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Nigeria kidnapped girls 'shown in Boko Haram video' - BBC News Posted: 12 May 2014 08:57 AM PDT 12 May 2014 Last updated at 16:39 In the video, released by Boko Haram, its leader says the girls will freed only if imprisoned militants are released Islamist militants Boko Haram have released a video apparently showing about 130 girls kidnapped from a school in northern Nigeria on 14 April. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said the children would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed. Interior Minister Abba Moro rejected the deal, telling the BBC that it was "absurd" for a "terrorist group" to try to set conditions. Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls and threatened to sell them. The BBC's John Simpson in the northern city of Maiduguri says Boko Haram's comments show signs that the group is willing to negotiate. Three of the girls - wearing full-length cloaks - are shown speaking in the 27-minute video, obtained by French news agency AFP. Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other says she is Muslim. "These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with... we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become Muslims," Abubakar Shekau says in the video. He said his offer to swap the girls for imprisoned militants only referred to the children who had not converted to Islam. It is thought the majority of the abducted girls are Christians, although there are a number of Muslims among them. A man who is related to three of the abducted girls said the video at first gave him hope, but then made him anxious and tearful. "Maybe they are converted into another religion by force, so it truly is a kind of terrifying situation," said the man, who did not want to be named. Three girls are seen speaking in the video and one says the group have not been harmed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau uses the video to call for the group's imprisoned fighters to be freed Some 136 girls are shown in the video, just under half of the 276 pupils abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno. Our correspondent says this could mean those abducted had been split into smaller groups to help avoid detection. Local officials said they had started making copies of the video to show relatives and friends of the abducted girls in an attempt to identify them. Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden", had previously said the girls should not have been at school and should get married instead. The militants have been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian government since 2009. The government has faced heavy criticism of its response to the mass abduction. President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday that assistance from abroad had made him optimistic of finding the girls. The UK and US already have teams helping on the ground in Nigeria and an Israeli counter-terrorism team is also on its way to the country.

Rebels appeal to join Russia after east Ukraine vote - Reuters Posted: 12 May 2014 08:51 AM PDT (Reuters) - Pro-Moscow rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine called on Monday for their region to become part of Russia after declaring victory in a weekend referendum on self-rule. The separatist region of Donetsk appealed to Moscow to consider its absorption into Russia, a move that would echo the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula after a similar referendum earlier this year. The call is likely to anger the government in Kiev and Western nations that accuse Russia of stirring up unrest in the east following the overthrow of a pro-Moscow president in February by protesters demanding closer links with Europe. "The people of Donetsk have always been part of the Russian world. For us, the history of Russia is our history," said Denis Pushilin, a leading member of the self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic". "Based on the will of the people and on the restoration of a historic justice, we ask the Russian Federation to consider the absorption of the Donetsk People's Republic into the Russian Federation," he told a news conference. Moscow denies any ambitions to absorb the mainly Russian-speaking east into the Russian Federation. However, it has massed troops on the Ukrainian border, and Kiev fears they may be sent in. Ukrainian President Oleksander Turchinov accused Russia of working to overthrow legitimate state power in Ukraine. He said the Kremlin was trying to disrupt a presidential election later this month, which is taking center stage in a confrontation pitting Moscow and the separatists against the government in Kiev and its Western backers. RIA news agency quoted a rebel leader as saying the eastern Luhansk region would boycott the May 25 election. What he called the "Republic of Luhansk" may hold a further referendum on union with Russia, as Ukraine's Crimea region did under Russian military occupation before its annexation by Moscow in March. Ukraine's election is intended to secure democratic continuity and legitimacy after pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovich fled the country in February, and Western governments have threatened more sanctions in the vital areas of energy, financial services and engineering if Moscow disrupts the vote. Moscow said it respected the outcome of Sunday's referendums, in which separatists claimed 80 percent support in the industrial Donetsk region, while RIA, a Russian state news agency, reported 96.2 percent backing in Luhansk region. The results should be implemented peacefully, Russia said, without saying what further action it might take. Eastern Ukraine has been plagued by turmoil as Kiev has tried to regain control, and authorities said 49 people have been killed in violence in the region of Donetsk since March 13. The European Union declared the referendums illegal and increased pressure on Russia on Monday by taking a first step towards extending sanctions to companies, as well as people, linked to Crimea's annexation. However, revealing cracks in the West's united front, diplomatic sources said France would press ahead with a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.7 billion) contract to sell helicopter carrier ships to Russia because cancelling the deal would do more damage to Paris than to Moscow. REPUBLIC OF LUHANSK The rebels have given differing accounts of their plans. However, one spokesman said these did not include taking part in electing a replacement for Turchinov, who has been acting president since pro-EU protesters forced Yanukovich from office. "As of today, we are now the Republic of Luhansk, which believes it to be inappropriate and perhaps even stupid to hold a presidential election," RIA cited the spokesman as saying. Some rebels have publicly supported pressing for annexation by Russia. "This land was never Ukraine ... We speak Russian," said Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, rebel mayor of the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk, who threatened to kick out the Ukrainian army. Asked about the possibility of holding a second referendum, on union with Russia, he said: "There has been no decision, but this referendum showed we are prepared ... We can put on an election or referendum at short notice at barely any cost." Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said rebels had made a new attempt overnight to seize a television tower on the edge of Slaviansk, heartland of a rebellion that has reduced relations between Russia and the West to their lowest point since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "The information war that they are waging against us in the Donbass (east) is more dangerous than a bullet. We must answer back ... The enemy fears this more than special forces," he wrote on Facebook. But there was some hint of compromise in the port city of Mariupol, scene of fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and rebels over the last week. Turchinov said local police had begun patrols with a volunteer militia set up by a company, Metinvest, mostly owned by Ukraine's wealthiest businessman, Rinat Akhmetov. RUSSIA RESPECTS "WILL OF THE PEOPLE" Turchinov dismissed the separatist vote as a farce. "These processes are inspired by the leadership of the Russian Federation and are destructive to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions' economies, threaten the lives and welfare of citizens and have the aim of destabilizing the situation in Ukraine, disrupting presidential elections and overthrowing Ukrainian authorities," he said in a statement. The referendum opened a new phase of uncertainty in a country historically divided between a Russian-speaking east and a more westward-looking west. One man was killed in a confrontation on Sunday between a National Guard unit and a crowd of pro-Russian activists. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, did not comment personally, but the Kremlin released a statement on the referendum. "We condemn the use of force, including of heavy weapons against civilians ... In Moscow, we respect the will of the people of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and are counting on practical implementation of the outcome of the referendum in a civilized manner, without any repeat of violence and through dialogue," it said. European Union foreign ministers added two Crimean companies and 13 people to the bloc's sanctions list, EU diplomats said. These are in addition to 48 Russians and Ukrainians who have already been targeted with EU asset freezes and visa bans. But the EU remains far behind the United States in the severity of the sanctions it has imposed on Russia. Some European governments fear tough trade sanctions on Russia could undermine their own economies, just recovering from the financial crisis, and provoke Russian retaliation. (Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kiev, Lidia Kelly in Moscow, Adrian Croft and Justyna Pawlak in Brussels, John Irish, Marine Pennetier and Elizabeth Pineau in Paris, Writing by Ralph Boulton, Editing by Timothy Heritage, David Stamp, Giles Elgood and Will Waterman)

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Pro-Russian Separatists Hold Referendum in Eastern Ukraine - Wall Street Journal Posted: 11 May 2014 08:57 AM PDT May 11, 2014 7:23 a.m. ET DONETSK, Ukraine—Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine appeared to be on track to declare victory in a referendum Sunday that Kiev and the West say is illegal and riddled with irregularities. The vote ratchets up tensions between the Kremlin, which may recognize the vote, and the nascent government in Kiev, which is struggling to regain control of the two provinces that it says Moscow is destabilizing through support of rebels. Heavy turnout suggested that weeks of instability and violence in the region had helped turn simmering anger against Kiev into open defiance and separatism that polls showed barely existed earlier this year. Separatist leaders said they opened more than 1,500 voting stations across one province alone. In the coastal city of Mariupol, the scene of deadly clashes last week between separatists and Ukrainian soldiers, thousands of people turned out to join lines that stretched for city blocks, with some residents bringing lawn chairs to rest their legs as they waited. Amid an absence of electoral observers and a heavy presence of separatist gunmen patrolling the streets, the government in Kiev said the results of the vote are certain to be rigged. One Donetsk electoral official, Mikhail Samolenko, said Sunday there were no real safeguards to keep people from voting several times, but that it didn't matter "because everyone is voting yes" for independence. Separatists said they may release results as early as this evening. In Kiev, the government dismissed the voting Sunday as a sham. "Factually speaking, no 'referendum' is being held. It is nothing more than an information campaign to cover up crimes," said presidential administration chief Sergei Pashinsky at a briefing on Sunday. Nevertheless, separatists are expected to use the vote to declare a de facto divorce from Ukraine. That could lead to a descent into international isolation akin to the Russian-backed breakaway statelets in Moldova and Georgia. The West accuses Russia of fanning separatism and supporting such breakaway regions to weaken Georgia and Moldova, which were once Soviet satellites. The statelets are also a useful lever for Moscow, which has been able to wield influence in the Moldovan and Georgian governments by dangling the possibility that they may one day regain control over the breakaway regions. Russia has denied that it is behind the separatist movement Ukraine, although rebels have access to some sophisticated Russian weaponry, including shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that have shot down Ukrainian helicopters. Instead Moscow blames Kiev for what it calls the extremist policies of the new government, which came to power hoping to forge closer ties to the European Union. Kremlin-controlled media, beamed into the mostly Russian-speaking regions in eastern Ukraine, refers to the government in Kiev as a junta that is heavily influenced by fascists. On Sunday, Margarita Simonyan, the head of Kremlin-funded propaganda channel Russia Today, tweeted that "Kiev has done all that it can to make sure everyone voted for [independence]. It already doesn't matter what Russia says." Until recently, the separatists would have little chance of winning a free and fair vote in the region, as polls show a majority wanted close ties to Russia but to remain part of Ukraine. But recent fighting between the government and separatists may have tipped many toward independence, hoping that it might at least lead to some stability. "Who likes it when a nation shoots at its own people?" asked retiree Natalia Vasileva, who cast her ballot in central Donetsk. "We weren't against being part of Ukraine, but after the latest events, we've changed our minds." Indeed, heavy fighting on the streets of