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Tuesday, May 29, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Pakistani doctor in bin Laden hunt rejected U.S. escape: officials Romney's birth certificate evokes his father's controversy Mining supporters, foes reveal polarized Peru French government opposes payout for ex-Air France CEO Greece's pro-bailout conservatives leading in poll Mexico presidential front-runner suffers poll setback Syria massacre unlikely to break U.N. deadlock Taylor war crimes sentence could set precedent Fear of jury boredom seeps into Gupta insider trial Biggest Greek bank warns of dire euro exit fallout U.S. expels top Syrian diplomat, rejects intervention Tunisia judges start indefinite strike over purge TSX ends up, but pares gains on Spain France to push Russia on Syria sanctions, expels envoy Israel to sponsor non-Orthodox rabbis for first time New deadly quake shakes northern Italy Spain to present 2012-2014 budget control plan French unions warn of mass job cuts in reform talks Pro, anti-mining protests show polarized Peru Fugitive Venezuela judge helps elite U.S. anti-drugs unit West expels envoys over massacre of Syrian children Bombardier CEO urges UK to think of Derby Yemen army outflanks rebel-held Jaar: official Russia rebukes U.S. envoy after bribe comments Israel pours cold water on big-power talks with Iran Annan tells Assad: halt violence, Syria at "tipping point" Military intervention in Syria cannot be ruled out: France U.S. home prices rise but consumer confidence cools Putin aide seeks to calm worries over Russia-U.S. ties Mali rebels split over sharia in new state New global arms treaty must set tough rules: Oxfam White House: U.S. military role in Syria would cause more chaos Opera seen a Facebook fit but no "For Sale" sign Qatar safety standards questioned after more fires Germany counts cost of nuclear-to-renewables shift Half a million displaced in Syria; refugee numbers rise: U.N. Most Houla victims killed in summary executions: U.N. Vatican says leaks scandal is brutal attack on pope Somali President escapes rebel ambush on convoy Candidate's HQ attacked as vote polarizes Egypt Pakistani doctor in bin Laden hunt rejected U.S. escape: officials Tue,29 May 2012 05:04 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said a Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden turned down an opportunity to leave his country and resettle overseas with his family, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday. Dr. Shakil Afridi was jailed last week in Pakistan for 33 years for treason and the Obama administration has come under steady criticism for its handling of his case. The U.S. officials said the resettlement offer for Afridi came about the time of the May 1, 2011, raid in which U.S. ... Full Story Top Romney's birth certificate evokes his father's controversy Tue,29 May 2012 04:30 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Finally, there is definitive proof: The presidential candidate was born in the United States, and his father was not. Yes, Republican Mitt Romney appears eligible to be president, according to a copy of Romney's birth certificate released to Reuters by his campaign. Willard Mitt Romney, the certificate says, was born in Detroit on March 12, 1947. His mother, Lenore, was born in Utah and his father, former Michigan governor and one-time Republican presidential candidate George Romney, was born in Mexico. ... Full Story Top Mining supporters, foes reveal polarized Peru Tue,29 May 2012 04:01 PM PDT Reuters - LIMA (Reuters) - Thousands of Peruvians marched in support of the country's biggest-ever mining project on Tuesday, a day after the government implemented emergency powers to control an anti-mining protest in the South that turned deadly. The rally in the northern region of Cajamarca in favor of Newmont Mining's $4.8 billion Conga project praised the economic benefits of mining, a contrast to demonstrations in Cusco against Xstrata's Tintaya mine in which two people were killed. ... Full Story Top French government opposes payout for ex-Air France CEO Tue,29 May 2012 03:38 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France's new Socialist government opposes a 400,000 euros ($ 499,290) indemnity payment for former chief executive of Air France-KLM Pierre-Henri Gourgeon as it seeks to clamp down on executive pay, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on Tuesday. A representative of the French state, which holds a 15.9 percent stake in the loss-making Franco-Dutch carrier, will not vote in favor of Gourgeon's payout at a shareholders meeting on Thursday, the minister said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Greece's pro-bailout conservatives leading in poll Tue,29 May 2012 03:22 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's pro-bailout conservatives are leading ahead of a national parliamentary election next month that may determine whether the country remains in the euro zone, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday. Greece was forced to call the June 17 vote after an election on May 6 left parliament divided between parties that support and oppose austerity measures tied to a 130-billion-euro bailout agreed with the European Union and International Monetary Fund in March. Neither the pro-bailout nor anti-bailout parties succeeded in forming a government despite tortuous efforts to do so. ... Full Story Top Mexico presidential