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IMF's Lagarde - a pragmatist in austerity debate

By Catherine Bremer PARIS (Reuters) - Christine Lagarde has made her mark as International Monetary Fund chief by taking a firm yet pragmatic stance in the austerity-versus-growth debate raging as Europe struggles to pull itself out of a long crisis. Lagarde, who was quizzed by a Paris magistrate on Thursday over a 2007 arbitration payment she made as French finance minister to settle a spat between the state and a businessman, was appointed IMF head in June 2011.

France's Hollande says Europe must prioritize creating jobs

LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - Europe must prioritize creating jobs and hope for its youth, French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday at an event in Germany celebrating the 150th anniversary of the German opposition Social Democrat (SPD) party. "Europe has been able to overcome financial instability, it has proven that no European member state would be left alone in difficult times," the Socialist president told German and European leaders gathered at an event in Leipzig in formerly communist eastern Germany.

Largest Bulgarian party will not try to form government

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's largest party GERB declined on Thursday to try to form a new government, opening the way for the rival Socialists to put together a technocrat administration and end a political impasse. The center-right GERB won most seats in a May 12 election in the European Union's poorest country but cannot command a majority, as other parties are shunning it after its resignation during protests against low living standards in February.

IMF chief Lagarde appears in court in French fraud investigation over arbitration deal

PARIS - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde faced hours of questioning at a special Paris court Thursday over her role in the 400 million euro ($520 million) pay-off to a controversial businessman when she was France's finance minister.

NK envoy-China visit

BEIJING, May 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's special envoy's visit to China is drawing international attention with focus being given to whether he will be able to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, diplomatic sources here said Thursday. Choe Ryong-hae, the director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, flew into Beijing Wednesday as an envoy to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He met with Wang Jiarui, the head of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) central committee's external affairs department, shortly after his arrival.

late former president-death anniversary

GIMHAE/SEOUL, South Korea, May 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Thursday marked the fourth anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun's death as thousands of people gathered in his southern hometown to pay tribute to the late iconic liberal. About 10,000 people from around the country traveled to Roh's hometown of Bongha Village in Gimhae, about 450 kilometers south of Seoul, causing heavy traffic in the area, officials at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation said.

Barred from election, Rafsanjani lambasts Iranian authorities - report

DUBAI (Reuters) - Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani sharply criticized the country's leadership, opposition website Kaleme said on Thursday, two days after he was disqualified from running in next month's presidential election. "I don't think the country could have been run worse, even if it had been planned in advance," Rafsanjani reportedly told members of his campaign team on Wednesday, the well respected website reported.

Turkish restaurant owner freed in Afghanistan

A Turkish restaurant owner kidnapped 11 days ago in Kabul was freed in an overnight raid by elite commandos from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, officials said Thursday. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said it had rescued the man from a house on the outskirts of the capital and handed him over to the Turkish embassy. He was taken hostage at gunpoint on May 12 in Taimany, a district of Kabul popular with foreign residents.

IMF's Lagarde in court for French arbitration case

By Chine Labbé PARIS (Reuters) - IMF chief Christine Lagarde was questioned in court by a French magistrate on Thursday over her role in a 285-million-euro ($366 million) arbitration payment made to a supporter of former president Nicolas Sarkozy. Lagarde risks being placed under formal investigation at the hearing for her 2007 decision as Sarkozy's finance minister to use arbitration to settle a long-running court battle between the state and high-profile businessman Bernard Tapie.

Abe confident Japan's resolve to be conveyed to N. Korea leader Kim

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday he believes his strong intention to solve the long-standing abduction issue with North Korea will be conveyed to its leader Kim Jong Un following a recent Pyongyang trip by his advisor. "It is not easy to demonstrate our resolve" to Kim, but this time "it is due to be conveyed" as the advisor, Isao Iijima, met with the country's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong Nam, during his four-day trip last week, Abe told a Diet committee session when asked about the contentious move.
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