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Tuesday, April 17, 2012 12:19 AM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Strong quake shakes Chile, no damage reported Smirking Norway killer Breivik pleads not guilty Australia to begin Afghan exit a year early Haqqani network was planning major attack in Afghanistan: U.S Clinton spoke to Pakistan minister about Afghan attacks Afghan Taliban says rehearsed attack for two months Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends Mexico raises alert for Popocatepetl volcano Ex-army chief wins East Timor presidency: election official Chile Codelco says no initial reports of damage post quake No damage reported after central Chile quake: state agency Exclusive: Briton killed after threat to expose Chinese leader's wife U.S. busts global online drug market, arrests eight Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation Clinton says U.S. will keep sanctions on Iran Clinton: North Korea should re-evaluate policies Shelling, shaky truce challenge U.N. few in Syria Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation Palestinians to deliver Netanyahu ultimatum on talks U.S. lawmakers say Iran talks inadequate, urge more penalties Iran says ready to resolve nuclear issues Danish foreign minister: no room for weakening Iran sanctions Three militants killed in possible U.S. drone strike in Yemen Chavez battles re-election hurdle: Venezuela inflation Insight: "Made in Japan" engineers find second life in China UK to raise Heywood murder with senior Chinese official Sudan parliament calls South an "enemy" Hungary PM proposes close ally as new president New verdict deepens mystery about Italy bombings Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends Rags-to-riches Nigerian governor faces UK jail term Algeria to develop tourism to diversify economy: minister Populist former comic frightens Italy's parties Haqqani network was planning major attack in Afghanistan: U.S Candidate bans may ease rancor of Egypt vote German ship suspected of arms smuggle turns transponder on Algeria to muzzle Gaddafi exiles: Libyan leader U.N. condemns North Korea launch, warns on nuclear test Pope turns 85, says is in "last stretch" of his life Yemen approves sharp increase in 2012 spending Strong quake shakes Chile, no damage reported Mon,16 Apr 2012 11:26 PM PDT Reuters - SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Chile's eastern port of Valparaiso early on Tuesday, shaking buildings as far away as the capital Santiago, but there were no reports of significant damage and the country's main copper mines were unaffected. One elderly man died as a result of a heart attack brought on by the quake, which struck 26 miles north-northeast of Valparaiso, and 69 miles northwest of the capital Santiago, but there were no other reports of injuries. ... Full Story Top Smirking Norway killer Breivik pleads not guilty Mon,16 Apr 2012 11:21 PM PDT Reuters - OSLO (Reuters) - The Norwegian far-right gunman who massacred 77 people last summer gave a clenched-fist salute, smirked at the court and pleaded not guilty on the first day of a trial that threatens to turn into a "circus" showcasing his anti-Islamic views. Anders Behring Breivik, 33, has said he acted in defence of his country by setting off a car bomb that killed eight people at government headquarters in Oslo last July, then killing another 69 people in a shooting spree at a youth summer camp organised by the ruling Labour Party. ... Full Story Top Australia to begin Afghan exit a year early Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:45 PM PDT Reuters - CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia will start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan this year and expects all international forces there to be playing a supporting role for Afghan forces by mid-2013, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday. Gillard will take her timetable for Australia's troop to withdraw a year earlier than planned to a NATO conference on Afghanistan in Chicago in May. "I am now confident that Chicago will recognize mid-2013 as a key milestone in the international strategy," Gillard said in a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra. ... Full Story Top Haqqani network was planning major attack in Afghanistan: U.S Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:17 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Intelligence reports suggested before a coordinated assault on the Afghan capital began on Sunday that the Haqqani network of militants had been planning such high-profile attacks, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Monday. Panetta, speaking to reporters, said the attacks that began on Sunday reflected the resilience of the Taliban and associated militants such as the Haqqanis, based along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, more than a decade after the Afghan war began. ... Full Story Top Clinton spoke to Pakistan minister about Afghan attacks Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:17 PM PDT Reuters - BRASILIA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to Pakistan's foreign minister about their shared responsibility to confront militants following Sunday's attacks in Afghanistan, the State Department said in a statement on Monday. Afghanistan's Taliban attacked Kabul on Sunday with heavy explosions, rockets and gunfire in one of the most serious assaults on the capital in the past decade. Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar "discussed the cowardly attacks in Afghanistan," the statement said. ... Full Story Top Afghan Taliban says rehearsed attack for two months Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:17 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - The insurgents who mounted weekend attacks in central Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan carefully rehearsed for months, even building small military-style models and pre-positioning weapons, a Taliban spokesman said on Monday. Zabihullah Mujahid provided Reuters with a rare insight into how the group plans strategic high-profile attacks designed to deal a psychological blow to U.S.-led NATO forces and their allies in the Afghan security forces. ... Full Story Top Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:17 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that a coordinated Taliban attack on Kabul showed a "failure" by Afghan intelligence and especially by NATO, while Washington signaled the Haqqani group of militants was responsible. The Afghan leader's comments underscored abiding divisions between the Afghan government and Washington, but if the role of the Haqqanis is confirmed, it could lead to fresh tensions in ties between the United States and Pakistan. ... Full Story Top Mexico raises alert for Popocatepetl volcano Mon,16 Apr 2012 09:52 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican authorities raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano near to Mexico City on Monday after it started spewing red-hot fragments of rock. The lava dome of Popocatepetl, some 50 miles to the southeast of the capital, started to expand on Friday, Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention said. This change in activity in the 5,450 meter (17,900 foot) volcano could provoke big explosions capable of sending incandescent fragments out over considerable distances, as well as ash showers, the center said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Ex-army chief wins East Timor presidency: election official Mon,16 Apr 2012 09:51 PM PDT Reuters - Dili (Reuters) - The former army chief and guerrilla fighter Jose Maria de Vasconcelos has won East Timor's presidential elections, an election official said on Tuesday, citing provisional results. Vasconcelos, known as Taur Matan Ruak, won about 61 percent of the 452,000 votes that have been counted so far, Tomas Cabral, an election commission official, was quoted as saying on local television and radio in the capital Dili. "The tally is still being updated but it indicates that Taur Matan Ruak has gotten the majority of votes," said Cabral. ... Full Story Top Chile Codelco says no initial reports of damage post quake Mon,16 Apr 2012 09:30 PM PDT Reuters - SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's state copper giant Codelco said there were no initial reports of problems in the mining firm's central Chilean mines following a strong quake in the area, a spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday. (Reporting By Fabian Cambero; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Full Story Top No damage reported after central Chile quake: state agency Mon,16 Apr 2012 09:29 PM PDT Reuters - SANTIAGO (Reuters) - There were no initial reports of damage or injuries after a powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck central Chile in the early hours of Tuesday, the country's state emergency agency said. (Reporting By Simon Gardner; Editing by Eric Walsh) Full Story Top Exclusive: Briton killed after threat to expose Chinese leader's wife Mon,16 Apr 2012 08:17 PM PDT Reuters - CHONGQING, China (Reuters) - The British businessman whose murder has sparked political upheaval in China was poisoned after he threatened to expose a plan by a Chinese leader's wife to move money abroad, two sources with knowledge of the police investigation said. It was the first time a specific motive has been revealed for Neil Heywood's murder last November, a death which ended Chinese leader Bo Xilai's hopes of emerging as a top central figure and threw off balance the Communist Party's looming leadership succession. ... Full Story Top U.S. busts global online drug market, arrests eight Mon,16 Apr 2012 06:16 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Eight men charged with running an elaborate online narcotics market that sold drugs to 3,000 people in the United States and 34 other countries have been arrested following a two-year investigation dubbed "Operation Adam Bomb," prosecutors said on Monday. The secret ring known as "The Farmer's Market" operated through the TOR computer network, which allows users to communicate anonymously, according to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed on Monday in Los Angeles. ... Full Story Top Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation Mon,16 Apr 2012 05:08 PM PDT Reuters - CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even the occasional eye-ball roll at the weekend Summit of the Americas in an effort to win over Latin American leaders fed up with U.S. policies. He failed. The United States instead emerged from the summit in Colombia increasingly isolated as nearly 30 regional heads of state refused to sign a joint declaration in protest against the continued exclusion of communist-led Cuba from the event. ... Full Story Top Clinton says U.S. will keep sanctions on Iran Mon,16 Apr 2012 04:52 PM PDT Reuters - BRASILIA (Reuters) - The United States will maintain sanctions and other pressure on Iran as