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Wednesday, April 4, 2012 12:02 AM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: French police swoop on more suspected Islamists UN reports air strike in Sudan's Darfur region Mali junta defies deadline for handing over power Senegal president names technocrat as PM India army units' unusual movements spooked government: paper Egyptian army jails officer who joined protests ECB to hold fire, resist pressure to head for exit Former Turkish president on trial for 1980 coup Egypt liberals spurn Islamist offer, threaten protest Obama's uncle gets hardship driver's license Sudan calls off launch of $1 billion sugar plant Iraq says Iran proposes Baghdad as nuclear talks venue Analysis: Romney graduates from front-runner to underdog Prosecutor in Florida teen shooting aims to do "right thing" Marijuana advocates vow to reopen "Princeton of Pot" after raid Doctors call for end to five cancer tests, treatments NY police probe death of top French academic Arizona governor signs law to bar medical marijuana at colleges Romney close to Republican nomination after victories Senator presses Obama on futures trading curbs First Marines in Australia as U.S. ramps up Asia-Pacific focus Romney wins Maryland Republican presidential primary Romney wins Wisconsin presidential primary: Fox News Romney wins Washington, DC Republican presidential primary China's Wen urges breakup of bank monopoly as growth slows Trump overrules rejection of transgender beauty queen Romney leads Santorum in Wisconsin primary: CNN exit polls Japan, Britain set to agree on joint development of arms: paper NBC News regrets editing of Trayvon shooting call Romney wins Maryland Republican presidential primary Romney wins Washington, DC Republican presidential primary ECB to hold fire, resist pressure to head for exit Legal challenges stall Detroit's fiscal fix Police: Accused Oakland gunman targeted administrator, classmates U.S., Afghanistan near deal on night raids: official Obama assails Republican budget plan, aims at Romney Police investigate suspicious death of French academic GE, Johnson & Johnson among firms to give more lobbying detail Fed not involved in Watergate, watchdog says Federal Reserve tones down talk of more stimulus French police swoop on more suspected Islamists Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:45 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Elite police arrested 10 suspected Islamists in early morning raids across France on Wednesday in a clampdown ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy after seven people were killed by an al Qaeda-inspired gunman last month. The DCRI domestic intelligence service, supported by elite police commandos, carried out arrests in the southern cities of Marseille and Valence, two towns in the southwest and in the northeastern town of Roubaix, a police source said. ... Full Story Top UN reports air strike in Sudan's Darfur region Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:26 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - An air strike almost hit a village in Sudan's Western region of Darfur, international peacekeepers said on Tuesday, the latest apparent attack by the government in the troubled region. Mainly African tribes took up arms against the government in Khartoum in 2003, complaining of political and economic marginalisation in the remote region. Violence has ebbed from the 2003/04 peak but fighting still occurs as several rounds of peace talks have failed, hampered by rebel divisions and ongoing military operations. ... Full Story Top Mali junta defies deadline for handing over power Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:20 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's junta ignored a demand by neighbours for an immediate exit from power on Tuesday, instead simply repeating its offer to hold open-ended talks on a future transition to civilian rule. Malians rushed to stock up on petrol and cash after the 15-state ECOWAS West African bloc launched trade and diplomatic sanctions aimed at forcing the leaders of last month's coup to stand down. ... Full Story Top Senegal president names technocrat as PM Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:13 PM PDT Reuters - DAKAR (Reuters) - Senegal's new president has named Abdoul Mbaye, a former banker without any party affiliation, as his first prime minister, state television announced on Tuesday. The nomination was announced a day after Macky Sall was sworn in as Senegal's president, having defeated incumbent Abdoulaye Wade, his former mentor, in a tense election. Mbaye, who studied in Senegal and France's top business schools, previously worked at West Africa's BCEAO central bank and has been credited with turning around several ailing private banks in the West African state. ... Full Story Top India army units' unusual movements spooked government: paper Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:06 PM PDT Reuters - NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Two Indian army units that moved towards New Delhi on a January night without notifying the government raised an alarm in the capital, the Indian Express newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing several unidentified sources. The newspaper report said the infantry unit of the 33rd Armored Division based 150 km (90 miles) from Delhi and a unit of the airborne 50 Para brigade based in Agra to the south reached the outskirts of Delhi before being ordered back. ... Full