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| Australian PM says confident of position of MH370's black box Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 09:05 PM PDT Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday that searchers were confident they knew the position of the black box flight recorder from a missing Malaysian airliner, but cautioned this was not the same as recovering wreckage. "Still, confidence in the approximate position of the black box is not the same as recovering wreckage from almost four and a half kilometers beneath the sea or finally determining all that happened on the flight." Malaysia Airlines MASM.KL Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished on March 8 and is believed to have flown thousands of kilometers off its Kuala Lumpur-to-Beijing route and into the Indian Ocean. Full Story | Top |
| Japan minister to head to U.S. for trade talks next week: media Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 08:50 PM PDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari will travel to the United States for trade talks late next week in a bid to reach agreement in a two-way deal that is seen as critical for a broader regional pact, Jiji news agency reported on Friday. Amari will meet U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on April 17, Jiji said, without citing a source. The two top negotiators ended two days of intense talks in Tokyo on Thursday saying progress had been made but big gaps remain ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's state visit to Tokyo later this month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Maduro and opposition talk as death toll hits 40 Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 08:12 PM PDT  By Diego Ore and Daniel Wallis CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hosted opposition leaders on Thursday at the start of mediated talks intended to stem two months of political unrest that has killed dozens in the OPEC nation. The meeting, brokered by foreign ministers from the Unasur bloc of South American governments, took place at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas and was broadcast live on TV. Full Story | Top |
| Prominent Chinese activist defiant as jail term upheld Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 07:48 PM PDT  By Sui-Lee Wee BEIJING (Reuters) - A prominent Chinese rights activist expressed defiance on Friday after a court upheld his four-year jail sentence, saying the pall of communism and dictatorship would eventually give way to freedom and justice. Although the ruling had been expected, as China's courts are controlled by the Communist Party and almost never rule in favor of dissidents, the decision is likely to renew an outcry by the United States, the European Union and rights groups. Activist Xu Zhiyong's lawyer said an appeal to the Beijing Municipal High People's Court had been rejected. "The appeal verdict was within our expectations," the lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, told Reuters. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. may give up demand for zero Japan beef tariffs in trade deal: Nikkei Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 07:41 PM PDT  The United States appears willing to accept a big cut in Japanese tariffs on beef imports rather than insist on scrapping the levy, the Nikkei business daily said on Friday, as the two countries seek a trade deal seen as vital to a broader regional pact. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari wrapped up two days of intense talks on Thursday on the bilateral deal, a cornerstone of the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), with both saying progress had been made but that big gaps remained. "There was a bit of progress but big differences remain," Agriculture Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi reiterated at a news conference on Friday. Trade Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters that an April 24 summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be an important juncture for the trade talks, but repeated Japan's stance that the meeting was not a deadline for a deal, Kyodo news agency reported. Full Story | Top |
| Malaysia Airlines search zeroing in after latest pings Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 07:35 PM PDT  By Matt Siegel and Swati Pandey SYDNEY/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - The international effort to find a missing Malaysian jetliner was zeroing on a small patch of the Indian Ocean on Friday that officials now believe offers the best hope of solving the mystery of Flight MH370. The Australian agency overseeing the search said it would use some of the most sophisticated resources at its disposal on the small search area after a new acoustic signal, that could be from the plane's black box recorders, was detected on Thursday. The latest signal, which was captured by a listening device buoy, seems to lend credence to four previous "pings" detected by a U.S. Navy "Towed Pinger Locator" (TPL) towed by Australia's Ocean Shield vessel. "The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a man-made source," Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency co-ordinating the search, said in a statement. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. accuses Russia after Putin warning on gas supplies to Europe Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 07:21 PM PDT  By Alexei Anishchuk and Bill Trott MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that Russian gas supplies to Europe could be disrupted if Moscow cuts the flow to Ukraine over unpaid bills, drawing a U.S. accusation that it is using energy "as a tool of coercion". In a letter to the leaders of 18 European countries, Putin made clear that his patience would run out over Kiev's $2.2 billion gas debt to Russia unless a solution could be brokered urgently. Russia has nearly doubled the gas price it charges Ukraine, whose economy is in crisis, since pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovich was overthrown two months ago. Full Story | Top |
