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Monday, May 7, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Playboy model steals the show at Mexican election debate U.S. hostage urges Obama to meet al Qaeda demands Facebook's Zuckerberg kicks off investor show in NY Google infringed Oracle Java copyrights: jury Apparent airline bomb plot thwarted: U.S. officials Anti-austerity ballot backlash rattles euro zone Putin pledges unity on return to Kremlin, protesters held Left gets historic chance to pull Greece out of limbo Bank of Canada says can act to protect stability Avalon sees delays at Nechalacho rare earth project Air Canada, pilots start 10-day talks on Thursday Ontario Teachers to back Ackman in CP Rail vote Colombia rebels want media debate for Frenchman's release Berlusconi's centre-right takes drubbing in Italy local polls Putin seeks close U.S. ties, missile guarantee Simulated sex featured at ex-Italy PM party: trial Karzai says Afghan civilian deaths could hinder U.S. pact Armenia president's party wins election Taliban stronger than before U.S. troop surge: lawmakers At least 32 Yemen troops killed in militant attack EU tells defiant Iran it "must" suspend atom activity Head of Irish church apologizes to sex abuse victims Putin seeks close U.S. ties, missile guarantee Egypt bedouins release Fiji peacekeepers in Sinai: sources U.N. chief: killings in Syria "intolerable" Greek conservative leader says unable to form government Markets, Germany wary as Hollande wins in France Romania leftist government wins parliament backing: MPs Ruling party faces close vote in Bahamas election Israeli court orders removal of settlement houses Syria says many vote in assembly election, opposition denounces "show" Russia's Putin orders investment in "new economy" U.S. keeps India waiting on Iran sanctions waiver Israeli court rules against Palestinian hunger strikers Israel set for early vote as it ponders Iran challenge Obama invites France's Hollande to Washington in May Venezuela insists Chavez still leading as silence reigns Germany unmoved by anti-austerity votes in Europe Gunmen shoot CEO of Italian nuclear firm on Genoa street Greek socialists PASOK call for pro-European coalition Playboy model steals the show at Mexican election debate Mon,7 May 2012 03:51 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's electoral authority apologized to voters on Monday after a sober presidential debate was upstaged by a former Playboy model and her revealing outfit. Clad in a tight-fitting white dress with a cut below the neckline to show much of her cleavage, Julia Orayen was working as an assistant on the televised debate, which focused on the economy and the drug-related violence ravaging Mexico. At the start of Sunday night's debate, Orayen walked in front of the camera to hand out cards to the four candidates, and created an immediate stir on online social media. ... Full Story Top U.S. hostage urges Obama to meet al Qaeda demands Mon,7 May 2012 03:44 PM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - An American aid worker abducted by al Qaeda in Pakistan last year has pleaded with U.S. President Barack Obama to meet his captors' demands for the release of prisoners in order to save his life, in a video released by the militant group's media arm. In the short clip posted on Islamist Internet forums, Warren Weinstein, who was kidnapped in the central Pakistani city of Lahore last August, appealed to Obama to "accept and respond to the mujahideen (holy warriors)". "My life is in your hands, Mr. President. ... Full Story Top Facebook's Zuckerberg kicks off investor show in NY Mon,7 May 2012 03:44 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zuckerberg fielded questions about the No. 1 social network's slowing revenue growth and its $1 billion purchase of Instagram as he kicked off a cross-country roadshow to promote the company's $10 billion initial public offering. Wearing his trademark "hoodie" sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers, the 27-year-old chief executive said he would do the Instagram deal again if he had to, according to attendees at the event. Hundreds of investors showed up for the presentation at New York's Sheraton Hotel, which was closed to the media, on Monday. ... Full Story Top Google infringed Oracle Java copyrights: jury Mon,7 May 2012 03:34 PM PDT Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc infringed some of Oracle Corp's copyrights on the Java programming language, a U.S. jury found on Monday after days of deliberation. Oracle may have suffered a setback, however, because the jury could not reach a decision on whether Google's actions constituted fair use and were legally allowed. The fair use question is crucial to determining damages. If Google's use of the Java programming tools is determined to be fair, the company would not be liable for damages in connection with some of Oracle's copyrights. ... Full Story Top Apparent airline bomb plot thwarted: U.S. officials Mon,7 May 2012 03:22 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating an explosive device that could have been used by a suicide bomber on an airliner, and which was seized when the United States and its partners thwarted a plot believed linked to al Qaeda, U.S. officials said on Monday. They said no plane was actually at risk. They said the device was a redesigned model of the bomb used by the so-called "underwear bomber", who failed to blow up an airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009. That plot