front-runner suffers poll setback Tue,29 May 2012 03:17 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Enrique Pena Nieto, the favorite to win Mexico's presidential election, has suffered his biggest drop in support during the campaign after demonstrators said his party was corrupt and oppressive, an opinion poll showed on Tuesday. The poll by Consulta Mitofsky showed backing for Pena Nieto, candidate of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), at 35.6 percent, still a big lead over Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the leftist contender and runner-up in the 2006 election. But the PRI candidate's support was down 2. ... Full Story Top Syria massacre unlikely to break U.N. deadlock Tue,29 May 2012 03:16 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A massacre in the Syrian town of Houla has sparked international outrage but is unlikely to break a year-long impasse on the U.N. Security Council between Syria's ally Russia and Western powers calling for President Bashar al-Assad's ouster. ... Full Story Top Taylor war crimes sentence could set precedent Tue,29 May 2012 03:10 PM PDT Reuters - AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor could be jailed for the rest of his life on Wednesday when he is sentenced by an international court for backing Sierra Leonean rebels in their war of murder, rape and mutilation. Prosecutors seek an 80-year sentence for Taylor, 64 - the first head of state convicted by an international court since World War Two - and the decision could set a precedent for other war crimes courts. ... Full Story Top Fear of jury boredom seeps into Gupta insider trial Tue,29 May 2012 03:05 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The judge in the insider-trading trial of former corporate luminary Rajat Gupta is worried the jury is in danger of becoming bored. As the trial went into its second week on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan warned prosecutors and defense lawyers to "sharpen" their presentations. Gupta, 63, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc board member and global head of management consulting firm McKinsey & Co, is the most prominent corporate figure indicted in the U.S. government's crackdown on insider trading. ... Full Story Top Biggest Greek bank warns of dire euro exit fallout Tue,29 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - If Greece left the euro, living standards would plummet, incomes would be slashed by more than half, and inflation and unemployment would skyrocket, the National Bank of Greece warned on Tuesday. In a report released ahead of an election on June 17 that may determine whether the country stays in the single currency, the country's biggest bank said the risk of Athens exiting the euro was no longer just a theoretical possibility, warning that the fallout from such a move would be dramatic. ... Full Story Top U.S. expels top Syrian diplomat, rejects intervention Tue,29 May 2012 02:21 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expelled Syria's top diplomat in Washington on Tuesday following what it described as the "despicable" massacre of more than 100 civilians in a Syrian town. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Syrian Charge d'Affaires Zuheir Jabbour had been given 72 hours to leave the country, part of a wave of expulsions of Syrian diplomats from Western capitals. While the moves were symbolically important and aimed at increasing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's isolation, the Obama administration continued to resist any U.S. ... Full Story Top Tunisia judges start indefinite strike over purge Tue,29 May 2012 02:19 PM PDT Reuters - TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian judges began an indefinite strike on Tuesday to protest at the firing of dozens of magistrates, increasing pressure on a government already facing the biggest upsurge in protests since it came to power in a democratic transition. Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri fired 81 judges earlier this week on suspicion of corruption and ties to the administration of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the autocratic ruler ousted last year in a revolt that inspired the "Arab Spring. ... Full Story Top TSX ends up, but pares gains on Spain Tue,29 May 2012 02:01 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian stocks finished slightly higher on Tuesday, erasing most earlier gains as gold mining firms slid with bullion prices after a downgrade to Spain's sovereign credit rating rekindled fears about Europe's deepening debt crisis. Bullion rose in early trade and then fell as the euro tumbled to its lowest level in nearly two years after credit agency Egan-Jones downgraded Spain's rating. U.S. equities temporarily trimmed gains and other commodities dropped. The heavyweight materials sector, which includes gold miners, sank 1.2 percent. ... Full Story Top France to push Russia on Syria sanctions, expels envoy Tue,29 May 2012 01:49 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday he would try to convince Russia's Vladimir Putin to back Security Council sanctions against Syria, and said military action could be possible but only if it was backed by a U.N. resolution. France joined the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Spain in expelling heads of Syrian diplomatic missions in a coordinated move in response to last week's killing of at least 108 people