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Monday, November 28, 2011 12:05 AM PST

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Bomber hits Iraq military base, 11 dead: officials Pakistan fumes amid conflicting accounts of NATO attack "Serious abuses" in Myanmar despite reforms: group Congo vote begins despite delay fears, violence Mexico's early frontrunner formalizes presidential bid Arab sanctions tighten noose on Syria's Assad Mexico eyes legal action against ICC case "slander" Saboteurs blow up Egypt gas pipeline to Jordan, Israel Saboteurs blow up Egypt gas pipeline to Jordan, Israel Congo to vote despite violence Last chance to save Kyoto deal at climate talks Islamists win most seats in Moroccan vote Germany, France examine radical push for eurozone integration Egypt vote tests troubled political transition Factbox: Political parties, groups in post-Mubarak Egypt Egypt's new PM says new parliament may change government Factbox: Mexican presidential hopefuls Mexico's early frontrunner formalizes presidential bid Moroccan opposition warns of silent majority Rage grips Pakistan over NATO attack Police break up tent protest in Ukraine, one dies Analysis: Syria's neighbors may soften sanctions blow Yemen names interim PM, violence kills at least 25 in north Factbox: Arab League sanctions on Syria French centrist Morin says to run in 2012 election Mexican ruling party smears rivals with drug gangs Analysis: U.S., Pakistani co-dependence may prevent rupture Protests against military rule cloud Egypt election More Ethiopian troops seen in central Somalia: residents Yemen names opposition leader Basindwa as premier At least 25 dead in north Yemen conflict, fighters say Libyan Berbers vent rage over cabinet exclusion Citizens declare war on abuses in Egypt vote Factbox: Egypt's parliamentary election voting timetable Q+A: How does Egypt's parliamentary election system work? Karzai adds restive areas to next security transfer One dead, five missing in Irish Sea sinking UN calls for restraint on eve of Congo vote Bahrain pledges to act on criticism of crackdown Qatar says Syria sanctions to be enforced now Bomber hits Iraq military base, 11 dead: officials Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:14 PM PST Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber struck a military base in the Iraqi town of Taji Monday, killing at least 11 people in the latest attack by insurgents attempting to undermine the government. The attacker detonated a bomb at the entrance to the base, which houses a jail, officials and security sources said. Taji is 20 km (12 miles) north of Baghdad. The attack underscored the fragile state of Iraqi security as Washington pulls its remaining 14,500 troops out by year-end, nearly nine years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. ... Full Story Top Pakistan fumes amid conflicting accounts of NATO attack Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:05 PM PST Reuters - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's military denied reports that NATO forces in Afghanistan came under fire before launching a cross-border attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers over the weekend. "This is not true. They are making up excuses. What are their losses, casualties?" army spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas said in a mobile phone text message on Monday. Tensions are running high at a time when deep cooperation is needed between the NATO mission and Pakistan to stabilize Afghanistan as the United States tries to wind up the war there. ... Full Story Top "Serious abuses" in Myanmar despite reforms: group Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:01 PM PST Reuters - BANGKOK (Reuters) - Myanmar soldiers are committing serious human rights abuses including extra-judicial killing and rape in a campaign against guerrillas in the north of the country despite reforms aimed at ending harsh military rule, a relief group said Monday. The abuses could amount to war crimes and Hillary Clinton should bring up the issue in talks this week when she becomes the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Myanmar in five decades, the group Partners Relief and Development said. ... Full Story Top Congo vote begins despite delay fears, violence Sun,27 Nov 2011 10:35 PM PST Reuters - KINSHASA (Reuters) - Voting began in Congo's second-post war election Monday after poll organizers defied fears that a delay would be needed to deal with logistical problems and critics who called for a review because of irregularities. After repeated delays, the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary vote turned violent in the capital at the weekend. Final rallies were canceled due to clashes between rival supporters, security forces opened fire on crowds and the main presidential challenger was prevented from campaigning. ... Full Story Top Mexico's early frontrunner formalizes presidential bid Sun,27 Nov 2011 07:39 PM PST Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The frontrunner in Mexico's 2012 presidential race pledged on Sunday to break past decades of political paralysis and deliver the country from a deepening spiral of drug violence and sluggish economic growth. Thousands of cheering supporters rallied around Enrique Pena Nieto, the charismatic young ex-governor of Mexico's most populous state, after he registered in Mexico City as the official presidential candidate of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). ... Full Story Top Arab sanctions tighten noose on Syria's Assad Sun,27 Nov 2011 06:51 PM