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Thursday, June 28, 2012 4:09 AM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: In divided Egypt, U.S. plays all sides UN renews Congo peacekeepers amid Rwanda tensions Somali president accuses world of balking at aid Rwanda regrets UN decision to publish Congo report Egypt's Islamist president-elect seeks wide support Malawi passes budget, paving way for donor funds Lending agencies urge WTO 'trade facilitation' pact At least 20 dead as north Mali factions clash Palestinian President to meet Israeli vice PM: official Supreme Court to deliver Obama healthcare law ruling Analysis: Republicans may take aim at Holder in court Chinese paper slams U.S. candidates for playing "China card" Pena Nieto wraps up campaign with victory near Stratfor to settle class action suit over hack U.S. leaders see fallout if joint missile funds nixed Texas man gets 40 years after 'stand-your-ground' defense fails Exclusive: Russia backs Annan idea of Syria unity government: envoys Ecuador plaintiffs target Chevron's assets in Brazil Mexico would need major reforms for better rating: Fitch Holder faces House contempt vote on gun probe Exclusive: Annan calls for Syria national unity government: envoys Pelosi sees Roberts helping uphold U.S. healthcare law Do election laws encourage attack ads in campaigns? Bolivian police end rebellion after pay deal reached Obama takes lead in swing states, economy still weighs U.S. anti-tax pledge creator says oath is strong Italy debt cost likely to rise after Merkel rebuff Afghanistan wants its cultural heroes back Defence wasting cash on unused supplies: report Spain dash Portugal hopes with shootout victory Fed's Lockhart: not time for the bigger guns yet Venezuela poll shows tight race for Chavez U.S. to highlight China cooperation at ASEAN forum Saudi student in Texas convicted of terrorism, Bush a target U.S. defense cut could cost billions to implement U.S. lawmakers seek review of broadband data caps Comcast to pay $800,000 to resolve FCC probe Barclays paying $453 million to settle Libor probe Iran says ready to help solve Syria crisis Lawmakers reach transportation deal, Keystone out In divided Egypt, U.S. plays all sides Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:28 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The ambiguous outcome of Egypt's revolution leaves Washington no choice but to deal with the country's two major players, the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, despite its disagreements with each. Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement long held at arm's length by the United States, was declared on Sunday to have won Egypt's presidency. He assumes an office whose powers have been whittled away by the military, whose recent actions are seen as anti-democratic but which remains the country's most powerful institution. ... Full Story Top UN renews Congo peacekeepers amid Rwanda tensions Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:18 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council renewed a peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday and demanded an end to "outside support" for a mutiny in the country's east after U.N. experts accused top Rwandan military officials of involvement. The eastern Congo province of North Kivu has been swept by waves of violence since March, after hundreds of former rebels defected from the army in support of a renegade general, Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. An addendum to a recent report by U.N. ... Full Story Top Somali president accuses world of balking at aid Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:17 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Somalia's president on Wednesday accused the international community of refusing to fund the creation of local security forces capable of tackling piracy and al Qaeda-linked militants and urged them to pay up. "The international community spends millions of dollars (because of piracy) and when you ask them to contribute to building forces on the ground they evade our request," Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of a conference on piracy in Dubai. ... Full Story Top Rwanda regrets UN decision to publish Congo report Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:16 PM PDT Reuters - KINSHASA (Reuters) - Rwanda said on Wednesday that it was 'deeply regrettable' that the UN Security Council has decided to publish a document alleging Rwanda was backing armed groups in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda's Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said in a statement that the government would provide factual evidence to show that the charges of Rwandan involvement are false and that the document was biased. "This is a one-sided preliminary document based on partial findings and is still subject to verification. ... Full Story Top Egypt's Islamist president-elect seeks wide support Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:15 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi began talks on Wednesday with groups nervous about where he will take Egypt after the generals who have ruled since Hosni Mubarak's fall make way for the republic's first civilian leader. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Mursi to bring diverse groups into his government, mentioning Egypt's Coptic Christian minority, secular-minded Egyptians and young people. