| Britain's Cameron won big by selling stability over fear Posted: 09 May 2015 03:13 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron sealed a surprise election win by persuading Britons to choose the security of modestly rising living standards over an implausible pretender many feared could become the puppet of Scottish nationalists. Blending the promise of "the good life" fueled by a strong economic recovery with fear of resurgent Scottish separatists calling the shots in a country they want to break up, Cameron steamrolled the opposition Labour Party and won his party's first outright majority in 23 years. "We've had a positive response to a positive campaign about safeguarding our economy," said Cameron, as if he had always expected to win so emphatically. Before it became clear he had won, some in his center-right Conservative Party feared he had run a dull campaign that failed to shift apparently tied opinion polls.
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| Gunfire, explosions in Macedonia as police battle 'armed group' Posted: 09 May 2015 03:14 PM PDT  By Ognen Teofilovski KUMANOVO, Macedonia (Reuters) - Five police officers died and dozens were wounded in a daylong gun battle in an ethnic Albanian suburb of northern Macedonia on Saturday, adding the threat of armed conflict to a deep political crisis rocking the ex-Yugoslav republic. Police said that acting on information about an "armed group" they had launched an operation in an ethnic Albanian district of the northern town of Kumanovo 40 km (25 miles) north of the capital Skopje. The region saw heavy fighting during an ethnic Albanian insurgency in 2001. The events will deepen concern in the West over stability in Macedonia, where the government is on the ropes over allegations by the main opposition, the Social Democrats, of illegal wire-tapping and widespread abuse of office.
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| Saudi-led coalition launches wave of air strikes on Yemen Posted: 09 May 2015 02:03 PM PDT  CAIRO/ADEN (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday it had hit Yemen with 130 air strikes over the previous 24 hours, and a senior UN official said some attacks violated international law. The coalition of Arab states had called on civilians to evacuate Saada, the city in northern Yemen where support for Houthi rebels is strongest, before the bombing but it was unclear how they could leave. "The indiscriminate bombing of populated areas, with or without prior warning, is in contravention of international humanitarian law," the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Johannes van der Klaauw said in a statement later in the day. The air strikes targeted bases of Houthi leaders across Saada and Hajja provinces, said Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, as well as hitting tanks and other military vehicles.
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| North Korea boasts of firing ballistic missile from submarine Posted: 09 May 2015 09:18 AM PDT By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday it had successfully test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine, a step that would mark significant progress in the secretive state's military capabilities. It could pose a new threat to South Korea, Japan and the United States, which have tried to contain North Korea's growing nuclear and missile strength, military experts said. The North's leader, Kim Jong Un, oversaw the test-launch from an offshore location as the submarine dived and "a ballistic missile surfaced from the sea and soared into the air, leaving a fiery trail of blaze," the official KCNA news agency said. |
| Airbus A400M military transporter crashes on test flight, killing four Posted: 09 May 2015 01:58 PM PDT  By Marcelo del Pozo SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) - An Airbus A400M military transport plane crashed outside Seville on Saturday, killing four test crew and prompting Britain and Germany to ground Europe's new troop and cargo carrier. The aircraft was due to be delivered to another NATO customer, Turkey, and was on its maiden test flight when it crashed in a field one mile (1.6 km) north of Seville's San Pablo airport. Airbus said four Spanish employees had been killed and two surviving crew were in hospital in serious condition. Airbus said it had sent a team to investigate.
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| Fifty inmates and 12 police killed in Iraq prison break: officials Posted: 09 May 2015 12:00 PM PDT Fifty inmates and 12 police died in a prison escape organized by Islamic State, Iraqi officials said on Saturday, while supporters of the group acknowledged it staged the breakout but gave different details. After a riot erupted, dozens of prisoners escaped from the Al-Khalis facility about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, security and police officials said. Militants of Islamic State, the group sometimes known as ISIS which has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria, broke in with the help of explosives to free 30 inmates and get into the jail's weapons stores, said Amaq News Agency, which supports the group. |
| Rangers braced for hard yards in Premiership push Posted: 09 May 2015 04:48 PM PDT  Rangers manager Stuart McCall says there is still a lot of hard work ahead of his side after they claimed a narrow 2-1 victory over Queen of the South in the first leg of their Scottish Premiership play-off quarter-final at Palmerston Park. Steven Smith gave the Gers a 44th-minute lead with a superbly hit free-kick before Derek Lyle headed in a 64th-minute leveller. The win has given the fallen Glasgow giants' dreams of promotion back to the Scottish Premiership a major boost but, with a potential further five matches still ahead of them, McCall insists no one at the club is getting carried away.