Tehran considers what it will bring to the table in the next round of talks over its nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday. Iran's foreign minister was quoted earlier as saying his country was ready to resolve all nuclear issues in the next round of talks with world powers if the West starts lifting sanctions. ... Full Story Top Clinton: North Korea should re-evaluate policies Mon,16 Apr 2012 04:34 PM PDT Reuters - BRASILIA (Reuters) - North Korea's new leadership should reevaluate its policies and work to feed and educate its people before trying to become a nuclear power, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday. Clinton's comments came only hours after the U.N. Security Council condemned Pyongyang for a rocket launch and urged the hardening of existing sanctions against it. "The new young leadership of North Korea has a very stark choice; they need to take a hard look at their polices, stop the provocative action," Clinton said at a press conference in Brazil's capital. "They need... ... Full Story Top Shelling, shaky truce challenge U.N. few in Syria Mon,16 Apr 2012 03:54 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - A handful of soldiers in blue caps put a tentative United Nations presence at the heart of the Syrian crisis on Monday, predicting success for their mission to stabilize a shaky four-day-old ceasefire even as shells were still falling. Charged with overseeing an end to 13 months of violence, the unarmed multinational squad of six professed their optimism. ... Full Story Top Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation Mon,16 Apr 2012 03:24 PM PDT Reuters - CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even the occasional eye-ball roll at the weekend Summit of the Americas in an effort to win over Latin American leaders fed up with U.S. policies. He failed. The United States instead emerged from the summit in Colombia increasingly isolated as nearly 30 regional heads of state refused to sign a joint declaration in protest against the continued exclusion of communist-led Cuba from the event. ... Full Story Top Palestinians to deliver Netanyahu ultimatum on talks Mon,16 Apr 2012 02:58 PM PDT Reuters - RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian prime minister plans to use a rare meeting set for Tuesday with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a letter detailing Palestinian grievances on stalled peace talks. Although there was no official announcement of the encounter between Netanyahu and Salam Fayyad, Palestinian officials confirmed that the two would see each other during the day. An Israeli official said Netanyahu will reiterate his call for talks to resume without any preconditions and for a meeting with the top Palestinian leader, President Mahmoud Abbas. ... Full Story Top U.S. lawmakers say Iran talks inadequate, urge more penalties Mon,16 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Monday pushed for more sanctions against Iran after talks between Tehran and global powers failed to stop Iran from developing its nuclear program. Although the talks between Iran, the United States and five other world powers were described as "constructive" by the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, some U.S. lawmakers said they were unimpressed. "The United States should not mistake positive diplomatic dialogue for compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions," said a spokesman for Republican Senator Mark Kirk. ... Full Story Top Iran says ready to resolve nuclear issues Mon,16 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is ready to resolve all nuclear issues in the next round of talks with world powers if the West starts lifting sanctions, its foreign minister said on Monday. In an interview with the Iranian student news agency ISNA, Ali Akbar Salehi also hinted that Iran could make concessions on its higher-grade uranium enrichment, a key concern of Western powers which suspect Iran is covertly developing a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies the accusations. ... Full Story Top Danish foreign minister: no room for weakening Iran sanctions Mon,16 Apr 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - There is no scope for easing sanctions against Iran until Tehran takes steps to comply with demands on its nuclear program, the foreign minister of Denmark, holder of the European Union's rotating presidency, said on Monday. "I think it would be very dangerous to create a situation where we say to Iranians we might lift part of the sanctions," Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal told reporters, when asked if sanctions might be eased while negotiations continue with Iran. "They are world champions in making very long negotiations lead nowhere," Sovndal said. ... Full Story Top Three militants killed in possible U.S. drone strike in Yemen Mon,16 Apr 2012 02:19 PM PDT Reuters - ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - At least three al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in an air strike in Yemen on Monday as the government pressed ahead with an offensive against Islamist insurgents in the south of the country. A local official in the southern Shabwa province said Yemeni warplanes had fired rockets on a vehicle, killing six militants from Ansar al-Sharia, a group affiliated with al Qaeda. But the group itself said in a statement that only three of its militants had been killed in the attack which it said was carried out by a U.S. drone, not