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Pakistan blocks Twitter over contentious material

The chairman of Pakistan's telecommunications authority says the government has blocked the social networking website Twitter because of material considered offensive to Islam.

General strike freezes Nepal as constitution deadline looms

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Thousands of schools closed, roads were empty and businesses shuttered across Nepal on Sunday at the start of a three-day general strike over a state boundary dispute that could push lawmakers past a May 27 deadline to write a new constitution. At least two dozen vehicles were damaged by stone-throwing activists, police said, and 46 people were detained in the capital Kathmandu, where children played football on normally traffic-choked streets. Instability has plagued Nepal since the end of a Maoist-led civil war in 2006, and the subsequent overthrow of the monarchy. ...

Indian star ends mystery over granddaughter's name

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan says his superstar son and daughter-in-law have named their baby girl Aaradhya.

Israel blasts foreign proposal on settlement goods

The Palestinian campaign to boycott goods produced in Jewish settlements in the West Bank has received a boost from abroad with an unprecedented South African proposal to have the name of Israel dropped from labels on merchandise made in the settlements.

Germany's Schaeuble says Greek euro zone exit preventable

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Greece's exit from the euro zone could definitely be prevented but that it was up to Greece to abide by its agreements. "European solidarity isn't a one-way street," Schaeuble told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "You can't have one without the other. If anyone in Greece thinks that's the case, then they're massively fooling themselves and the voters. ...

Italy bomb attack was probably isolated act: investigator

BRINDISI, Italy (Reuters) - The bomb attack which killed a teenage girl and injured 10 others in the southern Italian town of Brindisi was probably the work of an individual with no links to the mafia, a senior official said on Sunday. "It seems to be the work of a single person," Marco Dinapoli, the Brindisi chief prosecutor, who is leading the investigation, told reporters on Sunday, saying that a suspect had already been identified. "The most probable hypothesis is that it was an isolated act," he said but gave no details about the suspect. ...

Ex-president seeks comeback in Dominican Republic

A former president whose term ended with the worst economic crisis in the modern history of the Dominican Republic will seek to make a comeback Sunday as he faces an old rival in a race to lead the Caribbean's top tourist destination.

Flash flood kills 19 in Afghanistan; many missing

Flood waters ravaged a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 19 people and destroying hundreds of homes, officials said Sunday.

Powerful quake kills at least 4 in northern Italy

One of the strongest earthquakes to shake northern Italy rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, a magnitude-6.0 temblor that killed at least four people, toppled buildings and sent residents running into the streets, emergency services and news reports said.

Russia forces kill two suspected militants in Dagestan raid

MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) - Russian security forces killed two suspected militants in a gunfight at a private house in its restive North Caucasus province of Dagestan, Interfax reported on Sunday, quoting local authorities. Police stormed the house in a village near Khasavyurt, a town about 80 km (50 miles) west of the provincial capital of Makhachkala. Two unidentified gunmen were killed in a shootout with security forces, a local law enforcement official said. "They opened fire in response to calls for surrender," the official was quoted as saying. ...

World leaders set to tackle Afghanistan's future

World leaders weary of war will tackle Afghanistan's post-conflict future — from funding for security forces to upcoming elections — when the NATO summit opens Sunday.

Tropical storm Alberto churns off Southeast coast

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Alberto is churning off the Southeastern U.S. seaboard as a tropical storm watch continues on a stretch of South Carolina coast.

After Italy bombing, no claim of responsibility

A bomb blast outside a high school in southern Italy that killed a 16-year-old student has stirred memories of the dark days decades ago when terrorists, anarchists and organized crime carried out dozens of bloody attacks.

Rare 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse Visible from China to Texas Today

Skywatchers from China to Texas are in for a rare celestial treat today when the moon blots out most of the sun to create dazzling "ring of fire" solar eclipse.

Astronauts May See Solar Eclipse Shadow From Space

When the moon blocks the sun in a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse Sunday (May 20), six astronauts living in space just might see the shadow on Earth created by the event from their home in space, NASA officials say.

Analysis: Post-war Ivory Coast nurtures second "miracle"

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - From his lagoon-side allotment in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan, Moussa Yanda has a ringside seat to watch the foundations of a $290-million toll bridge slowly rise up from the shore. "I love watching it," enthused the softly-spoken 45-year-old as he packed up his garden tools for the day. "When things are developing, we realize we're going to make it through this." Little over a year ago such optimism was scarce. ...

