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Monday, April 2, 2012 12:04 AM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Egypt army pardons Brotherhood presidency nominee: lawyer Syria "friends" warn Assad time is short to end Somaliland troops and separatists clash, five killed MTN former CEO denies bribes to Iran, S.Africa Sudan,S.Sudan accuse each other of attacks, talks Mali sanction deadline expires, rebels seize north ICC prosecutor courts Hollywood with Invisible Children Egyptian Copts abandon constitution talks Obama campaign fundraiser faces fraud allegations: paper Mexico presidential favorite eyes border tax break Myanmar opposition claims by-election win for Suu Kyi For Suu Kyi, a new role and heavier burden Florida teenager's hometown turns out in Miami protest Mali sanction deadline expires, rebels seize north Britain set for sweeping Internet, phone monitoring Britain set for sweeping Internet, phone monitoring Analysis: Santorum faces brutal April, slim hope for May Syria "friends" warn Assad time is short to end bloodshed Top Obama aides hit back at Romney over Russia Analysis: A Romney win would likely change little at Federal Reserve Florida teenager's home town turns out in Miami protest Sudan, South Sudan accuse each other of attacks, talks delayed Romney predicts victory in Wisconsin primary Mali junta backs down as rebels seize Timbuktu Romney falls for elaborate April Fool's prank Malta delists Iranian tanker breaching Syria sanctions Swiss spy charge signals German tax deal trouble Falklands row could hit UK's South American ambitions Brotherhood presidency bid turns up heat in Egypt race Al Qaeda is exploiting Yemen military split: minister Brotherhood presidency bid turns up heat in Egypt race Israel kills Gaza gunman along tense border Myanmar opposition claims by-election win for Suu Kyi Former Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid dies Santorum won't quit race; top Republican calls for unity House Republican says misspoke on Pentagon budget Somaliland troops and separatists clash, five killed Mali junta pledges to cede power, rebels advance Israel exiles former Palestinian detainee to Gaza Clinton to Assad: Don't delay implementing peace plan Egypt army pardons Brotherhood presidency nominee: lawyer Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:25 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military has dropped two court convictions against the Muslim Brotherhood's new presidential candidate Khairat al-Shater, clearing him to run in the elections to replace ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, the movement's lawyer said on Sunday. In a policy reversal on Saturday, the Brotherhood opted to field a candidate to contest the votes in May and June and named Shater, a wealthy businessman, as its choice after deciding the other candidates were not worthy of its support. ... Full Story Top Syria "friends" warn Assad time is short to end Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:20 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western and Arab nations warned President Bashar al-Assad not to delay adopting a plan to end a year of bloodshed in Syria and called on peace envoy Kofi Annan to set a timetable for action if the violence continues. Annan is due to brief the U.N. Security Council on Monday about whether he has seen any progress towards implementing his proposals, which Damascus has accepted but not yet carried out. ... Full Story Top Somaliland troops and separatists clash, five killed Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:10 PM PDT Reuters - HARGEISA (Reuters) - At least four Somaliland troops and one rebel fighter loyal to the breakaway enclave's secessionists were killed during clashes on Sunday, both sides said. The fighting first erupted in January after the leaders of the northern regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn decided to band together into a new state called Khaatumo and declared they wanted to be an independent region within Somalia. Somaliland's troops have since clashed with militia fighters loyal to Khaatumo, with reports of dozens of casualties. ... Full Story Top MTN former CEO denies bribes to Iran, S.Africa Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:05 PM PDT Reuters - JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The former chief executive of MTN Group denied on Sunday that he authorised bribes to Iranian and South African government officials in return for a cellular licence in Iran. "I can state quite categorically that during my tenure as group CEO of MTN no bribes were authorised or paid by the MTN Group to any South African or Iranian government officials to secure the mobile licence in Iran," Phuthuma Nhleko said in a statement. Turkish mobile operator Turkcell this week filed a $4.2 billion lawsuit against MTN in a U.S. ... Full Story Top Sudan,S.Sudan accuse each other of attacks, talks Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:03 PM PDT Reuters - ADDIS ABABA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan on Sunday accused each other of launching attacks in the oil-producing area straddling their border after talks aimed at ending the worst hostilities since Juba declared its independence were delayed. The United Nations and the United States fear the border clashes, which broke out on Monday, could escalate and re-ignite a civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the