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| Search planes scour sea for missing Malaysian jetliner Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 07:54 PM PDT  By Niluksi Koswanage and Nguyen Phuong Linh KUALA LUMPUR/PHU QUOC ISLAND, Vietnam (Reuters) - Search and rescue planes scoured waters off the southern tip of Vietnam on Monday, searching for any trace of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner 48 hours after it vanished from radar screens with 239 people on board. Questions mounted over possible security lapses and whether a bomb or hijacking could have brought down the Beijing-bound plane, after Interpol confirmed at least two passengers used stolen passports and said it was checking whether others aboard had used false identity documents. Flight MH370 disappeared in the early hours of Saturday, about an hour into its flight from Kuala Lumpur, after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000 ft. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said on its website late on Sunday that a Vietnamese navy plane had spotted an object in the sea suspected of being part of the Boeing 777-200ER, but that it was too dark to be certain. "We are sending more planes there this morning." Shares in Malaysia Airlines fell as much as 18 percent to a record low on Monday morning. Full Story | Top |
| Merkel raps Putin as Russian forces tighten grip on Crimea Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 12:56 PM PDT By Andrew Osborn SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel delivered a rebuke to President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, telling him that a planned Moscow-backed referendum on whether Crimea should join Russia was illegal and violated Ukraine's constitution. Putin defended breakaway moves by pro-Russian leaders in Crimea, where Russian forces tightened their grip on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula by seizing another border post and a military airfield. As thousands staged rival rallies in Crimea, street violence flared in Sevastopol, when pro-Russian activists and Cossacks attacked a group of Ukrainians. Full Story | Top |
| Asian and European industrial health under scrutiny this week Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 12:08 PM PDT  With China's leaders seeking to rebalance the world's industrial powerhouse more toward consumer spending, and with bad weather distorting most United States data since the start of the year, some clarity would be helpful. After private sector business surveys suggesting services activity around the world is on the up, investors and policymakers will shift their focus to industrial production figures for the euro zone, Britain, Japan and China. Industrial output growth in China, the world's second largest economy, is likely to have slowed further in January from 9.7 percent in December, hurt by weaker local and foreign demand. "China's export growth is likely to have softened in February after the surge in January due to the front-loading of exports before the Lunar New Year," said David Mann at Standard Chartered. Full Story | Top |
| Japan, U.S. differ on China in talks on 'grey zone' military threats Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 06:19 PM PDT  By Nobuhiro Kubo, Linda Sieg and Phil Stewart TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Japan and the United States start talks on how to respond to armed incidents that fall short of a full-scale attack on Japan, officials in Tokyo worry that their ally is reluctant to send China a strong message of deterrence. Tokyo hopes to zero in on specific perceived threats, notably China's claims to Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea, while Washington is emphasizing broader discussions, officials on both sides say. Washington takes no position on the sovereignty of the islands, called the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China, but recognizes that Japan administers them and says they fall under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which obligates America to come to Japan's defense. Full Story | Top |
| Ex-rebel, right-wing rival in El Salvador election cliffhanger Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 08:16 PM PDT  By Nelson Renteria and Michael O'Boyle SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - A former Marxist guerrilla leader and his conservative rival were locked in an unexpectedly tight race in El Salvador's presidential election run-off on Sunday with the contest too close to call. Polls ahead of the run-off showed Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), the rebel group in the country's 1980-1992 civil war, the favorite to win with about 55 percent support. But he had only a razor-thin lead over his conservative challenger Norman Quijano, the former mayor of San Salvador, with returns in from 98.8 percent of polling stations. Sanchez Ceren had 50.08 percent support against 49.92 percent for Quijano. Full Story | Top |
| Five years from U.S. stock market's low, it's joy versus worry Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 11:33 AM PDT  By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five years ago, the United States was in the midst of its worst recession in seven decades, and stocks were feeling it. On this day in 2009, the S&P 500 hit its nadir, closing at 676.53. That low marked a climax of a 16-month selloff that took more than half the S&P 500's value. Naturally, some investors are questioning whether the bull run is nearing an end. Full Story | Top |
| The children of Japan's Fukushima battle an invisible enemy Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 05:46 PM PDT  By Toru Hanai and Elaine Lies KORIYAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Some of the smallest children in Koriyama, a short drive from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, barely know what it's like to play outside -- fear of radiation has kept them in doors for much of their short lives. Though the strict safety limits for outdoor activity set after multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in 2011 have now been eased, parental worries and ingrained habit mean many children still stay inside. And the impact is now starting to show, with children experiencing falling strength, lack of coordination, some cannot even ride a bicycle, and emotional issues like shorter tempers, officials and educators say. "There are children who are very fearful. Full Story | Top |
