| Iran nuclear talks miss deadline; U.S. threatens to walk away Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:09 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau, John Irish and Parisa Hafezi LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Six world powers and Iran negotiated past a March 31 deadline into the wee hours of Wednesday, struggling to conclude an outline accord on Tehran's nuclear program in the face of a U.S. threat to abandon the talks. With Iran asserting its "nuclear rights", the talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne entered a seventh day, bogged down this time on the issues of nuclear research, the lifting of U.N. sanctions and their restoration if Iran breached the agreement. Officials cautioned that any accord would be fragile and incomplete, but the U.S. State Department gave the go-ahead for talks to go past a self-imposed midnight deadline. "There are several difficult issues still remaining." The six powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - aim to stop Iran from gaining the capacity to develop a nuclear bomb in exchange for easing international sanctions that are crippling its economy.
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| Heavy clashes on Saudi-Yemeni border; Hadi government pleads for troops Posted: 31 Mar 2015 12:10 PM PDT  Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of Arab states since last Thursday in an air campaign against the Shi'ite Houthis, who emerged as the most powerful force in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country when they seized Yemen's capital last year. The Saudis say their aim is to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who left the country last week. The Houthis are allied with Saudi Arabia's regional foe Iran, and backed by army units loyal to longtime ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was pushed out three years ago after "Arab Spring" demonstrations. Residents and tribal sources in north Yemen reported artillery and rocket exchanges along several stretches of the Saudi border.
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| Prosecutor dies of wounds after Istanbul hostage shootout Posted: 31 Mar 2015 01:30 PM PDT  By Osman Orsal and Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An Istanbul prosecutor died from his wounds after security forces stormed the office where members of a far-left Turkish group took him hostage on Tuesday, killing his two captors. The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) had published a picture of the prosecutor with a gun to his head and said it would kill him unless its demands were met. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Mehmet Selim Kiraz had been shot three times in the head and twice in the body. Six hours after the standoff in a courthouse in central Istanbul began, explosions and gunfire could be heard coming from the building and smoke billowed from a window, a Reuters witness said.
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| U.S. carries out more air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria Posted: 31 Mar 2015 11:30 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and allied military forces have carried out eight air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria since Monday, according to a U.S. military statement on Tuesday. Bombers, fighters and attack aircraft hit Islamic State targets near several cities, including Mosul and Tikrit in seven strikes during a 24-hour period, it said. One strike in Syria hit targets near the northern border town of Kobani, the statement said. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler) |
| Nigeria's Buhari wins historic election landslide Posted: 31 Mar 2015 12:06 PM PDT  By Tim Cocks and Alexis Akwagyiram ABUJA (Reuters) - Three decades after seizing power in a military coup, Muhammadu Buhari became the first Nigerian to oust a president through the ballot box, putting him in charge of Africa's biggest economy and one of its most turbulent democracies. As the scale of this weekend's electoral landslide became clear, President Goodluck Jonathan called Buhari on Tuesday to concede defeat to the opposition leader, Buhari's camp said, an unprecedented step that should help to defuse anger among Jonathan's supporters. "Goodluck is a stupid man for conceding, a disappointment for Nigeria," one waitress in the oil city of Port Harcourt said, throwing a beer bottle top at a fridge. Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been in charge since the end of army rule in 1999 but had been losing popularity due to a string of corruption scandals and the rise of Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency in the northeast.
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| Lufthansa flight school knew of crash pilot's depression Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:35 PM PDT  By Victoria Bryan BERLIN (Reuters) - The German pilot who crashed a plane in the French Alps last week, killing 150 people, told officials at a Lufthansa training school in 2009 that he had gone through a period of severe depression, the airline said on Tuesday. The statement is potentially damaging for the airline and its CEO Carsten Spohr, who told reporters last week that the carrier knew of no reason why 27-year-old Andreas Lubitz might deliberately crash a plane. The fact that Lufthansa officials were aware that Lubitz suffered from depression raises questions about its screening process for pilots as it faces the threat of legal action from relatives of the victims. Lufthansa said Lubitz broke off his pilot training for a period of several months but then passed medical checks confirming his fitness to fly.