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Malawi passes budget, paving way for donor funds Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:14 PM PDT Reuters - LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi's parliament passed a vital national budget on Wednesday needed to unleash more funding from the International Monetary Fund and other donors. The $1.6 billion budget vote was passed unanimously and quickly, a move aimed at impressing the IMF that is supposed to approve a new aid programme for the impoverished southern African nation next month. The IMF's resident representative to Malawi said last week the smooth passage of the budget by parliament would be crucial to getting the approval. ... Full Story Top Lending agencies urge WTO 'trade facilitation' pact Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:12 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The heads of the World Bank and other international lending agencies on Wednesday urged countries to salvage an agreement to help poor nations increase trade from the remains of failed world trade talks that began in 2001. "More than a decade after the launch of the Doha Round, this agreement could be a down payment on the commitment WTO (World Trade Organization) members have made to linking trade and development," World Bank President Robert Zoellick and the heads of five regional development banks said in an op-ed. ... Full Story Top At least 20 dead as north Mali factions clash Wed,27 Jun 2012 11:11 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked Islamists militants seized control of the headquarters of the local separatist rebels in the north Mali town of Gao on Wednesday after a bloody battle that killed at least 20, residents said. The battle follows weeks of tension between the separatist Tuareg-led MNLA and better-armed local Islamists who helped it take control of the northern two-thirds of Mali in April but whose goal is to impose sharia Islamic law across the country. ... Full Story Top Palestinian President to meet Israeli vice PM: official Wed,27 Jun 2012 10:57 PM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Israeli Vice Premier Shaul Mofaz on Sunday, a Palestinian official said on Thursday, in the highest-level meeting between the sides since peace talks broke down in 2010. "There will be a meeting on Sunday between President Abbas and Mr. Mofaz. This comes after a request for a meeting from Mofaz," Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat told Voice of Palestine Radio. A spokesman for Mofaz would not confirm or deny that a meeting had been arranged. (Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by John Stonestreet) Full Story Top Supreme Court to deliver Obama healthcare law ruling Wed,27 Jun 2012 10:34 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court is set to deliver on Thursday its ruling on President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul, his signature domestic policy achievement, in a historic case that could hand him a huge triumph or a stinging rebuke just over four months before he seeks re-election. The nine justices are scheduled to take the bench at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) on the last day of the high court's term to read their final opinions, including their decision in the epic legal battle over the healthcare law. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Republicans may take aim at Holder in court Wed,27 Jun 2012 10:08 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Perhaps as significant as any contempt citation Congress might issue Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday is the prospect that Republicans will also go to court to enforce congressional demand for documents - a tactic pursued only twice before in U.S. history. The Republican-led House of Representatives is due to vote on whether to charge Holder, the country's top law enforcement officer, with contempt of Congress for withholding documents in a botched gun-running sting operation on the U.S.-Mexico border. ... Full Story Top Chinese paper slams U.S. candidates for playing "China card" Wed,27 Jun 2012 09:09 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top newspaper slammed both U.S. presidential candidates on Thursday for playing the "China card" in their election campaigns, saying the real economic problems confronting the United States were being ignored in the process. In a strongly worded commentary, Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily said it was a "tragedy" for U.S. politics that the country's foreign relations were being sucked in to the domestic presidential election. ... Full Story Top Pena Nieto wraps up campaign with victory near Wed,27 Jun 2012 08:01 PM PDT Reuters - MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico's presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto scented victory as he wrapped up his campaign on Wednesday with polls showing he should easily win Sunday's election and put the country's old rulers back in power. Voters elect a new president on Sunday and many are eager for the next government to end rampant violence by drug gangs and fire up an underperforming economy, sore points that have eroded confidence in the ruling National Action Party, or PAN. ... Full Story Top Stratfor to settle class action suit over hack Wed,27 Jun 2012 07:37 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The global security analysis company Strategic Forecasting Inc will settle a class action lawsuit brought by one of its customers over a crippling attack by hackers who stole data of clients including Henry Kissinger, court documents show. U.S. District Judge Denis Hurley in Central Islip on New York's Long