originated in Yemen. ... Full Story Top Anti-austerity ballot backlash rattles euro zone Mon,7 May 2012 03:17 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS/PARIS (Reuters) - An anti-austerity backlash by voters in Greece and France shook the euro zone on Monday, causing jitters for the euro currency and stock markets amid deepening doubts about whether Greece has a future in the single currency. Greece, where Europe's sovereign debt crisis began in 2009, slid into turmoil after an election on Sunday boosted left and right-wing fringe parties, stripping the two mainstream parties that backed a painful EU/IMF bailout of their parliamentary majority. ... Full Story Top Putin pledges unity on return to Kremlin, protesters held Mon,7 May 2012 03:03 PM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin took the oath as Russia's president on Monday with a ringing appeal for unity at the start of a six-year term in which he faces growing dissent, economic problems and bitter political rivalries. Parliament is expected to approve to his ally Dmitry Medvedev, 46, as prime minister on Tuesday, completing a job swap that has left many Russians feeling disenfranchised two decades after the Soviet Union collapsed. ... Full Story Top Left gets historic chance to pull Greece out of limbo Mon,7 May 2012 02:43 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's Left Coalition party will get an historic chance on Tuesday to form a government opposed to the country's EU/IMF bailout, after the mainstream conservatives failed to cobble together a coalition following a shock inconclusive election. Alexis Tsipras, whose party was catapulted into second place by voters angry with austerity, will take on the tough task of wooing small groups into forming the first leftist government in Greece's modern history. ... Full Story Top Bank of Canada says can act to protect stability Mon,7 May 2012 02:21 PM PDT Reuters - VANCOUVER (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada's low inflation mandate does not prevent it from acting, in exceptional circumstances, to protect overall financial stability, a senior official said on Monday. Deputy Governor John Murray said it was a myth that "focusing on price stability limits the Bank's ability to pursue its other major objective, financial stability. ... Full Story Top Avalon sees delays at Nechalacho rare earth project Mon,7 May 2012 02:18 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Avalon Rare Metals Inc said on Monday it expects delays in a feasibility study on its flagship Nechalacho rare earth project in Canada's Northwest Territories, as it needs more time to complete metallurgical studies. Toronto-based Avalon said the feasibility study on the asset will not be completed until the second quarter of calendar 2013. It had originally expected the study to be complete before the end of 2012. The delay will also push back initial production from the site to late 2016, the company said. ... Full Story Top Air Canada, pilots start 10-day talks on Thursday Mon,7 May 2012 01:59 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Air Canada and the union representing its 3,000 pilots will start 10 days of talks on Thursday under a Canadian government-appointed arbitrator, according to an internal pilots memo, in a final effort to agree on a new labor contract. If they fail to reach an agreement in that time-frame, arbitrator Douglas Stanley has less than 90 days to choose either the pilots' or the airline's offer, whichever he deems best, and impose it on both sides. Air Canada and the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) have been in on-again, off-again talks for more than a year. ... Full Story Top Ontario Teachers to back Ackman in CP Rail vote Mon,7 May 2012 01:52 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Ontario Teachers' Pension Fund, a large Canadian Pacific Railway shareholder, will vote for William Ackman's slate of directors instead of the incumbent board, strengthening the activist investor's hand ahead of next week's proxy showdown. Teachers said on Monday it would not vote for CP's slate of proposed directors because the company's performance has lagged its peers during Fred Green's tenure as chief executive. ... Full Story Top Colombia rebels want media debate for Frenchman's release Mon,7 May 2012 01:24 PM PDT Reuters - BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's leftist FARC rebels accused the government of manipulating journalists and demanded a debate on freedom of information Monday as a step that may lead to the release of a French reporter kidnapped nine days ago. Romeo Langlois, a reporter for news channel France 24, was embedded with government troops carrying out an anti-drug raid when a firefight broke out with members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who later took him hostage. ... Full Story Top Berlusconi's centre-right takes drubbing in Italy local polls Mon,7 May 2012 12:58 PM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - Left-wing and protest parties made strong gains in local elections on Monday and the centre-right party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi saw heavy losses as Italian voters joined other Europeans in venting anger over austerity policies. The results, following the victory of French Socialist Francois Hollande and major losses for traditional big parties in Greece on Sunday, will add to pressure for European leaders to ease measures adopted to counter the financial crisis. ... Full Story Top Putin