Ukraine’s govt survives no-confidence vote
AP, Moscow
The government of Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk survived a no-confidence vote on Tuesday though a majority of lawmakers harshly criticized its work.
The vote reflected simmering political tensions amid Ukraine’s economic troubles that have eroded public support for Yatsenyuk’s Cabinet. The failure to pass the motion reflected lawmakers’ fears that it could lead to the collapse of the ruling coalition and early elections.
Suicide bomber kills 10 in Yemen
Reuters, Aden
A suicide bomber killed at least 10 recruits at a Yemeni army camp run by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, medical sources and an official said.
They said several other recruits were also wounded in the explosion at the gate of Abbas camp in Buraiqa, a district of the city of Aden, which had been recently set up to absorb new conscripts to an a new army being set up by Hadi’s government.
Maldives Islamic leader jailed on terror charge
AFP, Male
A court in the Maldives Tuesday sentenced the leader of the country’s main Islamist party to 12 years in jail after convicting him on a terrorism charge.
Sheikh Imran Abdulla of the opposition Adhaalath Party (AP) was charged under a tough 1990 anti-terrorism law for allegedly inciting unrest during an anti-government rally last May on the capital island Male.
Obama to visit Vietnam in May
AP, Rancho Mirage
President Barack Obama will visit Vietnam in May when he’ll be in Asia attending an international summit.
The White House says Obama told Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung that he had accepted an invitation to visit the former US adversary.
Russia to send S-300 missile system to Iran
Reuters, Moscow
Russia will sign this year a contract with Iran to supply a batch of its Sukhoi Su-30SM multi-role fighter jets to the Islamic Republic, RIA news agency on Wednesday quoted a senior official at Russia’s arms export agency as saying.
Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan is visiting Moscow this week. He met the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the Kremlin said, giving no further detail.
Israel slams French peace plan
AFP, Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday slammed France’s diplomatic plan for an international conference on Middle East peace with recognition of a Palestinian state if talks fail.
Netanyahu called it “mystifying” and counterproductive, arguing that it gives Palestinians no incentive to compromise.