| Arab League, Abbas reject recognizing Israel as 'Jewish state' Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 04:46 PM PDT  The Arab League on Sunday endorsed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's rejection of Israel's demand for recognition as a Jewish state, as U.S.-backed peace talks approach a deadline next month. The United States want Abbas to make the concession as part of efforts to reach a "framework agreement" and extend the talks aimed at settling the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "The council of the Arab League confirms its support for the Palestinian leadership in its effort to end the Israeli occupation over Palestinian lands, and emphasizes its rejection of recognizing Israel as a 'Jewish state'," Arab foreign ministers said in a statement in Cairo. Full Story | Top |
| Libyan rebels warn of 'war' if navy attacks oil tanker Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 01:22 PM PDT By Ulf Laessing and Ayman al-Warfalli TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Armed protesters in eastern Libya traded threats with the government on Sunday in a tense stand-off over the unauthorized sale of oil from a rebel-held port. A North Korean-flagged tanker, the Morning Glory, docked on Saturday at the port of Es Sider and local daily al-Wasat said it had loaded $36 million of crude oil. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has said the military will bomb the 37,000-tonne vessel if it tries to leave. The rebels said any attack on the tanker would be "a declaration of war." The escalating conflict over the country's oil wealth is a sign of mounting chaos in Libya, where the government has failed to rein in fighters who helped oust veteran ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and who now defy state authority. Full Story | Top |
| Colombia election shrinks government majority in Congress Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 08:54 PM PDT  By Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's governing coalition emerged from elections on Sunday with its congressional majority intact but shrunken by the arrival of ex-president Alvaro Uribe's new party which opposes peace talks aimed at ending five decades of civil conflict. The result consolidated President Juan Manuel Santos as front-runner in a presidential vote on May 25 but thins the majority he will rely on if re-elected, for legislative support to implement a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC rebels, if talks succeed. Santos is seeking a second term to allow him time to complete negotiations with the FARC that could end a war that has killed around 220,000 and transform Colombia's political makeup if the rebels' gain the political participation they seek. Full Story | Top |
| Colombians vote for congress ahead of FARC peace accord Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 11:22 AM PDT  By Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombians voted on Sunday for a new congress that will tackle legislation for the next president and play a historic role in creating laws to end five decades of conflict if peace is reached with Marxist FARC rebels. The ballot is likely to consolidate President Juan Manuel Santos as the frontrunner for a second straight term in a presidential vote on May 25, allowing him to continue talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that could end the war and transform Colombia's political makeup. One of the Senate seats is being sought by Santos' right-wing predecessor, Alvaro Uribe, a fierce critic of the government who believes the FARC should be beaten on the battlefield. The still-popular Uribe is expected to win the Senate seat easily, raising the temperature in congress as he may seek to block legislation that could enable FARC rebels to enter the political system without serving considerable jail time. Full Story | Top |
| Japan, U.S. differ on China in talks on 'grey zone' military threats Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 03:43 PM PDT  By Nobuhiro Kubo, Linda Sieg and Phil Stewart TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Japan and the United States start talks on how to respond to armed incidents that fall short of a full-scale attack on Japan, officials in Tokyo worry that their ally is reluctant to send China a strong message of deterrence. Tokyo hopes to zero in on specific perceived threats, notably China's claims to Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea, while Washington is emphasizing broader discussions, officials on both sides say. Washington takes no position on the sovereignty of the islands, called the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China, but recognizes that Japan administers them and says they fall under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which obligates America to come to Japan's defense. Full Story | Top |
| The children of Japan's Fukushima battle an invisible enemy Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 03:24 PM PDT  By Toru Hanai and Elaine Lies KORIYAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Some of the smallest children in Koriyama, a short drive from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, barely know what it's like to play outside -- fear of radiation has kept them in doors for much of their short lives. Though the strict safety limits for outdoor activity set after multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in 2011 have now been eased, parental worries and ingrained habit mean many children still stay inside. And the impact is now starting to show, with children experiencing falling strength, lack of coordination, some cannot even ride a bicycle, and emotional issues like shorter tempers, officials and educators say. "There are children who are very fearful. Full Story | Top |
