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Saturday, May 5, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Accused 9/11 plotters defiant at Guantanamo arraignment Keep off beaches, Peru warns after pelican deaths Conservative lawmaker says UK PM Cameron should go Keep off beaches, Peru warns after mass pelican deaths Five killed and two wounded in Mexico City shootout Factbox: Armenia's parliamentary election Armenia hopes for calm election, democratic outcome Backing EU path, Serbian right wing bids for power Merkel's party set for photo finish in state vote Foes of Russia's Putin plan "million-man march" Hollande favorite as French prepare for Sunday vote 9/11 suspects defiant at Guantanamo arraignment France's Sarkozy cuts Hollande poll lead to four points Factbox: France's voters pick president, then parliament Costa puts hopes on new flagship after cruise disaster Netanyahu is mistaken on Iran, says election rival Bahrain says home-made bomb wounds four policemen Libyan leader says doctors have told him to rest Putin says ready to "go far" in U.S. relations: Ifax Sudan says South Sudan troops inside its territory Gunmen in army uniform execute five in east Nigeria Leading Iraqi lawmakers threaten vote of no confidence Anxious Hollande tries to relax ahead of French vote U.N. monitors find tanks, resentful residents in Syria town Clinton "bets on Bangladesh" despite turmoil Yemen's Hadi vows to defeat al Qaeda, unify army Egypt imposes curfew, deploys army after protests Recalled Saudi ambassador returns to Egypt Italy seeks to exempt loans for bills from Maastricht debt: press Mali Islamists attack UNESCO holy site in Timbuktu Explosions in two Syrian cities kill at least three Bahrain says home-made bomb wounds four policemen Conservative factions dominate Iran's run-off elections Campaigning over, politicians await critical Greek vote "Sin" has led to Middle East unrest: Saudi cleric Japan nuclear power-free as last reactor shuts Explosion in Syria's Aleppo, casualties reported: rights group Two bombs explode on Damascus highway: residents Boris for prime minister? London win raises stakes Analysis: West doubtful of U.N. Syria peace push, no "Plan B" Accused 9/11 plotters defiant at Guantanamo arraignment Sat,5 May 2012 07:12 PM PDT Reuters - GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Five Guantanamo prisoners accused of plotting the September 11 attacks refused to answer a U.S. military judge's questions on Saturday in a chaotic court hearing in which defense lawyers sought to cast the war crimes tribunal as unfair. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the confessed architect of the hijacked plane attacks in 2001, and his four co-defendants all exercised their right to indefinitely delay entering a plea to murder and terrorism charges that carry the death penalty. ... Full Story Top Keep off beaches, Peru warns after pelican deaths Sat,5 May 2012 06:32 PM PDT Reuters - LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's government declared a health alert along its northern coastline on Saturday and urged residents and tourists to stay away from long stretches of beach, as it investigates the unexplained deaths of hundreds of dolphins and pelicans. At least 1,200 birds, mostly pelicans, washed up dead along a stretch of Peru's northern Pacific coastline in recent weeks, health officials said, after an estimated 800 dolphins died in the same area in recent months. ... Full Story Top Conservative lawmaker says UK PM Cameron should go Sat,5 May 2012 06:16 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron could be removed as leader of the Conservatives to prevent the party losing power in the next national election, a maverick lawmaker from his party warned on Sunday after a humiliating defeat in local elections. The bluntest public demand to date by a lawmaker of his own party for a leadership challenge escalates the strife for Cameron as he grapples with keeping his coalition government together after the worst month of his two-year premiership. ... Full Story Top Keep off beaches, Peru warns after mass pelican deaths Sat,5 May 2012 04:30 PM PDT Reuters - LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's government declared a health alert along its northern coastline on Saturday and urged residents and tourists alike to stay away from long stretches of beach, as it investigates the unexplained deaths of hundreds of dolphins and pelicans. At least 1,200 birds, mostly pelicans, washed up dead along a stretch of Peru's northern Pacific coastline in recent weeks, health officials said, after an estimated 800 dolphins died in the same area in recent months. ... Full Story Top Five killed and two wounded in Mexico City shootout Sat,5 May 2012 04:13 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Five young people died and two others were seriously wounded after a gunfight in eastern Mexico City on Saturday, authorities said. The prosecutors' office in Mexico City said two of the dead were female, aged 14 and 20. The male victims were 17, 22 and "about 20", a spokeswoman for the office said. The sex and precise age of the two wounded was still unclear, she added. The shooting took place early on Saturday in Iztapalapa, a poor, crowded district that has struggled with crime. Two cars were found at the scene, one of which contained the bodies of the two girls. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Armenia's parliamentary election Sat,5 May 2012 03:44 PM PDT Reuters - YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia votes on Sunday in a parliamentary election. Here are some key facts about the former Soviet republic and main contenders in the upcoming election. MAIN CONTENDERS IN ELECTION: President Serzh Sarksyan's Republican Party, the Prosperous Armenia party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, the Armenian National Congress - a diverse coalition of radical opposition groups led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the Dashnaktsutiun Party, the Country of Law Party; the moderate opposition Heritage Party. ... Full Story Top Armenia hopes for calm election, democratic outcome Sat,5 May 2012 03:42 PM PDT Reuters - YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia holds a parliamentary election on Sunday which leaders hope will reinforce stability and be free of the fraud and violence that marred the South Caucasus country's last national polls. The biggest parties in the coalition government, President Serzh Sarksyan's Republican Party and Prosperous Armenia led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, are expected to remain the strongest in the former Soviet republic of 3.3 million. ... Full Story Top Backing EU path, Serbian right wing bids for power Sat,5 May 2012 03:36 PM PDT Reuters - BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's right-wing opposition bids for power on Sunday in knife-edge elections marked by an unprecedented pro-European consensus more than a decade since the fall of nationalist strongman Slobodan Milosevic. Liberals who took power in 2000 face their strongest challenge yet from the opposition led by Tomislav Nikolic, once demonized by the West as Milosevic's spiritual heir but who says he now shares the goal of taking Serbia into the European Union. ... Full Story Top Merkel's party set for photo finish in state vote Sat,5 May 2012 03:32 PM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel's conservatives face a photo-finish state vote in Germany's north on Sunday, knowing that losing power in Schleswig-Holstein could give vital momentum to the opposition and dent the chancellor's 2013 re-election hopes. Merkel's resolute stance through the dramas of the euro zone crisis has left her personal popularity intact. But her national centre-right coalition is in jeopardy after a slump in public support for her junior coalition partners, the Free Democrats (FDP), due to their infighting and prickly leaders. ... Full Story Top Foes of Russia's Putin plan "million-man march" Sat,5 May 2012 03:21 PM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin's opponents plan a "million-man march" in Moscow on Sunday to revive their flagging protest movement and renew pressure on Russia's supreme leader on the eve of his return to the presidency. But the opposition leaders' first attempt to organize a big rally for two months could fall flat because protests against Putin have lost momentum since his election victory on March 4. ... Full Story Top Hollande favorite as French prepare for Sunday vote Sat,5 May 2012 02:18 PM PDT Reuters - Campaigning ended on Saturday in France for a decisive second-round presidential vote expected to crown Francois Hollande the country's first Socialist leader in two decades despite polls showing President Nicolas Sarkozy clawing back some ground. Sunday's election, which coincides with parliamentary polls in Greece, may prove decisive for the direction of Europe as Hollande has promised he will try to temper a German-led austerity drive across Europe and reorientate the recession-struck euro zone towards growth. ... Full Story Top 9/11 suspects defiant at Guantanamo arraignment Sat,5 May 2012 02:14 PM PDT Reuters - GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - The arraignment of five Guantanamo prisoners accused of plotting the September 11 attacks got off to a chaotic start on Saturday when all the defendants defiantly refused to answer the judge's questions and one made outbursts in court. Defense lawyers answered routine questions about their resumes with complaints that the proceedings were unfair and that the defendants had been abused. The judge struggled to keep the proceedings in the death penalty case on track. "Why is this so hard?" asked the exasperated judge, Army Colonel James Pohl. ... Full Story Top France's Sarkozy cuts Hollande poll lead to four points Sat,5 May 2012 02:02 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - An opinion poll on Friday suggested French President Nicolas Sarkozy has cut his Socialist rival Francois Hollande's lead to just four percentage points ahead of Sunday's decisive second-round vote, the narrowest gap to date. The daily survey by pollster Ifop-Fiducial had Hollande, who has led in the polls for months, losing one percentage point to stand at 52 percent of those intending to vote, while Sarkozy rose to 48. ... Full Story Top Factbox: France's voters pick president, then parliament Sat,5 May 2012 02:02 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France's 46.03 million voters cast ballots on Sunday in a presidential election where all opinion polls point to a victory for Socialist Francois Hollande over conservative re-election contender Nicolas Sarkozy. A parliamentary election follows on June 10 and 17. Following are some facts about the electoral system: THE SYSTEM The French directly elect their