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• Assad holds parliamentary election as Syrian peace talks resume
• Obama sees momentum in fight against Islamic State
• Russia jets make 'simulated attack' passes near US destroyer: U.S.
• Brazil's Rousseff pledges unity gov't as impeachment momentum grows
• Turkey expects more Syrians to return from Greece under EU deal
• North Korean restaurants: like the country, suspicious and in crisis
• Nigeria's Buhari vows crackdown after pipeline attacks in Delta
• Teck Resources says water containing metals spilled at Canada plant
• IS group's 'cause is lost', Obama says
• Day seeks to put more distance between No. 1 and 2
• New UN proposal aims at extremists use of chemical weapons
• San Francisco may take $3.45 million payout for Asiana crash
• 3 parties abandon Brazil president as impeachment vote nears
• Indigenous group asks Brazil to stop financing mega-projects
• Olympic officials: Rio won't be scarred by politics, graft
• Boko Haram send 'proof of life' video on Chibok girls: CNN
• Investigators still searching offices of Panama Papers firm
• Centrist allies of Brazil's Rousseff to vote for impeachment
• U.S. rights report criticizes China's 'severe' crackdown on lawyers
• Dinosaur skull owned by Nicolas Cage can back go to Mongolia
• Mexico announces over $4 billion in aid for struggling Pemex
• Russian jets in repeated 'aggressive' passes of US warship
• Jordanian police shut Muslim Brotherhood headquarters: senior Brotherhood figure
• 'The Beast' gobbling up IS fighters in Iraq: US
• U.N. chief was 'inept' on peacekeeper sex abuse: key U.S. senator
• North Korea missile capabilities increasing: U.S. defense officials
• US health authorities confirm Zika causes birth defects
• Argentina's Macri sets up blind trust to clear his finances
• Protesters ransack Macedonia president's office as crisis deepens
• Obama to issue new offshore drilling rules on Thursday: source
• Man said to be Liberian rebel leader arrested in Pennsylvania
• Bill Gates predicts end for polio
• Polls close in Sudan's rebel-boycotted Darfur vote
• Rhode Island won't replace derided 'Cooler & Warmer' slogan
• UN 'deeply concerned' for 35,000 displaced people in DR Congo
• White House aware of Russian planes flying near US destroyer: spokesman
• U.S. releases photos, video of Russian flights near U.S. destroyer
• Argentina court orders officials to get Uber service halted
• Brazil's Rousseff fights as impeachment noose tightens

Assad holds parliamentary election as Syrian peace talks resume Posted: 13 Apr 2016 12:46 PM PDT By John Davison and Laila Bassam DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syrians voted in a parliamentary election in government-held areas of the country on Wednesday in what they called a show of support for President Bashar al-Assad, while his opponents and Western powers denounced the poll as illegitimate. The election went ahead independently of a U.N.-led peace process aimed at ending the five-year-long war. A second round of talks began in Geneva on Wednesday but an upsurge in fighting has darkened the already bleak outlook for diplomacy.

Obama sees momentum in fight against Islamic State Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:16 PM PDT By Jeff Mason LANGLEY, Va. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq had put the militant group on the defensive, shrinking its territory and striking key leaders. "We have momentum and we intend to keep that momentum," Obama told reporters after meeting with his national security advisers at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. "We will continue to assist Iraq and so must the entire world as it works to stabilize liberated areas and promote governance and development that is inclusive of all Iraqi communities," he said.

Russia jets make 'simulated attack' passes near US destroyer: U.S. Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:31 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Russian warplanes flew simulated attack passes near a U.S. guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, the U.S. military said, with one official describing them as one of the most aggressive interactions in recent memory. A Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter also made seven passes around the USS Donald Cook, taking pictures. The nearest Russian territory was about 70 nautical miles away in its enclave of Kaliningrad, which sits between Lithuania and Poland.

Brazil's Rousseff pledges unity gov't as impeachment momentum grows Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:44 PM PDT By Anthony Boadle and Maria Carolina Marcello BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff pledged on Wednesday to form a government of national unity if she survives an impeachment vote in Congress this weekend, but the odds of that lengthened as allies continued to desert her. A stream of defections from Rousseff's coalition makes it increasingly likely she will lose Sunday's ballot in the lower house of Congress on whether she should face trial in the Senate over accusations she broke budget laws. Politicians have begun to flock this week to the residence of the man who would replace Rousseff if she is convicted, Vice President Michel Temer, to declare their support for him, his aides said.

Turkey expects more Syrians to return from Greece under EU deal Posted: 13 Apr 2016 01:57 PM PDT Turkey has begun taking back Syrians from Greece under an agreement with the European Union aimed at stemming the flow of migrants into the continent, and it expects the number of Syrians returning to rise soon, it said on Wednesday. Two Syrians were brought back to Turkey in the two first rounds of returns by ferry carried out under the deal, which took effect last week, Turkey's European Union Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkir told Reuters.