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| Power wins IndyCar Grand Prix of Indianapolis Posted: 09 May 2015 04:47 PM PDT  Reigning IndyCar champion Will Power of Australia captured his first win of 2015 in dominant style on Saturday in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Power started from pole position and led 65 of 82 laps, including the final 20, on the 2.439-mile (3.93 Km), 14-turn road course laid out largely in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's famed oval. Graham Rahal gained ground on Power with about 12 laps to go, but Power pulled away in the closing laps and beat Rahal to the finish line by 1.5 seconds. Team Penske driver Power claimed his 25th career IndyCar victory, which moved him into a tie with Gordon Johncock for 15th on the all-time list.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 09 May 2015 04:32 PM PDT PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea said Saturday that it successfully test-fired a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine in what would be the latest display of the country's advancing military capabilities. Hours after the announcement, South Korean officials said the North fired three anti-ship cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast. Experts in Seoul say the North's military demonstrations and hostile rhetoric are attempts at wresting concessions from the United States and South Korea, whose officials have recently talked about the possibility of holding preliminary talks with the North to test its commitment to denuclearization. |
| Power-packed race gives Penske 1st Grand Prix win at Indy Posted: 09 May 2015 04:31 PM PDT  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Will Power came to Indianapolis chasing more than a double. He wants a clean sweep.
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| After day of calm, Burundi orders immediate end to protests Posted: 09 May 2015 03:58 PM PDT  Burundi's government on Saturday ordered protesters to immediately end weeks of demonstrations against President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term bid and ordered all barricades to be removed within 48 hours. "The protesters and organisers of this insurrection must immediately and unconditionally stop this insurrection that handicaps the life of Burundi and its people," the National Security Council said in a statement read out in Bujumbura. The government's top security body, headed by Nkurunziza, demanded that all roads "previously barricaded by insurgents" be cleared by security forces within 48 hours. Protest leader Pacifique Nininahazwe slammed the order as a "declaration of war", vowing that the demonstrations would continue until Nkurunziza scraps his plan to run for a third term, widely deemed unconstitutional.
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| 5 police killed in clash with armed group in Macedonia Posted: 09 May 2015 03:55 PM PDT  KUMANOVO, Macedonia (AP) — An armed group attacked special forces police Saturday in a town in northern Macedonia in a clash that killed five police officers and injured more than 30, officials said, amid a political crisis that has raised concern about the stability of the Balkan nation.
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| Tropical Storm Ana threatens Carolinas with rough surf, rain Posted: 09 May 2015 03:53 PM PDT  By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Winds from Tropical Storm Ana, the first named storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season, picked up onshore in the Carolinas on Saturday and beachgoers were warned of expected dangerous rip currents and heavy rain. Ana was moving slightly faster toward the U.S. Southeast coast with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour after it transitioned overnight into a tropical storm, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. The storm was positioned Saturday morning about 65 miles south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina , the weather agency said. The storm had slowed slightly, moving at about 3 mph, and the center of the storm was forecast to be "very near" the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina by Sunday morning, according to the hurricane center.
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| Five Macedonia police killed in gunfight near Kosovo border Posted: 09 May 2015 03:41 PM PDT  "Five police officers were killed in a shootout with 'terrorists'" and some 30 were injured in the northern town of Kumanovo, Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska told reporters. Meanwhile, local papers in the Albanian language reported that five members of an armed group were killed in Kumanovo. Police said earlier that the armed group illegally entered Macedonia from a neighbouring country, without elaborating. Local media suggested they came from neighbouring Kosovo, populated mostly by ethnic Albanians.