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| British candidate replaced after 'kidnap Obama' post Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:51 PM PDT  A parliamentary candidate for Britain's UK Independence Party was replaced on Tuesday after writing that Israel should "kidnap" US President Barack Obama in a Facebook post. The post by Jeremy Zeid was a response to the declassifying of documents on Israel's secret nuclear programme, and was written last week as he prepared to run for a seat in Britain's general election on May 7. "Once Obama is out of office, the Israelis should move to extradite the bastard or 'do an Eichmann' on him, and lock him up for leaking state secrets," Zeid wrote in the Facebook post, according to a screenshot. "Just kidnap the bugger, like they did to Eichmann," he added in a comment, referring to the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, who was captured in Argentina in 1960 and put on trial in Israel.
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| Djokovic beats Dolgopolov 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-0 at Miami Open Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:50 PM PDT  KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Novak Djokovic rallied from a set and a break down Tuesday to beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-0 in the fourth round of the Miami Open.
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| Business leaders weigh in on Britain's election Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:46 PM PDT  The letter could be a boost to Prime Minister David Cameron, who is neck-and-neck with his main opposition, Labour party leader Ed Miliband. Cameron has argued that his party is more credible on the economy due to an improved performance in the nation's finances on the watch of his Conservative-led coalition with the centrist Liberal Democrats.
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| Buhari wins in Nigeria, defeating Goodluck Jonathan Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:44 PM PDT  ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Amid anger over an Islamic insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives, Nigerians threw out the incumbent and elected a 72-year-old former military dictator Tuesday in a historic transfer of power following the nation's most hotly contested election ever.
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| Travel chaos in Argentina as transit unions strike Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:44 PM PDT  Argentina's largest cities ground to a halt Tuesday as transport unions went on strike, demanding tax cuts for low-income workers and putting the government on the defensive seven months out from general elections. An eerie quiet reigned over Buenos Aires as buses, trains and subways began a 24-hour shutdown at midnight, emptying the streets in this city of three million people and forcing many businesses to remain closed. The Buenos Aires metro area tops 13 million. Several major regional airlines cancelled all flights to and from Argentina for the day, including LAN of Chile and TAM in Brazil.
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| Buhari in historic Nigeria election win Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:34 PM PDT  Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday became Nigeria's president elect after defeating Goodluck Jonathan in the first democratic change of power ever in Africa's most populous nation. Thousands spilled onto the streets of the north's biggest city, Kano, in celebration, shouting his campaign slogan "Sai Buhari" ("Only Buhari") as he took an unassailable lead with one state to declare. The election was hit by glitches to new voter technology and claims of irregularities, having been played out against a backdrop of fears of deadly Boko Haram violence and poll-related clashes. "This is the first democratic change ever in Nigeria," Anas Galadima told AFP, as thousands thronged the APC headquarters in the capital Abuja, dancing and banging drums.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's military-installed prime minister said Tuesday he plans to lift martial law 10 months after staging a coup, but will invoke a special security measure that critics say is more draconian. The development has sparked concern from human rights groups, lawyers, political parties and scholars who say the measure, Article 44 of a junta-imposed interim constitution, gives Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha unchecked authority over all three branches of government. |
| No nuke agreement yet: Iran talks push past deadline Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:15 PM PDT  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — With stubborn disputes unresolved, nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers went past a self-imposed deadline and into overtime as negotiators renewed efforts to hammer out the outline of an agreement.
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| Cuba delegate reports 'civilized' talks on rights with US Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:03 PM PDT HAVANA (AP) — Cuban and U.S. delegations on Tuesday ended a preparatory meeting for holding future negotiations on human rights without setting a date, agenda or host for those talks. |
| Britain's Murray takes milestone 500th victory Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PDT  Britain's Andy Murray won his 500th career victory Tuesday, defeating South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the ATP and WTA Miami Open quarter-finals. Murray, who has won four of five matches against Anderson, improved his career match record to 500 triumphs and 155 defeats with 31 titles, including the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon crowns. Also advancing was Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori, who dispatched Belgium's David Goffin 6-1, 6-2. Another quarter-final was set as Czech eighth seed Tomas Berdych advanced thanks to a mid-match withdrawal from France's injury-hit Gael Monfils.
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| Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan publicly concedes election Posted: 31 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PDT  Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday publicly conceded defeat in the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to lead the nation. Official final results are yet to be announced but Buhari ended the race some 2.5 million votes ahead, marking the first democratic transfer of power in Nigeria's history.