president and members of the National Assembly, the 577-seat lower house of parliament, every five years. The system allows for two rounds of voting. ... Full Story Top Costa puts hopes on new flagship after cruise disaster Sat,5 May 2012 12:27 PM PDT Reuters - VENICE (Reuters) - Cruise operator Costa Crociere took delivery of a new flagship liner on Saturday, hoping the glamour of Italy's biggest ship will mark a new era for a company whose reputation was marred by the deadly Concordia disaster. The 114,500-tonne Costa Fascinosa, built by state-owned shipyard Fincantieri, has space for 3,500 passengers. An even bigger vessel, with 5,000 berths, should be ready in 2014 for a company that says bookings have recovered from the crisis. "We can't ignore the January accident. It hit us hard. ... Full Story Top Netanyahu is mistaken on Iran, says election rival Sat,5 May 2012 11:35 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A key rival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized his hawkish stance on Iran's nuclear program on Saturday, making the issue a central theme for parliamentary elections expected this year. "It's a most serious mistake to turn the issue of defense against Iran into Israel's biggest problem," Shelly Yechimovitch, leader of the left-of-centre Labour party, said in a televised interview. ... Full Story Top Bahrain says home-made bomb wounds four policemen Sat,5 May 2012 11:18 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - An improvised bomb wounded four Bahraini policemen on Saturday, a commander said, as police clashed again with protesters demanding the release of a jailed rights activist on hunger strike. Unrest has racked Bahrain for more than a year, with mainly majority Shi'ite protesters demanding more democracy and an end to what they see as discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. "The officers were dealing with saboteurs who were terrorizing citizens ... ... Full Story Top Libyan leader says doctors have told him to rest Sat,5 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT Reuters - BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Saturday doctors had ordered him to rest because of a minor health problem. Abdel Jalil, the chairman of the ruling National Transitional Council, told reporters he had been for a check-up at a hospital in the eastern city of Benghazi but that it "was nothing serious". "Because of the amount of work and the circumstances and the problems we are facing every day ... I had a small health problem," he said. "What I am going through right now is nothing serious. ... Full Story Top Putin says ready to "go far" in U.S. relations: Ifax Sat,5 May 2012 10:53 AM PDT Reuters - Russia's President-elect Vladimir Putin is ready to go far in developing ties between Russia and the United States provided the relationship is equal, Interfax news agency quoted Putin's foreign policy aide as saying on Saturday. Putin discussed bilateral relations at a closed-door meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama's top security aide Tom Donilon at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on Friday, three days before his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin. ... Full Story Top Sudan says South Sudan troops inside its territory Sat,5 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's army accused South Sudan on Saturday of having troops on its territory, a sign tensions between the former civil war foes were unlikely to cool despite an international ultimatum to end fighting. Sudanese army spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid said the military would abide by a U.N.-backed African Union call to halt hostilities, in an effort to end weeks of border fighting that has threatened to escalate into a full-blown war. But Khalid said the army had a right to defend its territory from foreign troops. "We have committed to (the decision). ... Full Story Top Gunmen in army uniform execute five in east Nigeria Sat,5 May 2012 10:13 AM PDT Reuters - MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - Gunmen in military uniform abducted five people in eastern Nigeria, tied their hands and shot them dead, police said on Saturday. The attack overnight took place in Dananaca village, Taraba state, which is usually peaceful but which suffered a bombing at the hands of Islamist militants last week. "The police are still investigating to ascertain if the people are real soldiers and from which unit," police spokesman for Taraba state Ibiam Mbaseki told Reuters by telephone. ... Full Story Top Leading Iraqi lawmakers threaten vote of no confidence Sat,5 May 2012 10:02 AM PDT Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Four of the most senior political leaders in Iraq's fragile coalition have threatened to bring a vote of no confidence in the government unless "autocratic decision-making" stops, a letter published in a state newspaper on Saturday said. Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurd coalition began to creak in December, after U.S. troops left, when the government tried to remove Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq and issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. ... Full Story Top Anxious Hollande tries to relax ahead of French vote Sat,5 May 2012 09:50 AM PDT Reuters - TULLE, France (Reuters) - French Socialist Francois Hollande spent Saturday mingling with well-wishers and sampling delicacies at a market in his rural political base as he savored what may be his last moments of quiet if he wins Sunday's election runoff. Final opinion polls give Hollande a lead of around six points for the decisive round against President Nicolas Sarkozy, suggesting he could be a day from becoming the first Socialist to win a French presidential election since 1988. ... Full Story Top U.N. monitors find tanks, resentful residents in Syria town Sat,5 May 2012 09:44 AM PDT Reuters - DOUMA, Syria (Reuters) - United Nations ceasefire monitors, in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, saw that the army had not withdrawn tanks in line with a truce agreement and were confronted by residents who complained that the U.N. observers were just "watching us die". A Reuters team that accompanied a two-car U.N. convoy saw checkpoints on every street corner and a heavy army presence in Douma, at one time known as a stronghold for the armed opposition but now back under government control. ... Full Story Top Clinton "bets on Bangladesh" despite turmoil Sat,5 May 2012 09:30 AM PDT Reuters - DHAKA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was "betting on Bangladesh" on Saturday as she began a visit to the impoverished South Asian country, gripped by growing tensions over the disappearance of an opposition leader. Clinton flew to Dhaka after three days of diplomatic drama in Beijing as China and the United States tussled over the fate of a blind human rights activist holed up at the U.S. embassy. While U.S. ... Full Story Top Yemen's Hadi vows to defeat al Qaeda, unify army Sat,5 May 2012 09:14 AM PDT Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi vowed on Saturday to defeat an al Qaeda-linked insurgency in the south of the poor Arab country to allow thousands of displaced people to return home. Militants linked to al Qaeda have seized significant chunks of territory in the semi-desert regions of southern Yemen in recent months, after taking control of several towns. Fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people, many of whom have fled to the port city of Aden. ... Full Story Top Egypt imposes curfew, deploys army after protests Sat,5 May 2012 08:39 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military rulers on Saturday imposed an overnight curfew and deployed soldiers around the Defence Ministry to deter a repeat of Friday's deadly violence, less than three weeks before a presidential vote. One soldier died and almost 400 people were wounded in Friday's clashes, the second time in a week that protests over the army's handling of Egypt's troubled transition from army rule to civilian government have turned violent. The military imposed a 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. ... Full Story Top Recalled Saudi ambassador returns to Egypt Sat,5 May 2012 08:36 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Egypt returned to Cairo on Saturday, Egyptian airport officials said, almost a week after he was recalled in a rare diplomatic row between the long-time allies. Ambassador Ahmed Abdulaziz Kattan was withdrawn in response to street protests in Cairo against the arrest of an Egyptian lawyer in Saudi Arabia. Egypt sent a large parliamentary delegation to Riyadh this week to help rebuild ties with the Gulf kingdom which has promised $2.7 billion to support battered Egyptian finances. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia confirmed its plans to send aid. ... Full Story Top Italy seeks to exempt loans for bills from Maastricht debt: press Sat,5 May 2012 08:25 AM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - Italy will propose exempting borrowing used to settle bills with commercial creditors from official calculations of public debt under plans being discussed between Rome and Berlin, Italian newspapers reported on Saturday. The daily La Repubblica said Prime Minister Mario Monti would take the proposal to a European Council meeting in June as part of a package of measures to boost the EU's flagging economy. He would also propose an exemption for debt used for investment spending. ... Full Story Top Mali Islamists attack UNESCO holy site in Timbuktu Sat,5 May 2012 08:13 AM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian fighters from the Ansar Dine Islamist group attacked and burned the tomb of one of the town's saints, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, residents and a regional official said on Saturday. The militants broke off doors, windows and wooden gates from the grave and burned them, they said, in the first reported attack on a shrine in Mali. El Hadj Baba Haidara, an elected member of parliament from Timbuktu told Reuters some young people were discussing how to react despite being unarmed. ... Full Story Top Explosions in two Syrian cities kill at least three Sat,5 May 2012 07:54 AM PDT Reuters - DAMASCUS (Reuters) - An explosion killed several people in Aleppo and two blasts hit a Damascus highway on Saturday in further signs that rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad are shifting tactics towards homemade explosives. Syria's state news agency said three people had been killed, one of them a child, and 21 wounded by a booby-trapped car in the northern city of Aleppo. ... Full Story Top Bahrain says home-made bomb wounds four policemen Sat,5 May 2012 07:42 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - An improvised bomb explosion wounded four