warplanes. ... Full Story Top Chavez battles re-election hurdle: Venezuela inflation Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:51 PM PDT Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is so determined to contain one of the world's highest inflation rates in an election year that his price control officials are sticking signs outside stores to enforce compliance. The red-yellow-green traffic light notices tell shoppers whether a store is obeying new price caps. Businesses that don't comply face fines, temporary closure or outright expropriation by his socialist government. The initial freezing of prices of 19 key goods in December has begun to kick in: Consumer prices rose 3. ... Full Story Top Insight: "Made in Japan" engineers find second life in China Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:39 PM PDT Reuters - DONGGUAN, China (Reuters) - Their technical skills helped Japan's corporate giants sweep all before them in the 1980s, and now thousands of aging Japanese engineers are finding a new lease on life in booming China. "My profession is going out of business in Japan," said 59-year-old Masayuki Aida, who made molds for a Tokyo-based firm for 30 years but has spent most of his 50s in Dongguan, a gritty manufacturing hub in southern China's Pearl River Delta. ... Full Story Top UK to raise Heywood murder with senior Chinese official Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:33 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to discuss the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in China with a visiting senior Chinese official, an aide said on Monday, as the British government faced questions over its handling of the affair. "It's likely to come up," a spokeswoman for Cameron said when asked about the prime minister's talks on Tuesday with Li Changchun, China's propaganda chief and a member of China's most powerful leadership body, the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee. ... Full Story Top Sudan parliament calls South an "enemy" Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:29 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) - Sudan's parliament branded South Sudan an "enemy" on Monday and called for a swift recapture of a disputed oil-producing region, as rising border tensions pushed the old civil war foes closer to another full-blown conflict. South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan last July, seized the contested Heglig oilfield last Tuesday, prompting its northern neighbor to vow to recapture the area by "all means". The oilfield is vital to Sudan's economy, producing about half of the 115,000 barrel-per-day output that remained in its control after South Sudan's secession. ... Full Story Top Hungary PM proposes close ally as new president Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:25 PM PDT Reuters - BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban tapped a close ally on Monday to become the next president, in a move that will cement the power of his conservative party and help push through his political agenda. The nomination of 52-year-old Janos Ader and his endorsement by Orban's Fidesz party pave the way for his election next month by parliament, where the party commands a two-thirds majority. The former president, Pal Schmitt, also a Fidesz loyalist, resigned this month in a plagiarism scandal. ... Full Story Top New verdict deepens mystery about Italy bombings Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:14 PM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - The acquittal of four people for a bombing 38 years ago has left yet another atrocity from Italy's "Years of Lead" unsolved and underlined the failures of a chaotic justice system. An appeal court in the northern city of Brescia at the weekend confirmed the acquittal of two neo-fascists, an informer for the secret services and a former police general for a bombing that killed eight people and wounded 103 at an anti-fascist demonstration in the centre of the city in 1974. ... Full Story Top Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends Mon,16 Apr 2012 01:08 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that a coordinated Taliban attack showed a "failure" by Afghan intelligence and especially by NATO, as heavy street fighting between insurgents and security forces came to an end after 18 hours. Battles which broke out at midday on Sunday gripped the city's central districts through the night, with large explosions and gunfire lighting up alleys and streets. ... Full Story Top Rags-to-riches Nigerian governor faces UK jail term Mon,16 Apr 2012 12:52 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A British prosecutor on Monday charted the extraordinary rise of James Ibori from a petty thief in London to a powerful governor in Nigeria, describing a web of bogus firms he used to buy mansions and luxury cars in Britain with his stolen millions. Ibori, who was governor of the oil-producing state of Delta in southern Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, has pleaded guilty to 10 corruption charges, admitting he stole approximately 50 million pounds ($79 million) from Delta state's coffers. ... Full Story Top Algeria to develop tourism to diversify economy: minister Mon,16 Apr 2012 12:47 PM PDT Reuters - DJERBA, Tunisia (Reuters) - Algeria plans to boost investment in the tourism sector with the aim of attracting some 3.5 million tourists per year starting in 2015, the tourism minister said on Monday, in an effort to move its economy