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Saturday, September 29, 2012 12:02 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Slowdown galvanizes Polish opposition protesters Nuclear site ends security contract following nun's break-in Ancient souk burns as fighting rages in Syria's Aleppo Fox News blames live airing of suicide on "severe human error" Billionaire Georgia opposition leader says vote win hours away Spain debt rises on aid to banks, regions Portuguese protest against austerity, await more measures U.N. chief urges careful handling of Myanmar Rohingyas issue Mexico's lower house gives final approval to labor reform Somalia's al Shabaab rebels pull out of Kismayu bastion North Ireland police mount major security operation for key parade Palestinian man dies of wounds after being shot by Israel troops Guantanamo's last Western detainee returned to Canada Factbox: Last Western prisoner from Guantanamo returns to Canada Iran's rial currency dives to historic low Obama, Netanyahu seek to get past Iran differences Syria's Assad to win, victory to be Tehran's too: Iran official Islamists smash Sufi saint's tomb in northern Mali Germany's Steinbrueck urges SPD unity to oust Merkel Tymoshenko calls on Ukraine to rise up against "mafia-rule" With charts and charm, Paul Ryan aims to steady a shaken ticket Two killed in suicide bomb attack on Yemeni official Guantanamo's last Western detainee, Khadr, returned to Canada Bahraini teenager killed in Friday's protest Youngest Guantanamo prisoner Khadr returning to Canada: reports Greece sure to get next aid tranche: German magazines Violence stalks women workers in Afghanistan Exclusive: North Korea plans agriculture reforms - source China leaders stage show of unity after expelling Bo EU raids lead recycling firms in cartel investigation EU falls short on Africa water projects: auditor Libya thwarts planned anti-militia protests Senior ally of former Ivory Coast president re-arrested in Ghana Tunisia sees budget deficit narrowing to 6 pct/GDP in 2013 Angola unveils cabinet, economic ministers keep posts Sudan, South Sudan peace deals include banking, monetary accord Spain's debt-to-GDP ratio to rise to 90.5 percent in 2013 versus 85.3 percent in 2012 Mickelson and Bradley gell in Ryder Cup debut U.S. immigration to treat same-sex partners as relatives Satellite launch stirs passions before Venezuela vote Slowdown galvanizes Polish opposition protesters Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:55 AM PDT Reuters - WARSAW (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Polish capital on Saturday, the start of an opposition drive to capitalize on the spluttering economy and try to loosen Prime Minister Donald Tusk's grip on power. Poland's economy, the biggest in central Europe, has grown robustly even while its neighbors slipped into recession, handing Tusk high levels of support and leaving his opponents struggling to win credibility with voters. Economic growth is expected to slow to just above 2 percent next year. ... Full Story Top Nuclear site ends security contract following nun's break-in Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:47 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The government's "Fort Knox" of weapons-grade uranium storage has ended a contract with a unit of an international security firm two months after an 82-year-old nun and other nuclear activists broke into the site. The managing contractor at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, site, B&W Y-12, a unit of Babcock & Wilcox Co, said late on Friday it will terminate the contract with WSI Oak Ridge on October 1. WSI is owned by security firm G4S, which was at the center of a dispute over security at this year's London Olympic Games. ... Full Story Top Ancient souk burns as fighting rages in Syria's Aleppo Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hundreds of shops were burning in the ancient covered market in Aleppo on Saturday as fighting between rebels and state forces in Syria's largest city threatened to destroy a UNESCO world heritage site. The uprising-turned-civil war that is now raging across Syria has killed more than 30,000 people, according to activist groups such as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But beyond the dramatic human cost, many of Syria's historic treasures have also fallen victim to an 18-month-old conflict that has reduced parts of some cities to ruins. ... Full Story Top Fox News blames live airing of suicide on "severe human error" Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:24 AM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Fox News apologized on Saturday for a "severe human error" that resulted in viewers seeing a suspected carjacker fatally shoot himself after a police chase. The coverage of the Friday incident, which sparked outrage on social media and a quick on-air apology by anchor Shepard Smith, showed a man stumbling from an allegedly stolen car into the desert near Phoenix on Friday. As a camera in a helicopter provided live coverage, the man stopped a short distance away, pulled the trigger of a gun pointed to the right side of his head and crumpled face-forward into the ground. ... Full Story Top Billionaire Georgia opposition leader says vote win hours away Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:11 AM PDT Reuters - TBILISI (Reuters) - The billionaire leader of the opposition in Georgia on Saturday told tens of thousands of his supporters that the current government loyal to President Mikheil Saakashvili had only hours left in power before it was voted out in an election on Monday. Addressing crowds in a central square in the capital Tbilisi after days of protests against prison brutality, Bidzina Ivanishvili was making his final pitch before