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Sunday, May 27, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Republican resigns from labor board in ethics flap Britain's Blair faces grilling over ties to Murdoch China's Huawei, ZTE face EU action on telecom subsidies: FT U.N. Security Council condemns Syria over massacre Blair faces grilling over ties to Murdoch Britain's Blair faces grilling over ties to Murdoch Egypt presidential election body weighs complaints U.N. Security Council condemns Syria over massacre Fresh from defeat, Serbia's Tadic poised for PM Spain may recapitalize Bankia with government debt: source U.N. confirmed use of heavy artillery, tank shells in Houla U.N. says estimates at least 108 dead in Syria massacre Shelling on Syria opposition center kills 30: activists Nepal faces fresh turmoil after charter deadline missed Syria opposition criticizes U.N. on Houla massacre U.N. Security Council meets on Syria massacre, Russia skeptical No strict sharia in Mali's independent north: MNLA rebels Syria massacre deserves condemnation: Russian diplomat Moscow police arrest dozens at Occupy-style rally Iran not ready for visit to suspect nuclear site Hezbollah "deplores" Houla massacre in Syria White House: Houla killings a "vile testament" to Syria regime NATO has fight on its hands in Afghanistan: Panetta Merkel's lead over German opposition slumps: poll Bahrain convicts six of plotting with Iran Bowles: Not interested in top Treasury job Lawmakers work with Simpson-Bowles for tax deal France Telecom acquires 94 percent of Egypt's Mobinil: bourse Egypt presidential election body weighs complaints France Telecom acquires 94 pct of Egypt's Mobinil: bourse Dozens held after skirmishes at Moscow gay rallies Lessons from the Rock for Europe's banks Egypt jails Mubarak aide for graft Egypt jails Mubarak aide for graft Eight Afghan civilians said killed in NATO airstrike BBC presenter arrested in Zimbabwe, lawyer says Protests erupt in Syria after massacre, 2 killed Merkel party urges opposition to back fiscal pact At least 22 militants killed in Yemeni fighting Greek sex industry battered by economic storm Republican resigns from labor board in ethics flap Sun,27 May 2012 07:36 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Terence Flynn resigned as a member of the National Labor Relations Board two months after an investigation found that he allegedly disclosed non-public information about the panel, the agency said on Sunday. One of two Republicans on the five-member politically embattled board, Flynn was named as a recess, or short-term, appointee by President Barack Obama in January. He submitted his resignation on Saturday in a letter to NLRB Chairman Mark Pearce. Flynn also requested that his formal nomination to the NLRB, which the Senate has yet to confirm, be withdrawn. ... Full Story Top Britain's Blair faces grilling over ties to Murdoch Sun,27 May 2012 07:35 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Tony Blair's decision to openly court Rupert Murdoch to win power and ensure favorable coverage during his decade-long tenure as British prime minister will come under scrutiny when he faces a media inquiry on Monday. The inquiry, ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron after Murdoch's now defunct News of the World tabloid admitted hacking phones, has tarnished Britain's elite by laying bare the collusion between politicians, the police and the media. ... Full Story Top China's Huawei, ZTE face EU action on telecom subsidies: FT Sun,27 May 2012 06:28 PM PDT Reuters - HONG KONG (Reuters) - The European Union is set to launch a major trade case against China's biggest telecom equipment makers, arguing that they have benefited from illegal government subsidies, the Financial Times said. The EU told member states it had been gathering evidence for an anti-dumping case against Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp, saying that they had obtained illegal government subsidies and sold products in the EU below cost, the newspaper said, quoting unidentified EU officials and executives. ... Full Story Top U.N. Security Council condemns Syria over massacre Sun,27 May 2012 04:51 PM PDT Reuters - AMMAN/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Sunday unanimously condemned the killing of at least 108 people, including many children, in the Syrian town of Houla, a sign of mounting outrage at the massacre that the government and rebels blamed on each other. Images of bloodied and lifeless young bodies, laid carefully side by side after the onslaught on Friday, triggered shock around the world and underlined the failure of a six-week-old U.N. ceasefire plan to stop the violence. ... Full Story Top Blair faces grilling over ties to Murdoch Sun,27 May 2012 04:34 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Tony Blair's decision to openly court Rupert Murdoch to win power and ensure favourable coverage during his decade-long tenure as British prime minister will come under scrutiny when he faces a media inquiry on Monday. The inquiry, ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron after Murdoch's now defunct News of the World tabloid admitted hacking phones, has tarnished Britain's elite by laying bare the collusion between politicians, the police and the media. ... Full Story Top Britain's Blair faces grilling over ties to Murdoch Sun,27 May 2012 04:07 