Story Top Egyptian army jails officer who joined protests Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:05 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A military officer who joined popular protests against Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak and military rule last year has been sentenced by a military court to six years in prison, an army judicial source told Reuters on Wednesday. Major Ahmed Ali Shouman, the first army officer to have joined the uprising that started in Cairo's Tahrir Square in January last year, was charged with abandoning his unit and weapons and joining protests in military uniform. ... Full Story Top ECB to hold fire, resist pressure to head for exit Tue,3 Apr 2012 11:03 PM PDT Reuters - FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank will hold interest rates at a record low of 1 percent on Wednesday and resist German pressure to flag an exit from its crisis-fighting mode as the euro zone recovery looks increasingly fragile and concerns grow about Spain. Germany's powerful Bundesbank has led a push by central bankers from the euro zone's core for the ECB to begin preparing an exit from crisis measures that have seen it loosen the rules for tapping ECB funding operations. ... Full Story Top Former Turkish president on trial for 1980 coup Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:58 PM PDT Reuters - ANKARA (Reuters) - Retired General Kenan Evren, symbol of an era when the military dominated Turkish politics, goes on trial on Wednesday for his role leading a 1980 coup that shaped the country for three decades until reforms cut back the power of the "Pashas". Fifty people were executed, half a million arrested, hundreds died in jail, and many more disappeared in three years of military rule following the September 12, 1980 coup, Turkey's third in 20 years. ... Full Story Top Egypt liberals spurn Islamist offer, threaten protest Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:52 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian liberals have refused to sit on a body drafting a new constitution dominated by Islamists, despite an offer by the Muslim Brotherhood to give them more seats, in a sign of growing political polarisation after the fall of Hosni Mubarak. The new constitution is due to be written by a 100-member assembly of politicians and public figures over the next six month. ... Full Story Top Obama's uncle gets hardship driver's license Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:49 PM PDT Reuters - BOSTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's uncle has been granted a special hardship driver's license after having his regular license suspended last week in a drunken driving case. Onyango Obama of Framingham, west of Boston, is the half-brother of the president's late father. He was charged with drunken driving in August after rolling through a stop sign. Sara Lavoie, spokeswoman for the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, said Obama got the special license at a hearing on Monday, allowing him keep his job as manager of two liquor stores. ... Full Story Top Sudan calls off launch of $1 billion sugar plant Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:45 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan has shelved the launch of a $1 billion sugar plant, state media said on Tuesday, delaying a strategic industrial project that was meant to help the government overcome a severe economic crisis. The African country is trying to cut food imports that are stoking inflation. Sudan is undergoing an economic crisis after losing three-quarters of its oil production -- the lifeline of the economy -- when South Sudan became independent in July. Boosting sugar production is a top priority as sugar is the most important food item for the 32 million Sudanese. ... Full Story Top Iraq says Iran proposes Baghdad as nuclear talks venue Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:33 PM PDT Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran has proposed holding the next round of talks with six world powers over its disputed nuclear program next week in Iraq instead of Turkey, Iraq's foreign minister said on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday the April 13-14 negotiations with Iran would be held in Istanbul, the first such meeting since January 2011 when the two sides failed even to agree on an agenda. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Romney graduates from front-runner to underdog Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:26 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a sweep of three presidential primaries on Tuesday, Mitt Romney graduated from Republican front-runner to underdog in a November match-up against Democratic President Barack Obama. Romney's wins in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C. gave him a prohibitive lead in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, analysts said, and effectively consigned chief rival Rick Santorum to also-ran status. Now the former Massachusetts governor faces an uphill climb as he takes on a well-funded opponent who travels to campaign events by Air Force One. ... Full Story Top Prosecutor in Florida teen shooting aims to do "right thing" Tue,3 Apr 2012 10:12 PM PDT Reuters - JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) - Angela Corey, the prosecutor handpicked to investigate the shooting death of an unarmed black teen in Florida, has been known to wear a victims advocate pin to