| Missing Malaysian jet may have disintegrated in mid-air: source Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 02:28 PM PDT  By Siva Govindasamy and Nguyen Phuong Linh KUALA LUMPUR/PHU QUOC ISLAND, Vietnam (Reuters) - Officials investigating the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner with 239 people on board suspect it may have disintegrated in mid-flight, a senior source said on Sunday, as Vietnam reported a possible sighting of wreckage from the plane. International police agency Interpol confirmed that two passengers on the flight had used stolen Austrian and Italian passports, raising suspicions of foul play. An Interpol spokeswoman said a check of all documents used to board the plane had revealed more "suspect passports" that were being further investigated. Malaysia's state news agency quoted Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying the passengers using the stolen European passports were of Asian appearance, and criticizing border officials who let them through. Full Story | Top |
| Ex-guerrilla favorite to win El Salvador's presidential election Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 10:35 AM PDT By Nelson Renteria and Michael O'Boyle SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - A former Marxist guerrilla leader is expected to win El Salvador's presidency on Sunday after promising to expand social programs for the poor and fending off his opponent's claims that he will impose radical policies. Recent polls showed Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), the rebel group in the country's 1980-92 civil war, with about 55 percent support heading into the second round run-off vote on Sunday. One of the wartime leaders of the FMLN, Sanchez Ceren faces conservative rival Norman Quijano, the former mayor of the capital, San Salvador, who trailed in polls with about 45 percent support as voting got under way. A Sanchez Ceren win would give the FMLN a second consecutive term and the affable, media-shy 69-year-old has vowed to build on its social programs, which include a glass of milk a day for children and free school uniforms, shoes and supplies. Full Story | Top |
| California Democrats, eye on election, adopt activist agenda Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 04:30 PM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Democrats adopted a platform on Sunday calling for an inflation-adjusted minimum wage and an end to solitary confinement in prisons as part of a strongly progressive agenda in a state where the party has gained dominance by moving to the political center. The platform also called for free preschool for all 4-year-olds and legalization of medical marijuana, measures that have drawn skepticism from Governor Jerry Brown, who remains widely popular as he prepares to run for an unprecedented fourth term after yanking his party toward the middle. Brown's governing style, which has placed an emphasis on budget austerity while repairing California's chronic fiscal woes and reviving the state's sagging economy, has at times put him at odds with the liberal wing of his party. "If we don't solve the problem of income inequality we will lose our souls and we will lose our republic." Confident going into the 2014 election season with wide majorities in both houses of the state legislature and control of all statewide elected offices, Democratic leaders at the California party's annual convention hope to see their success pushed eastward in a bid to retake a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Full Story | Top |
| Japan Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Honolulu Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 07:58 AM PDT  A Japan Airlines- operated Boeing 787 made an emergency landing at Honolulu Airport after oil pressure in its right engine dropped, the Japanese carrier said. The two-engined jetliner en route to San Francisco from Tokyo diverted to Honolulu, landing at 1343 local time Saturday with 160 passengers on board, a spokesman for JAL said. Investigators in Japan are also probing a battery that overheated on a JAL Dreamliner parked at Tokyo's Narita airport in January this year. Full Story | Top |
| Suicide bomber kills 45 in Iraqi city of Hilla Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 07:04 AM PDT  By Ali al-Rubaie HILLA, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide bomber driving a minibus packed with explosives killed at least 45 people and wounded 157 on Sunday in the southern Iraqi city of Hilla, police and medical sources said. The attacker approached a main checkpoint at a northern entrance to the largely Shi'ite Muslim city and detonated the minibus, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda have been regaining ground in Iraq over the past year, particularly in the western province of Anbar bordering Syria. No one claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack, but the deputy chairman of Hilla provincial council, Aqeel al-Rubaie, accused al Qaeda of being behind the bombing. Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Malaysia plane probe narrows on mid-air disintegration - source Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 09:20 AM PDT  Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in the early hours of Saturday. "The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far appears to indicate that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated at around 35,000 feet," said the source, who is involved in the preliminary investigations in Malaysia. Full Story | Top |
| Pope departs Vatican on frugal retreat ahead of anniversary Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 08:46 AM PDT Pope Francis left the Vatican on Sunday ahead of the first anniversary of his papacy, which he will pass with the Roman Curia on a Lenten spiritual retreat held outside the city state for the first time in decades. The decision to hold the week of preaching and prayer in the town of Ariccia, in the Alban hills about 15 miles from the Vatican, is another sign of how the pope is unafraid to change age-old conventions. The election of the first non-European pope in 1,300 years was seen to reflect a desire to bring fresh air into the Vatican and its Italian-dominated bureaucracy the Curia, some of whose members have been accused of corruption and cronyism. Since his election on March 13, 2013, the anniversary of which falls on Thursday, Francis has broken with many customs in a drive to bring more simplicity to the Vatican, choosing to live in a boarding house rather than the Apostolic Palace and using a Ford Focus instead of the papal limousine. Full Story | Top |