Mariupol on Friday appeared to drive many of the residents onto the street to vote on Sunday. The fighting began when militants stormed the local police precinct, and Ukrainian troops stormed the building, interrupting the city's Victory Day parade to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany. Unleashing heavy gunfire on residential streets, Ukrainian soldiers eventually withdrew, leaving the precinct a burning wreck, and a handful of locals dead and wounded. Although it was the separatists who began armed confrontation in Mariupol, locals blamed the government for the ensuing violence. "We need to fence ourselves off from Kiev, they don't understand us, they just come and kill us," said an elderly woman named Natalia who arrived with friends and family, some of whom repeated the word "genocide" while she was speaking. Many residents didn't want to give their last names. For eastern Ukraine, whose heavy industries are dependent on exports, declaration of independence could thrust it into an international pariah status that would cripple its economy. Barring Crimea-style annexation by Russia, in which Moscow publicly has expressed no interest, the Donetsk People's Republic could find itself with crimped export markets and unemployment problems. Ukraine's interim president, Oleksandr Turchynov, assailed the vote as "self destruction." "This is a step into the abyss for these regions," he said in comments carried on his website. "Those who favor independence don't realize it means total destruction of the economy, social programs, even life for most people in these regions." He said the government was ready to hold talks with people from the eastern regions, but not those who have committed violence. The government has said it is working on a decentralization program that would hand more power to the regions to manage local affairs. But separatist leaders pushed ahead with the referendum anyway. Roman Lyagin, the election chief of the Donetsk People's Republic, said, "It's better to live in isolation than under occupations." In a last-minute push to boost voter numbers, activists at the commission grabbed stacks of paper reminding people where and when they could vote, setting off to deliver them to postboxes around town. Ukraine's central government, which has lost control of much of the region, did little to hinder the voting Sunday. For weeks, local police have failed to function as an effective force, and a concerted Ukrainian military operation against a rebel stronghold in the city of Slovyansk has failed to make much headway. Officials in Kiev say the announced results of the referendum will likely be lopsidedly for independence, in part because some of those who have openly declared loyalty to the Ukrainian have been brutalized or murdered. In Mariupol, dissenting voices were hard to find as those who opposed the separatist efforts mostly preferred to avoid the referendum. One elderly woman passing by the long line of voters got heckled and told to "go away" when she accused the voters of "betraying" Ukraine. "I came to look at this circus, organized under Russian television propaganda," said the woman, Nelly Boyarchenko. "It's so painful, my soul is aching, I'm a Ukrainian patriot," she said. "These people grew up here, they got an education here, and now they turn around and betray their country." Write to James Marson at james.marson@wsj.com, Philip Shishkin at philip.shishkin@wsj.com and Alan Cullison at alan.cullison@wsj.com

1 still missing in deadly hot-air balloon crash - USA TODAY Posted: 11 May 2014 09:09 AM PDT Search teams arrive at a command post for the recovery efforts from a hot air balloon accident in Ruther Glen, Va.(Photo11: Steve Helber, AP) More than 100 searchers are scouring the woods and fields of Virginia for one of the victims of a hot-air balloon that crashed in Caroline County Friday evening, killing two passengers The University of Richmond confirmed that associate head coach Ginny Doyle, 44, and Natalie Lewis, 24 were riding in the balloon. Pilot Daniel T. Kirk, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in the military for 37 years, had more than 30 years of ballooning experience, according to his father. The remains of two people were found about a mile apart. The incident happened after several hot-air balloons took off from Meadow Event Park as part of a special Friday preview for Saturday's Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival. Two balloons landed safely, but as Kirk's balloon attempted to land, it struck a power line and burst into flames. "It contacted power lines, caught on fire and crashed in a wooded area," says Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board. An air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said a preliminary report would be released on the crash in 10 days. Heidi Moats, of the NTSB, said investigators were seeking records on the balloon and the pilot. Festival officials canceled Saturday's festival. The tragedy also casts a pall over the university's Sunday afternoon undergraduate commencement. "As alumnae, classmates, and colleagues – and as invaluable and devoted mentors for our student-athletes – Ginny and Natalie have been beloved members of our community," said President Edward L. Ayers in a statement. "Their leadership and friendship will endure in the lives of so many." Doyle who earned all-conference honors twice as a Richmond basketball player and held the NCAA women's record with 66 consecutive free throws until 2011. Before becoming associate coach at Richmond, she was an assistant college coach at Rhode Island and East Carolina. "Words cannot begin to express our sorrow," said Keith Gill, director of athletics. "We are all stunned by the tragic news. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their loved ones. A spokeswoman for Lewis' family, Julie Snyder, called Lewis "an amazing person and a strong person, an athlete engaged to be married." Lewis had a scholarship to swim at the University of Richmond and was a two-time team capitain. She was hired to direct the school's women's basketball operations after graduating in 2011, according to The Buffalo News. The newspaperreported that Lewis had been a star swimmer at Buffalo's Nardin Academy before attending the University of Richmond. Scott Vanderzell, her former coach with the Tonawanda Titans swimming program, said Lewis "was one of the elite swimmers to come out of Western New York." LIST: World's deadliest balloon crashes Investigators found some pieces of the balloon, but are still searching for major components, Knudson said late Saturday afternoon. Twenty balloonists from the Mid-Atlantic region were set to participate in the weekend festival, said Greg Hicks, a spokesman for Meadow Event Park. "It's just a shocking situation for everyone," Hicks said. Based on witness accounts, Kirk attempted to regain control of the balloon and manage the fire. At one point, the balloon's two passengers jumped from the basket. Witnesses recall hearing an explosion, and the fire continued to spread. The basket and the