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Turkey local elections 2014: Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party takes strong lead

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party has taken a strong lead in Turkey’s local elections.

The polls are being seen as a key test for PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of presidential elections in August and parliamentary elections in 2015.

It is the first vote since mass protests last June, and subsequent government corruption scandals.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not standing but has campaigned tirelessly in support of his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

With about a half of the votes counted, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party was leading the main opposition party 45% to 27%.

The AKP had been aiming to equal or better its 38.8% share of the vote in 2009.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party has taken a strong lead in Turkey’s local elections
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party has taken a strong lead in Turkey’s local elections (photo AFP)

Voting in the local assembly and mayoral elections passed off peacefully in most areas, but eight people were reportedly killed in two separate incidents involving supporters of rival candidates.

Feuding families were said to have clashed in the southern city of Hatay and the eastern province of Sanliurfa.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been eyeing a run for the presidency in August – the first time voters will directly elect the head of state – or may seek to change the rules to allow him to seek a fourth term in office.

In the run-up to Sunday’s poll, the government blocked Twitter and YouTube, following a series of online leaks.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said social media was spreading misinformation.

On Saturday pro- and anti-government factions held rival demonstrations in Istanbul, which saw the Gezi Park protests of May and June last year.

The secular opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is fighting to win the Istanbul mayor’s office from Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ally Kadir Topbas. However, early results put the AKP ahead in the sprawling metropolis.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a former mayor of Istanbul and the vote has become an unofficial referendum on his administration. The prime minister himself has described the vote as a struggle for Turkey’s independence.

The race looked tighter in the capital Ankara, with the AKP narrowly leading the CHP.

The loss of either city would be a major embarrassment for the prime minister.

More than 50 million people are eligible to vote, and turnout appeared to be high.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has purged hundreds of people from the judiciary and police since several of his allies were arrested over a corruption scandal in December.

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Flight MH370: Chinese families want Malaysian government to apologize for disaster handling

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Families of Chinese passengers from the missing flight MH370 have vented their anger at Malaysian government officials, after arriving in Kuala Lumpur.

Chanting “Tell us the truth”, they said they wanted the Malaysian prime minister to apologize for what they regard as misleading statements.

Eight ships and nine planes searched around 97,000 sq miles of Indian Ocean for debris on Sunday.

The Beijing-bound plane disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

International investigators have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean.

Families of Chinese passengers from the missing flight MH370 have vented their anger at Malaysian government officials
Families of Chinese passengers from the missing flight MH370 have vented their anger at Malaysian government officials

The search zone shifted on Friday after further analysis. But while aircraft continue to spot debris in the water, nothing recovered by ships has so far been verified as being from the plane.

Some relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and blame the authorities.

On Sunday, several dozen family members travelled from Beijing.

After landing in Kuala Lumpur they held a news conference at a hotel holding up banners that read “We want evidence, truth, dignity” in Chinese, and “Hand us the murderer. Give us our relatives,” in English.

Their designated representative, Jiang Hui, said they wanted the Malaysian government to apologize for the initial handling of the disaster, as well as for PM Najib Razak’s earlier statement that indicated the plane had crashed with no survivors.

Jiang Hui said the conclusion had been announced “without direct evidence or a sense of responsibility”.

He said the group wanted to meet airline and government officials face to face – although he stopped short of saying that these included Najib Razak, as some relatives had earlier suggested.

Before the relatives travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the search for survivors would continue.

On Sunday, Malaysian officials cancelled their daily update on the search for a second day.

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Harry Potter spin-off to be made into film trilogy

Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is to be made into a film trilogy.

JK Rowling’s book, published in 2001, was originally billed as one of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbooks.

Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara persuaded JK Rowling to adapt the book for the big screen.

Last week, he told the New York Times there would be a trilogy of films based on the book, which follows a “magizoologist” named Newt Scamander.

Newt Scamander is the author of a guide to magical creatures. Set in New York, the book is neither a sequel nor a prequel, but an “extension” of Harry Potter’s “wizarding world”, JK Rowling said.

Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is to be made into a film trilogy
Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is to be made into a film trilogy

Last month, JK Rowling told actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione Grainger in the Harry Potter films, that she completed the draft script in 12 days.

JK Rowling herself told the newspaper that it was Kevin Tsujihara – who took over the role of CEO at Warner Bros last year – who persuaded her to adapt the book.

“We had one dinner, a follow-up telephone call, and then I got out the rough draft that I’d thought was going to be an interesting bit of memorabilia for my kids and started rewriting,” the author told the New York Times.

“When Kevin got the top job, he brought a new energy, which rubbed off. He’s a very engaging person, thoughtful and funny.”

The project, which was first announced in September 2013, will be produced by Harry Potter regular David Heyman, whose recent successes include Gravity.

“I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it,” said JK Rowling when the film was announced last year.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was written by JK Rowling between the publication of the fourth and the fifth books in the Harry Potter series. It is set 70 years before we first meet Harry Potter.

More than 450 million copies of JK Rowling’s seven Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide.

Aside from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, JK Rowling also wrote the short book Quidditch Through the Ages – another of Harry Potter’s schoolbooks. They were published in aid of Comic Relief.

Another Harry Potter spin-off book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, followed in December 2008.

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France local elections 2014: Francois Hollande’s socialists suffer big losses

Francois Hollande’s socialists have suffered big losses in France’s municipal elections, according to early results.

The opposition UMP claims victory and the far right National Front (FN) celebrates further gains.

UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope hailed what he called a “blue wave” of support for his centre-right party.

Marine Le Pen’s FN was heading for victory in up to seven towns, early results indicated.

The Socialists have been hit by growing discontent over the economy.

Francois Hollande's socialists have suffered big losses in France’s municipal elections
Francois Hollande’s socialists have suffered big losses in France’s municipal elections

Turnout in Sunday’s second-round vote was low, which was bad news for President Francois Hollande’s Socialists as it was their supporters who were not voting

The National Front was on course for victory in the southern towns of Beziers and Frejus and in Villers-Cotterets north-east of Paris.

The centre-right UMP appears poised to capture a number of key cities, including Saint-Etienne, Reims and Roubaix.

A reshuffle – and quite likely a replacement for PM Jean-Marc Ayrault – could be announced as early as Monday.

In Paris, which has had a Socialist mayor since 2001, exit polls indicated Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo was set to defeat UMP candidate Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet.

It was seen as a consolation for the governing party on a night of setbacks.

Voters were choosing councilors and mayors in more than 36,000 municipalities. FN candidates had won through to the second round in some 200 places.

The FN is widely expected to do well in the European Parliament elections in May – and opinion polls suggest the Eurosceptic party is on course to come top.

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Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry arrive in Paris for Ukraine talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have arrived in Paris for crisis talks on Ukraine.

The meeting was hastily arranged after President Vladimir Putin phoned President Barack Obama on Friday.

Russia has annexed Crimea and there are reports of thousands of Russian troops massed close to Ukraine’s borders.

Earlier Sergei Lavrov set out demands for a neutral and federal Ukraine, an idea Kiev called “full capitulation”.

However, Sergei Lavrov has categorically denied any plans for an invasion.

However, the Russian foreign minister has stressed Moscow will protect the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers, after pro-EU protests in Kiev led to the ousting of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych.

John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov have arrived in Paris for crisis talks on Ukraine
John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov have arrived in Paris for crisis talks on Ukraine

On Sunday, the US ordered its top general in Europe to return early from a trip to Washington.

NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, had been due to testify to Congress, but a Pentagon spokesman told Reuters his return was prudent “given the lack of transparency and intent from Russian leadership about their military movements across the border”.

Hours before the Paris talks were due to take place at the Russian ambassador’s residence, Sergei Lavrov told Russian state TV that Ukraine should come up with a new constitution “providing for a federal structure” and neutrality.

The Russian foreign minister said Moscow, the US and EU should act as a support group for Kiev to begin a nationwide dialogue that did not involve the “armed radicals”. Moscow claims that fascists have taken power in Ukraine, jeopardizing the safety of Russian speakers.

In an interview on Saturday, Sergei Lavrov said Russia had been deceived after being promised “there would be no movement of NATO military infrastructure closer to our borders”.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said it deeply regretted Sergei Lavrov’s “patronizing” remarks.

“At the point of its automatic rifles, this aggressor demands only one thing – Ukraine’s full capitulation, its split and the destruction of Ukrainian statehood,” said a statement carried by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

NATO’s outgoing Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned on Sunday that Russia’s government was “[flouting] the principle that every state is sovereign and free to choose its own fate”.

Vladimir Putin is also thought to be demanding that Washington accepts Crimea’s independence from Ukraine.

Separately, Moscow is keen to tackle the issue of Trans-Dniester, a pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova on the south-western border of Ukraine. It accuses Ukraine and Moldova of “blockading” the area while the EU and the US stay silent.

US officials are divided over whether Vladimir Putin is seeking to ease tensions or is still planning further military action.

The Pentagon believes Moscow has massed tens of thousands of troops close to Ukraine’s eastern border.

Food, medicines and a field hospital are said to be among the supplies moved into position, officials say, which would not be necessary for any spring military exercise.

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Kate O’Mara dies aged 74

Kate O’Mara has died at the age of 74, her agent has announced.

Kate O’Mara was best known for her role as sister to Joan Collins' Alexis Colby in soap opera Dynasty
Kate O’Mara was best known for her role as sister to Joan Collins’ Alexis Colby in soap opera Dynasty

The actress was best known for her role as sister to Joan Collins’ Alexis Colby in soap opera Dynasty.

Kate O’Mara also had prominent roles in the ’80s series Howards’ Way and Triangle, and in Doctor Who.

The actress’ agent said she died in a Sussex nursing home following a short illness.

Kate O’Mara’s first television roles were in the 1960s, but she came to public attention playing the manipulative Cassandra “Caress” Morrell in Dynasty.

Taiwan: Taipei mass rally against controversial trade agreement with China

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More than 100,000 people in Taiwan have taken to the streets of capital Taipei, to protest against a controversial trade agreement with China.

They carried signs reading “defend democracy, withdraw the trade deal”.

President Ma Ying-jeou insists the deal will bring economic benefits, but campaigners says it will make Taiwan too economically dependent on China.

The protesters expressed support for students who have occupied parliament for two weeks in protest at the deal.

