| Houthis accept five-day truce in Yemen proposed by Saudi Arabia Posted: 10 May 2015 10:54 AM PDT  By Mohammed Ghobari and Mohammed Mukhashaf CAIRO/ADEN (Reuters) - Yemen's dominant Houthi group accepted a five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposed by its adversary Saudi Arabia on Sunday but said it would respond to any violations of the pause. Neighboring Saudi Arabia had said on Friday that the ceasefire could begin on Tuesday if the Iranian-allied militia agreed to the pause, which would let in badly needed food and medical supplies. Backed by the United States, a Saudi-led coalition has been conducting air strikes against the Houthis and army units loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh since March 26 with the aim of restoring the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. "We will deal positively with any efforts, calls or serious and positive measures that would help lift the suffering and allow aid, supplies and ships to move safely to Yemen," the Houthis said in a statement carried by state media Saba.Colonel Sharaf Luqman, spokesperson for the Houthi-allied army, said on Sunday Yemeni forces had agreed to the truce but would confront any attacks by Hadi loyalists on battlefronts which stretch across much of the impoverished country.
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| Gun battle in ethnic Albanian region deepens Macedonian crisis Posted: 10 May 2015 02:46 PM PDT  By Matt Robinson and Fatos Bytyci KUMANOVO, Macedonia (Reuters) - Macedonia said on Sunday its police had wiped out a group of ethnic Albanian "terrorists" in a day-long gun battle that left at least 22 people dead at a moment of deep political crisis in the former Yugoslav republic. NATO, which dragged Macedonia from the brink of civil war in 2001, called for a "transparent investigation" of what went on when heavily armed police entered a mainly Albanian neighborhood in the northern town of Kumanovo before dawn on Saturday. The government said eight police and 14 members of an "armed group" had been killed in the ensuing gun battle, describing the gunmen as former rebel commanders from neighboring Kosovo, which broke from Serbia in war in 1999 and inspired an ethnic Albanian insurgency in Macedonia two years later.
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| Putin says Ukraine peace 'moving forward' despite problems Posted: 10 May 2015 07:50 AM PDT  By Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday that the peace process in eastern Ukraine was progressing despite difficulties. Merkel reaffirmed her support for the peace efforts and repeated her calls to Putin to use his influence with pro-Russian separatists battling Kiev government forces to end a conflict in which more than 6,000 people have been killed since April 2014. "There is every reason to believe the Minsk process is moving forward, though with problems," Putin told a joint news conference with Merkel, referring to the peace deal signed in February in the Belarussian capital. "With all the problems in east Ukraine, it has nevertheless become quieter," he said, adding that direct dialogue between the Kiev government and the separatists was crucial for peace.
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| After surviving Boko Haram, returnees face hunger in Nigerian towns Posted: 10 May 2015 03:48 PM PDT  By Julia Payne MICHIKA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Since Nigeria's army began clearing large areas of the country's northeast from Boko Haram, some of the 1.5 million internally displaced people have started returning home. Along the main roads heading north from Adamawa's state capital Yola, some trade has resumed in the towns but ghostly pockets and haunting reminders of the insurgent takeover are evident. Islamist militant group Boko Haram grabbed swathes of Nigeria's northeast last year, killing thousands in an unprecedented land grab. It took over most of Borno state, the birthplace of the group, and parts of Adamawa and Yobe while increasing incursions on neighboring countries.
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| Afghan clerics uneasy as civil rights movement gains momentum Posted: 10 May 2015 02:05 PM PDT  By Mirwais Harooni and Jessica Donati KABUL (Reuters) - Powerful religious leaders in Afghanistan are growing uneasy about the challenge to their authority posed by rare civil rights protests in Kabul and widespread anger over the lynching of a young woman wrongly accused of burning a Koran. The highest religious authority, the Ulema Council, exerts considerable influence in a country that remains deeply conservative despite significant changes since the hardline Islamist Taliban fell in 2001. Some Ulema members say that Ghani, who took office in September, has failed to consult with them and seek their advice to the same extent that his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, did. Numbering some 3,000 clerics and scholars, and headed by a 150-strong National Council, the Ulema can sway public opinion significantly through mosques across the country that are still the main source of Afghan social cohesion.
