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Tuesday, November 29, 2011 12:03 AM PST

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Analysis: After 10 years, China's WTO ride could get bumpier Gangs from Africa, Iran muscle in on South East Asia drugs: U.N. Rockets fired from Lebanon hit Israel: army Trinidad "plot" arrests reach 13, but details scarce Egypt's post-Mubarak poll confounds fears of mayhem Syria sanctioned, condemned for "brutality" Egypt's post-Mubarak poll peaceful, high turnout Chaos, arson, violence mar Congo election Libya says ex-deputy PM suspect in general's killing Sanctions might work but not fast enough: Syrians Afghan woman jailed for being raped aims to change law Sound of blast reported in Iran's Isfahan city Cuban government to contract with private sector Lebanon central bank says holds no Syria state funds Arab media focus on Syria, anxious over Egypt vote U.S. hails Egypt turnout, UK says vote a milestone Syria says Arab League declared economic war Syria committed crimes against humanity: U.N. report Factbox: Sanctions imposed on Syria NATO soldiers wounded by gunfire in Kosovo clash EU preparing more sanctions on Iran: Van Rompuy Sound of blast reported in Iran's Isfahan city Kenyan court issues arrest order for Sudan's Bashir Analysis: New parliament to shake up Egypt power balance World aid donors plot strategy amid economic crisis Iran rushes through law expelling British ambassador Former FARC captive recalls Colombia jungle horror Suicide bomber hits Iraq military base, 19 dead Egypt's new PM says seeks to form cabinet by weekend Kuwait government resigns Analysis: Attack hands Pakistan a chance to squeeze U.S. Profile: Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti Yangon: From stately city to crumbling symbol of isolation Profile: Bank of Italy governor Ignazio Visco Polling stations attacked in Congo vote Anlaysis: Mexican ruling party smears rivals with drug gangs Factbox: Political parties, groups in post-Mubarak Egypt UAE pardons activists sentenced for insulting leaders Russia sending warships to its base in Syria Burundi gunmen kill Italian, Croatian aid workers Analysis: After 10 years, China's WTO ride could get bumpier Mon,28 Nov 2011 09:55 PM PST Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - Rising trade protectionism and frustration over its domestic subsidies spell trouble for China and could lead to more friction within the World Trade Organization than Beijing has grown accustomed to over the past decade. On the eve of China accession to the WTO 10 years ago this December, naysayers warned that the country could falter under the demands of opening up its economy. Now there is little debate that it has been a boon in making China the world's largest exporter and the second largest trading nation. But China's next decade in the trade group could be tougher. ... Full Story Top Gangs from Africa, Iran muscle in on South East Asia drugs: U.N. Mon,28 Nov 2011 06:52 PM PST Reuters - BANGKOK (Reuters) - International drug gangs from Africa and Iran are muscling in on Southeast Asia's booming methamphetamine business which has shown a staggering increase and is spreading through the region, the United Nations said in a report on Tuesday. Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), including amphetamine and methamphetamine, have become the drugs of choice in many parts of Southeast and East Asia since the 1990s, replacing plant-based drugs such as heroin, opium and cannabis, the U.N. drugs office said. ... Full Story Top Rockets fired from Lebanon hit Israel: army Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:09 PM PST Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Several rockets fired from Lebanon hit northern Israel on Tuesday, and the Jewish state returned fire across the border in response, military officials said. Two buildings in the western Galilee area were damaged, Israeli media said, but there were no reported casualties. Residents said they heard two explosions and that houses shook. An Israeli military spokesman said the rockets were the first fired since 2009 across a border where a 34-day war was fought in 2006 between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas based in Lebanon. ... Full Story Top Trinidad "plot" arrests reach 13, but details scarce Mon,28 Nov 2011 04:38 PM PST Reuters - PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - The number of suspects detained in an alleged plot to assassinate Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister rose to 13, a top security official said on Monday while offering few new details about the conspiracy. National Security Minister John Sandy faced intense questioning at a news conference from reporters pressing for more specifics since Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced on Thursday that officials had uncovered a plot. ... Full Story Top Egypt's post-Mubarak poll confounds fears of mayhem Mon,28 Nov 2011 04:03 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians swarmed to the ballot box peacefully in their first election since a popular revolt toppled Hosni Mubarak, confounding fears of violence after a week of riots in which 42 people were killed. Voting continues for a second day on Tuesday, after high turnout and a peaceful atmosphere on Monday in a parliamentary election that could loosen the army's grip on power and sweep long-banned Islamists into the legislature. ... Full Story Top Syria sanctioned, condemned for "brutality" Mon,28 Nov 2011 03:09 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria faces growing economic sanctions