More than 100,000 people have taken to the streets of capital Taipei, to protest against a controversial trade agreement with China
More than 100,000 people have taken to the streets of capital Taipei, to protest against a controversial trade agreement with China

The agreement will allow China and Taiwan to invest more freely in each other’s services markets.

The protesters say it will hurt small businesses and job opportunities for local people, and should be scrapped.

They are also demanding that the government pass a law to monitor all future deals with Beijing.

In recent days, President Ma Ying-jeou has made several concessions, including supporting such a law and agreeing to a line-by-line review of the deal in the legislature.

But he says the pact should not be cancelled, because it will give Taiwanese companies greater access to the Chinese market.

Business groups and others have voiced support for the deal. The governing Kuomintang party says it is determined to ratify it.

The agreement, which was signed in June 2013, has not yet been approved by lawmakers.

China formally regards Taiwan as a part of its territory, despite the island governing itself for six decades.

But China is Taiwan’s biggest trading partner and in recent years ties between the two have improved.

They have signed several trade and investment agreements – but some fear greater economic integration with China could threaten Taiwan.

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Tucson police fire pepper spray at Arizona fans after NCAA tournament loss

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Tucson police shot pepper spray at several hundred fans who took to the streets and threw beer bottles and firecrackers at officers after Arizona’s overtime loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament on Saturday night.

There were no reports of injuries to fans or officers, but 15 people were arrested for offenses such as resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, Tucson police Sgt. Pete Dugan said. Of those arrested, 14 were released, and one was sent to Pima County jail.

Tucson police shot pepper spray at several hundred fans who took to the streets after Arizona's overtime loss
Tucson police shot pepper spray at several hundred fans who took to the streets after Arizona’s overtime loss (photo AP)

Pete Dugan said those advancing on officers were arrested. The street was clear and the crowd was gone by late Saturday.

He said crowds leaving bars and restaurants near campus after the game filled University Boulevard and wouldn’t leave despite urging through a PA system and social media declaring it an unlawful assembly.

Police brought in cruisers and a unit of officers with batons, helmets and face masks to block the street when people started tossing beer bottles, cans and firecrackers, hitting police vehicles and endangering officers.

Officers fired pepper spray, pepper canisters and pepper balls, which disperse into the air when they hit, Pete Dugan said. No tear gas was used despite some reports.

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Prince George’s new official photograph released ahead of Australia and New Zealand tour

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A new official photograph of Prince George with his parents, Kate Middleton and Prince William, has been released ahead of their tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The eight-month-old is pictured in Kate Middleton’s arms while Prince William holds their dog, Lupo.

In the image, taken by royal christening photographer Jason Bell, the family is looking through an open window at their Kensington Palace home.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are due to arrive in New Zealand on April 7.

They then fly to Australia on April 16 and their three-week tour ends on April 25.

In the new image, Prince George is wearing a pale blue jumper bearing his name, while Kate Middleton wears a cream-colored blouse and Prince William a shirt with rolled-up sleeves.

Prince George with his parents ahead of their Australia and New Zealand tour
Prince George with his parents ahead of their Australia and New Zealand tour (photo Jason Bell)

Prince George, who is third in line to the throne, is not looking directly at the camera like his parents – instead, he is smiling at the black cocker spaniel next to him.

Other than a glimpse of the curtains, little of the Cambridges’ renovated Kensington Palace home can be seen in the photograph.

It is the first official picture of Prince George to be released since his christening last October.

The visit to Australia and New Zealand will be Prince George’s first official overseas tour. The trip echoes the Prince and Princess of Wales’s visit to Australia and New Zealand in 1983 when the couple took Prince William, then aged nine months, with them.

The tour will begin in Wellington, where Prince William and Kate Middleton will be greeted with a ceremonial welcome to New Zealand, called a Powhiri in Maori.

They will see a yacht race, visit a rugby stadium and a vineyard, and there will also be Maori engagements in Christchurch and Dunedin.

During their time in New Zealand, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend a ceremony in Blenheim to recognize the sacrifice of members of the Australian and New Zealand armed forces in the First World War.

There will be a similar commemorative ceremony in Canberra, Australia.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Australian itinerary includes visits to Uluru in the Northern Territory, as well as Sydney and Adelaide.

They will also visit an area of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, that was hit by bushfires last October.

Their 11-strong entourage includes Prince George’s new nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, and a hairdresser.

Prince William has made a number of official trips to Australia and New Zealand in the past, but Kate Middleton is yet to pay an official visit to either country.

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Flight MH370: Chinese families fly to Kuala Lumpur to seek answers

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Chinese families of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane passengers have flown to Kuala Lumpur to seek answers from the Malaysian authorities.

The relatives say they have not been given enough information, and want to meet Malaysia’s prime minister and transport minister face to face.

Ten planes and eight ships are looking for remains of the airliner in a vast area of the Indian Ocean.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

Some relatives of the flight’s 153 Chinese passengers have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and have accused the authorities of withholding information.

After landing at Kuala Lumpur they vented their frustration at a news conference chanting “We want proof”, and holding banners reading “Hand over the murderer” and “You must return the relatives”.

They have vented their anger at officials during regular briefings by Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing.

Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday that the search for survivors would continue.