seeks close U.S. ties, missile guarantee Mon,7 May 2012 12:23 PM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow will seek closer ties with the United States but will not tolerate interference in its affairs and wants guarantees a U.S. missile shield will not be used against Russia, under terms of a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Putin set out foreign policy priorities in a wide-ranging document signed hours after his inauguration to a six-year term as president, veering little from an article he wrote on the subject during the election campaign. ... Full Story Top Simulated sex featured at ex-Italy PM party: trial Mon,7 May 2012 12:20 PM PDT Reuters - MILAN (Reuters) - Young women simulated oral sex with a Greek statue at a party hosted by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, a witness said on Monday at a trial where he is accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute. Chiara Danese, a 20-year-old beauty contest winner, had tears in her eyes as she told a Milan court that Berlusconi asked the women to play sex games with a nude statue of the ancient fertility god Priapus. "He touched the girls while they simulated oral sex with the statue," she said. ... Full Story Top Karzai says Afghan civilian deaths could hinder U.S. pact Mon,7 May 2012 12:18 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - The strategic pact sealed by President Barack Obama last week in Afghanistan is at risk of becoming "meaningless" if Afghans do not feel safe, President Hamid Karzai said on Monday, referring to recent civilian casualties inflicted by NATO. Karzai summoned U.S. General John Allen, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker to his palace to discuss the civilian deaths, a longstanding thorn in ties between Karzai and his Western backers. ... Full Story Top Armenia president's party wins election Mon,7 May 2012 12:12 PM PDT Reuters - YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's Republican Party won a parliamentary majority, election results showed on Monday, strengthening his position ahead of a presidential election next year. The Republican Party won 44 percent of the vote decided under a party list system in Sunday's election and won at least 28 seats contested by individual candidates, election officials said, giving it an overall majority in the 131-seat parliament. ... Full Story Top Taliban stronger than before U.S. troop surge: lawmakers Mon,7 May 2012 12:05 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Taliban is stronger now than before President Barack Obama ordered a surge of U.S. troops to Afghanistan, two senior lawmakers said on Sunday, contradicting the administration's assessment of the insurgency. "I think we both say that what we found is the Taliban is stronger," Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein told CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview that included House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, who agreed with her statement. The two lawmakers returned last week from a trip to Afghanistan. ... Full Story Top At least 32 Yemen troops killed in militant attack Mon,7 May 2012 11:41 AM PDT Reuters - ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - Islamist gunmen killed at least 32 government soldiers on Monday when they stormed a military position in southern Yemen where militants control broad swathes of territory, a military official said. Yemen has a seen a surge in violence in the south since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February, prompting the government to respond with air strikes and the United States with drones that target militants. ... Full Story Top EU tells defiant Iran it "must" suspend atom activity Mon,7 May 2012 11:29 AM PDT Reuters - VIENNA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union told Iran on Monday it must suspend uranium enrichment, a few days after the Islamic state ruled out doing just that, as Tehran and the West engaged in diplomatic shadow-boxing ahead of nuclear talks this month. The United States called on Iran to take "urgent practical steps" to build confidence during negotiations with world powers on Tehran's nuclear program, which Washington and its allies suspect is a bid to develop an atomic bomb capability. ... Full Story Top Head of Irish church apologizes to sex abuse victims Mon,7 May 2012 11:25 AM PDT Reuters - DUBLIN (Reuters) - The head of the Irish Catholic Church apologized on Monday to victims of sexual abuse but rejected calls to resign after a TV documentary reported the cleric failed to warn parents their children were being sexually abused by a priest in 1975. The documentary, broadcast by Britain's BBC on Tuesday, said child victim Brendan Boland gave Cardinal Sean Brady the names and addresses of children being abused by pedophile Brendan Smyth during a Church investigation but Brady failed to act to ensure their safety. ... Full Story Top Putin seeks close U.S. ties, missile guarantee Mon,7 May 2012 10:47 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow will seek closer ties with the United States but will not tolerate interference in its affairs and wants guarantees a U.S. missile shield will not be used against Russia, under terms of a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Putin set out foreign policy priorities in a wide-ranging document signed hours after his inauguration to a six-year term as president, veering little from an article he wrote on the subject during the election campaign. ... Full