U.S. may accept less stringent controls for Taliban detainees

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• U.S. may accept less stringent controls for Taliban detainees
• Dozens of Taliban killed in fighting in west Afghanistan
• French police swoop on suspected Islamists
• Israel cordons off West Bank over "Land Day" threat
• North Korea test fires short-range missiles: reports
• Islamist draws crowds in Egypt election campaign
• Italy's Monti seeks to defuse row over party remarks
• Poverty, frustration keep Macedonia tensions alive
• Japan government to submit tax hike plan, heads into political showdown
• Mauritius president says to quit, re-enter politics
• Sarkozy: Police detain 19 suspected extremists
• Israel closes off West Bank ahead of Arab protests
• Afghan police: 9 officers killed
• US missiles kill 4 in Pakistan amid drone debate
• Suu Kyi cites widespread poll irregularities
• School punishes Filipino boys for Facebook kissing
• Japan will intercept NKorean rocket if threatened
• Sex change bars Canadian wannabe beauty queen
• SKoreans: NKorea test-fired short-range missiles
• Spain engulfed by nationwide anti-austerity strike

U.S. may accept less stringent controls for Taliban detainees Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has signaled a willingness to accept less-stringent controls on former Taliban leaders who could be transferred to Qatar as part of a deal between the United States and the Afghan militants to kick-start Afghan peace talks, U.S. officials said. ...

Dozens of Taliban killed in fighting in west Afghanistan Posted: KABUL (Reuters) - Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in U.S. air strikes and a gunbattle in western Afghanistan after an insurgent attack on an Afghan army patrol, NATO and Afghan officials said on Friday. A spokesman of the International Security Assistance Force said the patrol came under attack in Gulistan district in western Farah province on Wednesday, prompting a call for air support. "Numerous insurgents were killed, and several motorbikes were damaged or destroyed" following two strikes by coalition aircraft, he said. ...

French police swoop on suspected Islamists Posted: PARIS (Reuters) - French elite police on Friday arrested some 20 people in morning swoops on suspected Islamist circles in several cities including Toulouse, scene of the killings of four Jews and three soldiers this month, a police source said. The arrests in Toulouse in the southwest, Nantes in western France, the Paris region and southeast France were carried out by the RAID police commando unit and anti-terrorist specialists, although the raids were not directly related to the killing spree by gunman Mohamed Merah, according to the source. ...

Israel cordons off West Bank over "Land Day" threat Posted: JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel shut crossings into the occupied West Bank on Friday and reinforced patrols along its borders with Lebanon and Syria to try to thwart pro-Palestinian rallies around the country. Palestinian activists have called for a "Global March to Jerusalem" to coincide with annual Land Day demonstrations by Israel's Arab minority, and say there will be protests in numerous locations to denounce Israeli settlement policy. ...

North Korea test fires short-range missiles: reports Posted: SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its west coast on Thursday believed to be part of a test to upgrade capabilities, said news reports published on Friday, quoting South Korean military officials. North Korea has raised tensions in recent weeks by announcing it would launch a rocket to put a satellite into orbit, but regional powers are urging Pyongyang to drop the plan, saying it would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. ...

Islamist draws crowds in Egypt election campaign Posted: CAIRO (Reuters) - A sheikh who blends hardline Islamism with revolutionary zeal is emerging as a frontrunner in the race for the Egyptian presidency, buoyed by a popular touch which even his critics say is striking a chord with many voters. Hazem Salah Abu Ismail's message has moved from the mosque to the masses in the year since Hosni Mubarak was swept from power, helped by a campaign which to date appears one of the best funded. His posters are everywhere, put up by dedicated supporters to whom he is both a celebrity and visionary. ...

Italy's Monti seeks to defuse row over party remarks Posted: ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti sought on Friday to put out a growing political storm over comments reported from his trip in Asia in which he appeared to criticize the political parties which back his unelected government in parliament. Monti triggered widespread media and political criticism in Italy after remarks which seemed aimed at politicians who have been slow to back his planned reforms of Italy's labor market. "The government enjoys high support in opinion polls, the parties do not," he told a conference in Tokyo. ...

Poverty, frustration keep Macedonia tensions alive Posted: SLUPCANE, Macedonia (Reuters) - The bullet holes in the walls of Qemail Ismaili's home are a reminder of how close Macedonia came to full-blown civil war in 2001, when he joined a guerrilla insurgency on behalf of the country's ethnic Albanian minority. The rebels eventually disarmed in return for the immediate promise of greater rights and representation, and the more distant prospect of prosperity and opportunity within the European Union. But just over a decade on, 56-year-old Ismaili is unemployed and unable to afford the fees to keep his son in university. ...

Japan government to submit tax hike plan, heads into political showdown Posted: TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government on Friday will submit laws to double its sales tax by 2015 to fund swelling social security costs in the world's fastest-ageing nation, setting up a showdown that could split the ruling party, force early elections and deepen policy paralysis. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has staked his political career on the tax hike plan, but the chance of success looks slim as opposition parties in a divided parliament baulk at cooperating with the government. ...

Mauritius president says to quit, re-enter politics Posted: PORT LOUIS (Reuters) - Mauritian President Anerood Jugnauth said on Friday he would step down from his ceremonial position and return to party politics to challenge current Prime Minister Navinchndra Ramgoolam and his governing coalition. Jugnauth said his resignation was effective Saturday, and it could rock the usually placid political arena in one of Africa's most stable democracies. Ramgoolam's coalition has accused Jugnauth of meddling in the running of the Indian Ocean island. ...

Sarkozy: Police detain 19 suspected extremists Posted: Police have detained 19 people in a crackdown on suspected Islamist extremists in cities around France on Friday and more such raids are planned, the French president said.

Israel closes off West Bank ahead of Arab protests Posted: Israeli forces went on high alert in anticipation of mass demonstrations Friday, sealing off swaths of territory and tightening restrictions on entering a flashpoint holy site as Palestinians and Arabs prepared for a day of marches throughout the region.

Afghan police: 9 officers killed Posted: Afghan police say nine village police officers have been shot dead by a colleague in the eastern Paktika province.

US missiles kill 4 in Pakistan amid drone debate Posted: A suspected U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in northwest Pakistan early Friday morning, killing four militants in an attack that comes as Pakistani officials have stepped up their calls for the strikes to end, intelligence officials said.

Suu Kyi cites widespread poll irregularities Posted: Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi said Friday that Myanmar's weekend elections will be neither free nor fair because of widespread irregularities, but vowed to press forward with her candidacy for the sake of the country.

School punishes Filipino boys for Facebook kissing Posted: A Philippine Catholic school is witholding the diplomas of six high school boys who uploaded Facebook photos that appear to show them kissing one another, an education official said Friday.

Japan will intercept NKorean rocket if threatened Posted: Japan's defense minister on Friday ordered missile units to intercept a long-range rocket expected to be launched by North Korea next month if the rocket or its fragments threaten to hit Japan.

Sex change bars Canadian wannabe beauty queen Posted: Beach shots depict her as every inch a curvaceous beauty queen.

SKoreans: NKorea test-fired short-range missiles Posted: South Korean officials say North Korea test-fired two short-range missiles this week from its west coast.

Spain engulfed by nationwide anti-austerity strike Posted: Spanish workers enraged by austerity-driven labor reforms to prevent the nation from becoming Europe's next bailout victim slowed down the country's economy in a general strike Thursday, closing factories and clashing with police as the new-center right government tried to convince investors the nation isn't headed for a financial meltdown.

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