Chinese families of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane passengers have flown to Kuala Lumpur to seek answers from the Malaysian authorities
Chinese families of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane passengers have flown to Kuala Lumpur to seek answers from the Malaysian authorities (photo AP)

Malaysian officials have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing plane flew into the sea somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. So far no trace of it has been found.

A Chinese and an Australian ship failed to identify debris from the missing flight after their first day in a new search area, about 1,150 miles west of Perth, on Saturday.

Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 and Australia’s HMAS Success both retrieved objects but none was confirmed to be from flight MH370, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said in a statement.

Some of the objects have been very small, and officials have cautioned that they may be sea junk.

Aircraft involved in the search have so far reported seeing a number of objects of various colors floating in the sea in the new area since Friday.

Poor conditions have hampered recent search efforts.

An Australian vessel carrying a US device known as a “towed pinger locator” is due to join the search in the coming days.

The device is designed to detect any ultrasonic signals – “pings” – from flight recorders and can operate up to a depth of about 6,000 m.

But the search area is huge – covering some 123,000 sq miles – and time is running short. The flight recorders’ batteries are expected to run out in about a week’s time.

The current search area is about 700 miles north-east of the previous zone.

Officials said the focus changed after radar data showed the plane had been travelling faster than previously thought, thus burning more fuel.

This would reduce the possible distance the aircraft travelled south.

Various theories about what went wrong have been suggested – including the captain hijacking his own plane.

The speculation was fuelled by reports that files had been deleted on the pilot’s home flight simulator.

However, on Saturday, Malaysia’s transport minister said investigators had found “nothing sinister” from the simulator.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 vanished less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

The airliner diverted off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers between Malaysian and Vietnamese air-traffic control areas.

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China-Philippines navy incident in disputed waters captured on camera

A Chinese navy vessel harasses a Philippine supply boat off a disputed South China Sea island, in a spat witnessed by Western journalists on board.

Journalists on board of the Philippine ship have witnessed Chinese coast guard vessels trying to block access to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

One of the Chinese ships radioed to demand the crew turn around, or “take full responsibility” for their actions.

But the Philippine boat, ferrying food to troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal, managed to slip past.

The shoal is one of many flashpoints in the area, where several countries have overlapping territorial claims.

China claims a U-shaped swathe of the sea – creating multiple overlaps with areas claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Saturday’s incident, which took place at Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ayungin in Manila and Ren’ai Reef in Beijing), is a rare glimpse into the tensions that routinely play out in the disputed waters.

Journalists on board of the Philippine ship have witnessed Chinese coast guard vessels trying to block access to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea
Journalists on board of the Philippine ship have witnessed Chinese coast guard vessels trying to block access to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea

Journalists say they saw two Chinese coast guard ships attempt to block the path of the Philippine boat, sending a radio message, in English, warning that it was entering Chinese territory: “We order you to stop immediately, stop all illegal activities and leave.”

But instead of leaving, the Philippine boat managed to manoeuvre away and enter waters that were too shallow for the Chinese ships to follow.

The captain of the Philippine vessel, Ferdinand Gato, later told Reuters news agency that if they had not changed direction, they would have collided with one of the Chinese vessels.

Philippine troops are stationed on a beached, rusting military ship on the shoal that analysts say has become a symbol of the country marking its territory.

Two weeks ago, Manila made a formal complaint to Beijing after a similar incident when Chinese vessels succeeded in blocking a resupply mission to the shoal.

Philippine planes resorted to air-dropping food and water supplies for the soldiers stationed on board the marooned ship.

The latest confrontation was witnessed by more than a dozen journalists.

They had been invited by the Philippine military to board the government vessel to show alleged bullying by Chinese vessels in the area.

The Chinese foreign ministry condemned the Philippines for trying to “hype up” the issue, according to a statement quoted by Xinhua news agency.

The ministry accused Manila of trying to “illegally seize” the shoal.

The incident comes a day before the Philippines is due to file a case against China with the UN tribunal in The Hague, challenging its territorial claim to most of the South China Sea.

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Cuba backs new foreign investment law

Cuba’s National Assembly has passed a new foreign investment law on Saturday that aims to make the Communist-run island more attractive to foreign businesses.

The law slashes taxes on profits from 30% to 15% and gives new investors eight years of exemption from paying taxes.

The change is seen as a key part of President Raul Castro’s reform package, aiming to modernize Cuba’s economy.

The government in Havana opened the country to foreign capital in 1995.

Cuba's National Assembly has passed a new foreign investment law that aims to make the country more attractive to foreign businesses
Cuba’s National Assembly has passed a new foreign investment law that aims to make the country more attractive to foreign businesses

However, in recent years, Cuba has seen a fall in foreign investment and moderate economic growth. The economy grew by 2.7% in 2013, well below the government’s 7% target.

Cuba’s economy is seen as highly centralized and inefficient, but almost 500,000 Cubans now have licenses to operate small, private businesses.

Presenting the law at a special televised session of the assembly, ministers were at pains to stress that the government was not “selling” the country but taking steps to ensure its prosperity as a socialist state.

The text of the bill has not yet been released but is expected to introduce several incentives to investment when it comes into force in three months’ time:

  • Investors will be lured into joint ventures with the state and Cuban companies
  • The process of approving foreign investment will be speeded up
  • Legal protection will aim to reinforce investors’ confidence in the Communist government
  • Taxes will be cut to 15% on profits in most areas, although special conditions will be set for investment in natural resources
  • Tax on nickel and fossil fuel investment could be as high as 50%

The reform is not expected to attract investment from the large Cuban community in the US, under the 50 year-old US economic embargo.

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Syria: Spanish journalists released by ISIS rebels after six months

Spanish journalists Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova – kidnapped in Syria six months ago by radical Islamist rebels – have been released.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo said its Middle East correspondent, Javier Espinosa, had phoned the newsroom to say that he had been freed along with photographer Ricardo Garcia Vilanova.

Javier Espinosa said they had been handed over to Turkish soldiers.

Scores of journalists are believed to have been kidnapped or killed by rebel fighters in Syria.

Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova were seized by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) near the Turkish border in September 2013.

Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova were seized by the ISIS rebels near the Turkish border in September 2013
Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova were seized by the ISIS rebels near the Turkish border in September 2013

El Mundo said at the time the two journalists had been trying to leave Syria at the end of a two-week reporting mission when they were taken.

Four members of the Free Syrian Army – the main Western-backed rebel group – who were protecting them were also captured but later released.

The Spanish daily said the kidnapping was initially kept quiet at the request of the men’s families.

Many kidnappings have been played down in the hope of aiding negotiations.

The journalists are expected back in Madrid on Sunday, El Mundo said.

In December, 13 major international news organizations signed a letterurging Syrian rebel groups to stop kidnapping journalists, and to free those who are currently held.

Correspondents say ISIS assumes that all foreign journalists and aid workers in Syria are spies and has issued orders to arrest them.

The high risk of kidnapping has made many rebel-held areas of Syria no-go areas for most foreign journalists.

The Free Syrian Army’s political wing – the Syrian National Coalition – says it is committed to protecting journalists, and securing the release of hostages.

Javier Espinosa has been a Middle East correspondent for El Mundo since 2002 and is based in Beirut.

Ricardo Garcia Vilanova has worked for various news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post and the AFP news agency.

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Turkey local elections 2014: Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces popularity test

Turkey is voting in municipal elections that analysts say could determine the political future of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

They are the first elections since mass protests erupted last June and a corruption scandal hit the government.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not standing but has campaigned tirelessly in support of his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The government blocked Twitter and YouTube in the run up to the elections, following a series of online leaks.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said social media was spreading misinformation.

Turkey is voting in municipal elections that analysts say could determine the political future of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkey is voting in municipal elections that analysts say could determine the political future of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan

On Saturday pro- and anti-government factions held rival demonstrations in Istanbul, which saw the Gezi Park protests of May and June last year.

The opposition Republican People’s Party is fighting there to win the mayor’s office from Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ally Kadir Topbas.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is himself a former mayor of the city and the vote has become an unofficial referendum on his administration, our correspondent says.

The prime minister lashed out at his political opponents during a series of rallies on Saturday.

“They are all traitors,” he told the crowd in Istanbul.

“Go to the ballot box tomorrow and teach all of them a lesson. Let’s give them an Ottoman slap.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced to cancel a number of rallies on Friday on doctors’ orders to rest his voice.

The prime minister has purged hundreds of people from the judiciary and police since several of his allies were arrested over a corruption scandal in December.

He has accused the judiciary of being behind a series of wiretaps and social media leaks allegedly exposing major corruption, and blamed the probe on a “foreign plot”.

The scandal has pitted the prime minister against a former ally, US-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, who has many supporters in the police and judiciary.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamic-leaning AK Party have been in power for over a decade.

Sunday’s local assembly and mayoral elections are being seen as a key test ahead of presidential elections in August and parliamentary elections in 2015.

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Andrej Kiska wins Slovakia’s presidential election

Andrej Kiska has won Slovakia’s presidential election, despite having no previous political experience.

Tycoon Andrej Kiska, standing for office for the first time, defeated current PM Robert Fico in the second round of voting.

Early poll counts suggested Andrej Kiska had gained about 60% of the vote.

Andrej Kiska’s victory stopped Robert Fico’s social democrats from gaining control of both the presidency and parliament.

Correspondents say the prospect of social-democrat domination appeared to galvanized Robert Fico’s opponents.

Andrej Kiska has won Slovakia's presidential election, despite having no previous political experience
Andrej Kiska has won Slovakia’s presidential election, despite having no previous political experience

Robert Fico ended his campaign by wooing voters with tales of his traditional Catholic upbringing in an attempt to appeal to Slovakia’s majority Catholic population.

He portrayed Andrej Kiska as a scientologist, a claim the tycoon denies.

Robert Fico has been in office since the 2012 elections, which saw a party securing an absolute majority in the Slovak parliament for the first time since independence.

“It’s a new feeling to be voting for myself,” said Andrej Kiska, who has never previously run for office, as he cast his ballot in his provincial hometown of Poprad, in northern Slovakia.

France’s President Francois Hollande and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz had both backed fellow leftist Robert Fico.

Andrej Kiska capitalized on his image as a newcomer untainted by allegations of corruption that have ravaged Slovakia’s right-wing.

