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| Insight: Canadian train disaster a dark turn for rail veteran Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 12:38 PM PDT  By Karl Plume, P.J. Huffstutter and Ernest Scheyder (Reuters) - A blinding flash of orange light jarred Weyauwega residents awake before dawn on March 4, 1996. An 81-car freight train had been barreling toward the farm town in central Wisconsin when it jumped a broken rail. The train's propane and petroleum cargo had caught fire and exploded. Gerald Poltrock II, a rookie local police officer, thought it was a prank when the dispatcher called to say the city "blew up." It was no joke. When he arrived at the Mill Street railroad crossing, Poltrock recalled, the scene was "mass chaos. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sukhoi jet has belly landing in Iceland Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 11:48 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Sukhoi Superjet made a belly landing during a test flight on Sunday at Iceland's Keflavik airport in Reykjavik, according to a statement by its Russian manufacturer. The Superjet program hit uncertainty last year after one of its planes crashed in Indonesia during a promotional flight, in which 45 people were killed. At the final stage of a test flight to evaluate the Sukhoi Superjet 100's automatic landing system on Sunday, the aircraft "touched the runway with retracted landing gear," Sukhoi Civil Aircraft said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt starts amending constitution despite political divisions Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 11:05 AM PDT  By Maggie Fick and Noah Browning CAIRO (Reuters) - A panel of legal experts started work on Sunday to revise Egypt's Islamist-tinged constitution, a vital first step on the road to fresh elections ordered by the army following its removal of Mohamed Mursi as president. Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has accused the army of orchestrating a military coup and denounced plans to revise the constitution, staged fresh rallies on Sunday to maintain pressure on the new, interim government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu sees Mursi fall as sign of political Islam's weakness Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 10:36 AM PDT  BERLIN (Reuters) - In rare remarks on Egypt's government crisis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that the fall of the president, Mohamed Mursi, demonstrates the weaknesses of political Islamist movements. "I believe that over the long haul these radical Islamic regimes are going to fail because they don't offer the adequate enfranchisement that you need to develop a country economically, politically and culturally," Netanyahu told the German weekly Welt am Sonntag. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kidnapped Mali election workers freed in north: official Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 10:00 AM PDT By Adama Diarra BAMAKO (Reuters) - Gunmen have freed four election workers and a deputy mayor a day after they were kidnapped in Mali's remote northern town of Tessalit, a local official said on Sunday. An unexploded bomb was later discovered in the market of Kidal, another major northern town, adding to security concerns over a vote next week that some fear could lead to further instability, after a coup and Islamist uprising, due to poor preparations. "The five hostages were picked up this morning by French soldiers outside the town. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunmen abduct Iranian embassy worker in Yemeni capital Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 09:12 AM PDT SANAA (Reuters) - Armed men kidnapped an employee of the Iranian embassy in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, police sources said, the latest in a series of abductions of foreigners in the lawless Arab country. The Iranian man was travelling through the diplomatic quarter in southern Sanaa when gunmen blocked the road, forced him to get out of his vehicle and took him to an unknown location, the sources told Reuters. It was not immediately clear who carried out the kidnapping, they said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan's Abe has chance to show true colors after big election win Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 08:49 AM PDT  By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition scored a decisive victory in an election on Sunday -- so big that there are suspicions he will lose interest in difficult economic reforms and pursue his nationalist agenda instead. The victory in the vote for parliament's upper house gives Abe a stronger mandate for his prescription for reviving the stagnant economy. Ironically perhaps, it could also give lawmakers in his own party, some of whom have little appetite for painful but vital reforms, more clout to resist change. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seven injured in explosion at Pemex pipeline in Mexico Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 08:44 AM PDT MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least seven people were injured by an explosion after an attempt to illegally tap a pipeline belonging to the Mexican state oil monopoly Pemex near Mexico City, officials said on Sunday. The early morning blast at the crude oil pipeline occurred in Tonanitla about 40 km (25 miles) north of the capital, and was now under control, Pemex said on its Twitter account. The government of the state of Mexico, a populous region that borders much of the capital, said seven people were injured by the explosion. Five were police and two worked for the fire brigade. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian Islamist rebel leader freed after clashes among rival rebels Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 08:42 AM PDT  By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - The local commander of a Syrian rebel group affiliated to al Qaeda was freed on Sunday after being held by Kurdish forces during a power struggle between rival organizations fighting President Bashar al-Assad, activists said. However, the pro-opposition activists gave conflicting reports of how the Islamist brigade commander in the Syrian town of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border had come to be free. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jailed Kurdish rebel leader says peace process still on track Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 08:29 AM PDT ANKARA (Reuters) - Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan said on Sunday that a peace process to end three decades of conflict was still continuing with all "seriousness", but that Ankara needed to take concrete steps before parliament opens in October. There has been a rise in violence in Turkey's southeast in recent weeks, and Ocalan's militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Friday issued what it said was a "final warning" to Turkey to take steps to advance the process. (Reporting by Jonathon Burch; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Full Story | Top |