trials, shed tears with victims' families and shake her head at a defense witness whose testimony does not match her version of the facts. The decision about whether to charge the white Hispanic man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin will ultimately rest with Corey. Those watching the case, which has flamed racial tensions, peer into her background for clues of how she might handle it. ... Full Story Top Marijuana advocates vow to reopen "Princeton of Pot" after raid Tue,3 Apr 2012 09:48 PM PDT Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Medical marijuana advocates on Tuesday vowed to reopen a San Francisco-area college devoted to cannabis cultivation and known as the "Princeton of Pot" a day after federal agents shut down the school in a raid. Hundreds of protesters rallied in front of San Francisco's City Hall, some on crutches and in wheelchairs and smoking hand-rolled joints. The demonstrators carried signs that said, "Cannabis is medicine; let states regulate" and chanting "Feds off my meds. ... Full Story Top Doctors call for end to five cancer tests, treatments Tue,3 Apr 2012 09:12 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a move that threatens to further inflame concerns about the rationing of medical care, the nation's leading association of cancer physicians issued a list on Wednesday of five common tests and treatments that doctors should stop offering to cancer patients. The list emerged from a two-year effort, similar to a project other medical specialties are undertaking, to identify procedures that do not help patients live longer or better or that may even be harmful, yet are routinely prescribed. ... Full Story Top NY police probe death of top French academic Tue,3 Apr 2012 09:12 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A prominent French academic, Richard Descoings, was found dead naked in a New York hotel room on Tuesday afternoon and New York police opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death. New York City Police said that the body of Descoings, 53, director of the prestigious Institute of Political Studies or "Sciences Po" in Paris and a member of France's Council of State, a government advisory body, was found in his room at the Michelangelo Hotel on 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan. ... Full Story Top Arizona governor signs law to bar medical marijuana at colleges Tue,3 Apr 2012 09:11 PM PDT Reuters - PHOENIX (Reuters) - Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer signed into law on Tuesday a bill to ban medical marijuana from being used on the campuses of state universities and community colleges in the latest salvo in a long-running battle over legalization of the drug. Arizona's move to bar the drug's use on campus is the latest in a drive to roll back laws legalizing the therapeutic use of marijuana, which remains classified as an illegal narcotic under U.S. federal law. ... Full Story Top Romney close to Republican nomination after victories Tue,3 Apr 2012 08:37 PM PDT Reuters - MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Mitt Romney made a big leap toward winning the Republican U.S. presidential nomination with a clean sweep of three primaries on Tuesday that handed a stinging defeat to chief rival Rick Santorum. The victories in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C. will increase appeals from Republican party leaders for Santorum to quit so that Romney can gird for a difficult fight against President Barack Obama in the November 6 election. ... Full Story Top Senator presses Obama on futures trading curbs Tue,3 Apr 2012 08:14 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic senator urged President Barack Obama not to renominate the top U.S. commodities regulator unless he quickly implements trading curbs intended to dampen speculation and reduce fuel costs for Americans. Florida Senator Bill Nelson in a letter dated Tuesday sought swift action by Commodity Futures Trading Commission chief Gary Gensler to implement limits, already finalized by the commission but opposed by industry groups, on the number of oil contracts a single trader can hold. ... Full Story Top First Marines in Australia as U.S. ramps up Asia-Pacific focus Tue,3 Apr 2012 07:52 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - About 200 U.S. Marines began a six month deployment in Australia on Wednesday, in the first wave of a buildup of 2,500 troops due eventually to rotate through a de facto base in Darwin, as the U.S. deepens its military presence in the Asia-Pacific. The deployment of Marines to northern Australia has sparked concern in China, where officials have questioned whether it is part of a larger U.S. strategy aimed at encircling it and thwarting the country's rise as a global power. ... Full Story Top Romney wins Maryland Republican presidential primary Tue,3 Apr 2012 06:52 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney won the Republican presidential primary in Maryland on Tuesday, boosting his momentum as front-runner in the drawn-out battle for his party's nomination for the White House, TV networks projected. Shortly after polls closed, the networks declared the former Massachusetts governor the victor over Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. (Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Sandra Maler) Full Story Top Romney wins Wisconsin presidential primary: Fox News Tue,3 Apr 2012 06:52 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney won the Republican