| Kerry urges end to South Sudan fighting in meeting with senior official Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 07:19 PM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told a senior South Sudan official on Thursday that the Juba government needed to end the fighting in the African country, as the State Department brandished the threat of sanctions. In a meeting with South Sudan's minister of the office of president, Awan Riak, Kerry said: "We will not stand by while the hopes of a nation are held hostage to short-sighted and destructive actors." In a statement about the meeting, the State Department pointedly noted that President Barack Obama last week authorized possible targeted sanctions against those committing human rights abuses in South Sudan or undermining democracy and obstructing the peace process. A civil war in South Sudan between the government and rebels has created a humanitarian crisis in the country, which declared independence from Sudan in 2011 but has since been plagued by disorder. Full Story | Top |
| Japan approves energy plan reinstating nuclear power Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 06:31 PM PDT  Japan's Cabinet on Friday approved a new energy policy, reversing the previous government's plans to gradually mothball nuclear power plants following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The plan defines nuclear as an "important baseload power source" and also says Japan will do as much as possible to increase renewable energy supplies, Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a news conference after the Cabinet meeting. The decision to reinstate nuclear power is likely to be unpopular and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had to spend months convincing skeptical members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party as well coalition partner New Komeito, which opposes atomic energy, to accept the final draft of the plan. Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine says fulfilled all conditions for first IMF tranche Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 05:47 PM PDT By Lidia Kelly and Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine Finance Minister Oleksander Shlapak said on Thursday that Kiev has fulfilled all conditions to receive the first portion of the financial aid package from the International Monetary Fund. "We're here to speak in more specific terms about time and conditions of (international) support," Shlapak told journalists on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF spring meeting in Washington. "Moreover, Ukraine has fulfilled all the conditions set by the IMF for the first tranche." The IMF agreed in late March to a $14 billion-$18 billion two-year bailout for Ukraine, a deal to help it recover from months of turmoil that will also unlock further credits making a total of $27 billion. Full Story | Top |
| Obama says U.S., partners need to be ready to sanction Russia again Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 05:44 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talked on Thursday about potential further sanctions for Russia over its actions in Ukraine, calling again on Moscow to move its troops back from the border region, the White House said. The administration said pro-Russian separatists, "apparently with support from Moscow," were destabilizing Ukraine through "an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage. ... Full Story | Top |
| Philippine, Vietnamese navies to unite against China over beers and volleyball Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 05:32 PM PDT  By Manuel Mogato and Greg Torode MANILA/HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Philippine navy will soon return to a South China Sea island it lost to Vietnam 40 years ago to drink beer and play volleyball with Vietnamese sailors, symbolizing how once-suspicious neighbors are cooperating in the face of China's assertiveness in disputed waters. Diplomats and experts describe the nascent partnership as part of a web of evolving relationships across Asia that are being driven by fear of China as well as doubts among some, especially in Japan, over the U.S. commitment to the region. When U.S. President Barack Obama visits Asia this month he will see signs that once-disparate nations are strategizing for the future, even though he will likely seek to shore-up faith in America's "pivot" back to the region. Among the new network of ties: growing cooperation between Japan and India; Full Story | Top |
| Strong 6.1 quake shakes Nicaragua, no major damage Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 05:30 PM PDT By Ivan Castro MANAGUA (Reuters) - A strong earthquake shook western Nicaragua on Thursday, knocking out power and phone lines in some areas of the capital Managua, a Reuters witness said, but there were no reports of fatalities or major damage. The quake had a magnitude of 6.1, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and was very shallow at a depth of 6.2 miles. Some residents in Managua rushed out into the streets, clearly nervous. "There are no injuries, no loss of life so far, nor even any significant material losses," Nicaraguan government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said on local radio, adding that the government was checking reports that two dozen homes had suffered some damage. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. renews call for human rights monitoring in Western Sahara Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 04:59 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday renewed his appeals for sustained human rights monitoring in the disputed territory of northern Africa's Western Sahara and warned against unfair exploitation of the region's natural resources. The comments were included in Ban's latest report on Western Sahara to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council, an advance copy of which was obtained by Reuters. Morocco took control of most of the territory in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew, prompting a guerrilla war for independence that lasted until 1991 when the United Nations brokered a cease-fire and sent in a peacekeeping mission known as MINURSO. Ban said he welcomed Morocco's willingness to allow special investigators from the U.N. Human Rights Council to visit the territory and the Polisario Front independence movement's willingness to work with United Nations rights bodies. Full Story | Top |
| Magnitude 6.4 quake strikes near Managua in Nicaragua -USGS Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 04:47 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck near the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It said the quake, very shallow at a depth of 6.2 miles and therefore more powerful, struck at 2327 GMT north of Managua, 14 miles northeast of the town of Nagarote. A magnitude 6.4 quake is capable of causing severe damage. The quake was initially reported as having a 6.2 magnitude. (Reporting by Sandra Maler; Editing by Peter Cooney) Full Story | Top |
| Jim Flaherty dies soon after quitting as Canada's finance minister Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 04:39 PM PDT  By Randall Palmer OTTAWA (Reuters) - Former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who steered Canada through the global financial crisis and then nearly eliminated the huge budget deficits he had run up in the process, died on Thursday just weeks after resigning. An unnamed source close to the family told CBC television that Flaherty had suffered a massive heart attack. Canada's federal and provincial legislatures, where Flaherty had served, suspended their sessions. "Today is a very sad day for me, for our government and for all of our country," Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his voice quaking, said of the friend who had stood at his side since the Conservatives took power in 2006. Full Story | Top |
| Earthquake shakes Nicaraguan capital: Reuters witness Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 04:39 PM PDT MANAGUA (Reuters) - An earthquake shook the Nicaraguan capital of Managua on Thursday, a Reuters witness said, knocking out telephone lines and power in some areas, but there were no further details on any impact. (Reporting by Ivan Castro) Full Story | Top |
| Libya's coastguard detains more than 400 immigrants en route to Europe Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 03:58 PM PDT By Feras Bosalum and Julia Payne TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's coastguard has detained more than 400 immigrants, mostly from the Horn of Africa, in its waters in the past two days as they tried to illegally cross to Europe in small boats, Libyan officials said on Thursday. The coastguard picked up five boatloads of people. Warning shots were fired at several vessels, and 78 people were rescued from a sinking ship, said navy spokesman Qassem Ayoub. Some are held at a Tripoli police station and are being examined by a United Nations medical team, said the deputy commander of naval operations, Mohammed al Baty. Full Story | Top |
| Deadly bat disease found in Wisconsin, Michigan: wildlife officials Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 03:40 PM PDT By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - Bats in Wisconsin and Michigan have been infected with a disease that has killed millions of the mosquito-eating mammals elsewhere in the U.S. and could have a detrimental impact on farming and forestry, wildlife officials said on Thursday. White-nose syndrome appeared in five small brown bats collected in February and March in northern Michigan during routine surveillance, the state's Department of Natural Resources said in a statement. "Even though we've known this disease was coming, it is a disappointing day," said Dan O'Brien, a department wildlife veterinarian. Two bats in Wisconsin tested positive for the fungal disease after they were collected in a mine during winter surveillance in Grant County, near the Illinois border, where the disease was confirmed in 2012. Full Story | Top |
| Colombia's Santos would think twice about killing FARC leader Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 03:29 PM PDT  Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said he knows "more or less" where the Marxist FARC's leader is hiding but would think twice about attacking at this stage of peace talks with the rebel group, a change in tone from an earlier goal of capturing or killing him. Santos, who is seeking reelection in May, said he has taken the "difficult" decision to kill leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia before, but would consider the progress being made in peace negotiations before killing Rodrigo Londono. "I'm not going to say I would take the decision or not take it, but I think that at this stage of the process I'd think twice." Londono, known by his war alias as Timochenko, is the chief of the FARC's seven-member secretariat. Santos' stance against Londono appears to have softened 16 months into ongoing peace talks in Havana. Full Story | Top |
