| Swiss police raid UEFA as Panama Papers scandal spreads Posted: 06 Apr 2016 12:18 PM PDT  By Brian Homewood and Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir ZURICH/REYKJAVIK, (Reuters) - Swiss police raided the European soccer body UEFA on Wednesday to seize information about a contract disclosed in the Panama Papers that was signed by Gianni Infantino, now head of the global soccer body FIFA. The impact of the leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm is snowballing, with Iceland facing a political crisis after its prime minister stepped aside on Tuesday following revelations about his wife's finances. Recently elected Infantino joined a growing list of public figures and political leaders whose financial arrangements have come under scrutiny after the release of the 11.5 million documents, which have caused public outrage over how the rich and powerful can hide money to avoid taxes.
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| Brazil congressional report favors impeaching President Rousseff Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:10 PM PDT  By Maria Carolina Marcello BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff moved closer to impeachment when a key member of a Congressional committee said on Wednesday there were grounds for the Senate to put her on trial for manipulating budget accounts in 2014 to boost her reelection prospects. Congressman Jovair Arantes told the 65-member lower house committee there were "minimal indications" that Rousseff had committed an impeachable crime, but that it was up to the Senate to judge the president. If two-thirds of the chamber approve the motion, Rousseff will be sent for trial in the Senate.
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| Islamic State attacks Syrian forces near Damascus Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:44 AM PDT  Islamic State fighters launched attacks on government-held areas near Damascus overnight in what a Syrian source said appeared to be a response to the group's loss of ground elsewhere. The Syrian military source acknowledged the group had staged assaults, but said all those who took part had been killed. Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes have forced Islamic State militants out of the town of al-Qaryatain, which lies between Damascus and the ancient city of Palmyra, itself recaptured by the government last week.
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| One of Brussels bombers had worked in EU Parliament: spokesman Posted: 06 Apr 2016 12:16 PM PDT  One of the Islamic State suicide bombers who killed 32 people in Brussels on March 22 had worked as a cleaner for a short period in the European Parliament six years earlier, a spokesman for the EU assembly said on Thursday. In 2009 and 2010, "one of the perpetrators of the Brussels terrorist attacks worked for a period of one month for a cleaning company which was contracted by the European Parliament at the time," spokesman Jaume Duch Guillot said in a statement which did not name the individual. An EU official said the person was Najim Laachraoui, a 25-year-old Belgian who prosecutors said blew himself up in the airport attack and is also suspected of making suicide vests for last November's Paris attacks in which 130 people died.
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| Islamic State nets millions from antiquities: Russia Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:15 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq are netting between $150 million and $200 million a year from illicit trade in plundered antiquities, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations said in a letter released on Wednesday. "Around 100,000 cultural objects of global importance, including 4,500 archaeological sites, nine of which are included in the World Heritage List of ... UNESCO, are under the control of the Islamic State ... in Syria and Iraq," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin wrote in a letter to the U.N. Security Council.
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| Turkey, Germany herald progress as migrant flow to Greece slows Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:25 AM PDT  By Lefteris Papadimas and Mehmet Emin Caliskan ATHENS/DIKILI, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey and Germany said on Wednesday an agreement between Ankara and the EU meant to stem the flow of migrants to the Greek islands was showing signs of success, but many were still trying to cross the sea and the route remained far from sealed off. The accord, which came into force on Monday, aims to help end the chaotic arrival of migrants and refugees, most fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, after more than a million reached Europe last year. New arrivals on the Greek islands from Turkey dropped to 68 in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning from 225 the previous day, data from the Greek migration ministry showed.