With no communist past, he is seen as a skilled businessman. He says he wants to fight corruption and create a more efficient government.

Andrej Kiska will be sworn in on June 15, when leftist incumbent Ivan Gasparovic’s second term ends.

Rihanna and Drake spotted leaving London’s Tramps Nightclub hand in hand

Rihanna and Drake have been spotted leaving a London club together, hand in hand, late Thursday.

Sources told Us Weekly that the pair has been inching closer to a relationship.

Rihanna has been romantically linked to Drake in the past
Rihanna has been romantically linked to Drake in the past

Wearing a white ruffled minidress, jester-style hat, thigh-high boots, and oversized black fur coat, Rihanna casually draped one hand over Drake’s as the two were photographed in their car leaving Tramps Nightclub.

Drake looked happy as he flashed photographers an inquisitive stare, while Rihanna gripped his hand.

Rihanna has been romantically linked to Drake in the past and even unwittingly sparked a brutal brawl between the rapper and her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown in an NYC club back in June 2012.

Their latest outing comes several days after Rihanna enjoyed Drake’s sold-out performance at the O2 Arena on March 25.

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Katherine Webb engaged to AJ McCarron

Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron and former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb are now engaged.

AJ McCarron and former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb are now engaged
AJ McCarron and former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb are now engaged (photo Twitter)

Katherine Webb, 24, made the announcement via Twitter.

AJ McCarron, 23, proposed at a restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Katherine Webb was impressed by his choice of ring.

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Vitaly Klitschko pulls out of Ukraine’s presidential elections

Former boxing champion and leading politician Vitaly Klitschko has pulled out of Ukraine’s presidential elections planned in May.

Vitaly Klitschko said instead he would back tycoon Petro Poroshenko.

Both men played a key role in months of street protests that led to the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Vitaly Klitschko, 42, announced his decision to pull out of the presidential race at his Udar (Punch) party’s gathering in Kiev on Saturday.

“The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces,” he said.

He stressed that a contender with “the highest chances to win should be running” for the presidency.

“Today, Petro Poroshenko is this candidate,” Vitaly Klitschko said, reminding supporters that the two politicians had stood and fought shoulder-to-shoulder at the protesters’ main camp in Kiev – the Maidan.

Petro Poroshenko, 48, has already declared his intention to enter the race.

Vitaly Klitschko has pulled out of Ukraine’s presidential race and he will back tycoon Petro Poroshenko
Vitaly Klitschko has pulled out of Ukraine’s presidential race and he will back tycoon Petro Poroshenko (photo AFP)

The owner of the popular Roshen chocolate company, Petro Poroshenko is widely known in Ukraine as the “chocolate king”.

He has held a number of cabinet portfolios under different presidents in the past decade.

On Saturday, Petro Poroshenko said that – together with the Udar party – “we declare our goal is a new Ukraine”.

“Our goal is to live in a new way. To form Ukraine in a way that there will be rich, free and honest citizens happy to be Ukrainians and to live in a country respected by the whole world.”

Vitaly Klitschko’s withdrawal means the race is likely to be between Petro Poroshenko and former PM Yulia Tymoshenko.

Several former supporters of Viktor Yanokovych have also announced they will run. The Party of Regions, to which Viktor Yanukovych belonged, on Saturday backed former Kharkiv governor Mykhailo Dobkin to run for the presidency.

The May 25 elections are seen as a crucial step in leading Ukraine out of the country’s deepest political crisis since its independence in 1991. An interim administration is currently in place in Kiev, led by acting President Olksandr Turchynov and PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Russia says the current authorities in Kiev came to power in a coup and are, therefore, illegitimate.

Ukraine – backed by the West – denies the claim.

Moscow formally annexed Crimea after the predominantly ethnic Russian region held a referendum earlier this month which backed joining Russia.

Latest opinions polls give Petro Poroshenko about 25% of the vote, ahead of his presidential rivals, while Vitaly Klitschko and Yulia Tymoshenko are lagging far behind.

However, Yulia Tymoshenko, 53, who was released from prison last month following the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych, is expected to mount a strong campaign.

In all, 15 contenders are planning to challenge for Ukraine’s presidency.

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Lady Gaga celebrates 28th birthday with short concert at Roseland Ballroom in NYC

Lady Gaga celebrated her 28th birthday on March 28 with a short concert at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City in her first of seven concerts at the closing venue.

Lady Gaga performed for an hour Friday night in front of a feverish crowd. She started with a slow version of Born This Way on piano, with the audience joining in.

The singer followed that with the jams Monster and Bad Romance. She danced and sang on the side of the stage in a red tight leotard.

Lady Gaga celebrated her 28th birthday with a short concert at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City
Lady Gaga celebrated her 28th birthday with a short concert at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City

“Thank you so much for spending my birthday with me,” Lady Gaga yelled to the audience, which included her boyfriend Taylor Kinney and Nate Ruess.

Lady Gaga was in top form as she sang nearly a dozen of her songs, including Just Dance, an acoustic version of Poker Face, and the recent hit Applause. After Lady Gaga ended, fans waited for her to hit the stage again.

She performed some tracks from her recent album, ARTPOP, which has struggled to match the success of her other releases. But onstage, she showed no signs of slowing down.