Story Top Egypt bedouins release Fiji peacekeepers in Sinai: sources Mon,7 May 2012 10:35 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Bedouins in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula released 10 Fijian members of a multinational peacekeeping force they had kidnapped earlier on Monday to try to secure the release of fellow tribesmen from prison, Egyptian security sources said. The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) could not immediately be reached for comment. The remote Sinai region has descended further into lawlessness since a popular uprising ousted Egypt's president more than a year ago and threw the security apparatus into disarray. ... Full Story Top U.N. chief: killings in Syria "intolerable" Mon,7 May 2012 10:33 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The 14 months of bloodshed in Syria that has continued despite an April 12 ceasefire and claimed more than 9,000 lives is a "totally unacceptable and intolerable situation" that must stop so political dialogue can begin, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday. The priority for the United Nations is to deploy a complete supervision mission of 300 unarmed U.N. monitors as soon as possible, Ban said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. ... Full Story Top Greek conservative leader says unable to form government Mon,7 May 2012 10:32 AM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras said on Monday he had failed to form a coalition government and had handed back the mandate to the country's president. "We did everything we could," Samaras said. "It was impossible (to form a government). I handed back the mandate." Samaras, whose party won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday's inconclusive election, was given the first chance to form an administration by President Karolos Papoulias. ... Full Story Top Markets, Germany wary as Hollande wins in France Mon,7 May 2012 10:28 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Francois Hollande's election as French president was greeted by jitters on European markets and a dour front in Berlin where ruling conservatives warned the Socialist on Monday that Germans were not ready to pay for his promises of an end to austerity. With investors spooked by Greek voters' rejection of parties which slashed budgets to secure an EU/IMF bailout, festivities in Paris after Hollande defeated centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday soon gave way to a grim sense of getting down to the business of dealing with Europe's deep economic crisis. ... Full Story Top Romania leftist government wins parliament backing: MPs Mon,7 May 2012 10:15 AM PDT Reuters - BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's new left-leaning government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta sealed parliamentary backing with a comfortable majority in a confidence vote on Monday, legislators said. "We won with backing from 284 MPs," said Dan Radu Rusanu of the Liberal party of the USL alliance headed by 39-year-old Ponta. "(Backing) is over 280 votes," said another deputy. The government needed support from at least 231 legislators. ... Full Story Top Ruling party faces close vote in Bahamas election Mon,7 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT Reuters - NASSAU (Reuters) - Bahamians voted on Monday in national elections as Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham seeks to keep the ruling party in power in this sparsely populated island chain dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Political analysts predict a close race between the country's two longtime leading parties, the governing Free National Movement (FNM) and the opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in a vote focused on the economy, crime and oil. ... Full Story Top Israeli court orders removal of settlement houses Mon,7 May 2012 09:27 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court rejected on Monday a government request to delay the demolition of five apartment buildings in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, ruling the houses must be removed by July 1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government agreed last year to remove the houses at Ulpana, on the edge of the Beit El settlement, after a court ruled they were built on private Palestinian land. ... Full Story Top Syria says many vote in assembly election, opposition denounces "show" Mon,7 May 2012 09:23 AM PDT Reuters - DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria's government said voters turned out in large numbers on Monday for a parliamentary election it sees as central to its reform program, but opposition supporters denounced the exercise as a sham and reported more fighting between rebels and troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. In Washington, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the unrelenting bloodshed "totally unacceptable and intolerable." Ban said it was a priority for the United Nations to deploy a mission to supervise a ceasefire as soon as possible and he called on all factions to stop the violence. ... Full Story Top Russia's Putin orders investment in "new economy" Mon,7 May 2012 09:06 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's government to boost investment and shake up state-run industries in a flurry of decrees issued after he returned to the presidency on Monday with a call for a "new economy". Putin set out his long-term economic and social goals in the