• 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.
• 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. ...
• Japan eye women's voleyball Olympic berth May 19, 2012
  Hosts Japan are hoping home advantage in the final Olympic women's volleyball qualifying tournament starting Saturday will help them secure a berth at London 2012 as they bid to end a 28-year medal drought.
• Historic Facebook debut falls flat May 19, 2012
  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The historic initial public offering of Facebook Inc did not go as planned on Friday, as the social networking company's sky-high valuation combined with trading glitches left the stock languishing near its offering price at the market close. Facebook shares began trading late Friday morning and opened 11 percent above the $38 offering price, but after peaking at about $45 slid rapidly at the end of the day to close at $38.23. The IPO was the third-largest in U.S. history and valued eight-year-old Facebook at $104 billion. ...
• Obama backs Europe growth push May 18, 2012
  President Barack Obama threw his weight behind France's demand for pro-growth policies in Europe Friday, as world leaders gathered at Camp David for a G8 summit darkened by Greece's possible eurozone exit.
• Regime forces fire on huge Syria protests May 18, 2012
  Regime forces fired on protesters who took to the streets of Aleppo on Friday, wounding several people at the biggest rally seen in Syria's second city since a revolt erupted last year, a watchdog said.
• G-8 summit protesters predict peaceful demonstrations in Maryland town near Camp David May 18, 2012
  THURMONT, Md. - Protesters who hope to make their voices heard at a global economic summit at Camp David said they plan peaceful demonstrations Friday in the nearby town of Thurmont.
• Briton wins battle to head European development bank May 18, 2012
  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on Friday selected British top civil servant Suma Chakrabarti as its president to 2016, replacing German incumbent Thomas Mirow after a shock vote.
• U.N. nuclear chief to visit Iran, deal may be near May 18, 2012
  VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear chief will fly to Tehran on Sunday in an apparent bid to secure a deal enabling his inspectors to probe suspicions of atomic bomb research, a few days before Iran and world powers meet in Baghdad for broader talks on their dispute. News of the rare visit came as Western diplomats said Iran and the U.N. watchdog were making headway towards a framework agreement on how to address concerns Tehran may be seeking to develop the capability to assemble nuclear weapons. ...
• Somali fishermen beg end to anti-piracy air strikes May 18, 2012
  Somali fisherman pleaded Friday for international navies protecting shipping to halt air strikes on coastal villages, after the EU Naval Force struck a pirate base for the first time.
• Iran diplomacy gathers pace with surprise IAEA visit May 18, 2012
  The head of the UN atomic agency will visit Iran Monday, the IAEA said in a surprise announcement that raised hopes of a deal on closer cooperation just days ahead of major talks with world powers.
• 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.
• Putin seeking control in Russian cabinet selection May 18, 2012
  MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will likely name allies to key economic posts when he unveils his new cabinet on Monday, asserting control over the government in a move that could hamstring reforms backed by his more liberal premier. At stake is the future of Russia's privatization program and the drive to diversify a $1.7 trillion Russian economy still heavily dependent on oil and gas exports, which yield half of all state revenues. "It will be Putin's cabinet," said Lilia Shevtsova, a senior associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center think-tank who is an author and expert on Putin. ...
• S.African trade trend is towards emerging markets: minister May 18, 2012
  South African exports to Europe and other developed countries remain below their 2008 peaks while trade with emerging economies has boomed, trade minister Rob Davies said Friday.
• Russian court sentences militant to 10 years prison May 18, 2012
  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A woman convicted of planning to carry out a suicide bomb attack during 2010 New Year's Eve celebrations in Moscow's Red Square has been sentenced to 10 years in jail, Russian investigators said on Friday. The plot was foiled after another suicide bomber was killed by explosives that accidentally detonated in her hotel room only hours before the planned attack. Investigators said Zeynap Suyunova fled Moscow for the southern city of Volgograd after the hotel room blast damaged the explosives she planned to set off close to the to the Kremlin. ...
• Cash-strapped G8 looks to private sector in hunger fight May 18, 2012
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Buffeted by the euro zone crisis and distracted by political problems at home, the leaders of the world's industrial powers turned to the private sector on Friday to help fight hunger and malnutrition for up to a billion people struggling with shortages, droughts and rising food prices. U.S. ...
