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| Toronto mayor Ford to 'get help' as new video surfaces: reports Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 07:23 PM PDT  Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who gained global notoriety after admitting to smoking crack cocaine, will take a break to deal with substance abuse issues, his lawyer told Canadian media, as one newspaper reported a new video showed him using what appears to be drugs. The Globe and Mail newspaper said on Wednesday that two of its reporters had seen a new video of Ford taking a drag from a long copper-colored pipe. The story, citing a self-professed drug dealer, said the video was secretly filmed early Saturday morning. Ford's office and lawyer could not immediately be reached to comment on the report. Full Story | Top |
| Mexico votes to allow civilian trials for soldiers Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 07:16 PM PDT  Mexican lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation that would allow soldiers accused of committing crimes against non-military personnel to be tried in civilian courts. Lower house lawmakers voted 428 to zero to approve the bill, which was passed by the Senate last week and will now be sent to President Enrique Pena Nieto to be signed into law. Human rights groups have been lobbying for the changes for years and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2009 had asked Mexico to reform its laws to end military jurisdiction for cases involving crimes against civilians. Demand for reform grew after former President Felipe Calderon in late 2006 sent out the military to battle drug gangs, putting soldiers into closer contact with civilians. Full Story | Top |
| IMF approves $17 billion bailout for Ukraine amid big risks Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 06:57 PM PDT  By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund's board signed off on a $17 billion two-year aid program for Ukraine on Wednesday to help the former Soviet republic's economy recover after months of upheaval as it continues to face geopolitical uncertainty. The IMF aid will allow the immediate disbursement of $3.2 billion to Kiev and unlock further credits from other donors of about $15 billion, intended to help Ukraine stabilize its economy in the middle of its worst civil turmoil since independence in 1991. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde admitted the program faced risks, including from the government's ability to carry out the politically unpopular measures necessary to get its finances in order. "In particular, further escalation of tensions with Russia and unrest in the east of the country pose a substantial risk to the economic outlook," she said in a statement. Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine crisis affects start of EU talks with Cuba Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 06:55 PM PDT By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - The European Union told Cuba on Wednesday it disagreed with its support of Russia in the Ukraine crisis as the dispute cast a shadow over talks aimed at improving relations between the communist-run island and European countries. "It's a point of great concern to the EU," the EU's chief negotiator in the talks, Christian Leffler, told reporters in Havana. Negotiators for the 28-nation bloc and Cuba met on Tuesday and Wednesday in Havana for a first round of talks. Leffler said the differences over Ukraine did not affect the talks but were an example of what would be discussed in future discussions. Full Story | Top |
| Wildfire threatens homes in drought-parched Southern California Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 06:04 PM PDT  By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A wind-driven brush fire burning out of control in a drought-parched Southern California wildland on Wednesday threatened a wealthy community in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents, officials said. The fast-moving blaze, which sent smoke billowing down the foothills toward large suburban houses, comes amid a dangerous combination of unseasonably hot weather and fierce Santa Ana winds that put much of Southern California's brushy hillsides at risk of fire. By Wednesday afternoon, the blaze had scorched 1,000 acres on the edge of Rancho Cucamonga, a suburban community 42 miles (68 km) east of Los Angeles, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It was the second major wildfire this year and comes just days after Governor Jerry Brown ordered emergency response agencies to streamline their processes for adding staff and purchasing equipment to fight fires in a season already well under way. Full Story | Top |
| Brazil's Rousseff lowers taxes for workers as popularity drops Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 05:53 PM PDT  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday announced lower taxes for workers and a hike in stipends for the poor as her popularity ebbs five months before elections. In a speech broadcast on the eve of Labor Day, Rousseff said she signed a decree to lower the income tax burden on workers and a 10 percent increase in the value of the Bolsa Familia family stipend program for millions of Brazilians. "This will be an important indirect salary gain and more money in the pockets of workers," Rousseff said. "I also vow to continue with policies that increase the minimum wage, which has brought so many benefits for millions of workers." Concerns about high inflation and a scandal surrounding Brazil's oil company have hurt support for Rousseff, increasing the chances her rivals can force a runoff in the October 5 elections. Full Story | Top |