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| Polish president suffers shock reverse in first round vote: exit poll Posted: 10 May 2015 01:59 PM PDT  By Marcin Goclowski and Pawel Florkiewicz WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski came in a surprise second behind his conservative opponent in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday and must now face him in a run-off, an exit poll showed. Being forced into another round later this month pointed to voter disenchantment, an alarming prospect for Komorowski's allies in the Polish government who hope to win a record third term in office in a parliamentary election later this year. The result of Sunday's election should be seen as "a serious warning for the whole broadly defined governing camp," Andrzej Duda, the winning candidate, said late on Sunday. The exit poll, by Ipsos, put Komorowski on 32.2 percent of the vote, and gave 34.8 percent to Duda, who is running for the conservative Law and Justice opposition party.
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| Retired US soldier rips Canada's release of ex-Gitmo inmate Posted: 10 May 2015 04:41 PM PDT SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A retired American soldier who was blinded in one eye during a firefight in Afghanistan has criticized a Canadian judge's decision to allow the release of a former Guantanamo Bay inmate who was convicted in the attack. |
| Saudi king sending crown prince to summit with Obama this week Posted: 10 May 2015 04:41 PM PDT  Saudi Arabia's King Salman has designated his crown prince to attend a Gulf Arab summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, the state news agency, SPA, reported on Sunday, just two days after the White House said the monarch would attend the gathering. Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef would head the delegation representing the world's top oil exporter at the talks this week, which U.S. sources say will focus on military cooperation. A preliminary deal between Iran and world powers on Tehran's nuclear program and the crises in Syria and Yemen are also likely to be discussed at the summit on Tuesday and Wednesday of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council in Washington and Camp David, Maryland.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 10 May 2015 04:32 PM PDT MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Manny Pacquiao lost his biggest fight in the ring, but that won't stop him from plotting a bigger comeback — in the political arena that is. In a country where elections are also entertainment and political programs secondary, candidates often win because of star power and money. |
| Obama to try to allay Gulf nation leaders' fears about Iran Posted: 10 May 2015 04:30 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of Gulf nations unnerved by Washington's nuclear talks with Iran and Tehran's meddling across the Mideast look to President Barack Obama to promise more than words and weapons at Thursday's Camp David summit.
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| Hail, snow, flooding, a tornado and a tropical storm for Mother's Day Posted: 10 May 2015 04:23 PM PDT  By Harriet McLeod and Todd Epp CHARLESTON, S.C./SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Reuters) - Hail, snow, flooding, a tornado and a tropical storm made it a "severe weather" Mother's Day in much of the center of the United States and on the Carolina coast on Sunday. Rescue helicopters in Denton County, Texas pulled six people out of homes after thunderstorms dumped heavy rain in the area. In the town of Krum in northern Texas, Hickory Creek flooded, sweeping away cars. "No injuries, that's the most important thing," Sergeant Lonny Haschel of the Texas Highway Patrol told CNN.
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| Libya 'cruelty' drives dangerous crossings: Amnesty Posted: 10 May 2015 04:22 PM PDT  Migrants in Libya face "cruelty" and abuse, driving many people to risk their lives in dangerous Mediterranean crossings aimed at reaching sanctuary in Europe, Amnesty International said on Monday. For years Libya has been a stepping stone for Africans seeking a better life in Europe. Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict at home are also making their way to Libya to try to reach the West. "The ghastly conditions for migrants, coupled with spiralling lawlessness and armed conflicts raging within the country, make clear just how dangerous life in Libya is today," said Amnesty's Philip Luther.
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| Cruzeiro opens Brazilian league with 1-0 loss to Corinthians Posted: 10 May 2015 04:06 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Two-time defending champion Cruzeiro got off to a slow start in the Brazilian league on Sunday, conceding a late goal in 1-0 loss to Corinthians. |
| Madrid needs a comeback, Bayern a miracle in CL semis Posted: 10 May 2015 04:01 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid needs a comeback, Bayern Munich needs a miracle. |
| Mexico's Alejandra Llaneza wins Symetra Tour event Posted: 10 May 2015 03:55 PM PDT GREENWOOD, S.C. (AP) — Mexico's Alejandra Llaneza birdied the final hole Sunday for a one-stroke victory in the Symetra Tour's Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women's Health Classic. |
| Wambach scores twice in 3-0 US win over Ireland Posted: 10 May 2015 03:31 PM PDT  SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Judy Wambach got a special Mother's Day gift.
