Ai Weiwei says blind dissident's escape will inspire Chinese

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• Ai Weiwei says blind dissident's escape will inspire Chinese
• Second big quake strikes northern Italy
• Insight: Israel gas finds launch navy into troubled waters
• Analysis: Nigeria oil bill waters down its reforms
• Israel pours cold water on big-power talks with Iran
• Australian PM seeks to quell party unrest over mine jobs
• In escape from Japan doomsday, capital takes flight
• Afghan insurgents target safest province Bamiyan
• Denmark detains attack plot suspects
• Finland gunman kills 1, wounds 8
• US missile attack kills 3 in northwest Pakistan
• Egypt results point to deeply divisive runoff race
• Activists: Troops kills up to 50 in central Syria
• Greek euro exit would be a recipe for hardship
• UN agency finds higher enrichment at Iranian site
• New telescope to be in South Africa, Australia
• Ex-Senegalese president denies he stole cars, art
• VOA correspondent reported detained in Ethiopia
• Bud weakens to tropical storm off Mexico's coast

Ai Weiwei says blind dissident's escape will inspire Chinese Posted: 29 May 2012 12:55 AM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - China's most famous dissident, the artist Ai Weiwei, said blind activist Chen Guangcheng's dramatic escape from confinement will inspire other Chinese to continue down the path towards democracy and not to live in fear. Chen's escape last month from 19 months of illegal house imprisonment and temporary refuge in the U.S. embassy in Beijing embarrassed the ruling Communist Party and cast a spotlight on the lack of rule of law in China. ...

Second big quake strikes northern Italy Posted: 29 May 2012 12:57 AM PDT MILAN (Reuters) - An earthquake was felt through much of northern Italy on Tuesday, just over a week after a tremor struck the region killing seven people and destroying or damaging hundreds of buildings. Italian media said the latest earthquake caused more buildings to collapse in the areas already affected by the previous quake, where thousands are still sleeping outdoors in tents. Television station Rai said some schools had been evacuated as far south as Florence. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude earthquake, which struck at depth of 9. ...

Insight: Israel gas finds launch navy into troubled waters Posted: 29 May 2012 12:28 AM PDT TEL AVIV (Reuters) - When Israeli economists contemplate their country's untapped natural gas finds far out in the Mediterranean, they dream of energy independence and lucrative export deals. Those charged with Israel's defense, however, worry that the navy - small and long a middling priority in budgets - may be hard put to protect the multinational drilling platforms and rigs out at sea. ...

Analysis: Nigeria oil bill waters down its reforms Posted: 29 May 2012 01:02 AM PDT ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's long-awaited oil law, when it finally comes, looks likely to be a botched job that gives favorable tax terms to foreign oil firms while doing little to satisfy calls for transparency and reform of a corrupt and wasteful sector. A new draft of the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is close to being finalized, potentially ending years of uncertainty that has blocked billions of dollars of investment. Licensing rounds, contract renewals and investment have been put on hold for five years pending the new bill to regulate Africa's top oil and gas industry. ...

Israel pours cold water on big-power talks with Iran Posted: 28 May 2012 11:29 PM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - International nuclear talks with Iran have achieved nothing, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday, suggesting that some Western nations were happy to see the negotiations drag on. Israel, which has threatened to go to war to prevent its arch-foe going nuclear, has fretted on the sidelines as six world powers press for a curb on Iranian uranium enrichment. Breaking Israel's official silence on the second round of talks, held in Baghdad last week, Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon said they had only produced "more Iranian time-buying". ...

Australian PM seeks to quell party unrest over mine jobs Posted: 29 May 2012 12:30 AM PDT CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard moved on Tuesday to quell deep anger within her Labor Party over new rules for foreign workers at major resource projects, giving government lawmakers more oversight to ensure local jobs are protected. The government on Friday approved the first Enterprise Migration Agreement to let mining companies hire thousands of offshore workers to help overcome chronic worker shortages and ensure major projects can proceed. ...

