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Friday, September 28, 2012 2:29 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Obama, Netanyahu united against Iran nuclear drive Italy's Monti pleases investors, but politics to come France unveils tough budget, Spain's Rajoy wins time French guarantees for lender CIF worth 28 billion euros French government proposes law to stem industrial closures Protesters, police clash in Bahrain Russian punk band supporters expect little of legal appeal Kenya troops fight on beaches in assault on Somali rebel city Iran will stop at nothing to protect Syria: Clinton Italian prosecutors probe local politicians' expense claims Syria rebels struggle to advance in Aleppo offensive Steinbrueck to challenge Merkel in 2013 Iran says terrorism includes any attack on nuclear facility Tropical storm Norman forms off Mexico's Pacific coast U.N. criticizes "shrill war talk" in Iran nuclear dispute Netanyahu's Iran cartoon bomb timed to make big impact Sudan, South Sudan agree on metering to avoid disputes Israel disappointed over Argentine bombing talks with Iran Deutsche Bank evacuates workers after powder found Marseille residents force out Roma migrants Norwegian mass killer's speech to hit German theatre Israelis see no Iran war this year after Netanyahu's speech "Gospel of Jesus' wife" fragment is a fake, Vatican says Somalia, allies batter al Shabaab, but gains may be fragile Brazil to deploy troops to guard voters in Rio slums German Jewish leader deters racist attack with gun Syrians moved some chemical weapons to boost security: U.S Greek mall deal could kickstart privatizations Mosques discourage Libya demos to avert violence Striking Amplats miners in South Africa defiant German SPD confirms Steinbrueck to challenge Merkel in 2013 China seals Bo's fate ahead of November 8 leadership congress Del Ponte to join U.N. war crimes inquiry on Syria: diplomats Italian unions strike against Monti, close Colosseum Mortar bomb fired from Syria hits Turkey, causes damage: agency Former finmin Steinbrueck to challenge Merkel in 2013 Greece's 2013 budget to deepens cuts, sustain recession Malaysia PM courts voters in budget, pledges lower deficit Canada won't say if China involved in hacking incident France to sell 7-8 billion euros of OAT bonds on October 4 Obama, Netanyahu united against Iran nuclear drive Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:52 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday expressed solidarity on the goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, the White House said, amid signs of easing tensions over their differences on how to confront Tehran. Obama, who opted not to meet Netanyahu on his U.S. visit, spoke by phone to the Israeli leader, who used his U.N. speech on Thursday to keep up pressure on Washington to set a "red line" for Tehran. ... Full Story Top Italy's Monti pleases investors, but politics to come Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's declaration that he would be willing to serve a second term if asked may have reassured international investors, but there is no way around the treacherous waters of Italian politics. It was no accident that Monti, an economist brought in last year to run an emergency government of technocrats, made his announcement in New York; just a short taxi ride from Wall Street, he was comfortably far from the fevered atmosphere in Rome, where manoeuvring for the 2013 election is in full swing. ... Full Story Top France unveils tough budget, Spain's Rajoy wins time Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:37 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS/MADRID (Reuters) - France unveiled an austerity budget that would tax business and the super rich, but a report showing Spain's banks needed a manageable 59 billion euros in new funds bought time for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as he seeks to avoid a bailout. Socialist President Francois Hollande's 2013 budget amounts to France's toughest belt-tightening for 30 years as the debt crisis takes its toll on the euro zone. The package aims to narrow France's deficit to 3.0 percent of national output next year from 4. ... Full Story Top French guarantees for lender CIF worth 28 billion euros Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France's 2013 budget foresees guarantees worth up to 28 billion euros ($36.02 billion) for troubled mortgage lender Credit Immobilier de France (CIF), up from 20 billion euros flagged previously, according to budget documents. The government agreed to extend guarantees to the bank earlier this month after it failed to find a buyer and faced an imminent funding crunch that threatened its survival. ... Full Story Top French government proposes law to stem industrial closures Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:32 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - The French government aims to pass a law before the end of the year that would force companies intent on closing down industrial plants to sell them to alternative operators, Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said on Friday. The push comes as the Socialist government is battling to prevent the permanent closure of two idled blast furnaces at a steel mill in northeastern France that symbolize an industrial decline President Francois Hollande has promised to tackle. ... Full Story Top Protesters, police clash in Bahrain Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:30 AM PDT Reuters - ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Around