balloon then separated. "As soon as we looked up, the thing blew up right there," witness Debra Ferguson told The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, Va. "All I heard was, 'Oh my God, Oh my God,' and all you saw was the top of the balloon still flying, but all of the basket was gone. All of the flames just disappeared. ... It was like a match — poof — and then it was gone." Carrie Hager-Bradley said she saw the balloon in flames on her way home from the grocery store and heard people yelling, according to WWBT-TV. "They were just screaming for anybody to help them," the station quoted her as saying. "'Help me, help me, sweet Jesus, help. I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die,'" Hager-Bradley said she heard one person screaming. There have been hundreds of hot air balloon accidents in the U.S. and overseas, according to records from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority aren't fatal. However, in February 2013, at least 19 people died after a hot air balloon flying over Luxor, Egypt's city of pyramids, caught fire and plunged down into a sugar cane field. "Ballooning is normally a very safe, routine activity," Glen Moyer, editor of Ballooning magazine, the in-house publication of the 2,200-member Balloon Federation of America said after the Luxor crash. "It's an activity that thousands of people participate in all the time and do so safely." Troy Bradley, former president of the Balloon Federation of America, said most serious balloon accidents - including fires, electrocution or baskets becoming severed - happen after hitting power lines. Most of the time it's due to pilot error, he said. In the U.S., hot air balloons -- which use propane gas to heat the air that rises into the balloon and lifts it -- are built to standards approved by the FAA, Moyer said. In order to get a license, pilots must demonstrate a proficiency in emergency skills as well as the ability to operate the balloon. They then must go through a flight review every two years, he said. Contributing: Robin Webb, Laura Petrecca, Donna Leinwand Leger; Gary Strauss Associated Press

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Hot-air balloon pilot struggled to contain fire before crash - Los Angeles Times Posted: 10 May 2014 09:16 AM PDT The body of a person aboard a hot-air balloon that crashed in central Virginia on Friday night was recovered overnight by crews that continued to search a wooded area Saturday for the other two people inside the balloon when it struck a power line and burst into flames. Amateur videos provided to Virginia State Police indicate that two people either fell or jumped from the burning balloon as it plunged to the ground, police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told reporters Saturday morning. There was little hope of finding either victim alive. "We are now transitioning from a rescue operation to a recovery operation," Geller said. The balloon pilot struggled to contain the fire and keep the balloon aloft, but it plummeted to the ground in flames just before 8 p.m., Geller said. Video taken by bystanders showed the balloon as it struck a live power line and was immediately consumed by orange flames. Witnesses said they heard people in the balloon screaming for help. "They were just screaming for anybody to help them," Carrie Hager-Bradley told TV station WWBT. "'Help me, help me, sweet Jesus, help. I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die,'" said Hager-Bradley, who said she saw the balloon in flames while on her way home from a grocery store. Geller said of the two people seen falling to the ground: "Whether they leapt on their own or fell, we don't know." Debra Ferguson told the Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg that she saw balloons landing safely in a field near her yard, then saw another balloon in trouble. "As soon as we looked up, the thing blew up right there," Ferguson said. "All I heard was, 'Oh my God, oh my God,' and all you saw was the top of the balloon still flying, but all of the basket was gone. "All of the flames just disappeared. It was like a match -- poof -- and then it was gone." Search crews aided by canine teams conducted a grid search Saturday morning in a debris field near the balloon's intended landing site in a field where two other balloons landed safely Friday night. Searchers were hoping to find the remains of the gondola and the balloon, which separated after the aircraft caught fire, Geller said. The balloons went airborne as part of a "Friday Flights Happy Hour" at the first Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival, which organizers said was canceled after the deadly accident. Event planners had expected up to 20,000 people to attend the event Saturday and Sunday at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Va., north of Richmond. Twenty hot air balloon teams were to attend, according to the event's website. Greg Hicks, a spokesman for Meadow Event Park, appeared at a Virginia State Police news conference but offered few details.  "It's just a shocking event for everyone," he told reporters. The body that was recovered just before midnight was transported to the state medical examiner's office for identification. Geller said police have the names of all three balloon occupants and have been in touch with their families. The names were not released. Two Federal Aviation Administration investigators were at the scene Saturday, joined by representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board, Geller said. The agencies are investigating the circumstances and cause of the accident. Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

NBA's pick of Dick Parsons as new Clippers leader wins praise - Los Angeles Times Posted: 10 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT The selection of former Time Warner executive Dick Parsons to run the Clippers has been met with praise. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the appointment of Parsons, former chairman of Time Warner and Citigroup, would bring "extraordinary leadership" to the Clippers organization as it faces the defection of advertisers and the threatened flight of fans, players and coaches. "Seems like a great pick," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "I want the players and Coach [Doc] Rivers to get the support they deserve and need." Parsons, 66, is a native New Yorker and former college basketball player who has a reputation as a diplomatic negotiator and effective crisis manager, with deep political and corporate ties. One of the most powerful black executives in corporate America, he helped guide Citigroup as the banking giant clawed its way out of the Great Recession and into recovery. He once was considered a possible Republican candidate for mayor of New York. Parsons takes the place of Andy Roeser, the team president who defended Sterling immediately after the website TMZ broadcast a recording of the owner saying he did not want to see a companion bringing black people to Clipper games. In addition to the ban, Silver