These are the Top Stories of interest in and around the world provided to you by iPaper – A Directory52 Network Publication.

• Obama, Hollande agree on much - but not Afghanistan May 18, 2012
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New French President Francois Hollande told President Barack Obama on Friday that he will stick by his pledge to withdraw France's troops from Afghanistan at year's end, a note of discord in an otherwise convivial first meeting between the two leaders.
• Obama presses ailing Europe to focus on growth May 19, 2012
  CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - A growing chorus of world leaders on Friday pushed for a shift toward more pro-growth policies to help ease a European crisis that threatens to oust Greece from the euro zone and reverberate throughout the global economy.
• Iran may seek "tactical gain" with U.N. nuclear deal May 19, 2012
  VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog are making headway towards a framework deal on how to tackle concerns about its atomic activity, diplomats say, a potential bargaining chip for Tehran in next week's negotiations with world powers.
• Syria forces kill two in Damascus as thousands rally May 18, 2012
  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shot two protesters in the capital Damascus on Friday and fired in the air to break up thousands of anti-government demonstrators in the commercial hub of Aleppo, activists said.
• Poll shows Greece electing pro-bailout government May 18, 2012
  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek voters are returning to the establishment parties that negotiated its bailout, a poll showed on Thursday, offering potential salvation for European leaders who say a snap Greek election next month will decide whether it must quit the euro.
• Strauss-Kahn countersuit: Opening the door to his sexual past? May 18, 2012
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn struck back this week at the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault with a sharply worded countersuit claiming defamation, but lawyers say the filing could backfire.
• Hopes fading for swift U.S., Pakistan deal on Afghan supply routes May 18, 2012
  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Obama administration may be not be able to strike a long-awaited agreement with Pakistan to help supply Western soldiers in Afghanistan as hoped in time for a major NATO summit in Chicago this weekend, a U.S. official said.
• French find new first lady "distant" - poll May 18, 2012
  PARIS (Reuters) - The French find their new first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, to be down-to-earth compared to her former supermodel predecessor, but distant, a poll released on Friday said.
• Police detain 400 "Blockupy" activists in Frankfurt May 19, 2012
  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German police said they detained 400 anti-capitalist protesters in Frankfurt on Friday for defying a ban on demonstrations against austerity policies implemented to tackle the intensifying euro zone debt crisis.
• Refloat of Italy's Concordia wreck to be biggest ever May 18, 2012
  ROME (Reuters) - Salvage crews will employ huge cranes and air tanks to refloat the half-submerged Costa Concordia cruise liner in the largest ever operation of its kind, according to a plan unveiled on Friday.

• Iran, Syria among top for G-8 and NATO May 18, 2012
  Iran, Syria among top for G-8 and NATO Associated Press - 18 May 2012 23:44-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Canada pleased with Chinese smuggler's sentence May 18, 2012
  Canada pleased with Chinese smuggler's sentence Associated Press - 18 May 2012 23:07-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Largest protests yet in Syria's biggest city May 18, 2012
  Largest protests yet in Syria's biggest city Associated Press - 18 May 2012 18:11-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• UK surveillance program could expose private lives May 18, 2012
  UK surveillance program could expose private lives Associated Press - 18 May 2012 16:52-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Greek politics, Spain banks test eurozone survival May 18, 2012
  Greek politics, Spain banks test eurozone survival Associated Press - 18 May 2012 17:46-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Diplomats: Nuclear agency chief to visit Tehran May 18, 2012
  Diplomats: Nuclear agency chief to visit Tehran Associated Press - 18 May 2012 13:26-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• France's Hollande sticking to early Afghan pullout May 18, 2012
  France's Hollande sticking to early Afghan pullout Associated Press - 18 May 2012 20:13-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Imprisoned star of 'Reality' impresses at Cannes May 18, 2012
  Imprisoned star of 'Reality' impresses at Cannes Associated Press - 18 May 2012 17:32-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Quebec passes law in effort to end daily protests May 18, 2012
  Quebec passes law in effort to end daily protests Associated Press - 18 May 2012 22:15-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
• Malawi's president vows to repeal gay ban May 18, 2012
  Malawi's president vows to repeal gay ban Associated Press - 18 May 2012 12:40-04:00 Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