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| Chudinov defeats Sturm by split decision for WBA belt Posted: 09 May 2015 03:34 PM PDT FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Fedor Chudinov of Russia defeated former middleweight champion Felix Sturm of Germany by split decision for the vacant WBA super middleweight title on Saturday. |
| Cameron to restore outspoken ally Gove to cabinet front line Posted: 09 May 2015 03:12 PM PDT Newly re-elected British Prime Minister David Cameron will restore one of his most outspoken and combative allies to a leading cabinet role by naming former education minister Michael Gove as justice secretary. A Downing Street source on Saturday confirmed the imminent appointment of Gove, who was last year shunted into the role of chief whip, responsible for keeping party members in line, in what was seen as a demotion. Gove, one of the most radical figures in Cameron's Conservative party, drove education reform by encouraging the creation of "free schools", directly funded by governments and independent of local councils. The Downing Street source said Education Secretary Nicky Morgan would also continue in her role, with more appointments to be announced on Monday. |
| Britain in new era after Cameron's shock victory Posted: 09 May 2015 03:10 PM PDT  Britain was adjusting to a new political landscape on Saturday after a shock election victory for Prime Minister David Cameron that decapitated the opposition and bolstered secessionists in Scotland. While Cameron spent the weekend drawing up his new team of ministers, the Scottish National Party (SNP) was celebrating its seismic gains, insisting it would not be sidelined in the new parliament. Despite pollsters predicting that Cameron's Conservatives would lose ground in Thursday's vote, they won 331 of the 650 seats in parliament, giving the prime minister a second term in office -- this time with a majority for his centre-right party. While there were dramatic gains for the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party (SNP), the opposition was left in disarray after the Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders quit over their parties' drubbings.
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| Broncos stay in 1st, Cowboys win 6th in a row in NRL Posted: 09 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — The Brisbane Broncos remained in first place in the National Rugby League while their state rivals, the North Queensland Cowboys, stayed close with a 23-16 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs. |
| FBI says U.K. man accused of rape may have more victims Posted: 09 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT  EUGENE, Oregon (AP) — A man from Wales accused of traveling to Oregon to rape a 10-year-old girl he met through an online chat program has previously traveled to other states in the United States, and there might be other victims, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
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| Former Turkish president, coup leader, Evren dies at 97 Posted: 09 May 2015 03:07 PM PDT  ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Kenan Evren, the Turkish general who led a 1980 coup that ended years of violence but whose rule unleashed a wave of arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings, died on Saturday. He was 97.
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| Barcelona 1 win away from La Liga title after Madrid slips Posted: 09 May 2015 03:06 PM PDT  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona was one victory away from clinching the Spanish league title after Real Madrid fell four points adrift on Saturday, when Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in a 2-2 home draw to Valencia.
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| British church bells ring out in VE Day celebrations Posted: 09 May 2015 03:06 PM PDT  Cathedrals and churches across Britain rang their bells on Saturday as part of the three-day commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day). London's St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey joined in the tribute while the HMS Ocean, one of the Royal Navy's largest ships, sounded its horn. Celebrations carried on into the evening with a concert at Horse Guards Parade in London, including performances from opera diva Katherine Jenkins, pop singer Pixie Lott and veteran rockers Status Quo.
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| Benfica stays on course for title, Penafiel relegated Posted: 09 May 2015 02:58 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica moved one step closer to successfully defending its Portuguese league title after it sealed bottom-side Penafiel's relegation with a 4-0 win on Saturday. |
| Roma risks missing out on 2nd after 2-1 loss at AC Milan Posted: 09 May 2015 02:57 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — Roma lost 2-1 at AC Milan to leave it at risk of missing out on second place in Serie A, while Paul Pogba marked his comeback with a goal as newly crowned champion Juventus drew 1-1 against relegation-threatened Cagliari on Saturday.
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| Vatican cardinal sees no change in family teachings at synod Posted: 09 May 2015 02:47 PM PDT  VATICAN CITY (AP) — A senior Vatican cardinal predicted Saturday that there will be no change in the Catholic Church's practice and teaching about marriage, divorce and the reception of Communion at an upcoming meeting of bishops on family issues.
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| Canada, Sweden make quarterfinals at ice hockey worlds Posted: 09 May 2015 02:25 PM PDT  PRAGUE (AP) — Canada overcame France 4-3 to maintain a perfect record at the ice hockey world championship and secure a quarterfinal spot on Saturday.
