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Sunday, January 1, 2012 12:17 AM PST

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Exxon awarded $908 million in Venezuela dispute North Korea calls for "human shields" to protect new leader Throngs of Times Square revelers ring in 2012 Exxon awarded $908 million in Venezuela dispute Romney runs strong, but can he connect with voters? Romney would veto immigration "dream" act Russian protesters arrested in Moscow rally China factories struggle, policy action seen ahead Mexico says arrests weapons chief for drug cartel Romney leads Paul in Iowa poll, Santorum surges Romney leads Iowa Republican field, Paul 2nd, poll finds Man with explosives stopped at Texas airport Syrian opposition signs plan for post-Assad future Gunmen attack bars in northeast Kenya, at least 2 dead Republicans scour Iowa for undecided voters Man with explosives stopped at Texas airport Roberts defends justices on healthcare recusal issue U.S. imposes sanctions on banks dealing with Iran Syrian opposition signs plan for post-Assad future Gingrich, rivals join suit against Virginia ballot rules U.S. steps up sanctions as Iran floats nuclear talks Nigeria's Jonathan declares state of emergency East Nigeria clashes kill at least 50: state government Sarkozy vows reforms in austere New Year's speech Youth protesters, police clash across Bahrain Euro could become world's leading currency: Noyer Bashir urges Darfur rebels to seek peace after leader killed Russian protesters arrested in Moscow rally Romney feels campaign trail energy close to home Libyan rebel chief warns Egypt over pro-Gaddafi TV Iceland names new finance minister in government shuffle Swiss finance minister says U.S. tax deal needs time: radio Islamist fighters halt Yemen peace march: witnesses China says man dies of bird flu Nigeria President declares state of emergency in some of north Nigeria President declares state of emergency in some of north At least 9 killed in Kenya pastoralist clashes U.S. in $3.5 billion arms sale to UAE amid Iran tensions Greece must stick to reforms in 2012 to stay in euro: PM Sudan military helicopter crashes, killing 6: army Exxon awarded $908 million in Venezuela dispute Sat,31 Dec 2011 11:21 PM PST Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - An international arbitration panel has awarded U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) $908 million in compensation for Venezuela's 2007 nationalization of assets, less than 10 percent of what it sought in a dispute that pitted a top global oil company against one of the world's largest oil exporters. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is likely to celebrate the ruling as a vindication of his nationalist confrontation with oil companies, aimed at increasing available funding for state-led anti-poverty programs in the OPEC nation. ... Full Story Top North Korea calls for "human shields" to protect new leader Sat,31 Dec 2011 10:56 PM PST Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea called on its people to rally behind new leader Kim Jong-un and protect him as "human shields" while working to solve the "burning issue" of food shortages by upholding the policies of his late father, Kim Jong-il. The North's three main state newspapers said in a policy-setting editorial traditionally published on New Year's Day that Kim Jong-un has legitimacy to carry on the revolutionary battle initiated by his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, and developed by his father, the iron-fisted ruler who died two weeks ago. ... Full Story Top Throngs of Times Square revelers ring in 2012 Sat,31 Dec 2011 10:30 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Throngs of revelers in and around New York's Times Square gave a boisterous welcome to 2012 on Sunday amid tight security, sending off a year marked by the grim 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the city. Fireworks filled the sky at midnight and confetti dropped on celebrants in the famed Midtown Manhattan square after a large lighted crystal ball descended for the last minute of the old year -- a tradition started in 1907. ... Full Story Top Exxon awarded $908 million in Venezuela dispute Sat,31 Dec 2011 10:12 PM PST Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil said on Sunday an arbitration panel awarded it $908 million over a contractual dispute with Venezuela, following the South American nation's 2007 nationalization of its assets. Exxon Mobil had filed a claim in 2007 with a World Bank arbitration tribunal seeking at least $7 billion in compensation for a heavy oil project that President Hugo Chavez nationalized in a broad wave of state takeovers. Venezuelan sources declined on Saturday to specify the amount Venezuela was ordered to pay, but said they saw the decision as favorable to Caracas. ... Full Story Top Romney runs strong, but can he connect with voters? Sat,31 Dec 2011 10:04 PM PST Reuters - DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Mitt Romney's crowds are larger now. And with the Iowa caucuses looming on Tuesday, it seems inevitable that the former Massachusetts governor will do well in, if not win, the first contest in the race for the Republican nomination for president. ... Full Story Top Romney would veto immigration "dream" act Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:36 PM PST Reuters - LEMARS, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said on Saturday he would veto a proposal granting U.S. citizenship to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children, a pledge