In escape from Japan doomsday, capital takes flight Posted: 29 May 2012 01:01 AM PDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Hiroshi Kosaka has an unorthodox pitch for his realty business: instead of pictures of swanky condominiums his website features Japanese debt statistics and budget meltdown scenarios usually left to credit rating agencies. His firm is part of a cottage industry that has sprung up to help worry-prone Japanese savers get out of the yen and find property overseas that could serve as a safe haven in a financial disaster. ...

Afghan insurgents target safest province Bamiyan Posted: 28 May 2012 10:21 PM PDT KABUL (Reuters) - Insurgents have stepped up attacks in the area thought to be Afghanistan's safest, the rugged central province of Bamiyan, moving into the region in a bid to undermine security ahead of the end-2014 exit from the country of most foreign combat troops. Around 20 Taliban fighters from neighboring Baghlan province have crossed into Bamiyan and launched attacks in several districts, Bamiyan Police Chief General Juma Guldi Yardem told Reuters on Tuesday. ...

Denmark detains attack plot suspects Posted: 28 May 2012 11:21 PM PDT COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish police have detained two brothers from Somalia on suspicion of plotting an attack, the state security police said on Tuesday. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) said in a statement the arrests late on Monday had thwarted a "concrete act of terror," but did not elaborate. The brothers, aged 18 and 23, are Danish citizens and have lived in Denmark for 16 years, the PET said. ...

Finland gunman kills 1, wounds 8 Posted: 25 May 2012 10:50 PM PDT Police say a gunman in southern Finland has killed one person and wounded eight others in a shooting.

US missile attack kills 3 in northwest Pakistan Posted: 25 May 2012 10:28 PM PDT A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a bakery in northwest Pakistan Saturday morning, killing at least three suspected militants, two local intelligence officials said.

Egypt results point to deeply divisive runoff race Posted: 25 May 2012 04:05 PM PDT The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate and a veteran of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's autocratic regime will face each other in a runoff election for Egypt's president, according to first-round results Friday. The divisive showdown dismayed many Egyptians who fear either one means an end to any democratic gains produced by last year's uprising.

Activists: Troops kills up to 50 in central Syria Posted: 25 May 2012 03:17 PM PDT President Bashar Assad's forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria on Friday, activists said, in one of the highest death tolls in one specific area since an internationally-brokered cease-fire went into effect last month.

Greek euro exit would be a recipe for hardship Posted: 25 May 2012 05:15 PM PDT As Greece creaks under its untenable debt and a shrinking economy, the possibility that it could stop using the euro is becoming increasingly likely. The effects of such a move would be as quick as they would be brutal for ordinary Greeks, who would essentially take a 50-percent pay cut just as prices soar.

UN agency finds higher enrichment at Iranian site Posted: 25 May 2012 03:01 PM PDT Inspectors have located radioactive traces at an Iranian underground bunker, the U.N. atomic agency said Friday — a finding that could mean Iran has moved closer to reaching the uranium threshold needed to arm nuclear missiles.

New telescope to be in South Africa, Australia Posted: 25 May 2012 05:19 PM PDT Australia and South Africa will share hosting of a giant radio telescope made up of thousands of separate dishes and intended to help scientists figure out the make-up of the universe, the international consortium overseeing the project announced Friday.

Ex-Senegalese president denies he stole cars, art Posted: 25 May 2012 03:36 PM PDT The ex-president of Senegal won praise from around the world earlier this year when he gracefully conceded defeat, even picking up the phone to congratulate his longtime rival, a move that momentarily erased the memories of a violent election season.

VOA correspondent reported detained in Ethiopia Posted: 25 May 2012 02:41 PM PDT Voice of America says it is investigating reports that a correspondent in Ethiopia's capital has been detained by authorities.

Bud weakens to tropical storm off Mexico's coast Posted: 25 May 2012 08:00 PM PDT Bud weakened to a tropical storm Friday as heavy rain began to pelt a string of laid-back beach resorts and small mountain villages on Mexico's Pacific coast south of Puerto Vallarta.

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