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Thursday, April 12, 2012 12:07 AM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Sudan mobilizes army as South claims key oil field Zimbabwe's Mugabe returns from Singapore Pakistan reveals soft side to India with trade show Middle East mediators seek to revive Israel-Palestine peace talks Syria deadline passes, no reported violence Trayvon Martin shooter charged with murder Iran offers Asia oil buyers easier credit terms: FT Syria truce deadline passes, no reported violence South Korea conservatives win parliamentary poll, boost for Park Calderon, Castro seek better relations in Cuba talks Obama, Merkel: Assad not complying with Annan pact: White House U.S. dismisses credibility of Syria ceasefire pledge Mexico's ruling conservatives pump up attacks on rival U.S. pick for World Bank makes case to board directors Strong quake shakes Mexico, no major damage Mexico backs U.S. nominee Kim to head World Bank Fighting rages in countdown to Syria truce U.S. dismisses credibility of Syria ceasefire pledge Strong quake hits Mexico, no major damage seen First president of independent Algeria dies: state media Egypt's Salafi presidential candidate claims moral victory U.S. condemns violence in Bahrain, urges reforms Sudan mobilizes army as South claims key oil field China leadership succession back to old disorderly self Charges expected in shooting of black Florida teen U.S. condemns violence in Bahrain, urges reforms Mexico's ruling conservatives pump up attacks on rival Canada cuts food inspectors despite recent outbreak: union Fighters want to try Gaddafi son: Libyan lawyer Five killed in bombings targeting Shi'ites in Iraq Colombia's Santos raises profile on world stage South Korea's conservatives headed for a surprise parliamentary win South Korea's conservatives headed for a surprise parliamentary win Congo's Kabila says to arrest wanted army general Greece calls May 6 poll that may create stalemate Kenya, Tanzania lift tsunami warnings Iraq parliament tells cabinet not to meddle in central bank policy: source Defiant North Korea begins injecting fuel into rocket Analysis: Egypt's Brotherhood raises stakes by excluding IMF Iran to offer new proposals at nuclear talks Sudan mobilizes army as South claims key oil field Wed,11 Apr 2012 11:10 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) - Sudan said it would mobilize its army against South Sudan on Wednesday, and halted talks with Juba over oil payments and other disputed issues after the South occupied an oilfield vital to the North's economy. With South Sudan in turn accusing Sudan of bombing a village on the southern side of their 1,800-km (1,200-mile) border, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United States called for an end to clashes that threaten to spark a full-blown conflict. ... Full Story Top Zimbabwe's Mugabe returns from Singapore Wed,11 Apr 2012 10:41 PM PDT Reuters - HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe returned home from Singapore on Thursday, looking fit and defying reports that he was seriously ill. The 88-year-old leader bounded down the stairs of a white chartered plane, accompanied by his wife and was met at Harare's main airport by senior government officials, including his potential successor, vice president Joice Mujuru. Mugabe did not speak to reporters and was whisked away in his official presidential motorcade. ... Full Story Top Pakistan reveals soft side to India with trade show Wed,11 Apr 2012 10:00 PM PDT Reuters - NEW DELHI (Reuters) - From gourmet chefs to fashion houses showcasing muslin suits on the catwalk, Pakistan will unveil a trade fair in New Delhi on Thursday to reveal a soft side to traditional foe India as commercial ties between the nuclear-armed rivals begin to bloom. Despite a combined population of 1.4 billion people and thousands of years of shared history and culture, cross-border trade between India and Pakistan is paltry - a legacy of three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947. ... Full Story Top Middle East mediators seek to revive Israel-Palestine peace talks Wed,11 Apr 2012 09:48 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Middle East peace mediators on Wednesday criticized Israeli settlement building and called on donors to meet aid pledges to the Palestinians as they sought to revive moribund peace talks. The so-called Quartet - the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States - said they stood behind their September 23, 2011, call for the parties to reach a peace deal by the end of 2012, an objective that seems increasingly remote. ... Full Story Top Syria deadline passes, no reported violence Wed,11 Apr 2012 09:47 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - The deadline for a U.N.