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| New Orleans police: 2 Australians shot when drug buy sours Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:56 PM PDT NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two Australian tourists were shot after trying to buy drugs and then saying they didn't have hundreds of dollars to pay, New Orleans police said Tuesday. |
| Samsung estimates 7.5 percent gain in 1Q operating profit Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:48 PM PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics says its first-quarter operating profit is estimated to have increased 7.5 percent over a year earlier. |
| Brazil wants Samarco to stop leaks before operations resume Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:45 PM PDT  By Marta Nogueira RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Samarco Mineração SA will not receive Brazilian government authorization to resume iron ore mining operations at the site of a dam burst that killed 19 people until leaks of tailings are stopped, environmental protection officials said on Wednesday. Samarco, which is jointly owned by mining companies Vale SA and BHP Billiton Plc, hopes to resume operations at the start of the first quarter to be able to pay for a 20 billion real (US$5.53 billion) damages settlement. The restart depends on authorization from the Minas Gerais state environmental agency Semad, which told Reuters that the miner needs to find a solution for the leaks from dikes built after the dam burst.
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| US strike in Syria kills several Al-Qaeda militants: Pentagon Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:42 PM PDT  The United States has carried out another raid against Al-Qaeda militants in Syria, on the heels of a strike that killed the spokesman of the group's Syrian branch, the Pentagon said Wednesday. "I can confirm that the US struck a vehicle killing several Al-Qaeda militants," said spokesman Matthew Allen. The latest strike was carried out in northwestern Syria, according to a Defense department official who asked not to be named.
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| Alaska volcano goes quiet but remains 'restless,' scientists say Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:32 PM PDT  An Alaskan volcano that began erupting 10 days ago, belching an ash cloud 20,000 feet (6,906 meters) high that triggered aviation warnings, ended its latest round of seismic activity on Wednesday but may not stay quiet for long, scientists said. Satellite observations showed no evidence of further "eruptive activity" on Mount Pavlof and low levels of seismic activity suggested that the volcano had subsided, the Alaska Volcano Observatory said in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a "red" aviation alert in response to the ash cloud, which required that local and regional flights, including cargo air traffic out of Anchorage, be re-routed.
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| Venus Williams off to powerful start at Volvo Car Open Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:26 PM PDT CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Venus Williams had not played much winning tennis since capturing her 49th WTA title in February. |
| Fiji under curfew, assessing damage from second cyclone in weeks Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:15 PM PDT Fijian imposed a nation-wide curfew on Thursday as officials examined damage from a category three cyclone that passed to the south of the South Pacific island nation overnight, two months after a more powerful cyclone wreaked havoc. While the public remained indoors, emergency and essential aid services were being deployed across the country to assess damage from heavy rain and flooding brought by Cyclone Zena, which packed winds in excess of 120 kph (75 mph). Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said it could take years for Fiji to recover. |
| Column: Athletes are actors in sports' tragedies Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:14 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — By the fourth round it already was clear — although not to Nick Blackwell himself — that he was going to lose. Chris Eubank Jnr.'s uppercuts were snapping Blackwell's head violently backward, like a crash-test dummy slammed into a wall. But because the British middleweight champion kept coming back for more, the referee allowed the savage beating to continue for another six rounds until Blackwell's left eye was so grotesquely swollen that a ringside doctor ruled he couldn't continue.
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| Ivanka Trump-brand scarves recalled because of 'burn risk' Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:08 PM PDT  Made-in-China Ivanka Trump-brand scarves are being recalled because they are too flammable and pose a "burn risk" to consumers.
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| UK's Cameron urges young Britons to vote against Brexit Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:06 PM PDT  British Prime Minister David Cameron will urge young Britons on Thursday to make sure they vote in a June 23 referendum on membership of the European Union, warning that leaving the bloc would hit youth voters hardest. Cameron, who wants Britain to stay in the 28-country bloc, will speak at the launch of a campaign targeted specifically at young voters. Cameron will argue that young people's job prospects would be disproportionately affected by the economic impact of an EU exit.
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| Can you top this? No hole-in-1 for reigning champ Spieth Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:01 PM PDT  AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — It's not often — if ever — that a Masters champion gets booed on the grounds of Augusta National.
