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FBI shoots, kills man linked to Boston bomb suspect

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:41:21 +0800

A man being questioned by the FBI over the Boston Marathon bombings was killed Wednesday in an altercation after becoming violent, the FBI said.

One killed, two injured in London attack

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:28:54 +0800

London, May 22 (IANS) Two men attacked a man near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich in Southeast London Wednesday afternoon, leaving one dead, two injured, Britain's Metropolitan Police said.

Analysis: From opera to exercises, U.S. and China deepen military ties

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:22:43 +0800

By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even as the United States accuses China of military espionage and worries about Beijing's more strident posture in the Asia-Pacific region, the ties between the armed forces of the two nations have been getting closer. Direct contact between China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and some of its potential adversaries has increased dramatically in the last two years. The first major public sign of the thaw was a joint concert by the U.S. ...

Major powers urge Assad to commit to peace

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:22:42 +0800

Major powers urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday to commit to peace and step down as they gathered in neighbouring Jordan to discuss preparations for a Russian- and US-proposed peace conference.

China, Pakistan plan 'economic corridor': Li

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:14:51 +0800

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday linked growth in his country's restive west with that in sluggish Pakistan, saying the two sides wanted to create an "economic corridor" to boost development.

Iran's n-power plant to be launched 'shortly': Russian agency

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:12:52 +0800

Moscow, May 22 (IANS ) Iran's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr could start working "shortly", Xinhua reported Wednesday, quoting Russia's state atomic energy agency Rosatom.

Iran pushes ahead with new nuclear plant that worries West

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:04:58 +0800

By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran is pressing ahead with the construction of a research reactor that Western experts say could offer it a second way of producing material for a nuclear bomb if it decides to make one, a U.N. report showed on Wednesday. Iran has transported the reactor vessel to the heavy water plant near the central town of Arak but has not yet installed it, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a confidential report issued to member states. ...

Two babies among US tornado victims

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:54:04 +0800

Two babies are among the 24 fatalities in the tornado that tore through this US community, officials said Wednesday, as residents began the daunting task of rebuilding their lives in the wake of the catastrophe.

Zuma implicated in S.Africa wedding plane scandal

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:54:00 +0800

By Peroshni Govender JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African government report released on Wednesday implicated President Jacob Zuma in a scandal over a plane chartered by rich friends of his which landed at a military base without proper permission. The presidency and Zuma's ruling African National Congress (ANC) have denied demanding landing permission for the flight carrying nearly 200 guests for a wedding. But a diplomatic protocol chief Bruce Koloane said he acted "under pressure from No. 1", a direct reference to Zuma, the report said. ...

U.S. may boost Syria rebels if Assad won't talk peace

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:50:32 +0800

By Arshad Mohammed and Erika Solomon AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States and its allies are ready to increase support for Syria's rebels if President Bashar al-Assad refuses to discuss a political solution to his country's civil war, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday. Rebels called for reinforcements to combat President Bashar al-Assad's forces, which have launched an offensive in recent days against a strategic town backed by Assad's allies from Lebanon's powerful Shi'ite militia Hezbollah. ...

Japan parliament approves child abduction treaty

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:43:06 +0800

Japan's parliament on Wednesday approved an international treaty on child abductions after decades of pressure from the United States and other Western nations.

Kerry warns Syria's Assad against rejecting political solution

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:41:16 +0800

By Arshad Mohammed AMMAN (Reuters) - Western governments are ready to increase support to opponents of President Bashar al-Assad if he rejects a political solution to Syria's civil war, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday. Kerry said recent military gains by Assad's forces were only temporary and that if the Syrian leader believed that the counter-offensives against the rebels would be decisive, "then he is miscalculating". ...

French split over English at universities

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:36:06 +0800

By Nicholas Vinocur PARIS (Reuters) - Defenders of the French language are furious at plans to introduce courses taught in English at public universities, arguing that France must protect itself against linguistic encroachment or risk losing its cultural identity. Parliament started to debate the issue on Tuesday as part of a bill on a broader reform of higher education, but all attention has focused on an article that would abolish a 19-year ban on English as a teaching language at public universities. ...

Mugabe signs new Zimbabwe constitution into law

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:35:49 +0800

President Robert Mugabe signed Zimbabwe's new constitution into law Wednesday, clearing the path to crucial elections later this year.

