Strong quake hits near Solomon Islands; tsunami warning cancelled
(Reuters) – A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands on Sunday morning, triggering a tsunami warning that was later cancelled, according to U.S. government agencies, and there were no immediate reports of damage.
Ukraine prepares armed response as city seized by pro-Russia forces
KIEV/SLAVIANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – Armed separatists took control of a city in eastern Ukraine on Saturday and Kiev prepared troops to tackle what it called an “act of aggression by Russia”, pushing the conflict between the neighbors into a dangerous …
Ally says Algeria’s Bouteflika recovering, will make reforms
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is recovering steadily from a stroke last year, talks with his team every day, and is healthy enough to govern after the election on April 17, his chief ally said on Saturday.
Hungary’s Orban retains two-thirds parliament majority
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party has retained its two-thirds majority in parliament, and with it the ability to change the constitution, according to a final tally of votes from last weekend’s election published on Sat…
Gunmen kidnap 100 Pakistani villagers in northwest, government says
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – Gunmen stormed a village gathering in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday and kidnapped around 100 men, Pakistani government officials said.
Thousands march in Paris, Rome against austerity, economic reforms
PARIS/ROME (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of people took part in protests in central Paris and Rome on Saturday organized by hard-left parties against government economic reform plans and austerity measures.
Scottish leader urges voters to put aside politics for independence
ABERDEEN, Scotland (Reuters) – First Minister Alex Salmond on Saturday urged Scots to look beyond party politics and break the 307-year union with England when they vote in an independence referendum in September.
Egyptian hardline Islamist leader jailed for one year
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court sentenced a hardline Islamist former presidential hopeful to one year in prison on Saturday for insulting the court, state news agency MENA reported.
Pakistani judge throws out attempted murder case against baby
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) – A Pakistani judge threw out charges of attempted murder against a nine-month-old baby on Saturday, lawyers said, in a case that cast a spotlight on Pakistan’s dysfunctional justice system.
Fading signals add urgency to search for missing Malaysian jet
PERTH (Reuters) – The search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner resumed on Saturday, five weeks after the plane disappeared from radar screens, amid fears that batteries powering signals from the black box recorder on board may have died.