| A washing machine factory tests Italy's industrial future Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 01:22 AM PST  By Danilo Masoni and Francesca Piscioneri PORCIA, Italy (Reuters) - The boxy white and grey factory of this rainy northern town makes fewer than half the washing machines it did when Italy joined the euro. Home appliance maker Electrolux, which owns the factory, wants to cut the salaries of some 5,000 workers at the plant and three other factories across Italy by up to 15 percent over the next three years. The Swedish company says lowering labor costs is the only way its washing machines, fridges and other home appliances can compete against rival products made in eastern Europe and Asia. "It's a matter of survival," says Annarita Licci, a 38-year-old mother of two, who moved to Porcia in 2000, the year after Europe introduced its single currency. Full Story | Top |
| Bank of England's Carney faces grilling over foreign exchange scandal Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 05:11 AM PDT  By William Schomberg and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Mark Carney faces probably his toughest questioning so far as Bank of England governor next week when lawmakers will seize on a foreign exchange scandal to press their demands for tighter oversight of the central bank. Carney arrived from Canada last July as an outsider with a mandate to shake up the 320 year-old institution, from monetary policy to its relationship with the powerful banks of the City of London. A group of influential members of parliament wants Carney to change the way the BoE polices itself too. Their long-standing frustrations with what they say is the Bank's outdated governance system broke out again last week when the BoE suspended an official amid an internal review into whether Bank staff turned a blind eye to possible manipulation of key rates by foreign exchange traders. Full Story | Top |
| EU aims for deal on tackling failing banks next week Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 06:09 AM PDT  By Jan Strupczewski and Martin Santa BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments and parliamentarians will try to reach a compromise this week on how to wind down failing banks, in marathon talks intended to settle who decides to close banks and who picks up the bill. A deal in the negotiations, set to span three days, would be the final step in a European banking union that would mean one supervisor for all euro zone banks, one set of rules to close or restructure those in trouble and one common pot of money to pay for it. The banking union, and the thorough clean-up of banks' books that will accompany it, is meant to restore banks' confidence in one another and boost lending to other businesses and households. New lending has been throttled by banks' efforts to raise capital and reduce the bad loans that proliferated in the recession triggered by the global financial crisis and deepened by the euro zone's own sovereign debt crisis. Full Story | Top |
| India set to challenge U.S. for election-spending record Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 05:08 AM PDT  By Sruthi Gottipati and Rajesh Kumar Singh NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian politicians are expected to spend around $5 billion on campaigning for elections next month - a sum second only to the most expensive U.S. presidential campaign of all time - in a splurge that could give India's floundering economy a temporary boost. India's campaign spend, which can include cash stuffed in envelopes as well as multi-million-dollar ad campaigns, has been estimated at 300 billion rupees ($4.9 billion) by the Centre for Media Studies, which tracks spending. That is triple the expenditure the centre said was spent on electioneering in the last national poll in 2009 - partly a reflection of a high-octane campaign by pro-business opposition candidate for prime minister, Narendra Modi, who started nationwide rallies and advertising last year. They are leaving no area untouched," said N. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the Centre for Media Studies. Full Story | Top |
| 'What bailout exit?' Portuguese ask, braced for more hardship Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 05:05 AM PDT  By Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's international bailout is expected to end in mid-May. That won't mean the end of hardship for the Portuguese. To avoid a repeat of the 78 billion euro ($108 billion) financial rescue agreed in May 2011 with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Lisbon cannot let up on shrinking its budget gap and trimming a huge sovereign debt. That means it will be easier than in the past couple of years to meet goals imposed on Portugal by existing bailout terms and European treaties between now and 2017. Still, with a population intent on making ends meet - and a general election due in the middle of next year - assurances from Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho often fall on deaf ears. Full Story | Top |
| Syrian journalist killed covering fighting: Al Mayadeen TV Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 03:56 AM PDT  A Syrian journalist has been killed covering clashes between government forces and opposition fighters in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, a regional broadcaster said. Beirut-based Al Mayadeen said on its website that its cameraman Omar Abdelqader was shot in the neck on Saturday and was pronounced dead in hospital shortly afterwards. Syria was the deadliest place for journalists in 2013 for the second year, the Committee to Protect Journalists, a media rights group based in New York, said in December. Al Mayadeen quoted a local Syrian military commander as saying Abdelqader was shot by a sniper while he was filming government forces advancing on an area in the rebel-held city. Full Story | Top |