The New York-born singer closed with the new single, G.U.Y., now wearing an all-white ensemble (her sixth costume change for the night).

Lady Gaga will perform six more shows at the Roseland Ballroom, helping close the famed venue that opened eight decades ago. Her final show at the Roseland Ballroom will be on April 7.

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Flight MH370: Chinese and Australian ships fail to identify objects from missing plane

Chinese and Australian ships have failed to identify objects from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 after their first day in a new search area.

The two ships retrieved objects from the Indian Ocean but none was confirmed to be from missing flight MH370, Australia’s maritime authority said.

Chinese aircraft also flew over the area, north-east of the previous zone, and have spotted more objects.

Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 and Australia’s HMAS Success “reported they have retrieved a number of objects from the ocean but so far no objects confirmed to be related to MH370 have been recovered”, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said late on Saturday.

Eight aircraft also took part in the operation. One Chinese plane reported spotting spotted three orange, white and red objects floating in the sea.

Chinese and Australian ships have failed to identify objects from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
Chinese and Australian ships have failed to identify objects from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370

Some of the objects seen in the area have been very small, and officials cautioned that they may be sea junk.

AMSA said that “at least one distinctive fishing object has been identified”.

On Friday five search planes spotted multiple objects of various colors in the same area – about 700 miles north-east of the previous search zone.

Bad weather has hampered the search efforts in recent days.

Meanwhile Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says he has reassured the families of the missing passengers that the search for any survivors will continue.

Some relatives of the flight’s 153 Chinese passengers have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and have accused officials of withholding information.

Acting Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein: “If there is any lead or information that involves survivors, that has been our priority.”

“No matter how remote the search, I am always hoping against hope that we will find survivors,” Hishammuddin Hussein told the latest news conference following a meeting with the families on Saturday.

The Australian and Malaysian governments said on Friday the search area had been changed following further analysis of radar data that showed the plane had been travelling faster, thus burning more fuel.

This would reduce the possible distance the aircraft travelled south into the Indian Ocean, officials said.

Search efforts had until Friday morning focused on an area some 1,550 miles to the south-west of the Australian city of Perth.

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Sergei Lavrov: Russia has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine.

Sergei Lavrov’s comments came after Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama discussed a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis.

The US-backed plan calls for Russia to halt to its military build-up on the border with Ukraine and withdraw its troops in Crimea to their bases.

Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on Sunday.

Reports say John Kerry was flying home from the Middle East on Saturday when he abruptly changed travel plans and instructed his plane to fly to Paris.

Tensions over Ukraine rose following the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February, following months of street protests.

Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine
Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine (photo Interfax)

Moscow later intervened in Crimea, a predominantly ethnic Russian region of Ukraine where its troops are stationed, saying the takeover in Kiev was a pro-fascist coup.

Russia then annexed Crimea after the region held a referendum which backed joining the Russian Federation.

Western countries condemned the vote as illegal and imposed sanctions on members of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

Meanwhile Ukraine’s interim authorities have been pressing ahead with elections due in May.

On Saturday boxer and opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko pulled out of the race for president.

He announced he was supporting billionaire Petro Poroshenko saying: “The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces.”

Former Ukraine’s PM Yulia Tymoshenko has also said she will stand.

In an interview with state TV channel Rossiya 1 on Saturday, Sergei Lavrov said: “We have absolutely no intention of – or interest in – crossing Ukraine’s borders.”

Sergei Lavrov added that Russia was ready to protect “the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, using all available political, diplomatic and legal means”.

After the interview was broadcast, it emerged Sergei Lavrov had spoken by phone to John Kerry, in a conversation that Russian officials said was initiated by the US.

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Kanye West turns himself in to LAPD for battery charges

Kanye West turned himself in to LAPD on Thursday to be formally booked in connection to his misdemeanor battery case involving photographer Daniel Ramos at Los Angeles International Airport last year.

Kanye West, 36, was booked at the LAPD’s Hollywood Division station Thursday afternoon in a process that took less than an hour.

Kanye West turned himself in to LAPD on Thursday to be formally booked in connection to his misdemeanor battery case involving photographer Daniel Ramos at Los Angeles International Airport
Kanye West turned himself in to LAPD on Thursday to be formally booked in connection to his misdemeanor battery case involving photographer Daniel Ramos at Los Angeles International Airport

The singer was recently sentenced to two years of probation in the case and was required to turn himself in for booking. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and was also ordered to perform 250 hours of community service and undergo 30 days of anger management counseling.

The incident took place on July 19 when Kanye West was accused of attacking a photographer, trying to wrestle the camera away from him.

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Honey Boo Boo’s sister Anna Chickadee gets engaged in redneck style

Honey Boo Boo’s big sister Anna “Chickadee” got engaged in “redneck style”.

Anna Shannon’s boyfriend, Michael, managed to ask her in a way that was not only unique and unforgettable, but also extremely personal and romantic.

The romantic moment came after Michael, Anna’s boyfriend of one year, secretly asked her parents for her hand in marriage.

Michael served up one steaming hot “redneck proposal” complete with a “Marry Me?” (spelled in pepperoni) pizza and group of dancing hillbillies.

The proposal, which took place on New Year’s Eve, didn’t come as a surprise to the entire family.

