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Saturday, April 21, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: China military warns of confrontation over seas Fifteen killed in northern Mexican bar shootout Chinese firm suspected in missile-linked sale to North Korea: U.S. official Economy could doom Sarkozy as France heads to polls French voters frustrated on eve of election day Dutch elections loom as budget talks collapse IMF presses Europe to contain debt crisis IMF members tell Europe to do more to fight crisis Chinese firm suspected in missile-linked sale to North Korea: U.S. official Dutch train crash injures 125: police China and North Korea hold highest-level talks since rocket Nigerian kidnappers release Spanish doctor Chinese firm suspected in missile-linked sale to North Korea: U.S. official At least 33 injured in Dutch train crash: media New Brotherhood candidate pitched in to Egypt race UN council authorizes up to 300 Syria truce monitors "Loyalist" soldiers move into Mali's rebel-held north Protests, clashes, death cast pall over Bahrain Grand Prix Belarus leader says will jail freed foe if he "blabbers" Daughter of Bahrain hunger striker arrested over protest Analysis: Did U.S. fumble chance to peer inside China's secretive leadership? South Sudan says troops bombed during flashpoint pullout Obama urges talks between Sudan, South Sudan to avoid war Czechs in mass march against austerity as government wobbles Protests, clashes in Bahrain before Formula One race China military warns of confrontation over seas U.S.'s Geithner welcomes new IMF money pledges Japan to write off Myanmar debt in thumbs-up for reform Afghanistan arrests insurgents with explosives, makes Pakistan link Italy police seize $5 billion of U.S. securities Japan to write off Myanmar debt in thumbs-up for reform Libya says building case against Gaddafi son: ICC prosecutor Pakistan promises full probe into airliner crash Sectarian shootout kills 8 in north Yemen U.N. council schedules Saturday vote on Syria monitors "Armed terrorist" group blows up pipeline in Syria: state news agency Syria lets U.N. monitors into Homs after shelling stops Japan to write off Myanmar debt, restart loans Libyan army clashes with southern militia, 2 dead Eight Turkish officers arrested in 1997 coup probe China military warns of confrontation over seas Sat,21 Apr 2012 06:23 PM 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 Fifteen killed in northern Mexican bar shootout Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:50 PM PDT Reuters - CIUDAD JUAREZ (Reuters) - Fifteen people were killed and at least one seriously wounded in a suspected drug-related shootout on Friday in a bar in northern Mexico, a region that has been brutalized by fighting between criminal gangs. On Friday night, armed men entered the bar in Chihuahua, capital of Chihuahua state, and opened fire on various people inside suspected of involvement in drug dealing, the local attorney general's office said in a statement on Saturday. ... Full Story Top Chinese firm suspected in missile-linked sale to North Korea: U.S. official Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:21 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes a Chinese firm sold North Korea components for a missile transporter showcased in a recent military parade and will press Beijing to tighten enforcement of a U.N. ban on such military sales, a U.S. official said on Saturday. The Obama administration suspects the Chinese manufacturer sold the chassis - not the entire vehicle - and may have believed it was for civilian purposes, which means it would not be an intentional violation of U.N. sanctions, the senior official said. ... Full Story Top Economy could doom Sarkozy as France heads to polls Sat,21 Apr 2012 04:35 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France votes on Sunday in round one of a presidential vote, with a feeble economy that could make Nicolas Sarkozy the country's first president to lose a fight for re-election in more than 30 years. In a contest driven as much by a dislike of Sarkozy's showy style and his failure to bring down unemployment as by policy differences, Sarkozy and his Socialist rival Francois Hollande are pegged to beat eight other candidates to go through to a May 6 runoff, where polls give Hollande a double-digit lead. ... Full Story Top French voters frustrated on eve of election day Sat,21 Apr 2012 04:35 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French voters voiced disillusionment on Saturday at a campaign that many said ignored the country's real problems, on the eve of a first-round vote expected to send President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist rival Francois Hollande to a runoff next month. A day ahead of voting in mainland France, the first ballots were cast in overseas territories, from French Guiana on the northern shores of South America to the Pacific islands of Polynesia. ... Full Story Top Dutch elections loom as budget talks collapse Sat,21 Apr 2012 03:23 PM PDT Reuters - THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The Netherlands appears to be heading for early elections after budget talks in the core euro zone member collapsed on Saturday, jeopardizing its chances of meeting European deficit targets and of approving a broader fiscal responsibility pact. Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has led a minority Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition since October 2010, will first try to reach an agreement with the opposition, including the pro-Europe Labour Party, on crucial budget cuts after his ally Geert Wilders refused to do a deal. ... Full Story Top IMF presses Europe to contain debt crisis Sat,21 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Europe was pressed by other world powers on Saturday to take strong measures to fix its debt-heavy economy and restore growth to a level that would lift the cloud hanging over the fragile global recovery. A day after top economies agreed to lend more money to the International Monetary Fund to help contain Europe's debt crisis, the IMF's governing panel said the euro area must cut government debt burdens, make bold economic reforms and stabilize its financial systems to restore growth. ... Full Story Top IMF members tell Europe to do more to fight crisis Sat,21 Apr 2012 01:19 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Europe came under pressure on Saturday from other world powers to do more to fix its debt-heavy economy, which still threatens to undermine a fragile global recovery. A day after top economies agreed more money for the International Monetary Fund to help contain Europe's debt crisis, the fund's governing panel said the euro zone now needed to get its debt under control, ensure the stability of its banking system and carry out "bold structural reforms. ... Full Story Top Chinese firm suspected in missile-linked sale to North Korea: U.S. official Sat,21 Apr 2012 01:06 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes a Chinese firm sold North Korea components for a missile transporter showcased in a recent military parade and will press Beijing to tighten enforcement of a U.N. ban on such military sales, a U.S. official said on Saturday. The Obama administration suspects the Chinese manufacturer sold the chassis - not the entire vehicle - and may have believed it was for civilian purposes, which means it would not be an intentional violation of U.N. sanctions, the senior official said. ... Full Story Top Dutch train crash injures 125: police Sat,21 Apr 2012 01:05 PM PDT Reuters - AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Almost 125 people were injured, many seriously, when two Dutch commuter trains crashed head-on in Amsterdam on Saturday, police said. There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but of those injured, 13 suffered major injuries while 43 or 44 were badly injured, a spokesman said. About 70 suffered minor injuries. A trauma helicopter was used to bring the injured to hospital, a spokesman for railways group NS said. The trains did not serve Schiphol international airport, the NS spokesman added, but the accident disrupted airport train service. ... Full Story Top China and North Korea hold highest-level talks since rocket Sat,21 Apr 2012 12:43 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China and North Korea on Saturday held their highest-level talks since Pyongyang staged a rocket launch that drew international censure, and they exchanged views about the tense Korean peninsula, according to an official Chinese news report. Wang Jiarui, the head of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's International Department, met Kim Yong-il, the Korean Workers' Party director of international affairs, for "strategic" talks between the two ruling parties, the Xinhua news agency reported. ... Full Story Top Nigerian kidnappers release Spanish doctor Sat,21 Apr 2012 12:40 PM PDT Reuters - LAGOS (Reuters) - Kidnappers in Nigeria have released a Spanish doctor they abducted three weeks ago, police said on Saturday. Gunmen kidnapped Jose Manuel Machimbarrena on April 4 from his home in southeastern Nigeria, a region where several foreigners have been seized for ransom in the past few years. "The kidnapped Dr Machimbarrena ... was released yesterday," Enugu police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement. "The state police command has intensified its manhunt in the pursuit of the hoodlums who took him. ... Full Story Top Chinese firm suspected in missile-linked sale to North Korea: U.S. official Sat,21 Apr 2012 12:30 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes a Chinese firm sold North Korea components for a missile transporter showcased in a recent military parade and will press Beijing to tighten enforcement of a U.N. ban on such military sales, a U.S. official said on Saturday. The Obama administration suspects the Chinese manufacturer sold the chassis - not the entire vehicle - and may have believed it was for civilian purposes, which means it would not be an intentional violation of U.N. sanctions, the senior official said. ... Full Story Top At least 33 injured in Dutch train crash: media Sat,21 Apr 2012 11:46 AM PDT Reuters - AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - At least 33 people were badly injured when two trains collided head on in Amsterdam on Saturday, Dutch media reported, and the ANP agency said the casualty toll may rise. Neither Dutch railways group NS nor police authorities were immediately available to comment. Netherlands public broadcaster NOS aired video footage showing two trains that had collided. (Reporting by Gilbert Kreijger; Editing by Michael Roddy) Full Story Top New