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Tuesday, April 3, 2012 12:03 AM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Once cautious Brotherhood gambles on Egypt presidency Tunisia's Ennahda party in talks with Salafi Islamists Neighbours hit Mali junta with border shutdown Anti-Kony campaign in turmoil after filmmaker's breakdown Timeline: Bank of Korea faces credibility gap Insight: Why Bank of Korea insiders worry about credibility Factbox: Wisconsin Republican primary vote Romney aims to pressure Santorum with wins Tuesday Florida shooter would surrender if charged: lawyer Appeals court upholds California affirmative action ban Feds raid "Princeton of Pot" in California Gunman kills 7, wounds 3 at California Christian college Ann Romney trust invested in fund that exited sex-site firm Procurement chief quits as agency accused of waste U.S. to amend Afghan plane bid terms, no full re-do Timeline: Major U.S. school and college shootings Ecuador's president to skip Summit of the Americas Colombian rebels free captives held for over a decade Manufacturing up, construction spending falls Detroit unions to end talks if state plan accepted Blaze at Moscow skyscraper set to be Europe's tallest Pakistan jails bin Laden's family for illegal stay Annan says Syria agrees to April 10 peace deadline Gunman kills 7, wounds 3 at California Christian college Anti-Kony campaign in turmoil after filmmaker's breakdown Obama to target Republicans over tax fairness Mexico presses for quick entry in Trans-Pacific talks Mexican front-runner vows swift drop in drug violence Detroit unions to end talks if state plan accepted Obama takes a shot at Supreme Court over healthcare Canada to re-evaluate planned F-35 purchase: report U.S. investigates possible Internet threat to NYC Obama, Mexico's Calderon vow more drug crime cooperation Neighbors hit Mali junta with border shutdown Feds raid "Princeton of Pot" in California Germany risks tax deal defeat after Swiss warrants Romney eyes primary knockout, matchup with Obama looms U.S. hails Myanmar election as step for democratic change Argentina chides Britain on Falklands war anniversary U.S. hails Myanmar election as step for democratic change Once cautious Brotherhood gambles on Egypt presidency Mon,2 Apr 2012 11:15 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A surprise decision by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to field a candidate in the presidential election signals a new assertiveness by the traditionally cautious group that risks splitting the Islamist vote and aiding rivals from the era of Hosni Mubarak. The new approach has become increasingly apparent in the Brotherhood's standoff with the ruling military council, which has rejected the Islamist group's demand for the army-backed cabinet to be sacked so it can lead the formation of a new one. ... Full Story Top Tunisia's Ennahda party in talks with Salafi Islamists Mon,2 Apr 2012 11:11 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - One of Tunisia's most senior politicians revealed on Monday he was trying to persuade Salafi Islamists to keep pursuing their agenda via legal means despite their discontent that Islamic or sharia law may not feature in the new constitution. Rachid al-Ghannouchi, the co-founder of the powerful Islamist Ennahda party, repeated his opposition to sharia law but said he was anxious to keep the political peace. "We have started talks with them (the Salafis). The start is always difficult especially on such sensitive subjects," he said. ... Full Story Top Neighbours hit Mali junta with border shutdown Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:51 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO/DAKAR (Reuters) - Mali's neighbours agreed to shut their borders with the West African country on Monday as part of tough sanctions aimed at forcing the leaders of last month's coup to step down. Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, also announced they would "activate" the region's standby military force, though it was unclear when any troops would deploy and with what mandate. ... Full Story Top Anti-Kony campaign in turmoil after filmmaker's breakdown Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:48 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The public meltdown of the man behind the viral "Kony 2012" video has thrown his campaign into turmoil even as the film succeeded in turning the world's attention to capturing an elusive and brutal Ugandan warlord. Jason Russell, whose 30-minute video sensation shone a spotlight on Joseph Kony's use of child soldiers in Uganda, was taken by police to a hospital in California last week after suffering what doctors described as a brief psychotic breakdown. ... Full Story Top Timeline: Bank of Korea faces credibility gap Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:36 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Following is a timeline of key events since President Lee Myung-bak took office four years ago that have raised concerns about the credibility of the Bank of Korea in setting monetary policy. - - - - January 2009 - President Lee declares a crisis government to overcome the shocks from the global financial crisis and creates a weekly "war room-type" meeting that includes the finance minister and the central bank governor. The weekly meetings were held for almost the whole year. ... Full Story Top Insight: Why Bank of Korea insiders worry about credibility Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:19 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - Unlike most central banks, the Bank of Korea has the pursuit of "harmony" written into its statutes. But when it comes to harmonizing with the government, South Korea's central bank may have gone too far, undermining its credibility as an effective counterweight in managing Asia's fourth-biggest economy, interviews with current and former Korean policymakers say. Indeed, those sympathies may draw even closer to those of the government. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Wisconsin Republican primary vote Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:08 PM PDT Reuters - April 3 - The race to win the Republican Party's nomination to oppose President Barack Obama in the November general election turns to the Midwestern state of Wisconsin on Tuesday. Here are a few facts about Wisconsin and the primary. Forty-two delegates are up for grabs in Wisconsin's winner-take-all contest where 18 delegates will be awarded on a state-wide basis and another 24 per congressional district. The primary is open, meaning registered Democrats and independents can vote in the Republican contest. Wisconsin's estimated population for 2011 was about 5.7 million, according to the U.S. ... Full Story Top Romney aims to pressure Santorum with wins Tuesday Mon,2 Apr 2012 10:08 PM PDT Reuters - MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Mitt Romney can take a big step toward the Republican U.S. presidential nomination on Tuesday with victories in Wisconsin and two other contests that would increase the pressure on rival Rick Santorum to drop out of the race. The grinding, months-long battle for the right to face Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 election turns to Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington D.C., and Romney leads in all three. ... Full Story Top Florida shooter would surrender if charged: lawyer Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:52 PM PDT Reuters - SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - George Zimmerman would surrender to authorities if he is charged in the Florida shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, his attorney said on Monday, adding he was preparing for trial in the case that has captivated the U.S. public. "If he's charged, he will be arrested and he will turn himself in," attorney Craig Sonner told Reuters in a telephone interview. "However it goes, he's not hiding from the authorities. If he is asked, he will turn himself in. There's not going to be a manhunt or anything like that. ... Full Story Top Appeals court upholds California affirmative action ban Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:51 PM PDT Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld California's ban on the use of affirmative action in university admissions on Monday, reaffirming that public schools cannot base admission on race, gender or ethnicity. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding so-called Proposition 209 comes as affirmative action resurfaces as a live issue at the top of the U.S. legal system. ... Full Story Top Feds raid "Princeton of Pot" in California Mon,2 Apr 2012 08:47 PM PDT Reuters - OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - Federal agents, pressing a government clampdown on medical marijuana, raided a San Francisco Bay-area college known as the "Princeton of Pot" on Monday and briefly detained its founder. The sweep turned Oaksterdam University, which offers courses in the growing and dispensing of marijuana, into the latest flashpoint between federal law enforcement and medical cannabis advocates in California and other states where cannabis has been decriminalized for medicinal purposes. ... Full Story Top Gunman kills 7, wounds 3 at California Christian college Mon,2 Apr 2012 07:34 PM PDT Reuters - OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire at a Christian college in California on Monday, killing at least seven people and wounding three after telling former classmates: "Get in line and I'm going to kill you all." Police said the suspect, a 43-year-old Korean-American, surrendered at a Safeway grocery store several miles away from the scene at Oikos University in Oakland after the deadliest U.S. school shooting in five years. He was named by police as One Goh, a former student at Oikos, which has links to the Korean-American Christian community. ... Full Story Top Ann Romney trust invested in fund that exited sex-site firm Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:59 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - A blind trust in the name of Ann Romney, wife of Republican U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, was an investor in a fund run by Goldman Sachs Group Inc that had invested in a media company which critics say facilitates sex trafficking. While there is no suggestion the Romneys knew about the investment, the disclosure highlights the difficulty for politicians and their families when they invest in blind trusts that are supposed to protect them from conflicts of interest and ethical questions. ... Full Story Top Procurement chief quits as agency accused of waste Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:53 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the government's federal procurement office is resigning and two senior officials have been dismissed ahead of a report criticizing the agency's lavish spending on an "over the top" training conference, the White House said on Monday. Many expenditures by the General Services Administration for the October 2010 conference at a resort outside Las Vegas were "excessive and wasteful" and violated the agency's own policies, said a report by the