| IMF approves $17 billion bailout for Ukraine amid risks Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 04:11 PM PDT By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund's board signed off on a $17 billion two-year aid program for Ukraine on Wednesday to help the former Soviet republic's economy recover after months of turmoil. The IMF aid will allow the immediate disbursement of $3.2 billion to Kiev, and unlock further credits from other donors of about $15 billion, intended to help Ukraine stabilize its economy amid its worst civil turmoil since independence in 1991. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde admitted the program faces geopolitical risks, along with uncertainty about the government's ability to carry out the politically unpopular measures necessary to get its finances in order. The IMF's board decided to meet every two months for the next couple reviews of Ukraine's program, rather than following the typical three-month schedule, in order to closely track the government's continued commitment to economic reforms, such as floating the currency and cutting fiscal deficits. Full Story | Top |
| Northern Ireland police arrest Gerry Adams over 1972 murder Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 03:53 PM PDT  By Maurice Neill and Conor Humphries BELFAST/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Northern Ireland police arrested Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams on Wednesday as part of an investigation into one of the province's most controversial murders, a move likely to cause a political earthquake in Belfast and Dublin. The man reviled in Britain as the spokesman for the Irish Republican Army in the 1980s, Adams reinvented himself as a Northern Ireland peacemaker and then as a populist opposition politician in the Irish parliament. His Sinn Fein party on Wednesday said he was being questioned by police investigating the 1972 abduction and murder of mother of 10 Jean McConville. Adams, who has always denied membership of the IRA said he was "innocent of any part" in the killing. Full Story | Top |
| IMF's Lagarde says Ukraine program faces risks Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 03:34 PM PDT Ukraine's $17 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund faces geopolitical and implementation risks, the IMF chief said on Wednesday. Ukraine, which has been in the midst of months of turmoil, on Wednesday received the IMF bailout to help stabilize its economy, which should unlock a further $15 billion in international aid. "On the implementation front, we are taking all the precautions we can in order to mitigate those risks," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters. Full Story | Top |
| Russian Orthodox Church says not taking sides in Ukraine crisis Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 03:10 PM PDT By Gabriela Baczynska MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Orthodox Church, accused by critics of being too closely aligned with President Vladimir Putin, should stay out of politics and focus on promoting peace in Ukraine, its head Patriarch Kirill said on Wednesday. Speaking at a meeting with his senior clerics, Kirill said Ukraine was one of the most important concerns for the Russian Orthodox Church and that the church should "safeguard its peace-making capacity" there against all odds. The West and Russia are at loggerheads over Ukraine and some of the recent comments made by the Russian Orthodox Church about the crisis have echoed Moscow's lines. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. tells ally Bahrain 'not the time' to do business with Russia Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 03:00 PM PDT The United States disapproves of a decision by its Gulf ally Bahrain to sign an investment cooperation deal with Russia at a time when U.S. and European governments are imposing economic sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, an official said. "With Russia continuing its efforts to destabilize Ukraine, this is not the time for any country to conduct business as usual with Russia," a U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday. "We have raised these concerns with the Bahraini government." In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Bahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat to identify and work together on investment opportunities in their countries. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. firm ends lobbying deal with Ukraine-related group Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 02:33 PM PDT By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Washington lobbying firm with close ties to the White House and Democratic Party has ended its relationship with a Brussels-based group linked to ousted Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich. A second Washington lobbying firm with ties to the Republican Party continues to represent the same Brussels group, according to disclosure documents recently filed with the U.S. Congress by the two firms. The political movement once led by Yanukovich has been deeply disrupted by protests in Ukraine, where a political crisis has deepened after moves by Russia and its sympathizers to take over Crimea and oppose the new Ukrainian central government. One of the documents, filed on April 21, shows that the Podesta Group, headed by Tony Podesta, terminated its representation of the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine on March 31. Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine's restive east slipping from government's grasp Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 02:13 PM PDT  By Marko Djurica HORLIVKA, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Moscow separatists seized government offices in more Ukrainian towns on Wednesday, in a further sign that authorities in Kiev are losing control of the country's eastern industrial heartland bordering Russia. Gunmen who turned up at dawn took control of official buildings in Horlivka, a town of almost 300,000 people, said a Reuters photographer. The heavily armed men wore the same military uniforms without insignia as other unidentified "green men" who have joined pro-Russian protesters with clubs and chains in seizing control of towns across Ukraine's Donbass coal and steel belt. Some 30 pro-Russian separatists also seized a city council building in Alchevsk, further east in Luhansk region, Interfax-Ukraine news agency said. Full Story | Top |
