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Wednesday, December 28, 2011 12:48 AM PST

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: In South Korea, some praise North's departed "Dear Leader" Snow and tears mark funeral for North Korean leader IMF says expects January talks with Egypt Egypt court ends virginity tests on female detainees "Great successor" poised to take over North Korea Egypt Islamist party says wants to boost tourism Egypt detains man over gas pipeline blasts: agency N.Korea closer to nuclear-tipped missile: U.S. expert Perry sues to get on Virginia 2012 ballot Argentine president diagnosed with thyroid cancer U.S. says China not currency manipulator; chides Japan Street fights in Yemen as U.S. considers letting in Saleh Democrat Nelson to retire from Senate Romney kicks off Iowa home stretch targeting Obama Mass anti-Assad protest in Homs as monitors visit Third infant infected as U.S. probes baby formula No snow? For cash-strapped cities, a gift from heavens Third infant infected as U.S. probes baby formula Activists alarmed over Syria mission's Sudanese head Mass anti-Assad protest in Homs as monitors visit Putin ejects Kremlin "puppet master" after protests Iran threatens to stop Gulf oil if sanctions widened Factbox: Strait of Hormuz More trouble for Gingrich as Iowa campaign quickens Obama taps economist, banker as Fed governors U.S. again says China not currency manipulator Northern Nigerian Christians warn of religious war Democrat Nelson to retire from Senate Viacom challenges final payment to Harmonix U.S. citizen goes on trial in Iran on spying charges Factbox: Past winners of Iowa caucuses Michigan governor names team to review Detroit finances Israel kills al Qaeda-linked militant in Gaza strike For Iowa, campaign brings more attention than money Street fights hit Yemen as U.S. mulls letting in Saleh Analysis: Green groups find success fighting shale oil boom Tensions simmer as Iraqi leaders try resolve crisis Syrian security kill three Lebanese in border area - sources Egypt court ends virginity tests on female detainees IMF says expects January talks with Egypt In South Korea, some praise North's departed "Dear Leader" Tue,27 Dec 2011 10:47 PM PST Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - Despite growth that has propelled South Korea to become the world's 13th largest economy, a powerhouse that makes computers, mobile telephones and cars, there are some in the capital of Seoul who believe life is better in the impoverished North. As the world watched Wednesday's funeral of dictator Kim Jong-il, who presided over famine, a nuclear arms push and military skirmishes with the South, Choi Dong Jin, 48, told Reuters that Kim was "a great and outstanding person" for resisting U.S. imperialism. ... Full Story Top Snow and tears mark funeral for North Korean leader Tue,27 Dec 2011 10:30 PM PST Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's military staged a huge funeral procession in the snowy streets of the capital, Pyongyang, on Wednesday for its deceased "dear leader," Kim Jong-il, readying a transition to his son, Kim Jong-un. Pictures from state television showed a funeral cortege led by a limousine carrying a huge picture of the 69-year old, who died on December 17, passing serried ranks of olive green-clad soldiers whose bare heads were bowed in homage in the main square of the capital. ... Full Story Top IMF says expects January talks with Egypt Tue,27 Dec 2011 10:08 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday it planned to meet with Egyptian authorities to discuss the country's economic problems but added that any funding would have to be based on benchmarks that had broad political support. Egypt, whose economy has been hammered by the uprising that unseated Hosni Mubarak in February, turned down a $3 billion IMF facility in June, but ministers have indicated the country may now be prepared to return to the negotiating table. ... Full Story Top Egypt court ends virginity tests on female detainees Tue,27 Dec 2011 09:56 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian civilian court ordered the army on Tuesday to end forced virginity tests on female detainees in military prisons, and the woman who won the legal victory urged other victims to press charges against the army. Activists said the verdict was a victory for civilian courts over generals who took charge when Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power by a popular revolt in February. The ruling also adds pressure on the army to hold to account troops who have been rebuked by Egyptians and major aid donor the United States over the treatment of women during protests. ... Full Story Top "Great successor" poised to take over North Korea Tue,27 Dec 2011 09:55 PM PST Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - Young and untested, Kim Jong-un has all but taken over North Korea's leadership, with state media calling him "supreme commander" and "leader of the state, army and party" well before his late father was borne through the streets of Pyongyang in a state funeral on Wednesday. Kim, believed to be about 27 years old, walked alongside a limousine carrying his father's coffin, as it set out on a funeral procession amid snowflurries. ... Full Story Top Egypt Islamist party says wants to boost tourism Tue,27 Dec 2011 09:53 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood's party, leading in a parliamentary election, wants to boost tourist numbers to Egypt and will not take steps that would harm the industry, a party official told a rally