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| Wiretaps in Guatemala corruption scheme name top justice Posted: 10 May 2015 03:28 PM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Wiretappings in a Guatemala tax corruption case indicate that a judge-bribing scheme to free some of the accused from jail may have reached the country's supreme court.
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| Man United set for Champions League after Liverpool draws Posted: 10 May 2015 03:11 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Manchester United is set to return to the Champions League next season after Premier League champion Chelsea held Liverpool to a draw, effectively ending the Reds' hopes of making it to Europe's top competition.
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| Nine dead after bus crash in northeastern Mexico Posted: 10 May 2015 03:10 PM PDT Nine people are dead and 30 people remain hospitalized after a crash between two buses early on Sunday morning in northeastern Mexico, according to a government statement. Eight passengers died at the scene and a ninth person died at the hospital, the government said. |
| Marseille rallies to beat Monaco 2-1 in French League Posted: 10 May 2015 03:00 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Late goals from Andre Ayew and Romain Alessandrini guided Marseille to a 2-1 win over Monaco in the French league Sunday and maintained its chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
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| British PM Cameron rules out another Scottish independence vote Posted: 10 May 2015 02:59 PM PDT  British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday ruled out giving Scotland another independence referendum despite spectacular gains by Scottish nationalists in a UK-wide election, saying Scots had "emphatically" rejected a breakaway only last year. Cameron, who was re-elected with a surprise outright majority last week, said he would ensure that further powers would be granted to Scotland according to an existing plan. Scotland voted emphatically to stay in the United Kingdom," Cameron told Channel 4 News. "There isn't going to be another referendum," he said, saying the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), which won 56 of 59 parliamentary seats in Scotland last week, had made clear that election was not about securing another vote.
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| NATO chief urges restraint in Macedonia, calls for investigation Posted: 10 May 2015 02:46 PM PDT NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged restraint in Macedonia on Sunday and called for a transparent investigation of violence in which the government said eight police and 14 members of an "armed group" were killed. "It is important that all political and community leaders work together to restore calm and conduct a transparent investigation to establish what happened." "I urge everyone to exercise restraint and avoid any further escalation, in the interest of the country and the whole region," he said. |
| 9-man Lazio loses 2-1 to Inter, misses chance to move 2nd Posted: 10 May 2015 02:46 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — Lazio missed the chance to move back into second place in Serie A as it lost 2-1 at home to Inter Milan on Sunday after playing most of the second half with nine men.
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| Peru sends troops to valley shaken by anti-mining violence Posted: 10 May 2015 02:36 PM PDT LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru's government has dispatched troops to a violence-wracked southern coastal valley where protests against a copper mining project have claimed the lives of two civilians and a police officer. |
| Gunmen in Macedonia had planned many attacks, leader says Posted: 10 May 2015 02:35 PM PDT  KUMANOVO, Macedonia (AP) — An armed group battling Macedonian police over the weekend left 22 people dead and aimed to destabilize the country with terror attacks, the country's president declared Sunday in a nationwide television address.
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| Woods has worst 72-hole performance at Players Posted: 10 May 2015 02:27 PM PDT  PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods swung driver on the seventh hole and it went right down the middle.
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| Germany's Worrack wins Tour of California women's title Posted: 10 May 2015 02:25 PM PDT SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Germany's Trixi Worrack won the Tour of California women's title Sunday on bonus time and Canada's Leah Kirchmann took her second straight stage in the three-leg event. |
| Saudi King Salman to miss Gulf nation summit in US Posted: 10 May 2015 02:15 PM PDT RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's King Salman will not attend a Camp David summit of U.S. and allied Arab leaders, his foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said Sunday. |
| US, Czechs, Russia make quarterfinals at hockey worlds Posted: 10 May 2015 02:14 PM PDT  PRAGUE (AP) — Brock Nelson scored twice and added an assist Sunday as the United States clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the ice hockey world championship with a 3-1 victory over Slovenia.
