Relations sour between Taiwan and Philippines over fisherman's death - CNN

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:55:00 +0000

GRN correspondents are available in Taipei and Manila.

CNN - May has been a bad month for relations between Taiwan and the Philippines. Taiwan has reacted angrily after one of its fishermen was killed by a Philippine coast guard vessel last week. It has recalled its diplomatic envoy from Manila, frozen applications from Filipinos seeking to work in Taiwan and held naval drills near Philippine waters. Read more.

N Korea 'fires three short-range missiles' - BBC

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:55:00 +0000

Andrew Salmon is available in Seoul.

BBC - North Korea has fired three short-range missiles from its east coast, South Korea's defence ministry said. Two missiles were fired on Saturday morning and one in the afternoon, the ministry said in a statement. Officials at the ministry said they were "monitoring the situation and remain on alert". Read more.

Videla death: The view from Buenos Aire - BBC

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:55:00 +0000

.GRN correspondents are available in Buenos Ayres

BBC - People in Argentina have been reacting to the death of one of its controversial former military leaders. Jorge Rafael Videla died in prison aged 87, while serving a sentence for crimes against humanity. Under the military junta, up to 30,000 left-wing activists were tortured and murdered. General Videla claimed they did not have an identity, being neither dead nor alive, they had 'disappeared'. Read more.

France's Hollande signs gay marriage bill into law - Reuters

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:50:00 +0000

Hugh Schoffield and Catherine Field are available in Paris.

Reuters - French President Francois Hollande has signed into law a bill allowing same-sex marriage, making France the 14th country to legalize gay weddings. France's official journal announced on Saturday that the bill had become law after the Constitutional Council gave the go-ahead on Friday. Read more.

Antigay Protesters Disrupt Georgian Rights Rally - Radio Liberty

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:45:00 +0000

Giorgi Lombsadze and Diana Petiashvili are available in Tblisi.

Radio Liberty - At least 17 people have been injured by violence that broke out in Georgia's capital before the start of a rally to mark International Day Against Homophobia. Thousands of antigay activists disrupted the planned lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) event in Tbilisi's Pushkin Park on May 17, with many attacking gathering gay-rights campaigners. Read more.

Blasts kill 15 near Pakistani mosques - CNN

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:45:00 +0000

GRN correspondents are available in Islamabad.

CNN - Blasts targeting two mosques in northwestern Pakistan on Friday have left 15 people dead and others injured, a police official said. The incident occurred in the village of Baz Dera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Malakand district, according to Amjad Ali, Malakand's deputy commissioner of police. One of the explosions was caused by a time bomb planted in one of the mosques, officials said. Read more.

Blasts Kill Dozens of Iraqis as Sectarian Tensions Boil - NYT

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Prashant Rao is available in Baghdad; Hiwa Osman in available in Erbil.

New York Times - At least 66 people were killed in bomb blasts in Iraq on Friday, officials said, making it one of the bloodiest days this year as the country struggles to contain spiraling sectarian violence. Read more

5.9 earthquake strikes Japan off Fukushima coast - RT

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Julian Ryall and David Cresante are available in Tokyo.

RT - An earthquake with a magnitude measured at 5.9 by Japan’s Meteorological Agency has struck the northeast of the country. The epicenter was close to the Fukushima coast and only 200km from Tokyo, causing buildings in the capital to shake. Read more.

Toronto Mayor Is Besieged by Questions of Crack Use - NYT

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:25:00 +0000

Blake Lambert is available in Toronto.

Reuters - Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto has long been dogged by controversy over his often boorish behavior and less than diligent attention to work. On Friday, Mr. Ford faced his greatest political test following two reports that he is seen in a video apparently using crack cocaine.The Toronto Star and the Web site Gawker reported on Thursday night that they were shown the video on a smartphone by two men who were trying to sell it. The Star, which said that two of its reporters had watched the recording, reported that it was made by a man who said he had sold crack to Mr. Ford. Read more.

Dancer says showgirls dressed as Obama, nuns at Berlusconi party - Reuters

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:20:00 +0000

Philip Willan, John Phillips, Susan Hodges and Josephine McKenna are available in Rome.

Reuters - The nightclub dancer at the center of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" sex trial told a court on Friday that guests at the media tycoon's parties dressed as nuns, nurses and U.S. President Barack Obama. Karima El Mahroug, better known by her stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", spoke as a witness in a trial at which talent scout Lele Mora, television anchor Emilio Fede and former showgirl and regional councilor Nicole Minetti are accused of inducing and aiding prostitution. Read more.