in the town of Houla. ... Full Story Top Israel to sponsor non-Orthodox rabbis for first time Tue,29 May 2012 01:42 PM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will pay the salaries of non-Orthodox rabbis for the first time, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday, a move hailed by reformed Jews as "historic", but one that keeps the Orthodox in control of much of the country's religious services. In 2005, a number of liberal Jewish groups petitioned the Supreme Court to receive state funding for municipal posts held by non-Orthodox rabbis. ... Full Story Top New deadly quake shakes northern Italy Tue,29 May 2012 01:41 PM PDT Reuters - CAVEZZO, Italy (Reuters) - An earthquake killed 16 people and injured about 350 in northern Italy on Tuesday, spreading fear among thousands of residents living in tents after a similarly strong tremor in the same region flattened their homes nine days ago. Rescuers were searching through the rubble of houses and warehouses in the Emilia-Romagna region, where several building sites had just reopened after the previous quake on May 20. ... Full Story Top Spain to present 2012-2014 budget control plan Tue,29 May 2012 01:36 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will put forward a three-year plan to control central government spending, covering 2012-2014, when it presents a draft budget to Congress in the coming months, a government source told Reuters on Tuesday. Spain is trying to control three areas of spending, at the central government level, the 17 autonomous regions and social security after missing the 2011 budget deficit target by a large margin. The deficit was 8.9 percent instead of 6.0 percent. ... Full Story Top French unions warn of mass job cuts in reform talks Tue,29 May 2012 01:29 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French unions pressed President Francois Hollande at the start of labor talks on Tuesday to prove his job-saving mettle by handing his Socialist cabinet a list of looming company shutdowns that are threatening tens of thousands of jobs. Hollande, who came to power this month against a grim economic backdrop, has promised to reverse rising unemployment and shore up the struggling manufacturing sector, partly by pumping investment into small and medium businesses. ... Full Story Top Pro, anti-mining protests show polarized Peru Tue,29 May 2012 01:23 PM PDT Reuters - LIMA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Peruvians marched in support of the country's biggest-ever mining project on Tuesday, a day after the government implemented emergency powers to control an anti-mining protest in the South that turned deadly. The rally in the northern region of Cajamarca in favor of Newmont Mining's $4.8 billion Conga project praised development, a contrast to demonstrations in Cusco against Xstrata's Tintaya mine that left at least two people dead. ... Full Story Top Fugitive Venezuela judge helps elite U.S. anti-drugs unit Tue,29 May 2012 01:12 PM PDT Reuters - CARACAS/MIAMI (Reuters) - A former Venezuelan Supreme Court judge who fled the country last month is cooperating with an elite special operations unit of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that targets major international traffickers, according to sources familiar with the case. Testimony by Eladio Aponte could pave the way for indictments of President Hugo Chavez's allies. That would embarrass the socialist leader and help Washington cast its ideological adversary as leading a pariah nation. ... Full Story Top West expels envoys over massacre of Syrian children Tue,29 May 2012 12:55 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers expelled Syria's envoys on Tuesday in outrage at a massacre of 108 people, almost half of them children, and peace envoy Kofi Annan urged President Bashar al-Assad to halt the bloodshed as "a tipping point" had been reached. The killings in the town of Houla drew a chorus of condemnation from around the world, with the United Nations saying entire families were killed in their homes on Friday, some by army tanks and others probably by pro-Assad militia. "Bashar al-Assad is the murderer of his people," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Le Monde. ... Full Story Top Bombardier CEO urges UK to think of Derby Tue,29 May 2012 12:43 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Bombardier Inc's bid to supply trains for Crossrail, the project to build a new railway link under central London, is crucial to the future of the British rail industry, the Canadian company's chief executive said on Tuesday. Bombardier's facility in Derby, central England, is the country's last remaining train manufacturing plant, and the company is shortlisted for the Crossrail contract. If Britain wants to keep its local manufacturer, it needs to consider that factor when it evaluates bids, Chief Executive Pierre Beaudoin told reporters outside an event in Toronto. ... Full Story Top Yemen army outflanks rebel-held Jaar: official Tue,29 May 2012 12:16 PM PDT Reuters - ADEN (Reuters) - Yemeni troops have captured rebel-held positions on the outskirts of the southern city of Jaar, a military official said on Tuesday, pushing ahead with a U.S.