• Bulgaria, Qatar, Turkey eye joint infrastructure projects May 18, 2012
  Leaders of Bulgaria, Qatar and Turkey agreed Friday to study joint infrastructure projects like the construction of a new motorway from Istanbul across Bulgaria.
• International Day Against Homophobia Celebrated by Activists, Governments May 18, 2012
  Thursday is International Day Against Homophobia, or IDAHO, and several governments and activists have begun taking action to commemorate the day, particularly in Europe. The event is also referred to as the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.
• Spat with Iraq bares Turk plunge into regional power game May 18, 2012
  ANKARA (Reuters) - A bitter rift with Iraq has exposed Turkey's role in a wider Middle East power struggle, with Ankara acting to protect its stability and prosperity from an Iranian-Iraqi "Shi'ite axis" it fears in the wake of the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq. Turkey, a Sunni Muslim but secular regional power bordering Iraq, Iran and Syria, long tried to play regional mediator as Shi'ite Muslim giant Iran and Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia jostled for sway in a region now undergoing political upheaval. But the fall-out wrought by Arab Spring uprisings and the U.S. ...
• Netanyahu says Iran aims to deceive in atomic talks May 18, 2012
  Iran is looking to deceive the world over its nuclear programme in talks with the P5+1 group of world powers, Israel premier Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday after talks with Czech President Vaclav Klaus.
• Iran may seek "tactical gain" with U.N. nuclear deal May 18, 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. ...
• Pro-EU Tadic leading polls ahead of runoff vote May 18, 2012
  Serbs seem poised this weekend to re-elect a reformist who arrested Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, rejecting a nationalist promising closer ties with Russia — in a sign that the troubled Balkan nation is edging away from its 1990s war legacy.
• G-8 or G-Zero? Why the West No Longer Sets the Global Agenda May 18, 2012
  The spectacle of some of the most powerful leaders in the world gathering at Camp David on Friday for the G-8 summit, and then for this weekend's NATO anniversary in Chicago, won't disguise the fact that things seem to be gradually falling apart. These once-mighty symbols of international leadership appear almost paralyzed before the tides of economic, financial and political change. ...
• Syria opposition chief resigns amid infighting May 18, 2012
  Syrian National Council chief Burhan Ghalioun said on Thursday he will step down to avert divisions within the opposition bloc, after activists on the ground accused him of monopolising power.
• Resource-rich Mongolia plays populist card in run-up to polls May 18, 2012
  ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - Mongolia's bid to discredit one of its most popular opposition politicians, a staunch supporter of resource nationalism, could backfire and strengthen his party in approaching elections, putting at risk mining investments in the central Asian nation. Former president Nambar Enkhbayar, freed on bail this week over corruption charges his family says were fabricated, is the most popular figure fighting the June 28 election, opinion polls showed just before his arrest on April 13. ...
• Syria opposition chief resigns amid infighting May 18, 2012
  Syrian National Council chief Burhan Ghalioun said he will step down to avert divisions within the opposition bloc, after activists on the ground accused him of monopolising power.
• Japan launches rocket with first foreign satellite May 18, 2012
  A rocket has lifted off in Japan in the country's first commercial launch of a foreign satellite — one from South Korea designed to monitor the environment.
• Russia protesters try new tactics against Putin May 18, 2012
  A mass walk led by writers, camping out at night in the city, cat-and-mouse games with the police: Russia's protest movement is trying out novel tactics to keep up pressure on Vladimir Putin.
• Facebook prices at top of range in landmark IPO May 17, 2012
  NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc priced its initial public offering at the top of its target range to raise more than $16 billion, as strong demand, particularly from retail investors, fuels anticipation of a big pop in the stock when it begins trading Friday on the Nasdaq. Predictions of how much the stock will rise on its first day of trade vary greatly -- some experts said the high IPO price and increased float could limit gains to 10 percent to 20 percent, while others said anything short of a 50 percent jump would be disappointing given the hype. ...
• Finns, Russia go through, Slovaks upset Canada May 17, 2012
  Holders Finland advanced to the semi-finals of the world ice hockey championships with a last-gasp winner against the United States on Thursday, but Olympic champions Canada were shocked by Slovakia.

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