Island earlier this month gave his stamp of approval to a proposed settlement in a case that was filed in January. ... Full Story Top U.S. leaders see fallout if joint missile funds nixed Wed,27 Jun 2012 07:20 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his top weapons buyer warned U.S. lawmakers that failure to fund the final year of development work on a joint ground-based missile defense program with Italy and Germany could have serious diplomatic and financial consequences. Panetta urged Senator Daniel Inouye, the chairman of Senate Appropriations Committee, to support $400.9 million in a final year of funding for the Medium Extended Air and Missile Defense System (MEADS) built by Lockheed Martin Corp and its partners in Italy and Germany. ... Full Story Top Texas man gets 40 years after 'stand-your-ground' defense fails Wed,27 Jun 2012 07:04 PM PDT Reuters - HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) - A retired Texas firefighter convicted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed neighbor was sentenced on Wednesday to 40 years in prison, after his "stand-your-ground" legal defense failed. Raul Rodriguez, 47, was convicted earlier this month of the 2010 murder of his neighbor, 36-year-old teacher Kelly Danaher, following a dispute about the noise level at a birthday party at Danaher's house. ... Full Story Top Exclusive: Russia backs Annan idea of Syria unity government: envoys Wed,27 Jun 2012 06:58 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and other big powers have told mediator Kofi Annan that they support his idea of a Syrian national unity cabinet that could include government and opposition members but would exclude those whose participation would undermine it, envoys said on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Ecuador plaintiffs target Chevron's assets in Brazil Wed,27 Jun 2012 06:20 PM PDT Reuters - QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean plaintiffs have filed a second lawsuit outside the Andean country, this time in Brazil, in a bid to enforce an $18 billion court ruling against U.S. oil company Chevron for polluting the Amazon, their lawyers said on Wednesday. The 2011 judgment against Chevron is one of the biggest rulings ever for environmental damage. The legal case has spanned nearly two decades and is being watched closely by multinationals accused of pollution elsewhere in the world. ... Full Story Top Mexico would need major reforms for better rating: Fitch Wed,27 Jun 2012 05:56 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Meaningful reforms to Mexico's energy sector and tax base after Sunday's presidential election could move the country toward a higher credit rating, a top official with ratings agency Fitch said on Wednesday. Any boost to growth from reforms, though, would have to be weighed against a worsening global environment, said Shelly Shetty, who heads sovereign ratings for Fitch in Latin America. Opinion polls give front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto a wide lead ahead of the vote, putting the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, on track to return to power. ... Full Story Top Holder faces House contempt vote on gun probe Wed,27 Jun 2012 05:18 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder faces a contempt vote by the House of Representatives on Thursday in a dispute involving a botched gun-running probe, and the chamber's top Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, said some in her party may line up with Republicans against him. The Republican-led House is to vote on whether to charge the nation's top law enforcement officer with contempt of Congress related to his withholding of documents in a gun-running sting operation on the U.S.-Mexico border code named "Fast and Furious. ... Full Story Top Exclusive: Annan calls for Syria national unity government: envoys Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:45 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and other big powers have told Syria mediator Kofi Annan they support his idea of a Syrian national unity cabinet that could include government and opposition members but would exclude those whose participation would undermine it, envoys said on Wednesday. The proposal is one of the main topics that Russia, the other four permanent Security Council members and other key players in the Middle East will discuss at a meeting in Geneva on Saturday about the 16-month conflict in Syria, diplomats told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ... Full Story Top Pelosi sees Roberts helping uphold U.S. healthcare law Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:31 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the U.S. Supreme Court prepared to announce a decision on President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, one of the legislation's chief supporters predicted that it would be upheld by a 6-3 vote. Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives' Democratic leader, said she can see Chief Justice John Roberts siding with Obama in an anticipated divided Supreme Court ruling on Thursday. "I believe 6-3," Pelosi told the Reuters Washington Summit on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Do election laws encourage attack ads in campaigns? Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:29 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington operatives call it "drawing contrasts." Voters call it "slinging mud." Whatever the term used, the most expensive election in U.S. history is likely to feature an unprecedented amount of negative advertising as Republicans and Democrats vie for control of the White House and Congress, campaign officials told the Reuters Washington Summit. The attack ads could be driven in part by laws that aim to keep elections clean by separating campaigns from interest groups, according to the spokesman for a Republican group that plans to spend $300 million this year. ... Full Story Top Bolivian police end rebellion after pay deal reached Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:18 PM PDT Reuters - LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia's police ended a violent mutiny and went back to work on Wednesday after reaching an accord with government ministers and the police leadership on pay and disciplinary rules, satisfying lower-ranking officers who had rejected a previous deal. Dozens of police officers were hurt and several police stations were destroyed in the five-day rebellion in the natural gas-exporting South American country that has a history of coups and violent conflicts. ... Full Story Top Obama takes lead in swing states, economy still weighs Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:17 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is carving out a clear lead in swing states that are key to the November 6 presidential election, even as national polls show him neck-and-neck with Republican rival Mitt Romney. Helped by the White House's recent loosening of immigration rules, Obama leads Romney in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, according to a Quinnipiac University survey on Wednesday. An NBC/Wall Street Journal national poll showed Obama ahead of his challenger by just 3 points: a lead of 47 percent to 44 percent which is within the margin of error. ... Full Story Top U.S. anti-tax pledge creator says oath is strong Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:08 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON, June 27 - Grover Norquist, the man dubbed by many the most powerful Republican in Washington, said on Wednesday that his anti-tax oath is alive and well despite recent opposition from senior figures in the party. Norquist, whose 1986 "taxpayer protection pledge" has been signed by the vast majority of elected Republicans, said the numbers prove his case that the oath is still in vogue. More Republicans today have signed the pledge than during the last election cycle, he said. ... Full Story Top Italy debt cost likely to rise after Merkel rebuff Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:05 PM PDT Reuters - MILAN (Reuters) - Investors are likely to drive Italy's borrowing costs further above 6 percent at a bond auction on Thursday after German Chancellor Angela Merkel brushed aside Spanish and Italian pleas for emergency action to steady debt markets. Battling with rising interest payments on its 1.95 trillion euro ($2.4 trillion) debt, Italy is offering up to 5.5 billion euros in five- and 10-year bonds just hours before the start of an EU summit where Prime Minister Mario Monti will keep pushing for joint moves to contain government funding costs. ... Full Story Top Afghanistan wants its cultural heroes back Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:05 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - - Interred a quarter century ago in Pakistan, the remains of Afghan poet Ustad Khalilullah Khalili now lie in a forlorn corner of Kabul University, brought here to be reburied so that no one else can lay claim to the revered poet-philosopher. He has no epitaph; only a few wilted bouquets lie at the grave of Afghanistan's most prominent 20th century poet. Three policemen guard the site. ... Full Story Top Defence wasting cash on unused supplies: report Wed,27 Jun 2012 04:02 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The cash-strapped defence ministry is wasting money on unnecessary supplies and adding to storage costs by not disposing of old stock, parliament's spending watchdog said on Thursday, the latest criticism to hit the embattled department. As the government struggles to tackle a big budget deficit and revive an ailing economy, few of its departments have been more heavily criticised than the defence ministry, which is striving to corral its chaotic bureaucracy. ... Full Story Top Spain dash Portugal hopes with shootout victory Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:36 PM PDT Reuters - DONETSK (Reuters) - Holders Spain needed a stuttering penalty shootout win over Portugal on Wednesday to reach the Euro 2012 final, a soccer showpiece which is set to be attended by a European leader seen as a pariah by much of the continent. Cesc Fabregas scored the decisive kick for a 4-2 shootout semi-final success after a 0-0 draw in Donetsk. Spain will contest a third consecutive major tournament final, equaling the record set by West Germany in the early 1970s. Substitute Fabregas told Spanish TV: "I played awfully but the team worked really hard. ... Full Story Top Fed's Lockhart: not time for the bigger guns yet Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:31 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve would only likely launch another full-on round of bond buying if the economy took a turn for the worse or if Europe's problems flared out of control, a top policymaker said on Wednesday. "I don't think the conditions have developed that require us to bring out bigger guns quite yet," Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said in an interview with Nightly Business Report. Lockhart is a voter this year on the central bank's policy-setting panel. Another round of