| Peru arrests 28 linked to Shining Path on drugs, terror charges Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 03:24 PM PDT Peru arrested 28 people linked to the political wing of the largely defunct Shining Path insurgency on suspicions they are involved in drug trafficking and terrorism, the interior minister said on Thursday. The operation marks the first big bust of members of Movadef, a group that calls for the release of Shining Path militants and others jailed during Peru's bloody internal conflict in the 1980s and 90s. The government believes Movadef is a front group seeking to legitimize and revive the Maoist-inspired Shining Path, whose bid to topple the Peruvian state claimed an estimated 69,000 lives. Interior Minister Walter Alban said the sweep on Wednesday night was the result of a two-year investigation involving phone taps and undercover agents that established a link between Movadef and guerrillas in the coca-producing Huallaga Valley. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. warns Burundi leaders against stoking political violence Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 03:15 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations warned on Thursday that Burundi leaders who have manipulated young people to stoke violence could face international prosecution if human rights abuses are committed. Planned constitutional amendments that could allow President Pierre Nkurunziza a third term and change power-sharing arrangements have stirred the worst political crisis in the east African country since a 12-year civil war ended in 2005. "In light of Burundi's past, we trust that the government of Burundi will thoroughly and promptly address the ongoing political violence and restrictions to human rights," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's. "Political violence has the potential to spark fear in the population and trigger large-scale violence," he said. Full Story | Top |
| Special Report: Flaws found in Thailand's human-trafficking crackdown Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 03:02 PM PDT  By Andrew R.C. Marshall and Amy Sawitta Lefevre SATUN, Thailand (Reuters) - After a two-hour trek through swamp and jungle, Police Major General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot halts in a trash-strewn clearing near Thailand's remote border with Malaysia. Just weeks before, says Thatchai, hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar were held captive here by one of the shadowy gangs who have turned southern Thailand into a human-trafficking superhighway. With Thatchai's help, Thailand is scrambling to show it is combating the problem. It aims to avoid a downgrade in an influential U.S. State Department annual report that ranks countries on their anti-trafficking efforts. Full Story | Top |
| Canadian senator Brazeau hit with cocaine charge Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 02:27 PM PDT  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Suspended Canadian Senator Patrick Brazeau was arrested on Thursday and charged with assault, possessing cocaine, breaching bail conditions, and uttering threats, CBC News reported. The CBC report said he was arrested at a home in Gatineau, Quebec, across the river from Ottawa, at about 4 a.m. EDT. Brazeau's lawyer and Gatineau police did not return phone calls during the day but CBC said Brazeau had pleaded not guilty. Brazeau has had other legal troubles since Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him to the Senate in 2008. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama, Merkel discuss Ukraine in phone call: White House Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 02:24 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. Carney said the call, which happened while Obama was traveling on Air Force One from Austin, Texas, was "just to check in on the situation." He said more details would be provided later on Thursday. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Sandra Maler) Full Story | Top |
| Canada Finance Minister Flaherty ruffled feathers, tackled crisis Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 02:23 PM PDT By Louise Egan and Cameron French OTTAWA/TORONTO (Reuters) - Jim Flaherty, who died on Thursday less than a month after stepping down from his post as Canada's finance minister, was a straight talker who shepherded the country's economy through a global financial crisis, and quit shortly after laying out a plan to reach his goal of balancing the government's budget. Flaherty, 64, died peacefully in Ottawa, his family said in a statement. The third longest serving finance minister in Canadian history, Flaherty assumed the job when Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party took power in February 2006 after more than 12 years of Liberal rule. Flaherty had said publicly he wanted to stay in his job until he eliminated the government's budget deficit, and in his budget in February he laid out a path to accomplish that goal by next year, ahead of an election scheduled for October 2015. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. warns Russia over any oil-for-goods deal with Iran Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 02:21 PM PDT  U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told his Russian counterpart on Thursday that any oil-for-goods deal Moscow might strike with Iran could run afoul of U.S. sanctions. "Secretary Lew reiterated our serious concerns regarding reports of a possible deal between Russia and Iran involving oil-for-goods," a Treasury representative said in a statement after Lew met with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. Lew also told Siluanov a deal would run counter to an agreement between Iran and six world powers, including the United States and Russia, in which Tehran promised to curb its nuclear program in return for a modest easing in Western sanctions. The sanctions were imposed to choke off Iran's oil revenues. Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Maduro, opposition to talk, unrest death toll hits 40 Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 02:12 PM PDT  By Andrew Cawthorne and Eyanir Chinea CARACAS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Maduro was due to host Venezuelan opposition leaders on Thursday at the start of mediated talks intended to stem two months of political unrest that has killed dozens in the OPEC nation. Some hardline opposition groups, including the party of jailed protest leader Leopoldo Lopez, are boycotting Thursday's scheduled talks while dozens of demonstrators remain in jail. The meeting, brokered by foreign ministers from the Unasur bloc of South American governments, was due to start at 5 p.m. at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas and be broadcast live on state TV. "Miraflores will tremble," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Maduro in last year's election to replace late socialist leader Hugo Chavez. Full Story | Top |
| Israel imposes economic sanctions against Palestinians Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 01:55 PM PDT By Crispian Balmer JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel imposed economic sanctions against the Palestinians on Thursday in retaliation for their leadership signing international conventions, moves that further complicate U.S. efforts to keep peace talks from collapsing before an April 29 deadline. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Jewish state would deduct debt payments from tax transfers which the Palestinian Authority routinely receives, and limit the self-rule government's bank deposits in Israel. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. Security Council OKs peacekeepers for Central African Republic Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 01:50 PM PDT  By Michelle Nichols and Crispin Dembassa-Kette UNITED NATIONS/BANGUI (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Thursday authorized the creation of a nearly 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic in a bid to end violence between Christians and Muslims that has threatened to spiral into genocide. At least 13 people were killed when Christian militia forces, known as the 'anti-balaka,' attacked a town held by Muslim Seleka rebels in a rural area of Central African Republic this week, residents said on Thursday. The 15-member Security Council authorized a U.N. force, to be known as MINUSCA, of up to 10,000 troops, 1,800 police and 20 corrections officers. It also authorizes French troops in the landlocked former French colony to support U.N. peacekeepers. Full Story | Top |
| Slovakia seeks gas talks with Ukraine, Russia, EU; Hungary set to supply Kiev Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 01:44 PM PDT By Jan Lopatka and Krisztina Than PRAGUE/BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called for talks with Ukraine, Russia and the European Commission to ensure his country can reverse gas flows to Kiev without violating existing contracts, while Hungary said it could do so at once. Financially-strapped Ukraine has been anxious to obtain affordable natural gas since Russia tore up a discount negotiated under Kiev's former president Viktor Yanukovich and this month raised the price it must pay for gas from Russian supplier Gazprom by 80 percent. ... Full Story | Top |
| EPA defends enforcement plan to focus on biggest polluters Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 01:39 PM PDT By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to focus on cracking down on just the largest polluters will deliver "lasting returns" to the American public, its top enforcement official said on Thursday. Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the EPA's office of enforcement, wrote in a blog post that the agency remained committed to punishing polluters that violate U.S. rules but needed to prioritize because of budgetary and staffing constraints. In a strategic plan for 2014 to 2018 that it released on Thursday, the EPA said it would enforce fewer cases overall compared with recent years. "This approach best protects public health not only by addressing the most serious pollution problems, but also by directing EPA's resources to important cases that may not be addressed by states," the plan said. Full Story | Top |
| Prosecutor tells Pistorius: 'Your version is a lie' Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 01:36 PM PDT  By Ed Cropley PRETORIA (Reuters) - A South African prosecutor accused Oscar Pistorius on Thursday of lying and altering his story when the Olympic and Paralympic athlete described the night he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year. The double amputee sprinter, once revered across the world for his triumph over physical adversity, faces life in prison if convicted in the Pretoria High Court of the murder of Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and model. Pistorius, known as 'Blade Runner' due to the prosthetics he wears on the track, says he shot Steenkamp in a tragic accident, firing at what he thought was an intruder hiding behind a toilet door in his luxury Pretoria home on February 14 last year. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, whose reputation as one of South Africa's toughest attorneys has earned him the nickname 'The Pitbull', cross-examined Pistorius while looking through photographs of the couple's bedroom taken after the shooting. Full Story | Top |