-backed ceasefire aimed at halting more than a year of bloodshed in Syria passed on Thursday with no immediate reports of violence. People in the restive provinces of Homs, Hama and Idlib which have seen sustained shelling by President Bashar al-Assad's forces over the last week, said the situation was calm after the 6 a.m. (11 p.m. Eastern Time) deadline expired. An activist in Damascus said the capital was also quiet. ... Full Story Top Trayvon Martin shooter charged with murder Wed,11 Apr 2012 09:07 PM PDT Reuters - JACKSONVILLE/SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A special prosecutor in Florida charged neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman with second-degree murder on Wednesday in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, a move protesters had demanded for weeks in a racially charged case that has riveted the United States. Zimmerman, who had been in hiding, was under arrest at Florida's Seminole County jail after turning himself in, officials said. His new defense lawyer said he would plead not guilty and that a hearing to establish bail could come as soon as Thursday. ... Full Story Top Iran offers Asia oil buyers easier credit terms: FT Wed,11 Apr 2012 08:46 PM PDT Reuters - SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Iran is offering Asian oil buyers, including India, easier credit terms to lure more business and counteract tough Western sanctions aimed at restricting the OPEC member's principal export, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Tehran has been offering a handful of potential customers in Asia 180 days of free credit, the newspaper said quoting unnamed industry officials. Each month of credit amounted to a discount of roughly $1.2 to $1.5 a barrel. Despite its generous terms, Iran was struggling to find new customers, the FT said. ... Full Story Top Syria truce deadline passes, no reported violence Wed,11 Apr 2012 08:45 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - The deadline for a U.N.-backed ceasefire aimed at halting more than a year of violence in Syria passed on Thursday with no immediate reports of fighting, activists said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the sound of explosions in the town of Zabadani, close to the border with Lebanon, shortly after the 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) deadline expired, but said it was not clear what had caused the blasts. A resident of the town said there had been shelling of the town overnight, but that she heard nothing after the deadline. ... Full Story Top South Korea conservatives win parliamentary poll, boost for Park Wed,11 Apr 2012 07:55 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's ruling conservative party has clung on to a parliamentary majority, losing less seats than forecast and bolstering the presidential ambitions of its leader Park Geun-hye, the daughter of a strong-arm ruler who was assassinated. Despite a strong challenge from the liberal opposition and millions of disaffected young voters, the pro-business New Frontier or Saenuri Party got a wafer-thin majority of 152 seats in the 300-strong assembly, election results on Thursday showed. ... Full Story Top Calderon, Castro seek better relations in Cuba talks Wed,11 Apr 2012 07:41 PM PDT Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon met with his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, on Wednesday as the two sought to restore friendly relations and explore new trade opportunities after rocky times between their two countries. Calderon's office said the two men agreed on "the importance of the bilateral relationship, based on mutual respect, the observance of the norms of international law and the close friendships of the Cuban and Mexican peoples. ... Full Story Top Obama, Merkel: Assad not complying with Annan pact: White House Wed,11 Apr 2012 06:59 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a phone conversation on Wednesday that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was not complying with a peace agreement negotiated by U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, the White House said. Damascus had agreed to a U.N. Security Council-backed deadline of Tuesday to withdraw troops from Syrian towns and stop using heavy weapons. ... Full Story Top U.S. dismisses credibility of Syria ceasefire pledge Wed,11 Apr 2012 06:59 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States dismissed Syria's new pledge to halt all fighting by dawn on Thursday, saying it holds "little if any credibility" and that caveats placed by President Bashar al-Assad's government on the ceasefire are worrying. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the commitment - made by Syria in a letter to U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan - could not be construed as complying with the former U.N. secretary-general's peace plan. ... Full Story Top Mexico's ruling conservatives pump up attacks on rival Wed,11 Apr 2012 06:58 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's ruling conservatives have stepped up attacks on presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto in an effort to help their struggling candidate, who is slipping back toward third place. A new TV spot by the National Action Party, or PAN, describing Pena Nieto as a "liar" began to circulate just as a poll showed support for PAN contender Josefina Vazquez Mota falling to its lowest level since the campaign began. ... Full Story Top U.S. pick for World Bank makes case to board directors Wed,11 Apr 2012 06:31 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jim Yong Kim, the U.S. nominee to head the World Bank, told the institution's board of directors on Wednesday he would not hesitate to question the status quo and do his best to help the world's poorest. In a 2 1/2-page address made public by the Treasury Department, Kim outlined the reasons why he believed he was the best candidate for the job, and later in the day received the backing of the Mexican government, the first Latin American country to do so. ... Full Story Top Strong quake shakes Mexico, no major damage Wed,11 Apr 2012 05:39 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A strong earthquake hit western Mexico on Wednesday, shaking buildings as far away as the capital and sending people rushing out of offices onto the streets, though there were no reports of major damage. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said on his Twitter account there were no initial signs of serious damage and that key services in the capital, including its subway system and the international airport, were operating normally. ... Full Story Top Mexico backs U.S. nominee Kim to head World Bank Wed,11 Apr 2012 05:38 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico thinks Jim Yong Kim, the U.S. nominee for the next World Bank president, is the best candidate for the job, deputy finance minister Gerardo Rodriguez said on Wednesday. Korean-American health expert Kim is up against Nigerian Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala, who left a top post at the World Bank last year, and former Colombian finance minister Jose Antonio Ocampo. "Mexico supports the candidacy of Dr. Kim," said Rodriguez in a emailed statement, adding the Mexican government would vote for him. (Reporting by Simon Gardner and Dave Graham) Full Story Top Fighting rages in countdown to Syria truce Wed,11 Apr 2012 04:54 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria was due to observe a ceasefire from dawn on Thursday, but its fierce attacks on opposition neighborhoods in the run up to the U.N. deadline fuelled widespread doubts it would comply. The Syrian army also showed few signs of withdrawing troops from urban areas, something supposed to have begun on Tuesday under the peace plan agreed with international envoy Kofi Annan. Activists reported more tanks moving in to a major city even as a pledge to halt operations on Thursday morning was broadcast on state television. ... Full Story Top U.S. dismisses credibility of Syria ceasefire pledge Wed,11 Apr 2012 04:54 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States dismissed Syria's new pledge to halt all fighting by dawn on Thursday, saying it holds "little if any credibility" and that caveats placed by President Bashar al-Assad's government on the ceasefire are worrying. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the commitment - made by Syria in a letter to U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan - could not be construed as complying with the former U.N. secretary-general's peace plan. ... Full Story Top Strong quake hits Mexico, no major damage seen Wed,11 Apr 2012 04:43 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A strong earthquake hit Mexico on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital and sending people rushing out of offices onto the streets, though there were no early reports of major damage. Mexico City mayor Marcelo Ebrard said on his twitter account there were no initial signs of serious damage and that key services in the capital, including its subway system and the international airport, were operating normally. ... Full Story Top First president of independent Algeria dies: state media Wed,11 Apr 2012 04:12 PM PDT Reuters - ALGIERS (Reuters) - Ahmed Ben Bella helped lead Algeria's fight for independence from France and after victory became its first president, a figure who symbolized the romance of the national liberation struggle before the harsh reality of running a country intruded. He died on Wednesday morning in the Algerian capital, aged 96, after an illness, the state-run news agency reported. ... Full Story Top Egypt's Salafi presidential candidate claims moral victory Wed,11 Apr 2012 04:00 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Salafi presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail claimed a moral victory on Wednesday when a court ruled that authorities must provide proof that his late mother did not hold dual nationality, which would prevent him running. Thousands of supporters of Abu Ismail chanted "Egyptian, Egyptian" as they shot fireworks skywards, many crying in joy and praying. They had rallied outside and inside the court that had been in session since the morning, seeking to flock around the sheikh, who they say is the victim of a smear campaign. ... Full Story Top U.S. condemns violence in Bahrain, urges reforms Wed,11 Apr 2012 03:26 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday urged a halt to violence by all sides in Bahrain and called on the Gulf state's rulers to redouble efforts to implement promised political reforms. The White House also expressed concern for the well-being of a jailed pro-democracy protest leader, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is on a two-month-old hunger strike, and pressed Bahrain to "consider urgently all available options to resolve his case. ... Full Story Top Sudan mobilizes army as South claims key oil field Wed,11 Apr 2012 03:24 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) - Sudan said it would mobilize its army against South Sudan on Wednesday, and halted talks with Juba over oil payments and other disputed issues after the South occupied an oilfield vital to the North's economy. With South Sudan