-backed offensive to remove Islamist militants from the country. He said at least 10 militants had been killed in the fighting since Monday night and the Yemeni army was within 2-3 km (1-2 miles) of Jaar. "Seizing this area will help us gain control of Jaar city," he told Reuters. "Our goal is to advance into the city. ... Full Story Top Russia rebukes U.S. envoy after bribe comments Tue,29 May 2012 12:07 PM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia sharply criticised the U.S. ambassador for the third time in his five-month tenure after he said that Moscow offered Kyrgyzstan a bribe in a bid to evict U.S. forces from an air base and had sought backroom "quid pro quo" deals on key issues. In a statement issued late on Monday, the Foreign Ministry expressed "extreme bewilderment" at remarks that the ambassador, Michael McFaul, made in a university lecture on Friday. ... Full Story Top Israel pours cold water on big-power talks with Iran Tue,29 May 2012 11:54 AM PDT Reuters - TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday nothing short of Iran stopping uranium enrichment, getting rid of what it already produced and dismantling the means of making more, would satisfy him that it had no nuclear weapons project. "This is the true test. Without that there is nothing," he told a strategic affairs conference in Tel Aviv. He said the six world powers, which last week finished a second round of negotiations with Iran over its disputed nuclear programme and scheduled the next meeting in Moscow on June 18-19, needed to take a tougher stance. ... Full Story Top Annan tells Assad: halt violence, Syria at "tipping point" Tue,29 May 2012 11:50 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - International envoy Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that Syria, suffering from persistent killings and abuses, was at a "tipping point" and he had appealed to President Bashar al-Assad to act immediately to halt the violence. Annan said that in his talks with the Syrian leader in Damascus he "conveyed in frank terms the grave concern of the international community about the violence in Syria, including the recent shocking events in Houla." He said Assad had also condemned the killings in Houla, where 108 people were massacred on Friday, almost half of them children. ... Full Story Top Military intervention in Syria cannot be ruled out: France Tue,29 May 2012 11:49 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Military intervention to end the crisis in Syria cannot be ruled out if it is backed by the United Nations Security Council, French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday. "It is not possible to allow Bashar al-Assad's regime to massacre its own people," Hollande told France 2 television. "Military intervention is not excluded provided it is carried out under the auspices of international law, namely via a (U.N.) Security Council resolution. ... Full Story Top U.S. home prices rise but consumer confidence cools Tue,29 May 2012 11:44 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. home prices edged higher for the second month in a row in March as the housing recovery picked up traction, while gains in some of the hardest hit areas suggested the improvement was becoming more broad-based. But consumer confidence cooled in May to its lowest level in four months, separate data showed on Tuesday, as Americans turned gloomy about the job market and the economic outlook. The closely watched S&P/Case Shiller composite home price index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0. ... Full Story Top Putin aide seeks to calm worries over Russia-U.S. ties Tue,29 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - A veteran aide to Vladimir Putin sought on Tuesday to dispel the impression that relations with Washington were on a downward spiral after anti-U.S. remarks from the Russian president and his decision not to attend the G8 summit. Putin, a former KGB spy, snubbed an invitation to the U.S. this month and blamed U.S. officials for meddling in Russia's internal affairs during the election campaign before a March 4 vote, stoking worries that his return heralded a new standoff. ... Full Story Top Mali rebels split over sharia in new state Tue,29 May 2012 11:31 AM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - An agreement between northern Mali's MNLA Tuareg rebels and the al Qaeda-linked Islamist group Ansar Dine to create an Islamic state in the Azawad desert has hit trouble over how strictly to impose sharia, Islamic law, MNLA sources said on Tuesday. The separatist MNLA wants a moderate form of sharia, while Ansar Dine would like to impose a more hardline version, using punishments such as the amputation of hands and heads for certain crimes, the sources said. ... Full Story Top New global arms treaty must set tough rules: Oxfam Tue,29 May 2012 11:28 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - States must set legally binding global rules on weapon and ammunition sales, aid agency Oxfam said on Tuesday, ahead of a United Nations summit to agree an arms treaty to prevent arms reaching human rights violators. Citing the example of Syria, which has continued to receive arms shipments even as it is accused of killing more than 9,000 civilians in a crackdown on a popular uprising, Oxfam said it is vital that regulations on weapons sales are strengthened. ... Full Story Top White House: U.S. military role in Syria would cause more chaos Tue,29 May 2012 11:13 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday it did not believe military intervention in Syria was the right course of action at this time because it would lead to greater chaos and carnage. White House spokesman