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| China signals focus on reforms and leaner, cleaner growth Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:29 PM PST  By Kevin Yao and Xiaoyi Shao BEIJING (Reuters) - China provided its strongest signal yet that it will shift toward balanced and clean economic growth, promising to reduce the pace of investment to the lowest in a decade and wage a "war on pollution". In a State of the Union style address to China's annual parliament meeting that began on Wednesday, Premier Li Keqiang said Beijing aims to grow the world's second-largest economy by 7.5 percent this year, the same as last year's target. Analysts have said maintaining the target after years of breakneck expansion signals that Beijing will remain focused on reforms and rebalancing the economy. Li said enacting reforms was his first priority even as he keeps an eye on growth. Full Story | Top |
| China's Xi ramps up military spending in face of worried region Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:27 PM PST China will increase military spending by 12.2 percent this year to 808.23 billion yuan ($131.57 billion), the government said on Wednesday, partly to beef up coastal and air defenses and to develop more high-tech weapons. "We will comprehensively enhance the revolutionary nature of the Chinese armed forces, further modernize them and upgrade their performance, and continue to raise their deterrence and combat capabilities in the information age," Premier Li Keqiang told the largely rubber-stamp legislature. Li added that China would "strengthen research on national defense and the development of new- and high-technology weapons and equipment" and "enhance border, coastal and air defenses". China's military spending is now second only to that of the United States, allowing Beijing to create a modern force that is projecting power deep into the disputed waters of the East and South China Seas. Full Story | Top |
| San Francisco moves closer to banning plastic water bottles Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:26 PM PST By Laila Kearney SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco moved to restrict the sale of plastic water bottles on city property on Tuesday, the first such action by a major U.S. municipality and the latest in a string of waste-reduction measures that included a ban on plastic grocery bags. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to begin phasing out the sale and distribution of water in single-use plastic bottles on city-owned or leased land next fall, and to ban future water bottle purchases with city funds. "There are incredible, enormous environmental costs of plastic water bottles," said Supervisor David Chiu, who introduced the measure. "It takes 1,000 years for a typical plastic water bottle to biodegrade." Numerous cities in California and other states, including Maui County and a number of Hawaiian municipalities, have made it illegal for grocery stores to pack consumer purchases in plastic bags, and a bill recently introduced in the state legislature would extend such bans statewide. Full Story | Top |
| China to 'declare war' on pollution, premier says Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:20 PM PST  China is to "declare war" on pollution, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament, with the government unveiling detailed measures to tackle what has become a hot-button social issue. It is not uncommon for air pollution in parts of China to breach levels considered by some experts to be hazardous. Full Story | Top |
| Japan concerned about lack of clarity in China's defense policy Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:44 PM PST China's lack of clarity in defence spending is a source of concern for the world and for Japan, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday. Suga also told a news conference that the jump in China's 2014 military budget, which China said earlier in the day would rise by 12.2 percent, is something that Japan is keeping an eye on and that Tokyo will stay in close contact with other nations. Full Story | Top |
| Obama, Germany's Merkel discuss potential resolution to Ukraine crisis Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:59 PM PST  By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday about a potential resolution to the crisis ignited by Russian intervention in Ukraine's Crimea region, a senior administration official said. Under the proposal, Russia would pull back its forces in Crimea to their bases in the region, limit the Russian troop numbers to a Ukraine-mandated ceiling of 11,000, and allow in international monitors to ensure the human rights of ethnic Russians are being protected, the official said. The so-called off-ramp out of the crisis would allow for direct discussions between the Russians and the new Ukraine government with the potential for some international mediation. Ukraine elections in May would proceed. Full Story | Top |
| Uighur leader fears China's 'iron fist' after knife attack Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:50 PM PST  By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are likely to further crack down on dissent in the restive Xinjiang region after a bloody train station knife attack that Beijing blames on militants, an exiled Uighur leader said on Tuesday. China says separatists from the far western region launched the attack last Saturday, killing at least 29 people and wounding about 140. The assault by masked and identically dressed assailants took place at the railway station in Kunming, some 1,500 miles southeast of the Xinjiang capital Urumqi. Xinjiang is home to the Uighur Muslim minority, who have long complained about what they say are Chinese restrictions on their culture and religion. Full Story | Top |