in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The strong showing by Islamsists in Egypt's staggered parliamentary poll has aroused fears among liberals and others in Egypt that it could lead to rules that would ban alcohol sales and outlaw mixed bathing in popular resorts. ... Full Story Top Egypt detains man over gas pipeline blasts: agency Tue,27 Dec 2011 09:51 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Security personnel have arrested a 20-year-old Egyptian man on suspicion of involvement in some of the 10 attacks this year on an Egyptian pipeline that carries gas to Israel and Jordan, state news agency MENA reported on Tuesday. All but one of the attacks on the pipeline have taken place since the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in February. The pipeline has been struck at locations near the North Sinai coastal city of al-Arish. ... Full Story Top N.Korea closer to nuclear-tipped missile: U.S. expert Tue,27 Dec 2011 09:31 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea likely is closer to mounting nuclear warheads on its ballistic missiles than generally reported, possibly only one or two years away, the Congress's former top expert on the issue has concluded. Larry Niksch, who tracked North Korea for the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service for 43 years, concludes in a new paper that the North probably would need as little as one to two years to miniaturize and mount a nuclear warhead atop its medium-range Nodong missile once it has produced enough highly enriched uranium as the warhead's core fuel. ... Full Story Top Perry sues to get on Virginia 2012 ballot Tue,27 Dec 2011 08:57 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Texas Governor Rick Perry filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to get on Virginia's 2012 primary election ballot after failing to qualify by last week's deadline. The Republican presidential candidate failed to get the 10,000 verifiable signatures, including at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district, required to be in the March 6 primary. Perry is challenging the state's qualification process on constitutional grounds, saying it restricts the access of Virginia voters to the candidates of their choosing. ... Full Story Top Argentine president diagnosed with thyroid cancer Tue,27 Dec 2011 06:52 PM PST Reuters - BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has thyroid cancer and will undergo surgery next month, her government said on Tuesday, adding that the cancerous cells had not spread. Fernandez, 58, was easily elected to a second four-year term in October, vowing to deepen her unorthodox policies despite complaints from business leaders who say her heavy-handed management of the economy is stifling investment. Fernandez was diagnosed with a papillary carcinoma that has not metastasized, said her spokesman, Alfredo Scoccimarro. ... Full Story Top U.S. says China not currency manipulator; chides Japan Tue,27 Dec 2011 06:50 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury again shied away from labeling China a currency manipulator on Tuesday, but it rapped the country for not moving quickly enough on exchange rate reforms. The United States also chided Japan for stepping into the currency market to stem the yen's rise, and urged South Korea to use such interventions sparingly. Some U.S. politicians have argued that China has gained an unfair competitive edge in global markets by keeping the yuan artificially low to boost exports, and pressure has mounted in Congress for President Barack Obama to punish China. ... Full Story Top Street fights in Yemen as U.S. considers letting in Saleh Tue,27 Dec 2011 06:14 PM PST Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Foes and backers of a plan to ease Yemen's president out of power fought each other with stones and clubs on Tuesday, deepening the country's chaos as Washington considered a request from the leader to fly to the United States. Youth activists, who have led months of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule, were split on whether he should leave the country - saying it might ease the conflict but could also let him escape justice. ... Full Story Top Democrat Nelson to retire from Senate Tue,27 Dec 2011 05:18 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Ben Nelson said on Tuesday that he will retire next year, dealing a significant blow to his party's hopes of keeping control of the Senate after the November 2012 elections. Nelson, a former Nebraska governor, said he felt it was time for him to leave elective office and seek new ways to serve his state and his country. "I'm announcing today that I will not seek re-election. Simply put, it's time to move on," Nelson, 70, said in a video statement. ... Full Story Top Romney kicks off Iowa home stretch targeting Obama Tue,27 Dec 2011 04:50 PM PST Reuters - Davenport, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney kicked off the last week before the Iowa caucuses warning that November's presidential contest will be "an election to save the soul of America." Romney, back in Iowa, assumed a frontrunner posture as his main rivals were mired in their own controversies. Looking to score a surprise win in Iowa and a boost toward the Republican nomination, Romney launched a multi-city bus tour here on Tuesday with President Barack Obama in his sights and his Republican rivals in his rearview mirror. ... Full Story Top Mass anti-Assad protest in Homs as monitors visit Tue,27 Dec 2011 04:40 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Syrians