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Tony Blair's decision to openly court Rupert Murdoch to win power and ensure favorable coverage during his decade-long tenure as British prime minister will come under scrutiny when he faces a media inquiry on Monday. The inquiry, ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron after Murdoch's now defunct News of the World tabloid admitted hacking phones, has tarnished Britain's elite by laying bare the collusion between politicians, the police and the media. ... Full Story Top Egypt presidential election body weighs complaints Sun,27 May 2012 03:24 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's election committee on Sunday considered complaints about a presidential poll that has left voters with what many see as a painful run-off choice between an Islamist apparatchik and a throwback to Hosni Mubarak's era. Both contenders are seeking to lay claim to the mantle of the "revolution" that toppled Mubarak 15 months ago, and to appeal to the many Egyptians who picked more centrist figures in last week's first round. ... Full Story Top U.N. Security Council condemns Syria over massacre Sun,27 May 2012 03:09 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Sunday unanimously condemned the Syrian government for heavy-weapons attacks on the town of Houla, the site of a massacre of at least 108 people, including many children, the council president said. ... Full Story Top Fresh from defeat, Serbia's Tadic poised for PM Sun,27 May 2012 02:35 PM PDT Reuters - BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's Boris Tadic, fresh from defeat in a presidential election a week ago, put himself forward on Sunday as his party's candidate for the more powerful post of prime minister at the helm of a renewed centre-left coalition. After eight years as president, Tadic lost his bid for re-election to rightist opposition leader Tomislav Nikolic, a former leader of the ultranationalist Radical Party who says he now shares the goal of taking Serbia into the European Union. ... Full Story Top Spain may recapitalize Bankia with government debt: source Sun,27 May 2012 02:21 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain may recapitalize Bankia with Spanish government bonds in return for shares in the bank which last week asked for rescue funding of 19 billion euros ($24 billion), a government source said on Sunday. Bankia could use the sovereign paper as collateral to get cash from the European Central Bank, forcing the ECB to get involved with restructuring Spain's banking sector, laid low by lending to property developers in a boom that ended in 2008. ... Full Story Top U.N. confirmed use of heavy artillery, tank shells in Houla Sun,27 May 2012 02:08 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. observers in Syria have confirmed that artillery and tank shells were fired at a residential area of Houla, Syria, where at least 108 people, including many children, were killed, the U.N. chief said on Sunday in a letter to the Security Council. The letter from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which was obtained by Reuters, said the observers "viewed the bodies of the dead and confirmed from an examination of ordnance that artillery and tank shells were fired at a residential neighborhood. ... Full Story Top U.N. says estimates at least 108 dead in Syria massacre Sun,27 May 2012 01:29 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations believes that at least 108 people were killed in a massacre in the Syrian town of Houla that the world body has blamed on the Syrian army, the U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said on Sunday. Earlier, a diplomat said that General Robert Mood, head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria, told a closed-door meeting via video link from Damascus that at least 116 had died. They later clarified that the 116 figure was actually the rebel Free Syrian Army's estimate, diplomats said. ... Full Story Top Shelling on Syria opposition center kills 30: activists Sun,27 May 2012 01:08 PM PDT Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - At least thirty people were killed on Sunday when Syrian army tanks shelled residential neighborhoods in the city of Hama that have been serving as bases for rebel attacks against loyalist forces, opposition activists said. The reports could not be verified independently. Opposition sources said the shelling began in the morning on areas near the northern entrance of Hama, after a series of rebel attacks on army roadblocks in the city, and resumed in the evening on the southern al-Malaab district. ... Full Story Top Nepal faces fresh turmoil after charter deadline missed Sun,27 May 2012 12:43 PM PDT Reuters - KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's warring political parties failed to meet a midnight deadline to agree on a new constitution on Sunday, plunging the Himalayan republic into further uncertainty, but the government moved quickly to defuse the crisis with a call for elections. A new constitution was widely seen as crucial to ending the instability that has plagued Nepal since the end of a Maoist-led civil war in 2006 and subsequent overthrow of the monarchy, but it has been thwarted by demands for the country to be divided into states along ethnic lines. ... Full Story Top Syria opposition criticizes U.N. on Houla massacre Sun,27 May 2012 12:12 PM