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| Turkey ex-president Evren, 1980 coup leader, dies aged 97 Posted: 09 May 2015 02:22 PM PDT  Turkish former president Kenan Evren, convicted last year for his key role in the country's bloody 1980 coup, died Saturday in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. Evren had received treatment at the GATA military hospital since 2012 but his condition turned critical on Saturday when he was taken out of an intensive care unit and attached to a respirator.
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| Murray to face Nadal in Madrid final Posted: 09 May 2015 02:22 PM PDT  Andy Murray will meet Rafael Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open after continuing his flawless start to the European clay court season with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Kei Nishikori. Earlier, Nadal powered past the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 to reach his seventh final in the Spanish capital. Murray won his first ever clay court tournament earlier in the week in Munich, but was up against an in-form Nishikori, who claimed his second consecutive Barcelona Open title two weeks ago. Japan's Nishikori had been a set up on Nadal in last year's final in Madrid before eventually having to retire due to injury, and he showed why he has become such an accustomed clay court player early in the second with a great variety of shots to get the early break.
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| Cuban gays show pride in march and mass symbolic wedding Posted: 09 May 2015 02:14 PM PDT  By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - More than 1,000 gay, lesbian and transgender Cubans marched through Havana on Saturday, proudly displaying their truest selves for a day in a society where they still endure discrimination. The Eighth Annual March against Homophobia and Transphobia took on extra meaning this year for about 20 couples who participated in a "Celebration of Love," symbolically exchanging vows as same-sex marriage remains illegal in Cuba. Religious leaders from Cuba and abroad huddled with couples in a crowded pavilion in a ceremony inspired by the mass wedding of more than 100 couples at the World Pride event in Toronto last June. "Our family accepts us but society doesn't," said Raul Orta, who "married" his partner of 13 years, Yaimel Medina.
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| Castro's daughter sponsors blessing of Cuban gay couples Posted: 09 May 2015 02:11 PM PDT  HAVANA (AP) — The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro sponsored a blessing ceremony Saturday for gay couples on an island where gay marriage remains illegal.
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| Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos hurt before Juventus match Posted: 09 May 2015 02:10 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid not only lost most of its hopes for winning the Spanish league on Saturday, it also saw midfielder Toni Kroos hobble off the pitch four days before its Champions League second-leg semifinal against Juventus.
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| Canada struggle past France at worlds Posted: 09 May 2015 02:08 PM PDT  Canada kept their perfect record and stayed at the top of Group A at the ice hockey world championships after struggling to a 4-3 win over underdogs France on Saturday. Dallas young gun Tyler Seguin and Edmonton forward Jordan Eberle put Canada 2-0 ahead before Julien Desrosiers narrowed their lead in the first period. Seguin added a power play goal on 37 minutes, but France never gave up and levelled the score within 35 seconds of the 47th minute with goals by Yorick Treille and Damien Fleury.
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| At least four killed in Spain military air crash Posted: 09 May 2015 02:06 PM PDT  At least four people were killed when an Airbus A400M military plane crashed near Seville airport in southern Spain during a test flight, the first fatal incident involving the new transport craft. Andalusia's regional prefect Antonio Sanz said a burnt body had been found in the wreckage, raising the death toll to four. The prime minister, who was due to visit the crash scene later Saturday, expressed his condolences to the victims, Spanish news agencies reported. The group sent a team of experts to the crash scene.
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| French president says UN climate fund could help Caribbean Posted: 09 May 2015 02:05 PM PDT FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique (AP) — French President Francois Hollande told Caribbean leaders on Saturday that a planned international green fund could help the vulnerable, tourism-dependent region mitigate the effects of climate change. |
| Saudi-led strikes in Yemen break international law: U.N. coordinator Posted: 09 May 2015 02:03 PM PDT By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition on Saada city in Yemen, where many civilians are trapped, are in breach of international law, despite calls for civilians to leave the area, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen said on Saturday. "The indiscriminate bombing of populated areas, with or without prior warning, is in contravention of international humanitarian law (IHL)," Johannes van der Klaauw said in a statement. |
| Lyon's title hopes appear over with 3-0 defeat at Caen Posted: 09 May 2015 01:36 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Lyon's hopes of winning the French league appeared over after losing 3-0 at Caen to be six points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday with two rounds left.
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