North Korean restaurants: like the country, suspicious and in crisis Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:28 PM PDT By Eveline Danubrata and Damir Sagolj JAKARTA/BEIJING (Reuters) - At a North Korean state-run restaurant in the Indonesian capital Jakarta earlier this week, the usual song and dance dinner performance by the waitresses was canceled, because there were fewer than 10 customers. Some North Korean restaurants across Asia have closed down and demand is lackluster at others - like the country itself, the establishments seem to be going through a crisis. There are about 130 North Korean restaurants overseas, staffed and operated by workers from North Korea, most of which remit revenue back to Pyongyang.

Nigeria's Buhari vows crackdown after pipeline attacks in Delta Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:49 PM PDT By Felix Onuah BEIJING (Reuters) - Nigeria will crack down on groups responsible for recent pipeline attacks in the oil-producing Delta region, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Wednesday. "We will deal with them the way we dealt with Boko Haram," Buhari said during a visit to China, referring to jihadists who have been waging an insurgency to set up an Islamic state in the north. The army has recaptured much of the territory Boko Haram had held since Buhari took office in May 2015, though the group still stages suicide bombings.

Teck Resources says water containing metals spilled at Canada plant Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:34 PM PDT (Reuters) - Canadian miner Teck Resources said water containing metals had spilled at its Trail smelting and refining plant in British Columbia on Wednesday, with some discharge possibly flowing into a nearby creek. Teck said it believed the spill, which lasted 15-20 minutes at the zinc and lead plant, was caused by a break in a line carrying runoff water from a landfill to the on-site water treatment facility. "A quantity of the water may have entered nearby Stoney Creek," Teck said in a news release, noting there was no risk to human health.

IS group's 'cause is lost', Obama says Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:32 PM PDT The Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is on the defensive and "their cause is lost," US President Barack Obama said Wednesday after meeting with CIA chiefs and other security officials. Obama paid a rare visit to CIA headquarters in Virginia to discuss progress of Operation Inherent Resolve, the 20-month-old US-led campaign against IS jihadists in Iraq and Syria. "ISIL is on the defensive, and we are on the offensive," Obama said, using an IS acronym.

Day seeks to put more distance between No. 1 and 2 Posted: 13 Apr 2016 04:23 PM PDT World number one Jason Day heads into this week's PGA Tour RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, South Carolina, hoping to put even more distance between himself and second-ranked Jordan Spieth. The 28-year-old Australian shot back into the top spot after consecutive victories last month at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the World Golf Championships Match Play. Spieth, meanwhile, is taking this week off after a back nine meltdown at the Masters which saw him go from a five-shot lead to finishing in a tie for second.

New UN proposal aims at extremists use of chemical weapons Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:56 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China introduced a draft U.N. resolution Wednesday aimed at preventing extremist groups like the Islamic State and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front from developing or using chemical weapons in Syria.

San Francisco may take $3.45 million payout for Asiana crash Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:52 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering a $3.45 million payout from Asiana Airlines to settle the city's claim from an airport crash that killed three people and injured nearly 200.

3 parties abandon Brazil president as impeachment vote nears Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:49 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — President Dilma Rousseff's chances of surviving impeachment appeared diminished Wednesday, with three parties decamping from her governing coalition in 24 hours as Brazilian legislators prepare for a crucial vote on the question expected this weekend.

Indigenous group asks Brazil to stop financing mega-projects Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:43 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A group representing Amazon indigenous people urged Brazil's National Development Bank on Wednesday to stop financing projects that cause environmental damage.

Olympic officials: Rio won't be scarred by politics, graft Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:41 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Rio de Janeiro Olympics won't be scarred by the impeachment proceedings against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, a $3 billon corruption scandal touching scores of powerful politicians and businessmen, and the country's deepest recession in decades.

Boko Haram send 'proof of life' video on Chibok girls: CNN Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:32 PM PDT Boko Haram has sent a "proof of life" video which shows 15 of the more than 200 girls abducted by Islamist fighters from the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok two years ago, CNN reported on Wednesday. The video showed the girls wearing black hijabs in an unspecified location, stating their names, that they were taken from Chibok and the date of the recording -- December 25, 2015, the broadcaster said. Two of the three mothers of the 219 schoolgirls still missing since the mass abduction on April 14, 2014 recognised their daughters on the video but another broke down as hers was not there.

Investigators still searching offices of Panama Papers firm Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:29 PM PDT PANAMA CITY (AP) — For a second day, prosecutors searched the Mossack Fonseca law firm Wednesday looking for evidence of any illegal activity in the company at the center of a document leak that revealed details of offshore financial accounts.

