| About 100 bodies found in Nepal trekking village Posted: 04 May 2015 12:10 PM PDT  By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali police and local volunteers found the bodies of about 100 trekkers and villagers buried in an avalanche set off by last month's devastating earthquake and were digging through snow and ice for signs of dozens more missing, officials said on Monday. The government began asking foreign teams to wrap up search and rescue operations, as hope of finding people alive in the rubble receded. If they are also specialists in clearing the rubble, they can stay," Rameshwor Dangal, an official at Nepal's home ministry, told Reuters on Monday. The trekkers' bodies were recovered on Saturday and Sunday at the Langtang village, 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of Kathmandu, which is on a trekking route popular with Westerners.
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| France, Saudi Arabia: Iran nuclear deal must avoid destabilizing region Posted: 04 May 2015 03:08 PM PDT  By John Irish RIYADH (Reuters) - France and Saudi Arabia believe that any future deal between Iran and six major powers must ensure not to destabilise the region further and threaten Iran's neighbours, the two countries said ahead of a summit in Riyadh on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia invited French President Francois Hollande, whose country is deemed to have a tough stance in Iran nuclear negotiations, to Riyadh to discuss regional issues with Gulf Arab leaders who fear a rapprochement with Tehran could lead to further detribalization in the region. "France and Saudi Arabia confirmed the necessity to reach a robust, lasting, verifiable, undisputed and binding deal with Iran," President Hollande and Saudi Arabia's King Salman said in a statement after meeting on Monday.
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| Afghan talks agree on reopening Taliban political office Posted: 04 May 2015 10:31 AM PDT  By Amena Bakr and Jibran Ahmad AL-KHOR, Qatar/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Representatives at preliminary talks aiming to end Afghanistan's long war have agreed that Taliban insurgents should open a political office for negotiations, but disagreement over foreign troops is still hampering prospects for a ceasefire. A statement issued on Monday outlined the agreements reached by at least 40 delegates to a "non-official meeting" bringing together Taliban representatives, Afghan government figures and U.N. representatives at a two-day meeting held in Qatar. The dialogue was a step toward a peace process that has proved elusive during a war that has killed tens of thousands of Afghans since the Taliban were driven from power by a 2001 U.S.-led military operation. In a further blow for peace hopes, Taliban fighters killed at least 18 police early on Monday in attacks in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, a local official said.
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| Clinton willing to testify once to Benghazi panel -lawyer Posted: 04 May 2015 02:56 PM PDT  By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton is willing to testify once before a special congressional panel investigating the 2012 attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, not twice as the panel's chairman has asked, her lawyer said on Monday. The attack has hounded former Secretary of State Clinton for years, and Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives investigative panel are digging deeper as she ramps up her bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy, chairman of the committee, said last month he wanted Clinton to answer questions at two public hearings about Benghazi and her use of a private email server while Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. Clinton's lawyer David Kendall said that there was "no basis, logic or precedent for such an unusual request." In a letter to Gowdy, Kendall said Clinton was fully prepared to stay as long as necessary to answer all questions from the committee whenever she appears, but that she would not testify on two separate occasions "when one will suffice".
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| Saudi-led alliance mulls partial truces in Yemen: statement Posted: 04 May 2015 07:01 AM PDT  A Saudi-led Arab alliance conducting air strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen is considering calling truces in specific areas in Yemen to allow humanitarian supplies to reach the country, the Saudi foreign minister said on Monday. Adel al-Jubeir also said Saudi Arabia might host a center to coordinate delivery of humanitarian supplies. The United Nations says the humanitarian situation in Yemen has grown desperate after weeks of air strikes.
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| Saudi Arabia replaces head of royal ceremonies Posted: 04 May 2015 03:40 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia issued a royal decree on Monday replacing the head of its royal ceremonies, the state news agency SPA said. The decree removed Mohamed bin Abdelrahman al-Tubaishi from his position and appointed Khaled bin Saleh al-Abbad, the SPA said. The agency did not mention a reason for the change. Saudi Arabia announced a government reshuffle on Wednesday when King Salman named his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef and his son Mohammed bin Salman as his heirs, apparently setting the line of succession in the world's top oil exporter for decades. ... |
| Transit trains crash in Mexico City, no early injury reports Posted: 04 May 2015 05:05 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico City's mayor says that two transit system trains have collided at a station near the city's international airport. |
| Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 04 May 2015 05:03 PM PDT KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal's government will need immense international support as the Himalayan nation begins turning its attention toward reconstruction in the coming weeks, in the wake of the devastating April earthquake, a top official said Monday. Nepal is one of the world's poorest nations, and its economy, largely based on tourism, has been crippled by the earthquake, which left more than 7,300 people dead. While there are no clear estimates yet of how much it will cost to rebuild, it will certainly be enormously expensive. |
| Britain welcomes naming of baby Princess Charlotte Posted: 04 May 2015 05:03 PM PDT  Britain's newspapers lauded the choice of Charlotte Elizabeth Diana as the name of the new baby of Prince William and his wife Kate as a tribute to family on Tuesday. Britain had been on tenterhooks waiting to discover what names the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would give their little princess, who was born on Saturday and is fourth in line to the throne. "Charlotte Elizabeth Diana: a name to honour the women in William's life" read the headline of The Times newspaper. Charlotte is the feminine form of the name of William's father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.
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| Gunman in Mohammad cartoon attack in Texas monitored for years Posted: 04 May 2015 04:56 PM PDT  By Jon Herskovitz and David Schwartz GARLAND, Texas/PHOENIX (Reuters) - Federal agents for years monitored one of the two gunmen who were shot dead after opening fire with assault rifles at a heavily guarded Texas exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. Two government sources who asked not to be named said the shooters were roommates Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, of Phoenix. Court documents show that Simpson had been under surveillance since 2006 and was convicted in 2011 of lying to FBI agents over his desire to join violent jihad in Somalia. FBI agents and police searched the two men's home at the Autumn Ridge Apartments in north-central Phoenix, cordoning off the complex and evacuating residents for several hours in the early morning.
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| Clinton agrees to testify on Benghazi, emails this month Posted: 04 May 2015 04:51 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton is willing to testify once on Capitol Hill later this month about the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and her email practices during her tenure as secretary of state, her attorney told lawmakers in a letter Monday.
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| Testimony wraps up in trial of man charged in lottery scam Posted: 04 May 2015 04:50 PM PDT BISMARCK, North Dakota (AP) — Testimony wrapped up Monday in the case of man on trial in North Dakota for what authorities say was a role in a Jamaican lottery scam that bilked victims out of millions of dollars. |
| Denver Zoo mourns death of oldest hippo, 58-year-old 'Bertie' Posted: 04 May 2015 04:45 PM PDT  Denver Zoo was mourning the death on Monday of Bertie, a 58-year-old male hippopotamus who was its longest resident and the oldest hippo accredited to a North American zoo, officials said. Bertie was humanely euthanized after his keepers saw "a significant decline in his quality of life due to his advanced age," the zoo said in a statement. "This is a very sad loss for Denver Zoo and our community. Bert was a member of our family for more than 50 years," zoo President and Chief Executive Shannon Block said.
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| Coca production in Colombia jumped 39 pct in 2014 Posted: 04 May 2015 05:10 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Cultivation of the leaf used to make cocaine skyrocketed last year in Colombia, according to a new White House report that's likely to pressure authorities here to preserve a threatened U.S. aerial eradication program at the heart of the drug war.
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| Norway ranks as world's best place to be a mother Posted: 04 May 2015 04:39 PM PDT  Norway ranks as the world's best place to be a mother, well ahead of the United States which dropped to the 33rd spot in the annual scorecard released by Save the Children on Monday. Somalia is the worst place, just below the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. This year, the United States dropped from number 31 on the list to 33, behind Japan, Poland and Croatia. Scandinavian countries have consistently taken the first spots in the Mothers' Index, with Norway this year beating out Finland which held the top spot last year.
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| Bryant Gumbel defends program and co-workers against lawsuit Posted: 04 May 2015 04:34 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — The host of HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" on Monday defended his monthly sports magazine against claims by a British soccer ball maker that it delivered a "pack of lies" with a 2008 segment about child labor in India. |
| Williams beats Stephens, advances to Madrid Open 3rd round Posted: 04 May 2015 04:18 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Serena Williams needed just 58 minutes to beat fellow American Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-0 Monday and reach the third round of the Madrid Open.
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| Bingham ends quest for world title triumph Posted: 04 May 2015 04:17 PM PDT  Stuart Bingham won the 2015 World Championship final, beating Shaun Murphy 18-15 at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday to take snooker's most prestigious title for the first time in his 20-year professional career. Bingham edged further ahead at 15-12 before Murphy, world champion in 2005, fought back to level at 15-15. Bingham, from Basildon, east of London, then completed his victory in fine style with a break of 88 to become the oldest player to lift the world championship trophy since Welsh great Ray Reardon won the 1978 final aged 45. Meanwhile, Murphy took his defeat in sporting fashion, saying: "I gave it my best and came up against an inspired Stuart Bingham.
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| 5th Circuit: 3 Mexican states cannot sue BP over 2010 spill Posted: 04 May 2015 04:16 PM PDT NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit against BP and other companies by three Mexican states over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. |
| Second huge Berlin cocaine stash found in Aldi bananas Posted: 04 May 2015 04:13 PM PDT  More than 15 million euros worth of cocaine turned up Monday in boxes of bananas delivered to Aldi supermarkets in and around Berlin, police said. It is the second time in less than four months that a huge haul of the drug has turned up in boxes of bananas at the discount chain's stores in the German capital.
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| Lauryn Hill cancels Israel show Posted: 04 May 2015 04:13 PM PDT  R&B star Lauryn Hill on Monday canceled a concert in Israel just a few days away, saying she had tried unsuccessfully to perform in the Palestinian territories as well. The former Fugees singer had been scheduled to perform Thursday near Tel Aviv but faced a social media campaign by activists who urged her to boycott Israel over its occupation of Palestinian land.
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| France's Jean-Marie Le Pen suspended from own far-right party Posted: 04 May 2015 04:11 PM PDT  France's far-right National Front (FN) on Monday suspended founder Jean-Marie Le Pen over a string of controversial remarks and amid a deepening feud with his daughter Marine, who now leads the party. A special meeting of FN members will be called within three months to decide whether to strip him of the title of honorary president, the party said in a statement. A furious Le Pen described his suspension as a "criminal act" and said he wanted to disown his daughter, ordering her to "give up her name". The far-right patriarch showed up on Monday for a meeting at the FN headquarters in Nanterre, west of Paris, to discuss upcoming regional elections.
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| Amnesty slams 'crimes against humanity' in Syria's Aleppo Posted: 04 May 2015 04:10 PM PDT  Syrian government forces are committing "crimes against humanity" by indiscriminately bombing Aleppo, Amnesty International said on Tuesday, as it also criticised rebels for abuses including "war crimes". In a new report, the rights watchdog said "relentless" government aerial bombardment of Syria's former economic powerhouse had forced many residents to "eke out an existence underground". It slammed the "horrendous war crimes and other abuses in the city by government forces and armed opposition groups on a daily basis". "Some of the government's actions in Aleppo amount to crimes against humanity," Amnesty said.
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| Opposition supporters clash with security forces in Guinea Posted: 04 May 2015 04:08 PM PDT A government statement said 14 people including 12 security officers were wounded. Opposition leader Mouctar Diallo said 30 people were wounded including seven shot, one of whom is in critical condition. |
| Holcim and Lafarge will sell some assets to complete deal Posted: 04 May 2015 04:01 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Holcim and Lafarge have agreed to sell cement plants, distribution terminals and other assets in order to complete their merger, which will make the world's largest cement company. |
| Kerry to visit Riyadh to confer with Saudi Arabia on Yemen Posted: 04 May 2015 03:41 PM PDT NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Riyadh for discussions with Saudi government leaders on Wednesday and Thursday. |
| 'Star Wars VIII' to be filmed in Britain Posted: 04 May 2015 03:40 PM PDT  The eighth episode of "Star Wars" is to be filmed in Britain, the government announced on Monday, perhaps hoping the good news of jobs and investment might offer a pre-election boost. The Conservative party of Prime Minister David Cameron may be hoping the "force" could help them beat centre-left rivals Labour at Thursday's general election. Finance minister George Osborne made the announcement on the annual May 4 celebration of the George Lucas film franchise, describing it as "great news for the UK as a whole". He said the filming of "Star Wars Episode VIII" would bring £100 million ($151 million, 136 million euros) in investment and create 3,000 jobs.
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| Brazil weighs investigating ex-leader Silva Posted: 04 May 2015 03:36 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Brazil confirmed Monday that they are weighing whether to open a full investigation into former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's alleged overseas lobbying efforts for the scandal-plagued construction firm Odebrecht, the nation's biggest builder.
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| EPA cites Plains' California oil train terminal for violations Posted: 04 May 2015 03:36 PM PDT By Rory Carroll SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has cited Plains All American Pipeline LP's Bakersfield crude by rail terminal with a series of violations, according to a notice made public on Monday. The EPA notice does not, however, bring operations at the facility to a halt, noted Elizabeth Forsyth, an attorney with environmental group Earthjustice, but it will rack up daily fines if it continues to operate. Environmental groups cheered the EPA's move, which found that an environmental review conducted by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District was not thorough enough. "The EPA stepped in to protect California from this crude-by-rail facility's dangerous air pollution," said Vera Pardee, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. |
| Former WBA welterweight champ Andrew Lewis dies in Guyana Posted: 04 May 2015 03:32 PM PDT GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Former professional boxer Andrew Lewis has died in his native Guyana after a motorist struck him on his bicycle. He was 44. |
| Bill gutting fracking bans advances in Texas Posted: 04 May 2015 03:31 PM PDT  A bill giving Texas the sole right to regulate the oil and gas industry and take away the power of municipalities to pass anti-fracking rules moved a step closer to becoming law on Monday after it passed the Senate. The bill, approved by the state's House of Representatives last month, now heads to the desk of Republican Governor Greg Abbott. State lawmakers have been under pressure to halt an anti-fracking movement since November, when voters in the north Texas town of Denton voted to outlaw the oil and gas extraction technique behind the U.S. energy boom. In fracking, a mixture of pressurized water, sand and chemicals is directed at rock to unlock oil and natural gas.
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| Republicans working to get Iran legislation moving again Posted: 04 May 2015 03:26 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans labored Monday to salvage bipartisan legislation granting lawmakers the right to review or even reject any agreement the Obama administration makes to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions on nuclear research and development. |
| England batsman Trott retires from international cricket Posted: 04 May 2015 03:23 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — England batsman Jonathan Trott has announced his retirement from international cricket.
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| Accused Texas gunman well-known to FBI before attack Posted: 04 May 2015 03:21 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Since at least 2007, the FBI has been able to recognize the voice of Elton Simpson — one of the men suspected in the Texas shootings outside a contest featuring cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.
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| Panama's Noriega to be tried for activist's disappearance Posted: 04 May 2015 03:03 PM PDT  Panama's former strongman Manuel Noriega will face trial for the 1970 disappearance of a leftist union activist, his lawyer said Monday, the latest in a string of cases against the jailed ex-leader. Noriega, who has served prison terms in three countries since his ouster in a US invasion in 1989, will go on trial on May 21 for the disappearance of Heliodoro Portugal, said his lawyer Ezra Angel. The former strongman is currently serving a 60-year sentence for the disappearance and killing of his opponents during his time in power, which began in 1983.
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| Climate change sparks tension in India's tea gardens Posted: 04 May 2015 02:59 PM PDT  By Krishna N. Das JORHAT, India (Reuters) - Usha Ghatowar smiles wryly when asked about the pay she earns picking leaves at a colonial-era tea garden in India's Assam. COURTING THE TEA VOTE State elections have national significance in India - Modi needs to win most of the state assembly contests in the next four years if he is to take control of the upper house of the federal parliament and ease the passage of his reform agenda.
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| Arsenal cruise as Sanchez double shatters Hull Posted: 04 May 2015 02:58 PM PDT  Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal all but secured a top-four finish in the Premier League for the 18th consecutive season with a 3-1 victory at struggling Hull on Monday. Arsene Wenger's side swept into a three-goal half-time lead thanks to Sanchez's double and a strike from Aaron Ramsey before Stephen Quinn pulled one back for Hull after the break. The victory put third-placed Arsenal nine points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, who have only three matches remaining and a vastly inferior goal difference to the Gunners, and effectively guaranteed their qualification for the Champions League.
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| SurveyMonkey CEO died of head trauma in exercise accident Posted: 04 May 2015 02:56 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — SurveyMonkey CEO David Goldberg died of severe head trauma in an exercise accident in the Mexican resort town of Punta Mita, a Mexican state official said Monday.
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| Jean-Marie Le Pen, France's far-right master provocateur Posted: 04 May 2015 02:50 PM PDT  He labels gas chambers a "detail of history", believes Nazi occupation of France was not all bad, wants to join with Russia to save the "white world" and says he understands why some fight democracy. Jean-Marie Le Pen, a former paratrooper whose inflammatory speeches has made him the figurehead of France's far right for more than four decades, has not once veered away from the role he loves best -- master provocateur. Marine's dismay at her father's antics was clear for all to see on Friday when her father ignored his omission from a line-up of FN leaders for the party's traditional May 1 rally in Paris and climbed uninvited onto the stage to take the applause. Last month, after her father raised the issues of the gas chambers and immigration once again, and threw in some attacks on his daughter, Marine decided enough was enough and openly split with her father whom she said was committing "political suicide".
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