and condemnation over what the United Nations calls "gross human rights violations," but President Bashar al-Assad shows no sign of buckling under pressure to end his military crackdown on popular unrest. State television broadcast pro-Assad rallies "supporting national unity and rejecting foreign interference," after the Arab League imposed sanctions on Sunday. The European Union weighed on Monday, further tightening the financial screws on Damascus for its "brutality and unwillingness to change course. ... Full Story Top Egypt's post-Mubarak poll peaceful, high turnout Mon,28 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians voted Monday in the first election since a popular revolt toppled Hosni Mubarak's one-man rule, showing new-found faith in the ballot box that may sweep long-banned Islamists into parliament even as army generals cling to power. Voters swarmed to the polls in a generally peaceful atmosphere despite the unrest that marred the election run-up, when 42 people were killed in protests demanding an immediate transition from military to civilian rule. ... Full Story Top Chaos, arson, violence mar Congo election Mon,28 Nov 2011 02:13 PM PST Reuters - KINSHASA (Reuters) - Deadly violence, arson and widespread voter confusion marred Democratic Republic of Congo's second post-war election on Monday, raising concerns of a protracted dispute over the outcome. Masked gunmen attacked a polling station in the southern mining province of Katanga before three of them were killed by security forces, and locals burned down three polling stations in the neighboring opposition heartland of West Kasai. ... Full Story Top Libya says ex-deputy PM suspect in general's killing Mon,28 Nov 2011 02:04 PM PST Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) said on Monday a former NTC deputy prime minister was suspected of involvement in the killing of one of the rebel movement's most senior military commanders. General Abdel Fattah Younes was killed by his own side in July, an incident that caused deep rifts inside the rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi's rule. The naming of the suspects risks reviving those divisions. At a news conference broadcast on Libyan television, NTC chief military prosecutor Yussef Al-Aseifr named Ali El-Essawi as chief suspect. ... Full Story Top Sanctions might work but not fast enough: Syrians Mon,28 Nov 2011 02:02 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrians fear Arab League sanctions may take too long to stop the killing that has engulfed the country during eight months of revolt and repression, and are uncertain what impact the sanctions will have on their government. Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Sunday imposed sanctions on finance and official travel after President Bashar al-Assad ignored a deadline to stop the crackdown on popular unrest. Some 3,500 Syrians have been killed in the violence, according to the United Nations. On Monday there were state-approved rallies to reject "foreign interference. ... Full Story Top Afghan woman jailed for being raped aims to change law Mon,28 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan woman, jailed two years ago for adultery after she was raped by her cousin's husband, is seeking a presidential pardon that her lawyer hopes could set a legal precedent for other women in a similar position. Gulnaz, now 21, became pregnant following the attack in 2009 and her baby daughter was born behind bars. When her pregnancy brought the crime to light, she was, like her attacker, convicted and jailed for the crime of adultery by force. She was initially sentenced to two years' imprisonment, but on appeal, this was increased to 12 years. ... Full Story Top Sound of blast reported in Iran's Isfahan city Mon,28 Nov 2011 01:39 PM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - The sound of an apparent explosion was heard from Iran's Isfahan city on Monday afternoon, the head of the judiciary in the province said, but the province's deputy governor denied that there had been a big blast. "In the afternoon, there was a noise like an explosion, but we don't have any information from security forces on the source of the noise," provincial judiciary head Gholamreza Ansari was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency. ... Full Story Top Cuban government to contract with private sector Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:42 PM PST Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - The Cuban government will begin contracting out some services to the private sector next year in a break from the state-dominated past aimed at helping small business develop, government insiders said on Monday. They said food and cleaning, construction and some transportation services, all of which are currently done by government workers, were among those that would be contracted out in the future as Cuban leaders push ahead with more than 300 reforms to modernize the island's Soviet-style economy. ... Full Story Top Lebanon central bank says holds no Syria state funds Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:15 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Central Bank does not have to act in response to the Arab League's financial sanctions on Syria because Damascus does not have any funds deposited with it, the bank's governor Riad Salameh said on Monday. "Lebanon's Central Bank does not have any money of the Syrian Central Bank on its books in Lebanon. And the Syrian government has no funds with the central bank of Lebanon," Salameh told LBC Television in an interview. "Therefore these sanctions