| Instant View: China aims for 7.5 percent economic growth in 2014 Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:28 PM PST (Reuters) - China will maintain its economic growth target for 2014 at about 7.5 percent, as expected, signaling that its policy focus would be slanted in favor of reforms and rebalancing the economy. Premier Li Keqiang, in a report to the National People's Congress at the start of its annual session on Wednesday, also said military spending will increase by 12.2 percent. Key points - 2014 growth target set at about 7.5 percent - China to make domestic demand main growth engine - 2014 CPI target set at about 3.5 pct - Total trade expected to increase 7.5 pct in 2014 - 2014 Budget deficit seen at 2.1 pct of GDP - China to continue with exchange rate reform - China to extend yuan floating rate - Military spending to increase by 12.2 percent COMMENTARY: KEVIN LAI, ECONOMIST, DAIWA CAPITAL MARKETS, HONG KONG: "7.5 percent is in line with the target last year. Full Story | Top |
| Yosemite bears turn health nuts with junk food off menu Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:02 PM PST By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bears in Yosemite National Park in California have adopted the wildlife version of a health food diet after increased safety measures largely blocked them from scavenging for food in campgrounds over the last 15 years, a study showed on Tuesday. An estimated 350 to 400 black bears roam Yosemite, one of the most popular U.S. tourist destinations. Interactions between the park's bears and people reached a record level in 1998 as the animals raided campgrounds and broke into cars in search of groceries and leftovers, according to Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman. After recording 1,584 human-bear interactions that year, the park east of San Francisco adopted a policy in 1999 that included placing bear-resistant food storage containers at campgrounds and cracking down more forcefully on people leaving out items like chips or bread, Gediman said. Full Story | Top |
| Putin: military force would be 'last resort' in Ukraine Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:02 PM PST  By Vladimir Soldatkin and Alexei Anishchuk MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin delivered a robust defense of Russia's actions in Crimea and said on Tuesday that he would use force in Ukraine only as a last resort, easing market fears that East-West tension over the former Soviet republic could lead to war. Russian forces fired warning shots in a confrontation with Ukrainian servicemen at an air base, and Russian navy ships were reported to have blockaded the strait separating the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula from Russia. At his first news conference since the crisis began, Putin said Russia reserved the right to use all options to protect compatriots who were living in "terror" in Ukraine but that force was not needed for now. His comments, coupled with the end of Russian war games near Ukraine's borders, lifted Russian bonds and stock markets around the world after a panic sell-off on Monday. Full Story | Top |
| Japan's embrace of Russia under threat with Ukraine crisis Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:59 PM PST By Aaron Sheldrick TOKYO (Reuters) - Russia's incursion into Ukraine is setting off alarm bells in Tokyo, where officials worry that any push by Japan's Western allies to impose economic penalties will undermine its drive to improve relations with Moscow. While U.S. President Barack Obama and other G7 leaders of advanced economies talk of sanctions or other punitive responses, Japanese officials say ties with Moscow remain on track. There has been no change in the direction of economic and resource diplomacy between Japan and Russia, Trade Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday. Full Story | Top |
| China vows to cut industrial capacity faster, fight pollution Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:50 PM PST BEIJING (Reuters) - China will cut excess industrial capacity a year earlier than planned and fight pollution through reforms in energy pricing to boost non-fossil fuel power, the government said on Wednesday. To ensure food security, Beijing also said it will expand the scope of agricultural subsidies for grains and other commodities, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's economic planner, said in its 2014 work document. The government will continue to implement annual stockpiling programs for corn, rapeseed and sugar, the NDRC said. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. calls for 'urgent' restraint to ease Japan, South Korea tensions Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:36 PM PST  By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States appealed to Japan and South Korea on Tuesday to work urgently to reduce the tensions between them, saying its two main allies in Asia could not afford to let their troubled history interfere with ensuring regional security. It is important to handle them in a way that promotes healing," Washington's top diplomat for the East Asian region, Daniel Russel, said in prepared testimony for a U.S. Senate hearing. Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea was essential for future security in Northeast Asia, given the threat posed by North Korea and other "regional uncertainties," a reference to concerns about an increasingly assertive China. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. warns of possible humanitarian disaster in South Sudan Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:34 PM PST  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - If the fighting in South Sudan prevents people from planting crops over the next three months, the country will be headed for a humanitarian disaster, the humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations in South Sudan said on Tuesday. Although the warring parties agreed to a cessation of hostilities on January 23, fighting has continued in parts of South Sudan. Toby Lanzer, the deputy U.N. special representative and humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said it was crucial that the South Sudanese be able to plant their crops in March, April and May to ensure there is a harvest this year. "Right now what the people of South Sudan, what the civilians need most, is the ability to move their cattle, tend to their fields and plant," he told Reuters in an interview. Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu warns on Iran, no concessions for Palestinians Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:29 PM PST  By Jeffrey Heller and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the United States and other world powers on Tuesday not to allow Iran to retain the ability to enrich uranium, and urged Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state if they wanted peace. Addressing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC just a day after White House talks, Netanyahu avoided any explicit criticism of President Barack Obama but underscored the main differences with him over U.S.-led nuclear diplomacy with Iran. Full Story | Top |
| China's Xi says Russia can push for political solution in Ukraine Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 03:50 PM PST Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he believes Russia can push for a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis in coordination with other parties, China's foreign ministry said. Xi said during a telephone call late on Tuesday "the situation in Ukraine, which seems to be accidental, has the elements of the inevitable", the foreign ministry said in a brief statement. He described the situation in Ukraine as "highly complicated and sensitive", with regional and global implications. Full Story | Top |
| Scottish leader calls on all Britons to back independence Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 03:37 PM PST  By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish leader Alex Salmond called on all Britons on Tuesday to back his campaign for an independent Scotland to help create a northern economic counterweight to stop London from sucking the life out of the rest of the country. In his first speech in London this year, Salmond said life in the United Kingdom had become increasingly unbalanced with regional centers suffering as London dominated the economic landscape and rising numbers of people relying on food handouts. Salmond is battling a concerted effort by London to prevent a "yes" vote at a September 18 referendum by undermining his Scottish National Party's central case that oil-producing Scotland could be a prosperous nation. In an appeal to Britons, Salmond said there was a growing realization that wealth and opportunities were too concentrated geographically and socially and an independent Scotland could help by building its economy and keeping strong ties in the UK. Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine could borrow more if IMF reforms passed: U.S. Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 03:36 PM PST By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine would be able to borrow more money in the midst of its current crisis if U.S. lawmakers sign off on a measure to increase the International Monetary Fund's financial power, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. The IMF legislation would double the fund's resources and give countries in crisis, such as Ukraine, access to a bigger pool of potential aid. "The fund's central role in supporting economic reforms and catalyzing financial assistance for Ukraine underscores again why the IMF is critical for our national security interests," a U.S. Treasury official said. The Treasury said it was asking Congress to link IMF funding measures to legislation that would provide at least $1 billion in loan guarantees to support Ukraine's economy. Full Story | Top |
| At Ukrainian cliff-top base, shots fired as Russia cements control Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 03:34 PM PST By Andrew Osborn BELBEK AIR BASE, Ukraine (Reuters) - Perched on a cliff high above the Black Sea, Ukraine's Belbek military air base and its MiG-29 fighter jets fell into the hands of forces loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin late last week. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian air force and the men who until recently used to fly its war planes, tried and failed to get it back. The standoff was one of the most dramatic since pro-Russian forces began to try to seize Ukraine's military assets on the Crimean peninsula, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based. Colonel Yuli Mamchur, commander of Ukraine's 204th tactical aviation brigade, led hundreds of his men up the long winding road from their barracks to the cliff top airstrip in a column early on Tuesday. Full Story | Top |
