| Pakistan plans new paramilitary crackdown; Easter bombing kills 70 Posted: 28 Mar 2016 11:31 AM PDT  By Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan has decided to launch a paramilitary crackdown on Islamist militants in Punjab, the country's richest and most populous province, after an Easter Day bombing killed 70 people in the provincial capital Lahore, officials said on Monday. Sunday's suicide bombing at a public park was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction, which once declared loyalty to Islamic State. The brutality of the attack, Jamaat-ur-Ahrar's fifth bombing since December, reflects the movement's attempts to raise its profile among Pakistan's increasingly fractured Islamist militants.
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| Belgium frees charged suspect in blow to bombing investigation Posted: 28 Mar 2016 12:25 PM PDT  By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors on Monday released a man they had charged in connection with last week's deadly Brussels bombings, saying they did not have enough information to justify holding him. The man, named only as Faycal C., had been accused of taking part in the activities of a terrorist group and actual and attempted terrorist murder after being detained on Thursday. "The evidence which led to the arrest of the man named as Faycal C has not been backed up by the ongoing investigation.
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| Iran vows to pursue missile program despite new U.S. sanctions Posted: 28 Mar 2016 05:50 AM PDT  By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will pursue its development of ballistic missiles despite the U.S. blacklisting of more Iranian companies linked to the program, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander said on Monday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) test-fired several ballistic missiles this month, drawing condemnation from Western leaders who believe the tests violate a United Nations resolution. Washington had imposed similar sanctions on 11 businesses and individuals in January over a missile test carried out by the IRGC in October 2015.
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| Syrian forces pursue campaign against Islamic State after retaking Palmyra Posted: 28 Mar 2016 11:57 AM PDT  By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes battled Islamic State insurgents around Palmyra on Monday, trying to extend their gains after taking back control of a city whose ancient temples were dynamited by the ultra-radical militants. The loss of Palmyra on Sunday is one of the biggest setbacks for the jihadist group since it declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq. It is also a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad and ally Russia, casting them as critical to the international fight against Islamic State.
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| Japan opens radar station close to disputed isles, drawing angry China response Posted: 28 Mar 2016 01:26 AM PDT  The new Self Defence Force base on the island of Yonaguni is at the western extreme of a string of Japanese islands in the East China Sea, 150 km (90 miles) south of the disputed islands known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. China has raised concerns with its neighbors and in the West with its assertive claim to most of the South China Sea where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.
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| Brazil party set to abandon Rousseff, making impeachment more likely Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:53 PM PDT  By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's largest party will decide on Tuesday to break away from President Dilma Rousseff's floundering coalition, party leaders said, sharply raising the odds that the country's first woman president will be impeached amid a corruption scandal. The fractious Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) will decide at its national leadership meeting on the pace of disengagement from the Rousseff administration, in which it holds seven ministerial posts and the vice presidency. A formal rupture appears inevitable and will increase the isolation of the unpopular Rousseff, freeing PMDB members to vote for her impeachment.
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| Secret Service closed White House fence lines during Capitol shooting Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:56 PM PDT  The Secret Service temporarily closed the north and south fence lines around the White House complex on Monday as a "routine precautionary measure" a spokesman said, as police reported gunshots were fired at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center. A report that a person tried to gain entry to the White House was incorrect, the U.S. Secret Service spokesman said.
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| Walmart wins suit against Puerto Rico; tax declared invalid Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:54 PM PDT  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Retail giant Walmart won a legal victory Monday in a fight over taxation by Puerto Rico's government.
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| Fire engulfs UAE residential towers Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:50 PM PDT  A huge blaze engulfed at least two residential towers in the northern UAE emirate of Ajman on Monday, local media and a witness said. The fire erupted at a building in the Ajman One residential cluster of 12 towers and spread to at least one other tower, Gulf News daily reported on its website. Fires have hit several high-rise buildings in the United Arab Emirates, most recently the Address Downtown hotel in Dubai on New Year's Eve.
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| Argentina cuts ties with leftist TV network Telesur Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:43 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Argentina's pro-business government is pulling the plug on its involvement in the Spanish-language TV network that was started by the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, saying the broadcaster blocks alternative viewpoints.
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| Haiti's interim leadership swears in new cabinet Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:43 PM PDT  Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haiti's interim leader, Jocelerme Privert, officially swore in his cabinet Monday, promising an urgent push forward to get the Caribbean nation's electoral process back on track. "You will not have the luxury of any grace period: It is already time to get to work" he told cabinet ministers at the National Palace. Haiti has been fighting to emerge from a political crisis since a runoff presidential election in January was suspended amid allegations of fraud on the part of the government.