orders, issued on the first day of a six-year presidency during which he will face pressure to improve Russia's business climate, shrink the state's role and ease reliance on energy exports. ... Full Story Top U.S. keeps India waiting on Iran sanctions waiver Mon,7 May 2012 08:39 AM PDT Reuters - KOLKATA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaned on India on Monday to cut its imports of Iranian oil further, and said Washington may not make a decision on whether to exempt New Delhi from financial sanctions for another two months. Clinton, on a three-day visit to India, said the United States was encouraged by the steps its ally had taken to reduce its reliance on Iranian oil, but that "even more" was needed. As Tehran's second-biggest crude customer, India is crucial to U.S. ... Full Story Top Israeli court rules against Palestinian hunger strikers Mon,7 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT Reuters - RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court turned down on Monday an appeal by two Palestinians, who have been on hunger strike for the past 70 days, to free them from detention without trial. But in its decision, released by the Justice Ministry, the court said security authorities should consider freeing them for medical reasons. Thaer Halahla and Bilal Diab, described by the court as active members of the Islamic Jihad militant group, have been refusing food in protest at their "administrative detention", a policy Israel applies in many security-related cases. ... Full Story Top Israel set for early vote as it ponders Iran challenge Mon,7 May 2012 08:20 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's parliament convened on Monday to dissolve itself and set a September 4 election that opinion polls predict will renew Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership mandate as Israel confronts Iran's nuclear ambitions. The looming ballot has deepened doubts about the right-wing prime minister's threats to attack Iran and raised the question of whether his window of opportunity is now too narrow. ... Full Story Top Obama invites France's Hollande to Washington in May Mon,7 May 2012 08:09 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama has invited French president-elect Francois Hollande for bilateral talks in Washington this month before members of the NATO defense alliance meet for a summit, a close Hollande aide said on Monday. Pierre Moscovici, Hollande's campaign director, said Obama had called Hollande on Sunday to congratulate him on his election victory and to invite France's president-elect to a meeting of G8 heads of state at Camp David on May 18-19. That will be followed by a summit of leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) in Chicago on May 20-21. ... Full Story Top Venezuela insists Chavez still leading as silence reigns Mon,7 May 2012 08:04 AM PDT Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - Allies of Venezuela's ailing President Hugo Chavez insisted on Monday he was still leading the OPEC nation despite a week of silence from the usually loquacious leader whose battle with cancer has overshadowed his reelection bid. Chavez's normally ubiquitous media presence has slowed to a trickle of Tweets. He has not made any live contact with state media in the week since a public appearance last Monday before leaving for Cuba to receive treatment. ... Full Story Top Germany unmoved by anti-austerity votes in Europe Mon,7 May 2012 07:47 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is ruling out any substantive shift in its approach to Europe's debt crisis despite a rising chorus of opposition to Berlin's austerity policies that reached a crescendo in Sunday's elections in Greece and France. Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in Berlin on Monday, rejected the notion that Europe was on the brink of a major policy shift after Socialist Francois Hollande defeated her fellow conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Greek voters punished ruling parties who slashed spending to secure a foreign bailout. ... Full Story Top Gunmen shoot CEO of Italian nuclear firm on Genoa street Mon,7 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT Reuters - GENOA, Italy (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen on a motorbike shot the chief executive of an Italian nuclear engineering company in the leg on Monday, police said, in an incident reminiscent of politically motivated violence that raged in the country in the 1970s and 1980s. Roberto Adinolfi, chief executive of Ansaldo Nucleare - majority owned by Italian defense conglomerate Finmeccanica - was shot outside his house in Genoa in northern Italy, police and judicial sources told Reuters. Two men on a black Yamaha motorbike wearing helmets fired three shots, fracturing Adinolfi's right knee. ... Full Story Top Greek socialists PASOK call for pro-European coalition Mon,7 May 2012 07:36 AM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos appealed on Monday for a pro-European coalition to keep the country in the euro zone and reiterated that terms of an unpopular bailout should be renegotiated to lessen the burden on Greeks. Venizelos's PASOK party and his conservative rivals New Democracy failed to win a combined majority in parliament after Sunday's election, leaving Greece's political landscape in disarray. The two parties are the only ones in parliament backing a bailout package tied to austerity measures. ... Full Story Top

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