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| Dutch 'No' to Ukraine pact forces government rethink Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:54 PM PDT  By Thomas Escritt and Anthony Deutsch AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch government said on Wednesday it could not ignore the resounding "No" in a non-binding referendum on the European Union's association treaty with Ukraine, but that it may take weeks to decide how to respond. Although the results were preliminary, they exposed dissatisfaction with the Dutch government and policy-making in Brussels - signaling a anti-establishment mood in a founding EU member weeks before Britain votes on membership. There could also be far-reaching consequences for the fragile Dutch coalition government, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency and which has lost popularity amid a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment.
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| A poet and pirate offers alternative for Iceland Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:53 PM PDT By Gwladys Fouche and Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir OSLO/REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - A poet and former WikiLeaks supporter who says revolution is her favorite word, Birgitta Jonsdottir would probably become Iceland's next prime minister if elections were held tomorrow. Consistently topping surveys in the past year, the Pirates' popularity surged after the release this week of the Panama Papers forced Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson to quit over the disclosure his wife owned an offshore company with claims on Icelandic banks. When he stepped aside on Tuesday, it provided another boost for the anti-establishment Pirate Party which campaigns for transparency. |
| Iceland government appoints new PM, to call early elections Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:53 PM PDT  By Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland's government named a new prime minister and called for early elections in the autumn on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson quit to become the first global politician brought down by the "Panama Papers" leaks. It was unclear whether the naming of Fisheries Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson to head the government or the call for early elections would satisfy the thousands of Icelanders who in street protests this week demanded the government resign immediately for early elections. Gunnlaugsson quit as prime minister on Tuesday after leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm showed his wife owned an offshore company that held millions of dollars in debt from failed Icelandic banks.
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| Guatemala accuses 14 of forcing farmers to sell their land Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:42 PM PDT GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan prosecutors have arrested 14 people who allegedly forced poor farmers to sell their land at cut-rate prices. |
| Rousseff impeachment should go ahead: commission rep Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:37 PM PDT  Brasília (AFP) - The impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff should go ahead, the representative for a congressional commission said Wednesday, bringing the country's political crisis a step closer to a showdown. Jovair Arantes, rapporteur for a special impeachment commission in the lower house of Congress, said he had concluded the "legal admissibility" of the case against the leftist president. The decision was given in a lengthy report that Arantes read aloud, live on national television, to the 65-member impeachment commission, sometimes interrupted by deputies shouting and arguing.
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| Fernandinho scores equalizer as Man City draws 2-2 at PSG Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:32 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Manchester City is in a strong position to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time after Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho's scrappy goal earned a valuable 2-2 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain in an error-strewn quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
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| Wolfsburg stuns Real Madrid in Champions League upset Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:28 PM PDT  WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Wolfsburg caused the biggest upset of this season's Champions League with a 2-0 victory over record 10-time winner Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarterfinal on Wednesday.
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| Outside experts break with Mexican prosecutors on missing 43 Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:24 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Independent experts sent to Mexico by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights say they won't work with Mexican prosecutors investigating the alleged burning of 43 missing college students at a garbage dump. |
| Watson's says making cut not enough, so time to say 'Adios' Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:23 PM PDT  Tom Watson's to-do list at the Masters has changed plenty over four decades, but it usually ended with the same goal: a major championship.
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| Dutch snub EU-Kiev pact in blow to leaders Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:23 PM PDT  Dutch voters Wednesday rejected a key European pact with Ukraine in a people's referendum seen as a barometer of anti-EU feeling, media predictions said, dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. After initial doubts, ANP also projected that 32.2 percent of the electorate had turned out, meaning the ballot is valid and must be considered by the coalition government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "It looks like the Dutch people said NO to the European elite and NO to the treaty with the Ukraine.
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| WHO: Diabetes rises fourfold over last quarter-century Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:16 PM PDT  GENEVA (AP) — Excessive weight, obesity, aging and population growth drove a nearly four-fold increase in worldwide cases of diabetes over the last quarter-century, affecting 422 million people in 2014, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday.