one hundred anti-government protesters threw stones and petrol bombs as riot police tried to disperse them with tear gas and stun grenades in Bahrain on Friday, witnesses said, after an earlier demonstration attended by thousands passed peacefully. At least two protesters were injured in the clashes, the witnesses said, which took place after a march near the capital Manama, which had been called for by main opposition bloc al-Wefaq and was authorized by the Bahraini authorities. Bahrain, headquarters of the U.S. ... Full Story Top Russian punk band supporters expect little of legal appeal Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:27 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court's decision to hand two-year jail terms to punk band Pussy Riot for performing an anti-Kremlin song in Moscow's main cathedral prompted fury in the West and refocused attention on President Vladimir Putin's rights record. But as a judge prepares to rule on Monday on an appeal filed by the three female jailed band members their legal team and their relatives hold out little hope that the sentences - which they believe were overly harsh - will be quashed or reduced. "Such a decision is impossible," said Mark Feigin, a defense lawyer. ... Full Story Top Kenya troops fight on beaches in assault on Somali rebel city Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:16 AM PDT Reuters - MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Kenyan troops attacked the Somali port city of Kismayu on Friday, seeking to drive al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants from their last major stronghold and end a five-year rebellion. The loss of the southern port would deal a huge blow to al Shabaab as it is a lucrative source of revenue and a centre for operations over areas it has controlled in Somalia since 2007, but by nightfall, it was not clear who was in control. Residents said shelling had subsided after earlier fighting near a beach just outside Kismayu. ... Full Story Top Iran will stop at nothing to protect Syria: Clinton Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:15 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iran has left no doubt that it will do whatever it takes to protect the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Tehran's "proxy and crony" in Damascus, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday. She added that the United States was offering the Syrian opposition an additional $45 million in non-lethal and humanitarian aid. (Reporting By Andrew Quinn and John Irish; writing by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Sandra Maler) Full Story Top Italian prosecutors probe local politicians' expense claims Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:14 AM PDT Reuters - MILAN (Reuters) - Financial police seized documents on Friday relating to expense claims made by all the parties represented in the regional government of Piedmont, investigative sources said, in the latest corruption probe to hit Italy's politicians. The Piedmont searches came days after the centre-right regional president of Lazio, an ally of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, resigned following allegations officials had misused party funds to hold dinners and lavish parties, including one where participants wore togas and pig masks. ... Full Story Top Syria rebels struggle to advance in Aleppo offensive Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:12 AM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels said they were struggling to make headway against a barrage of government jet and artillery attacks in their latest attempt to take control of the country's largest city Aleppo after weeks of deadlock. On the second day of an offensive they had billed as a "decisive battle", rebels also threatened to start fighting local Kurdish militants - a move which would further complicate a war that has already spilled over Syria's borders. ... Full Story Top Steinbrueck to challenge Merkel in 2013 Fri,28 Sep 2012 10:10 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Peer Steinbrueck, an abrasive former finance minister, will lead the German Social Democrats' challenge to unseat chancellor Angela Merkel in a parliamentary election a year from now. Announcing their "chancellor candidate" some months earlier than expected, the centre-left opposition took Germany by surprise on Friday; Steinbrueck, a combative veteran from the right of the SPD, marked out a campaign theme of tougher rules for banks and a goal of coalition government with the Greens. ... Full Story Top Iran says terrorism includes any attack on nuclear facility Fri,28 Sep 2012 09:55 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran told a U.N. summit on Friday it considers nuclear terrorism to include attacking or sabotaging a nuclear facility and that as a target of such actions it places "a special importance" on preventing them. Along with attacks on nuclear facilities, Iran said the use or threat of nuclear weapons with the intent to cause death, injury or damage to property or the environment was also deemed nuclear terrorism. ... Full Story Top Tropical storm Norman forms off Mexico's Pacific coast Fri,28 Sep 2012 09:43 AM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Norman formed off the west coast of Mexico and was expected to make landfall north of the tourist resort and cruise ship destination of Mazatlan by Friday evening, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Friday. The storm was located about 