Bahraini policemen on Saturday, a police commander said, as protesters demanding the release of a rights activist who has been on hunger strike for three months clashed again with police. Unrest has racked Bahrain for more than a year, with mainly majority Shi'ite protesters demanding more democracy and an end to what they see as discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. "The officers were dealing with saboteurs who were terrorizing citizens .. ... Full Story Top Conservative factions dominate Iran's run-off elections Sat,5 May 2012 07:06 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, now out of favor with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suffered more setbacks in a run-off parliamentary election seen as a pointer for next year's presidential race, results showed on Saturday. The authorities hailed the outcome as a resounding triumph for Iran as it prepares for nuclear negotiations with the West. ... Full Story Top Campaigning over, politicians await critical Greek vote Sat,5 May 2012 05:57 AM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - A ban on campaigning took effect in Greece on Saturday 24 hours ahead of the most uncertain and critical election for decades, a vote that could throw the country's future in Europe into doubt and shake the common currency. Pollsters say the result of Sunday's poll is impossible to predict, aggravating fears of political chaos that could revive a euro zone debt crisis that Greece first unleashed in 2009. Local media underlined the importance of the vote as a ban in campaigning came into effect a day before the polls opened. ... Full Story Top "Sin" has led to Middle East unrest: Saudi cleric Sat,5 May 2012 04:43 AM PDT Reuters - JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's top religious official has blamed Muslim sinfulness for instability in the Middle East, where pro-democracy unrest has toppled four heads of state. "The schism, instability, the malfunctioning of security and the breakdown of unity that Islamic countries are facing these days is a result of the sins of the public and their transgressions," Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh was quoted as saying by al-Watan newspaper. ... Full Story Top Japan nuclear power-free as last reactor shuts Sat,5 May 2012 03:02 AM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese utility Hokkaido Electric Power Co began shutting the country's last active nuclear reactor on Saturday, leaving the world's third-biggest user of atomic energy with no nuclear-derived electricity for the first time since 1970. A crisis at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where an earthquake and tsunami in March last year triggered radiation leaks, has hammered public faith in nuclear power and prevented the restart of reactors shut down for regular maintenance checks. Hokkaido Electric said it started lowering output from the 912-megawatt No. ... Full Story Top Explosion in Syria's Aleppo, casualties reported: rights group Sat,5 May 2012 01:50 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - A explosion has caused "injury and death" in a suburb of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, a rights group reported on Saturday. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Humans Rights, which monitors violent attacks in the country, said the blast rocked the area of Tal al-Zarazeer, one of the poorest suburbs in Aleppo. (Reporting by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Alison Williams) Full Story Top Two bombs explode on Damascus highway: residents Sat,5 May 2012 01:34 AM PDT Reuters - DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Two bombs detonated on a central Damascus highway on Saturday, destroying nine cars, residents said, in a further sign that rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad are shifting tactics towards homemade explosives. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the blasts from bombs planted under cars on al-Thawra Street, the latest blow to last month's crumbling U.N.-backed truce. ... Full Story Top Boris for prime minister? London win raises stakes Sat,5 May 2012 01:23 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Boris Johnson's victory in the race to lead London through the Olympics raises expectations that he will one day cross the Thames from City Hall to Downing Street, but critics question whether he has what it takes to be Britain's prime minister. Johnson, whose popularity is largely down to his comic talent and colorful past, won a second four-year term as mayor of London on the same day that his Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in nationwide local elections. ... Full Story Top Analysis: West doubtful of U.N. Syria peace push, no "Plan B" Sat,5 May 2012 12:44 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - As corpses pile up in Syrian morgues, U.S. and European diplomats are growing increasingly skeptical that a U.N.-backed peace plan has a chance of ending more than a year of violence that has brought Syria to the brink of civil war. But with Russia firmly behind U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan to end the conflict between government forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition fighters determined to oust him, Western powers have little choice but to stick with it for now. ... Full Story Top

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