GSA's Office of Inspector General. ... Full Story Top U.S. to amend Afghan plane bid terms, no full re-do Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:29 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Monday it would amend, rather than re-do, the terms of a potential $1 billion competition to supply light attack planes to Afghanistan. Privately held Sierra Nevada Corp and Brazil's Embraer beat out Hawker Beechcraft to win the deal in December. But the Air Force canceled the initial contract award, valued at $355 million, when it discovered an error while preparing for a lawsuit filed by Hawker, challenging the decision in federal claims court. The service gave no details of any proposed changes. ... Full Story Top Timeline: Major U.S. school and college shootings Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:17 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire at a private Christian college in California on Monday, killing at least seven people and wounding three others, after telling former classmates to "get in line, I'm going to kill you all. Here is a timeline of major U.S. school and university shootings and other violence: -- CHARDON, Ohio, February 27, 2012 - A student opened fire in a cafeteria at Chardon High School, killing three students and injuring two others before he was arrested. ... Full Story Top Ecuador's president to skip Summit of the Americas Mon,2 Apr 2012 06:02 PM PDT Reuters - QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said on Monday he will not attend this month's Summit of the Americas in Colombia, nor any other gathering that excludes Cuba or fails to address what he calls the region's most pressing issues. So far, Correa is South America's only left-leaning leader to confirm he will not attend the summit, which begins on April 14 in Cartagena. Leaders from 34 countries, including U.S. President Barack Obama, are expected to be there. ... Full Story Top Colombian rebels free captives held for over a decade Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:50 PM PDT Reuters - BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels freed 10 members of the armed forces held hostage in jungle prison camps for more than a decade on Monday, the last of a group the drug-funded group had used as bargaining chips to pressure the government. The four soldiers and six policemen were released to a humanitarian mission led by the International Committee of the Red Cross in what the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia called a gesture of peace. ... Full Story Top Manufacturing up, construction spending falls Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:34 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The pace of growth in manufacturing picked up last month, even as measures of new orders and exports eased, underscoring how the economy is recovering at a gradual clip. Separate data on Monday showed construction spending suffered its biggest drop in seven months in February, prompting some economists to lower their sights for first-quarter growth. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity rose to 53.4 from 52.4 in February, topping economists' expectations of 53.0. ... Full Story Top Detroit unions to end talks if state plan accepted Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:31 PM PDT Reuters - DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit's public employee unions will not negotiate more cost-cutting agreements with the city if it agrees to a state-mandated financial plan designed to stop Detroit from running out of money, the head of a major union said on Monday. The financial stability agreement drafted by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's administration would require significantly deeper concessions from city unions than have already been agreed to. Opposition to the plan has come as the city's elected leaders and state-appointed officials try to agree on Snyder's financial plan for Detroit. ... Full Story Top Blaze at Moscow skyscraper set to be Europe's tallest Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:25 PM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Fire ripped through the top of a part-built skyscraper on Monday that is set to become Europe's tallest building and form the pinnacle of Moscow's new business district under plans to turn the Russian capital into a global financial centre. Helicopters buzzed around the building, returning repeatedly to drop water from the nearby Moscow river onto the blaze to help bring the fire under control. The tower, called Vostok or East, has a projected height of 360 meters. ... Full Story Top Pakistan jails bin Laden's family for illegal stay Mon,2 Apr 2012 05:17 PM PDT Reuters - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court jailed former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's three widows and two daughters for 45 days after finding them guilty of illegally staying in the country, their lawyers said on Monday. In practice, that means they will serve 14 days in prison because they have been in detention since March 3. Bin Laden's family members will eventually be deported to their home countries, the lawyers said. "They (bin Laden's relatives) were sentenced to 45 days imprisonment and fined 10,000 rupees ($110) each. ... Full Story Top Annan says Syria agrees to April 10 peace deadline Mon,2 Apr 2012 04:59 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has pledged to withdraw all military units from towns by April 10 to pave the way for a ceasefire with rebels two days later, though Western envoys were skeptical on Monday about