South where most adhere to Christian and animist beliefs. ... Full Story Top Mali sanction deadline expires, rebels seize north Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:01 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali braced for possible sanctions on Monday after its military rulers pledged to start returning power to civilians but no concrete moves were taken and it was not clear if neighbours would lift threats of isolation. A 72-hour deadline, set by West African bloc ECOWAS, for soldiers to start returning to barracks expired as northern separatist rebels said they had completed a lightning push south, seizing three regional capitals in as many days as Mali's army units retreated. ... Full Story Top ICC prosecutor courts Hollywood with Invisible Children Sun,1 Apr 2012 10:59 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court threw his weight behind Invisible Children, the group behind the viral hit "Kony 2012" video, in Los Angeles this weekend, promoting the group's initiative to Hollywood insiders. An intimate group of film directors, producers and actors gathered in the home of "Independence Day" director Roland Emmerich on Saturday evening for a dinner party dedicated to Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor for the world's first permanent war crimes court. ... Full Story Top Egyptian Copts abandon constitution talks Sun,1 Apr 2012 10:54 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church has announced it is withdrawing from talks on a new constitution, saying Islamist domination of the drafting body made its participation "pointless", Egypt's state news agency said. The decision late on Sunday followed calls by Egyptian liberals to boycott the constitution drafting committee, which is seen as failing to adequately represent the nation's diversity. The current constitution was suspended by the country's army rulers in February of last year shortly after they took power from Egypt's long-serving autocratic president, Hosni ... Full Story Top Obama campaign fundraiser faces fraud allegations: paper Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:09 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - A top fundraiser for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has been accused of fraud, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. Abake Assongba, who runs the Africa-focused charity Abake's Foundation with her husband Anthony J.W. DeRosa, has raised more than $50,000 for Obama's re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee, according to the campaign's list of top "volunteer fundraisers." She is accused of defrauding a businessman out of $657,000, the Washington Post reported. ... Full Story Top Mexico presidential favorite eyes border tax break Sun,1 Apr 2012 07:31 PM PDT Reuters - CIUDAD JUAREZ (Reuters) - The front-runner in Mexico's presidential election campaign said on Sunday he would create tax incentives to revive economic life along the U.S. border that has been depressed by drug violence. "To strengthen the market and the export power of Ciudad Juarez, we need to provide emergency treatment through the tax system," Enrique Pena Nieto, favorite to win the July election, told supporters in this industrial city on the U.S. border. ... Full Story Top Myanmar opposition claims by-election win for Suu Kyi Sun,1 Apr 2012 07:26 PM PDT Reuters - YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in parliament on Sunday, her party said, after an historic by-election that is testing the country's nascent reform credentials and could persuade the West to end sanctions. ... Full Story Top For Suu Kyi, a new role and heavier burden Sun,1 Apr 2012 07:26 PM PDT Reuters - YANGON (Reuters) - Soe Thein is a pious man. Every evening he kneels before a Buddhist shrine in his Yangon home to pray for the only woman he believes can lead Myanmar to a brighter future. "I pray for Aung San Suu Kyi's health and long life," says Soe Thein, formerly a political prisoner and senior member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD). "Who could replace her?" Suu Kyi's role in a reforming Myanmar will be no less essential after sweeping the board in Sunday's historic by-elections. ... Full Story Top Florida teenager's hometown turns out in Miami protest Sun,1 Apr 2012 06:01 PM PDT Reuters - MIAMI (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters gathered in a downtown bayfront park on Sunday demanding the arrest of the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin, in central Florida a month ago. Civil rights leaders were joined by local politicians, pastors and Martin's parents, who made their first major public appearance in their hometown since last month. Sunday's protest came a day after one of the largest demonstrations in Sanford, the central Florida town where Martin was killed. ... Full Story Top Mali sanction deadline expires, rebels seize north Sun,1 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali braced for possible sanctions on Monday after its military rulers pledged to start returning power to civilians but no concrete moves were taken and it was not clear if neighbors would lift threats of isolation. A 72-hour deadline, set by West African bloc ECOWAS, for soldiers to start returning to barracks expired as northern separatist rebels said they had completed a lightning push south, seizing three regional capitals in as many days as Mali's army units retreated. ... Full