the vote which his six-party "Georgian Dream" coalition hopes to win. "This regime cannot be the leadership of our country ... This system should collapse ... ... Full Story Top Spain debt rises on aid to banks, regions Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:08 AM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's debt level and borrowing needs are set to rise next year, piling pressure on the government to apply for international aid, as it pours funds in to cash-strapped regions and an ailing banking system, its budget showed on Saturday. Spain's debt as a ratio of gross domestic product will reach 90.5 percent by end 2013, according to the document presented to Parliament for approval, almost three times that registered before the property bubble burst in 2008. The budget aims to make savings of around 13 billion euros ($16. ... Full Story Top Portuguese protest against austerity, await more measures Sat,29 Sep 2012 10:03 AM PDT Reuters - LISBON (Reuters) - Thousands of Portuguese protested on Saturday against austerity, stepping up their opposition to the country's 78-billion-euro bailout ahead of new spending cuts and tax hikes to be announced in the government's 2013 draft budget. The peaceful protest organized by the CGTP union came after the center-right government ignited widespread anger this month with a hike in social security taxes that threatened to end Portugal's so far high social acceptance for austerity. ... Full Story Top U.N. chief urges careful handling of Myanmar Rohingyas issue Sat,29 Sep 2012 09:56 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the world's largest Islamic body on Saturday to "treat carefully" the issue of the stateless Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar because it could affect the reform process underway in the country, also known as Burma. Over the past year, Myanmar has introduced the most sweeping reforms in the former British colony since a 1962 military coup. A semi-civilian government, stacked with former generals, has allowed elections, eased rules on protests and freed dissidents. ... Full Story Top Mexico's lower house gives final approval to labor reform Sat,29 Sep 2012 09:47 AM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's lower house of Congress gave final approval on Saturday to a bill that would mark the biggest shake-up of the country's labor market in 42 years. The final vote took place just before 4 a.m. following a raucous 14-hour debate that was led from a congressional balcony after leftist lawmakers stormed the chamber's rostrum and snatched the microphone from the speaker leading the session. The bill was approved on a vote of 346-60 with one abstention and now moves to the Mexican Senate, which will have 30 days to approve or reject it. ... Full Story Top Somalia's al Shabaab rebels pull out of Kismayu bastion Sat,29 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT Reuters - MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's al Shabaab rebels retreated from the southern port of Kismayu overnight, abandoning the last major bastion of their five-year revolt to an offensive by African Union and Somali government troops. The loss of Kismayu a day after it was attacked by Kenyan and Somali soldiers backed by air strikes is a major blow to the al Qaeda-linked rebels, weakening morale and depriving them of revenue from taxing local businesses and shipping. "We moved out our fighters ... ... Full Story Top North Ireland police mount major security operation for key parade Sat,29 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT Reuters - BELFAST (Reuters) - Police in Northern Ireland mounted their biggest security operation in 20 years on Saturday when 30,000 Protestants marked the centenary of one of the most historic events in a province scarred by decades of sectarian violence. Eight Protestant Unionist organizations, including members of the Orange Order, marched through Belfast to celebrate the signing of the Ulster Covenant by half a million of their ancestors, a pact opposing the introduction of devolved government in Ireland. ... Full Story Top Palestinian man dies of wounds after being shot by Israel troops Sat,29 Sep 2012 09:09 AM PDT Reuters - GAZA (Reuters) - A Palestinian man died on Saturday after he was shot by Israeli troops while fishing on the beach in the Gaza Strip, said Hamas officials, while an Israeli military spokeswoman said the man was shot when he approached the border fence. Israeli army patrols deem the Gaza border area off limits because militants try to attack them by planting explosive devices or shooting at them. Officials from Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which rules the coastal enclave, said the 22-year-old man was fishing with his brother on Friday when he was shot. ... Full Story Top Guantanamo's last Western detainee returned to Canada Sat,29 Sep 2012 08:53 AM PDT Reuters - WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - The youngest prisoner and last Westerner held in the Guantanamo military base, Omar Khadr, was sent to finish his sentence in his native Canada on Saturday, the Canadian government said. Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said that Khadr, who was a 15-year-old fighting in Afghanistan when captured in 2002, had been flown from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a military base in Trenton, Ontario and transferred to the province's Millhaven maximum-security prison. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Last Western prisoner from Guantanamo returns to Canada Sat,29 Sep 2012 08:52 AM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Omar Khadr was a Canadian teenager when he was captured in Afghanistan, fighting for al Qaeda. He was repatriated to Canada on Saturday after being held by the United States for 10 years at the detention camp at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba. Here are some facts about him: * Omar Ahmed Khadr was born in Toronto on September 19, 1986, and was the last citizen of a Western nation among the 167 foreign captives held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo. ... Full Story Top Iran's rial currency dives to historic low Sat,29 Sep 2012 08:28 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - The Iranian rial slumped on Saturday to a historic low against the U.S. dollar, according to Iranian media and currency tracking websites. The rial fell by 5 percent and was trading at about 28,400 per dollar, compared with about 26,920 on Thursday and about 26,400 on Wednesday, according to Persian-language currency tracking website Mazanex. There was no clear reason for the latest slide in the value of the rial, which is traded in an informal market of money changers, where ordinary Iranians go to access hard currencies. ... Full Story Top Obama, Netanyahu seek to get past Iran differences Sat,29 Sep 2012 08:28 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a show of unity on Friday on preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, seeking to tone down the acrimony between the two leaders that has become an issue in the final stretch of the U.S. presidential race. Obama, widely seen as having snubbed Netanyahu by not meeting face to face with him during his U.S. visit, spoke instead by phone to the Israeli prime minister amid signs of movement toward a truce in their war of words over how to confront Tehran. Netanyahu used his U.N. ... Full Story Top Syria's Assad to win, victory to be Tehran's too: Iran official Sat,29 Sep 2012 08:17 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will defeat an uprising against him, scoring a victory over the United States and its allies in a move that will also represent a triumph for Iran, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader was quoted as saying on Saturday. Tehran has backed Assad's efforts to suppress a rebellion that has drawn in regional players, with the Islamic state accusing Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey of arming rebels fighting to topple the Syrian leader. Shi'ite-ruled Iran has tried to counter a perceived drive by Western and U.S. ... Full Story Top Islamists smash Sufi saint's tomb in northern Mali Sat,29 Sep 2012 08:07 AM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Heavily armed Islamist fighters in Mali destroyed the tomb of a local Sufi saint near Timbuktu on Saturday, witnesses said, the latest attack on traditional shrines in the rebel-occupied north. The destruction of the tomb of Almirou Mahamane Assidiki in Goundam came just months after a number of other shrines in the UNESCO-listed city of Timbuktu, 90 km (55 miles) to the south, were reduced to rubble, underscoring the threat to the region's ancient heritage from the rebels' extremist ideology. ... Full Story Top Germany's Steinbrueck urges SPD unity to oust Merkel Sat,29 Sep 2012 07:36 AM PDT Reuters - MUENSTER, Germany (Reuters) - Peer Steinbrueck, the man chosen to lead Germany's opposition Social Democrats into an election next year as its candidate for chancellor, called for party unity on Saturday, saying it would otherwise be difficult to unseat Chancellor Angela Merkel. Steinbrueck, a feisty former finance minister distrusted by Social Democrat (SPD) leftwingers for his centrist economic views, also repeated his opposition to serving under Merkel, a conservative, in a future coalition government. "This federal election can only be won with the mobilization of our supporters ... ... Full Story Top Tymoshenko calls on Ukraine to rise up against "mafia-rule" Sat,29 Sep 2012 07:25 AM PDT Reuters - KIEV (Reuters) - Jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko called on Ukrainians on Saturday to "rise up" at a parliamentary election next month and end President Viktor Yanukovich's "criminal rule". In a shaky two-minute video filmed at the hospital where she is being held, the former prime minister said she was enduring "a hell", created by Yanukovich, as she serves a seven-year sentence for abuse of office. ... Full Story Top With charts and charm, Paul Ryan aims to steady a shaken ticket Sat,29 Sep 2012 07:06 AM PDT Reuters - VANDALIA, Ohio (Reuters) - Trailing in the must-win state of Ohio, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney asked his running mate Paul Ryan to meet him here this week. After 24 days apart, Romney and Ryan reunited on an airport tarmac on Tuesday amid grumbling from some Republicans that the campaign has grown complacent, leaving Ryan, its strongest advocate, off the national stage. "Wow, that's quite a guy, Paul Ryan," Romney shouted to the crowd. "Isn't that something?" Romney's many conservative critics share that assessment. ... Full Story Top Two killed in suicide bomb attack on Yemeni official Sat,29 Sep 2012 07:02 AM PDT Reuters - ADEN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed himself and a bystander in south Yemen on Saturday in an attempt to assassinate a government official who had targeted al Qaeda militants, a security source said. The attacker walked up to the parked car of Mohammed Aidarous, head of a "popular committee" of tribal volunteers who helped the army oust militants from the town of Lawdar in Abyan province this year. Aidarous, the local government official in charge of Lawdar, was not in the vehicle, but a bystander was also killed in the blast, the source said. ... Full Story Top Guantanamo's last Western detainee, Khadr, returned to Canada Sat,29 Sep 2012 06:55 AM PDT Reuters - WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - The youngest prisoner and last Westerner held in the Guantanamo military base, Omar Khadr, was sent to finish his sentence in his native Canada on Saturday, the Canadian government confirmed. Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said that Khadr, who was a 15-year-old fighting in Afghanistan when captured in 2002, had been flown to a military base in Trenton, Ontario and transferred to the province's Millhaven prison. (Reporting by Rod Nickel; Writing by Jeffrey Hodgson in Toronto; Editing by Bill Trott) Full Story Top Bahraini teenager killed in Friday's protest Sat,29 Sep 2012 06:27 AM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahraini riot police killed a teenager when they fired shotgun pellets during clashes with protesters following a demonstration on Friday, the country's opposition said on Saturday, the second young protester to die in six weeks. Thousands rallied on Friday in an officially authorized protest called by the main opposition group al-Wefaq, but as the event ended around 100 demonstrators clashed with police. ... Full Story Top Youngest Guantanamo prisoner Khadr returning to Canada: reports Sat,29 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - The youngest Guantanamo prisoner, Omar Khadr, who was a 15-year-old fighting in Afghanistan when captured in 2002, was sent to finish his sentence in his native Canada on Saturday, Canadian media reported. A military plane carrying Khadr, who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier and admitted links to al Qaeda, left the U.S. naval base on Saturday morning, the Toronto Star newspaper and Canadian Broadcasting Corp said, citing unnamed sources. Canadian government officials did not immediately return emails seeking comment. ... Full Story Top Greece sure to get next aid tranche: German magazines Sat,29 Sep 2012 04:56 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Greece will receive its next tranche of international aid despite budget shortfalls and slow progress on reforms because the euro zone does not want the country to leave the common currency, two German magazines reported on Saturday. Athens will resume talks with the 'troika' of international lenders next week on a tranche worth 31 billion euros ($39.88 billion) needed to avert bankruptcy and a possible euro zone exit. The Greek government needs a deal so it can push an austerity package through parliament before the next meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers on October 8. ... Full Story Top Violence stalks women workers in Afghanistan Sat,29 Sep 2012 03:49 AM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - Muzhgan Masoomi's attacker stabbed her 14 times with a thick blade used to slaughter animals, tearing wide gashes in her flesh before leaving the government worker for dead on the outskirts of the Afghan capital. With a severe limp and no control over her bladder - caused by the blade scraping her spinal cord - the 22-year-old can no longer work at the Ministry of Public Works, where she was a financial assistant before the assault. ... Full Story Top Exclusive: North Korea plans agriculture reforms - source Sat,29 Sep 2012 03:47 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - North Korea plans to allow farmers to keep more of their produce in an attempt to boost agricultural output, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said, in a move that could boost supplies, help cap rising food prices and ease malnutrition. The move to liberalize agriculture under new leader Kim Jong-un, who took office in December 2011 after the death of his father, would reverse a crackdown on private production that started in 2005. It comes amid talk that the youngest Kim to rule the impoverished North is considering reforms to boost the economy. ... Full Story Top China leaders stage show of unity after expelling Bo Sat,29 Sep 2012 03:23 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's leaders put on a show of unity on Saturday after their damning accusations against disgraced politician Bo Xilai, whose expulsion from the Communist Party drew an outcry from leftist supporters in a sign of the rifts his prosecution could inflame. ... Full Story Top EU raids lead recycling firms in cartel investigation Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:54 AM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said it raided several lead recycling companies in a number of European Union countries on September 26 as part of an investigation into suspected cartel practices. The Commission did not name the countries or the companies, that it said had been buying old batteries and scrap lead for recycling. "The Commission has reasons to believe that the companies concerned may have violated Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which prohibits cartels and restrictive business practices," it said. ... Full Story Top EU falls short on Africa water projects: auditor Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:48 AM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - More than half of the European Union's projects to provide safe drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa failed to deliver, the EU's audit watchdog said in a report on Friday. The report by the European Court of Auditors examined 23 projects co-funded by the EU in six African countries between 2001 and 2010. The audit found that the projects, at a total cost of 400 million euros, often lacked sufficient supervision and that checks were not always carried out to ensure that water was fit for human consumption. ... Full Story Top Libya thwarts planned anti-militia protests Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:41 AM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Authorities in Libya thwarted plans for a huge demonstration against