| Japan urges Britain to keep 'major role' in EU Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 07:50 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Japan has added its voice to international calls for Britain to maintain a leading role in the European Union, saying that membership is a key advantage for companies looking to access Europe's single market. British Prime Minister David Cameron's promise to renegotiate Britain's role in the EU and hold a referendum on EU membership by 2017 has already been greeted with concern by the United States among others. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bahraini parliamentarian's house attacked for second time Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 07:47 AM PDT ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Assailants attacked the home of a Bahraini member of parliament with petrol bombs on Sunday for the second time in a week, the state news agency BNA said, the latest in a series of assaults on public officials and security personnel in the kingdom. The most recent attack on the home of Abbas Isa al-Madi, chairman of parliament's Services Committee, follows one on July 15 in which was no one was hurt. Pictures published by BNA showed fire damage to walls surrounding the house. The Sunni Muslim-ruled island, home of the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan says seeks to reset frayed Afghan ties Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 07:16 AM PDT  By Mirwais Harooni KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan's new foreign policy chief denied on Sunday backing Afghanistan's breakup or planning to end the Afghan war with a power-sharing role for the Taliban during a fence-mending visit to Kabul aimed at lowering cross-border tension. Sartaj Aziz, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs, said Islamabad wanted a reset on diplomacy with Kabul after a sharp deterioration triggered by botched efforts to aid U.S. efforts to start peace talks with the Taliban in the Gulf state of Qatar. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria activists say family of 13 killed in Sunni village Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 07:10 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed at least 13 members of a family in the Sunni Muslim village of Baida on Sunday, in what activists said was the second massacre there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four women and six children were among those killed in the village, which is in a coastal area of central Syria. "A relative came to look for them today and found the men shot outside. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iran denies missing World Bank payments, blames sanctions Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 06:46 AM PDT By Jon Hemming DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran denied on Sunday it had failed to make payments on its loans to the World Bank for the last six months, blaming Western sanctions for preventing an intermediary from forwarding funds to the global lender, Iran's IRNA state news agency said. The World Bank said on Thursday it was placing Iran's loans in non-performing status as Tehran had not paid back any of the money it owed for more than six months. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hamas reeling from Egyptian crackdown on Gaza tunnels Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 05:57 AM PDT By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are reeling from another devastating blockade but this time they are blaming Egypt, the neighboring Arab power they once hoped would end their isolation, rather than their old foe Israel. In a few weeks of digging, dynamiting and drenching, Cairo's troops have destroyed many of the smuggling tunnels that ran under the Egypt-Gaza border and which had provided the cramped coastal enclave with commercial goods as well as weaponry. ... Full Story | Top |
| Belgium subdues divisions for a day to swear in king Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 05:16 AM PDT  By Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium swore in Philippe as its new king on Sunday after his father Albert II abdicated, subduing for a day questions about his ability to bring a divided country together and the power of the monarchy. Philippe, 53, took his oath in Belgium's three official languages - Dutch, French and German - two-and-a-half weeks after King Albert, 79, announced that he would abdicate after 20 years on the throne. Albert could be seen mouthing the words "Vive le roi" (Long live the king) at the swearing-in ceremony in parliament. ... Full Story | Top |
| Poor quality and bad management: India ignored warnings in free meal program Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 04:18 AM PDT  By Annie Banerji and Anurag Kotoky GANDAMAN, India/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The village school in India where 23 children died by poisoning last week had been providing lunch under a government-sponsored scheme without checks or monitoring by local officials to see if the food was stored carefully or cooked properly. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan PM's coalition gets majority in upper house: exit polls Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 04:09 AM PDT  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc won a convincing victory in an upper house election on Sunday, media exit polls showed, giving the hawkish leader a mandate for his recipe to revive the economy, while ending a political deadlock and setting the stage for Japan's first stable government since 2006. Abe, who returned to power after his Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition's big win in a December lower house poll, has said he will stay focused on fixing the economy with his "Abenomics" mix of hyper-easy monetary policy, fiscal spending and structural reforms. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunmen abduct Iran embassy employee in Yemen: police sources Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 03:50 AM PDT SANAA (Reuters) - Armed men seized an employee of the Iranian embassy in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, police sources said, the latest in a series of abductions of foreigners in the lawless Arab country. The Iranian man was travelling through the diplomatic quarter in southern Sanaa when gunmen blocked the road, forced him to get out of his vehicle and took him to an unknown location, the sources told Reuters. It was not immediately clear who carried out the kidnapping, they added. ... Full Story | Top |