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| 10-man United States hold on for 1-1 draw at Switzerland Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:58 PM PDT  ZURICH (AP) — The United States held on for 1-1 draw with Switzerland in an international friendly on Tuesday after veteran forward Jozy Altidore was sent off.
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| Coach Luxemburgo suspended for criticizing local federation Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:47 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former Brazil and Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has been suspended for two matches after he criticized the Rio de Janeiro football federation. |
| AP PHOTOS: Violent past haunts Peru dances in Ayacucho area Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:42 PM PDT  LIMA, Peru (AP) — They danced all day, until the sun set over Latin America's oldest bullring. But these were not typical dances of Peru's highlands.
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| Death toll rises to 14 in Mexico gas tanker explosion Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:35 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — The death toll in a gasoline tanker truck explosion in southeastern Mexico rose to 14 on Tuesday, the result of an attempted theft of fuel in an area that authorities say has a long reputation for roadside thefts. |
| Townsend steals Kane limelight as England hold Italy Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:34 PM PDT  Tottenham winger Andros Townsend came off the bench to steal the limelight from club-mate Harry Kane with a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Italy in Turin on Tuesday. England manager Roy Hodgson was forced to hand Spurs sensation Kane his full debut alongside Wayne Rooney due to injuries to both Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck.
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| Clarkson show goes on without 'Top Gear' label Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:33 PM PDT  Britain's Jeremy Clarkson will continue to appear on an international tour of live auto shows despite being dropped as the presenter of hit series "Top Gear", the BBC said on Tuesday. The stage shows with Clarkson and his former "Top Gear" co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May were planned before Clarkson was dropped for hitting a producer. Under an agreement between BBC Worldwide and its partner Brand Events, the tour can continue but without the BBC and "Top Gear" labels, under the name "Clarkson, Hammond and May Live". "These events will not however feature any BBC Top Gear branding or content.
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| Niger: Troops prevent Boko Haram attack, destroy base Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:30 PM PDT NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Soldiers fended off an attack on a border town in Niger by Boko Haram and destroyed a base used by the Islamic militants inside neighboring Nigeria in recent days, Niger said Tuesday. |
| Cape Verde record historic win over Ronaldo-less Portugal Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:29 PM PDT  Cape Verde upset a weakened Portugal 2-0 in Estoril on Tuesday as seven days of international football friendlies involving African teams ended. Portugal lacked many stars, including the biggest one of all Cristiano Ronaldo, having won 2-1 at home against Serbia just 48 hours earlier in a Euro 2016 qualifier. The Blue Sharks scored twice within six minutes close to half-time at Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota for a rare away victory over European opposition. Former Portuguese colony Cape Verde comprises a string of islands off the coast of Senegal and has just 500,000 inhabitants.
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| Egypt president urges Yemen rebels to 'back off' Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:27 PM PDT  Egypt's president on Tuesday urged Shiite rebels in Yemen to "back off" for the sake of their country, saying Cairo is participating in a military campaign there for Gulf Arab security. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's remarks come two days after an Arab summit in Egypt that decided the Saudi-led air strikes against the Huthi rebels should continue until they surrender. "The stability of Yemen and the safety of its people hangs from your necks," Sisi said in a televised speech to military and police officers. Egypt had said it is taking part in the campaign with its air force and navy, and has pledged to commit ground troops if they are needed.
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| Boko Haram-hit Borno seals fate of Nigeria's Jonathan Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:17 PM PDT  Borno state in northeast Nigeria, worst-hit by six years of Boko Haram violence, voted overwhelmingly in favour of opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari, results showed on Tuesday. The former military ruler, who has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of failing to provide leadership in the insurgency, won 473,543 ballots in the state, or 94 percent of the valid votes cast. Polling stations were eventually set up in and around camps for the displaced, notably in the state capital, Maiduguri. In Yobe, Jonathan polled 446,265 votes -- 94.2 percent of the total valid votes -- and in Adamawa 374,701 or the 58.9 percent of the ballots.
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| Italy draws 1-1 against England in international friendly Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:16 PM PDT  TURIN, Italy (AP) — Andros Townsend scored a late equalizer as England held Italy to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday.
