tenure as politicized and ineffective. Anti-corruption expert Alexandra Wrage described the dismissal as "a step toward greater credibility" for the EFCC. ... Full Story Top Exclusive: Spain's incoming government may seek outside aid Fri,25 Nov 2011 09:09 AM PST Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's People's Party (PP), due to form a new government by mid-December, is considering applying for international aid as one option for shoring up its finances, sources close to the party say. The PP inherits an economy on the verge of recession, a tough 2012 public deficit target, financing costs driven to near unsustainable levels by nervous debt markets and a battered bank sector with billions of euros of troubled assets on its books. ... Full Story Top Gambia's Jammeh declared winner of criticized poll Fri,25 Nov 2011 08:36 AM PST Reuters - BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh secured a new five-year term in the West African country on Friday after the election commission declared him the winner in a poll regionally criticized as being marked by intimidation of voters and the opposition. Former military coup leader Jammeh scored a landslide 72 percent victory, according to results read out by Independent Electoral Commission chairman Alhagie Mustapha Carayol. (Reporting by Pap Saine; Writing by Mark John; Editing by Louise Ireland) Full Story Top Egypt's Brotherhood plunges into political maelstrom Fri,25 Nov 2011 08:03 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Under former leader Hosni Mubarak, election season for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood often meant arrests, beatings and pitched battles with riot police at polling stations. In the new Egypt, the once-banned Islamist group faces very different challenges as it gears up for the start on Monday of the first free polls since Mubarak was deposed in February. ... Full Story Top Mexican group asks ICC to probe president, officials Fri,25 Nov 2011 08:01 AM PST Reuters - THE HAGUE/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican human rights activists want the International Criminal Court to investigate President Felipe Calderon, top officials and the country's most-wanted drug trafficker, accusing them of allowing subordinates to kill, torture and kidnap civilians. Netzai Sandoval, a Mexican human rights lawyer, filed a complaint with the ICC in The Hague on Friday, requesting an investigation into the deaths of hundreds of civilians at the hands of the military and drug traffickers in Mexico, where more than 45,000 have died in drug-related violence since 2006. ... Full Story Top U.S. urges civilian Egypt government as soon as possible Fri,25 Nov 2011 07:44 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday urged the Egyptian military give way "as soon as possible" to full civilian rule, hardening its rhetoric as demonstrations against the army drew tens of thousands to central Cairo. "Full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. The statement, issued in the early hours of Washington's morning to coincide with the Egyptian day, referenced growing U.S. ... Full Story Top Russians to cut Putin's party majority in vote: poll Fri,25 Nov 2011 07:42 AM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russians will strip Vladimir Putin's ruling party of its huge majority in parliament at the December 4 election, narrowing the paramount leader's room for legislative maneuver when he returns to the Kremlin, a leading pollster predicted on Friday. Based on its last major opinion survey before the election, Russia's biggest independent pollster said the United Russia party would win about 252-253 places in the 450-seat lower house of parliament, down from the 315 it has now. ... Full Story Top Doctor brain drain costs Africa $2 billion Fri,25 Nov 2011 06:56 AM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Sub-Saharan African countries that invest in training doctors have ended up losing $2 billion as the expert clinicians leave home to find work in more prosperous developed nations, researchers said on Friday. A study by Canadian scientists found that South Africa and Zimbabwe suffer the worst economic losses due to doctors emigrating, while Australia, Canada, Britain and the United States benefit the most from recruiting doctors trained abroad. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Ethiopia dragged reluctantly back into Somalia Fri,25 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST Reuters - NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ethiopia is being sucked back into Somalia to open another front against Islamist rebels battling Kenyan forces but even a military victory is unlikely to end two decades of anarchy unless the country's feuding politicians and clans want peace. An Ethiopian government official acknowledged for the first time on Friday that a small force had already rolled across the border and was carrying out reconnaissance missions ahead of a full deployment that would last "weeks. "We are looking at a brief period of time, weeks. ... Full Story Top Syrian army says 10 personnel killed in foreign-backed attack Fri,25 Nov 2011 06:38 AM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian military said on Friday that 10 air force personnel, including six pilots, were killed in an attack on a base and said the action proved foreign involvement in the eight-month revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. "An armed terrorist group undertook an evil assassination plot that martyred six pilots, a technical officer and three other personnel on an air force base between Homs and Palmyra," a military spokesman said on state television. ... Full Story Top Australian boy, 14, jailed for drug use in Bali Fri,25 Nov 2011 06:11 AM PST Reuters - DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - A Bali court sentenced a 14-year-old Australian boy to two months in jail on Friday for possessing a few grams of marijuana, a lighter sentence than sought by prosecutors after Canberra asked for leniency. The teenager is likely to be released in early December, a prosecutor said, having already served time since his detention in October. ... Full Story Top EU calls for civilian government in Egypt Fri,25 Nov 2011 05:20 AM PST Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday condemned "excessive violence" in Egypt's handling of protesters seeking an end to military rule and urged Cairo to move quickly toward a civilian government. Demonstrators in Cairo, where 41 people have been killed in violence before a parliamentary election due to begin on Monday, accuse the military leadership of seeking to hold onto power from behind the scenes. ... Full Story Top Russia says Syria needs dialogue, not sanctions Fri,25 Nov 2011 04:45 AM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia expressed opposition on Friday to sanctions against Syria's government and said it needs more information about a French proposal for "humanitarian corridors" in the violence-torn country before taking a position. "At the current stage, what is needed is not resolutions, not sanctions, not pressure, but internal Syrian dialogue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told a weekly news conference. ... Full Story Top Morocco votes in test of king's reform drive Fri,25 Nov 2011 04:05 AM PST Reuters - RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccans voted in a parliamentary election on Friday that could yield their most representative government ever after King Mohammed ceded some powers to prevent any tumultuous spillover of Arab Spring uprisings. The election will be a litmus test of the ability of Arab monarchies to craft gradual reforms that would placate popular yearning for greater democracy without violence-ridden revolts of the sort seen in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria this year. Some 13. ... Full Story Top Turkey says can no longer tolerate Syria bloodshed Fri,25 Nov 2011 03:34 AM PST Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey said on Friday it could tolerate no more bloodshed in Syria and it was ready to take action with Arab powers if President Bashar al-Assad failed to take steps toward ending the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference that he hoped the Syrian government would give a positive response to Arab League plan on resolving the conflict. "If it doesn't, there are steps we can take in consultation with the Arab League," he said. "I want to say clearly we have no more tolerance for the bloodshed in Syria. ... Full Story Top Egypt's army council names Ganzouri prime minister Fri,25 Nov 2011 03:20 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's ruling military council appointed Kamal Ganzouri on Friday as prime minister to form "a national salvation government" to replace the cabinet which resigned this week. Ganzouri confirmed his appointment to Reuters by telephone. "Everything will be outlined later," he said, declining to give any details about who might be appointed in his new cabinet. The formation of a national salvation government is one demand of protesters calling for an end to army rule. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Who's in charge of Libya's oil industry? Fri,25 Nov 2011 03:20 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - The Libyan revolt that ousted Muammar Gaddafi has led to a shake-up of the OPEC member's main industry oil, ushering in a new set of faces, led by newly-appointed oil minister Abdulrahman Ben Yazza. After eight months of war, they will have to sustain the revival of the oil industry, which is returning to the international market faster than expected. Questions remain about the future of Libya's oil sector, with a potential shakeup that would give more power to the oil ministry and carve up the National Oil Corporation's (NOC) responsibilities. ... Full Story Top Russia, China, urge Syria talks, stress U.N. role Fri,25 Nov 2011 02:13 AM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia, China and their partners in the BRICS group of