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Thursday, October 4, 2012 12:05 AM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Afghan president says 2014 election will be on time For Obama, words not said in debate spoke the loudest Nigeria police make arrests after college massacre Libyan forces deploy around former Gaddafi stronghold EU team arrives to oversee Sierra Leone elections Libya PM gov't line-up omits liberal coalition Chicago Teachers Union ratifies deal that ended strike Oxfam urges World Bank to freeze land investments In the spin room, Republicans gloat, Democrats struggle Turkish artillery strikes on Syria's Tel Abyad continue Turkey strikes back at Syria after mortar kills five Obama, Romney debate sheds little light on healthcare issues Romney goes on offensive in first debate with Obama Romney stresses he wants bank regulation, but slams Obama reforms In debate style and body language, Romney trumps Obama Malaysia court keeps Lynas operating license on hold Romney: cuts in tax breaks for oil, gas "on the table" Syrian soldiers killed in Turkish strike: Syrian Observatory Philippines orders arrest of Arroyo on plunder charges Trudeau scion hopes for Trudeaumania 2.0 in Canada Romney, Obama both like Simpson-Bowles plan, to a point Trade association condemns Tehran unrest as enemy plot: report Fact or fiction in the U.S. presidential debate? Island plans by Tokyo's nationalist governor may stoke fresh China tensions Factbox: Quotes from first U.S. presidential debate Argentina's coast guard, military police in wage protest Clinton pledges full accounting of deadly Benghazi attack PETA protests injury to whale at SeaWorld San Diego McCaskill reports $5.8 million raised in Akin contest Father of bodyguard injured in Libya questions State Dept. response Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. may not campaign ahead of election: report Florida opens criminal probe into voter registration firm Camera stolen with last photos of young Colorado movie theater victim Turkey asks U.N. Security Council to act after Syria attack Rajoy, Monti, Hollande to discuss euro zone on Friday L.A. County Sheriff says will implement jail reforms, won't quit Canada inspectors cite delays getting tainted meat data Authorities eye retirement accounts as possible tax dodges Insight: Delays dog U.S. government loans to green energy projects Colombia's Santos recovering from successful cancer surgery Afghan president says 2014 election will be on time Wed,3 Oct 2012 11:12 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday that presidential elections in 2014 when his term will end would happen on time and "without interruption", despite a continuing insurgency and concerns about a simultaneous NATO combat troop exit. "The election will definitely happen. Go on and choose your own favorite candidate. My term, if prolonged by even a day, will be seen as illegitimate," Karzai told a press conference at his Kabul garden palace. (Reporting by Rob Taylor; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher) Full Story Top For Obama, words not said in debate spoke the loudest Wed,3 Oct 2012 11:01 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - During their 90-minute debate on Tuesday night, President Barack Obama talked four minutes longer than Republican challenger Mitt Romney. But when the debate was over, it was what Obama didn't say that defined the evening - and helped make it a good one for Romney. In a debate that largely was a mix of campaign talking points and tedious policy detail, the themes that Obama's campaign have emphasized to drive down Romney's approval ratings did not surface. ... Full Story Top Nigeria police make arrests after college massacre Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:48 PM PDT Reuters - KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Police hunting for the killers of 26 people in a college residence in northeast Nigeria said they had raided houses and made a number of arrests on Wednesday. The attackers went from room to room in the building in the town of Mubi, in remote Adamawa state, on Tuesday morning and killed the people they found there with guns and machetes. Adamawa state, like much of the north, has been targeted by Islamist insurgents, but police said were also investigating whether the killings were the result of a feud inside the college. ... Full Story Top Libyan forces deploy around former Gaddafi stronghold Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:47 PM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan militias, operating alongside the Defence Ministry, have deployed their forces around a former stronghold of ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi, officials said on Wednesday, stoking fears of impending fighting. The forces are surrounding parts of the town of Bani Walid, a week after the death of former Misrata rebel fighter Omran Shaban, which has raised tension between the rival towns that backed opposing sides in last year's war. ... Full Story Top EU team arrives to oversee Sierra Leone elections Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:46 PM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A team of EU observers has flown into Sierra Leone's capital Freetown to monitor upcoming elections, whose success is viewed as crucial to recovery in the nation scarred by civil war. The presidential, parliamentary and local council elections on November 17 will be the third since war ended 10 years ago. The 1991-2002 civil war killed 50,000 people, maimed many more and ruined the country's infrastructure. Production from vast deposits of iron