U.S. presidential primary in Wisconsin, Fox News projected, giving him victories in all three contests held on Tuesday and more momentum in the months-long battle for his party's White House nomination. Romney already had won contests in Maryland and Washington, D.C. (Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Will Dunham) Full Story Top Romney wins Washington, DC Republican presidential primary Tue,3 Apr 2012 06:52 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney won the Republican U.S. presidential primary in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, NBC projected, giving the front-runner for his party's White House nomination a second victory of the night after winning in Maryland. Wisconsin also votes on Tuesday. (Reporting by Deborah Charles and Lily Kuo; Editing by Will Dunham) Full Story Top China's Wen urges breakup of bank monopoly as growth slows Tue,3 Apr 2012 06:24 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - China's premier called the country's big banks a monopoly that needed to be broken to get money flowing to cash-starved private firms, as the nation's economy appears to have skidded to its slowest growth in three years. China's state banks make money "far too easily", state media quoted Premier Wen Jiabao as saying on Tuesday, in comments that reignited debate over the role of banking in cushioning the descent of the high-flying economy, the world's second largest. "Frankly, our banks make profits far too easily. ... Full Story Top Trump overrules rejection of transgender beauty queen Tue,3 Apr 2012 06:16 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Businessman Donald Trump has overturned a decision by the Miss Universe Organization, which he owns, to disqualify a Canadian transgender beauty pageant contestant because she was not a "naturally born" female. Jenna Talackova, a tall blonde who underwent gender-reassignment surgery at age 19 and holds legal documents affirming her identity as a woman, wants pageant organizers to go further and drop eligibility rules she calls discriminatory. Talackova, 23, was kicked out of the Miss Universe Canada competition last Friday after she was selected as one of 65 finalists. ... Full Story Top Romney leads Santorum in Wisconsin primary: CNN exit polls Tue,3 Apr 2012 06:13 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney was leading Rick Santorum and two other candidates for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, CNN exit polls showed. The polls showed Romney with 43 percent, compared to Santorum at 35 percent, CNN said. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul lagged behind. Romney already won two other contests on Tuesday in Maryland and Washington, D.C. (Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Will Dunham) Full Story Top Japan, Britain set to agree on joint development of arms: paper Tue,3 Apr 2012 05:55 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and Britain are set to agree to begin joint development of arms following Tokyo's easing of its ban on exports of military equipment late last year, the Mainichi daily reported on Wednesday. It will mark the first time that Japan has worked with a country other than the United States on military equipment after making an exception for the U.S. missile defense program. Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his British counterpart David Cameron are expected to formally agree to begin talks when they meet on April 10 in Tokyo, the paper said. ... Full Story Top NBC News regrets editing of Trayvon shooting call Tue,3 Apr 2012 05:22 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - NBC News apologized on Tuesday for the way it edited a broadcast of a conversation between George Zimmerman and a police dispatcher before teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by Zimmerman. Last week Fox News did a report in which it presented "before" and "after" versions of the call. NBC had broadcast the edited exchange on its flagship "Today" morning show. NBC News launched an investigation after the Fox report. ... Full Story Top Romney wins Maryland Republican presidential primary Tue,3 Apr 2012 05:19 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney won the Republican presidential primary in Maryland on Tuesday, boosting his momentum as front-runner in the drawn-out battle for his party's nomination for the White House, TV networks projected. Shortly after polls closed, the networks declared the former Massachusetts governor the victor over Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. (Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Sandra Maler) Full Story Top Romney wins Washington, DC Republican presidential primary Tue,3 Apr 2012 05:18 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney won the Republican U.S. presidential primary in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, NBC projected, giving the front-runner for his party's White House nomination a second victory of the night after winning in Maryland. Wisconsin also votes on Tuesday. (Reporting by Deborah Charles and Lily Kuo; Editing by Will Dunham) Full Story Top ECB to hold fire, resist pressure to head for exit Tue,3 Apr 2012 05:15 PM PDT Reuters - FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank will hold interest rates at a record low of 1 percent on Wednesday and resist German pressure to flag an exit from its crisis-fighting mode as the euro zone recovery looks increasingly fragile and concerns grow about Spain. Germany's powerful