PDT Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Opposition activists in Syria on Sunday criticized U.N. observers for failing to take action to prevent the massacre of at least 109 people in the town of Houla. They also criticized the U.N mission for not condemning President Bashar al-Assad's forces for the killings on Friday. Syrian authorities have denied responsibility, blaming "terrorists" for the massacre. "The observers' delegation remained helpless and did not take an initiative to intervene, except to count the victims the day after the massacre just as the U.N. ... Full Story Top U.N. Security Council meets on Syria massacre, Russia skeptical Sun,27 May 2012 12:10 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council met on Sunday to discuss the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, which the United Nations has blamed on the Syrian government but Damascus and Moscow suggested was due to a rebel attack. At least 116 people, including many children, were killed in the Houla attack, the head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria General Robert Mood told the 15-nation council, according to a diplomat who was in the closed-door meeting. The diplomat spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Russian Deputy U.N. ... Full Story Top No strict sharia in Mali's independent north: MNLA rebels Sun,27 May 2012 11:45 AM PDT Reuters - DAKAR (Reuters) - Malian rebels who declared an independent Islamic state in the country's north said on Sunday they would impose sharia but not in a strict form. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), which has fought to make Mali's northern Azawad region an autonomous state, on Saturday signed an agreement to merge with Islamist Ansar Dine rebels seeking to impose sharia across Mali. A mix of rebels have occupied the northern two-thirds of Mali since a March 22 coup led to a collapse of army resistance. ... Full Story Top Syria massacre deserves condemnation: Russian diplomat Sun,27 May 2012 11:44 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - A senior Russian diplomat said on Sunday the massacre of civilians in the Syrian town of Houla "deserves condemnation" but that it was too early to say who was to blame. "The tragic events in Syria and the deaths of tens of people deserve condemnation. However it is necessary to seriously examine the causes of what happened," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Twitter. "Let's wait for the objective evaluations of the U.N. mission," he said. The U.N. Security Council was meeting later on Sunday to discuss the killings of at least 109 people. ... Full Story Top Moscow police arrest dozens at Occupy-style rally Sun,27 May 2012 11:32 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police detained dozens of opposition protesters on Sunday at an Occupy-style rally against President Vladimir Putin in central Moscow. Activists gathered near Red Square in front of the Kremlin and walked toward the popular Arbat pedestrian district, but were detained upon reaching the sit-in protest which began earlier this month. Witnesses said riot police treated protesters who resisted roughly. "One man in his 50s was grabbed and carried away by his arms and legs. ... Full Story Top Iran not ready for visit to suspect nuclear site Sun,27 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog has not yet given good enough reasons to visit an Iranian site where it suspects there may have been experiments for developing nuclear weapons, Iranian media said. The Parchin complex is at the centre of Western suspicions that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons capability despite Tehran's repeated denials of any such ambition. A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last week said satellite images showed "extensive activities" at Parchin. ... Full Story Top Hezbollah "deplores" Houla massacre in Syria Sun,27 May 2012 10:55 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Shi'ite guerrilla group Hezbollah, President Bashar al-Assad's main Lebanese ally, said on Sunday it deplored the Houla massacre in neighboring Syria. Without assigning a blame for the killings of at least 109 civilians in Houla in central Syria, a statement by Hezbollah said it "strongly condemns the massacre and deplores those who carried it out". ... Full Story Top White House: Houla killings a "vile testament" to Syria regime Sun,27 May 2012 10:19 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Sunday it was horrified by the credible reports of brutal attacks on women and children in Houla, Syria, calling the acts further evidence of an inhuman and illegitimate Syrian government. "These acts serve as a vile testament to an illegitimate regime that responds to peaceful political protest with unspeakable and inhuman brutality," a White House spokesman said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Philip Barbara) Full Story Top NATO has fight on its hands in Afghanistan: Panetta Sun,27 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - NATO forces still have a fight on their hands in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has displayed resilience although its fighters have not regained territory they lost during the decade-long war, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday. Panetta said plans for foreign troops to hand over security responsibilities to Afghan forces starting in mid-2013 were on track and necessary to ensure that the Taliban, which governed Afghanistan before the U.S.