CA-NEWS Summary

Zimbabweans vote to clip president's power

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans were expected to vote for a new constitution on Saturday that would clip presidential powers and pave the way for an election to decide whether Robert Mugabe extends his three-decade rule. Mugabe, Africa's oldest president at 89, has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980 and has been accused of carrying out harsh crackdowns on the opposition and weakening state institutions like the cabinet and parliament.

U.S. to bolster missile defenses to counter North Korea threat: Hagel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced plans on Friday to bolster U.S. missile defenses in response to "irresponsible and reckless provocations" by North Korea, which threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States last week. Hagel said the Pentagon would add 14 new anti-missile interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska - an effective reversal of an early Obama administration decision - and move ahead with the deployment of a second missile-defense radar in Japan.

Focus on mission, stay true to the cross, pope tells cardinals

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday urged leaders of a Roman Catholic Church riven by scandal and crisis never to give in to discouragement, bitterness or pessimism but to keep focused on their mission. Since his election on Wednesday as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis has signaled a sharp change of style from his predecessor, Benedict, and has laid out a clear moral path for the 1.2-billion-member Church, which is beset by scandals, intrigue and strife.

U.S. drone strikes violate Pakistan's sovereignty: U.N.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States has violated Pakistan's sovereignty and shattered tribal structures with unmanned drone strikes in its counterterrorism operations near the Afghan border, a U.N. human rights investigator said in a statement on Friday. U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, Ben Emmerson, visited Pakistan for three days this week as part of his investigation into the civilian impact of the use of drones and other forms of targeted killings.

EU rejects Franco-British push to arm Syrian rebels

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments on Friday rejected Franco-British efforts to lift an EU arms embargo to allow weapons supplies to Syrian rebels, saying this could spark an arms race and worsen regional instability. France and Britain found little support for their proposal at an EU summit in Brussels, diplomats said, but EU foreign ministers will consider the issue again next week.

China formally appoints top diplomats, defense minister

BEIJING (Reuters) - China formally appointed its two new top diplomats and defense minister on Saturday, positions which had already been flagged in advance as part of the new government of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Outgoing foreign minister Yang Jiechi, ambassador to Washington from 2001-2005 and a polished English speaker, was promoted to state councilor with responsibility for foreign policy.

Kenya police fire teargas to disperse Odinga supporters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Police fired teargas to disperse supporters of Kenya's defeated presidential contender Raila Odinga gathered in front of the Supreme Court on Saturday, hours before his lawyers were due to file a challenge to his election defeat. Odinga refuses to accept the slim first-round win by Kenya's richest man, Uhuru Kenyatta, and his allies have said he plans to present a petition alleging collusion between the president-elect and the electoral commission.

Congolese rebels surrender, flee after defeat by M23 rivals

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congolese insurgents loyal to the warlord Bosco Ntaganda have fled into neighboring Rwanda or surrendered to U.N. peacekeepers after being routed by a rival rebel faction, sources said on Saturday. M23 fighters loyal to Sultani Makenga seized control of the strategically important town of Kibumba, 30 km (19 miles) north of the provincial capital Goma, early on Saturday, rebel spokesman Vianney Kazarama told Reuters.

Obama won't trip over Netanyahu's Iran "red line"

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama visits Israel next week at the onset of spring - the "red line" previously drawn by his host, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to trigger an attack on Iran's nuclear sites. But an Israeli-Iranian war, Washington's nightmare as it tries to scale back defense commitments abroad and avoid a draining Gulf oil crisis, does not appear trip-wire imminent.

Venezuelans flood streets for another Chavez coffin parade

CARACAS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans were on the streets again on Friday at a funeral parade for Hugo Chavez amid opposition protests that the government was exploiting his death to win the election. Chavez's remains were transported for about 12 miles through Caracas from an army academy to a military museum on a hillside where the former soldier launched his political career with a failed coup in 1992.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-000835390.html

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