that won hearty applause from Iowa conservatives he hopes to win over. A young woman asked Romney about the bipartisan proposal known as the Dream Act, during an appearance at a crowded restaurant in Le Mars, a conservative Republican stronghold in western Iowa. ... Full Story Top Russian protesters arrested in Moscow rally Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:29 PM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained about 60 protesters during an anti-government demonstration on Saturday in Moscow, hours after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered a conciliatory message to the opposition in a televised New Year's Eve address. Reuters witnesses said they saw police surround and detain protesters who were shouting slogans such as "Putin Must Go!" and "Free the Political Prisoners!." Police said about 200 people took part in the rally, with 60 detained. ... Full Story Top China factories struggle, policy action seen ahead Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:07 PM PST Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's big manufacturers narrowly avoided a contraction in December a survey showed on Sunday, but downward risks persist and suggest the world's second's second-largest economy will need fresh policy support to counter a slowdown in growth. The official purchasing managers' index (PMI), complied by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on behalf of the National Bureau of Statistics, rose to 50.3 in December from 49 in November. ... Full Story Top Mexico says arrests weapons chief for drug cartel Sat,31 Dec 2011 05:47 PM PST Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico on Saturday said that it had arrested a leading weapons smuggler for one of the largest drug cartels. Ramiro Rendon Rivera, a key distributor of firearms for the Sinaloa Cartel lead by Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, was arrested on Friday, the army said in a statement. Mexican President Felipe Calderon's campaign to curb violent drug cartels has left more than 46,000 people dead since he took office in 2006. Mexican authorities have in the last several months apprehended several lieutenants of Guzman, the country's most-wanted man. (Reporting by Patrick Rucker) Full Story Top Romney leads Paul in Iowa poll, Santorum surges Sat,31 Dec 2011 05:35 PM PST Reuters - DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney narrowly leads rival Ron Paul in Iowa three days before the state kicks off the party's presidential nominating race, according to a Des Moines Register poll released on Saturday. The closely watched poll, which has a strong track record in Iowa races, showed Rick Santorum surging past Newt Gingrich into third place in a fluid race where 41 percent of likely caucus-goers said they could still change their minds. ... Full Story Top Romney leads Iowa Republican field, Paul 2nd, poll finds Sat,31 Dec 2011 05:23 PM PST Reuters - DES MOINES (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a narrow lead in Iowa over rival Ron Paul with days to go before the state holds the first contest of the 2012 presidential election season, an influential poll found on Saturday. The Des Moines Register poll of Iowa voters gave former Massachusetts Governor Romney 24 percent support to 22 percent for libertarian U.S. Representative Paul, while social conservative Rick Santorum vaulted into third place with 15 percent and Newt Gingrich was in fourth place at 12 percent. ... Full Story Top Man with explosives stopped at Texas airport Sat,31 Dec 2011 04:17 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - A man found to be carrying explosives in "military grade wrapping" was detained at a western Texas airport on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of the area, officials said. The explosives were found during a routine inspection at a security checkpoint inside Midland International Airport, Midland city spokeswoman Tasa Watts said. The Transportation Security Administration evacuated the terminal and conducted a security sweep, she said. ... Full Story Top Syrian opposition signs plan for post-Assad future Sat,31 Dec 2011 04:02 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two leading Syrian opposition parties have agreed a road map to democracy should a popular uprising succeed in toppling President Bashar al-Assad, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. Hundreds of thousands had taken to the streets across Syria on Friday, aiming to demonstrate the strength of their movement to Arab League monitors checking whether Assad is implementing a pledge to halt a violent crackdown on unrest that has been raging since March. ... Full Story Top Gunmen attack bars in northeast Kenya, at least 2 dead Sat,31 Dec 2011 03:54 PM PST Reuters - GARISSA, Kenya (Reuters) - Gunmen sprayed bullets at New Year revelers in two bars in northeastern Kenya on Sunday, killing at least two people, a witness and police said, the latest in a wave of attacks near the border with Somalia. A worker at one of the pubs in Garissa town said gunmen approached in a vehicle, fired at the bars and then drove away. "The guys fired from the vehicle. They first shot the guard, (and then) shot more bullets at those who tried to leave and those who were at the entrance," said the witness who declined to be named. ... Full Story Top Republicans scour Iowa for undecided voters Sat,31 Dec 2011 03:21 PM PST Reuters - DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican White House hopefuls scoured Iowa for undecided voters on Saturday and front-runner