Pro-EU Tadic leading polls ahead of runoff vote
Serbs seem poised this weekend to re-elect a reformist who arrested Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, rejecting a nationalist promising closer ties with Russia — in a sign that the troubled Balkan nation is edging away from its 1990s war legacy.
U.S. path out of Afghanistan faces risks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan, where the United States has already trimmed its forces ahead of the coming NATO withdrawal, a modest number of al Qaeda fighters have re-established operations, U.S. officials say, a worrying sign of the risks that could jeopardize Western hopes of a smooth exit. Current and former U.S. officials say the fighters, believed to be mostly Arabs and Pakistanis who number less than 100, have crept back across the porous border with Pakistan to Kunar and Nuristan provinces. ...
Exclusive: China pushes North Korea to drop nuclear test plan: sources
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has been quietly and gently pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test, said two sources with knowledge of closed-door discussions between the countries, but there is no indication how the North will react. If North Korea goes ahead with the test, China would consider taking some retaliatory steps, but they would not be substantive, a source with ties to Pyongyang and Beijing told Reuters. ...
April retail sales hint at slower spending pace
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales at U.S. retailers barely rose in April as the boost from an unseasonably warm winter faded, pointing to some loss of momentum in consumer spending early in the second quarter. But retreating gasoline prices, which put a lid on inflation pressures last month, should put more money in American's pockets and boost spending in the months ahead. Retail sales edged up 0.1 percent, held back by a decline in receipts from building materials and clothing stores, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. That was the smallest gain since December when sales were flat. ...
At least 32 killed in new Yemen offensive on militants
ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - At least 32 people, including 23 al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in Yemen, officials and residents said on Tuesday, as the government pressed ahead with a new U.S.-backed offensive against insurgents in the south of the country. Washington has stepped up its drone attacks in Yemen since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February, and the Pentagon said last week it had recently resumed sending military trainers to the Arab state. ...
Pakistan signals end to blockade of NATO supplies
Top Pakistani leaders will on Tuesday discuss ending a blockade of foreign military supply routes into Afghanistan and repairing US relations, signalling a rapprochement ahead of a NATO summit.
76ers even series with 82-81 win over Celts
Evan Turner made the go-ahead layup with 40.4 seconds left and Philadelphia held off Boston the rest of the way with six straight free throws as the 76ers evened the second-round Eastern Conference series with an 82-81 victory Monday night.
U.N. nuclear agency to push Iran on military site access
VIENNA (Reuters) - The United Nations nuclear watchdog signaled on Monday it would press Iran for access to a military installation where it suspects Iran has built a chamber for high-explosive tests that could serve to develop atomic bombs. The Vienna talks will test Iran's readiness to address U.N. inspectors' suspicions of military dimensions to its nuclear program, ahead of broader-ranging talks on the program's future in Baghdad next week between Tehran and six world powers. ...
Japan assembly agrees to restart reactors, hurdles remain
TOKYO (Reuters) - The local assembly in a Japanese town that hosts a nuclear plant agreed on Monday it was necessary to restart two off-line reactors, its chairman said, the first such nod since all the country's stations were halted after the Fukushima crisis. But further discussion lies ahead before reactors No. 3 and No. 4 at Kansai Electric Power Co's Ohi plant in western Japan can be reconnected to the grid. With power shortages looming in the region when demand peaks this summer, the central government has been trying to win approval from towns and prefectures that host reactors. ...
Vettel tops final practice for Spanish GP
Red Bull's defending world champion Sebastian Vettel topped the times in the final free practice session Saturday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
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