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| Panic as police shoot armed man at US Capitol in Washington Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:26 PM PDT  Police shot an armed man at an entrance of the US Capitol visitor center Monday, sparking panic during the busy spring tourist season in a city on heightened alert following terror attacks in Brussels. The incident prompted an hour-long lockdown on Capitol Hill in the heart of Washington, where staffers and frightened visitors were ordered to shelter in place. Congress is in recess this week for the Easter holiday, but it is a busy week for tourists in Washington, with the city's famed flowering cherry trees in full bloom.
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| Bandmate plans tribute to keyboard great Keith Emerson Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:24 PM PDT  Pioneering synthesizer player Keith Emerson, who killed himself earlier this month, will be honored with a multimedia tribute show in Miami, former bandmate Carl Palmer announced Monday. Palmer -- the drummer in the 1970s progressive rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer -- said the concert will take place on June 24 at Miami's Olympia Theater and include guest keyboardists, contemporary dance and an accompanying film.
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| Rescue under way for climbers, snowshoer on Mount Rainier Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:22 PM PDT MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. (AP) — One climber has likely died from hypothermia and exposure on Mount Rainier after he and his climbing partner were caught in a winter storm over the weekend, a spokeswoman with Mount Rainier National Park said. |
| Serena Williams upset by Kuznetsova in 3 sets at Miami Open Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:20 PM PDT  KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Serena Williams had been out of the tournament for less than 20 minutes when she climbed into her white Mini Cooper with the checkerboard top and pulled away from the players' parking lot, fastening her seat belt as she drove.
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| World Rugby sets date for Marler hearing after slur Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:14 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — England prop Joe Marler will face a misconduct hearing on April 5 over his slur against Wales prop Samson Lee in the Six Nations match. |
| Pakistani property tycoon eyes media move to protect his name Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:12 PM PDT  By Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani property developer Malik Riaz Hussain, a flamboyant tycoon who boasts of connections with top military brass and senior politicians, plans to move into media to protect himself from those who accuse him of wrongdoing. Hussain is one of the country's richest and most powerful businessmen, a billionaire who has been caught up in corruption investigations and who is also well known for upmarket gated housing communities and charitable activities. "To stop blackmailers, I have decided that there is no way but to go into media." A world away from the chaotic, dirty streets of most Pakistani towns and cities, Bahria Town features giant replicas of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.
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| Unable to sell cattle, Indian farmers have a beef with Modi's BJP Posted: 28 Mar 2016 04:05 PM PDT  By Rajendra Jadhav BELHE, India (Reuters) - A ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in India's richest state is threatening to push millions of farmers into penury, deepening distress in the countryside and fanning resentment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party. Slaughter of cows, considered sacred in Hinduism, has historically been banned in most states but was rarely enforced in India, the world's largest exporter of beef. The stricter rules come as Modi and the nationalist BJP lay greater stress on India's Hindu faith, to which the majority of the population belongs.
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| White House adds fun run to annual Easter Egg Roll Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:55 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling the moment bittersweet, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcomed thousands of children to the South Lawn of the White House Monday morning for the final Easter Egg Roll of his presidency.
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| Team pays tribute to cyclist who died in Gent-Wevelgem race Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:55 PM PDT GENT, Belgium (AP) — The Wanty-Gobert team has paid tribute to cyclist Antoine Demoitie who died after an accident during Sunday's stage of the Gent-Wevelgem classic. |
| Cameroon doubts bomb girl's claim to be Chibok abductee Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:54 PM PDT  Yaoundé (AFP) - Authorities in Cameroon on Monday poured doubt on a would-be suicide bomber's claim that she is one of the 276 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram jihadists in 2014. The girl in question is one of two would-be suicide bombers arrested in northern Cameroon on Friday wearing 12-kilogramme (26-pound) explosives belts. Nigeria is planning to send a delegation, including Chibok parents, to Cameroon to meet the girl, and the presidency said late Monday that people from the town were being shown her photograph to see if they recognised her.
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| Court papers: Woman to plead guilty to terrorism charge Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:52 PM PDT JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A young Mississippi woman plans to plead guilty to a terrorism charge Tuesday, months after authorities say she and her fiance tried to go to Syria to join the Islamic State group. |
| 'Batman v Superman' pows box office with $166 mn debut Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:47 PM PDT  Two iconic superheroes zapped the opposition as "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" leapt to the top of the North American box office in its opening weekend with $166 million, industry data showed Monday. A stellar cast for the Warner Bros blockbuster also features former Miss Israel Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as the eccentric villain Lex Luthor and Amy Adams as Superman's love interest Lois Lane.
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| Brazil's Rousseff faces threat of coalition implosion Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:44 PM PDT  Brasília (AFP) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff battled Monday to contain what looked like the imminent collapse of her coalition and the loss of crucial congressional votes she needs to fight off impeachment. The country's largest party, the PMDB, is set to decide Tuesday whether to quit the leftist leader's government, but top figures indicated the break was all but final. Rousseff, who is fighting recession, scandal, protests and the mounting push to impeach her, met PMDB ministers Monday to try to convince them to stay.