Damascus' intent to halt its year-long assault on opponents. The U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan briefed the U.N. Security Council on the deadline behind closed doors. He told them there had been no reduction in violence so far, but urged them to consider an observer mission nevertheless in light of Syria's acceptance of the April 10 deadline, diplomats said. ... Full Story Top Gunman kills 7, wounds 3 at California Christian college Mon,2 Apr 2012 04:51 PM PDT Reuters - OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire at a private Christian college in California on Monday, killing at least seven people and wounding three others after telling former classmates to "get in line ... I'm going to kill you all." A suspect in what was the deadliest U.S. school shooting in five years was later arrested at a shopping mall several miles away from the scene of the shooting at Oakland's Oikos University, which appears to cater largely to the area's Korean community. ... Full Story Top Anti-Kony campaign in turmoil after filmmaker's breakdown Mon,2 Apr 2012 04:34 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The public meltdown of the man behind the viral "Kony 2012" video has thrown his campaign into turmoil even as the film succeeded in turning the world's attention to capturing an elusive and brutal Ugandan warlord. Jason Russell, whose 30-minute video sensation shone a spotlight on Joseph Kony's use of child soldiers in Uganda, was taken by police to a hospital in California last week after suffering what doctors described as a brief psychotic breakdown. ... Full Story Top Obama to target Republicans over tax fairness Mon,2 Apr 2012 04:27 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, seizing on Republican plans to slash spending that the White House sees as a potent vote winner for Democrats in this year's election, will use a speech on Tuesday to reinforce his message that his opponents favor the rich. In a week in which Republican Mitt Romney is expected to extend his lead in the race for his party's nomination to confront Obama in the November 6 election, the president will also speak at a conference on women in the economy, White House officials said. ... Full Story Top Mexico presses for quick entry in Trans-Pacific talks Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:58 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon, set to leave office this year, pressed on Monday for a swift decision on his country's bid to join free-trade talks with the United States and eight other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Mexico "would like to join forces as soon as possible to the TPP, or the Trans-Pacific Partnership, because we know that Mexicans can contribute to a quick and successful conclusion of this process," Calderon said at a news conference with President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. ... Full Story Top Mexican front-runner vows swift drop in drug violence Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:54 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto said if he wins the July 1 election he would aim for a rapid reduction in drug war violence that has claimed 50,000 lives since late 2006. Pena Nieto, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has a big lead in opinion polls heading into the election, which will take place with a backdrop of years of bloodshed between drug gangs and security forces. ... Full Story Top Detroit unions to end talks if state plan accepted Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:45 PM PDT Reuters - DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit's public employee unions will not negotiate more cost-cutting agreements with the city if it agrees to a state-mandated financial plan designed to stop Detroit from running out of money, the head of a major city union said on Monday. The financial stability agreement drafted by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's administration would require significantly deeper concessions from city unions than have already been agreed to. Opposition to the plan has come as the city's elected leaders and state-appointed officials work to agree on Snyder's financial plan for Detroit. ... Full Story Top Obama takes a shot at Supreme Court over healthcare Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:45 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama took an opening shot at conservative justices on the Supreme Court on Monday, warning that a rejection of his sweeping healthcare law would be an act of "judicial activism" that Republicans say they abhor. Obama, a Democrat, had not commented publicly on the Supreme Court's deliberations since it heard arguments for and against the healthcare law last week. Known as the "Affordable Care Act" or "Obamacare," the measure to expand health insurance for millions of Americans is considered Obama's signature domestic policy achievement. ... Full Story Top Canada to re-evaluate planned F-35 purchase: report Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:42 PM PDT Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will commit on Tuesday to re-evaluating its controversial plan to purchase F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp, the National Post newspaper said on its website on Monday. The development indicates that Canada - which long insisted the F-35 was the only fighter that met its requirements - is increasingly unhappy with a project that has become mired in major cost overruns and developmental delays. Ottawa initially allotted C$9 billion ($9.1 billion) to buy 65 F-35s between 2017 