Story Top Britain set for sweeping Internet, phone monitoring Sun,1 Apr 2012 04:58 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to allow one of its intelligence agencies to monitor all phone calls, texts, emails and online activities in the country to help tackle crime and militant attacks, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. "It is vital that police and security services are able to obtain communications data in certain circumstances to investigate serious crime and terrorism and to protect the public," a Home Office spokesman said. The proposed law already has drawn strong criticism, from within the ruling Conservative Party's own ranks, as an invasion of privacy and personal rights. ... Full Story Top Britain set for sweeping Internet, phone monitoring Sun,1 Apr 2012 04:49 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to allow one of its intelligence agencies to monitor all phone calls, texts, emails and online activities in the country to help tackle crime and militant attacks, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. "It is vital that police and security services are able to obtain communications data in certain circumstances to investigate serious crime and terrorism and to protect the public," a Home Office spokesman said. The proposed law already has drawn strong criticism, from within the ruling Conservative Party's own ranks, as an invasion of privacy and personal rights. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Santorum faces brutal April, slim hope for May Sun,1 Apr 2012 04:41 PM PDT Reuters - MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (Reuters) - For Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, it is shaping up to be a cold and lonely spring. Trailing Mitt Romney in the polls, the conservative former senator is pinning his slim hopes on surviving difficult primary votes in April that favor his rival, and then trying to recover in May when the calendar looks better for him. "There were lots of times throughout the course of this campaign where, as I've said before, we were running a marathon breathing through a swizzle stick. ... Full Story Top Syria "friends" warn Assad time is short to end bloodshed Sun,1 Apr 2012 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western and Arab nations warned President Bashar al-Assad not to delay adopting a plan to end a year of bloodshed in Syria and called on peace envoy Kofi Annan to set a timetable for action if the violence continues. Annan is due to brief the U.N. Security Council on Monday about whether he has seen any progress towards implementing his proposals, which Damascus has accepted but not yet carried out. ... Full Story Top Top Obama aides hit back at Romney over Russia Sun,1 Apr 2012 03:09 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Sunday came under political fire from two of President Barack Obama's top lieutenants, who dismissed Romney's tough talk on Russia as being behind the times. In separate interviews, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to cast Romney as stuck in the days of the Cold War and unaware of the strategic interests that the United States and Russia share on Iran, Afghanistan and the world's oil supply. ... Full Story Top Analysis: A Romney win would likely change little at Federal Reserve Sun,1 Apr 2012 02:47 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - For all the derision Republican presidential hopefuls have heaped on the Federal Reserve, a November win by lead contender Mitt Romney would likely change little at the central bank, at least in the short term. That might seem surprising, given the unprecedented barrage of criticism levied this campaign season at Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose aggressive efforts to support the economy have sparked accusations that he is setting the table for future inflation. Texas Governor Rick Perry, who has since dropped out of the race, called Bernanke's policies "treasonous. ... Full Story Top Florida teenager's home town turns out in Miami protest Sun,1 Apr 2012 02:36 PM PDT Reuters - MIAMI (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters gathered in a downtown bayfront park on Sunday demanding the arrest of the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin, in central Florida a month ago. Civil rights leaders were joined by Martin's parents who were making their first major public appearance in the family's home city since a news conference on the steps of the Baptist Church where the funeral for their son was held last month. ... Full Story Top Sudan, South Sudan accuse each other of attacks, talks delayed Sun,1 Apr 2012 02:19 PM PDT Reuters - ADDIS ABABA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan on Sunday accused each other of launching attacks in the oil-producing area straddling their border after talks aimed at ending the worst hostilities since Juba declared its independence were delayed. The United Nations and the United States fear the border clashes, which broke out on Monday, could escalate and re-ignite a civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the South where most adhere to Christian and animist beliefs. ... Full Story Top Romney predicts victory in Wisconsin primary Sun,1 Apr 2012 01:58 PM PDT Reuters - FITCHBURG, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Saturday predicted a victory in Wisconsin's upcoming primary contest and said he believed it could help put him on a path to clinching the nomination. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, has come from behind in the polls in Wisconsin to take the lead over chief rival Rick Santorum. The state will vote on Tuesday along with Maryland and Washington, D.C. "This was an uphill battle for me if you looked back three or four weeks ago. ... Full Story Top Mali junta backs down as rebels seize Timbuktu Sun,1 Apr 2012 01:52 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's junta yielded to the threat of sanctions on Sunday, pledging to start handing power back to civilians before a midnight deadline, while in the north, separatist rebels seized the ancient trading post of Timbuktu. Amadou Sanogo, an army captain who led a March 21 coup, pledged to reinstate the constitution and all state institutions before transferring power back to civilians via elections. His promise followed last week's threat by West African regional bloc ECOWAS to impose sanctions, including the potentially crippling closure of borders around the land-locked ... Full Story Top Romney falls for elaborate April Fool's prank Sun,1 Apr 2012 12:55 PM PDT Reuters - MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney likes to play the occasional prank on his staff. On Sunday, his aides got him back. They made him victim of an elaborate April Fool's prank when he was introduced into an empty room, telling him beforehand, "We didn't get much of a turnout this morning." In on the joke were Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan and Senator Ron Johnson, both of whom have endorsed Romney. The prank was elaborate. ... Full Story Top Malta delists Iranian tanker breaching Syria sanctions Sun,1 Apr 2012 12:46 PM PDT Reuters - VALLETTA (Reuters) - The Maltese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it was delisting a Maltese-flagged, Iranian-owned tanker which was carrying Syrian crude oil in breach of international sanctions. Reuters reported on Friday that the M.T.Tour, owned by ISIM Tour Ltd, identified by the U.S. Treasury Department as a sanctions-evading company set up by Iran, was shipping a cargo of Syrian crude to a state-run Chinese company. The M.T. ... Full Story Top Swiss spy charge signals German tax deal trouble Sun,1 Apr 2012 12:25 PM PDT Reuters - ZURICH (Reuters) - A Swiss decision to pursue German tax inspectors for industrial espionage is a sign of growing tension that could make it hard for both sides to secure parliamentary ratification of a deal preventing Germans dodging tax on their Swiss deposits. While Berlin is trying to tax an estimated 150 billion Swiss francs ($166 billion) hidden by Germans in Swiss accounts, Berne wants to avoid revealing the identities of wealthy customers who are a mainstay of its offshore financial services industry. ... Full Story Top Falklands row could hit UK's South American ambitions Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:49 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Thirty years after Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falklands, relations are at their chilliest in years as Buenos Aires launches a multi-pronged diplomatic offensive to assert its claim to sovereignty over the South Atlantic islands. While a new military conflict is seen as highly unlikely, the dispute could jeopardize Britain's drive for closer economic and trade ties with emerging Latin America powers such as Brazil that it hopes will kickstart the stagnating British economy. ... Full Story Top Brotherhood presidency bid turns up heat in Egypt race Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:46 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A deft businessman and politician tempered by years in Hosni Mubarak's prisons, Khairat al-Shater is aiming to bring Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to the pinnacle of power for the first time in its 84-year history. But his candidacy for the presidency has exposed rifts in the Islamist group's ranks, worried liberals and could turn up the heat in a row with Egypt's ruling army. ... Full Story Top Al Qaeda is exploiting Yemen military split: minister Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:09 AM PDT Reuters - ADEN/SANAA (Reuters) - Al Qaeda is successfully exploiting splits within Yemen's armed forces, Defense Minister Mohammad Naser Ahmed warned on Sunday as suspected Islamist militants killed seven soldiers in the second such attack in two days. The Yemeni military split last year during protests against the 33-year rule of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, with some forces remaining loyal and others joining the opposition. ... Full Story Top Brotherhood presidency bid turns up heat in Egypt race Sun,1 Apr 2012 11:07 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A deft businessman and politician tempered by years in Hosni Mubarak's prisons, Khairat al-Shater is aiming to bring Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to the pinnacle of power for the first time in its 84-year history. But his candidacy for the presidency has exposed rifts in the Islamist group's ranks, worried liberals and could turn up the heat in a row with Egypt's ruling army. ... Full Story Top Israel kills Gaza gunman along tense border Sun,1 Apr 2012 10:31 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian gunman suspected of trying to plant explosives beneath a fence at the border with Gaza, the Israeli military said on