away from reliance on oil and gas. Though the North African country boasts unspoiled mountains, a long Mediterranean coastline and spectacular deserts, foreign visitors did not exceed 2 million last year, according to the minister. ... Full Story Top Populist former comic frightens Italy's parties Mon,16 Apr 2012 12:34 PM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - A populist movement led by a former comedian who calls Prime Minister Mario Monti "Rigor Montis" and dismisses mainstream parties as "political diarrhea" has rattled Italy's political establishment ahead of next month's local elections. The 5-Star Movement, founded by 63-year-old Beppe Grillo in 2009, is successfully exploiting disaffection with politicians who are seen as corrupt and ineffectual, and polls suggest it could be a big winner at mayoral elections on May 6-7. ... Full Story Top Haqqani network was planning major attack in Afghanistan: U.S Mon,16 Apr 2012 11:40 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Intelligence reports suggested before a coordinated assault on the Afghan capital began on Sunday that the Haqqani network of militants had been planning such high-profile attacks, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Monday. Panetta, speaking to reporters, said the attacks that began on Sunday reflected the resilience of the Taliban and associated militants such as the Haqqanis, based along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, more than a decade after the Afghan war began. ... Full Story Top Candidate bans may ease rancor of Egypt vote Mon,16 Apr 2012 11:34 AM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - A move to exclude some of the more divisive contenders from Egypt's presidential election may help moderate candidates seen as better able to forge the consensus many believe can foster a peaceful transition to democracy. Two prominent Islamists - one a hardline Salafi sheikh, the other the Muslim Brotherhood's official nominee - as well as ousted President Hosni Mubarak's spy chief were battling to stay in the running on Monday as a deadline approached for them to appeal against disqualification by the state election committee. ... Full Story Top German ship suspected of arms smuggle turns transponder on Mon,16 Apr 2012 11:03 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN/KIEV (Reuters) - A German shipping company ordered its vessel Atlantic Cruiser to turn its transponder back on Monday after the ship suspected of smuggling Iranian arms to Syria switched off the tracking system because its crew feared attack, the firm said on Monday. The W. Bockstiegel shipping company also said in a statement it had no information about any weapons on board the ship which was originally destined for Syria. Sending weapons to Syria would be in violation of a European Union arms embargo. ... Full Story Top Algeria to muzzle Gaddafi exiles: Libyan leader Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:58 AM PDT Reuters - ALGIERS (Reuters) - Libya's leader said on Monday he had obtained an assurance from Algiers that the family of Muammar Gaddafi would be prevented from sabotaging the new Libyan authorities from its refuge in Algeria. Algeria allowed Gaddafi's wife, daughter and two of his sons to flee onto its territory after a rebellion ended the autocrat's rule last year, infuriating the rebels in Libya who had already accused Algeria of favoring Gaddafi over them. ... Full Story Top U.N. condemns North Korea launch, warns on nuclear test Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:52 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Monday strongly condemned North Korea's rocket launch, urged tightening of existing U.N. sanctions and warned Pyongyang of further consequences if it carries out another missile launch or nuclear test. China, a permanent veto-wielding council member and North Korea's protector on the 15-nation panel, backed the council's "presidential statement," which was adopted unanimously. U.N. ... Full Story Top Pope turns 85, says is in "last stretch" of his life Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:47 AM PDT Reuters - VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict marked his 85th birthday on Monday saying he is now in the "last stretch" of his life but sure that God would help him continue his mission. Benedict, who has looked tired and drawn recently, is one of history's oldest reigning pontiffs - and already older than his predecessor John Paul II was when he died in 2005. The pope said a Mass of thanksgiving with German bishops and close aides. Afterwards, children in traditional garb from his native Bavaria danced for him under the frescoes of the Vatican's Clementine Hall. ... Full Story Top Yemen approves sharp increase in 2012 spending Mon,16 Apr 2012 10:18 AM PDT Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's parliament on Monday approved a budget for 2012 that sharply increases spending to meet demands for more jobs and social services after a year of violent political protests. Expenditure will leap by almost 50 percent from what the government had projected for 2011, before the violence erupted early that year. The impoverished Arab nation has been seeking billions of dollars in financial assistance to meet immediate fiscal needs after the protests that forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to quit office after three decades. The IMF in early April approved a $93. ... Full Story Top

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