will not have an impact, and do not require any initiative from us. ... Full Story Top Arab media focus on Syria, anxious over Egypt vote Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:15 PM PST Reuters - MANAMA (Reuters) - Arab media coverage of Egypt's first democratic elections reflected nervousness over a historic vote that could raise pressure for more reforms and bring to power Islamists who could change traditional foreign policies. Arab rulers watched in dismay as popular uprisings seemed to come from nowhere this year to topple friend and ally leaders who ran Egypt and Tunisia with an iron fist with the approval of the United States. ... Full Story Top U.S. hails Egypt turnout, UK says vote a milestone Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:11 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Cairo congratulated Egypt on what seemed a large turnout at the start of the first parliamentary election since Hosni Mubarak was ousted and Britain described the vote as a milestone, in the first reaction to voting by major powers. Last week's clashes between police and protesters demanding an immediate end to military rule which convulsed Cairo and other cities had raised fears of violence during the vote. ... Full Story Top Syria says Arab League declared economic war Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:03 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said on Monday the Arab League had declared economic war on Damascus by announcing sanctions against its Central Bank, but said it had already withdrawn most funds targeted by a freeze on government assets. Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also accused the Arab League of ignoring armed groups Damascus blames for the violence during the eight-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, displaying graphic pictures of bloodied corpses during a televised news conference in Damascus. ... Full Story Top Syria committed crimes against humanity: U.N. report Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:03 PM PST Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - A United Nations commission of inquiry said on Monday Syrian military and security forces had committed crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape, and the government of President Bashar al-Assad bore responsibility. The panel, which interviewed 223 victims and witnesses including defectors, called on Syria to halt "gross human rights violations," release prisoners rounded up in mass arrests and allow access to media, aid workers and rights monitors. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Sanctions imposed on Syria Mon,28 Nov 2011 12:03 PM PST Reuters - Here are some details of the sanctions imposed so far: * ARAB LEAGUE: - Arab states agreed on November 27 to impose economic measures, the toughest against a member state, that included a travel ban on top Syrian officials and a freeze on assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's government. - All dealings with the Syrian central bank and the state-owned Commercial Bank of Syria were suspended. Financial dealings and trade agreements with Syria were halted. * EUROPEAN SANCTIONS: - The EU put 13 Syrian officials on its sanctions list on May 17. ... Full Story Top NATO soldiers wounded by gunfire in Kosovo clash Mon,28 Nov 2011 11:46 AM PST Reuters - ZUBIN POTOK, Kosovo (Reuters) - Two German NATO soldiers were shot and wounded and eight Austrian peacekeepers hurt on Monday in the latest clashes with Serbs in the north of Kosovo who reject the country's 2008 secession from Serbia. Fighting broke out when NATO peacekeepers began removing roadblocks erected by Serbs in July after Kosovo's ethnic Albanian-dominated government tried to send border police to the mainly Serb north. Western diplomats warn the turmoil could cost Serbia official candidate status for membership of the European Union when the bloc meets on December 9. ... Full Story Top EU preparing more sanctions on Iran: Van Rompuy Mon,28 Nov 2011 11:37 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Union is preparing new restrictive measures against Iran and shares U.S. concerns about Tehran's nuclear program, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said on Monday. Van Rompuy did not offer details of the planned sanctions in remarks to reporters after a White House meeting with President Barack Obama and other top U.S. officials. In a joint statement issued after that meeting, the United States and European Union said they shared "deep concern" about the possible military dimensions of Tehran's nuclear pursuits. ... Full Story Top Sound of blast reported in Iran's Isfahan city Mon,28 Nov 2011 11:31 AM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - The sound of an apparent explosion was heard from Iran's Isfahan city on Monday afternoon, the head of the judiciary in the province said, according to Iran's ISNA news agency. "In the afternoon, there was a noise like an explosion, but we don't have any information from security forces on the source of the noise," Gholamreza Ansari was quoted as saying. An important Iranian nuclear facility involved in processing uranium is located near Isfahan city, although Iranian media reports of the incident did not say whether the explosion was near the nuclear center. ... Full Story Top Kenyan court issues arrest order for Sudan's Bashir Mon,28 Nov 2011 10:50 AM PST Reuters - NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan court on Monday ordered the government to arrest Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by The Hague on genocide