| Iraqis vote as violence grips a divided country Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 02:10 PM PDT By Ned Parker and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq held a democratic vote to choose a leader with no foreign troops present for the first time on Wednesday, as Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sought to hold power for a third term in a country again consumed by sectarian bloodshed. Since the last American soldiers pulled out in 2011, eight years after toppling dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq has descended back into extreme violence, with hundreds of civilians killed each month by al Qaeda-inspired Sunni insurgents, and with Shi'ite militia once more taking fearsome revenge. Voters chose from nearly 10,000 candidates for 328 seats in parliament, from political parties that range from zealous Islamists to liberals and communists. The commission hopes to declare final results by the end of May. Non-Shi'ite parties complained of obstacles to voting in the outer suburbs of Baghdad and saw in it a deliberate effort by Maliki to keep their numbers down in the next parliament. Full Story | Top |
| EU peacekeepers take charge at Central African Republic airport, violence rages Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 01:42 PM PDT  By Adrian Croft and Emmanuel Braun BRUSSELS/BANGUI (Reuters) - European Union peacekeepers took charge of security at Central African Republic's main airport on Wednesday in their first major operation to try and end months of sectarian slaughter. Just ahead of the handover, four people were killed overnight and on Wednesday morning in the capital, the local branch of the Red Cross said. The EU peacekeepers are meant to share the burden of around 2,000 French troops and 5,000 African peacekeepers already in the country who have so far failed to stop the bloodshed. French troops handed control of Bangui airport over to the EU peacekeepers, who are also commanded by a French officer, Major-General Philippe Ponties, at midday local time, the EU said in a statement. Full Story | Top |
| White House has not yet received EPA's final rule on 2014 ethanol mandates Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 01:40 PM PDT  A spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said on Wednesday that the agency is not yet reviewing a final rule on 2014 biofuel blending requirements, quashing rumors the rule has been submitted for White House review. The agency in charge of the rule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has instead submitted a different rule related to the biofuel blending program, the spokesman said. It does not include the 2014 biofuel blending requirements. The rule's submission had fueled rumors among traders that the EPA had finalized its much-awaited blending requirements for 2014. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. aid chief suggests stronger action needed on Syria Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:58 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations' aid chief Valerie Amos signaled to the Security Council on Wednesday that it needed to take stronger action to gain greater aid access in Syria, but France said opposition by Russia to any robust moves created the "sad impression of a dead end." Amos said the violence and humanitarian situation in Syria, ravaged by a civil war now in its fourth year, had only worsened since the council adopted a resolution two months ago that demanded safe and unhindered aid access, including across borders. More than 150,000 people have been killed in Syria's three-year-old civil war. Children, women, men are being directly targeted." "The Security Council, in previous situations when we have seen this, have come together around humanitarian issues and have passed robust Security Council resolutions," she said. Full Story | Top |
| Search is on for successor to Syria peace mediator Brahimi Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:58 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The search has started for a replacement for Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who diplomatic sources say is planning to resign in the near future, largely out of frustration at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's plans to hold an election in June. There are several possible candidates to replace the veteran Algerian diplomat, the sources said, among them former Tunisian Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane. For more than a year, Brahimi has made no secret that he is contemplating stepping down from the post as the United Nations and Arab League joint special representative on Syria. Brahimi told reporters a year ago in New York that he thought about resigning every day. Full Story | Top |
| Success brings sanctions for Putin's judo partner Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:54 PM PDT By Jason Bush MOSCOW (Reuters) - Fortune has smiled on judo coach Arkady Rotenberg, bringing his businesses Google-like growth and a key role in staging the Winter Olympics. Rotenberg says his success has nothing to do with personal favors from his childhood sparring partner, Vladimir Putin, and has denounced this week's Ukraine-linked sanctions on his companies as an affront to the spirit of free enterprise. Following personal U.S. visa bans and asset freezes imposed on Rotenberg and his younger brother Boris last month, the new measures against pipeline construction firm Stroygazmontazh (SGM) and banks SMP and Investcapitalbank have, if nothing else, thrust the media-shy sportsman into the spotlight. SGM, 51-percent owned by Arkady Rotenberg, 62, saw revenues grow by a factor of nearly 50 after its creation in 2008 from several units sold by Gazprom. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. says al Qaeda core weak, but affiliates still threaten Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:27 PM PDT  By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday that while al Qaeda's Pakistan-based "core organization" had been severely degraded, affiliates of the militant group in Africa and the Middle East were becoming more "operationally autonomous" and aggressive. The State Department said in its annual global report on terrorism that the central organization of al Qaeda, under the leadership of Ayman al Zawahiri, had been "much diminished" by international efforts and had lost many of its senior leaders. But the report said instability and weak governments in the Middle East and North Africa had enabled al Qaeda affiliates and like-minded groups to "broaden and deepen their operations" in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, North Africa and Somalia. Full Story | Top |