Turkish-Armenian writer handed jail sentence for blasphemy

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:32:09 +0800

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An Istanbul court has sentenced a Turkish-Armenian author and blogger to more than a year in prison for insulting the Prophet Mohammad, local media reported on Wednesday, weeks after a similar case caused alarm among secularists. Sevan Nisanyan, who has authored several books and who runs a blog on what he describes as "history, religion and a (little) politics", posted a link to the offending blog on his Twitter account following the ruling. The accompanying message read: "Let's share the article that brought a sentence of 13. ...

Rescuers search Oklahoma tornado town ruins as recovery starts

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:29:02 +0800

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue workers with sniffer dogs picked through the ruins of an Oklahoma town on Wednesday to ensure no survivors remained buried after a deadly tornado left thousands homeless and trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. "Yesterday I was numb. Today I cried a lot. Now I'm on the victory side of it," said Beth Vrooman, who hid in a shelter in her garage during Monday's storm in Moore, Oklahoma. When the winds died down, she realized a car was blocking her exit. ...

More English at French universities? The debate begins

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:28:54 +0800

France's lower house began debating a proposal Wednesday to introduce more courses in English at universities, amid a storm of controversy in a nation fiercely protective of its identity.

British Open squash: Pallikal wins gruelling battle

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:20:54 +0800

Hull (England), May 22 (IANS) Dipika Pallikal reached the pre-quarterfinals at the Allam British Open Squash Championships after edging out Denmark's Line Hansen in the longest match of the tournament so far.

Mugabe signs Zimbabwe constitution, paving way for vote

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:55:07 +0800

By Cris Chinaka HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed a new constitution into law on Wednesday, replacing a 33-year-old document forged in the dying days of British colonial rule and paving the way for an election later this year. Approved overwhelmingly in a referendum in March, the constitution clips the powers of the president and imposes a two-term limit. However, it does not apply retroactively so the 89-year-old Mugabe technically could extend his three decades in office by another 10 years. ...

Fighting displaces 70-80% of Palestinians in Syria: UN

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:54:34 +0800

The conflict in Syria has displaced more than two-thirds of Palestinian refugees living in the country, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees said on Wednesday.

EU leaders call time on banking secrecy at tax summit

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:36:58 +0800

European leaders targeted Wednesday setting a year-end deadline to do away with banking secrecy, hoping to recoup a trillion euros in lost tax each year in a time of record recession and unemployment.

With even toilet paper scarce, Venezuelan president warms to business

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:35:01 +0800

By Eyanir Chinea CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan supermarket puts a stack of toilet paper on its shop floor, and desperate consumers snatch it up within five minutes. A woman's voice over the loudspeaker reminds shoppers each person can only buy four packages. Few seemed convinced by the government's promise just days earlier that the oil-rich South American nation would promptly import 50 million rolls. "It's a sad moment when a rich country like Venezuela reaches this situation," said Yenny Caballero, waiting at a check-out line at a store in an upscale part of the capital. ...

Militants release seven Egyptians kidnapped in Sinai

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:27:36 +0800

By Tom Perry and Yousri Mohamed CAIRO/ISMAILIA (Reuters) - Seven Egyptian security men kidnapped by Islamist militants in Sinai last week were freed on Wednesday and President Mohamed Mursi vowed to pursue a crackdown on lawlessness in the desert peninsula. The abduction underlined the threat posed by jihadists who have exploited a security vacuum that opened up in the isolated Sinai after the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. The state has struggled to restore order there since. ...

Iran's Ahmadinejad contests ally's 'unjust' vote ban

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:22:28 +0800

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday contested the disqualification of a close aide from next month's presidential election by a conservative body that also dismissed moderate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, leaving a field dominated by candidates close to Tehran's ruling clerics.

Feature: Young faces enliven Kuwait's faded art scene

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:19:27 +0800

By Sylvia Westall KUWAIT (Reuters) - After two lacklustre decades, Kuwait is experiencing a quiet revival of an arts scene once known as the most avant garde in the Gulf, thanks to a new generation eager to tackle sensitive issues using cutting-edge art forms. The artists have been exhibiting works in the graphic arts, photography, animation and fashion in private galleries but also bypassing traditional venues and arts groups - and possible censorship - by showing their work online to reach an audience beyond the 3.7 million people in Kuwait. ...

Assad's departure urged as Friends of Syria meet

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:13:08 +0800

Britain and Qatar urged President Bashar al-Assad to step down on Wednesday as major world powers gathered to seek ways toward a peaceful end to Syria's conflict.