militia in the capital Tripoli on Friday, while in Benghazi, scene of mass anti-militia protests last week, supporters of an ousted Islamist group returned to the streets. Activists had hoped that a planned demonstration in the capital would be as successful as a giant anti-militia protest held in Benghazi last week, but only about 400 protesters turned up on Friday after the country's mufti and mosque preachers warned people not to attend. ... Full Story Top Senior ally of former Ivory Coast president re-arrested in Ghana Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:40 AM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Interpol agents in Ghana have rearrested a senior ally of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo amid a deepening dispute that has led to the closure of the border between the two West African neighbours, his lawyer said late on Friday. Ivorian authorities are seeking the extradition of Justin Kone Katinan, a former budget minister, who was first arrested in Ghana last month during a wave of deadly attacks in Ivory Coast that the government there blamed on pro-Gbagbo exiles. ... Full Story Top Tunisia sees budget deficit narrowing to 6 pct/GDP in 2013 Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:38 AM PDT Reuters - TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's budget deficit should narrow to 6 percent next year from 6.6 percent of GDP expected in 2012, the central bank governor said on Friday, indicating economic recovery in the cradle of Arab Spring revolts may take longer than anticipated. Chadli Ayari, who took over in July after his predecessor was sacked, also said a 3.5 percent economic growth in 2013 was achievable while the government bets on 4.5 percent up from 3.5 percent it expects this year. ... Full Story Top Angola unveils cabinet, economic ministers keep posts Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:34 AM PDT Reuters - LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos on Friday unveiled proposals for his cabinet following his election win last month, keeping his economic policy team in their posts in the government of Africa's second-largest oil producer. Dos Santos, who has been in power since 1979 and is Africa's second-longest serving leader after Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has started consultations to form the government based on an "indicative list" of 35 ministers, the presidency said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Sudan, South Sudan peace deals include banking, monetary accord Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:32 AM PDT Reuters - ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan, fleshing out the details of their new peace deals, have agreed to cooperate on banking and monetary policy, which could help boost trade after decades of civil war. The two countries, which came close to war in April, agreed on Thursday to improve border security and foster trade, crucially to restart oil exports from the South through northern pipelines. The border had been closed since South Sudan's messy secession in July 2011, and there has been almost no bilateral trade between the two neighbours. ... Full Story Top Spain's debt-to-GDP ratio to rise to 90.5 percent in 2013 versus 85.3 percent in 2012 Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:29 AM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's debt will reach 90.5 percent of gross domestic product by end 2013 after hitting 85.3 percent of GDP by the end of this year, the government's budget document showed on Saturday. The debt ratio included 30 billion euros of the planned 100-billion-euro aid request for the country's banks, the document said. The Treasury saw gross debt issuance requirements of 207.2 billion euros next year after budgeting in 2012 for gross issuance of 186.1 billion euros. ... Full Story Top Mickelson and Bradley gell in Ryder Cup debut Sat,29 Sep 2012 01:16 AM PDT Reuters - MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson looked on like a proud father as he watched Keegan Bradley enjoy a spectacular Ryder Cup debut teaming up with his young protege to contribute two wins to the United States 5-3 lead over Europe on Friday. Mickelson, the most experienced member of the U.S. Ryder Cup brigade with nine appearances, provided the know how and Bradley the youthful energy. ... Full Story Top U.S. immigration to treat same-sex partners as relatives Fri,28 Sep 2012 11:22 PM PDT Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Obama administration has directed immigration officials to recognize same-sex partners as family members in deportation cases, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Friday. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Pelosi in a letter that she had ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to notify its field offices "that the interpretation of the phrase 'family relationships' includes long-term, same-sex partners." Pelosi welcomed the federal recognition of gay and lesbian couples. ... Full Story Top Satellite launch stirs passions before Venezuela vote Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:18 PM PDT Reuters - CARACAS (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez said the launch on Friday of Venezuela's second satellite showed the achievements of his self-styled revolution just days before he seeks re-election, but his rival said it symbolized his neglect of problems closer to home. "We're seeing history ... . Venezuela has been with China at the forefront of history," Chavez said after standing to applaud during a video link-up between the presidential palace, a launch center in China's Gobi Desert and a Caracas street party. ... Full Story Top

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