Brotherhood candidate pitched in to Egypt race Sat,21 Apr 2012 11:45 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood's new presidential candidate, pitched into the race after its first choice was disqualified, promised on Saturday to govern in coalition and to steady Egypt after more than a year of political turmoil. Mohamed Mursi, 59, the head of the Brotherhood's political party, said he would seek the votes of ultra-conservative Muslims after a popular hardline Salafi candidate was barred too, but he promised to be a president for all Egyptians. ... Full Story Top UN council authorizes up to 300 Syria truce monitors Sat,21 Apr 2012 11:22 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a Russia-European drafted resolution on Saturday that authorizes an initial deployment of up to 300 unarmed military observers to Syria for three months to help bolster a fragile week-old ceasefire. But the 15-nation council's move to condition deployment of observers on a U.N. assessment of compliance with the truce reflected U.S. and European fears that the Syrian government's failure to stop shelling towns, return troops to barracks and withdraw heavy weapons from cities makes the prospects for success slim. ... Full Story Top "Loyalist" soldiers move into Mali's rebel-held north Sat,21 Apr 2012 10:52 AM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - About 200 soldiers claiming to be government loyalists have moved back into northern Mali saying they will fight to take it back from Tuareg-led separatist and Islamist rebels that routed the army across the region three weeks ago. The troop movement just inside Mali's eastern border with Niger came as witnesses said gunmen in rebel-held Timbuktu, near the northwestern border with Mauritania, opened fire to disperse residents protesting against the occupation of their town. ... Full Story Top Protests, clashes, death cast pall over Bahrain Grand Prix Sat,21 Apr 2012 10:50 AM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Crowds of masked protesters hurled petrol bombs at police who fired tear gas back in Bahrain on Saturday, turning the streets into a battle zone on the eve of a Formula One Grand Prix that demonstrators say glorifies a repressive government. Protesters were fired up by outrage over the death of one of their number, whose body was found sprawled on a village rooftop after overnight clashes with police. Around 7,000 marchers held banners calling for democratic reforms. Some banners depicted Formula One race car drivers as riot police beating up protesters. ... Full Story Top Belarus leader says will jail freed foe if he "blabbers" Sat,21 Apr 2012 10:46 AM PDT Reuters - MINSK (Reuters) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday he would jail Andrei Sannikov, a recently released opposition leader, if he "blabbers" or if the West increases diplomatic pressure on Minsk to reform. In an apparent attempt to discourage Sannikov from talking about his time in jail, Lukashenko made it clear he would send his political foe and one of Sannikov's allies back to jail if he was displeased with them. ... Full Story Top Daughter of Bahrain hunger striker arrested over protest Sat,21 Apr 2012 10:34 AM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - The daughter of a prominent Bahraini opposition activist who has been on hunger strike for over two months was arrested on Saturday evening for trying to stage a protest in the capital Manama, activists said. Sayed Yousif al-Muhafda said Zainab al-Khawaja, who has been arrested before only to be released several hours later, was taken by police after she tried to protest near the Financial Harbor in the capital. She was among protesters who riot police tried to prevent marching inside the city's market area, a Reuters witness said. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Did U.S. fumble chance to peer inside China's secretive leadership? Sat,21 Apr 2012 09:33 AM PDT Reuters - Information about a Chinese policeman who implicated the wife of a top Chinese official in a British businessman's murder was not circulated widely in Washington as he was considered of marginal intelligence value, current and former U.S. officials said. In the weeks since Wang Lijun's visit to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu and his subsequent detention, some critics of the Obama administration have accused it of fumbling what could have been one of the highest-level defectors ever from inside China's clannish leadership class. ... Full Story Top South Sudan says troops bombed during flashpoint pullout Sat,21 Apr 2012 09:32 AM PDT Reuters - BENTIU, South Sudan (Reuters) - South Sudan accused its neighbor Sudan of bombing its troops as they pulled out of the disputed oil region of Heglig on Saturday, dampening already faint hopes of any imminent settlement between the bitter foes. The newly-independent South seized Heglig last week, raising fears of an all-out war with Sudan, then announced it had started withdrawing on Friday, following sharp criticism from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "The Sudan armed forced bombed our positions last night ... ... Full Story Top Obama urges talks between Sudan, South Sudan to avoid war Sat,21 Apr 2012 09:32 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan on Saturday to stop the fighting between their countries and begin negotiations to