| Blast at train station in China's Urumqi, some injured: media Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:24 PM PDT  By Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) - Three people were killed and 79 wounded in a bomb and knife attack at a train station in the far western region of China on Wednesday, state media said, as President Xi Jinping was wrapping up a vist to the area. Xi promised "decisive actions" against the "terrorists" behind the attack in Xinjiang, a region beset for years by violence the government blames on Islamist militants and separatists seeking an independent state called East Turkestan. Quoting police, Xinhua news agency said "knife-wielding mobs slashed people" at an exit of the South Railway Station of Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, and set off explosives. Pictures on China's Twitter-like Weibo site showed blood on suitcases and debris on the ground in front of the station. Full Story | Top |
| Russia voices concern over 'militaristic statements' from Kiev Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:23 PM PDT The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern on Wednesday about "militaristic statements" from Kiev after acting President Oleksander Turchinov said Ukraine's armed forces were on full military alert in case of a Russian invasion. "We insist that Kiev immediately ceases the bellicose rhetoric, which is aimed at intimidating its own population," the Foreign Ministry said after Turchinov's comments on Wednesday, and called on Ukraine authorities to refrain from the use of force. The West, which believes Moscow is involved in Ukraine's east where separatists have seized more public buildings in wrestling control away from Kiev, this week introduced fresh sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. Russia denies Western allegations of fomenting separatist unrest in eastern Ukraine. Full Story | Top |
| Russia says not retaliating against Western sanctions for now Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 12:15 PM PDT Russia will not immediately take any retaliatory measures in response to Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis but could reassess that stance in the future, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. "If their actions continue and they turn to economic measures, in that case we would further study the situation," he said in translated comments. The United States and the European Union imposed new sanctions against Russia this week for its involvement in Ukraine and threatened tougher economic measures if Moscow does not de-escalate the crisis. "What we're going to do is continue to call for observance of the Geneva declaration, which, frankly, our partners are trying to escape from." Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the EU earlier this month reached an agreement in Geneva aimed at defusing the crisis. Full Story | Top |
| Mid-sized quake hits off central Chile coast; no damage reported Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:46 AM PDT A shallow 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile on Wednesday, rattling buildings in the capital, Santiago, but not causing any damage. There was no tsunami alert following the short but brusque tremor, according to the country's emergency office. The quake struck 29 miles north of the beach resort of Vina del Mar at a shallow depth of 7.1 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Full Story | Top |
| Jordan opens desert camp for Syrian refugees Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:41 AM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AZRAQ, Jordan (Reuters) - Across the desert horizon of eastern Jordan rows of iron skeleton structures rise from the sand, marking what the United Nations says could become the biggest camp for Syrian refugees in the Middle East. Azraq refugee camp, 100 km (62 miles) east of the capital Amman, was formally opened on Wednesday after 10 months of work paving tarmac roads and constructing thousands of zinc and metal shelters that will ultimately be able to host 130,000 residents. In planning the sprawling 15-square-km site, donors sought to avoid the pitfalls of Jordan's first camp at Zaatari, hastily opened two years ago in a dust-filled border zone where poor services and mismanagement provoked violent protests. "What you are seeing when you drive around is possibly one of the best planned refugee camps in the world and probably what will be one of the biggest refugee camps in the world," UNHCR's Jordan representative, Andrew Harper, told donors and government officials attending the opening ceremony. Full Story | Top |
| Republican lawmakers seek tougher sanctions on Russia Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:39 AM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of Republican senators introduced legislation on Wednesday proposing their own measures to punish Russia over the Ukraine crisis, including sanctions on major banks and energy companies, as well as $100 million in military aid for Kiev. Saying they were frustrated with President Barack Obama's reaction to Russia's military action in Ukraine, the lawmakers said the package would also require Obama to increase substantially U.S. and NATO support for the armed forces of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia and accelerate implementation of missile defense in Europe. The legislation provides authority for exports of U.S. natural gas to all World Trade Organization members, a demand of Republicans since the Ukraine crisis began, and provides support to encourage U.S. companies to invest in energy projects in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. Backers of the bill included Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, John McCain of Arizona and other leading Republican foreign policy voices. Full Story | Top |