• Obama, Hollande agree on much - but not Afghanistan May 18, 2012
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New French President Francois Hollande told President Barack Obama on Friday that he will stick by his pledge to withdraw France's troops from Afghanistan at year's end, a note of discord in an otherwise convivial first meeting between the two leaders. "I reminded President Obama that I made a promise to the French people to the effect that our combat troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2012," Hollande said after Oval Office talks with Obama. "That being said, we will continue to support Afghanistan in a different way," he said. ...
• Obama presses ailing Europe to focus on growth May 19, 2012
  CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - A growing chorus of world leaders on Friday pushed for a shift toward more pro-growth policies to help ease a European crisis that threatens to oust Greece from the euro zone and reverberate throughout the global economy. Setting the tone for a weekend G8 summit, President Barack Obama aligned himself with the new French president's drive for more economic stimulus in recession-plagued Europe, in a swipe at the tough austerity programs that have been spearheaded by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. ...
• Iran may seek "tactical gain" with U.N. nuclear deal May 19, 2012
  VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog are making headway towards a framework deal on how to tackle concerns about its atomic activity, diplomats say, a potential bargaining chip for Tehran in next week's negotiations with world powers. Iran says such an agreement is needed before it can consider a request by U.N. inspectors to visit the Parchin military site where they believe explosives tests relevant for developing nuclear weapons may have been carried out. ...
• Syria forces kill two in Damascus as thousands rally May 18, 2012
  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shot two protesters in the capital Damascus on Friday and fired in the air to break up thousands of anti-government demonstrators in the commercial hub of Aleppo, activists said. It was the second consecutive day of street protests in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, where a visit by U.N. ceasefire monitors a day earlier saw demonstrators mass outside the gates of the Aleppo University before security forces drove them off. ...
• Poll shows Greece electing pro-bailout government May 18, 2012
  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek voters are returning to the establishment parties that negotiated its bailout, a poll showed on Thursday, offering potential salvation for European leaders who say a snap Greek election next month will decide whether it must quit the euro. The poll, the first conducted since talks to form a government collapsed and a new election was called for June 17, showed the conservative New Democracy party in first place, several points ahead of the radical leftist SYRIZA which has pledged to tear up the bailout. ...
• Strauss-Kahn countersuit: Opening the door to his sexual past? May 18, 2012
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn struck back this week at the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault with a sharply worded countersuit claiming defamation, but lawyers say the filing could backfire. Legal experts say Strauss-Kahn's lawsuit could give New York maid Nafissatou Diallo's attorneys greater freedom to present evidence of Strauss-Kahn's sexual history, including allegations involving other women. ...
• Hopes fading for swift U.S., Pakistan deal on Afghan supply routes May 18, 2012
  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Obama administration may be not be able to strike a long-awaited agreement with Pakistan to help supply Western soldiers in Afghanistan as hoped in time for a major NATO summit in Chicago this weekend, a U.S. official said. "There's a distinct possibility that we may not see an agreement before the end of this weekend," the U.S. official said on condition of anonymity. "But talks are progressing and we do expect to reach a deal in the near future. ...
• French find new first lady "distant" - poll May 18, 2012
  PARIS (Reuters) - The French find their new first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, to be down-to-earth compared to her former supermodel predecessor, but distant, a poll released on Friday said. The Paris Match reporter took on her new role on Tuesday when her partner Francois Hollande became president, replacing Nicolas Sarkozy. While Sarkozy had earned the nickname of "president bling bling" for a brash style and connections with the rich-and-famous, Hollande has styled himself "Mr. Normal". ...
• Police detain 400 "Blockupy" activists in Frankfurt May 18, 2012
  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German police said they detained 400 anti-capitalist protesters in Frankfurt on Friday for defying a ban on demonstrations against austerity policies implemented to tackle the intensifying euro zone debt crisis. The demonstration in the German financial capital was part of a four-day-long "Blockupy" protest, due to run until Saturday, against capitalism and austerity measures. "Hungry? Eat a banker," read one banner protesters held up outside the Messeturm skyscraper housing Goldman Sachs' offices. Reuters' Frankfurt office is also in the building. ...
• Refloat of Italy's Concordia wreck to be biggest ever May 18, 2012
  ROME (Reuters) - Salvage crews will employ huge cranes and air tanks to refloat the half-submerged Costa Concordia cruise liner in the largest ever operation of its kind, according to a plan unveiled on Friday. Estimated to cost at least $300 million, the work is expected to begin within a few days and last about a year, said the ship's operator Costa Cruises, owned by Carnival Corp & Plc. The 290-metre-long (952 feet) cruise liner capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio after hitting rocks on January 13. At least 30 people died and two are still unaccounted for. ...
• Iran, Syria among top for G-8 and NATO May 19, 2012
  President Barack Obama and leaders of other major industrial powers grappled Friday with options to solidify world resolve against development of an Iranian nuclear bomb and encourage a more forceful response to worsening violence in Syria.
• Largest protests yet in Syria's biggest city May 18, 2012
  Syrian forces on Friday fired on protesters holding the largest opposition marches yet in Aleppo, a sign of rising anti-regime sentiment in the country's biggest city, which has largely remained supportive of President Bashar Assad throughout the 15-month uprising.
• UK surveillance program could expose private lives May 18, 2012
  British officials have given their word: "We won't read your emails."
• Greek politics, Spain banks test eurozone survival May 18, 2012
  Chaos in Greek politics and Spanish banking combined this week to underscore just how fragile Europe's economy remains after an eviscerating austerity regime that has spawned unemployment, desperation and misery. And there is no respite in sight, as Germany's finance minister predicted Friday that the crisis could last up to another two years.
• Diplomats: Nuclear agency chief to visit Tehran May 18, 2012
  The U.N. nuclear agency chief will fly to Tehran over the weekend to sign a deal meant to allow his organization to resume a long- stalled search for evidence that Iran worked on developing nuclear arms, the agency and diplomats said Friday.

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