settle their disputes, saying there was still a chance to avoid war. In a videotaped message to the two bitter foes, Obama sought to prevent further escalation of border hostilities that have raised tensions to the highest level since South Sudan split away as an independent country in July, taking with it most of the country's known oil reserves. ... Full Story Top Czechs in mass march against austerity as government wobbles Sat,21 Apr 2012 08:19 AM PDT Reuters - PRAGUE (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Czechs on Saturday staged one of the biggest protests since the fall of communism, marching in Prague against spending cuts, tax rises and corruption and calling for the end of a centre-right government already close to collapse. Police estimated that 80-90,000 workers, students and pensioners snaked through the capital to rally in Wenceslas Square. Chanting and whistling, the crowd held banners proclaiming "Away with the government" and "Stop thieves". Rallies of such a scale are rare in the country of 10.5 million people. ... Full Story Top Protests, clashes in Bahrain before Formula One race Sat,21 Apr 2012 08:09 AM PDT Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in anti-government protests and activists reported clashes in several districts on Saturday, the eve of a Formula One Grand Prix race. Around 7,000 people took part in a march called by opposition parties in Diraz, holding banners for democratic reforms in the Shi'ite-majority Gulf Arab state, which is governed by the Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa family. They held up a banner depicting Formula One race drivers as riot police beating up protesters. ... Full Story Top China military warns of confrontation over seas Sat,21 Apr 2012 07:41 AM PDT 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 U.S.'s Geithner welcomes new IMF money pledges Sat,21 Apr 2012 07:28 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Saturday that a decision to double the International Monetary Fund's crisis-fighting war chest was welcome but urged Europe to press on with needed reforms. Speaking to the IMF's governing committee a day after Group of 20 nations pledged more than $430 billion in new funds for the global lender, Geithner praised steps that Europe already has taken to rebuild regional stability. ... Full Story Top Japan to write off Myanmar debt in thumbs-up for reform Sat,21 Apr 2012 07:13 AM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will write off billions of dollars in debt owed by Myanmar and restart development loans, the leaders of the two countries said on Saturday, in a further move to end the Southeast Asian nation's isolation and strengthen its nascent democracy. The agreement to waive 303.5 billion yen ($3.72 billion) debt and overdue charges was reached during President Thein Sein's visit to Tokyo, the first by a Myanmar head of state in nearly three decades, signaling its steady return to the international fold after decades of brutal military rule. ... Full Story Top Afghanistan arrests insurgents with explosives, makes Pakistan link Sat,21 Apr 2012 07:11 AM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan security forces have detained five insurgents with massive quantities of explosive material intended for use in attacks on crowded areas of Kabul and linked them to Pakistan-based militants, an intelligence spokesman said on Saturday. The alleged connection to militants in Pakistan will likely step up the pressure on Islamabad, after a recent coordinated assault by insurgents on diplomatic and government areas in Kabul and elsewhere put the spotlight on the South Asian nation. ... Full Story Top Italy police seize $5 billion of U.S. securities Sat,21 Apr 2012 06:48 AM PDT Reuters - MILAN (Reuters) - Italy financial police have seized U.S. securities with face values of about $1.5 billion and gold certificates worth above 3 billion euros ($3.96 billion) as part of an investigation into a possible international financial scam. The police said on Saturday the "million dollar" operation was a last step in the probe, which centered on the use of bearer Federal Reserve debt securities dating back to the 1930s as a guarantee for loans or other opaque cross-border transactions. ... Full Story Top Japan to write off Myanmar debt in thumbs-up for reform Sat,21 Apr 2012 06:09 AM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will write off billions of dollars in debt owed by Myanmar and restart development loans, the leaders of the two countries said on Saturday, in a further move to end the Southeast Asian nation's isolation and strengthen its nascent democracy. The agreement to waive 303.5 billion yen ($3.72 billion) debt and overdue charges was reached during President Thein Sein's visit to Tokyo, the first by a Myanmar head of state in nearly three decades, signaling its steady return to the international fold after decades of brutal military rule. ... Full Story Top Libya says building case against Gaddafi son: ICC prosecutor Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:52 AM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya says it is building its case against Muammar Gaddafi's detained son, gathering witnesses and documents, according to the Hague-based war crimes prosecutor, as it seeks to persuade the International Criminal Court to allow for a local trial. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Saif al-Islam last year after prosecutors accused him and others of involvement in the killing of protesters during the revolt that eventually toppled his father, who ruled with an iron fist for 42 years. ... Full Story Top Pakistan promises full probe into airliner crash Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:27 AM PDT Reuters - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani officials on Saturday promised a full investigation into the crash of a domestic flight that killed 127 people, saying they were examining all possibilities, from a technical fault to the age of the Boeing 737. Grieving relatives claiming the remains of loved ones at a hospital expressed grief and anger over the crash in a storm as the plane approached Islamabad on a flight from Karachi, Pakistan's commercial hub. Armed police kept media out of the Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital where the remains were stored. ... Full Story Top Sectarian shootout kills 8 in north Yemen Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:11 AM PDT Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Eight people were killed in fighting between Sunni Muslim Salafis and Shi'ite Muslim rebels in northern Yemen on Saturday, a local official said, the latest flare-up of sectarian tension in the impoverished state. Shi'ite rebels known as Houthis have exploited a year of political upheaval in Yemen to effectively carve out their own state within a state in the rugged province of Saada, which lies along the border with Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have fought regularly with Salafis attending a religious college in the area. ... Full Story Top U.N. council schedules Saturday vote on Syria monitors Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:01 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a vote on a draft resolution on Saturday to authorize the deployment to Syria of up to 300 unarmed military observers, despite U.S. and European concerns that Damascus has yet to fully implement a ceasefire. The United Nations announced on Friday the 15-nation council planned to hold the vote at 11:00 a.m. EDT. It will be considering a compromise resolution that combines Russian and European drafts. ... Full Story Top "Armed terrorist" group blows up pipeline in Syria: state news agency Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:01 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's state news agency said that an "armed terrorist" group blew up an oil pipeline in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zor, near the border with Iraq, on Saturday. "An armed terrorist group detonated an improvised explosive device on a oil line near Abu Hammam, in the province of Deir al-Zor, which led to a fire," SANA said, giving no more details. (Reporting by Oliver Holmes) Full Story Top Syria lets U.N. monitors into Homs after shelling stops Sat,21 Apr 2012 05:01 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian authorities allowed a team of United Nations ceasefire monitors to enter the battered city of Homs on Saturday after resident opposition activists said shelling and gunfire stopped for the first time in weeks. "A team of observers have been sent to Homs and met the governor," U.N. spokesman Khaled al-Masri said. "They are now visiting districts of the city." But activists in Homs said that the shelling ceased only to make it look as if the government was abiding by a truce, mediated by international Peace Envoy Kofi Annan. ... Full Story Top Japan to write off Myanmar debt, restart loans Sat,21 Apr 2012 04:26 AM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has agreed to forgive Myanmar's 303.5 billion yen ($3.72 billion) debt and resume development aid, the two sides said on Saturday, in a further move to end the Southeast Asian nation's isolation and strengthen its nascent democracy. The announcement was made jointly by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and President Thein Sein, Myanmar's first head of state to visit Japan in nearly three decades. ... Full Story Top Libyan army clashes with southern militia, 2 dead Sat,21 Apr 2012 04:23 AM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Two people were killed and 15 injured in clashes between Libyan soldiers and tribesmen in the remote southeastern desert, a regional community leader said Saturday. The fighting underlined the internal disorder and surfeit of uncontrolled weapons continuing to afflict Libya eight months after longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by rebels. ... Full Story Top Eight Turkish officers arrested in 1997 coup probe Sat,21 Apr 2012 04:13 AM PDT Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Eight active and former Turkish army officers were jailed pending trial in connection with the forced resignation of an Islamist-led government in 1997, in the latest inquiry into army interference in politics, news channels reported on Saturday. Retired major-general Erol Ozkasnak, four active officers and three retired officers were formally arrested overnight pending trial for allegedly "obstructing a government from carrying out its duties," NTV said on its website. Four ex-generals and dozens of officers were arrested in the probe last weekend. ... Full Story Top

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