China state-run businesses to invest 350 billion yuan in Chongqing

BEIJING (Reuters) - Thirty of China's biggest state-owned businesses have signed contracts worth about 350 billion yuan ($55.3 billion) with the southwestern municipality Chongqing, Chinese media reported on Sunday, in a sign of Beijing's determination to bolster confidence in the city formerly run by ousted leader Bo Xilai. Since the fall of the once high-flying Chinese official, media reports and some investors have questioned whether Chongqing's debt-laden economy is also headed for trouble. ...

Opposition groups report clashes in Syrian capital

A restive district of the Syrian capital has been rocked by overnight fighting between government forces and army defectors, opposition groups said Sunday.

Samsung's mobile chief says has options to settle war with Apple

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics' mobile division chief JK Shin said on Sunday the South Korean technology giant was still seeking to resolve differences in its international patent war with Apple Inc.. "There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple but we still have several negotiation options including cross-licensing," Shin told reporters at Seoul airport shortly before his departure for the United States. Asked about the prospects for Samsung's memory chip business, Shin said the 4G chip shortage was expected to continue until early in the fourth quarter of this year. ...

Chinese activist renews call to fight injustice

A blind Chinese legal activist who escaped house arrest, endured a nearly monthlong diplomatic tussle and a hurried daylong flight paused ever so briefly upon his arrival in New York City before taking up a familiar fight.

Day after historic IPO, Facebook's Zuckerberg weds

For Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it was quite a week — from birthday, to IPO, to I DO.

Factbox: Sri Lanka's jailed ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the early release from jail of his wartime ally turned political rival Sarath Fonseka, a former general who led the army to victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels in a bloody 25 year civil conflict. Fonseka was arrested by soldiers two weeks after a failed presidential bid against Rajapaksa in 2010 and sentenced to up to 5-1/2 years of jail time on two separate charges. The United States says Fonseka is a political prisoner and has repeatedly demanded he be freed. ...

Sri Lanka president orders release of jailed rival

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the early release from jail of his highest-profile political rival Sarath Fonseka, the president's spokesman said on Sunday, in an apparent bid to quell international criticism of the government's human rights record. The authorisation for Fonseka's release will be sent to the justice ministry on Monday, spokesman Bandula Jayasekara said. The former general is expected to be free soon afterwards, but will not be able to leave the country. ...

Powerful quake kills at least 3 in northern Italy

One of the strongest earthquakes to shake northern Italy rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, a magnitude-6.0 temblor that killed at least three people, toppled some buildings and sent residents running into the streets, emergency services and news reports said.

Protesters prepare for larger NATO demonstration

Protesters gathering in Chicago for the NATO summit were gearing up for their largest demonstration Sunday, when thousands are expected to march from a downtown park to the lakeside convention center where President Barack Obama and dozens of other world leaders will meet.

Thunder steal another to put Lakers on brink

Kevin Durant hit the go-ahead three pointer with 13 seconds left to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 103-100 win over Los Angeles to put the Lakers on the brink of elimination.

Serbians vote for president under threat of protest

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic and rightist Tomislav Nikolic went head to head on Sunday in a tense run-off election for Serbian president and the right to lead the struggling nation into talks on joining the European Union. Despite economic stagnation and rising unemployment, Tadic is tipped to defeat Nikolic for the third time since 2004 as Serbia slowly sheds the legacy of a decade of war and isolation under late strongman Slobodan Milosevic. A Tadic victory would keep power firmly in the hands of his Democratic Party. ...

Reports: 3 dead after quake in northern Italy

A magnitude-6.0 earthquake shook northern Italy early Sunday, killing at least three people and toppling some buildings, emergency services and news reports said.

APNewsBreak: 22 states join campaign finance fight

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia are backing Montana in its fight to prevent the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision from being used to strike down state laws restricting corporate campaign spending.

SNL's 'Lazy Sunday 2' Hits the Web

"Lazy Sunday," the Saturday Night Live digital short credited with popularizing YouTube in late 2005, got a sequel Saturday night.

Alberto: Tropical storm watch on swath of SC coast

Tropical Storm Alberto swirled off the South Carolina coast packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) on Sunday, a day after becoming the first tropical storm of the 2012 hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center said.

Sri Lanka set to release jailed ex-army chief

Sri Lanka's president has ordered authorities to free the country's jailed former army chief, a man credited with ending the country's long civil war but who later was imprisoned after challenging the president in elections.

Ruling party in Dominican election seeks four more years

Santo Domingo (Reuters) - Ruling party candidate Danilo Medina is looking for revenge in Sunday's presidential election in the Dominican Republic 12 years after he lost in a landslide to opposition candidate Hipolito Mejia. Most opinion polls appear give him the edge, showing Medina of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) leading by a margin of 5 percentage points over Mejia for the opposition Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). ...

