CA-NEWS Summary

South Korea says North likely to test-launch missile

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Korea said on Wednesday there was a "very high" probability that North Korea, after weeks of threats of war, would test-launch a medium-range missile at any time as a show of strength. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said South Korea had asked China and Russia to intercede with the North to ease tension that has mounted since the U.N. Security Council imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea after its third nuclear arms test in February.

Syria, North Korea top G8 meeting in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Western and Middle Eastern nations trying to help the Syrian opposition in its war against President Bashar al-Assad will meet in Turkey on April 20, a U.S. official said on Wednesday as G8 foreign ministers gathered in London for a summit. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will attend the meeting of the so-called Friends of Syria "core group" in Istanbul, said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

Italy center-left tensions rise as Renzi cries foul

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's center-left alliance showed new signs of division on Wednesday after the chief rival to Democratic Party leader Pier Luigi Bersani denounced the party hierarchy as efforts to form a government enter a critical phase. The deadlock has left the euro zone's third-largest economy with only a caretaker government in charge as it slides further into a recession that many analysts expect will last until at least next year.

Gunman dead, officer wounded in Georgia hostage situation

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A gunman who held four Georgia firefighters hostage on Wednesday, demanding his utilities and cell phone service be restored, was killed after an exchange of gunfire with authorities who moved in to free the captives, police said. An officer was wounded and the firefighters, taken hostage after responding to what had appeared to be a medical call, suffered minor injuries during the rescue at a suburban Atlanta home, Gwinnett County police spokesman Edwin Ritter told a news conference.

Egypt's Mursi drops complaints against journalists

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has ordered the withdrawal of legal complaints filed by the presidency against journalists, in a move that appeared aimed at fending off accusations of a crackdown on dissent by the Islamist-led authorities. Mursi withdrew the complaints out of respect for freedom of expression, presidential spokesman Ehab Fahmy said.

Venezuela's opposition denies it would scrap Chavez welfare aid

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition candidate Henrique Capriles denied on Wednesday accusations from acting President Nicolas Maduro that he would scrap popular welfare policies if he wins Sunday's election. Social "missions" in poor areas, from subsidized groceries to Cuban-staffed medical clinics, were a mainstay of the late Hugo Chavez's 14-year socialist rule and kept his popularity high.

Mali's leading party picks candidate for July presidential poll

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's largest political party, Adema-PASJ, has chosen Dramane Dembele, a 46-year-old mining engineer, as its candidate in a July presidential election aimed at ending a tumultuous political transition in the West African nation. Once an example of democracy in what is known as West Africa's "coup belt", Mali has been mired in turmoil since March 2012, prompted by a Tuareg rebellion, an occupation of the north of the country by Islamic militants and a military coup.

U.N. talks with Syria on chemical arms probe at "impasse"

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Discussions between the United Nations and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government on a possible investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria have reached an impasse, U.N. diplomats said on Wednesday. Syria and the United Nations have been exchanging letters for weeks but the two sides are far from agreement on how the investigation should be run, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.

Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad offers resignation: sources

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday following a rift between the two men over government policy, two sources told Reuters. Abbas was due to return to the occupied West Bank from Jordan on Thursday, and it was not immediately clear whether he would accept the resignation of the U.S.-educated economist.

U.S. offers to help Iran after deadly quake

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House, at odds with Iran over its nuclear program, offered on Wednesday to help Tehran grapple with a deadly earthquake in southern Iran. The powerful 6.3 magnitude quake struck close to Iran's only nuclear power station on Tuesday, killing 37 people and injuring 850 as it destroyed homes and devastated two small villages, Iranian media reported.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-000236625.html

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