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| 4-year-old boy killed by stray bullet in Rio de Janeiro Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:41 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The family of a 4-year-old boy said Monday that he was struck and killed by stray bullet while playing outside in Rio de Janeiro. |
| Argentina hails UN decision to expand its maritime territory Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:37 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's government celebrated on Monday a decision by a U.N. commission expanding its maritime territory in the South Atlantic Ocean by 35 percent to include the disputed Falkland islands and beyond.
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| US likely would miss World Cup if it loses to Guatemala Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:32 PM PDT  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — If the United States loses to Guatemala on Tuesday, the Americans almost certainly would fail to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
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| Yanks want to see Tanaka start Tuesday before opener call Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:29 PM PDT  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka's final spring training start Tuesday against Philadelphia will likely determine whether he will be the New York Yankees' opening-day starter.
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| Obama to meet with Japan, South Korea leaders on North Korea Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will discuss the threat posed by North Korea during a meeting this week with the leaders of Japan and South Korea. |
| Colombia demands FARC rebels set disarmament date Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:18 PM PDT  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos told the FARC rebels Monday to set a date to disarm, after a self-imposed March 23 deadline to sign a peace deal passed unmet. "The government demands a set, precise and clear date to finish the disarmament process," he said in an address from the presidential palace. Santos has staked his presidency on bringing peace to Colombia, where the FARC have been fighting the government for more than half a century, a conflict that has killed more than 260,000 people.
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| Brazil ex-president Silva says Rousseff can stop impeachment Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:18 PM PDT  SAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday that he believes his embattled successor and protege can survive mounting pressure in Congress for her impeachment.
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| Five on trial in Guatemala for 2011 murder of Argentine singer Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:16 PM PDT  Five men accused of the 2011 murder of an Argentine singer-songwriter-philosopher who had legions of fans across Latin America went on trial Monday in Guatemala's capital, after years of delays spurred by defense motions. Prosecutors say that Facundo Cabral was the unintended victim of a hit on a Nicaraguan promoter and nightclub owner whose car he was in when it was riddled with bullets in an ambush in Guatemala City on July 9, 2011. The five defendants entered no plea, a spokeswoman for Guatemala's public prosecutor's office said.
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| Fire breaks out at United Arab Emirates skyscraper Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:06 PM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fire raced up a high-rise tower in the United Arab Emirates city of Ajman late Monday, the latest in a series of skyscraper blazes in the Gulf nation that is home to the world's tallest building. |
| Controversy over teen's win in Stawell Gift Posted: 28 Mar 2016 03:06 PM PDT MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A 15-year-old girl who won Australia's oldest and richest short-distance running race Monday has been fined $2,000 from her $40,000 winning purse by officials who say she improved more in two weeks than most athletes achieve in a lifetime. |
| UN 'alarm' at spreading Mali insecurity: report Posted: 28 Mar 2016 02:59 PM PDT  Insecurity is spreading in Mali, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned, expressing alarm at the myriad challenges facing the UN peacekeeping force in large parts of the African country. "The northern and central parts of Mali remain under the threat of criminal, violent extremist and terrorist groups, which take advantage of the limited presence of Malian law enforcement institutions," Ban said in his latest report on the country. "The spread of insecurity in Mali and the security threat posed by actors outside of the peace process remain alarming," he added in the confidential report sent to the Security Council, which was seen Monday by AFP.
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| El Salvador police chief rejects apparent gang offer Posted: 28 Mar 2016 02:52 PM PDT  SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador's government will not negotiate with powerful street gangs following an anonymous offer to stop crime-related bloodshed afflicting this Central American country, the head of national police said Monday.
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| McIlroy to skip Par 3 Contest to focus on Masters Posted: 28 Mar 2016 02:51 PM PDT  Rory McIlroy revealed Monday that he will skip the Par 3 Contest on the eve of next week's US Masters at Augusta to focus on his goal of winning the year's first major. "I'm not going to play the Par 3 Contest this year as it's just too much hassle and it's a bit of a distraction," said the Northern Irish golfer. The four-time major winner will be making his eighth straight appearance in the Masters and only once has he not played the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National.
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| Obama to meet South Korea, Japan leaders Thursday: White House Posted: 28 Mar 2016 02:48 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama will this week meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit, with North Korea on the agenda, the White House said Monday. The trilateral meeting on Thursday in Washington comes the same day that Obama is scheduled to meet one-on-one with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "This meeting will be an opportunity for the three leaders to discuss common responses to the threat posed by North Korea and to advance areas of trilateral security cooperation in the region and globally," the White House said.
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| Azerbaijan frees rights activist after 2 years in prison Posted: 28 Mar 2016 02:45 PM PDT  BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — A court in Azerbaijan has ordered the release of a human rights activist who spent the last two years in jail.
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