fined Sterling $2.5 million and said he would urge owners to force a sale of the franchise. Roeser, put on indefinite leave this week by the NBA, has worked for Sterling for 30 years. Parsons said Friday in an interview with The Times that he sees his new job as serving as a "conservator" of the team and its assets while the NBA pushes for a new owner. ALSO: LAPD in mourning after 3 officers killed in 2 months Donald Sterling will fight to keep Clippers, Garcetti predicts Red Cross assisting homeless residents displaced after shelter fire Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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At Wal-Mart, Obama touts efficiency, angers labor - Washington Post Posted: 09 May 2014 10:14 AM PDT MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — President Barack Obama is announcing pledges by more than 300 companies and state and local governments to use solar technology. Obama says that's a good move for the country because solar energy is cheaper and easier to use than ever before. He also says it will save money the companies can use to create jobs and grow their businesses. Obama is making the announcement at a Wal-Mart store in Mountain View, California, because the retailer has promised to double the number of solar energy projects at its stores and distribution center. But the choice of Wal-Mart has triggered a backlash from labor unions and pay equity advocates who say the retailer pays low wages. Obama says the pledges show there are cost-effective ways to battle climate change and create jobs. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. President Barack Obama is showcasing Wal-Mart, often a target of labor groups and other Democratic constituencies, to promote advances in energy efficiency in his broader campaign to confront climate change. Obama on Friday was to announce commitments from more than 300 companies and local and state governments to use solar energy technology. He also was announcing executive actions aimed at increasing energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. The White House says the solar effort will power the equivalent of 130,000 homes and the administrative actions could reduce carbon pollution in an amount equal to taking 80 million cars off the road for one year. The White House chose Wal-Mart because the company has committed to doubling the number of solar energy projects at its stores, Sam's Clubs and distribution centers. But in choosing the giant retailer as the backdrop for his announcement, Obama triggered a backlash from labor unions and pay equity advocates who say Wal-Mart pays low wages and who archly noted that Obama has made pay equity a central issue of his presidency. "What numbskull in the White House arranged this?" former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who served in the Bill Clinton administration, said in a posting on Facebook on Thursday. "While he's in California, I would hope President Obama would speak directly to Wal-Mart employees and hear from them about their daily struggles to pay the rent and put food on the table," said Maria Elena Durazo, the executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Wal-Mart says it pays wages that are competitive in the retail industry. The clashing energy vs. jobs message is not new to the White House. Labor unions, for example, have pressed the Obama administration to approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada into the U.S. because it would create jobs. Environmentalists oppose the pipeline, and the administration recently put off a decision on whether to approve it, likely until after the November congressional elections. Obama was wrapping up a three-day trip mostly devoted to raising money for the Democratic Party. Complicating things for the White House, Obama on Thursday attended a fundraiser hosted by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who sits on Wal-Mart's board of directors. In promoting the energy efficiency announcement ahead of Friday's event, the White House said solar energy prices have dropped markedly in four years, with solar panels now costing about 60 percent less. "All of this means more jobs in the industry, which is now supporting more than 140,000 good-paying American jobs and that are increasing at a rate of 20 percent per year," said Dan Utech, a special assistant to Obama on energy and climate change. The White House said Obama also would announce completion of energy efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers typically used in grocery stores. The rule on walk-in freezers was proposed last August under an agreement with attorneys general from 10 states and New York City. The states, along with House and Senate Democrats, have been urging Obama to move faster to implement proposed efficiency standards, including those for commercial walk-in coolers and freezers, which were due in 2012. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jkuhnhenn Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Amnesty: Nigeria Warned About School Raid - Voice of America Posted: 09 May 2014 09:57 AM PDT A human rights group says Nigerian security forces had advance warning about the raid on a girls boarding school in which militants kidnapped more than 300 students. Amnesty International says Nigerian security forces failed to act on warnings that began coming in more than four hours before Boko Haram fighters attacked the school in the town of Chibok late on April 14. The rights group blamed the lack of action on an "inability to muster troops," due to poor resources and a possible fear of engaging with the often better-armed militants. Amnesty said Friday that it learned of the warnings from local officials and two senior military officers.  There was no immediate reaction from the Nigerian government. At least 11 U.S. military staff officers have arrived in Nigeria to help find the 276 girls still missing.   On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States will do all it can to free the girls. "Our inter-agency team is hitting the ground in Nigeria now, and they are going to be working in concert with [Nigerian] President Goodluck Jonathan's government to do everything that we possibly can to return these girls to their families and their communities.  We are also going to do everything possible to counter the menace of Boko Haram." Britain, China, France and Canada have also promised to help with the search. Boko Haram's leader has said the group intends to "sell" the girls.  Nigerian police have offered a $300,000 reward for information leading to the location and rescue of the students. Boko Haram is blamed for thousands of deaths since it launched an uprising against the Nigerian government in 2009.   The group has attacked schools, churches, mosques, police stations, and markets while seeking to establish strict Islamic law in Muslim-majority northern Nigeria. Nigeria declared a state of emergency in three northeastern states a year ago but efforts by the military to crush or contain the insurgency have been unsuccessful.

