| | |
| Crimea to vote on joining Russia, Moscow wields U.N. veto Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 07:40 PM PDT  By Richard Balmforth and Mike Collett-White KIEV/SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russian leaders in Crimea made final preparations on Saturday for a referendum widely expected to transfer control of the Black Sea region from Ukraine to Moscow, despite an outcry and threat of sanctions from the West. Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that declared the referendum invalid, as Ukraine's defense ministry scrambled aircraft and paratroopers to confront what it said was a Russian encroachment just beyond Crimea's formal regional boundary. Ukraine's new rulers accused "Kremlin agents" of fomenting violence in the Russian-speaking east of the country. They urged people not to respond to provocations that Kiev fears Moscow may use to justify further incursions after its takeover of Crimea. Full Story | Top |
| Debris cleared from New York buildings' collapse; focus on gas lines Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 04:51 PM PDT  By Victoria Cavaliere NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City emergency crews have cleared the majority of debris from the site where two apartment buildings collapsed in a gas explosion and are nearing the underground area where the gas lines are located, officials said on Saturday. Eight people - five women and three men - were killed in the explosion early on Wednesday in East Harlem, while dozens more were injured. Crews made "significant headway clearing the site" on Saturday and were helped by mild weather, New York City Fire Department spokesman Michael Parrella said. Investigators were also steadily making progress getting to the underground area where the buildings' gas lines and meters are located. Full Story | Top |
| Creditors seize ship tied to Mexican oil company probe Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 03:26 PM PDT  Creditors to Oceanografia, a Mexican oil services company at the center of an alleged fraud that forced Citigroup to cut its 2013 profit, have seized a ship that was used as collateral for debt issued by the company. Norsk Tillitsmann, the Oslo-based trustee for some of Oceanografia's bonds , is preparing to sell the ship, OSA Goliath, to recoup funds for lenders, according to a letter published on Saturday on the trustee's website. The ship was seized on Friday in Aruban waters on Norsk Tillitsmann's request, the letter said. A spokesman for Oceanografia, whose main business was providing services for Mexico's state oil company Pemex , did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Full Story | Top |
| Rebels say deployment of regional troops to South Sudan 'ill advised' Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 12:09 PM PDT  By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - South Sudan's rebels on Saturday criticized plans by east Africa's regional bloc to deploy troops to South Sudan, questioning its neutrality. Leaders from the IGAD bloc agreed on Thursday to deploy troops to enforce a much-violated ceasefire between government and rebels, though no details were provided about the size of the contingent. The force was also given the job of protecting South Sudan's oilfields, on which the government depends for almost all its revenue. Rebels attending faltering peace talks in Ethiopia criticized IGAD for failing to secure the withdrawal of the Ugandan troops who are supporting President Salva Kiir's government. Full Story | Top |
| Libyan port rebels say ready for talks, demand Tripoli suspend offensive Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 10:11 AM PDT  Libyan rebels controlling three oil export ports said on Saturday they were ready to negotiate with the government over ending their six-month blockade if Tripoli abandoned plans for a military offensive. Libyan officials on Wednesday gave the armed protesters two weeks to clear the ports they have seized, or face a military strike. Pro-government and rebel forces clashed briefly this week in central Sirte city linking western and eastern Libya. The rebels, who are calling for a greater share in the OPEC nation's oil wealth, managed last week to load oil on to a tanker, which escaped the Libyan navy. Full Story | Top |
| 'Plump granny' mammal thwarts Florida business plans Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 09:21 AM PDT  But as business owners chart their course to prosperity, they have bumped up against a formidable adversary: Florida's much-loved "sea cow," the manatee. When a county commissioner recently suggested relaxing guidelines intended to protect the blubbery creatures on the Miami River and other waterways, it set off the latest iteration of a perennial battle. Floridians are generally supportive of development, but they also adore their manatees, a gray, bulbous endangered aquatic species that weighs 800 to 1,200 pounds (363 to 544 kilograms). Native to Florida's rivers, bays and coastal waters, manatees have for decades been listed as an endangered species. Full Story | Top |
| Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel shortage Saturday, Mar 15, 2014 09:03 AM PDT The Gaza Strip's sole power station stopped generating electricity on Saturday, causing blackouts throughout the territory after it ran out of fuel, officials said. The power plant is one of the main sources of electricity for Gaza's 1.8 million people and without it, daily blackouts of around 12 hours are expected. Electricity is also received directly from Israel and Egypt. Gaza lacks much basic civil infrastructure and lives under an Egyptian-Israeli blockade meant to cut off arms flows but which also curbs imports of fuel and building supplies. Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment