| UK's Cameron on track to return to power as PM: exit poll Posted: 07 May 2015 03:41 PM PDT  By David Milliken and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives are on track to govern Britain for another five years even though they are likely to fall just short of an outright majority at Thursday's election, an exit poll showed. The poll gave the Conservatives 316 of 650 seats in the lower house of parliament and the main opposition Labour Party 239. If accurate, that would be one of centre-left Labour's worst ever results. Conservative government minister Michael Gove said that if the exit poll proved correct "the Conservatives have clearly won this election".
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| Saudi-led coalition vows to hit Yemen's Houthis despite truce offer Posted: 07 May 2015 12:36 PM PDT  By Lesley Wroughton and Mohammed Ghobari RIYADH/CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi-led forces said on Thursday they would respond harshly against Yemen's Houthi rebels following attacks on citizens in border areas, hours after the kingdom offered a five-day humanitarian truce if the Shi'ite militia stopped fighting. Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the Houthis had changed the situation by targeting cities in recent days, and vowed that the coalition would go after leaders of the rebel group.
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| U.S. military starts training Syrian fighters to combat Islamic State Posted: 07 May 2015 02:04 PM PDT  By Phil Stewart and Dasha Afanasieva WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The United States has begun a long-awaited program to train Syrian fighters to go into combat against Islamic State, the Pentagon said on Thursday, deepening America's role in Syria's civil war after eight months of airstrikes against the Sunni militants. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the military was starting small, training a first group of just 90 Syrians, who would be paid a stipend and could expect some still-undefined support once they return to the battlefield. A spokesman for the government of Jordan said the training began there several days ago and U.S. and Middle Eastern sources told Reuters the training would soon start at another site in Turkey. Syrian rebels and members of the U.S. Congress are deeply skeptical, with some lawmakers saying the program is too small and slow.
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| Al Qaeda says U.S. strike kills man who claimed Paris killings Posted: 07 May 2015 01:41 PM PDT  Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said on Thursday a U.S. air strike had killed the senior figure who issued the group's claim of responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, according to a report. The SITE Intelligence Group quoted al Qaeda as saying in an online video that AQAP ideologue Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi was killed with his eldest son and other fighters in Yemen. In a message on Jan. 14, he said of the Jan. 7 attack in Paris that the "one who chose the target, laid the plan and financed the operation is the leadership of the organization", without naming an individual. In the Paris attack, 17 people, including journalists and police, were killed in three days of violence, including a mass shooting at the weekly Charlie Hebdo, known for its satirical attacks on Islam and other religions.
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| Senate passes Iran nuclear review bill, House up next Posted: 07 May 2015 03:50 PM PDT  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to pass a bill giving Congress the right to review, and potentially reject, an international agreement with Iran aimed at keeping it from developing nuclear weapons. The 98-1 vote sent the measure to the House of Representatives, which could consider it as soon as next week. The White House said President Barack Obama would sign it into law if it also passes the House, as expected, without significant changes. "I look forward to House passage of this bill to hold President Obama's administration accountable," John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House, said in a statement supporting the bill shortly after the Senate vote.
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| Survivors battle for helicopters near Nepal village that vanished Posted: 07 May 2015 09:23 AM PDT  By Andrew MacAskill and Douglas Busvine DHUNCHE, Nepal (Reuters) - It was three foreign trekkers who used their satellite telephone to call the rescue helicopter that landed in Nepal's Langtang Valley around midday on Tuesday, April 28. They then led the uninjured foreign trekkers out of the aircraft and carried injured Nepalis aboard, including a toddler with broken legs, at a rescue in another village, Kyanjin Gompa. "Most helicopters were coming to pick up the foreigners, who were healthy, not our injured people," said Lhakpa Jangba, a local baker who was interviewed at a monastery in Kathmandu after his evacuation from the valley last week. Stay one or two more days and let our injured people go.'" Rescue workers are struggling to recover the bodies of nearly 300 people, including about 110 foreigners, believed to be buried under up to six meters (20 feet) of ice, snow and rock from the landslide that destroyed Langtang Village.
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| Exit poll: Conservatives surprisingly strong in UK election Posted: 07 May 2015 04:53 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party fared much better than expected in parliamentary elections Thursday, an exit poll projected, suggesting it is within touching distance of forming a new government.
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| Egypt's Sisi says Ethiopians 'rescued' from Libya Posted: 07 May 2015 04:48 PM PDT  President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt had "rescued" 27 Ethiopians who were abducted in war-torn Libya, as state television showed him greeting the group at Cairo airport on Thursday. It was not immediately clear how the Ethiopians were rescued, or the details of their abduction, but Sisi's office said the group flown in on an Egyptian plane was "liberated by Egyptian and Libyan security services". "All efforts were made to bring the Ethiopians to Egypt safely... Egyptian services participated in this effort to protect, rescue and secure our Ethiopian brothers," Sisi told reporters at Cairo airport. In a separate statement, the army quoted Sisi as saying that the Ethiopians had been kidnapped in Libya.
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| Jordan Spieth sputters in star group at Players Posted: 07 May 2015 04:47 PM PDT  PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — For all the hype over Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth playing together, and the constant curiosity over Tiger Woods, one element at The Players Championship didn't change Thursday. The big star was the golf course.
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| The Latest: Conservatives hail predictions of UK exit poll Posted: 07 May 2015 04:46 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — 12:40 a.m. (2340 GMT, 7:40 p.m. EDT)
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| German diplomat: Iran deal alternative 'not very attractive' Posted: 07 May 2015 04:44 PM PDT COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Alternatives to a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program are "not very attractive," a top German diplomat said Thursday, noting that Germany and other nations are ready to move beyond sanctions despite what the U.S. Congress might do. |
| New York City to widen successful rat eradication program Posted: 07 May 2015 04:43 PM PDT By Alice Popovici NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York pilot program to root out rats by attacking them in the colonies they set up in parks, subways and sewers has proven so successful that the city is expanding it to all five boroughs, a city official said on Thursday. "Depending on the initial level of severity, we've been able to have very significant effects," Daniel Kass, deputy commissioner for environmental health, said of the department's efforts to eradicate rats. |
| British navy ship in Mediterranean migrant rescue Posted: 07 May 2015 04:42 PM PDT  A British navy ship on Thursday came to the rescue of around 100 migrants adrift on a dinghy in the Mediterranean, Italy's coastguard said. The "Bulwark" was first on the scene after the International Organisation for Migration received a distress call from a migrant boat that got into trouble off the coast of Libya. The migrants were subsequently transferred to an Italian vessel. The Italian coastguard on Thursday also coordinated the rescue of another rickety boat carrying 120 migrants.
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| Mayweather to Showtime: Pacquiao a 'sore loser' and 'coward' Posted: 07 May 2015 04:40 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Floyd Mayweather said in an upcoming interview with Showtime that at this moment he's not interested in a rematch with Manny Pacquiao "because he's a sore loser and he's a coward."
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| UN troops ready to move against DR Congo rebels Posted: 07 May 2015 04:39 PM PDT  UN troops are preparing an offensive against Hutu rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo after plans for a joint operation with the Congolese army fell through, the UN peacekeeping chief said Thursday. Herve Ladsous told reporters following a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council that the UN mission MONUSCO would carry out unilateral operations to drive out the Hutu militia based in eastern DR Congo. The United Nations pulled its support for the joint operation against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels in February after Kinshasa named two tainted generals to lead the offensive.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 07 May 2015 04:32 PM PDT ICHANGU NARAYAN, Nepal (AP) — They arrived in Nepal as backpackers a day before a deadly earthquake that flattened large swaths of this impoverished Himalayan nation. In the days since the disaster, they've transformed themselves into a two-man amateur aid agency. Using funds pledged through a Facebook appeal, Pedro Queiros and Lourenco Macedo Santos are taking food and bedding to needy Nepalis made homeless by the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck outside Kathmandu shortly before noon on Apr. 25. |
| More storms headed for Great Plains after tornadoes kill one, injure 12 in Oklahoma Posted: 07 May 2015 04:30 PM PDT  By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Thunderstorm and flash flood warnings were issued for several Great Plains states on Thursday, a day after a series of tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, causing one death, injuring 12 and flattening buildings. One woman who sought safety in her home's storm shelter died when it flooded in Wednesday night's storms, Oklahoma police said. The weather system battered a region from Texas to Nebraska and spawned dozens of reported tornadoes on Wednesday. Large parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and North Texas were under flash flood and severe thunderstorm watches on Thursday.
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| Ukraine's Poroshenko slams 'appeasement' of Moscow Posted: 07 May 2015 04:30 PM PDT  Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday criticised what he termed a policy of appeasement towards Russia in the context of the separatist conflict in Ukraine's east. "Crimes are committed today in the 21st century amid the aggression against my country Ukraine, despite the cruelest lessons of the past," Poroshenko said in the Polish port city of Gdansk. He was speaking at ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II that were attended by leaders including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and EU President Donald Tusk. Poroshenko also slammed Russia's upcoming May 9 World War II victory parade in Moscow as a "parade of cynicism".
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| Surprise lead for Conservatives in UK election exit poll Posted: 07 May 2015 04:25 PM PDT  Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives have defied expectations to win the most seats at Britain's general election while falling just short of the clear majority needed to govern alone, exit polls indicated Thursday. The centre-right Conservatives were projected to win 316 seats compared to 239 for Ed Miliband's centre-left Labour party, in a result that tore up pre-election predictions. Opinion polls had indicated for months that the Conservatives and Labour were virtually tied. If the results are borne out, they could put Britain on a collision course with the European Union as Cameron has promised an in-out referendum on membership.
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| Poland marks 70th anniversary of end of WWII Posted: 07 May 2015 04:21 PM PDT  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president led international commemorations late Thursday and into Friday marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, a gathering meant as an alternative celebration to Moscow's Red Square parade this weekend.
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| Election day becomes political drama in 'The Vote' Posted: 07 May 2015 04:14 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Election campaigns are full of drama. So are election results. The bit in between, though? That's just people in polling booths, marking Xs on pieces of paper.
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| Syrian activists report new chlorine attacks in Idlib Posted: 07 May 2015 04:10 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian activists and a doctor reported Thursday of new suspected chemical attacks in the northwestern province of Idlib, leaving several dozens of people suffering from asphyxiation. |
| APNewsBreak: Turkey, Saudi in pact to help anti-Assad rebels Posted: 07 May 2015 04:07 PM PDT  ISTANBUL (AP) — Casting aside U.S. concerns about aiding extremist groups, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have converged on an aggressive new strategy to bring down Syrian President Bashar Assad.
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| Spanish zoo hit with criminal complaint over chimp deaths Posted: 07 May 2015 04:06 PM PDT  An animal rights group filed a criminal complaint Thursday against a Spanish zoo after two chimpanzees named Adam and Eve that escaped from the facility died, one shot by police. The chimpanzees, who weighed each about 70 kilogrammes (154 pounds) escaped from the Safari Zoo in Sa Coma on the holiday island of Mallorca on Monday afternoon after they managed to break a metal bar of their cage, the zoo's assistant director, Miquel Brunet, told AFP. The two chimpanzees, both born in 1985, had shared the same enclosure at the zoo for the past 13 years. "We have filed a complaint against the administrators of the zoo for the death of Adam and Eve," Pedro Pozas, the head of Projet Grand Singe, a Spanish group that works to protect apes, told AFP.
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| Policemen detained in case of fans slayed in Brazil Posted: 07 May 2015 04:04 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Authorities say a policeman and a former policeman have been detained by officials investigating the killings of eight people at the fan club of a popular Brazilian soccer club. |
| Arrests of Palestinian students over politics worrying: HRW Posted: 07 May 2015 04:03 PM PDT  Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused the Palestinian security forces of arresting or questioning West Bank students over their political opinions, saying several had been mistreated. "It is deeply worrying that students are being held by Palestinian forces for no apparent reason other than their connection to Hamas or their opinions," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East and North Africa director. "Palestinians should be able to express critical political opinions without being arrested or beaten," she said a statement.