| Amid protests, Venezuela to remember late Hugo Chavez Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 02:01 PM PST  By Andrew Cawthorne and Girish Gupta CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela geared up on Tuesday for commemorations of socialist leader Hugo Chavez's death despite continued protests against his successor that have shaken the OPEC member and threatened the legacy of "El Comandante." Even as students maintained barricades in some cities and activists held new rallies, President Nicolas Maduro's government was making lavish plans to honor Chavez on Wednesday's anniversary of his death from cancer. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House calls Russia's ICBM test launch 'routine' Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 01:21 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House called Russia's test launch on Tuesday of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile "routine" and said the United States was given advanced notification, as required under the New START treaty. "This was a previously notified and routine test launch of an ICBM," National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement, adding that "Russia and the United States routinely flight test their ICBMs and SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles)." (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Cooney) Full Story | Top |
| Bulgaria weighs dependence on Ukraine route for Russian energy Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 01:07 PM PST Bulgaria, heavily dependent on Russia for gas and oil, will estimate its own reserves and seek alternatives to cope with any worsening of the Ukrainian crisis, it said on Tuesday. Bulgaria imports over 70 percent of its energy resources, most of which come from Russia - through Ukraine - and is considering alternatives for its energy security. They are mainly economic," Deputy Prime Minister Tsvetin Yovchev said after a meeting of the government's security council over Ukraine. It meets over 85 percent of its gas needs with imports from Russia's Gazprom through only one route that passes Ukraine. Full Story | Top |
| Karzai brother to withdraw from Afghan presidential race: rival Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 01:04 PM PST  By Jessica Donati KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan president's brother is preparing to withdraw from the presidential elections according to a rival candidate, former Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul, who said late on Tuesday the two were planning an alliance and would join forces soon. "Our negotiation is not finalized ... but you will know very soon." With just one month to go until the vote on April 5, just three candidates appeared for Tuesday's televised debate on foreign policy, broadcast by Afghanistan's most popular channel. The incumbent's brother, Qayum Karzai, widely seen as one of the front-runners, unexpectedly failed to show, fueling speculation that behind closed doors a fresh round of furious horse trading is setting the stage for the vote. The incumbent president, Hamid Karzai, is constitutionally barred from running for a third term. Full Story | Top |
| Russia test-fires ICBM amid tension over Ukraine Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:43 PM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said it had successfully test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, with tensions running high over its military intervention in Ukraine's Crimea region. A U.S. official said the United States had received proper notification from Russia ahead of the test and that the initial notification pre-dated the crisis in Crimea. The Russian Defence Ministry could not be reached for comment. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia notified U.S. ahead of ICBM test, U.S. official says Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:32 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States received notification from Russia ahead of its test-fire of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, in line with Moscow's commitments under the nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, a U.S. official said. The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said initial notification of Russia's test plans pre-dated Russia's military intervention in Crimea. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt's Sisi signals he will run for president Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:30 PM PST  By Michael Georgy CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's armed forces chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signaled on Tuesday that he will run for president, saying he cannot ignore the "majority" of Egyptians who want him to do so, state news agency MENA reported. Sisi, who ousted Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, in July, said "official procedures" concerning his candidacy were expected in coming days. Sisi has been coy about his intentions for months, but his speech was the clearest pointer yet that he will stand for the top post in an election he is expected to win by a landslide. Most Egyptians regard him as a decisive figure who can end the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since a popular uprising toppled autocratic president Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. sanctions experts investigate Rodman's North Korea trips Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:29 PM PST  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A group of United Nations sanctions experts has been investigating former basketball star Dennis Rodman because of gifts he brought to North Korea during his visits to the reclusive state, according to an excerpt from the group's latest report. While the U.N. Panel of Experts, an independent body that monitors compliance with the United Nations' North Korea sanctions regime, did not explicitly accuse Rodman of violating the U.N. ban on luxury goods, it suggested his actions may have represented a breach of international restrictions on Pyongyang. "The panel also investigated allegations that Dennis Rodman and his party may have taken luxury items as gifts when he visited Pyongyang in September and December 2013 and January 2014," the experts' unpublished report says. On his January trip, Rodman was accompanied by a contingent of other former National Basketball Association players for an exhibition game in Pyongyang. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. calls for 'urgent' restraint to ease Japan, Korea tensions Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:22 PM PST By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expressed concern on Tuesday about tensions between Japan and Korea and said its two main allies in Asia could not afford to let historical rivalry interfere with ensuring security in the region. It is important to handle them in a way that promotes healing," Washington's top diplomat for the East Asian region, Daniel Russel, said in prepared testimony for a U.S. Senate hearing. Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan, and South Korea was essential for future security in Northeast Asia, given the threat post by North Korea and other "regional uncertainties," a reference to concerns about an increasingly assertive China. Russel's testimony came a day after nationalist politicians in Japan urged the Tokyo government to revise a 1993 apology over Asian women forced to serve in wartime brothels, saying accounts that tens of thousands of women were forcibly recruited were a "total lie". Full Story | Top |
| Tide of opinion turns against Russia in Ukraine's east Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:19 PM PST By Lina Kushch and Alessandra Prentice DONETSK/KHARKIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - More than 1,000 demonstrators with Ukrainian flags took to the streets of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Tuesday, for the first time outnumbering pro-Moscow youths who have seized its government building, which flies the Russian flag. President Vladimir Putin's declaration on Saturday that Russia had the right to invade Ukraine was accompanied by pro-Russian demonstrations across Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking south and east. But in the four days since, the tide of opinion in eastern cities appears to be turning back towards Kiev. Full Story | Top |
| Growth, reform in spotlight as China parliament meeting opens Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 12:02 PM PST  By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - China will unveil key economic targets and reform priorities for 2014 at the start of an annual parliament meeting on Wednesday, and expectations are that Beijing will stick to gradual changes to avoid an economic shock. Last November, at a plenum meeting, the ruling Communist Party announced the boldest set of economic and social reforms in China in nearly three decades, but implementation is yet to fully take hold. Premier Li Keqiang addresses the National People's Congress at the start of the nine-day session, and investors will be watching his speech for clues on what lies ahead for the world's second-biggest economy. He is likely to provide an economic growth forecast for China in 2014, and analysts have said maintaining last year's target of 7.5 percent, as he is likely to do, will give room for policy-makers to drive reforms. Full Story | Top |
| Officials discussing possibility of a G7 meeting soon: Canada Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 11:59 AM PST The Group of Seven leading industrialized nations are discussing whether to hold a meeting in the near future, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Tuesday, a move that would pointedly exclude Russia. The G7 became the G8 in 1998 when Russia was formally included. Diplomats had previously said one way for the international community to punish Moscow for its incursion into Ukraine would be to hold a G7 meeting. "I spoke to President Obama on that on the weekend, I've suggested that, and I know there are discussions among G7 sherpas (senior officials) about the possibility of a G7 meeting in the upcoming weeks," Harper told the Canadian Parliament. Full Story | Top |
| Arctic cold sets records in eastern United States Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 11:55 AM PST By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The eastern and central United States were plunged into a deep freeze on Tuesday, with record low temperatures in the wake of a deadly storm expected to moderate in coming days. The late-winter storm left behind frigid temperatures after pushing freezing rain, sleet and snow from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Temperatures this week will be "below average east of the Rockies, as it has been for a good part of the winter," said Bob Oravec, a National Weather Service meteorologist in College Park, Maryland. The icy front sent the mercury plunging to minus 1F (minus 18C) at Washington Dulles International Airport, tying a monthly record, the weather service said. Full Story | Top |
| Turkey's Erdogan tells Putin crisis must be solved by Ukrainians Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 11:08 AM PST ISTANBUL/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that it was largely up to Ukrainians to resolve their country's crisis, and said instability in the Black Sea nation would have regional repercussions. The leaders spoke by telephone about the situation in Ukraine and its southerly Crimea region, which lie across the Black Sea from Turkey. Erdogan told Putin "that it is foremost the responsibility of Ukrainians to resolve the country's crisis" and emphasized that "instability in (Ukraine) would negatively affect the entire region", a statement from Erdogan's office said. The "Maidan" refers to the square in the Ukrainian capital that was the focus of a bloody, three-month political confrontation that led to the overthrow of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich last month. Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine says stepping up protection of nuclear plants Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:30 AM PST Ukraine is reinforcing the protection of its nuclear power plants, it told the U.N. atomic watchdog on Tuesday, because of "a grave threat to the security" of the country posed by the Russian military. Ukraine has 15 nuclear power reactors in operation, accounting for nearly 44 percent of its electricity production in 2013, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) website. Ukraine's envoy to the IAEA said in a letter to IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano: "Illegal actions of the Russian armed forces on Ukrainian territory and the threat of use of force amount to a grave threat to security of Ukraine with its potential consequences for its nuclear power infrastructure." Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk's letter, dated March 4, was circulated among delegations attending a week-long meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation governing board in Vienna. Full Story | Top |
| EU reaches preliminary deal to freeze assets of 18 Ukrainians Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:30 AM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments reached a preliminary agreement on Tuesday to freeze the assets of 18 Ukrainians, at Kiev's request, after Ukraine's new rulers said billions in public funds have gone missing. The decision still needs to be made final in the coming days and follows similar moves last week by Austria, an EU member, as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Austrian authorities have included Ukraine's ousted president, Viktor Yanukovich, in their list of targets but it was not clear whether his assets would now be frozen throughout the 28-nation bloc. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia says it would retaliate for U.S. sanctions over Ukraine Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:08 AM PST Russia said on Tuesday that it would retaliate if the United States imposed sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine. "We will have to respond," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement. "As always in such situations, provoked by rash and irresponsible actions by Washington, we stress: this is not our choice." "We have frequently explained to the Americans ... why unilateral sanctions do not fit the standards of civilized relations between states," Lukashevich said. Lukashevich did not describe any measures Moscow might impose in retaliation but said the Russian response would not necessarily mirror the U.S. sanctions. Full Story | Top |
| Russia seeks pretext to invade more of Ukraine: Kerry Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:07 AM PST By Lesley Wroughton KIEV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday condemned Russia's "act of aggression" in Ukraine's Crimea region and said Moscow was looking for a pretext to invade more of the country. Visiting Kiev to show support for Ukraine's new leaders after Russian forces took control of Crimea, Kerry said there was no evidence to support Moscow's version of events - that Russian speakers are in danger in Ukraine. Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu warns on Iran, urges no Palestinian 'excuses' Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:06 AM PST By Jeffrey Heller and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the United States and other world powers on Tuesday not to allow Iran to retain the ability to enrich uranium, and urged Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state if they wanted peace. Addressing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC a day after White House talks, Netanyahu avoided any explicit criticism of President Barack Obama but underscored the main differences with him over U.S.-led nuclear diplomacy with Iran. Full Story | Top |
| Russian professor under pressure over Nazi comparison on Ukraine Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:06 AM PST By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian philosophy professor says he is being forced from his job at a prestigious state university after comparing Moscow's actions in Ukraine with Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938. In an opinion article published on the daily Vedomosti's website on Saturday, Andrei Zubov said Russia was on the verge of war and added: "We must not behave the way Germans once behaved, based on the promises of Goebbels and Hitler." By Tuesday, he told the internet news site slon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkish PM says rival will 'pay price' as new recordings emerge Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 10:03 AM PST  By Humeyra Pamuk KIRIKKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday berated an Islamic cleric he accuses of plotting to wreck his government, as more voice recordings apparently intended to embarrass the Turkish leader were aired on the Internet. Erdogan is locked in a power struggle with U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally he says is behind a stream of "fabricated" voice recordings purportedly revealing corruption in the prime minister's inner circle. Four more recordings have appeared on YouTube in the last two days, part of what Erdogan sees as a campaign to undermine his ruling center-right AK Party before local elections on March 30 and a presidential poll due later this year. Amid the allegations that have rattled financial markets and raised questions over Turkey's political stability, President Abdullah Gul on Tuesday ordered a state audit of the country's capacity to tackle corruption. Full Story | Top |
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