PST Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - The Arab League approved unprecedented economic sanctions against Syria, isolating President Bashar al-Assad's government over its eight-month crackdown on protests against his rule. Britain said the sanctions could help enlist support at the United Nations for action against Damascus, which launched the crackdown against protesters calling for Assad's removal soon after the uprising began eight months ago. The United Nations says Syrian security forces have killed more than 3,500 people in the crackdown. ... Full Story Top Mexico eyes legal action against ICC case "slander" Sun,27 Nov 2011 05:57 PM PST Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico is exploring legal action against activists who asked the International Criminal Court to investigate officials for allowing subordinates to kill and torture civilians as the government battles against drug gangs, President Felipe Calderon's office said on Sunday. Calderon's office called the accusations "absurd" and said the security policy of a democratic state that investigates human rights abuses could not be compared to the war crimes committed by authoritarian states. ... Full Story Top Saboteurs blow up Egypt gas pipeline to Jordan, Israel Sun,27 Nov 2011 04:38 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Saboteurs blew up Egypt's gas pipeline to Jordan and Israel on Monday, witnesses and security sources said, a few hours before the country holds its first free election since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. The explosion struck the pipeline west of al-Arish in Sinai, witnesses said. There was a second consecutive blast, about 100 meters away, sources said. State news agency MENA said the explosion was in al-Sabeel area. Security forces and fire trucks raced to the scene. ... Full Story Top Saboteurs blow up Egypt gas pipeline to Jordan, Israel Sun,27 Nov 2011 03:59 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Saboteurs blew up Egypt's gas pipeline to Jordan and Israel on Monday, witnesses and security sources said, a few hours before the country holds its first free election since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. The explosion was set off west of al-Arish in Sinai, witnesses said. Security forces and fire trucks raced to the scene. (Reporting by Yusri Mohamed and Dina Zayed; editing by Elizabeth Piper) Full Story Top Congo to vote despite violence Sun,27 Nov 2011 03:55 PM PST Reuters - KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congo plans to push ahead with the country's second-post war election on Monday, defying fears that a delay would be needed due to logistical problems and critics who called for the process to be reviewed because of irregularities. After repeated delays, the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary vote turned violent in the capital at the weekend. Final rallies were canceled due to clashes between rival supporters, security forces opened fire on crowds and the main presidential challenger was prevented from campaigning. ... Full Story Top Last chance to save Kyoto deal at climate talks Sun,27 Nov 2011 03:35 PM PST Reuters - DURBAN (Reuters) - Countries will make a last ditch effort to save a dying Kyoto Protocol at global climate talks starting on Monday aimed at cutting the greenhouse gas emissions blamed by scientists for rising sea levels, intense storms and crop failures. Kyoto, which was adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, commits most developed states to binding emissions targets. The talks are the last chance to set another round of targets before the first commitment period ends in 2012. ... Full Story Top Islamists win most seats in Moroccan vote Sun,27 Nov 2011 03:18 PM PST Reuters - RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's moderate Islamist PJD party won the most seats in the country's parliamentary election, final results showed Sunday, in the latest sign of a resurgence of faith-based movements since the Arab Spring uprisings. The victory for Morocco's Justice and Development Party came a month after Tunisia handed power to a previously-banned party of moderate Islamists. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is also expected to do well in an election starting Monday. ... Full Story Top Germany, France examine radical push for eurozone integration Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany and France are exploring radical methods of securing deeper and more rapid fiscal integration among euro zone countries, aware that getting broad backing for the necessary treaty changes may not be possible, officials say. Germany's original plan was to try to secure agreement among all 27 EU countries for a limited treaty change by the end of 2012, making it possible to impose much tighter budget controls over the 17 euro zone countries -- a way of shoring up the region's defenses against the debt crisis. ... Full Story Top Egypt vote tests troubled political transition Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians vote on Monday in the first big test of a transition born in popular revolutionary euphoria that soured into distrust of the generals who replaced their master, Hosni Mubarak. In the nine months since a revolt ended the ex-president's 30-year rule, political change in Egypt has faltered, with the military apparently more focused on preserving its power and privilege than on fostering any democratic transformation. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Political parties, groups in post-Mubarak Egypt Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:52 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Egypt starts voting on Monday in its first parliamentary election since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February, with more than 50 registered political parties. Details on the most influential parties and groups follow: * FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY The Freedom and Justice Party was set up in April as the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned under Mubarak and has emerged as one of the most influential forces. The party has not issued a detailed manifesto. Brotherhood leaders say the party is a civil group that has Islam as a "reference" point. ... Full Story Top Egypt's new PM says new parliament may change government Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:36 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Any parliamentary majority that emerges from Egyptian legislative elections may move to install a new government, Egypt's new prime minister-designate Kamal Ganzouri said on Sunday. The comments appeared at odds with remarks by a member of the ruling military council who said on Saturday the new parliament, to be elected in a vote that begins on Monday, would not be able to dismiss the government or pick new ministers. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Mexican presidential hopefuls Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:32 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - The frontrunner in Mexico's 2012 presidential race, Enrique Pena Nieto, formally registered his candidacy to run for the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party on Sunday. Following is a list of the main potential candidates, with the ruling National Action Party nomination still undecided: PAN - SANTIAGO CREEL Interior minister under former president Vicente Fox, Creel is a seasoned politician who lost his party's 2005 nomination to the eventual winner, President Felipe Calderon. ... Full Story Top Mexico's early frontrunner formalizes presidential bid Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:21 PM PST Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The frontrunner in Mexico's 2012 presidential race on Sunday pledged to break past decades of political paralysis and deliver the country from a deepening spiral of drug violence and sluggish economic growth. Thousands of cheering supporters rallied around Enrique Pena Nieto, the charismatic young ex-governor of Mexico's most populous state, after he registered in Mexico City as the official presidential candidate of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). ... Full Story Top Moroccan opposition warns of silent majority Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:18 PM PST Reuters - RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's parliamentary election shows most people are not interested in King Mohammed's reforms, the main opposition group said, vowing to push ahead with protests to press for a constitutional monarchy and an end to corruption. Final results from Friday's vote, brought forward by almost a year as part of the reform drive, handed the Justice and Development Party (PJD) the second victory for Islamists in the region in the wake of the "Arab Spring" uprisings. Morocco has not had a revolution of the kind seen elsewhere in north Africa and its monarch is still firmly in charge. ... Full Story Top Rage grips Pakistan over NATO attack Sun,27 Nov 2011 02:03 PM PST Reuters - ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Reuters) - Fury spread in Pakistan Sunday over a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and could undermine the U.S. effort to wind up the war in Afghanistan. Sunday night in Pakistan, more than 40 hours after the incident, many questions remained. NATO described the killings as a "tragic unintended incident" and said an investigation was underway. A Western official and an Afghan security official who requested anonymity said NATO troops were responding to fire from across the border. ... Full Story Top Police break up tent protest in Ukraine, one dies Sun,27 Nov 2011 01:35 PM PST Reuters - DONETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - One of about 30 protesters who had been on hunger strike in an eastern Ukrainian city over pension cuts died Sunday night after police broke up their tent encampment, the protest leader said. The group were survivors of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear accident and had been staging their protest in the mining city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine since November 14 after reductions in the state pensions they receive for their part in fighting the 1986 disaster. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Syria's neighbors may soften sanctions blow Sun,27 Nov 2011 12:39 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Arab states have landed a hefty blow on Syria's crisis-hit economy by stopping deals with its central bank and halting investment, but unease among Syria's neighbors about the impact of sanctions on their own economies may weaken the impact. At their meeting in Cairo on Sunday, Arab League foreign ministers also agreed to freeze assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's government and impose a travel ban on top Syrian officials in response to Assad's crackdown on eight months of protests. Syria's economy is already expected to contract up to 6 percent this year. ... Full Story Top Yemen names interim PM, violence kills at least 25 in north Sun,27 Nov 2011 12:31 PM PST Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen named an opposition leader as interim prime minister on Sunday under a deal aimed at ending months of protests which have brought the country to the verge of civil war. However, unrest continued to plague Yemen with violence between Shi'ite rebels and Sunni Islamists killing at least 25 people in the north - including six foreign citizens, according to the Sunni side. Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi named as premier Mohammed Basindwa, a foreign minister from 1993 to 1994 who later joined the opposition, the state news agency Saba said. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Arab League sanctions on Syria Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:37 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Here are details of a set of sanctions on Syria approved by the Arab League on Sunday. The League said products affecting the daily lives of Syrian citizens would be exempted. The sanctions will be enforced immediately, Qatar said. However, details such as which Syrian individuals would be targeted are to be discussed by a technical committee and announced in Doha on Saturday. * Syrian officials and VIPs are banned from traveling to Arab states and their assets there will be frozen. * Flights of Arab airlines to Syria are to be stopped. ... Full Story Top French centrist Morin says to run in 2012 election Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:26 AM PST Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French centrist politician Herve Morin said he would run for the French presidency on Sunday, a move which could eat into the support of conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy at April's election. Morin, a former defense minister who polls see winning only between 1-2 percent of the vote, is the head of the New Center party and has the support of about 20 deputies, senators and European parliamentarians. ... Full Story Top Mexican ruling party smears rivals with drug gangs Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:24 AM PST Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Slowly but surely, drug cartels have ground down support for Mexico's ruling conservatives with a trail of dead over the past five years. Now, President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party (PAN) is trying to use the same gangs as a quick fix for its fading hopes of re-election next year - by painting rivals for the presidency as corrupt and in the pockets of the cartels. ... Full Story Top Analysis: U.S., Pakistani co-dependence may prevent rupture Sun,27 Nov 2011 11:11 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan and the United States depend on one another too much to allow the deaths of two dozen Pakistani soldiers in a clash with NATO forces on Saturday to cause a definitive rupture. But the incident, the latest in a series of embarrassments this year to bedevil the relationship between two ostensible allies, will only aggravate the mistrust between the countries and will require quick diplomatic work to contain. ... Full Story Top Protests against military rule cloud Egypt election Sun,27 Nov 2011 10:59 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Protesters rallied again in Cairo on Sunday to try to evict Egypt's ruling generals, in a trial of strength that has muddied the run-up to Egypt's first vote since a popular revolt deposed former leader Hosni Mubarak. The parliamentary election that gets under way on Monday and Tuesday is the first step in a transfer to civilian rule, promised by the ruling army council that replaced Mubarak. ... Full Story Top More Ethiopian troops seen in central Somalia: residents Sun,27 Nov 2011 10:46 AM PST Reuters - MOGADISHU (Reuters) - New convoys of heavily-armed Ethiopian troops have crossed into Somalia and are heading for central areas, residents said Sunday, days after Addis Ababa said it planned to send troops to help Somali and Kenya forces fighting Islamist insurgents. Ethiopia, which intervened in Somalia between 2006 and 2009, said Friday that it would deploy troops inside Somalia again for a "brief period." An Ethiopian government official also acknowledged Friday that a small force was already there on a reconnaissance mission. ... Full Story Top Yemen names opposition leader Basindwa as premier Sun,27 Nov 2011 10:42 AM PST Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's vice president named Sunday opposition leader Mohammed Basindwa as the country's new interim prime minister, the state news agency Saba reported, under a deal aimed at ending months of protests which have rocked the country. If the agreement goes according to plan, Saleh will become the fourth Arab ruler brought down by mass demonstrations that have reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East. Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi named Basindwa in a decree carried by the agency. ... Full Story Top At least 25 dead in north Yemen conflict, fighters say Sun,27 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - At least 25 people have been killed and dozens wounded in northern Yemen in what Sunni Islamist Salafi fighters said was shelling by Shi'ite Muslim rebels on Saturday and Sunday. The shelling killed 10 people on Saturday and continued on Sunday afternoon, a Salafi spokesman said, bringing the death toll to 25 with a further 48 wounded in the latest flare-up in Damaj, about 150 km (90 miles) north of the capital Sanaa. The defense ministry put the death toll at 32. ... Full Story Top Libyan Berbers vent rage over cabinet exclusion Sun,27 Nov 2011 10:01 AM PST Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Several hundred Berbers marched into the courtyard of the Libyan prime minister's office Sunday to express their anger at the country's new cabinet, which does not include anyone from their large ethnic group. The Amazigh, or Berber, people were stunned when the country's new interim government was announced Tuesday and none of the 26 ministerial posts went to one of their own. They say they make up around 10-15 percent of the population and played an important role in the rebellion that toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi. ... Full Story Top Citizens declare war on abuses in Egypt vote Sun,27 Nov 2011 09:57 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians desperate to stop bullies and cheats stitching up the country's first free election in decades are lining up by the thousand, cameras and mobile phones at the ready, to help monitors document abuses and expose the perpetrators. Democracy activists fear wealthy candidates and well-funded Islamists will use time-worn tactics to edge out their rivals -- cajoling voters, stuffing polling station queues with supporters and handing out food and medicine to sway voters. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Egypt's parliamentary election voting timetable Sun,27 Nov 2011 09:45 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians start voting in a parliamentary election on November 28, the first such vote since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising in February, although the poll has been overshadowed by clashes between police and protesters in the run-up. Demonstrators are demanding the ruling military council hand powers to a civilian government. Even after parliament is elected, presidential powers will stay with the military council until a vote for the presidency, due in mid-2012. ... Full Story Top Q+A: How does Egypt's parliamentary election system work? Sun,27 Nov 2011 09:41 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Egyptians start voting on November 28 in their first free parliamentary election in decades after a popular uprising ended President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule in February. Below are some questions and answers about how voting works and what is at stake: WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS? The staggered vote starting on Monday is to fill 498 seats in the lower house. The last run-off vote will take place on January 10. The military council will appoint 10 more deputies. Voting for the 270-strong upper house starts on January 29 and ends on March 11. ... Full Story Top Karzai adds restive areas to next security transfer Sun,27 Nov 2011 09:20 AM PST Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday two districts in southern Helmand province that have seen some of the heaviest fighting between NATO-led forces and insurgents would be among those handed over to Afghan forces in coming months. The last minute inclusion of Nad Ali and Marjah districts on a list of areas chosen for the second phase of a gradual security handover from foreign troops suggests Afghan forces are willing to take over challenging terrain that will require regular combat with insurgents. ... Full Story Top One dead, five missing in Irish Sea sinking Sun,27 Nov 2011 09:07 AM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - One man has been found dead and five are missing after a Russian-crewed cargo ship sank in gale force weather overnight in the Irish Sea, Britain's coastguard agency said on Sunday. Two men clinging to life rafts were airlifted by a rescue helicopter co-piloted by Prince William, son of heir-to-the throne Prince Charles, a defense ministry spokesman said. They were taken to hospital and a search was extended across a 300 square mile (780 sq km) area of sea some 20 miles off the coast of north Wales. ... Full Story Top UN calls for restraint on eve of Congo vote Sun,27 Nov 2011 08:59 AM PST Reuters - KINSHASA (Reuters) - International organizations appealed for calm on the eve of Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential election, after a run-up tainted by violent street clashes and delayed poll preparations. Concerns have been mounting about the central African country's readiness for its second post-war presidential contest, and what impact a troubled vote might have on efforts to stabilize the giant minerals-producing nation. ... Full Story Top Bahrain pledges to act on criticism of crackdown Sun,27 Nov 2011 07:57 AM PST Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain has announced a commission to steer reforms after an inquiry found systematic rights abuse during a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests this year, but opposition parties said they would not participate. The U.S. administration has said it will delay a $53 million arms sale to Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, pending the government's response to the inquiry. ... Full Story Top Qatar says Syria sanctions to be enforced now Sun,27 Nov 2011 07:23 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Arab League sanctions on Syria will go into force straight away, Qatar's foreign minister said on Sunday. "The decision should be executed immediately, starting today," said Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani after an Arab League meeting in Cairo ordered sweeping measures against Damascus for failing to comply with an Arab plan to end its violent eight-month crackdown on dissent. Full Story Top

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