| EU's Ashton in Iran says final nuclear deal 'challenging': state TV Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 03:33 AM PDT  By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Sunday it would be "difficult and challenging" to reach a long-term nuclear deal with Iran, as diplomacy intensifies before talks between Tehran and world powers on March 18. Ashton arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day visit -the first by an EU foreign policy chief since 2008 - during which she said a wide range of issues, including bilateral ties and regional conflicts, will be discussed. A long-lasting nuclear deal with Iran would help put an end to years of hostility between Iran and the West, ease the danger of a new war in the Middle East, and open up vast new possibilities for Western businesses. "The interim deal is really important but not as important as a comprehensive nuclear agreement ... which is difficult and challenging," Ashton told a joint news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, broadcast on state TV. Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu says any peace deal with Palestinians at least a year away Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 03:40 AM PDT  By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu said any peace deal with the Palestinians would take at least another year to negotiate should both sides accept U.S.-proposed principles to keep talks going. In an Israel Radio interview broadcast on Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated that he regarded guidelines that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is drafting for a future deal as an "American document of American positions". Such a definition could give Netanyahu leeway to register reservations that could discourage staunch supporters of Jewish settlement in occupied land where Palestinians want to make their state from bolting his coalition. It will take us at least a year to exhaust these negotiations but I can't say that the Palestinians will accept this document, and I also have not seen it yet," he said. Full Story | Top |
| With legal reforms, China wants less interfering in cases, fewer death penalty crimes Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 05:57 AM PDT  By Sui-Lee Wee and Li Hui BEIJING (Reuters) - China has curtailed the power of the ruling Communist Party's Political and Legal Committee, a secretive body overseeing the security services, to interfere in most legal cases, scholars with knowledge of the situation said - a significant reform at a time of public discontent over miscarriages of justice. Part of a package of legal reforms, the move signals a willingness by Xi's government to reform its court system as long as it doesn't threaten the party's overall control. China's highest court, the Supreme People's Court, will deliver its work report to parliament on Monday, which could detail some of these reforms. NO CONFERRING Chen Guangzhong, who took part in discussions with officials on reforming the criminal law system after the 18th Party Congress in November 2012, said he has seen an internal document saying "there can be no coordination allowed on cases". Full Story | Top |
| Iraqi PM Maliki says Saudi, Qatar openly funding violence in Anbar Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 01:16 AM PST  Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of openly funding the Sunni Muslim insurgents his troops are battling in western Anbar province, in his strongest such statement since fighting started there early this year. Security forces have been fighting insurgents from the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Anbar's two main cities - Fallujah and Ramadi - since January after the arrest of a Sunni lawmaker and the clearing of an anti-government protest camp prompted a tribal revolt and allowed ISIL to set up fighting positions in the cities. Maliki's remarks play to Iraqi fears of the Sunni Arab states as he tries to burnish his standing as a defender of the mainly Shi'ite country before elections at the end of April. Violence has escalated in the last 12 months - ISIL has led a devastating campaign of suicide bombings since mid-2013 - and Maliki said in a mid-February speech that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were offering money to recruit fighters in Fallujah. Full Story | Top |
| Afghanistan's powerful Vice President Fahim dies Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 06:35 AM PDT  By Hamid Shalizi and Katharine Houreld KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's powerful vice president, Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, died of natural causes on Sunday, only weeks before the country is due to elect a new leader. Once one of Afghanistan's most feared warlords, Fahim had been a top commander in the Northern Alliance, a group of anti-Taliban militia leaders, after the 1992-96 civil war. "It is with deep sadness that we learn of the passing away of Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, the First Vice-president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. May his soul rest in peace," President Hamid Karzai's office said, declaring three days of national mourning. Full Story | Top |
| Rising star among California Democrats takes stage at convention Sunday, Mar 09, 2014 03:46 AM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Attorney General Kamala Harris sought to engage and energize fellow Democrats on Saturday and warned them not to become complacent with their domination of state politics. A rising star widely expected to seek higher office, Harris, 49, urged Democrats to "stay awake" at her party's annual convention in Los Angeles, drawing a standing ovation as she urged attention to civil rights issues and consumer protection. Let's stay awake," she warned Democrats, whose party holds about two-thirds of seats in the state legislature as well as the posts of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general. Harris, who served as district attorney of San Francisco before being elected attorney general in 2010, is heading into her re-election bid with a $3 million war chest and little opposition. Full Story | Top |
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