charges, should he travel again to the east African country where he was not arrested during his last visit. Kenya was heavily criticized by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and foreign governments for failing to arrest Bashir when he attended a ceremony to enact a new Kenyan constitution in August last year. ... Full Story Top Analysis: New parliament to shake up Egypt power balance Mon,28 Nov 2011 10:49 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's new parliament could enjoy a popular mandate not seen for decades, bringing a new force to bear on the ruling military council and shaking up the balance of power in a country long ruled by autocrats. With voters queuing to cast their ballots, the strong turnout in parliamentary elections that began on Monday underlined the political revival that has swept Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. The election promises to resuscitate a legislature that had acted as no more than a rubber stamp for Mubarak. ... Full Story Top World aid donors plot strategy amid economic crisis Mon,28 Nov 2011 10:14 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major global aid donors meet in South Korea this week hoping to coordinate the billions of dollars spent on development as rich nations tighten their belts and brash new funders such as China rewrite the rules of traditional foreign aid. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will attend Wednesday's summit in Busan, held against a backdrop of economic crisis in the United States and Europe and the rich world's repeated failure to meet its targets for helping the poorest nations. ... Full Story Top Iran rushes through law expelling British ambassador Mon,28 Nov 2011 09:35 AM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - A bill to downgrade Iran's ties with Britain got final approval on Monday a day after parliament approved the measure compelling the government to expel the British ambassador in retaliation for sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear activity. The exceptionally rapid move by the Guardian Council, a panel of 12 clerics and jurists who judge whether legislation is Islamic, reflects the urgency with which Iran is treating its reaction to the sanctions announced by Britain last week. Britain acted after a November 8 report by the U.N. ... Full Story Top Former FARC captive recalls Colombia jungle horror Mon,28 Nov 2011 09:22 AM PST Reuters - BOGOTA (Reuters) - When the shooting started, police sergeant Luis Erazo scrambled into jungle canopy, the only escape from death as his Colombian guerrilla captors hurled grenades at him. Four fellow hostages were shot dead by the FARC. Erazo, held prisoner by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for almost 12 years, was the only survivor when the FARC ordered the execution of captives as soldiers approached their hide-out during a weekend operation. Three captors pursued Erazo, shooting and grazing him as he fled into the undergrowth. ... Full Story Top Suicide bomber hits Iraq military base, 19 dead Mon,28 Nov 2011 08:57 AM PST Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber attacked a military base in the Iraqi town of Taji on Monday, killing at least 19 people, in the latest assault by insurgents trying to undermine the government. In central Baghdad an explosion in a car park at Iraq's parliament killed at least one person and wounded several others, including a politician, security officials said. ... Full Story Top Egypt's new PM says seeks to form cabinet by weekend Mon,28 Nov 2011 08:18 AM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's new prime minister, Kamal al-Ganzouri, said on Monday he aimed to announce his new cabinet by the end of the week. Protesters in Tahrir Square criticized the army's choice of Ganzouri, who served as prime minister under ousted President Hosni Mubarak in the 1990s. But other ordinary Egyptians have welcomed his appointment, seeing him as untainted by corruption. Economists say Egypt, which on Monday held its first election since a popular uprising ousted Mubarak, desperately needs a government that will help bring order and restore credibility in the battered economy. ... Full Story Top Kuwait government resigns Mon,28 Nov 2011 08:08 AM PST Reuters - KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's prime minister and his government resigned Monday in response to escalating demands by protesters and opposition deputies that he step down over corruption allegations. The oil-producing state has tolerated criticism of its government to a degree rare among its Gulf neighbors, helping to insulate it from the protest-driven political tumult that has helped topple four Arab leaders this year. But tensions rose sharply this month when opposition lawmakers and protesters stormed parliament to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Attack hands Pakistan a chance to squeeze U.S. Mon,28 Nov 2011 06:46 AM PST Reuters - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's military has been handed a rare opportunity to press its strategic ambitions in neighboring Afghanistan after a cross-border NATO attack that killed 24 of its soldiers over the weekend. Fury over the incident at home, where anti-American sentiment runs high, makes it likely that both the army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, and the civilian government will play hardball with their ostensible ally, the United States. ... Full Story Top Profile: Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:58 AM PST Reuters - Position: Italian Prime Minister Incumbent: Mario Monti