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Russia Demands Ukraine Prepay for Gas from June--Energy Minister - Wall Street Journal Posted: 08 May 2014 10:01 AM PDT By Alexander Kolyandr MOSCOW--Russia will demand that Ukraine prepay for June natural gas imports, and the first bill will be delivered to Kiev on May 16, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Thursday. Mr. Novak said the deadline that Ukraine had to settle its gas bill for earlier deliveries expired Wednesday and, according to the contract between Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and its Ukraine counterpart Naftogaz, Ukraine will have to pay for future deliveries in advance. The minister said starting in June Ukraine will receive only the volume of gas it had paid for by the end of May. Ukraine has run up a bill for Russian gas, which Gazprom said has reached $3.5 billion. Naftogaz confirmed earlier Thursday that no payment has been made to cover the debt. On Tuesday, Ukraine received a first installment, $3.19 billion, from a rescue package approved by the International Monetary Fund. Part of the money is aimed at paying off gas bills to Russia as well as future energy costs. However, Naftogaz said it is ready to pay off the debt only if Russia retains old prices. Last month Russia nearly doubled what it charges Ukraine, to $485.50 per 1,000 cubic meters. Kiev has described the increase as an act of "economic war" and declined to accept them, threatening to fight the hike in an international arbitrage court. People familiar with the matter said the two sides still have time to find a compromise on price. Gazprom supplies about 30% of Europe's gas. Around half of those supplies transit through Ukraine. The country is one Gazprom's largest markets but, in buying gas from Europe rather than from Russia, Kiev is aiming at reducing its dependence on its neighbor. Ukraine is in talks with Slovakia and other neighboring countries to reverse the gas flow so that it can buy Russian gas destined for Europe from the end buyers Write to Alexander Kolyandr at Alexander.Kolyandr@wsj.com

Nigeria abducted schoolgirls: Malala Yousafzai urges action - BBC News Posted: 08 May 2014 10:02 AM PDT 7 May 2014 Last updated at 23:33 Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai: "If we remain silent then this will spread" Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived a shooting by Taliban insurgents, has said the world must not stay silent over the abduction of more than 200 girls in Nigeria. She told the BBC that "if we remain silent then this will spread, this will happen more and more and more". The girls were kidnapped more than three weeks ago by Islamist Boko Haram militants in north-east Borno state. Malala was shot in the head in 2012 for campaigning for girls' education. The 16-year-old survived after months of surgery and rehabilitation in the UK, and is now a vocal campaigner for girls' access to education worldwide. Former UN chief Kofi Annan, also appealed for action. He criticised both the Nigerian government and other African nations for not reacting faster to the kidnapping, and called on them to use whatever was at their disposal to help free the girls. The abduction of the girls has overshadowed the World Economic Forum which opened in the Nigerian city of Abuja on Wednesday evening. The US, UK and France have despatched teams of experts to Nigeria to help recover the girls. Boko Haram has been accused of carrying out another attack in Borno state on Monday, in which some 300 people are reported to have died. Residents said that gunmen went on the rampage in Gamboru Ngala after spreading a rumour that the abducted girls had been spotted elsewhere, prompting security forces to leave the town. This still is from footage taken as relatives of the schoolgirls visited the burnt-out remains of the school from where they were taken on 14 April For the past week there have been daily protests countrywide calling for more to be done to find the girls Describing the Nigerian girls as her "sisters" who are "in a prison", Malala said that the only way to stop similar abductions happening in future was to speak out. She described Boko Haram as a group of extremists who did not understand that Islam said believers had a duty to educate themselves, and be tolerant and kind towards others. Boko Haram's leader admitted earlier this week that his fighters had abducted the girls - who are mostly aged between 16 and 18 and were taking their final year exams - from their school in the town of Chibok on 14 April. Abubakar Shekau threatened to "sell" the students, saying they should not have been in school in the first place, but rather should get married. Another 11 girls were kidnapped on Sunday night after two villages were attacked near the militants' forest hideout. The abductions have prompted widespread criticism of the Nigerian government and demonstrations countrywide. US First Lady Michelle Obama tweets a picture of herself highlighting the #BringBackOurGirls campaign Boko Haram's leader has threatened to "sell" the students US President Barack Obama has condemned the abductions as "outrageous" and "heartbreaking" and First Lady Michelle Obama joined a social media campaign, tweeting a picture of herself holding a piece of paper with the message #BringBackOurGirls. Former UN chief Kofi Annan says security forces should be used to free the kidnapped girls Nigeria's police on Wednesday offered a $300,000 (£180,000) reward to anyone who can help locate and rescue the schoolgirls, but some are asking why it has taken this long for such a move to be taken. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in Nigeria for the World Economic Forum, offered to provide help from his country's satellite and intelligence services. Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden" in the local Hausa language, began its insurgency in 2009. An estimated 1,000 people have died in the violence and security crackdown this year alone.

