CA-NEWS Summary

Kerry says U.S. ready to "reach out" to North Korea

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday stressed the United States is willing to engage with North Korea as long as it takes steps to give up nuclear weapons. He also vowed the United States would protect its Asian allies against any provocative acts by the North, but said Washington wants a peaceful solution to rising tensions in the region.

Venezuelans vote on future of "Chavista" socialism

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelans lined up on Sunday to vote whether to honor Hugo Chavez's dying wish for a longtime loyalist to continue his hardline socialism or hand power to a young challenger vowing business-friendly changes. Acting President Nicolas Maduro had a double-digit lead in most polls heading into election day, buoyed by Chavez's public blessing before he died from cancer last month. But the gap had narrowed in the final days, with one survey putting it at 7 percentage points.

Bombs and gun battles kill at least 19 in Somali capital

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 19 people were killed in the Somali capital on Sunday in bomb attacks carried out by militants linked to al Qaeda and subsequent gun battles with the al Shabaab fighters, breaking a fragile return to peace in Mogadishu. A bomb exploded outside law courts in the city as gunmen stormed the compound. Security forces then arrived and battled the fighters inside. Later, a bomb exploded near an African Union and Turkish Red Crescent convoy on the way to the airport.

China says bird flu death toll rises to 13

BEIJING (Reuters) - Two people in the central Chinese province of Henan have been infected by a new strain of avian influenza, the first cases found in the region, while the death toll has risen to 13 from a total of 60 infections after two more deaths in Shanghai. One of the Henan victims, a 34-year old man in the city of Kaifeng, is now critically ill in hospital, while the other, a 65-year old farmer from Zhoukou, is stable. The two cases do not appear to be connected.

Iraq election candidates slain before local vote

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two Iraqi Sunni Muslim candidates were killed less than a week before local elections that are considered a major test of the country's political stability after U.S. troops left more than a year ago. The election on Saturday to select provincial council members will measure Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's political muscle against Shi'ite and Sunni rivals before the parliamentary election in 2014.

Turkey's Erdogan says to visit Gaza at the end of May

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he will visit the Palestinian Gaza Strip at the end of May after an official trip to the United States in the middle of the month. Erdogan did not give a specific date for the visit but said during a televised speech in Ankara it would be "around the end of May". He will travel to Washington to meet President Barack Obama on May 16.

Seven killed in gun battle in Central African Republic capital

BANGUI (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed in the capital of Central African Republic on Sunday during heavy fighting between forces who seized power last month and armed youths loyal to the president they ousted, a doctor and a resident said. A Reuters correspondent said heavy and small arms fire rang out in Bangui's Boy-Rabe neighborhood on Sunday morning before easing off just after 0900 EST. Three of the dead were killed when a shell landed on a church.

Palestinian PM's resignation complicates U.S. plan

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian officials voiced optimism on Sunday the resignation of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad would not hinder Washington's planned development initiative for the West Bank. Fayyad quit on Saturday after months of tension with President Mahmoud Abbas, leaving the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in confusion just as the United States tries to revive peace talks with the Jewish state.

Bus carrying young Russians crashes in Belgium, killing five

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A bus carrying young Russians crashed through the guardrails of a Belgian motorway and plunged down a ravine on Sunday, killing five people. Five others were critically injured in the accident on the E34 motorway near Antwerp in northern Belgium, the council of the nearby town of Ranst said on its website.

Egypt wavers on brink of IMF deal

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt is close to an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a $4.8 billion loan that would help it fight a deepening economic crisis but is still bristling at the conditions, diplomats said. An IMF program could help stabilize Egypt's economy in the rocky transition to democracy since the 2011 overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak, unlocking up to $15 billion in aid and investment to improve a dismal business climate.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-001316516.html

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