Kristen Wiig gets an emotional sendoff from 'SNL'

Kristen Wiig has gotten a musical sendoff on the season finale of "Saturday Night Live" as the versatile cast member makes her exit after seven years.

Chicago braces for largest anti-NATO protest

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago police trying to keep the peace during the NATO summit may face their biggest test on Sunday when thousands of demonstrators were expected to march near the site where leaders of the military alliance begin a two-day meeting. Previous protests in the runup to the summit Sunday and Monday have been lively but peaceful, resulting in fewer than two dozen arrests over the past six days, according to the Chicago Police Department. ...

Reports: 3 dead in quake near Bologna

Italian news reports say three people have been killed in a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Italy near Bologna.

China keeps up pressure Chen's family, supporters

BEIJING (Reuters) - While the blind Chinese rights activist Chen Guangcheng on Sunday enjoyed his first hours in New York after years of jail and detention, relatives and supporters back home remained locked down by security authorities. Chen's escape last month from 19 months of detention in his home village in eastern China and his six-day stay in the U.S. embassy in Beijing exposed embarrassing gaps in the web of security that the ruling Communist Party uses to stifle dissent. ...

G-8 warns North Korea about further provocations

The Group of Eight world leaders has warned North Korea that it faces more sanctions if it continues to threaten the stability of the region with provocative acts such as its failed long-range rocket launch in April.

Thunder rally past Lakers, take 3-1 series lead

Russell Westbrook scored 10 of his 37 points during a stirring fourth-quarter comeback, Kevin Durant added 31 points and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder seized control of the second-round series with a 103-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 on Saturday night.

Myanmar: New deal to end fighting with Shan rebels

A Myanmar negotiator says ethnic Shan rebels have agreed in a second round of talks that there will be no more fighting between the guerrillas and government troops.

Taiwan's Ma signals no China change as term starts

Taiwan's president has signaled that he will continue the China policy that helped him get re-elected as he begins his second four-year term.

Trapped Chinese coal miner rescued after 17 days

A Chinese coal miner has been rescued after being trapped underground for 17 days by an underground flood that killed at least 10 others.

NATO leaders seek common path out of Afghanistan

CHICAGO (Reuters) - NATO leaders gather in Chicago on Sunday for a summit that will chart a path out of Afghanistan, as Western nations seek to fend off fissures in their alliance and ensure Afghanistan can hold a still-potent Taliban at bay when foreign troops withdraw. President Barack Obama hosts the summit in his home town, Chicago, a day after leaders of major industrialized nations tackled Europe's debt crisis, backing keeping Greece in the euro zone and vowing to take steps necessary to revitalize the world economy. ...

Chicago protests on eve of NATO summit raucous, peaceful

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Hundreds of demonstrators staged raucous protests against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's budget cuts and other economic issues on the eve of the NATO summit, but police said there were few arrests and only minor clashes. The crowds were in the hundreds on Saturday, down from an estimated 2,500 people on Friday at Daley Plaza, named for longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley, who headed the city during bloody clashes between police and anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. ...

Impatient Thai red shirts want justice from PM Yingluck

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's "red shirts" took to the street this weekend to mark the anniversary of the army's bloody repression of their mass rally in Bangkok in 2010 amid growing signs of a rift with the government they helped elect last July. Many red shirts are angry at the failure of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to bring to account those responsible for the 91 deaths during the 2010 events. Some are threatening action that could destabilise her government and start another period of political upheaval, after months of relative calm. ...

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg weds on day after IPO

A day after the historic Facebook IPO, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg updated his status Saturday to "married."

Season's first Atlantic tropical storm forms off South Carolina

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Alberto formed off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, bringing an early start to the Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Although the storm was likely to remain offshore, forecasters issued a tropical storm warning for the South Carolina coast late on Saturday, saying there was "too little margin for error" not to issue the warning. Alberto was in the Atlantic about 110 miles southeast of Charleston with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. ...

Transgender Miss Universe Canada contestant loses

The first-ever transgender contestant to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant has lost her bid to win the title.

Two smaller unions agree deals with Lockheed

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp said on Saturday it had negotiated new contracts with two smaller unions at its Fort Worth, Texas plant, even as a strike by the larger machinists union stretched into a fifth week. Lockheed said about 70 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on Friday ratified a new contract that would extend for four years. On Saturday, a new five-year contract was approved by 430 members of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). Both agreements take effect on Monday. ...

Tropical storm watch issued for South Carolina

Forecasters late Saturday issued a tropical storm watch for parts of the South Carolina coast after the first tropical storm of the 2012 hurricane season formed in the Atlantic.