Political News from Yahoo

Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan, agency says 21 on board

ALMATY (Reuters) - A passenger plane crashed near Kazakhstan's commercial capital of Almaty on Tuesday, killing 20 people, news agencies quoted SCAT airline as saying. The plane had been en route from the city of Kokshetau in northern Kazakhstan to Almaty in the southeast of the country when it crashed near the village of Kyzyl Tu, Interfax news agency said. Almaty and the surrounding area were veiled in thick fog on Tuesday. SCAT is based in Kazakhstan and operates extensive domestic services and some international flights. ...

How Two Violent Crimes Eclipsed the Facts About Illegal Immigration for One House Member

It was a bad two days in Hazleton, Pa. On the night of May 10, 2006, a 29-year old father of three was shot right between the eyes just blocks away from the downtown area. The next day, a 14-year-old boy fired a gun wildly into a playground. After two 36-hour investigations, five people were arrested. They were all undocumented immigrants.

Egypt's army chief issues warning over collapse of state

CAIRO (Reuters) - The head of the Egyptian military warned political conflict could lead to the collapse of the state and said protecting the Suez Canal was one of the main objectives of the army deployment to nearby cities shaken by violence. Protesters defied a curfew in towns along the Suez Canal overnight, attacking police stations after President Mohamed Mursi imposed emergency rule to end days of clashes that have killed at least 52 people. The remarks of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is also defense minister, were published on the official Facebook page of the army spokesman. ...

Japan government approves $1.02 trillion budget for 2013/14 amid fiscal worries

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government approved on Tuesday a $1.02 trillion draft budget for the next fiscal year that aims to nudge tax revenues above new bond sales for the first time in four years, but still relies on borrowing to cover 46.3 percent of its spending. The first full-year draft budget compiled under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who led his Liberal Democratic Party back to power last month with promises of economic revival, marks symbolic improvement after years of deterioration. With the 92.6 trillion yen ($1. ...

Syrian refugees at more than 700,000 as outflow swells: U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - More than 700,000 Syrian refugees have registered in neighboring countries or await processing there, as aid workers struggle to keep up with the exodus, the United Nations said on Tuesday. "We have seen an unrelenting flow of refugees across all borders. We are running double shifts to register people," Sybella Wilkes, spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told Reuters in Geneva. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Janet Lawrence)


The Note's Must-Reads for Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com Compiled by ABC News’ Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen and Jordan Mazza IMMIGRATION: ABC News’ Ted Hesson: “3...

Los Angeles mayoral hopefuls debate cutting budget, trimming pensions

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles' five mayoral candidates sparred over its ailing economy Monday night, each claiming to be best qualified to reduce a persistent public deficit, reform the public pension system and attract business to the second-largest U.S. city. The candidates, vying to succeed Antonio Villaraigosa, skirmished in a televised debate at the city's University of California over how best to close an expected $200 million budget shortfall. "We're talking about bankruptcy in Los Angeles," said candidate Kevin James, a former assistant U.S. ...


Monte Paschi no risk for banking system after aid: Intesa CEO

MILAN (Reuters) - The scandal surrounding Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is an isolated case and there is no risk of contagion for the Italian banking system, the chief executive of Italy's top retail bank Intesa Sanpaolo said on Tuesday. "It's an isolated case around which, for various reasons, completely unfounded opinions have been formed," Enrico Cucchiani told Il Corriere della Sera in an interview. But Cucchiani said the banking system could be at risk if the state aid pledged to the bank were not forthcoming. ...


Lawmaker looks outside VA to fill mental care gap

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veterans who have trouble getting timely mental health care from Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics should also have access to thousands of health care providers who care for military personnel and their families, says the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Dissident Chen sure 1-party China will change

WASHINGTON (AP) — Blind dissident Chen Guangcheng tilts his head backward and chuckles. Nine months after he escaped the purgatory of house arrest in China for the more sedate life of a New York University law student, he ruminates on the future of the authoritarian system he escaped and comes to a defiant conclusion: It's doomed.

After gun crime, weapon history takes time to find

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the fictional world of television police dramas, a few quick clicks on a computer lead investigators to the owner of a gun recovered at a bloody crime scene. Before the first commercial, the TV detectives are on the trail of the suspect.


Pages