quantitative easing "is certainly an option," he added. ... Full Story Top Venezuela poll shows tight race for Chavez Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:31 PM PDT Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - A new poll shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez only slightly ahead of challenger Henrique Capriles in the October 7 presidential election, welcome news for the opposition following numerous surveys showing Chavez with a wide lead. The leftist former soldier is seeking re-election for a third term to extend his self-styled socialist revolution, and he has boosted his public appearances as his health seems to be recovering from a cancer diagnosed last year. ... Full Story Top U.S. to highlight China cooperation at ASEAN forum Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:24 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will stress "engagement and cooperation" with China at security talks next month in Southeast Asia where nations are wary of getting caught in superpower rivalry, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the United States and China would unveil new cooperative initiatives at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Cambodia. ... Full Story Top Saudi student in Texas convicted of terrorism, Bush a target Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:23 PM PDT Reuters - SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. federal jury convicted a Saudi Arabian citizen on Wednesday of attempting to build a weapon of mass destruction to attack several targets in the United States, including the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush. Khalid Aldawsari, 22, who was a student at South Plains College near Lubbock, Texas, referred to Bush's home in an e-mail as a "tyrant's house. ... Full Story Top U.S. defense cut could cost billions to implement Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:16 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon may have to pay billions of dollars in termination fees and other contract penalties if Congress does not stop $500 billion in automatic defense spending cuts due to take effect on January 2, a top weapons industry executive said on Wednesday. Sean O'Keefe, chief executive of the North American unit of Europe's EADS , said U.S. defense officials were starting to assess added costs that might be triggered by the automatic cuts required under "sequestration," although they have not begun detailed planning for the across-the-board cuts. ... Full Story Top U.S. lawmakers seek review of broadband data caps Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:11 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Democratic lawmakers said Congress should examine whether major wireless carriers and cable companies are stifling the growth of online video services like Netflix Inc and Hulu by limiting the amount of content Internet subscribers can download each month. Online video providers have argued that data caps are keeping more Americans from accessing their programming as they worry bandwidth-heavy shows and movies could interrupt their Internet service. ... Full Story Top Comcast to pay $800,000 to resolve FCC probe Wed,27 Jun 2012 03:09 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that Comcast Corp would pay $800,000 to resolve an investigation of its broadband-related merger conditions. The FCC said it began the probe after it was tipped that Comcast was not properly marketing its standalone broadband services, violating a condition of its merger with NBC Universal that requires the cable operator to offer reasonably priced Internet services to consumers who do not subscribe to its cable offerings. ... Full Story Top Barclays paying $453 million to settle Libor probe Wed,27 Jun 2012 02:59 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - U.K. bank Barclays will pay $453 million to U.S. and British authorities to settle allegations that it manipulated key interest rates, increasing pressure on other banks to cooperate in a probe that could cost the financial industry billions of dollars. The settlement raises fresh questions about the reliability of the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, which underpins some $360 trillion of loans and financial contracts. ... Full Story Top Iran says ready to help solve Syria crisis Wed,27 Jun 2012 02:59 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran is ready to help international envoy Kofi Annan's bid to bring peace to Syria, but if some countries do not want Tehran at a meeting of global powers then "that's their problem," Iran's U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said on Wednesday. The meeting, called by Annan, will take place in Geneva on Saturday to work out a way to end the worsening conflict in Syria and bring about a political transition. ... Full Story Top Lawmakers reach transportation deal, Keystone out Wed,27 Jun 2012 02:38 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers from the U.S. Congress cut a deal on a massive transportation bill on Wednesday, ending seven weeks of talks just days before federal funding expires for roads, bridges and mass-transit projects. "I am so glad that House Republicans met Democrats half way, as Senate Republicans did months ago," Senator Barbara Boxer, who led the talks, said in a statement. Boxer gave few details of the massive bill, which was a big priority for both parties ahead of November 6 elections because it supports an estimated 3 million jobs. ... Full Story Top

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