and 2023 but the move is now in some doubt. ... Full Story Top U.S. investigates possible Internet threat to NYC Mon,2 Apr 2012 03:19 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism officials are trying to figure out the significance of recent occurrences on websites believed to have close links to al Qaeda, including a graphic some fear could be an attack threat directed at New York City. The graphic contained a picture of the Manhattan skyline superimposed with a Hollywood-style caption that says: "ALQAEDA - coming soon again in New York. ... Full Story Top Obama, Mexico's Calderon vow more drug crime cooperation Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:55 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon told President Barack Obama on Monday that drug violence would continue unabated in his country unless the flow of American guns is curbed, while Obama promised closer cooperation with Mexico in fighting the narcotics trade. Obama acknowledged a responsibility to quell the U.S. demand for illegal drugs that helps drive narcotics trafficking, and said coordination with Mexico in the fight is becoming better than ever. ... Full Story Top Neighbors hit Mali junta with border shutdown Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:45 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO/DAKAR (Reuters) - Mali's neighbors agreed to shut their borders with the West African country on Monday as part of tough sanctions aimed at forcing the leaders of last month's coup to step down. Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, also announced they would "activate" the region's standby military force, though it was unclear when any troops would deploy and with what mandate. ... Full Story Top Feds raid "Princeton of Pot" in California Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:34 PM PDT Reuters - OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - Federal agents raided a cannabis cultivation college on Monday in the San Francisco Bay area widely known as the "Princeton of Pot" and the "Harvard of Hemp," authorities said, as the U.S. government pressed its clamp-down on medical marijuana. The sweep turned the college, which offers courses in the growing and dispensing of marijuana, into the latest flashpoint between federal law enforcement and medical cannabis advocates in California and other states where pot has been decriminalized for medicinal purposes. ... Full Story Top Germany risks tax deal defeat after Swiss warrants Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:33 PM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government's deal to stem tax evasion via Swiss bank accounts risks being defeated in the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament after Switzerland issued arrest warrants for three German tax inspectors. The government is soon due to present the deal to parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, but also needs the agreement of the upper house, or Bundesrat, where Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition doesn't have a majority. ... Full Story Top Romney eyes primary knockout, matchup with Obama looms Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - GREEN BAY, Wisconsin., (Reuters) - As Mitt Romney sought to land a knockout blow against Rick Santorum in the race for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination, the difficulty of a general election matchup against Democratic President Barack Obama became clearer. Romney looked poised for victories in contests in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, a sweep that would add pressure on conservative rival Santorum to yield to rising calls from party leaders for Republicans to rally behind Romney. ... Full Story Top U.S. hails Myanmar election as step for democratic change Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:05 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday hailed a strong showing by Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party in Myanmar's by-elections, calling the vote an important step in the country's democratic transformation. "We hope it is an indication that the government of Burma intends to continue along the path of greater openness, transparency and reform," Jay Carney, press secretary for U.S. President Barack Obama, said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Argentina chides Britain on Falklands war anniversary Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:04 PM PDT Reuters - USHUAIA, Argentina (Reuters) - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez marked the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war on Monday with sharp criticism of Britain for maintaining "colonial enclaves" and a renewed call for sovereignty talks. Fernandez has intensified pressure on London to negotiate the sovereignty of the islands in the run-up to the anniversary of the 10-week war that Britain and Argentina fought over the remote South Atlantic archipelago in 1982. ... Full Story Top U.S. hails Myanmar election as step for democratic change Mon,2 Apr 2012 02:01 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday hailed a strong showing by Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party in Myanmar's by-elections, calling the vote an important step in the country's democratic transformation. "We hope it is an indication that the government of Burma intends to continue along the path of greater openness, transparency and reform," Jay Carney, press secretary for U.S. President Barack Obama, said in a statement. ... Full Story Top

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