have taken to the streets in the flashpoint city of Homs to rally against President Bashar al-Assad and plead for newly-arrived Arab peace monitors to bear witness to their plight. About 70,000 protesters marched towards the city centre on Tuesday where security forces fired at them and lobbed teargas, activists said. The military withdrew some tanks, in what the activists called a ploy to persuade the monitors that the city was calm. Footage on the Internet showed monitors confronted by residents as gunfire crackled around them. ... Full Story Top Third infant infected as U.S. probes baby formula Tue,27 Dec 2011 04:34 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A third infant in the United States has tested positive for the infection that led to the death of one infant, sickened another and spurred a probe of baby formula, including Enfamil by Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. A baby in Oklahoma tested positive for Cronobacter, a bacteria that has sometimes been linked to rare illnesses in newborns and has been found in milk-based powdered baby formula, Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. ... Full Story Top No snow? For cash-strapped cities, a gift from heavens Tue,27 Dec 2011 04:29 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - By Brendan O'Brien and Karen Matz MILWAUKEE, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Snowfall well below normal in the Midwest and much of the country this winter has given cash-strapped municipalities some unexpected good news. In Milwaukee, where the city spent $1.9 million clearing snow and ice in the final three months of 2010 and $2.4 million a year before that, the public works department has spent only $405,000 in snow cleanup during the fourth quarter of 2011. ... Full Story Top Third infant infected as U.S. probes baby formula Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:57 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A third infant in the United States has tested positive for the infection that led to a death of one baby, sickened another and spurred a probe of baby formula. A baby in Oklahoma tested positive for Cronobacter, a bacteria that has sometimes been linked to rare illnesses in newborns and has been found in milk-based powdered baby formula, said Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The baby had not consumed Mead Johnson Nutrition Co's Enfamil formula, according to Leslea Bennett-Webb of the Oklahoma Department of Health. ... Full Story Top Activists alarmed over Syria mission's Sudanese head Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:52 PM PST Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The choice of a Sudanese general to head an Arab League mission in Syria has alarmed activists, who say Sudan's own defiance of a war crimes tribunal means the monitors are unlikely to recommend strong action against Syria's Bashar al-Assad. The Arab League says Lieutenant-General Mustafa al-Dabi brings vital military and diplomatic expertise to its unprecedented mission to verify that Assad is complying with a deal to end Syria's crackdown on protesters. ... Full Story Top Mass anti-Assad protest in Homs as monitors visit Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:52 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Syrians in Homs rallied on Tuesday against President Bashar al-Assad, emboldened by Arab peace monitors' first tour of the flashpoint city, after the army withdrew some tanks following days of unrest. Some 70,000 protesters marched towards the city centre where security forces fired at them and lobbed teargas, activists said. ... Full Story Top Putin ejects Kremlin "puppet master" after protests Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:48 PM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - The architect of Vladimir Putin's tightly controlled political system became one of its most senior victims on Tuesday when he was shunted out of the Kremlin in the wake of the biggest opposition protests of Putin's 12-year rule. The sacrifice of Vladislav Surkov, branded the Kremlin's 'puppet master' by enemies and friends alike, is also a rare admission of failure for Russia's 'alpha dog' leader: Surkov's system was Putin's system. ... Full Story Top Iran threatens to stop Gulf oil if sanctions widened Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:47 PM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran threatened on Tuesday to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if foreign sanctions were imposed on its crude exports over its nuclear ambitions, a move that could trigger military conflict with economies dependent on Gulf oil. Western tensions with Iran have increased since a November 8 report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog saying Tehran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be pursuing research to that end. Iran strongly denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Strait of Hormuz Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:47 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iran's first vice president, said on Tuesday that the flow of crude will be stopped from the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if foreign sanctions are imposed on Tehran's oil exports, IRNA, the country's official news agency reported. About half of the world's oil is shipped by sea and most of it passes through one of three narrow shipping lanes, two of them in the Middle East. As a result, even brief blockages could cause price spikes that threaten global economic growth. ... Full Story Top More trouble for Gingrich as Iowa campaign quickens Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:47 PM PST Reuters - DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's campaign struggled to fend off more bad news on Tuesday after he was quoted supporting main rival Mitt Romney's healthcare reform in Massachusetts. Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, has seen his poll numbers drop in the early-voting state of Iowa under a blitz of negative ads accusing him of being an unreliable Washington insider. He tried to regain some of his lost momentum in a pugnacious interview with CNN in which he used some of his strongest language yet to attack his main opponents. ... Full Story Top Obama taps economist, banker as Fed governors Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:46 PM PST Reuters - HONOLULU/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will nominate Harvard economist Jeremy Stein and Jerome Powell, an investment banker and former Treasury official, to the two empty seats on the Federal Reserve's policy-setting board of governors. The White House's pick of candidates, who have Democratic and Republican credentials respectively, may help speed their nomination through Congress amid a sluggish economic recovery that has failed to put a major dent in the unemployment rate, now at 8.6 percent. ... Full Story Top U.S. again says China not currency manipulator Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:18 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury again shied away from labeling China a currency manipulator on Tuesday, but it rapped the country for not moving quickly enough on exchange rate reforms. Some U.S. politicians have argued that China has gained an unfair competitive edge in global markets by keeping the yuan artificially low to boost exports, and pressure has mounted in Congress for President Barack Obama to punish China. But the administration prefers to tread softly and use diplomacy to effect change. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Northern Nigerian Christians warn of religious war Tue,27 Dec 2011 03:06 PM PST Reuters - ABUJA (Reuters) - Northern Nigerian Christians said on Tuesday they feared that a spate of Christmas Day bombings by Islamist militants that killed over two dozen people could lead to a religious war in Africa's most populous country. The warning was made in a statement by the northern branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an umbrella organization comprising various denominations including Catholics, Protestant and Pentecostal churches. ... Full Story Top Democrat Nelson to retire from Senate Tue,27 Dec 2011 02:51 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Ben Nelson said on Tuesday he will retire next year, dealing a significant blow to his party's hopes of keeping control of the Senate in the November 2012 election. Nelson's decision not to seek re-election puts his seat in heavily Republican Nebraska up for grabs, boosting Republicans' hopes of wresting control of the chamber from Democrats. Republicans already have a majority in the House of Representatives, where they have heavily resisted many of President Barack Obama's spending plans over concerns about a build-up of U.S. deficits and debt ... Full Story Top Viacom challenges final payment to Harmonix Tue,27 Dec 2011 02:51 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Viacom Inc said it has challenged the final payout due to former shareholders of music-based games developer Harmonix Music Systems, which it had acquired in 2006. A private dispute resolution process on December 19 determined that Viacom, the company behind MTV and Paramount Pictures, owed an additional $383 million as compared to the $700 million sought by the former shareholders. ... Full Story Top U.S. citizen goes on trial in Iran on spying charges Tue,27 Dec 2011 02:18 PM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - An American man of Iranian descent, accused by Iran of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, went on trial in Tehran on Tuesday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Iranian authorities announced Amir Mirza Hekmati's arrest earlier this month. State television has shown a taped interview with him in which Hekmati said he was a CIA agent. "In the indictment (read in court), Hekmati was charged with cooperating with the hostile government of America as well as spying for the CIA," Fars reported. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Past winners of Iowa caucuses Tue,27 Dec 2011 02:11 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - As the first state to cast a vote in the nominating process for U.S. presidential candidates, Iowa is famed for having an outsized influence on the contest for the White House. But how often does the winner of the caucuses in the Midwestern state actually end up going on to become a party nominee or president? Since 1976, there have been seven contested caucuses in the Republican Party. Of those contests, three winners have become the party's nominee. Since 1972, there have been nine contested caucuses in the Democratic Party. ... Full Story Top Michigan governor names team to review Detroit finances Tue,27 Dec 2011 02:08 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Michigan's governor on Tuesday appointed a team to review Detroit's finances, a move that could end in a possible state takeover of the city as it struggles with a shrinking auto industry and falling revenues. The team was