Mitt Romney argued that he is the best to take on President Barack Obama as time ran short before the first votes of the 2012 election season. Iowa Republicans kick off the race on Tuesday to decide who the party will nominate to run against Obama, a Democrat, in November 2012. An unpredictable finish was possible as no candidate had escaped a tight pack battling for the lead. ... Full Story Top Man with explosives stopped at Texas airport Sat,31 Dec 2011 03:15 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - A man found to be carrying explosives in "military grade wrapping" was detained at a western Texas airport on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of the area, officials said. The explosives were found during a routine inspection at a security checkpoint inside Midland International Airport, Midland city spokeswoman Tasa Watts said. The Transportation Security Administration evacuated the terminal and conducted a security sweep, she said. ... Full Story Top Roberts defends justices on healthcare recusal issue Sat,31 Dec 2011 03:04 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chief Justice John Roberts expressed confidence on Saturday in the decisions by his Supreme Court colleagues on when to recuse themselves, an issue that has emerged in the legal battle over President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul law. Some Democrats in Congress have called for Justice Clarence Thomas to be recused because of his wife's work for conservative groups that opposed the law while some Republicans have called for Justice Elena Kagan's recusal because of her prior position in the Obama administration. ... Full Story Top U.S. imposes sanctions on banks dealing with Iran Sat,31 Dec 2011 02:16 PM PST Reuters - HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama signed into law on Saturday a defense funding bill that imposes sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran's central bank, while allowing for exemptions to avoid upsetting energy markets. The sanctions target both private and government-controlled banks - including central banks - and would take hold after a two- to six-month warning period, depending on the transactions, a senior Obama administration official said. ... Full Story Top Syrian opposition signs plan for post-Assad future Sat,31 Dec 2011 02:09 PM PST Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two leading Syrian opposition parties have agreed a road map to democracy should mass protests nearly in their 10th month succeed in toppling President Bashar al-Assad, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Syria Friday, aiming to demonstrate the strength of their movement to Arab League monitors checking whether Assad is implementing a pledge to halt his armed crackdown on the unrest. ... Full Story Top Gingrich, rivals join suit against Virginia ballot rules Sat,31 Dec 2011 01:52 PM PST Reuters - ATLANTIC, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates who were unable to meet Virginia's requirements to qualify for the state's 2012 primary election joined a lawsuit on Saturday to get on the ballot. Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul managed to submit the required 10,000 verifiable signatures collected by registered voters in the state in order to get on Virginia's ballot for its March 6 primary. One of the casualties was Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who was particularly embarrassed because he lives in northern Virginia. ... Full Story Top U.S. steps up sanctions as Iran floats nuclear talks Sat,31 Dec 2011 01:48 PM PST Reuters - HONOLULU/TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama signed new sanctions against Iran into law on Saturday, shortly after Iran signaled it was ready for fresh talks with the West on its nuclear programme and said it had delayed long-range missile tests in the Gulf. Tensions between Iran and the West have grown since EU leaders said they wanted to set tougher sanctions against Tehran by the end of next month in a bid to force it to curb a research programme that they suspect is developing nuclear weapons. In the absence of a fresh mandate from the U.N. ... Full Story Top Nigeria's Jonathan declares state of emergency Sat,31 Dec 2011 01:17 PM PST Reuters - ABUJA (Reuters) - President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday in parts of Nigeria plagued by a violent Islamist insurgency, and ordered shut the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger in the northeast. Coming nearly a week after radical sect Boko Haram set off a series of bombs across Nigeria on Christmas Day, including one at a church that killed at least 37 people and wounded 57, Jonathan told state television the measures would aim to restore security in troubled parts of Nigeria's north. ... Full Story Top East Nigeria clashes kill at least 50: state government Sat,31 Dec 2011 12:48 PM PST Reuters - ONITSHA (Reuters) - Clashes between rival ethnic groups in eastern Nigeria's Ebonyi state on Saturday killed at least 50 people, the state government spokesman said, and police said mobile units had been sent to the state to quell the violence. The clashes erupted from a long running rivalry between the Ezza and Ezilo people of Ishielu district that periodically flares up. There was no suggestion it had anything to do with wider security problems in the country stemming from a violent Islamist insurgency that set off a wave of deadly bombs on Christmas Day. ... Full Story Top Sarkozy vows reforms in austere New Year's speech Sat,31 Dec 2011 12:43 PM