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| Macedonia parliament dissolved ahead of early election Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:14 PM PDT SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia's parliament has been dissolved ahead of an early election set for June 5 that is meant to end a protracted political crisis sparked by a wiretapping scandal. |
| Clinton tells workers she'll stand up to cheating China Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:12 PM PDT  A day after losing Wisconsin, White House hopeful Hillary Clinton unleashed a blistering critique of China while campaigning Wednesday in blue-collar Pennsylvania, warning the Asian giant must "toe the line" if she becomes president. "China illegally dumps cheap products in our markets, steals our trade secrets, plays games with their currency, gives unfair advantages to state-owned-enterprises and discriminates against American companies," she said. Clinton's remarks, delivered to a state AFL-CIO union convention in Philadelphia, were among her most forceful campaign trail comments about Beijing.
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| Report recommends impeachment of Brazil president proceed Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:11 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The special investigator for a congressional commission recommended Wednesday that the impeachment process against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff move forward, saying there is evidence she violated fiscal laws.
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| Reports: Dutch reject EU-Ukraine deal in referendum Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:09 PM PDT  THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A clear majority of people who voted Wednesday in a Dutch referendum rejected a far-reaching European Union free trade deal with Ukraine, and as the votes were tallied late into the night it appeared clear that the threshold of 30 percent turnout would be met and the result would be valid.
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| Johannsson to seek approval to become Iceland's next PM Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:01 PM PDT  REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Iceland's fisheries and agriculture minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson said Wednesday he will seek the president's approval to become the country's next prime minister after the previous leader resigned because of revelations he had offshore accounts.
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| Swiss weigh Muslims' refusal to shake female teachers' hands Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:53 PM PDT GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss high school's decision to accept two Muslim boys' refusal for religious reasons to shake hands with their female teachers has triggered a debate in the small Alpine country, where handshake greetings have long been a gender-neutral tradition. |
| City in driving seat after slapstick night in Paris Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:50 PM PDT  Away goals by Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho handed Manchester City a 2-2 first-leg draw at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday to give the English side the edge in their Champions League quarter-final tie. On a night that will be remembered for some comical defending and a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty that was saved by City goalkeeper Joe Hart, the Premier League side twice punished mistakes by their hosts. De Bruyne put City ahead on 38 minutes, only for Ibrahimovic to level after an embarrassing mix-up in the visitors' defence soon after.
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| Egypt threatens to shut down center documenting torture Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:45 PM PDT  CAIRO (AP) — For more than two decades, a team of psychiatrists in downtown Cairo have provided a unique service in Egypt: Therapy for people who say they are victims of torture.
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| Fragile truce holds in Karabakh after deadly clashes Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:40 PM PDT  Lala-Tepe heights (Azerbaijan) (AFP) - Azerbaijani and Armenian forces on Wednesday said they were largely observing a truce that halted four days of clashes which claimed scores of lives in the worst outbreak of violence in decades over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region. "The ceasefire was largely observed overnight along the Karabakh frontline," said the Armenia-backed separatist defence ministry in Karabakh. Azerbaijan's defence ministry reported isolated firing from the Armenian side but said its forces were "strictly abiding by the ceasefire agreement" reached in Moscow on Tuesday by the army chiefs of the two former Soviet states.
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| Fun is Par-3 for the course at annual Masters prelude Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:35 PM PDT  AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jason Day didn't have time to ponder his putt as he clambered up a hill to the first green at Augusta National.
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| Croatian hoping to lead U.N. says she is 'not a gender-neutral candidate' Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:33 PM PDT  By Sebastien Malo NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Croatian politician Vesna Pusic, hoping to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, says being a woman plays a key role in her election bid by shining a light on her career of gender equality activism. The former foreign minister of Croatia is one of a quartet of female candidates vying to become the first woman to hold the U.N.'s top office. Another contender, Helen Clark, New Zealand's former prime minister, played down the gender aspect when she announced her candidacy this week, saying she has "never sought election as a woman." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's term finishes at the end of 2016.
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