| Lebanese presidential vote delayed as deputies boycott vote Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:25 AM PDT Lebanese politicians abandoned their second attempt to elect a new president on Wednesday after dozens of deputies boycotted a parliamentary vote to choose a successor to President Michel Suleiman. The country's two main political blocs, the pro-Hezbollah March 8 alliance and its March 14 rivals, have yet to agree on a consensus candidate who could garner majority support among the 128 parliamentary deputies. The stalemate stems from longstanding political and sectarian divisions deepened by the three-year-old war in neighboring Syria, and could drag on well beyond the end of Suleiman's term on May 25. Shi'ite Muslims support President Bashar al-Assad while Sunni Muslims back the rebels fighting to topple him. Full Story | Top |
| China to conduct naval drills with Russia in East China Sea Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:24 AM PDT China said on Wednesday it would conduct joint naval drills with Russia in the East China Sea off Shanghai in late May, in what it called a bid to deepen military cooperation. China's defense ministry did not give an exact location in the East China Sea, where Beijing is locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with Japan over the ownership of a group of uninhabited islets. "These drills are regular exercises held by China and Russia's navies, and the purpose is to deepen practical cooperation between the two militaries, to raise the ability to jointly deal with maritime security threats," the ministry said on its website. China alarmed Japan, South Korea and the United States last year when it announced an air defense identification zone for the East China Sea, covering the islands. Full Story | Top |
| China president urges 'decisive actions' after Xinjiang attack Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:19 AM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged "decisive actions" against "terrorists" after an attack at a train station in the restive far western region of Xinjiang killed three people, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday. "The battle to combat violence and terrorism will not allow even a moment of slackness, and decisive actions must be taken to resolutely suppress the terrorists' rampant momentum," it quoted Xi as saying. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine PM suggests possible government reshuffle in near future Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:17 AM PDT Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk threatened his government on Wednesday with a reshuffle if it failed to meet the demands of the people, venting frustration with Kiev's failure to restore law and order in the country's east. With Kiev's authority crumbling in its industrial eastern regions, where pro-Russian separatists have seized buildings with little opposition from police, some critics say the central government has become all but paralyzed by infighting. If there is such action and results that means the government is doing its job," Yatseniuk told a government meeting. "If in the near future such action and results fail to appear, that means there will be personnel changes." Yatseniuk said he hoped a decision from the International Monetary Fund later on Wednesday on a $17 billion bailout would be "positive" and offer a much-needed boost to his government, which has been blighted by sometimes contradictory messages. Full Story | Top |
| Putin, Cameron agree 'peaceful means' only way out of Ukraine crisis: Kremlin Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:16 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron, in a phone call on Wednesday, agreed the Ukrainian crisis can only be solved through "peaceful means", the Kremlin said in a statement. "The Russian President noted, in particular, the fundamental importance of the soonest and unconditional implementation by the Kiev authorities of the provisions of the Geneva statement of April 17 to de-escalate tensions in the country," it added. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Full Story | Top |
| EU peacekeepers take charge at Central African Republic airport Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:14 AM PDT European Union peacekeepers took charge of security at Central African Republic's main airport on Wednesday, easing the burden on French and African troops who are struggling to contain months of sectarian slaughter in the country. Thousands have taken refuge in a sprawling settlement of cardboard shacks and tarpaulins beside the airport in the capital Bangui to escape the violence that has raised fears of further turmoil in a fragile region. French troops formally handed over to the EU peacekeepers, who are also commanded by a French officer, Major-General Philippe Ponties, at the airport, the bloc said in a statement. The European Union launched its peacekeeping force in the former French colony at the beginning of April after weeks of delays caused by shortages of soldiers and equipment. Full Story | Top |
| Modi in police trouble as India's election nears climax Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 11:13 AM PDT  By Aditi Shah AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Police opened an investigation against Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, tipped to be India's next prime minister, after he flashed his party's symbol and made a speech in a violation of election rules after he cast his ballot. About 139 million people were registered to vote in the eighth round of a marathon contest pitting Modi against the ruling Congress party, led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Voting in his home state of Gujarat, the opposition leader, whose pro-business policies have delighted investors, brandished a white cutout of a lotus flower and made a scathing speech against Congress heavyweights - taunting them for shying away from the fight. The finance minister is not fighting the election. Full Story | Top |