named by Governor Rick Snyder after a preliminary review of city finances showed "probable financial stress" after Detroit was unable to tackle its mounting deficits, the governor's office said Tuesday. The team, which includes State Treasurer Andy Dillon and other local officials, has 60 days to complete its work. The formal review was announced last week. ... Full Story Top Israel kills al Qaeda-linked militant in Gaza strike Tue,27 Dec 2011 01:56 PM PST Reuters - GAZA (Reuters) - Israel killed an al Qaeda-affiliated militant in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, accusing him of involvement in planning to launch attacks on the Jewish state from neighboring Egypt. The missile, apparently from an aircraft, that killed Abdallah Telbani and wounded two other men in a motorized rickshaw was followed by a separate strike on a jeep elsewhere in Gaza City. The second vehicle's three occupants were injured, Palestinian hospital officials and witnesses said. ... Full Story Top For Iowa, campaign brings more attention than money Tue,27 Dec 2011 01:41 PM PST Reuters - DES MOINES (Reuters) - Late on a recent Wednesday afternoon, Rick Perry walked into De Brito Baking Bistro in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, looking for its owner. "Thank you, sir, for allowing us to come into your little bistro," the Texas governor and Republican presidential candidate said to his host, Jose Moreira. "I hope we generated a little business for you. One of our goals is to create jobs and in turn to create wealth and ... get the American economy moving again." However much the January 3 Iowa caucuses boost the state's economy, Perry is certainly doing his part. ... Full Story Top Street fights hit Yemen as U.S. mulls letting in Saleh Tue,27 Dec 2011 01:40 PM PST Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Foes and backers of a plan to ease Yemen's president out of power fought each other with stones and clubs on Tuesday, deepening the country's chaos as Washington said it was considering a request from the leader to fly to the United States. Youth activists, who have led months of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule, were split on him leaving the country - saying it might ease the conflict but could also let him escape justice. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Green groups find success fighting shale oil boom Tue,27 Dec 2011 12:49 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A resurgent green movement is launching a multi-pronged counter-attack against the shale oil and gas boom in the United States that could slow, though ultimately not stop, development. Building upon their unexpected success in the battle against the Keystone XL pipeline, a renewed onslaught from environmentalists is putting the shale industry on the defensive while adding to costs, limiting expansion and potentially scuttling major projects. ... Full Story Top Tensions simmer as Iraqi leaders try resolve crisis Tue,27 Dec 2011 12:31 PM PST Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's courts should decide the charges against a vice president accused of running death squads, Iraq's Kurdish president and the Sunni speaker of parliament said on Tuesday in a bid to defuse the country's worst political crisis in a year. President Jalal Talabani and speaker Osama al-Nujaifi also agreed to organize a national conference for all political blocs to ease tensions that have raised fears of a return to sectarian conflict after the last U.S. troops left nine days ago. ... Full Story Top Syrian security kill three Lebanese in border area - sources Tue,27 Dec 2011 12:19 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian security forces killed three Lebanese on Tuesday in a border area of north Lebanon, Lebanese security sources said. "They are believed to be smugglers, this area is known to be a smuggling area," one security source said. The men were shot in the border town of Buqaya, which is on a route that leads to the protest hotbed of Homs. Syria is facing a nine-month revolt against the 11-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Syria accuses neighboring countries of not clamping down on smuggling which they is passing on arms to rebels fighting its security forces. ... Full Story Top Egypt court ends virginity tests on female detainees Tue,27 Dec 2011 12:06 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - The Egyptian woman who brought a case against Egypt's army for conducting "virginity tests" on her and others hailed a court ruling on Tuesday ordering the military to stop such actions. Activists say the verdict is a victory for civilian courts over generals who took charge when Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February and adds pressure on the army to hold to account troops who have been rebuked by Egyptians and major aid donor the United States over the treatment of women during protests. "I am very happy. ... Full Story Top IMF says expects January talks with Egypt Tue,27 Dec 2011 11:59 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday it planned to meet with Egyptian authorities to discuss the country's economic problems but added that any funding would have to be based on benchmarks that had broad political support. Egypt, whose economy has been hammered by the uprising that unseated Hosni Mubarak in February, turned down a $3 billion IMF facility in June, but ministers have indicated the country may now be prepared to return to the negotiating table. ... Full Story Top

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