emerging economies urged Syria to start talks with the opposition and warned against foreign intervention without U.N. backing, Russia said, ahead of an Arab League deadline to Damascus on Friday. In a carefully worded statement after consultations on Thursday in Moscow, the five nations did not mention the Arab League threat to introduce sanctions over Syria's crackdown on protests if Damascus does not sign a deal to let monitors in. ... Full Story Top Afghan opium production to expand after troops exit Fri,25 Nov 2011 12:02 AM PST Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's former anti-drug czar has warned that opium poppy cultivation will dramatically increase as foreign combat troops head home, with farmers and insurgents taking advantage of a withdrawal set to be complete by the end of 2014. Insecurity in poppy growing regions in Afghanistan -- the world's leading producer of opium -- and the expectation among insurgents and farmers that the country will be under the full control of Afghan forces within years is driving production, ex-counter-narcotics minister General Khodaidad said. ... Full Story Top Insight: New cars for clunkers: Myanmar on road to change Thu,24 Nov 2011 09:50 PM PST Reuters - YANGON (Reuters) - Their motors growl, belch and clank. Their fan belts whine. Their doors and steering wheels rattle and squeak. Years of isolation and trade-crippling sanctions have left Myanmar's streets with one of the world's oldest vehicle fleets, dominated by wheezing Japanese cars from the 1980s or older. The aging rust-buckets are unmistakable, their stinging exhaust harking back to an era before emissions standards. That is about to change as Myanmar, home to nearly 60 million people, pursues reforms after nearly half a century of authoritarian rule. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Philippine graft fight carries risk as Arroyo case Thu,24 Nov 2011 09:45 PM PST Reuters - MANILA (Reuters) - The arrest of former Philippine leader Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for vote rigging has put President Benigno Aquino's campaign to tackle corruption where he wants it, in the headlines as he tries to rebuild the reputation of the laggard tiger economy. Now he just needs investors to notice, while at the same time hoping that his efforts to highlight the campaign won't backfire by hampering economic growth and cementing the image of the Philippines as hopelessly graft-ridden. ... Full Story Top Trinidad PM says police thwarted assassination plot Thu,24 Nov 2011 03:27 PM PST Reuters - PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday the country's law enforcement officials foiled a plot involving army soldiers and police officers to assassinate her and other government officials. The prime minister, speaking during a nationally televised press conference, offered few specific details of the alleged plot. But she described it as a "reprisal" for a state of emergency she imposed three months ago to halt a surge in violent crime tied to the drug trade. ... Full Story Top Several killed in central Nigeria religious violence Thu,24 Nov 2011 03:19 PM PST Reuters - JOS, Nigeria (Reuters) - Several people were killed in religious violence in central Nigeria on Thursday, prompting the military to impose a 24-hour curfew in one region at the border between the West African country's mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south. Christian and Muslim gangs fighting over ownership of cattle and fertile farmland clashed in Barkin Ladi, an area in the central city of Jos, the capital of Plateau state. Witnesses said they counted at least 10 dead bodies. "The STF (Special Task Force) has imposed 24 hour curfew in Barkin Ladi. ... Full Story Top Italy's brightest look abroad for opportunity Thu,24 Nov 2011 03:18 PM PST Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - After working as an unpaid intern for 18 months in Italy, Massimo Fantini decided to try his chances abroad. Within five years he had a good job in a major multinational, had bought a house and had got married. "If I had stayed in Italy, none of this would have been possible," said Fantini, speaking by telephone from New York. "When I talk to my friends who stayed behind, I can hear their frustration. They are losing their energy and their dreams. That is the worst thing you can do to someone," added the 34-year-old accountant. ... Full Story Top Syria faces Arab sanctions deadline over monitors Thu,24 Nov 2011 03:16 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria faces a Friday deadline to sign an Arab deal allowing monitors into the country or incur sanctions over its crackdown on protests including halting flights, curbing trade and stopping deals with the central bank. Arab foreign ministers warned in Cairo that unless Syria agreed to let the monitors in to assess progress of an Arab League plan to end eight months of bloodshed, officials would consider imposing sanctions on Saturday. ... Full Story Top

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