in turn accusing Sudan of bombing a village on the southern side of their 1,800-km (1,200-mile) border, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United States called for an end to clashes that threaten to spark a full-blown conflict. ... Full Story Top China leadership succession back to old disorderly self Wed,11 Apr 2012 03:02 PM PDT Reuters - HONG KONG (Reuters) - A rising star is ejected from China's Politburo and faces trial for violations of Communist Party discipline. His wife is in custody, suspected of murdering a British national. So much for an orderly transition of power. Just weeks ago, the pending retirement of Chinese president and Communist Party Chief Hu Jintao to the younger generation headed by anointed leader to be Xi Jinping had appeared headed for a quiet repeat of 2002. ... Full Story Top Charges expected in shooting of black Florida teen Wed,11 Apr 2012 02:56 PM PDT Reuters - SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida special prosecutor was expected to announce a criminal charge on Wednesday against the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in a racially charged case that has captivated the United States. Special prosecutor Angela Corey called a news conference for 6 p.m. ET (2200 GMT). NBC News reported Zimmeran was in custody. ... Full Story Top U.S. condemns violence in Bahrain, urges reforms Wed,11 Apr 2012 02:04 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday urged a halt to violence by all sides in Bahrain and called on the Gulf state's rulers to redouble efforts to implement promised political reforms. The White House also expressed concern for the well-being of a jailed pro-democracy protest leader, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is on a two-month-old hunger strike, and pressed Bahrain to "consider urgently all available options to resolve his case. ... Full Story Top Mexico's ruling conservatives pump up attacks on rival Wed,11 Apr 2012 02:03 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's ruling conservatives have stepped up attacks on presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto in an effort to help their struggling candidate, who is slipping back toward third place. A new TV spot by the National Action Party, or PAN, describing Pena Nieto as a "liar" began to circulate just as a poll showed support for PAN contender Josefina Vazquez Mota falling to its lowest level since the campaign began. ... Full Story Top Canada cuts food inspectors despite recent outbreak: union Wed,11 Apr 2012 01:36 PM PDT Reuters - WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Four years after a deadly outbreak of food-borne illness killed nearly two dozen people, the Canadian government is cutting up to 100 food safety inspectors, the inspectors' union said on Wednesday, reviving concerns about quality control in Canada's food supply. ... Full Story Top Fighters want to try Gaddafi son: Libyan lawyer Wed,11 Apr 2012 01:32 PM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - While the International Criminal Court wants Libya to hand over Muammar Gaddafi's son for trial, Tripoli remains unable to prize him out of the hands of the militia fighters who caught him last year. That's an obstacle the government is trying to overcome as it works to show that the country can give Saif al-Islam Gaddafi a trial that meets international standards, the man overseeing the case for the Libyan authorities said on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Five killed in bombings targeting Shi'ites in Iraq Wed,11 Apr 2012 01:22 PM PDT Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Militants targeting Shi'ite families in a province north of Iraq's capital killed five people and wounded six others when they set off bombs around their houses, local security sources said on Wednesday. Diyala province, a fertile agricultural area, has long been one of the most volatile regions in Iraq, inhabited by a mix of Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds. ... Full Story Top Colombia's Santos raises profile on world stage Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:54 PM PDT Reuters - CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is using this weekend's Summit of the Americas to raise his profile on the world stage and showcase his nation's emergence from decades of drug-fueled rebel violence to become a Latin American investment magnet. The event in Colombia's historic Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena will include regional heads of state and U.S. President Barack Obama on his first trip to the Andean nation. Santos and Obama are due to meet on Sunday. Colombia has long been the closest U.S. ... Full Story Top South Korea's conservatives headed for a surprise parliamentary win Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:47 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's ruling conservatives were headed for a surprise victory in a parliamentary election on Wednesday, boosting leader Park Geun-hye's stature as a top presidential contender despite a liberal surge. The New Frontier Party was closing in on capturing a majority and denying left-leaning parties the numbers needed to form a coalition. The parliament is expected to have little legislative impact in the final year of pro-business President Lee Myung-bak's term. ... Full Story Top South Korea's