| Tensions simmer in Israel coalition over possible Palestine talks Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 03:39 AM PDT  By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tentative agreement to revive U.S.-sponsored peace talks with the Palestinians met skepticism and scorn on Sunday from some members of his rightist coalition government, including within his own party. With no date yet set for negotiations to begin, let alone a public blueprint for their terms, Netanyahu did not yet appear at risk of a political crisis. Rare praise for him from the center-left opposition suggested they were willing to replace any nationalist allies he might lose over a future peace accord. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: France's Hollande in tight spot on pension reform Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 03:24 AM PDT  By Catherine Bremer and Emmanuel Jarry PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande may only manage a lightweight reform of France's indebted pension system, with trade unions preparing street protests and his own Socialist Party warning it would oppose painful measures. Fellow Europeans say France risks damaging its own standing and that of the euro zone among investors, and upsetting southern members struggling with harsh reforms, if it fails to address the deficit in its pension funding. ... Full Story | Top |
| Germany learning to open arms to immigrants Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 01:33 AM PDT  By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) - Ata Ucertas, a doctor from Istanbul with a moustache that curls up his cheeks, was welcomed with open arms when he came to Germany this year, evidence of a shift in German attitudes as its population shrinks and labor becomes scarce. Helped by a shortage of doctors in Germany, the 25-year-old Ucertas was issued with a visa to come learn German within two months of applying. "The immigration officials were really nice to me," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fatal Indian school meal contained concentrated pesticide Sunday, Jul 21, 2013 12:58 AM PDT  PATNA, India (Reuters) - The free school lunch that killed 23 Indian children last week was contaminated with concentrated pesticide which is not widely available, the district magistrate overseeing the police investigation told Reuters on Sunday. The children fell ill within minutes of eating a meal of rice and potato curry in their one-room school in Bihar state on Tuesday, vomiting and convulsing with stomach cramps. The deaths sparked protests in Bihar. ... Full Story | Top |
| New Zealand hit by quake of magnitude 6.9, minor damage Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 11:08 PM PDT WELLINGTON (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck New Zealand on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey's monitoring service reported, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. The largest of a series of tremors that have shaken the region in the past few days, the quake knocked items off shelves, shattered some windows and brought trains in the capital, Wellington, to a halt. "We've had one report of structural damage so far, but as far as I know, power in the city is still on," said a spokesman at the capital's fire station. ... Full Story | Top |
| In Kerry's Mideast announcement, hints of success and challenge Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 10:07 PM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Friday that Israel and the Palestinians had tentatively agreed to resume peace talks after three years, he did so standing alone as dusk fell over the Jordanian capital. The image reflects both his achievement and his challenge: few people would have predicted success when he began his quest to get the parties into talks nearly six months ago; yet even as he heralded the planned negotiations, neither was at his side. ... Full Story | Top |
| Islamist rebels would gain sway in long Syrian war: U.S. official Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 08:39 PM PDT By Phil Stewart ASPEN, Colo. (Reuters) - - Radical Islamist rebels will gain sway over the many disparate factions opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad unless they are checked, and the country's civil war could last years, a top Pentagon intelligence official said on Saturday. David Shedd, the deputy director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, did not advocate any form of intervention by the United States or its allies, saying that was up to policymakers. ... Full Story | Top |
| In Cambodia poll, opposition hopes high but Hun Sen seen retaining power Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 07:41 PM PDT  By Prak Chan Thul TUOL TACHEN, Cambodia (Reuters) - After 28 years of rule by Hun Sen, Asia's longest-serving prime minister, the rallying cry for Cambodia's opposition ahead of next week's election is obvious, and it appears to be attracting an unprecedented number of voters. "Change, change!" senior opposition politician Kem Sokha shouted through a microphone to a crowd of several hundred villagers in the southern province of Takeo. "July 28 is the day that we will end this dictatorship regime. ... Full Story | Top |
| Thousands take to streets to protest Trayvon Martin verdict Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 06:46 PM PDT  By Edward Upright and Zachary Faginson NEW YORK/MIAMI (Reuters) - Demonstrators took to the streets in dozens of U.S. cities on Saturday to vent their anger over the acquittal in Florida of the man who shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin to death and to call for federal charges in the racially tinged case. Hundreds marched in the summer heat to rally at federal courthouses in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities, demanding "justice for Trayvon" and an end to racial profiling that they said was at the heart of the case. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombia's FARC says holding U.S. soldier, willing to release Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 06:17 PM PDT By Nelson Bocanegra BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels said they were holding a U.S. soldier captured a month ago, but were willing to release him to a humanitarian commission as they pursue peace talks with the Colombian government. The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, said late on Friday on its website that it caught a soldier identified as Kevin Scott Sutay on June 20 in a jungle region in the country's south, describing him as a mine clearance expert from New York who served in Afghanistan. ... Full Story | Top |