145 miles west of Mazatlan and had maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, the center said, adding that "a little strengthening" was possible before landfall. ... Full Story Top U.N. criticizes "shrill war talk" in Iran nuclear dispute Fri,28 Sep 2012 09:40 AM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations on Friday called on all sides in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program to tone down "shrill war talk," the first U.N. reaction to clashes at the world body this week between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "It's obvious that harsh tones and rhetoric are not going to be helpful, that is quite clear," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said when asked about Netanyahu's U.N. speech. ... Full Story Top Netanyahu's Iran cartoon bomb timed to make big impact Fri,28 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The "Bibi bomb" was born of days of discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a brains trust of close advisers on how to make a powerful impact in yet another speech on Iran's nuclear program. "The diagram made his address special," a senior official in Netanyahu's entourage said on Friday about the cartoonish drawing of a bomb the Israeli leader, who is nicknamed "Bibi," used at the U.N. General Assembly as a prop to illustrate what he sees as Iran's drive for an atomic weapon. ... Full Story Top Sudan, South Sudan agree on metering to avoid disputes Fri,28 Sep 2012 09:25 AM PDT Reuters - ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan plan to avoid future disputes over oil exports with a metering system, but have failed to end a $1.8 billion row over how much Juba will pay for seizing northern oil facilities after its secession. On Thursday, the African neighbors signed a deal to restart oil exports from the landlocked South through a Sudanese Red Sea port. In January, Juba had shut down its entire output of 350,000 barrels a day after failing to agree on export fees. ... Full Story Top Israel disappointed over Argentine bombing talks with Iran Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:59 AM PDT Reuters - BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Israel said on Friday it was greatly disappointed by Argentina's decision to meet Iranian officials to discuss the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center allegedly masterminded by the Islamic Republic. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez ordered her foreign minister to accept Iran's request for talks in New York this week, marking a sharp change in diplomatic policy and drawing criticism from Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires. ... Full Story Top Deutsche Bank evacuates workers after powder found Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:55 AM PDT Reuters - FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Forty Deutsche Bank employees from an office in the eastern German town of Schkeuditz near Leipzig are undergoing health checks after a letter containing a white powder was found at their building, local German police said on Friday. Around 700 people were evacuated from the building, a spokesman for West Saxony police said. The substance, which was found in an envelope, and employees who may have come into contact with it were being checked, the police said. Photographs from local media show firemen and local police wearing protective clothing and gas masks. ... Full Story Top Marseille residents force out Roma migrants Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:27 AM PDT Reuters - MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - Residents of a poor neighborhood of Marseille forced Roma migrants from their camp and set it ablaze in a vigilante eviction that French rights groups feared could set a precedent. France is home to some 15-20,000 Roma, most of whom come from Romania and Bulgaria. Tensions over illegal camps, often on the outskirts of cities, have grown since the Socialist government made it harder for police to remove them. ... Full Story Top Norwegian mass killer's speech to hit German theatre Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:25 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A Turkish-German actress will read out Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik's bizarre courtroom speech in German theatres next month in an effort to highlight the widespread prevalence of far-right ideology in Europe. Swiss director Milo Rau adapted the script of "Breivik's Explanation" for the German stage from an audio recording of the hour-long speech the far-right nationalist gave in April before being sentenced by an Oslo court to 21 years in prison for killing 77 people last year. ... Full Story Top Israelis see no Iran war this year after Netanyahu's speech Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:12 AM PDT Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's U.N. speech about Iranian nuclear advances has dampened speculation in Israel that he could order a war this year. Analyzing Thursday's address in which Netanyahu literally drew a "red line" on a cartoon bomb to show how close Iran was to building nuclear weaponry, commentators saw his deadline for any military action falling in early or mid-2013, well after U.S. elections in November and a possible snap Israeli poll. "The 'decisive year' of 2012 will pass without decisiveness," wrote Ofer Shelah of Maariv newspaper on Friday. ... Full Story Top "Gospel of Jesus' wife" fragment is a fake, Vatican says Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:11 AM PDT Reuters - VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - An ancient papyrus fragment which a Harvard scholar says contains the first recorded mention that Jesus may have had a wife is a fake, the Vatican said on Friday. "Substantial reasons would lead one to conclude that the papyrus is indeed a clumsy forgery," the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said in an editorial by its editor, Gian Maria Vian. "In any case, it's a fake. ... Full Story Top Somalia, allies batter al Shabaab, but gains may be fragile Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:09 AM PDT Reuters - MARKA, Somalia (Reuters) - "Paradise lies under the shade of swords," reads the Arabic inscription on an arch leading into the Somali port of Marka, abandoned last month by Islamist al Shabaab militants under pressure from advancing African Union peacekeepers and government troops. The inscription, along with a white column by the beach where al Shabaab held public executions, is one of the reminders of the al Qaeda-allied rebels' four-year occupation of the coastal town, 90 km (55 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu. ... Full Story Top Brazil to deploy troops to guard voters in Rio slums Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:04 AM PDT Reuters - RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's Defense Ministry plans to send troops to ensure peaceful campaigning and voting in notoriously violent slum areas of the country's second largest city for upcoming local elections. Soldiers and marines will deploy in Rio de Janeiro slums on Sunday to guarantee "democratic freedom" and allow candidates to campaign a week ahead of the municipal elections, a Defense Ministry statement said. The military presence will continue until voting is over on Oct 7. ... Full Story Top German Jewish leader deters racist attack with gun Fri,28 Sep 2012 08:01 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A leading member of Germany's Jewish community had to point to a gun he was carrying to ward off a young man shouting anti-Semetic abuse, the latest in a string of racist incidents in Berlin that has shocked Jews and city authorities. The Central Council of Jews in Germany said its general secretary, Michael Kramer, had endured a barrage of threatening insults from the man after leaving a Berlin synagogue with his two daughters on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Syrians moved some chemical weapons to boost security: U.S Fri,28 Sep 2012 07:52 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Syrians have moved some of their chemical weapons capability to better secure it, but the country's main chemical weapons sites remain intact and secure under government control, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Friday, citing U.S. intelligence. "There has been some intelligence that with regards to some of these sites that there has been some movement in order for the Syrians to better secure ... the chemicals," Panetta told a Pentagon news conference. ... Full Story Top Greek mall deal could kickstart privatizations Fri,28 Sep 2012 07:22 AM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece picked real estate firm Lamda to manage a shopping mall that served as a broadcasting centre during the Athens 2004 Olympics, the country's privatization agency said on Friday. Greece is scrambling to jump start its privatization agenda to convince its international lenders, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, it is serious about selling off state assets to help pay down public debt. The 90-year leasing deal will bring in 81 million euros ($104.2 million) to state coffers, the agency (HRADF) said. ... Full Story Top Mosques discourage Libya demos to avert violence Fri,28 Sep 2012 07:11 AM PDT Reuters - TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Mosque preachers told Libyans on Friday to call off planned demonstrations against militia groups out of fear marches could lead to renewed bloodshed. The mufti of Libya, Sadeq al-Gharyani, said in a statement published by the LANA state news agency that a march called for later on Friday should be halted "because this march will not be secure". "I call on the people not to participate in this march so that no blood is spilled," he said. "There are some people who want to use these protests to cause violence. ... Full Story Top Striking Amplats miners in South Africa defiant Fri,28 Sep 2012 06:48 AM PDT Reuters - RUSTENBURG, South Africa (Reuters) - South African miners on an illegal strike against the world's top platinum producer defied management threats of dismissal on Friday, throwing down the gauntlet as another wildcat stoppage hit the country's restive mining sector. Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), the top producer of the white metal and a unit of global mining group Anglo American, said on Thursday it would begin disciplinary action against illegal strikers and could fire them. ... Full Story Top German SPD confirms Steinbrueck to challenge Merkel in 2013 Fri,28 Sep 2012 06:47 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's opposition Social Democrats (SPD) confirmed on Friday that former finance minister Peer Steinbrueck would challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in the next federal election in 2013. "Restraining financial markets and creating a new social balance is our 2013 campaign focus and we are convinced that Peer Steinbrueck is the best candidate for that and the best chancellor Germany can find," said SPD Chairman Sigmar Gabriel. ... Full Story Top China seals Bo's fate ahead of November 8 leadership congress Fri,28 Sep 2012 06:45 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party accused disgraced politician Bo Xilai of abusing power, taking huge bribes and other crimes on Friday, sealing the fate of a controversial leader whose fall shook a leadership handover due at a congress from November 8. The once high-flying Bo now faces a criminal investigation that stemmed from a murder scandal, and will almost certainly be jailed. With the Communist Party congress about six weeks away, further steps in the case could come before then, helping pave the way for a transition of power, experts said. ... Full Story Top Del Ponte to join U.N. war crimes inquiry on Syria: diplomats Fri,28 Sep 2012 06:44 AM PDT Reuters - GENEVA (Reuters) - Carla del Ponte, the International Criminal Court's former chief prosecutor, will be named on Friday to join a United Nations investigation into war crimes in Syria, diplomats said. The inquiry is gathering evidence for possible future trials of figures suspected of committing abuses in the 18-month-old war pitting President Bashar al-Assad's military and police against opposition forces. Switzerland has proposed that del Ponte, a former Swiss attorney-general, join the panel as a commissioner and an announcement was expected by the end of the day, diplomats said. ... Full Story Top Italian unions strike against Monti, close Colosseum Fri,28 Sep 2012 06:42 AM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - Up to 30,000 members of two of Italy's biggest unions marched through Rome on Friday to protest against Prime Minister Mario Monti's cuts in public spending, forcing the closure of the Colosseum. Opposition to austerity policies aimed at steering the country out of its economic crisis is growing as the year-long recession shows no signs of letting up and unemployment continues to rise. ... Full Story Top Mortar bomb fired from Syria hits Turkey, causes damage: agency Fri,28 Sep 2012 05:53 AM PDT Reuters - ANKARA (Reuters) - A mortar bomb fired from Syria hit southeastern Turkey on Friday, damaging homes and workplaces in the Akcakale border area, the private Dogan news agency said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said they had no immediate information. The conflict in neighboring Syria has affected border areas in the past when stray bullets have flown into Turkish territory. ... Full Story Top Former finmin Steinbrueck to challenge Merkel in 2013 Fri,28 Sep 2012 05:32 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Former German finance minister Peer Steinbrueck will lead the Social Democrats into the 2013 federal election against Angela Merkel, in what will be a polarized campaign because of his tough talk on banks and aversion to forming a coalition with her. The combative Steinbrueck wants to impose new restrictions on the financial sector and rules out serving in another "grand coalition" cabinet under the conservative chancellor. ... Full Story Top Greece's 2013 budget to deepens cuts, sustain recession Fri,28 Sep 2012 05:25 AM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will unveil a draft budget for 2013 on Monday which will cut deeper into public spending to impress international lenders but also prolong the economic pain of the Greek people. Athens is keen to see its bailout funding resume as its next 31.5 billion euro tranche has been pushed back while inspectors from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund decide if its current program of cuts is on track. ... Full Story Top Malaysia PM courts voters in budget, pledges lower deficit Fri,28 Sep 2012 05:02 AM PDT Reuters - KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak courted voters with one-off perks on Friday in his last budget before a national election, while reassuring markets by pledging to cut the country's fiscal deficit and tackle a rising debt burden. Najib, facing what could be the long-ruling coalition's closest election, dished out 500 ringgit ($160) payments to all low-income families, 100 ringgit each to 5.4 million schoolchildren and handed a 1.5 month bonus to the country's civil servants among other steps. ... Full Story Top Canada won't say if China involved in hacking incident Fri,28 Sep 2012 04:58 AM PDT Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada said it was aware hackers had breached security at a domestic manufacturer of software used by big energy companies, but declined to comment on a report that a Chinese group could be responsible. Calgary-based Telvent, which is owned by France's Schneider Electric SA, warned customers about the attack, which hit operations in the United States, Canada and Spain, the cyber security news site KrebsOnSecurity.com reported on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top France to sell 7-8 billion euros of OAT bonds on October 4 Fri,28 Sep 2012 04:49 AM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France will sell between 7 billion and 8 billion euros of medium-to long-term debt in an Oct 4. auction, including a new 2.25 percent October 2022 OAT bond, the AFT government debt agency said on Friday. The lines on offer in next week's auction are the 4.25 percent October 2018 OAT, the new 2.25 percent October 2022 OAT and the 4.50 percent April 2041 OAT. (Reporting By Brian Love; Editing by Catherine Bremer, John Stonestreet) Full Story Top

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