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| Policeman seriously hurt after fan violence in Argentina Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:12 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Authorities say a police officer has been seriously injured in clashes with football fans in Argentina. |
| New ECB chairman Graves mulls four-day Tests Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:06 PM PDT  Incoming England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves confirmed on Tuesday that he is considering tabling proposals to shorten Test matches from five days to four. "Personally, I think we should look at four-day Test cricket and play 105 overs a day starting at 10.30am in the morning, and finish when you finish as all the grounds now have lights," Graves, who takes up his role in May, told the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) website. The ECB could not itself introduce four-day Test matches, but it could push for changes to the Test format in international negotiations. Expanding on the idea, Graves added: "Every Test match would start on a Thursday, with Thursday and Friday being corporate days and then Saturday and Sunday the family days.
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| Lufthansa: Co-pilot disclosed earlier "severe depression" Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:04 PM PDT  FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Lufthansa knew that the co-pilot of the passenger plane that crashed in the French Alps last week had suffered from an episode of "severe depression" before he finished his flight training with the German airline.
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| Minnesota professor accused of smuggling elephant ivory Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:04 PM PDT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A China-born university philosophy professor was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to smuggle rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory out of the United States and into China. |
| Peru PM sacked in spy scandal, president faces crisis Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:04 PM PDT  Peruvian President Ollanta Humala was left scrambling to find a new prime minister Tuesday after Congress sacked the incumbent, Ana Jara, over allegations of domestic spying. Jara was deposed in a no-confidence vote late Monday after media reports that the powerful National Intelligence Directorate, or DINI, spied on politicians, journalists, business leaders and thousands of everyday citizens. Summoned to Congress, Jara, 46, said the spying dated back to at least the previous two governments, and told lawmakers she had ordered an investigation. He must then get his nominee approved by a Congress in which he does not have a majority.
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| US beats Russia 9-2 in women's world hockey Posted: 31 Mar 2015 03:02 PM PDT  MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Jocelyne Lamoureux scored three goals and the United States beat Russia 9-2 on Tuesday in the women's world hockey championship to finish 3-0 in Group A play.
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| Canadian MP quits Harper government to tout creationism Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:59 PM PDT  A veteran Conservative MP quit Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government Tuesday in order to freely defend his denial of evolution, claiming there is a concerted Canadian effort to stifle creationists' views. MP James Lunney, who was first elected to parliament in 2000, said he will sit in the House of Commons as an independent but will continue to vote with the ruling Tories.
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| Ten-man Belgium defeats Israel 1-0 in Euro 2016 qualifier Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:59 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — Ten-man Belgium held on to beat Israel 1-0 in a 2016 European Championship qualifier on Tuesday after Marouane Fellaini scored an early goal and captain Vincent Kompany was sent off midway through the second half.
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| Lawsuit alleges Iran directed killing of US soldiers in Iraq Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The families of three American soldiers killed during a brazen attack in Iraq are suing the Iranian government for allegedly orchestrating the raid. |
| Broom-wielding Buhari supporters cheer his Nigeria victory Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT  Waving brooms and shouting "Change! Change!" supporters of Muhammadu Buhari joined in raucous street celebrations Tuesday across Nigeria after he claimed victory in the presidential election. A cavalcade of motorbikes and cars with their headlights on and horns blaring paraded through the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria's biggest city, where the retired general won a landslide victory. Drivers performed stunts, filling the air with thick smoke, as veiled women and the crowds shouted "Sai Buhari" (Only Buhari) in celebration. Kano is among the Nigerian states hit hardest by Boko Haram Islamists, where many have criticised President Goodluck Jonathan's handling of the insurgency.
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| Son of Argentine president denies news reports about account Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:44 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The son of Argentina's president on Tuesday denied anonymously sourced press reports alleging he had foreign bank accounts, calling them false accusations designed to smear his mother's administration.
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| New appeal revives case against Argentine president Posted: 31 Mar 2015 02:44 PM PDT  Argentine prosecutors launched a new appeal Tuesday of a court's decision to dismiss their case against President Cristina Kirchner for allegedly protecting Iranian officials accused of orchestrating a deadly 1994 bombing. Prosecutors are seeking to relaunch the case that was being brought by their late colleague Alberto Nisman, who died mysteriously on January 18 after accusing Kirchner of shielding high-ranking Iranians suspected of ordering the attack on a Buenos Aires Jewish center. Prosecutor German Moldes filed an appeal to bring the case before the next highest appeals court, which would be the third court to consider the case. The accusations first came before Judge Daniel Rafecas, who found in a scathing ruling on February 26 that no crime was committed, saying the prosecution's own evidence "roundly refutes" its case.
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