PST Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged in a grave New Year's message to find ways to pull the economy out of stagnation in the four months left before a presidential election and vowed no further public spending cuts. Sarkozy told the nation that the worst economic crisis since World War Two would continue to hurt households in 2012 and urged people to be stoical. He said he was intent on agreeing reforms at a January 18 meeting with unions that could bolster employment and economic competitiveness. ... Full Story Top Youth protesters, police clash across Bahrain Sat,31 Dec 2011 11:23 AM PST Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Shi'ite youths chanting slogans against Bahrain's royal family clashed with riot police across the Gulf island kingdom Saturday, trying to block highways in a second day of protests, residents said. "Death to Al-Khalifa, Death to Al-Saud," protesters shouted, also targeting the Saudi ruling family, as they were chased backed into mostly Shi'ite Muslim villages by police who fired teargas, the residents said. "The protests are not as big as the demonstrations on Friday. Police are focusing on trying to force protesters back into villages," one resident told Reuters. ... Full Story Top Euro could become world's leading currency: Noyer Sat,31 Dec 2011 11:18 AM PST Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - The euro could become the world's leading currency in the next decade if leaders of the single-currency bloc succeed in tightening fiscal integration, European Central Bank policymaker Christian Noyer said in an article to be published in the Journal du Dimanche. European leaders struck a historic deal at an emergency summit in Brussels on December 9 to draft a new treaty for deeper economic union, in an attempt to stem the debt crisis that is threatening to cause the collapse of the single currency. The news temporarily calmed markets. ... Full Story Top Bashir urges Darfur rebels to seek peace after leader killed Sat,31 Dec 2011 11:00 AM PST Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Saturday urged fighters of one of the most powerful rebel groups in Darfur to lay down its weapons and seek peace with the government after its leader was killed. The Western region of Darfur is the scene of an almost-decade long insurgency of non-Arab tribes against the government, which they accuse of political and economic marginalisation. The Sudanese army said last week it had killed Ibrahim Khalil, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), as he tried to cross into South Sudan. ... Full Story Top Russian protesters arrested in Moscow rally Sat,31 Dec 2011 10:47 AM PST Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained about 60 protesters during an anti-government demonstration on Saturday in Moscow, hours after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered a conciliatory message to the opposition in a televised New Year's Eve address. Reuters witnesses said they saw police surround and detain protesters who were shouting slogans such as "Putin Must Go!" and "Free the Political Prisoners!." Police said about 200 people took part in the rally, with 60 detained. ... Full Story Top Romney feels campaign trail energy close to home Sat,31 Dec 2011 10:35 AM PST Reuters - HAMPTON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - It was standing room only as Mitt Romney briefly took time out from Iowa to campaign in Republican strongholds in New Hampshire, where he holds a wide lead approaching the state's first-in-the-nation primary. Romney spent almost as much time posing for photographs and signing autographs for energized fans as he did making his pitch to become the Republican presidential nominee. ... Full Story Top Libyan rebel chief warns Egypt over pro-Gaddafi TV Sat,31 Dec 2011 09:28 AM PST Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A powerful Libyan militia leader warned Egypt Saturday he would use force to close its embassy and shut the border if the military rulers failed to cut off a Gaddafi-era state television station that has broadcast footage of his old speeches. Abdullah Naker, the commander of Tripoli's Revolutionist Council, said Egypt's Nilesat satellite broadcaster had allowed Muammar Gaddafi's official Al Jamahiriya station to broadcast last week. ... Full Story Top Iceland names new finance minister in government shuffle Sat,31 Dec 2011 09:23 AM PST Reuters - REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland named a new finance minister Saturday in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at strengthening the center-left coalition by decreasing internal dissent. Oddny Hardardottir, the new minister, is expected to maintain policies aimed at gradually cutting the budget deficit. The 54-year-old is seen as a loyalist to Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, a Social Democrat whose government has been hurt by the anti-EU sentiments of some ministers. Iceland is currently in talks to enter the European Union, a stance supported by the prime minister. ... Full Story Top Swiss finance minister says U.S. tax deal needs time: radio Sat,31 Dec 2011 08:51 AM PST Reuters - ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland and the United States need more time to negotiate a tax deal, Swiss finance minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf told Swiss radio on Saturday, as the United States pushes for it to supply information on bank clients who are alleged to have evaded taxes. "We have made a lot of progress with the main point of the treaty, but we are not