| Divided Belgium to swear in new king Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 05:44 PM PDT  By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium will swear in a new king on Sunday with festivities but also questions over the political influence of the monarch and the acceptance of Philippe as the king of all Belgians. The 183-year-old country is split across the middle, with many Dutch speakers seeking greater independence for Flanders in the north and wary of a monarchy seen rooted in the once powerful, but now poorer French-speaking Wallonia in the south. ... Full Story | Top |
| Trayvon Martin's parents lead protests over Zimmerman verdict Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 04:54 PM PDT By Edward Upright and Zachary Faginson NEW YORK/MIAMI (Reuters) - Trayvon Martin's mother choked back tears as a crowd of 2,000 New Yorkers chanted "We love you" - one week after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder by a Florida jury in the fatal shooting of the unarmed black teenager. Across the nation, hundreds marched in the heat of a summer Saturday to rally at federal courthouses in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities, demanding "Justice for Trayvon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Islamist-Kurdish fighting spreads in rebel-held Syria Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 03:13 PM PDT  By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Clashes between Islamist rebel forces and Kurdish militias spread to a second Syrian province on Saturday, activists said, as factional tensions rose in the north of the country. The fighting is further evidence that the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule has splintered into turf wars that have little to do with ousting him and highlight the risk of regionalized conflicts that could have an impact on neighboring countries. The new round of fighting broke out in Tel Abyad, a border town near Turkey in the rebel-held Raqqa province. ... Full Story | Top |
| New Egyptian PM seeks dialogue, end to divisions Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 02:43 PM PDT  By Yasmine Saleh and Crispian Balmer CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's interim prime minister appealed on Saturday for an end to the nation's divisions following the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and said tough measures might be needed to revive the economy. Appearing relaxed and confident on state television, Hazem el-Beblawi, an international liberal economist, called for dialogue between political parties, adding that security had to be restored to Egypt's streets after weeks of mass protests. "Egypt is more important to the world than we think and deserves more from us. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel, Palestinians still at odds over borders ahead of talks Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 02:40 PM PDT  By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will not bow to the Palestinians' demand on the borders of their future state before peace talks begin but will meet their request for the release of some prisoners, Israeli officials said on Saturday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Israel and the Palestinians had laid the groundwork to resume talks after an almost three-year stalemate, but that the deal was not final and required more diplomacy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Weakened Chilean conservatives pick woman to take on Bachelet Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 02:28 PM PDT By Alexandra Ulmer SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's weakened conservative UDI party said on Saturday it has picked Labor Minister Evelyn Matthei as its new candidate in the November presidential election, which is expected to see former President Michelle Bachelet triumph. Matthei steps in after the right-wing's former candidate Pablo Longueira, unexpectedly quit the campaign on Wednesday due to depression, sending the bloc into disarray. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK mosque bombing suspect also accused of Muslim man's murder Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 02:20 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - A Ukrainian man, detained this week over the bombing of mosques in central England, has also been accused of the murder of an elderly Muslim man stabbed to death on his way home from evening prayers three months ago, police said on Saturday. The 25-year-old was arrested along with another Ukrainian man, 22, on Thursday on terrorism charges after explosions at two mosques near the city of Birmingham, one in June and the other last week. Police said the older man was now also accused of killing Mohammed Saleem in the Small Heath area of Birmingham in April. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox - Japan PM Abe scorecard: What to watch for after election Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 02:14 PM PDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is poised to cement his hold on power in an election on Sunday, ending six years of parliamentary deadlock with an expected big win in the upper house. Here are some key issues and dates to watch, to see whether Abe is using his mandate to keep campaign promises for economic reform. - SALES TAX: Abe's government says it will use April-June GDP data, due August 12, to help judge whether to proceed next April with the planned first phase of doubling the consumption tax to 10 percent over two years. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan PM heads for election victory amid policy concerns Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 02:06 PM PDT  By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc looks set for a handsome upper house election win on Sunday, cementing his grip on power and setting the stage for Japan's first stable government since the charismatic Junichiro Koizumi left office in 2006. The victory would give the hawkish leader a stronger mandate for his recipe to revive the economy and spell his personal political redemption after he led his party to a defeat in a 2007 upper house election. That poll allowed the opposition to block legislation and led to Abe's resignation two months later. ... Full Story | Top |
| Car bombs kill 30 in Shi'ite districts of Baghdad Saturday, Jul 20, 2013 01:40 PM PDT  By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Multiple car bombings in predominantly Shi'ite districts of Baghdad killed at least 30 people on Saturday, police and medics said, the latest in a series of attacks that threaten to sink Iraq once again into full-blown sectarian conflict. Most of the attacks struck in busy commercial areas where people had gathered to shop and socialize after breaking their daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. ... Full Story | Top |
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