-led invasion, is kept at bay. U.S. President Barack Obama, who ordered a surge of U.S. ... Full Story Top Merkel's lead over German opposition slumps: poll Sun,27 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives saw their lead over the main centre-left opposition party crumble in the sharpest one-week shift in German voter sentiment in seven years, an opinion poll showed on Sunday. An eight percentage point lead by Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) over the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) fell to just two points during a week that saw the chancellor face pressure over the euro crisis and domestic turmoil, according to the Emnid poll. ... Full Story Top Bahrain convicts six of plotting with Iran Sun,27 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - A Bahraini court on Sunday sentenced six people to 15 years in jail each for plotting with Shi'ite Iran to stage attacks on targets including the Saudi embassy and the Interior Ministry, the official BNA news agency and a lawyer said. Bahrain, a U.S. ally and home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since pro-democracy protests led by majority Shi'ites erupted last year after revolts in Egypt and Tunisia. The Sunni-led island, along with fellow Gulf Arab countries, have accused Iran of being behind the unrest which continues to rock the country. ... Full Story Top Bowles: Not interested in top Treasury job Sun,27 May 2012 09:17 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles, whose name has surfaced as a potential successor to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, said on Sunday he does not want the job and has not been asked by Democratic President Barack Obama. "I don't want a job. Thank you," Bowles said on the CNN news program "Fareed Zakaria GPS." Economists, investors and veterans of past administrations are weighing potential successors to Geithner, who has said he is leaving the post even if Obama wins a second term in the November 6 election. ... Full Story Top Lawmakers work with Simpson-Bowles for tax deal Sun,27 May 2012 08:58 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two respected former lawmakers whose names have become synonymous with bipartisan compromise in a highly divisive Congress are meeting with dozens of lawmakers to forestall a potential year-end fiscal crisis dubbed "taxmageddon." Former Democratic White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles said he and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson, are working with a bipartisan group of 47 Senators and as many House members to frame a compromise on $7 trillion in looming fiscal decisions, Bowles said on CNN's news program, "Fareed Zakaria GPS. ... Full Story Top France Telecom acquires 94 percent of Egypt's Mobinil: bourse Sun,27 May 2012 08:33 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - France Telecom acquired 94 percent of Egyptian mobile phone company Mobinil in a tender offer, Egypt's stock exchange said on Sunday, giving the French group control of a top sector player in a volatile but lucrative emerging market. Mobinil, founded by Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris, vies with Vodafone Egypt for dominance of Egypt's mobile market, which was buffeted by political headwinds after an uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak last year. ... Full Story Top Egypt presidential election body weighs complaints Sun,27 May 2012 08:28 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's election committee on Sunday considered complaints about a presidential poll that has left voters with what many see as a painful run-off choice between an Islamist apparatchik and a throwback to Hosni Mubarak's era. Both contenders are seeking to lay claim to the mantle of the "revolution" that toppled Mubarak 15 months ago, and to appeal to the many Egyptians who picked more centrist figures in last week's first round. ... Full Story Top France Telecom acquires 94 pct of Egypt's Mobinil: bourse Sun,27 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - France Telecom acquired 94 percent of Egyptian mobile phone company Mobinil in a tender offer, Egypt's stock exchange said on Sunday, giving the French group control of a top sector player in a volatile but lucrative emerging market. Mobinil, founded by Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris, vies with Vodafone Egypt for dominance of Egypt's mobile market, which was buffeted by political headwinds after an uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak last year. ... Full Story Top Dozens held after skirmishes at Moscow gay rallies Sun,27 May 2012 07:55 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dozens of people were detained in Moscow on Sunday after Russian Orthodox Church activists broke up two gay rights protests, throwing water and shouting prayers at demonstrators. Some Orthodox activists threw punches at the protesters, grabbed their rainbow flags - the symbol of the gay rights movement - and trampled on them in front of television cameras. Skirmishes took place at both protests, outside the city hall and parliament. Neither rally was sanctioned by Moscow authorities. ... Full Story Top Lessons from the Rock for Europe's banks Sun,27 May 2012 07:07 