Reuters World News Highlights

BEIRUT – Explosions blew the fronts off buildings in the Syrian town of Idlib, with state TV reporting nine people killed and 100 wounded including security services personnel targeted by an intensifying rebel bombing campaign.
– – – –
CAIRO – Egypt enters the last stage of its first democratic presidential race with its field narrowing to a two-horse race between the urbane former head of the Arab League and a charismatic Islamist medic jailed for years under Hosni Mubarak.
– – – –
MANAMA – A Bahraini court has ordered a retrial for jailed hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and 20 other men convicted of leading an uprising last year, but an opposition leader said the gesture was not enough to defuse resurgent unrest.
– – – –
PARIS – Allegations of scandal and dirty tricks, and a presidential lawsuit, clouded France’s election race as it entered the final week with both sides preparing for rival May Day rallies and a crucial television debate.
– – – –
BEIJING – Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng’s escape from house arrest to US diplomatic protection was a “miracle” of planning and endurance but the blind activist hopes to stay in China and campaign for reform, one of his key helpers said.
– – – –
BEIJING – China is considering sovereign guarantees for its ships to enable the world’s second-biggest oil consumer to continue importing Iranian crude after new EU sanctions come into effect in July, the head of China’s shipowners’ association said.
– – – –
MADRID – Spain sank into recession in the first quarter and economists said spending cuts aimed at meeting strict EU deficit limits, together with a reeling bank sector, would delay any return to growth until late this year or beyond.
– – – –
YANGON – Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi agreed to end her party’s boycott of parliament, setting aside her first major dispute with the government since winning by-elections and clearing the way for what could be an acceleration of reforms.
– – – –
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – A bomb blast struck a police chief’s convoy in eastern Nigeria, killing 11 people, a witness and an official said, a day after attacks in other areas killed at least 19.
– – – –
WASHINGTON – Former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s war crimes conviction may be seen in some quarters as a victory for global justice, but a backlash against costly, lengthy international tribunals is also underway.
– – – –
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the country’s first minimum wage, moving to regain the political initiative after violence at weekend protests raised doubt about the timing of elections that had been expected by June.