conservatives headed for a surprise parliamentary win Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:42 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's ruling conservatives were headed for a surprise victory in a parliamentary election on Wednesday, boosting leader Park Geun-hye's stature as a top presidential contender despite a liberal surge. The New Frontier Party was closing in on capturing a majority and denying left-leaning parties the numbers needed to form a coalition. The parliament is expected to have little legislative impact in the final year of pro-business President Lee Myung-bak's term. ... Full Story Top Congo's Kabila says to arrest wanted army general Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:34 PM PDT Reuters - GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila announced on Wednesday that authorities would arrest a serving army general wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. "I want to arrest Bosco Ntaganda because the whole population wants peace," Kabila said during a trip to eastern Congo where Ntaganda has remained a divisive figure at the heart of the unrest long after the official end of a 1998-2003 war. ... Full Story Top Greece calls May 6 poll that may create stalemate Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:29 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece called a snap election for next month on Wednesday, launching a campaign that may produce no clear winner and threaten implementation of the international bailout plan that saved the nation from bankruptcy. Prime Minister Lucas Papademos announced the May 6 date after meeting the president and his interim cabinet, which he said had done its job by securing the bailout and a landmark debt restructuring last month. "Greece is in the middle of a difficult path," he said in a televised address to the nation. ... Full Story Top Kenya, Tanzania lift tsunami warnings Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:27 PM PDT Reuters - NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya and Tanzania lifted tsunami warnings on Wednesday after it appeared unlikely that a massive wave would hit the east African coast following a powerful earthquake off Indonesia. The 8.6-magnitude earthquake and a series of aftershocks struck off Indonesia but there seemed little risk of a disastrous tsunami as in 2004. "We are removing the alert, we are cancelling it," Ali Mafimbo, Senior Assistant Director at Kenya's Met office, told Reuters by phone. Tanzania, after earlier saying it expected waves of up to 1.5 m (5 feet), also downgraded its warning. ... Full Story Top Iraq parliament tells cabinet not to meddle in central bank policy: source Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:26 PM PDT Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament has sent a letter to the cabinet telling it not to interfere in monetary policy, a parliamentary source said, in a skirmish over central bank independence that reflects concerns over the extent of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's influence. Maliki won a court ruling in January 2011 putting independent bodies like the Central Bank of Iraq under the cabinet, alarming critics who view with suspicion signs of authoritarianism in some of his actions. ... Full Story Top Defiant North Korea begins injecting fuel into rocket Wed,11 Apr 2012 12:05 PM PDT Reuters - PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Impoverished North Korea rejected international protests over its planned long-range rocket launch and said on Wednesday that it was injecting fuel "as we speak", meaning it could blast off as early as Thursday. If all goes to plan, the launch, which North Korea's neighbors and the West say is a disguised ballistic missile test, will take a three-stage rocket over a sea separating the Korean peninsula from China before releasing a satellite into orbit when the third stage fires over waters near the Philippines. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Egypt's Brotherhood raises stakes by excluding IMF Wed,11 Apr 2012 11:44 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - In all but ruling out an early agreement on an IMF loan, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has dramatically raised the stakes in its struggle with the army-led administration for control of a country still reeling from a year of political turmoil. The Brotherhood's candidate for president, Khairat al-Shater, said this week the group would not accept an International Monetary Fund loan unless its terms were changed or a new government was formed to monitor how it is spent, demands that almost certainly won't be met. ... Full Story Top Iran to offer new proposals at nuclear talks Wed,11 Apr 2012 11:27 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will present new proposals at talks on Saturday aimed at easing concerns about its nuclear activity, state television said, but it was unclear if Tehran was willing to address its disputed uranium enrichment drive as six world powers want. The report did not specify what Iran was set to offer and one western diplomat said he doubted it would be enough for any quick lifting of sanctions on the Islamic Republic which the West suspects may be seeking nuclear weapons capability. ... Full Story Top

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