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - In November 2010, rumors swirled through financial markets that Spanish bank BBVA was suffering a run on its deposits. The share price fell before excitable traders realized they had made a mistake. In fact the bank was holding a "fun run" in Madrid and customers had lined up outside its branches to get their T-shirts. In a jittery market, talk spread quickly and few things worry bank investors and customers more than talk of a run. Nervous times have returned to the euro zone, and customers are worrying again about whether their savings are safe. ... Full Story Top Egypt jails Mubarak aide for graft Sun,27 May 2012 06:16 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A Cairo criminal court on Sunday sentenced ousted President Hosni Mubarak's former chief of staff to seven years in jail and fined him 36.4 million Egyptian pounds ($6 million) on charges of making illegal gains, the state news agency MENA said. Zakaria Azmi has been held since April 2011 on charges of amassing wealth unlawfully. He is among several officials from Mubarak's administration detained on corruption and other charges. ... Full Story Top Egypt jails Mubarak aide for graft Sun,27 May 2012 06:15 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A Cairo criminal court on Sunday sentenced ousted President Hosni Mubarak's former chief of staff to seven years in jail and fined him 36.4 million Egyptian pounds on charges of making illegal gains, the state news agency MENA said. Zakaria Azmi has been held since April 2011 on charges of amassing wealth unlawfully. He is among several officials from Mubarak's administration detained on corruption and other charges. ... Full Story Top Eight Afghan civilians said killed in NATO airstrike Sun,27 May 2012 06:13 AM PDT Reuters - KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Eight members of an Afghan family, including six children and two women, were killed in a NATO airstrike in eastern Afghanistan, local authorities said on Sunday, although the NATO-led coalition said there was no evidence of any civilian casualties. The strike took place in the Gerda Serai district of Paktia late on Saturday, the provincial governor's spokesman, Rohullah Samon, said as foreign and Afghan security forces try to quell Taliban and Haqqani network insurgents active in the area. ... Full Story Top BBC presenter arrested in Zimbabwe, lawyer says Sun,27 May 2012 06:07 AM PDT Reuters - HARARE (Reuters) - A BBC radio presenter has been arrested in Zimbabwe and charged with working without a permit, his lawyer told Reuters on Sunday. Petroc Trelawny was detained in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city, on Thursday while attending an arts festival, Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga said. The presenter, who denies the charges, was sent to hospital after falling and fracturing his arm while in custody and is likely to appear in court on Monday, the lawyer said. "He maintains it was purely an accident. He tripped and fell," Nzarayapenga said. ... Full Story Top Protests erupt in Syria after massacre, 2 killed Sun,27 May 2012 06:01 AM PDT Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces shot dead at least two men on Sunday as protests broke out to condemn a massacre that killed at least 109 civilians, many of them children, in the town of Houla, opposition activists said. The two were killed in the Damascus suburbs of Yalda and Daraya, home to thousands of refugees who have fled a military crackdown on the central province of Homs. ... Full Story Top Merkel party urges opposition to back fiscal pact Sun,27 May 2012 05:33 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A top ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives appealed to the opposition Social Democrats and Greens on Sunday to refrain from "playing political games" and back the government to endorse Europe's new fiscal pact and permanent bailout fund. The SPD and their allies the Greens - making common cause with France's new Socialist President Francois Hollande and some other EU leaders - say the pact must be accompanied by new measures to promote growth and investment in Europe. ... Full Story Top At least 22 militants killed in Yemeni fighting Sun,27 May 2012 05:12 AM PDT Reuters - ADEN (Reuters) - At least 22 Islamist militants were killed in overnight clashes and an air strike in southern Yemen, where government troops are fighting rebels linked to al Qaeda, a local official and residents said on Sunday. Around 15 of the dead were killed in fighting north of the militant stronghold of Jaar, a town in Abyan province that has been controlled by the militants since last year. ... Full Story Top Greek sex industry battered by economic storm Sun,27 May 2012 05:11 AM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's once-thriving sex industry has become the latest victim of the country's debt crisis as Greeks spend less on erotic toys, pornography and titillating underwear. About 50 people, almost all young men, lined up on Friday as the Athens Erotic Dream - Greece's biggest sex fair - opened its gates in a nondescript building squeezed against a highway on the outskirts of the capital. The annual show attracted big crowds when it opened in 2008, at the height of Greece's debt-fuelled economic bubble. ... Full Story Top

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