Born: March 19, 1943 Term: November 2011, next election due 2013 Key Facts: - Mario Monti was appointed by President Giorgio Napolitano to lead a technocrat government, replacing Silvio Berlusconi who lost his parliamentary majority as the euro debt crisis threatened to push Italy's borrowing costs out of control. Monti also holds the finance and economy portfolio. He has said he intends to remain in office until the next scheduled elections in 2013. ... Full Story Top Yangon: From stately city to crumbling symbol of isolation Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:58 AM PST Reuters - YANGON (Reuters) - There are no skyscrapers in Yangon. No gleaming shopping malls. Certainly no subway system. Its rutted sidewalks are laced with treacherous holes and broken slabs of concrete. Myanmar's former capital and biggest city is a crumbling monument to almost half a century of isolation and mismanagement at the hands of generals who took power in a 1962 coup and ruled with an iron first until a nominally civilian parliament opened in March this year. The city that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit this week wasn't always that way. ... Full Story Top Profile: Bank of Italy governor Ignazio Visco Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:47 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Position: Bank of Italy Governor Incumbent: Ignazio Visco Born: November 21, 1949 Key facts: - Formerly number three at the Bank of Italy, Ignazio Visco was appointed to the top position in October as Mario Draghi left to become President of the European Central Bank. - A distinguished academic and former chief economist at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Visco was previously the Bank of Italy's sherpa for G7 and G20 meetings and has wide international experience. ... Full Story Top Polling stations attacked in Congo vote Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:26 AM PST Reuters - KINSHASA (Reuters) - Violence erupted at four polling stations in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo as the vast country held its second elections since a war that killed more than five million people. Masked gunmen attacked a polling station in the southern mining province of Katanga before three of them were killed by security forces, who were holding a further dozen involved in the assault with automatic weapons. ... Full Story Top Anlaysis: Mexican ruling party smears rivals with drug gangs Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:20 AM PST Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Slowly but surely, drug cartels have ground down support for Mexico's ruling conservatives with a trail of dead over the past five years. Now, President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party (PAN) is trying to use the same gangs as a quick fix for its fading hopes of re-election next year - by painting rivals for the presidency as corrupt and in the pockets of the cartels. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Political parties, groups in post-Mubarak Egypt Mon,28 Nov 2011 05:11 AM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Egypt voted on Monday in its first parliamentary election since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February, with more than 50 registered political parties. Details on the most influential parties and groups follow: * FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY The Freedom and Justice Party was set up in April as the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned under Mubarak and has emerged as one of the most influential forces. The party has not issued a detailed manifesto. Brotherhood leaders say the party is a civil group that has Islam as a "reference" point. ... Full Story Top UAE pardons activists sentenced for insulting leaders Mon,28 Nov 2011 04:55 AM PST Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates on Monday pardoned five activists on who were convicted a day earlier for insulting UAE leaders and had been on hunger strike for two weeks ahead of their convictions, a lawyer defending the group said. The case against the five had been read as a gauge of how the oil-rich Gulf state, which has no tradition of organized political protest, responds to hints of political dissidence after uprisings that have toppled Arab leaders elsewhere. ... Full Story Top Russia sending warships to its base in Syria Mon,28 Nov 2011 04:48 AM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is sending a flotilla of warships to its naval base in Syria in a show of force which suggests Moscow is willing to defend its interests in the strife-torn country as international pressure mounts on President Bashar al-Assad's government. Arab League sanctions and French calls for the establishment of humanitarian zones in Syria have increased international pressure on Assad to end bloodshed that the United Nations says has killed 3,500 people during nine months of protests against his rule. ... Full Story Top Burundi gunmen kill Italian, Croatian aid workers Mon,28 Nov 2011 04:30 AM PST Reuters - BUJUMBURA (Reuters) - Gunmen killed a Croatian nun and an Italian doctor who were working in a psychiatric clinic in northern Burundi, its head said Monday. Although the landlocked central African nation has been plagued by insecurity this year, the killings Sunday night in the northern district of Kiremba were the first to target foreign aid workers since 2007. "The armed bandits first cut the power and entered by force in the sisters' compound. ... Full Story Top

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