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Nigeria Offers Reward for Info on Kidnapped Girls - Voice of America Posted: 07 May 2014 08:46 AM PDT Nigerian police offered a $300,000 reward on Wednesday to anyone who can give credible information leading to the rescue of the nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist rebels. Police listed six phone numbers in their statement and urged Nigerians to "be part of the solution to the present security challenge" and call in with "credible information." Last month's mass kidnapping by the militant group Boko Haram in the remote northeastern village of Chibok triggered an international outcry and protests in Nigeria, piling pressure on the government to rescue the girls. Three weeks ago, Boko Haram abducted more than 300 schoolgirls from their dormitory in Chibok in Borno state in northern Nigeria. Some have escaped, but the kidnappers hold more than 270 girls. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has threatened in a video to sell the girls "on the market." Public anger mounted after locals on Tuesday said another eight girls had been seized from the same remote northeastern area by suspected members of the group, which is seeking to carve out an Islamist state. The Nigerian government has been widely criticized for not doing enough to find and rescue the girls. Other countries offer aid The United States has offered to send a team to Nigeria to help the search efforts. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan welcomed the U.S. offer  to send an American team to Nigeria to support the government's efforts to find the girls. U.S. President Barack Obama said the team is comprised of personnel from military, law enforcement and other agencies. Obama told ABC the kidnappings ``may be the event that helps to mobilize the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organization (Boko Haram) that's perpetrated such a terrible crime.'' France on Wednesday also offered to send security service agents to Nigeria to rescue the missing girls, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. With more than 4,000 troops operating between Mali to the west and Central African Republic to the east, Paris has a major interest in preventing Nigeria's security situation from deteriorating, having previously voiced concerns Boko Haram could spread further north into the Sahel. The kidnappings, and other attacks by Boko Haram, have overshadowed Nigeria's hosting of the World Economic Forum, which is due to start later Wednesday. Nigerian officials had hoped the event would draw attention to the potential of Africa's biggest economy as an investment destination. International aid welcomed Dandalin VOA reported that one father of a missing girl said the families are happy now that countries such as the U.S. are helping in the search for their daughters. He described how the abductions unfolded and how some of the families had to take matters into their own hands in searching for the schoolgirls. Media reports said several parents had taken motorcycles into the Sambisa forest, a known Boko Haram hideout near the school where it is believed the girls were taken. At first, the father said he was so distraught by the abduction, he couldn't eat for a week. He was hospitalized several times in the past three weeks while his wife is still unable to perform her normal chores.   He said the 30 or so military personnel stationed in Chibok at the time of the abductions put up a fight, but there were too many well-armed extremists. Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

Putin Calls on Separatists in Eastern Ukraine to Delay Independence Vote - Wall Street Journal Posted: 07 May 2014 09:06 AM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content] Wall Street Journal Putin Calls on Separatists in Eastern Ukraine to Delay Independence Vote Wall Street Journal A man helps a pro-Russia rebel climb through a window of the city hall in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, on Wednesday. Reuters. MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday appealed to pro-Russian separatists in southeastern Ukraine to delay a ... Putin: Russian troops withdrawn from Ukraine borderUSA TODAY Putin Claims Russian Forces Have Withdrawn From Ukraine BorderTIME Putin Says Russia Forces Withdrew from Ukraine BorderNew York Times Bloomberg -Reuters -New York Daily News all 3,364 news articles »

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White House sets out looming climate risks for US, calls for 'urgent action' - CNN Posted: 06 May 2014 09:18 AM PDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS "Americans are noticing changes all around them," a new report says It outlines the dangers different parts of the country could face from climate change The report's findings "underscore the need for urgent action," the White House says The assessment was produced over several years by more than 300 experts Washington (CNN) -- Flooded rail lines. Bigger, more frequent droughts. A rash of wildfires. Those are some of the alarming predictions in a White House climate change report released Tuesday, part of President Barack Obama's broader second-term effort to help the nation prepare for the effects of higher temperatures, rising sea levels and more erratic weather. "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present," the National Climate Assessment says, adding that the evidence of man-made climate change "continues to strengthen" and that "impacts are increasing across the country." "Americans are noticing changes all around them," the report says, echoing a draft version from last year. "Summers are longer and hotter. ... Rain comes in heavier downpours." In a statement released to coincide with the report's publication, the White House called for a rapid response. "The findings in this National Climate Assessment underscore the need for urgent action to combat the threats from climate change, protect American citizens and communities today, and build a sustainable future for our kids and grandkids," the White House said. Obama and his administration have long said that climate change is already affecting communities. More than 300 experts helped produce the report over several years, updating a previous assessment published in 2009. The President will help mark the release of the new National Climate Assessment by speaking