Centrist allies of Brazil's Rousseff to vote for impeachment Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:26 PM PDT Brazil's Social Democratic Party (PSD), the largest centrist party remaining in President Dilma Rousseff's coalition, instructed its members in the lower house of Congress to vote for her impeachment on Sunday, a party leader said on Wednesday. In another blow to the chances of Rousseff blocking impeachment on charges of breaking budget laws, the PSD's leader in the chamber, Rogerio Rosso, told reporters that a vast majority of the party's 38 lower house members back impeachment. It was up to the party's sole minister in Rousseff's cabinet, Minister of Cities Gilberto Kassab, to decide whether to resign his post or not, Rosso said.

U.S. rights report criticizes China's 'severe' crackdown on lawyers Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:16 PM PDT The U.S. State Department's annual human rights report on Wednesday criticized Beijing's 'severe' crackdown against Chinese lawyers and law firms handling cases that Beijing considers politically sensitive. The report, which describes human rights practices of governments in 199 countries, said repression and coercion in China against organizations and individuals involved in civil and political rights advocacy had increased.

Dinosaur skull owned by Nicolas Cage can back go to Mongolia Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:14 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in New York has approved the transfer to Mongolia of a dinosaur skull once owned by "National Treasure" adventure films star Nicolas Cage.

Mexico announces over $4 billion in aid for struggling Pemex Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:12 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — The government announced more than $4 billion in aid Wednesday for state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, whose finances, production and exploration projects have been hit by the fall in crude prices.

Russian jets in repeated 'aggressive' passes of US warship Posted: 13 Apr 2016 03:11 PM PDT A Russian military jet came within a few feet of a US destroyer in international waters in the Baltic Sea during a series of "aggressive" overflights, US officials said Wednesday. Russian aircraft repeatedly buzzed the USS Donald Cook this week, including an incident Tuesday in which a Russian Su-24 flew just 30 feet (nine meters) above the ship in a "simulated attack profile," the US military's European Command said. "We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers," EUCOM said in a statement.

Jordanian police shut Muslim Brotherhood headquarters: senior Brotherhood figure Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:58 PM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Police in Jordan sealed the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Amman on Wednesday, a senior figure in the Islamist movement said, as the authorities clamp down further on the kingdom's most vocal opposition group. The Brotherhood, which is close in ideology to its Egyptian namesake and has strong ties with the Palestinian movement Hamas, wants sweeping political reforms but stops short of calling for the overthrow of the monarchy. Jordan's authorities suppressed Arab Spring pro-democracy protests in which the mainstream Islamists played a prominent role, and human rights groups say that since then the kingdom has strongly curbed dissent.

'The Beast' gobbling up IS fighters in Iraq: US Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:58 PM PDT An American-made Iraqi army tank that locals have fondly nicknamed "The Beast" is playing a major role driving the Islamic State group from a town on the frontlines, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. Baghdad-based spokesman Colonel Steve Warren recounted the exploits of the M-1 Abrams tank in Heet in response to a question about whether the Iraqi military is taking too long to expel IS jihadists and lacks the will to fight. On Monday, Iraqi security forces (ISF) raised the Iraqi flag over government buildings in Heet, in Anbar province.

U.N. chief was 'inept' on peacekeeper sex abuse: key U.S. senator Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:58 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Wednesday accused United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of ineptitude for failing to halt sexual exploitation and abuse by blue-helmeted peacekeepers. The criticism from Senator Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, comes as candidates to replace Ban when he leaves the post after two 10-year terms have been holding town hall meetings with diplomats from U.N. member states this week. Ending U.N. peacekeeper abuse has been a major topic of discussion during the meetings at U.N. headquarters in light of a slew of rape allegations leveled against international peacekeepers in Central African Republic.

North Korea missile capabilities increasing: U.S. defense officials Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:56 PM PDT By David Brunnstrom and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence believes North Korea's ability to reach the United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile is low, but its capabilities will increase, making continued investment in missile defense essential, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. North Korea has publicized a series of tests of its weapons technology since detonating its fourth nuclear bomb on Jan. 6, showcasing its push to develop long-range nuclear missiles despite international sanctions. Brian McKeon, U.S. principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, told a U.S. Senate hearing that North Korea's nuclear and missile program posed a growing threat to the United States and its allies in East Asia.

US health authorities confirm Zika causes birth defects Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:50 PM PDT The mosquito-borne Zika virus causes birth defects, including a syndrome in which babies are born with unusually small heads, US health authorities confirmed Wednesday after months of debate and uncertainty. "Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have concluded, after careful review of existing evidence, that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects," said a statement from the federal agency. The decision was based in part on a series of studies in Brazil, where thousands of babies were born last year with birth defects, coinciding with a spike in Zika virus infections among the general public.