Sunday. Soldiers on Sunday recovered the remains of the gunman alongside an assault rifle, a statement from the Israeli military spokesman said. None of the militant groups in the Hamas Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip claimed responsibility for the incident, which Israel said occurred after dark on Saturday. ... Full Story Top Myanmar opposition claims by-election win for Suu Kyi Sun,1 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT Reuters - YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in parliament on Sunday, her party said, after an historic by-election that is testing the country's nascent reform credentials and could persuade the West to end sanctions. ... Full Story Top Former Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid dies Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:59 AM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Former Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid, who struggled to overcome one of the country's worst economic crises and a devastating earthquake in the 1980s, died on Sunday at the age of 77. A stalwart of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Mexico's ruling party for most of the 20th century, de la Madrid broke with PRI orthodoxy by backing market-friendly reforms but still proved unable to tame surging unemployment and triple-digit inflation during his six-year term from 1982 to 1988. ... Full Story Top Santorum won't quit race; top Republican calls for unity Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:44 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's top Republican called on his party to unite behind leading presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Sunday as rival Rick Santorum vowed to stay in the race beyond a likely defeat in Tuesday's Wisconsin primary. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell stopped short of endorsing Romney in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" show. But McConnell did say the former Massachusetts governor would make an "excellent nominee" and left little doubt about whom he supported in the battle to take on Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 election. ... Full Story Top House Republican says misspoke on Pentagon budget Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:28 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The senior U.S. House Republican on budget matters said on Sunday he "misspoke" when he caused a stir last week by saying the Pentagon budget for next year was dishonest and the generals were not giving Congress their true advice. "I really misspoke, to be candid with you ...," congressman Paul Ryan, chairman of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, told CNN's "State of the Union" program. "I didn't mean to make that kind of impression," Ryan said, adding that he had apologized to General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ... Full Story Top Somaliland troops and separatists clash, five killed Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:22 AM PDT Reuters - HARGEISA (Reuters) - At least four Somaliland troops and one rebel fighter loyal to the breakaway enclave's secessionists were killed during clashes on Sunday, both sides said. The fighting first erupted in January after the leaders of the northern regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn decided to band together into a new state called Khaatumo and declared they wanted to be an independent region within Somalia. Somaliland's troops have since clashed with militia fighters loyal to Khaatumo, with reports of dozens of casualties. ... Full Story Top Mali junta pledges to cede power, rebels advance Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:21 AM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's junta leader promised to reinstate the constitution from Sunday, hours before a deadline set by West African neighbors to start handing over power, as northern rebels entered the ancient trading post of Timbuktu. Amadou Sanogo, who led a military coup on March 22, also pledged to re-establish all state institutions before organizing a transfer of power back to civilians through democratic elections. ... Full Story Top Israel exiles former Palestinian detainee to Gaza Sun,1 Apr 2012 09:04 AM PDT Reuters - GAZA (Reuters) - A Palestinian woman held by Israel without charge was deported to the Gaza Strip on Sunday under a deal that ended her 44-day hunger strike. Hana Shalabi of the Islamic Jihad militant group was put into so-called "administrative detention" on February 16. An Israeli military official said that in return for her release from jail, she had agreed to three years' exile in the Gaza Strip. A resident of the occupied West Bank, Shalabi went on hunger strike the day she was arrested, in protest at being held without trial. ... Full Story Top Clinton to Assad: Don't delay implementing peace plan Sun,1 Apr 2012 08:55 AM PDT Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday he could no longer delay implementing a UN-Arab League peace proposal to end fighting in Syria. Speaking after a meeting between Western and Arab officials and members of the Syrian opposition in Istanbul, Clinton said Assad had so far refused to implement the Annan peace plan. "There is no more time for excuses or delays ... this is a moment of truth," Clinton told a news conference. ... Full Story Top

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