with meteorologists about the report's findings, which his counselor John Podesta said Monday would offer "a huge amount of practical, usable knowledge" for communities as they cope with risks like longer dry spells and increased risk for wildfires. "It begins to take the climate discussion down to a regional level, so it breaks the country apart, anticipates what's going to happen in each region," Podesta said. "That kind of information will help communities plan." The report breaks the country down by region and identifies specific threats should climate change continue. In the densely populated Northeast, flooded rail lines and other infrastructure are named as a concern if sea levels rise. The Great Plains could experience heavier droughts and heat waves with increasing frequency. And more wildfires in the West could threaten agriculture and residential communities. The weeklong focus on climate change continues Wednesday, when the White House convenes a summit focused on green building tactics. Later in the week, Obama will announce new solar power initiatives, Podesta said. Obama has pledged to renew his efforts on climate change during his second term, including using executive actions that bypass Congress. He's introduced new regulations on truck emissions and created "climate hubs" that help businesses prepare for the effects of climate change. Obama and his administration are also approaching a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental groups say the project would contribute to climate change since it wouldn't help reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels. Podesta, who advocated against approving the pipeline before he joined the Obama administration last year, has recused himself from internal discussions on the matter and has declined to answer questions about the project. But Podesta did say that the recent energy boom in the United States -- powered by increased extractions of oil and natural gas through a controversial process known as fracking -- could reduce American dependence on fossil fuels. "We think it's a practical and viable way to reduce emissions in the short run," Podesta said. "Obviously, there are environmental issues around the production of gas and oil. But, again, in the administration's view, those can be -- those can be dealt with through the proper application of the best practices to produce that oil and gas." CNN's Kevin Liptak reported from Washington, and CNN's Jethro Mullen reported from London. 0 Comments » SHARE THIS Print Email More sharing

What It's Like to Be Attacked by Boko Haram: A Survivor's Story - ABC News Posted: 06 May 2014 09:19 AM PDT The Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram gained worldwide notoriety this week after they admitted to kidnapping 300 high school girls last month and threatening to sell them into marriages. But the group has long terrorized residents of northern Nigeria -- especially Christians, according to one survivor of an attack. Habila Adamu, a resident of northern Nigeria, survived a mass killing of Christians by Boko Haram two years ago and came to the United States to share his story last year. He recalled how gunman bearing AK-47s went around his neighborhood shooting and killing Christians who refused to accept Islam. PHOTO: Adamu Habila speaks at the Hudson Institute on Nov. 14, 2013 in Washington, D.C. about his experience surviving a massacre in Nigeria by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. "They asked me, 'Habila, are you ready to die as a Christian?'" Adamu recalled during his testimony in Congress last November. They were the last words Boko Haram gunman spoke to him before they shot him through the head. "On November 28, 2012, gunmen came to my home at around 11 p.m. and confronted me with my family. I thought they were soldiers on patrol, and when they opened the door, I was shocked to see that they were wearing robes and masks," he said. "The gunmen ordered me to come out with my family. And when I came out, they ordered my family to go back, and my wife begged them not to harm me. They said she should go back, because they were here to do the work of Allah. When I heard that, I knew that they were here to kill me." Boko Haram: Kidnappers, Slave-Owners, Terrorists, Killers Adamu said that his wife brought money from inside the house and begged the men not to kill him. They took the money and the couple's cell phones, and then barged into the home with even more men with AK-47s. The men questioned Adamu, asking him whether he was a member of the Nigeria police, the military, or the state security services. When Adamu said he was a businessman, they asked him about his religion. "I said I am a Christian. They asked me why are we preaching the message of Mohammed to you and you refuse to accept Islam," Adamu testified. He explained to the men that he believed he was preaching the word of God for his Christian faith. Who Are the Kidnapped Nigerian Girls? "Then they asked me, 'Habila, are you ready to die as a Christian?' I told them, 'I am ready to die as a Christian.' For the second time, they asked me, 'Are you ready to die as a Christian?' and I told them, 'I am ready.'" As he spoke the words a second time, the men shot him through the nose and Adamu fell to the ground. They kicked him and, thinking he was dead, yelled out "Allahu akbar," meaning "God is great." As his wife was crying out the men left, and Adamu told his wife he was alive. "I told her that even though I will die I have a message to everyone that will hear my story after I leave this world that 'to live in this world is to live for Christ, to die is a gain' -- that is my message," he said. Adamu's wife went to look for help but found that their Christian neighbors had been murdered, including the elder in his church and 13 others. Adamu lay on the floor bleeding until morning and lost vision. He was finally taken to a hospital to be treated for his wounds. "I am alive because God wants you to have a message. I have a message, just as I told my wife as I was left for dead, I have a message to everyone that will hear my story. Do everything that you can to end this ruthless religious persecution in northern Nigeria," Adamu said in Washington. Following Adamu's testimony in Washington, the U.S. State Department designated the group a terrorist organization.

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