Argentina's Macri sets up blind trust to clear his finances Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:48 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine President Mauricio Macri has set up a blind trust to handle his financial holdings in response to criticism over his role in two offshore companies that emerged in the "Panama Papers" leak.

Protesters ransack Macedonia president's office as crisis deepens Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:45 PM PDT Protesters ransacked the offices of Macedonia's presidency late Wednesday and set fire to the furniture, as thousands took to the capital's streets in a deepening political crisis. Sporadic clashes broke out in Skopje as demonstrators pelted buildings with eggs and stones, with one group smashing all the windows at President Gjorge Ivanov's public offices before setting the furniture alight. The demonstrators are demanding that Ivanov resign after his shock decision Tuesday to block legal proceedings against top politicians embroiled in a wire-tapping scandal.

Obama to issue new offshore drilling rules on Thursday: source Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:38 PM PDT (Reuters) - The Obama administration will announce Thursday safety regulations for offshore oil and natural gas drilling to prevent the kind of explosion that happened six years ago on a BP rig in the Gulf of Mexico, an official told Reuters. The Department of Interior will unveil the final version of its well control regulations, which will require more stringent design and operating procedures for well control equipment used in offshore oil and gas operations, said the official, who is close to the rulemaking process. The agency first released the proposal last April to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the deadly Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Man said to be Liberian rebel leader arrested in Pennsylvania Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:37 PM PDT Mohammed Jabbateh, 49, who lives in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, was indicted on two counts of fraud in immigration documents and two counts of perjury. An attorney for Jabbateh, Greg Pagano of Philadelphia, did not respond to a request for comment. Jabbateh appeared in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on Wednesday, said Memeger spokeswoman Patricia Hartman.

Bill Gates predicts end for polio Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:36 PM PDT Bill Gates said Wednesday that "with any luck" polio will be eradicated by 2017 in the last two countries where it remains active, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Microsoft founder, who has donated billions to fight global diseases, was speaking in Doha at the official announcement of a $50 million donation from Qatar to "The Lives and Livelihood Fund". This is a partnership fund between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), who together have been working to try to eradicate diseases, including polio, since 2012.

Polls close in Sudan's rebel-boycotted Darfur vote Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:35 PM PDT Polling centres closed at 6.00 pm (1500 GMT) at the end of the three-day referendum to decide whether to unite Darfur's five states into a single, autonomous region, with a handful of voters coming to cast their votes late. "The centres are closed now and the operation went well," said Omar Ali Jomaa, head of the referendum commission. Insurgents who since 2003 have battled the government of President Omar al-Bashir -- wanted on war crimes charges related to Darfur's conflict -- boycotted the referendum.

Rhode Island won't replace derided 'Cooler & Warmer' slogan Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:33 PM PDT PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island's commerce secretary says the state is moving forward with a multimillion-dollar tourism campaign to attract summertime vacationers but has no plans to replace its poorly received marketing slogan, "Cooler & Warmer."

UN 'deeply concerned' for 35,000 displaced people in DR Congo Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:33 PM PDT The United Nations on Wednesday said it was "deeply concerned" for around 35,000 people forced to flee camps in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following clashes between the army and rebels. Five camps for internally displaced persons in North Kivu province have been emptied since March 27, forcing thousands to take refuge in surrounding villages in the Mpati area, around 100 kilometres south-west of the provincial capital Goma, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in a statement. "The past days have been difficult for those internally displaced people forced to leave the sites, prevented by the clashing forces from returning to those sites, and unable to get the humanitarian assistance that they need.

White House aware of Russian planes flying near US destroyer: spokesman Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:31 PM PDT The White House is aware of Russian planes flying dangerously close to a U.S. guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday and continues to be concerned about such behavior, a spokesman said on Wednesday. "The White House is aware of the incident," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a daily briefing.

U.S. releases photos, video of Russian flights near U.S. destroyer Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:31 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Wednesday released photos and video of Russian Sukhoi SU-24 attack aircraft making what it called very low, "aggressive" passes close to a U.S. guided missile destroyer operating in the Baltic Sea this week. "We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers," the U.S. military's European Command said in a statement. "These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries, and could result in a miscalculation or accident that could cause serious injury or death. ...

Argentina court orders officials to get Uber service halted Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:31 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A court on Wednesday ordered authorities in Buenos Aires to take steps to suspend Uber's operation in Argentina's capital, acting a day after the launch of the popular ride-sharing app.

Brazil's Rousseff fights as impeachment noose tightens Posted: 13 Apr 2016 02:30 PM PDT Brasília (AFP) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff vowed Wednesday to "fight to the last minute" after more allies abandoned her ahead of a crucial impeachment vote. On Wednesday one of Rousseff's last remaining coalition allies, the PSD party, also positioned itself against Rousseff.

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