Bundesbank has led a push by central bankers from the euro zone's core for the ECB to begin preparing an exit from crisis measures that have seen it loosen the rules for tapping ECB funding operations. ... Full Story Top Legal challenges stall Detroit's fiscal fix Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:55 PM PDT Reuters - DETROIT (Reuters) - A plan to fix Detroit's shaky finances through a consent agreement before a Thursday, April 5, deadline remained in limbo on Tuesday amid a swirl of unresolved legal challenges. The Detroit City Council did not vote on a deal at its meeting on Tuesday. It is scheduled to return to session on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, according to a spokeswoman for Council President Charles Pugh. ... Full Story Top Police: Accused Oakland gunman targeted administrator, classmates Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:55 PM PDT Reuters - OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - A former student accused of killing seven people and wounding three others in a shooting rampage at a small Christian college in Oakland was gunning for a school administrator and classmates who he felt had treated him unfairly, police said on Tuesday. Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said that 43-year-old One Goh, expelled from Oikos University for "anger management" issues, has been cooperative since being taken into custody after Monday's shootings but "not particularly remorseful. ... Full Story Top U.S., Afghanistan near deal on night raids: official Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:53 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and Afghan officials are close to a deal to change the way night raids are conducted in Afghanistan, giving Afghan security forces the lead role and providing judicial oversight of a practice hated by Afghans but seen as effective by American forces, a U.S. defense official said on Tuesday. The deal is expected to help clear the way for a broader strategic partnership agreement that will govern the U.S. presence in Afghanistan once Afghan forces take full responsibility for security by the end of 2014. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Obama assails Republican budget plan, aims at Romney Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Tuesday of favoring the rich with a "radical" budget plan that focuses on cutting popular programs, which the White House sees as a potent vote winner for Democrats in this year's election. In a week in which Mitt Romney is expected to extend his lead in the race for the Republican nomination to confront Obama in the November 6 election, the president took aim at their new budget blueprint, calling it "thinly veiled social Darwinism. ... Full Story Top Police investigate suspicious death of French academic Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:36 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A prominent French academic, Richard Descoings, was found dead naked in a New York hotel room on Tuesday afternoon. New York police have opened an investigation because they believe the circumstances of his death are suspicious. A law enforcement source said that the body of Descoings, director of the prestigious Institute of Political Studies in Paris and a member of France's Council of State, a government advisory body, was found on Tuesday afternoon in his room at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. ... Full Story Top GE, Johnson & Johnson among firms to give more lobbying detail Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:29 PM PDT Reuters - BOSTON (Reuters) - A dozen U.S. companies have agreed to disclose more about their lobbying efforts in return for avoiding public showdowns at their annual meetings, a sign of growing traction for corporate governance reforms this year. Companies including Coca-Cola Co, General Electric Co. and Johnson & Johnson have agreed to make available more details about areas like trade association memberships and top policy issues, according to a tally of 2012 reforms kept by activist investor Walden Asset Management. ... Full Story Top Fed not involved in Watergate, watchdog says Tue,3 Apr 2012 04:07 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve did not help the Watergate burglars get cash, stonewall congressional inquiries into the 1970s political scandal or help former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein get a $5.5 billion loan to buy weapons in the 1980s, the agency's inspector general said in a report posted on the Fed's website on Tuesday. The report is the result of a political tiff in 2010 that touched off a sizeable government investigation on topics seldom associated with the U.S. central bank. ... Full Story Top Federal Reserve tones down talk of more stimulus Tue,3 Apr 2012 03:52 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve policymakers have backed away from the need for another round of monetary stimulus as the U.S. economy gradually improves. Minutes of the central bank's meeting published on Tuesday showed only two of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee's 10 voting members saw the case for additional monetary stimulus. That was a big shift from January, when several officials thought economic conditions might warrant a third round of bond purchases to boost growth. The surprise change in tone hammered U.S. stocks, bonds and gold, while boosting the dollar. ... Full Story Top

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