Turkey shuts Syria border crossing after deadly bombings

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:49:02 +0800

By Jonathon Burch ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has shut its side of the last border crossing with Syria still controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's government, stepping up security following two deadly bombings this month. Fifty-one people were killed when twin car bombs ripped through the Turkish border town of Reyhanli in the southern province of Hatay on May 11, deepening fears that Syria's civil war was dragging in neighbouring states. Turkey has accused Syria of involvement in the attacks. Damascus has denied any role. ...

5 killed in Afghan suicide bombing

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:48:54 +0800

Ghazni (Afghanistan), May 22 (IANS) Five people were killed and 20 others wounded Wednesday evening by a suicide bomber in Muqur district in eastern Afghanistan's province of Ghazni, Xinhua said, quoting a provincial police source.

China's Li offers to help end Pakistan energy crisis

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:47:45 +0800

By Nick Macfie ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - China and Pakistan should make cooperation on power generation a priority, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said, as Islamabad seeks to end an energy crisis that triggers power cuts of up to 20 hours a day, bringing the economy to a near standstill. Li arrived in the Pakistan capital under extra-tight security on Wednesday on the second leg of his first official trip since taking office in March and after a visit to Pakistan and China's arch rival, India. Li's plane was escorted by six air force fighter jets as it entered Pakistani air space. ...

Sectarian violence over Syria war rages in Lebanon's Tripoli

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:47:07 +0800

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lebanese supporters of rival factions in Syria's civil war battled overnight in the city of Tripoli in the worst such bout of spillover violence since the conflict started two years ago. One person was killed and many were wounded as Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim gunmen fired mortar bombs and rocket-propelled grenades at each other in a fifth day of clashes in the coastal city, security sources said on Wednesday. ...

Captain in Italy cruise ship crash faces July trial

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:37:41 +0800

The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship will go on trial from July 9 for manslaughter over the January 2012 disaster in which 32 people lost their lives, an Italian judge ruled on Wednesday.

Pakistan's Imran Khan leaves hospital after fall

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:28:39 +0800

Pakistani politician Imran Khan left hospital Wednesday, two weeks after breaking bones in his back in a fall at a rally for the country's general election, where his party scored a major breakthrough.

Iran, Hezbollah increasing support for Assad: Britain

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:05:04 +0800

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday Iran and its militant Shi'ite Lebanese ally Hezbollah were "propping up" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and giving him increasing support. "It is very clear that Syrian regime is receiving a great deal of support, increasing support in recent months from outside Syria from Hezbollah and Iran. This is a regime that is increasingly dependent on external support," Hague said in a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. ...

Uganda signs new national football coach

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:44:53 +0800

Kampala (Uganda), May 22 (IANS) Serbia-born Sredojevic Milutin has been confirmed as the new coach of Uganda's national football team.

Indian medics reconstruct baby's swollen head

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:42:36 +0800

Indian doctors said Wednesday they have successfully carried out a first round of reconstructive surgery on the skull of a baby suffering from a rare disorder that caused her head to nearly double in size.

World motorsport chief to visit Botswana

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:38:54 +0800

Gaborone (Bostwana), May 22 (IANS) The president of the world motorsport governing body, Federation Internationale de I' Automobile (FIA), Jean Todt is scheduled to visit Botswana in August, Botswana Motorsport Association (BMSA) has confirmed.

Real Sociedad coach to leave at end of season

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:36:53 +0800

Madrid, May 22 (IANS) Spanish Primera Liga football club, Real Sociedad have confirmed that coach Philippe Montanier will leave the club at the end of the current season.

Gunmen kill 12 Iraqis in attack on brothel

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:18:56 +0800

Baghdad, May 22 (IANS) At least 12 people, including seven women and five men, were killed Wednesday in an attack by unidentified gunmen on a brothel in Baghdad, an interior ministry source told Xinhua.

Parents withdraw from inquiry into death of US engineer Shane Todd

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:16:14 +0800

By Kevin Lim and Pedja Stanisic SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The parents of an American engineer found dead in Singapore last year said on Wednesday they will not take part in the rest of a coroner's inquiry into his death, which they say was linked to a project involving the transfer of sensitive technology to China. In a statement, Rick and Mary Todd said they had lost confidence in the system investigating the death of their 31-year-old son, Shane, who was found hanging from a door in his Singapore apartment last June. ...

Stockholm riots spread as PM slams 'hooliganism'

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:14:08 +0800

Rioting spread across Stockholm's suburbs early Wednesday in the third night of unrest to hit the Swedish capital, as Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt blamed the violence on "hooliganism" and appealed for calm.