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| NATO, EU urge 'restraint' as Macedonia clashes leave 22 dead Posted: 10 May 2015 02:11 PM PDT  NATO and the EU called for a return to calm in Macedonia Sunday after clashes between police and an armed group left at least 22 people dead, raising concerns about presumed ethnic-Albanian unrest in the Balkan region. "I urge everyone to exercise restraint and avoid any further escalation, in the interest of the country and the whole region," NATO Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. Police said late Sunday that their operation against the gunmen in the northern town of Kumanovo was over. "The armed group is neutralised," police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told AFP.
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| Escaped Chibok students offer help to freed Boko Haram hostages Posted: 10 May 2015 02:08 PM PDT  Deborah knows just what to say to the 275 women and children who were held hostage by Boko Haram and rescued recently by the Nigerian military. The 19-year-old speaks from experience: she was among another group of 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters from her secondary school in the remote northeastern town of Chibok, on April 14 last year. "We have already forgiven them (Boko Haram). Deborah is sitting in a small, modern classroom at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, with Blessing and Mary, both 18, who also escaped with her that night.
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| Merkel says 'still no ceasefire' in east Ukraine Posted: 10 May 2015 02:05 PM PDT  German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said there was still no genuine ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, as she paid a visit to Moscow to commemorate millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians who died in WWII. "Unfortunately we still do not have a ceasefire today," Merkel said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "As Germany's chancellor, I bow before the millions of victims caused by this war, which was started by Nazi Germany," Merkel told a news conference in the Russian capital. In recent months Merkel has played a key negotiation role over Ukraine, acting as a go-between for an isolated Kremlin and the West.
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| EU battle casts shadow over Cameron's election success Posted: 10 May 2015 02:03 PM PDT  Prime Minister David Cameron had barely toasted his surprise election victory before attention turned to Britain's future in Europe and the onerous task of quelling rebellious eurosceptics within party ranks. In some of his first comments since winning Thursday's election, Cameron said he had contacted European Union leaders to begin renegotiation of Britain's terms of membership, before holding an in-out referendum. "I've already made some calls to European leaders," Cameron told Channel Four news. Cameron says he will campaign to stay in the EU, but only if he can secure reforms such as changes on migration and benefits, and the repatriation of certain powers to London.
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| Torres gives Atletico draw; Villarreal seals Europa spot Posted: 10 May 2015 02:03 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Fernando Torres scored with 10 minutes left to give Atletico Madrid a 2-2 draw at Levante in the Spanish league on Sunday, while Villarreal sealed a Europa League berth for next season. |
| China's Shanshan Feng wins LET event in Shanghai Posted: 10 May 2015 01:58 PM PDT SHANGHAI (AP) — China's Shanshan Feng won the Ladies European Tour's Buick Championship by six strokes Sunday at Shanghai Qizhong Garden. |
| Polish president's re-election bid falters at first hurdle Posted: 10 May 2015 01:56 PM PDT  Conservative opposition challenger Andrzej Duda pulled off a surprise first-round lead in Poland's presidential ballot on Sunday, edging ahead of incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski with promises of generous social spending. Duda scored 34.8 percent against Komorowski's 32.2 percent, with rock star and political novice Pawel Kukiz trailing at 20.3 percent, according to an exit poll by Poland's TVP public television broadcaster. We have to listen to the voters' voice," a sombre Komorowski told campaign staff in Warsaw in a reference to the fact that his political allies in the ruling centrist Civic Platform (PO) face parliamentary polls in the fall. The 42-year-old lawyer is backed by the Law and Justice (PiS) conservative opposition party, which is gaining ground against the PO ahead of the parliamentary polls.
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| Poll: Poland's 1st round presidential vote won by opposition Posted: 10 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An exit poll predicted Sunday that nationalist opposition candidate Andrzej Duda will win the most votes in the first round of Poland's presidential election and will face incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski in a May 24 runoff.
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