Jay Carney told a briefing, however, that the United States had not taken any options - including military action - off of the table with regard to dealing with the Syrian crisis. Earlier on Tuesday, the administration expelled Syria's top diplomat in Washington following what it described as the massacre of more than 100 civilians in the Syrian town of Houla. ... Full Story Top Opera seen a Facebook fit but no "For Sale" sign Tue,29 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT Reuters - OSLO (Reuters) - Facebook is under pressure to make money from the increasing number of users who access the social networking site from mobiles, making Norway's Opera a good fit for it, bankers familiar with the technology industry said. Shares in the mobile browser maker soared by as much as 26 percent on Tuesday. Tech blogs reported recently that it was in the sights of Facebook, which was criticized at the time of its $100 billion initial public offering for failing to have an effective mobile advertising strategy. ... Full Story Top Qatar safety standards questioned after more fires Tue,29 May 2012 10:47 AM PDT Reuters - DOHA (Reuters) - Fires broke out at an aviation college and a girls' school in Qatar on Tuesday, a day after 19 foreigners died in a shopping mall blaze, focusing concern on safety standards in the wealthy Gulf Arab state. The country of 1.7 million people, most of them expatriates, has outlined public investment plans worth $95 billion over five years to 2016 as it prepares to host the 2022 soccer World Cup. This week it unveiled budgetary spending of $49 billion for the next fiscal year ending March 2013. ... Full Story Top Germany counts cost of nuclear-to-renewables shift Tue,29 May 2012 10:45 AM PDT Reuters - BONN (Reuters) - Germany must invest tens of billions of euros in its power grid over the coming decade to avoid an electricity shortfall as it switches from nuclear to renewable energy, grid operators said on Tuesday. Germany's government, the federal energy network regulator and grid firms unveiled joint plans to build thousands of kilometers of new electricity lines by 2022, to help distribute volatile renewable energy. ... Full Story Top Half a million displaced in Syria; refugee numbers rise: U.N. Tue,29 May 2012 10:33 AM PDT Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - The estimated number of internally displaced Syrians has more than doubled to 500,000 since an April 12 ceasefire and the flow of refugees abroad has gathered pace again, U.N. officials said on Tuesday. The number of internally displaced people, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimate given to the U.N., was about 200,000 before the peace deal which both sides have broken. The number of refugees being assisted by the U.N. ... Full Story Top Most Houla victims killed in summary executions: U.N. Tue,29 May 2012 10:32 AM PDT Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - Most of the 108 people killed in the Syrian town of Houla were civilians, nearly half of them children, and entire families were shot dead in their homes, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday. Witnesses and survivors have told U.N. investigators that most victims died in two bouts of summary executions carried out by "shabbiha" militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in the nearby village of Taldaou last Friday, U.N. rights spokesman Rupert Colville said. ... Full Story Top Vatican says leaks scandal is brutal attack on pope Tue,29 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT Reuters - VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Tuesday denounced the theft of secret papal documents as a "brutal" personal attack on Pope Benedict as a powerful group of cardinals hunted more culprits behind the biggest crisis of his pontificate. With the crisis over leaks of sensitive documents deepening, the third most senior figure in the Vatican fired a bitter salvo in the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. ... Full Story Top Somali President escapes rebel ambush on convoy Tue,29 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT Reuters - MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's al Shabaab rebels ambushed an armored convoy carrying the country's president during a rare overland trip outside the capital on Tuesday, a Reuters witness said. President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed was unharmed in the attack which occurred on the outskirts of Elasha town, located between Mogadishu and the former rebel stronghold of Afgoye, about 30 km (18 miles) northwest of the city. "The fighting split the convoy. Vehicles scattered in different directions," a Reuters photographer travelling with the convoy said. ... Full Story Top Candidate's HQ attacked as vote polarizes Egypt Tue,29 May 2012 10:08 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - An attack on the offices of one of the two finalists in Egypt's presidential race has sounded a warning that the last round of voting might spark more violence in a nation polarized by the choice between an Islamist and an ex-general from Hosni Mubarak's era. Protesters set fire to storage rooms and smashed computers late on Monday at the campaign headquarters of Ahmed Shafiq, a 70-year-old former air force chief and premier under Mubarak, who was confirmed as a run-off candidate after the first round. ... Full Story Top

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