there yet where we want to be from a Swiss point of view. The demands of the Americans and the expectations of the Swiss are not yet in line and it will certainly need more talks," Widmer-Schlumpf said. ... Full Story Top Islamist fighters halt Yemen peace march: witnesses Sat,31 Dec 2011 08:46 AM PST Reuters - ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - Islamist militants fired into the air on Saturday to halt a peace march by thousands of Yemenis who were demanding an end to fighting that has forced them to flee their homes in the south, witnesses said. Marchers told Reuters they were stopped on a 50 km (31 mile) walk from the port city of Aden to Zinjibar, capital of southern Abyan province where the army has been battling fighters suspected of having links with al Qaeda. ... Full Story Top China says man dies of bird flu Sat,31 Dec 2011 08:39 AM PST Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - A man in southern China's Guangdong province died of bird flu Saturday a week after being admitted to hospital with a fever, state media reported. The 39-year-old bus driver living in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong, developed symptoms on December 21 and was admitted to a hospital on December 25 because of severe pneumonia, the official Xinhua news agency said. He died in the early afternoon of multiple organ failure, having tested positive for the H5N1 virus, the report added. ... Full Story Top Nigeria President declares state of emergency in some of north Sat,31 Dec 2011 08:01 AM PST Reuters - ABUJA (Reuters) - President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday on parts of northern Nigeria plagued by a by a violent Islamist insurgency, and said he would shut any borders with other nations in those areas covered by the decree. "I have in the exercise in the powers conferred on me ... declared a state of emergency in the following parts of the federation," Jonathan told state TV, before going on to list the northern local governments affected by the decree. ... Full Story Top Nigeria President declares state of emergency in some of north Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:57 AM PST Reuters - ABUJA (Reuters) - President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday on parts of northern Nigeria plagued by a by a violent Islamist insurgency, and said he would shut any borders with other nations in those areas covered by the decree. "I have in the exercise in the powers conferred on me ... declared a state of emergency in the following parts of the federation," Jonathan told state TV, before going on to list the northern local governments affected by the decree. ... Full Story Top At least 9 killed in Kenya pastoralist clashes Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:46 AM PST Reuters - ISIOLO, Kenya (Reuters) - Fighting between pastoralists over grazing land in drought-hit northern Kenya killed at least nine people on Friday, police said, the latest in a string of deadly clashes this year. Cattle rustling and clashes over grazing land and water are relatively common among pastoralist communities in the dry patches of east Africa and often escalate into revenge attacks. Isiolo district police commander Augustine Ntumbi said eight other people had also been killed since fighting started last Monday between the Somali and Borana tribes who are clashing against the Turkana. ... Full Story Top U.S. in $3.5 billion arms sale to UAE amid Iran tensions Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:42 AM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has signed a $3.5 billion sale of an advanced antimissile interception system to the United Arab Emirates, part of an accelerating military buildup of its friends and allies near Iran. The deal, signed on December 25 and announced on Friday night by the U.S. Defense Department, "is an important step in improving the region's security through a regional missile defense architecture," Pentagon press secretary George Little said in a statement. The U.S. Congress had been notified of the proposed sale in September 2008 by former President George W. ... Full Story Top Greece must stick to reforms in 2012 to stay in euro: PM Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:31 AM PST Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece faces another tough year in 2012 but must stick to its program of austerity and reform to stay in the euro, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said in a pre-recorded New Year's Eve address. "A very difficult year is ahead of us. We must continue our efforts with decisiveness, to stay in the euro, to make sure we do not waste the sacrifices and do not turn the crisis into an uncontrolled and disastrous bankruptcy," Papademos said, according to a transcript provided by his office. ... Full Story Top Sudan military helicopter crashes, killing 6: army Sat,31 Dec 2011 07:12 AM PST Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A Sudanese military helicopter crashed in the country's North Kordofan state on Friday, killing all six crew members on board, the armed forces said. Sudanese military spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid said the helicopter went down about three minutes after taking off from the El-Obeid airport because of a technical problem. "A fire broke out due to a technical failure. The captain of the aircraft attempted to land near the airport, but the fire intensified, resulting in the martyrdom of the crew of six people," he said. ... Full Story Top

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