| Protesters urge Nigeria to step up hunt for girls abducted by Islamists Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 10:57 AM PDT By Tim Cocks and Lanre Ola ABUJA/MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - Dozens of protesters gathered outside Nigeria's parliament on Wednesday called on security forces to search harder for 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants in the war-ravaged northeast over two weeks ago. Scores of suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed an all-girls secondary school in the village of Chibok, in Borno state, on April 14, packing the teenagers onto trucks and disappearing into a remote, hilly area along the Cameroon border. Obviously the government are not doing their job." Boko Haram rebels have killed thousands in the past year. President Goodluck Jonathan has said security forces are doing all they can to find the girls, aged between 15 and 18. Full Story | Top |
| China says situation under control after train station blast Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 10:36 AM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - The situation is "well under control" after a blast at a train station in Urumqi, capital of China's far western region of Xinjiang, a spokesman for the regional government said on Wednesday. The government was assessing casualty figures and investigating the cause of the blast, spokesman Luo Fuyong told Reuters by telephone. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel) Full Story | Top |
| Six powers meet in Brussels to fine-tune Iran talks strategy Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 10:35 AM PDT  By Justyna Pawlak BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Senior diplomats from six world powers met in Brussels on Wednesday to fine-tune negotiating strategy towards Iran with talks on its contested nuclear program entering a crunch stretch before a July 20 deadline. The six - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - and Iran plan in mid-May to start drafting the key elements of a broad settlement to the nuclear dispute, with the hope of putting an end to a decade of tensions that have heightened the risk of a wider Middle East war. Diplomats have signaled some progress may have been made during three rounds of talks since February on one of the most thorny issues - the future of Iran's planned Arak heavy-water reactor, which Western states worry could prove a source of plutonium for nuclear bombs once operational. Broadly, they want to ensure the program is curtailed enough so that it would take Iran a long time to assemble nuclear bomb components if it chose to do so. Full Story | Top |
| Swiss let in Croat workers, seek to ease EU immigration row Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 10:26 AM PDT  Switzerland said on Wednesday it would let in workers from the European Union's newest member, Croatia, in a move seen as a bid to placate the bloc following a row over Swiss immigration curbs. In a shock referendum result in February, Swiss voters decided to reimpose quotas on immigrants from the European Union - triggering threats of "serious consequences" from EU officials who froze negotiations on a number of key treaties. One of the first concrete casualties of the plebiscite was a planned labor accord with Croatia, which Berne said it would no longer be able to sign. But on Wednesday, the Swiss government said it had found a way to give Croats access to its labor market under a separate quota system. Full Story | Top |
| Yemen says arrests cell planning to kidnap UAE diplomat Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 10:06 AM PDT Yemen said on Wednesday it had arrested a militant cell that had been planning to kidnap the United Arab Emirates' charge d'affaires, after a string of abductions that have targeted Westerners and diplomats in the country. Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Mohammed al-Qaidy said security forces arrested the six members of what it called a terrorist cell a month ago, and found weapons, fake passports and fake Yemeni currency in their possession. "The gang members confessed that they were going to receive a reward of 5 million riyals ($1.33 million) and a four-wheel drive car if they managed to kidnap the UAE's charge d'affaires," Qaidy told a news conference. It was not immediately clear who had promised the ransom but kidnapping is common in Yemen. Full Story | Top |
| Afghan government says West holds prisoners illegally in south Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 10:00 AM PDT  By Hamid Shalizi and Jeremy Laurence KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan has accused British and U.S. forces of secretly holding Afghans in jail, saying one man had been held for more than two years while others had "disappeared", further souring ties between Kabul and its Western allies at a sensitive time. The latest dispute could complicate relations as Washington seeks to implement a security agreement allowing a small force to stay in the country for counter-terrorism and training purposes, a pact incumbent leader Hamid Karzai refuses to sign. The allegations, presented in a state-backed document obtained by Reuters, were made as Afghanistan prepares to induct a new president more than 12 years after U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power. "This a clear violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty," Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi told Reuters. Full Story | Top |
| Italian court gives Dolce and Gabbana suspended 18-month jail term in tax case Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014 09:36 AM PDT  Fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were each given a reduced, suspended sentence of 18 months in jail on Wednesday for a conviction on charges of hiding hundreds of millions of euros from Italian tax authorities. Italy's appeals court upheld a verdict issued last June against the pair, who are as famous as the stars they dress, on charges of using Luxembourg holding company Gado to avoid paying taxes on royalties of about 1 billion euros ($1.38 billion). A lawyer for Dolce and Gabbana, who have always denied any wrongdoing, said they would appeal the decision. The previous decision, by a lower court, handed the duo suspended jail sentences of 20 months each and imposed a fine of up to 10 million euros over avoidance of the payments in Italy, where corporate taxes are among the highest in Europe. Full Story | Top |
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