| China's U.S. ambassador plays down tensions after Hagel trip Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 01:08 PM PDT  By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's ambassador to the United States on Thursday played down the tense exchange this week in Beijing between Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his Chinese counterpart and praised the frank talk between the two countries. Ambassador Cui Tiankai spoke after Hagel's meeting on Tuesday with Defense Minister Chang Wanquan, who called on the United States to restrain Japan and chided another U.S. ally, the Philippines. "He had a very substantive and direct exchange with his Chinese counterpart," Tiankai said. Hagel's trip to China exposed tensions over its territorial disputes with regional U.S. allies, including the Philippines and Japan. Full Story | Top |
| French tycoon Dassault investigated for vote-rigging Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 12:49 PM PDT  French tycoon and politician Serge Dassault was placed under formal investigation on Thursday over his alleged role in a vote-rigging scandal in the Paris suburb where he formerly served as the center-right mayor for 14 years. Dassault is the head of family-owned Groupe Dassault Holding, which controls assets ranging from aeronautics group Dassault Aviation to the right-leaning Le Figaro newspaper, as well as stakes in several major defense firms. An investigating magistrate in Paris placed the 88-year-old, also a senator for the center-right UMP party, under formal investigation over suspicions he played a role in vote-rigging, corruption, money-laundering and misuse of public funds from 2008 to 2010 in the suburb of Corbeil-Essonnes where he served as mayor from 1995 to 2009. Paris prosecutors opened an initial inquiry in March to follow up on findings from a 2010 investigation following the discovery of 2 million euros ($2.75 million) in suspicious money transfers made while Dassault was mayor. Full Story | Top |
| Council of Europe assembly suspends Russian members Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 12:47 PM PDT Russia was suspended from the parliamentary assembly of European human rights watchdog the Council of Europe on Thursday in protest at Moscow's behavior towards Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. The 18 Russian parliamentarians who were suspended will not be able to vote in the 318-head assembly, have representation in its main committees or take part in its election observation missions. But the body, whose members come from 47 European states, stopped short of withdrawing their rights for good, arguing that would not help efforts to resolve the biggest crisis between the West and Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "The most powerful weapon of parliamentarians is dialogue," said Stefan Schennach, an Austrian Socialist who argued in favor of a limited suspension. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. says 'gaps narrowing' in talks between Israelis and Palestinians Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 12:37 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department said on Thursday that progress was being made in U.S.-mediated negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians meant to keep peace talks going, but denied reports from the region that there had been an agreement. "Our negotiating team and both parties remain in intensive negotiation. They had another meeting today. The gaps are narrowing but any speculations about an agreement are premature at this time," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a regular briefing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel takes economic steps against Palestinians: official Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 12:37 PM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel clamped economic sanctions on the Palestinians on Thursday in retaliation for their leadership signing international conventions, the second punitive measure in two days. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the country would deduct debt payments from tax transfers the Palestinian Authority routinely receives, and limit the self-rule government's bank deposits in Israel. But Israel will press ahead with efforts to resolve a crisis in U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hungary ready to ship gas to Ukraine: foreign minister Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 12:35 PM PDT BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary is ready to ship natural gas to neighboring Ukraine and the technical conditions for starting the necessary reverse pipeline flows are in place, Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said on Thursday after meeting Ukraine's deputy foreign minister. Hungary receives most of its gas supplies from Russia via a pipeline from Ukraine. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. storm team predicts below-average Atlantic hurricane season Thursday, Apr 10, 2014 12:30 PM PDT  By Kevin Gray MIAMI (Reuters) - The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be quieter than normal, with a below-average number of storms and hurricanes, a leading U.S. hurricane forecasting team said on Thursday. Forecasters at Colorado State University (CSU) predicted this year's season will see nine tropical storms, three of which will intensify into a hurricane and one becoming a major hurricane with winds of at least 111 miles per hour. A typical season has 12 tropical storms, with six hurricanes and two major hurricanes, according to CSU. Phil Klotzbach, who heads the CSU team, said the lower forecast was based on cooler waters in the tropical Atlantic and expectations that El Nino, the climate pattern that creates wind shear, making it harder for storms to develop into hurricanes, will form this year. Full Story | Top |
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