ore and other minerals ground to a halt. ... Full Story Top Libya PM gov't line-up omits liberal coalition Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:44 PM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan Prime Minister-elect Mustafa Abushagur nominated his cabinet on Wednesday for approval by the national congress, presenting a line-up that excluded the North African country's leading liberal coalition. Abushagur, elected prime minister by the congress on September 12, has said he wants to build a coalition government with a "geographical balance" in a country where regional rivalries are still rife. ... Full Story Top Chicago Teachers Union ratifies deal that ended strike Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:43 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - Public school teachers in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract, ending a bitter dispute with Mayor Rahm Emanuel over school reforms that prompted the first strike of city teachers in 25 years. The Chicago Teachers Union said 79.1 percent of its members voted in favor of the deal, which will give teachers an average pay raise of 17.6 percent over four years if the contract is extended an extra year. Ratification required a majority vote in favor. ... Full Story Top Oxfam urges World Bank to freeze land investments Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:40 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global development group Oxfam on Wednesday called on the World Bank to suspend financing for large-scale land acquisitions to ensure that its practices do not encourage foreign land grabs in developing countries. Oxfam urged Jim Yong Kim, the lender's new president, to announce a six-month moratorium on land investments by the bank at meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Tokyo next week. ... Full Story Top In the spin room, Republicans gloat, Democrats struggle Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:39 PM PDT Reuters - DENVER (Reuters) - Republicans were quick to claim bragging rights after Mitt Romney's aggressive performance in the first presidential debate on Wednesday, while Democrats struggled to explain President Barack Obama's often flat showing. Within minutes of the debate's end, a dozen gleeful Republicans rushed into the media spin room to praise Romney and declare that his struggling presidential campaign had turned a corner before the November 6 election. "It's a whole new ballgame," Republican Senator John Thune said of the White House race after Romney's performance. ... Full Story Top Turkish artillery strikes on Syria's Tel Abyad continue Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:35 PM PDT Reuters - AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey's military continued to launch artillery strikes early on Thursday targeting the Tel Abyad district around 10 km (6.2 miles) inside the Syrian border, Turkish security sources said. The sources said a mortar bomb fired from Syria that killed five Turkish civilians on Wednesday had been fired from Tel Abyad. They said soldiers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had been killed by the Turkish artillery fire. (Reporting by Seyhmus Cakan; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Full Story Top Turkey strikes back at Syria after mortar kills five Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:35 PM PDT Reuters - AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish artillery hit targets inside Syria on Wednesday, killing several Syrian soldiers according to activists, after a mortar bomb fired from Syria killed five Turkish civilians and prompted NATO to call for an immediate end to Syria's "aggressive acts." In the most serious cross-border escalation of the 18-month uprising in Syria, Turkey hit back at what it called "the last straw" when a mortar hit a residential neighborhood of the southern border town of Akcakale. ... Full Story Top Obama, Romney debate sheds little light on healthcare issues Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:34 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney agree that the $2.8 trillion U.S. healthcare system is broken, but neither candidate on Wednesday presented voters with a clear idea of how to fix it. Their comments about Medicare, Medicaid and healthcare in general dominated more than one-quarter of a presidential debate and gave both candidates a chance to articulate their policies for an estimated 50 million viewers. Healthcare is a top issue in the November 6 election. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Romney goes on offensive in first debate with Obama Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:31 PM PDT Reuters - DENVER (Reuters) - Mitt Romney battled back in his uphill drive to oust President Barack Obama on Wednesday with an aggressive debate performance that put his campaign on a more positive footing after weeks of stumbles and knocked Obama off-stride. In the first of three presidential debates this month, Romney went beyond expectations as the two candidates stood side-by-side for the first time after months of campaigning against each other from long distance. ... Full Story Top Romney stresses he wants bank regulation, but slams Obama reforms Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:17 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney, seeking to counter his image as a billionaire friend of finance, stressed he wanted regulation of banks but blasted President Barack Obama for pursuing excessive reforms that he said were stifling the economy. Speaking during the first presidential debate on Wednesday, Romney reiterated his pledge to repeal the Dodd-Frank bill, a 2010 law that overhauls the oversight of U.S. finance in response to the worst banking crisis since the Great Depression. "Regulation is essential. ... Full Story Top In debate style and body language, Romney trumps Obama Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:14 PM PDT Reuters - DENVER (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney came across as aggressive and polished, while Democrat Barack Obama appeared laid back and unassertive in a presidential debate on Wednesday that showcased their differences in style as much as substance. Known for his eloquence, the Democratic president stammered and paused during many answers, looking down at his podium when he was not speaking. Romney, a former private equity executive, spoke in lists and was more concise than Obama, who has practiced unsuccessfully at tamping down his professorial style. ... Full Story Top Malaysia court keeps Lynas operating license on hold Wed,3 Oct 2012 10:06 PM PDT Reuters - KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian court kept on hold the license granted to Lynas Corp Ltd's controversial rare earth plant by delaying until October 10 a decision on whether it will consider judicial reviews to permanently block production. The Australian company said that the Kuantan High Court's decision leaves the temporary operating license suspended until October 10, extending a one-week halt that expired on Thursday. ... Full Story Top Romney: cuts in tax breaks for oil, gas "on the table" Wed,3 Oct 2012 09:58 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney hinted he could eliminate billions of dollars in U.S. oil and tax breaks if he were elected, but the reductions would be far less than what President Barack Obama wants. Romney signaled in the first presidential debate in Denver on Wednesday that annual reductions of some $2.8 billion in tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies could be eventually traded for a lower corporate tax rate if he won on November 6. "If we get that tax rate from 35 percent down to 25 percent, why that $2. ... Full Story Top Syrian soldiers killed in Turkish strike: Syrian Observatory Wed,3 Oct 2012 09:41 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Several Syrian soldiers were killed in an overnight Turkish bombardment of a Syrian military post near the border town of Tel Abyad, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday. It gave no figure for the number of soldiers killed in the Turkish attack, which came after a mortar bomb fired from Syrian territory killed five Turkish civilians on Wednesday. (Reporting by Dominic Evans; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Full Story Top Philippines orders arrest of Arroyo on plunder charges Wed,3 Oct 2012 09:19 PM PDT Reuters - MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine court said it has ordered the arrest of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on plunder charges, meaning a likely return to detention after she posted bail in July following about seven months of confinement. The court has yet to serve the arrest warrant, issued late on Wednesday, to Arroyo and 10 other former state officials over allegations of misuse of state lottery funds as it was still clarifying how to proceed with the multiple arrests. ... Full Story Top Trudeau scion hopes for Trudeaumania 2.0 in Canada Wed,3 Oct 2012 09:17 PM PDT Reuters - MONTREAL (Reuters) - The charismatic son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party on Tuesday, hoping to recreate the sort of buzz that made his father prime minister in 1968. Justin Trudeau said he was entering the race to lead Canada's oldest political party to serve his country. "I love this country, I want to spend my life serving it. This is why tonight I am offering myself for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada," Trudeau told a packed hall in Montreal for the well-publicized announcement. ... Full Story Top Romney, Obama both like Simpson-Bowles plan, to a point Wed,3 Oct 2012 09:15 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican hopeful Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama praised the deficit-cutting plan known as Simpson-Bowles at their debate on Wednesday, but neither has made the politically painful choices put forward by that scheme. Both candidates held up the 2010 deficit panel's report as a model at the first debate in Denver, and Romney blasted Obama for not fully embracing the proposal, which seeks to pare the deficit, which has topped $1 trillion in recent years. ... Full Story Top Trade association condemns Tehran unrest as enemy plot: report Wed,3 Oct 2012 08:57 PM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - An Islamic trade association in Iran strongly condemned the protests that flared in Tehran's main bazaar as an enemy conspiracy and said traders had dealt with the "treacherous" acts, Iran's state news agency reported late on Wednesday. Riot police clashed with demonstrators and arrested money changers in Tehran on Wednesday afternoon in disturbances over the collapse of the Iranian currency, which has lost 40 percent of its value against the dollar over the last week. ... Full Story Top Fact or fiction in the U.S. presidential debate? Wed,3 Oct 2012 08:47 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, faced off in their first of three debates before the November 6 presidential election. Here is some fact-checking of claims made by the candidates. DOES ROMNEY'S PLAN CALL FOR $5 TRILLION TAX CUT? Obama repeatedly criticized what he called Romney's $5 trillion tax cut. But Romney said his plan did not call for a $5 trillion tax cut. ... Full Story Top Island plans by Tokyo's nationalist governor may stoke fresh China tensions Wed,3 Oct 2012 08:42 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a fiery nationalist whose failed bid to buy a group of disputed islands ignited a crisis with China, is pushing ahead with a plan to build structures there to hammer home Japan's claim, officials involved told Reuters. Although such a move is not imminent, it would be certain to strain Japan's already shaky relations with China and could prompt a rebuke from the Obama administration, which has urged both sides to ease tensions by setting aside the dispute. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Quotes from first U.S. presidential debate Wed,3 Oct 2012 08:24 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday faced off in Denver in the first of three debates ahead of the November 6 election. Below are some highlights of what the two candidates said during the widely televised 90-minute encounter: FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY On Obama's economic plan: "I'm concerned that we're on the path that's just been unsuccessful. ... Full Story Top Argentina's coast guard, military police in wage protest Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:53 PM PDT Reuters - BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's coast guard and military police held unprecedented wage protests on Wednesday, prompting the government to fire the heads of both services while Congress called for an orderly resolution of the dispute. Strikes over wages are common in Argentina, where inflation is running at more than 20 percent annually, according to private economists. But this was the first time in memory that uniformed Argentine military forces have taken to the streets over wages. Talks aimed at ending the dispute reached late into the night. "We support democracy. ... Full Story Top Clinton pledges full accounting of deadly Benghazi attack Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:44 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday vowed to pursue a full accounting of the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi "wherever that leads," but cautioned that it could take time for a complete picture to emerge. "There are continuing questions about what exactly happened in Benghazi on that night three weeks ago. And we will not rest until we answer those questions and until we track down the terrorists who killed our people," Clinton said in an appearance with Kazakhstan's visiting foreign minister. ... Full Story Top PETA protests injury to whale at SeaWorld San Diego Wed,3 Oct 2012 07:32 PM PDT Reuters - SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Activists with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protested what they called poor conditions for killer whales and their trainers at SeaWorld San Diego on Wednesday, a week after filing a federal complaint saying the theme park had failed to keep incompatible animals apart. The group is protesting a September 20 incident when they say a killer whale at the park, named Nakai, lost "a dinner plate sized chunk of flesh" after another orca attacked him. SeaWorld said the injury was caused by contact with the walls of the cement pool during a performance. ... Full Story Top McCaskill reports $5.8 million raised in Akin contest Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:35 PM PDT Reuters - KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Senator Claire McCaskill, whose Missouri re-election campaign has attracted national attention since her Republican challenger made controversial remarks about rape, said on Wednesday she raised $5.8 million in the last quarter. ... Full Story Top Father of bodyguard injured in Libya questions State Dept. response Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:29 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The father of an American bodyguard injured in the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, said on Wednesday the State Department should own up to what he said were its mistakes and release more information about what occurred. David Ubben, a 31-year-old State Department employee, suffered broken bones and other injuries in the September 11 attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans. ... Full Story Top Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. may not campaign ahead of election: report Wed,3 Oct 2012 06:04 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - The wife of Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. said on Wednesday the nine-term congressman - who has not made any public appearances since going on medical leave in June - may not appear in public to campaign ahead of the November 6 election, according to the Chicago Tribune. In late July, after a series of statements from Jackson's office and doctors that raised more questions than they answered, the Mayo Clinic announced it was treating the congressman for bipolar disorder. He was released last month and is now convalescing at home, according to his office. ... Full Story Top Florida opens criminal probe into voter registration firm Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:56 PM PDT Reuters - TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Authorities in Florida opened a criminal probe on Wednesday into the activities of Strategic Allied Consulting, the firm hired by the Republican Party to register new voters in the crucial swing state ahead of next month's presidential election. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said there was enough evidence to warrant a full-blown investigation of Strategic Allied, a Virginia-based voter registration company doing work for the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Florida. ... Full Story Top Camera stolen with last photos of young Colorado movie theater victim Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:36 PM PDT Reuters - DENVER (Reuters) - The grandfather of a 6-year-old girl killed in July's movie theater massacre in Colorado implored thieves who stole a camera with the last photographs taken of her to return it to the grieving family. Robert Sullivan said the theft of the camera with the pictures of Veronica Moser-Sullivan, the youngest victim of the July 20 mass shootings at a suburban Denver movie theater, had compounded the family's sorrow. "It's been a never-ending nightmare," Sullivan told Reuters on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Turkey asks U.N. Security Council to act after Syria attack Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:11 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Turkey on Wednesday asked the U.N. Security Council to take the "necessary action" to stop Syrian aggression and ensure that the government there respect Turkish territorial sovereignty after a mortar bomb fired from Syria killed five Turkish civilians. "This is an act of aggression by Syria against Turkey," Turkish U.N. Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan said in a letter to the president of the 15-nation Security Council, Guatemalan Ambassador Gert Rosenthal. ... Full Story Top Rajoy, Monti, Hollande to discuss euro zone on Friday Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:10 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - The leaders of Spain, France and Italy will meet on Friday on the sidelines of a Mediterranean summit in Malta, the office of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Wednesday. The meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and French President Francois Hollande will take place at 1600 GMT. Two sources with knowledge of the matter said the three leaders would discuss financial issues in the euro zone, including a plan to help Spain handle its finances. ... Full Story Top L.A. County Sheriff says will implement jail reforms, won't quit Wed,3 Oct 2012 05:07 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, blamed by an investigative commission for failing to stop excessive force in the nation's largest county jail system, said on Wednesday he would implement many of its suggested reforms but has no plans to step down. The changes advocated by the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence last week included revamping how use-of-force cases are investigated and disciplined, better oversight and tracking of inmate complaints and the use of video cameras worn by deputies. ... Full Story Top Canada inspectors cite delays getting tainted meat data Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:49 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Canadian food inspectors could not immediately get key information from packer XL Foods after detecting E. coli bacteria in its beef, adding to a nearly two-week delay in launching one of the country's largest-ever meat recalls. Authorities learned about the presence of E. coli in beef produced at the XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alberta, from U.S. authorities on September 4, triggering a Canadian investigation. ... Full Story Top Authorities eye retirement accounts as possible tax dodges Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:44 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury Department is examining individual retirement accounts as vehicles for potential tax avoidance, a top tax official said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers released on Wednesday. Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the individual retirement account, or IRA, of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and asked the agencies to look into potential tax skirting by IRA holders. Romney has disclosed that his IRA contained up to $101 million, despite annual limits of much smaller amounts. ... Full Story Top Insight: Delays dog U.S. government loans to green energy projects Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:41 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A year after the U.S. government raced to meet a deadline to finish loan agreements with dozens of clean energy companies, less than half the total money promised has been handed over. Technical questions and companies' own failures in hitting contractual milestones are behind some of the holdups. But government officials fearful of taking a risk on firms that could collapse may have also caused some of the delays. ... Full Story Top Colombia's Santos recovering from successful cancer surgery Wed,3 Oct 2012 04:40 PM PDT Reuters - BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' surgery for non-aggressive prostate cancer was successful and the 61-year-old is recovering well, his medical team said on Wednesday. Midway through his four-year term, Santos surprised the Andean nation on Monday by announcing that doctors had discovered a cancerous growth on his prostate. He said the disease had been caught in time and there was minimal risk. "Thank God, everything went well. I'm recuperating well. My family and I are very grateful for all your support," Santos said in a message on Twitter after the surgery. ... Full Story Top

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