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| Clashes, protests hit Guinea over vote timing Posted: 07 May 2015 04:01 PM PDT  Guinean security forces on Thursday clashed with protesters in the capital Conakry who demanded a revision of an election timetable that they say stacks the odds in the regime's favour, an AFP journalist and witnesses said. The clashes came a day before President Alpha Conde and opposition chief Cellou Dalein Diallo were due to hold talks, the first such meeting in three years. Diallo's home and those of other prominent opposition leaders were earlier cordoned off by security forces.
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| Haggling likely as exit poll in UK vote shows Tories strong Posted: 07 May 2015 03:59 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Counting the votes in Britain's election will take a matter of hours.
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| Back on the beat: Rio cops step up patrols Posted: 07 May 2015 03:57 PM PDT  Faced with a surge in armed robberies, Rio de Janeiro police are using mounted patrols and old-fashioned tactics to combat crime ahead of next year's Olympic Games.
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| Nationalists set to sweep Scotland but be shut out of UK govt Posted: 07 May 2015 03:48 PM PDT By Angus MacSwan EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scottish nationalists could take nearly every seat in Scotland but be shut out of any role in the British government, according to an exit poll after voting ended in Britain's national election on Thursday. The poll for national television stations showed the Scottish National Party (SNP) taking 58 out of the 59 parliamentary seats north of the border. |
| Contador kicks off attempt at rare Giro and Tour double Posted: 07 May 2015 03:38 PM PDT  ROME (AP) — Alberto Contador has been riding a bit slower than usual this season.
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| Israel approves hundreds of homes in east Jerusalem Posted: 07 May 2015 03:35 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is pushing ahead with a Jerusalem construction project that had caused a rift between Israel and the United States. |
| Scottish nationalists set for historic victory Posted: 07 May 2015 03:26 PM PDT  Scottish nationalists were headed for sweeping gains in Britain's general election on Thursday, with an exit poll indicating a surge in support that could increase pressure for a new independence referendum. "My message is that we'll stand up for Scotland," Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), told supporters after casting her ballot in a Glasgow suburb. The result would be a stunning reversal from eight months ago when the SNP lost an independence referendum in which 55 percent of Scots voted against breaking off from the rest of the United Kingdom. The SNP has also said it would be prepared to work with a minority government led by the main opposition Labour party, potentially handing it more leverage.
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| Chile's Bachelet changes tack with new Cabinet amid crisis Posted: 07 May 2015 03:16 PM PDT SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — In shaking up her entire Cabinet, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is trying to salvage an ambitious reform package amid growing scandals and contain a political crisis. |
| Sevilla beats Fiorentina 3-0 in Europa League semifinal Posted: 07 May 2015 03:14 PM PDT  SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Sevilla right back Aleix Vidal scored two goals and set up another to lead the titleholders to a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in their Europa League semifinal first leg on Thursday.
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| Brazil hospital says Pele recovering from prostate surgery Posted: 07 May 2015 03:10 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Pele is recovering from prostate surgery in a Sao Paulo hospital. |
| Russia says destroying Libya migrant boats 'going too far' Posted: 07 May 2015 02:51 PM PDT  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday that Europe should model its planned operations to tackle migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean from Libya on anti-piracy patrols in waters off Somalia, but that it would be too extreme to destroy the boats used. European Union leaders agreed last month to "identify, capture and destroy vessels before they are used by traffickers," but it is unclear how that may be achieved and the 28-nation bloc wants U.N. authorization for its operation. European members of the U.N. Security Council - Britain, France, Lithuania and Spain - are drafting a resolution to authorize intervention on the high seas, in Libyan territorial waters and onshore in Libya to seize vessels.
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| Brady to speak at college amid NFL deflated footballs report Posted: 07 May 2015 02:51 PM PDT  FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady makes his first public appearance Thursday night since a 243-page report found some of his claims were "implausible" concerning under-inflated balls in the AFC championship game.
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