Anna “Chickadee” and her boyfriend Michael got engaged in redneck style
Anna “Chickadee” and her boyfriend Michael got engaged in redneck style (photo TLC)

“Her and Kaitlyn… I love them with all my heart,” Michael said, referring to Anna and her one-year-old daughter.

“I wouldn’t trade them for nothing.”

When it came time for the life-changing moment, Honey Boo Boo’s family and all their friends danced for the soon-to-be-married sister, creating a path for Michael and Kaitlyn so they could walk down to Anna.

Michael then got down on one knee and opened the pizza box.

“Will you marry me, Anna?” Michael said.

“I think I’m gonna cry” Anna said, which was followed by a “yes”.

Anna “Chickadee” smooched her new fiancé as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger.

Keeping up with the “redneck proposal” theme, Michael even managed to snag camouflage bling.

Mia Robertson’s cleft lip and palate story

Duck Dynasty’s Mia Robertson, the 10-year-old daughter of Jase and Missy Robertson, was born with a cleft lip and palate.

Missy and Jase Robertson recently launched the Mia Moo Fund, whose slogan is “Because Every Kid Deserves A Smile,” to raise awareness and help children with similar problems.

Missy Robertson revealed the story of Mia’s cleft lip and palate on the fund website:

“Jase & I learned that Mia had a cleft lip and possible cleft palate at 31 weeks gestation, thanks to a 4-D ultrasound. We were able to prepare ourselves and our boys, as best as we knew how, for a few weeks before she was born at 37 weeks gestation.

Mia Elaine Robertson was born on September 12, 2003, with a bilateral cleft lip and palate & it was through a mutual friend, we met a family in our area who had a son born with this same condition just a few months before Mia. This family lead us to the International Craniofacial Institute in Dallas, Texas, where we traveled when Mia was 17 days old. They checked her from head to toe and fitted her with a palatal appliance in order to give a “fake roof” to her mouth.

Ten-year-old Mia Robertson was born with a cleft lip and palate
Ten-year-old Mia Robertson was born with a cleft lip and palate

This helped tremendously in the feeding process as it aided in allowing her milk to travel down her throat instead of out her nose. We did our best to fatten her up over the next few weeks in order to get her healthy enough for her first surgery, correction of the cleft lip. At 3 months old, Mia underwent her first corrective surgery. Jase and I were prepared to physically take care of our daughter, but we were not prepared emotionally as to how different she would look after this surgery. We had fallen in love with that sweet face for 3 months and were not prepared for the swelling and stitches that we saw in the recovery room. It was a very emotional time.

Our baby looked so different, and we actually wondered if it would have been better if we had chosen not to put her through the surgery. In just a couple of days, the swelling diminished entirely, and we soon realized that this indeed was the best thing to do for our child. I try to help parents in this regard so they do not experience the same trauma that we did. Mia healed quickly, and we continued to prepare her for the next surgery. She had palate correction surgery at 7 months old. After having her palatal appliance cleaned 3-5 times a day for 7 months, Mia now had her own natural palate. She was a happy baby who loved her mama and hardly ever wanted to be away from me. This is extremely common with babies who need so much medical attention. No worries. I took her to work with me at Duck Commander, and she played on the floor and with her Mamaw Kay while we worked…”

Read full story on Mia Moo Fund website.

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Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale drew only 6 million viewers with Mia Robertson’s cleft surgery story

Duck Dynasty Season 5 ended this week with one of its most touching episodes yet – the Robertson family showed its support as Mia Robertson pursued another cleft palate surgery.

However, in spite of all the praise on Facebook, Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale still performed at a lower level comparing with Season 4 finale.

Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale drew 6.0 million viewers overall with 3.2 million among adults 18-49. That’s a 28% drop from the 8.4 million total viewers who watched the Season 4 finale on October 23 last year and a fall of 27% in the key demo result of 4.4 million.

This week’s finale was also down 29% from the 8.5 million overall viewers who tuned in for the Season 5 premiere on January 15.

Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale showed the Robertson family support for little Mia before another cleft palate surgery
Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale showed the Robertson family support for little Mia before another cleft palate surgery

Analysts say Phil Robertson last year’s controversy is to blame for the continuous fallout of the show.

Several months later, Phil Robertson is still dealing with the backlash from the controversial comments he made in his fateful GQ magazine interview. In spite of accusations related to homophobia and racism, the Duck Dynasty patriarch managed to maintain a presence on the popular reality series. Unfortunately, ratings for Season 5 finale were a huge disappointment, particularly when compared to the show’s performance at the end of Season 4.

Some fans are wondering whether the low ratings could be the result of continued boycotting from those still bothered by Phil Robertson’s statements. After all, a number of dedicated viewers changed their mind about the show in the aftermath of his controversial GQ interview. But other fans made it clear on Twitter that the debacle had convinced them to stand strong for Phil Robertson they were glad to see a reality star speaking out on his Christian beliefs and they wanted more.

However, Phil Robertson still retains the support of his family.

During a recent interview with CNN, Phil Robertson’s son, Willie, explained: “Anybody who knows [Phil Robertson] – any gay, straight, black, white – anybody who knows Phil knows that he is about love and his message is about God’s love, and God’s grace, and God’s forgiveness, ultimately.”

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