Cargo plane hits bus in Ghana airport crash
A cargo plane has crash landed in Ghana's capital Accra, hitting a bus full of passengers, officials say.
Ten passengers on board the bus were reported to have been killed while all four crew members survived.
Local TV showed the heavily damaged Boeing 727 Allied Air plane lying across a road close to Kotoka International Airport.
Ghana's airport operator said the plane, which had flown from Lagos, Nigeria, overshot the runway.
It said in a statement that the four crew members were receiving treatment at an airport clinic.
"The aircraft collided with a minivan, resulting in 10 confirmed fatalities," the statement added.
Police and troops cordoned off the scene following the incident just after 19:00 GMT on Saturday.
Ghana's Vice President John Dramani Mahama told reporters at the airport that a thorough investigation would be carried out.
"No early conclusions should be drawn. We should allow investigations to arrive at the actual cause. But I can assure Ghanaians that the situation is under control," he said.
Ghana Airport Company said flights were continuing as normal at the airport.
Kofi Kportufe, head of Ghana's national disaster management agency, praised the emergency services for their quick response, which he said had "averted further disaster".
"This is a sad day for Ghana," he said.
The BBC's West Africa correspondent John James says Ghana's air safety record has been good in recent years.
BBC
US Drone Strike Kills 5 Militants in Pakistan
Security officials in Pakistan say a U.S. drone strike has killed at least five militants in the country's northwestern tribal district.
Authorities say four missiles were fired into a village Sunday near the Afghan border. Officials say the strike targeted the home of a militant commander.
On Saturday, a drone strike in the same region killed at least two insurgents.
Drone strikes have become an increasingly contentious issue between Washington and Islamabad, following a November strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Pakistan has demanded the U.S. apologize for the November air strike. Washington has refused.
Pakistan says the missile attacks are counter-productive, violate its sovereignty, kill civilians and fuel anti-U.S. sentiment.
Thousands in Egypt Protest Mubarak Verdict
Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets across the country late Saturday to protest the verdicts in the trial of former president Hosni Mubarak, former interior minister Habib al-Adly and six top security officials.
The ousted leader was found guilty for his role in the killings of hundreds of anti-government protesters during the first week of the uprising in February 2011 that forced his downfall. He was given a life sentence. Prosecutors had called for the death penalty, but the presiding judge said that although Mubarak failed to prevent the deaths, he was not directly responsible for them. Mubarak's lawyers are expected to appeal the sentence.
The much-hated interior minister was also found guilty and given the same sentence, but the top security officials were acquitted.
The court also acquitted Mubarak, his two sons Gamal and Alaa, and others of corruption charges.
Demonstrators turned out in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities. In Cairo, people flooded Tahrir Square, the center of the revolution, demanding everything from a retrial to the death penalty for Mubarak. The crowd also protested the acquittal of the security officials.
Many were furious about the acquittals of corruption charges. They suspect the vast wealth allegedly accumulated by the Mubarak family would remain in their hands.
Earlier in the day, jubilant Mubarak opponents embraced and wept outside of the Cairo courthouse as the verdicts were announced. But the joy turned quickly into anger as the implications of the verdicts were absorbed and the chance they could be easily overturned became clearer.
“They are waving the Egyptian flag. They are shouting for a cleansing of the judiciary. They are calling for new trials. And, it is quite a broad spectrum of people who have gone down there.”))
Meanwhile, Egyptian state media say Mubarak suffered an unspecified “health crisis” after the verdict. He received treatment at a prison hospital. The 84-year-old former president had consistently arrived in court on a stretcher.
Mubarak's abrupt resignation in February 2011 ended his almost 30-year rule in Egypt.
The verdict and sentencing come as Egypt remains divided over who will replace the 84-year-old Mubarak. The first presidential elections since his ouster pit Islamist Mohammed Morsi against Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak.
Early Sunday, a group of protesters reportedly ransacked Shafiq's offices in Fayoum city south of Cairo. Local authorities say the attack could have been sparked by earlier demonstrations by Egyptians who wanted Mubarak executed.
News: Wyclef Jean
Rapper Wyclef Jean will perform “The Star Spangled Banner” during a tribute performance to Jimi Hendrix at SummerStage in New York. The SummerStage Gala titled “The Music of Jimi Hendrix” will take place at Rumsey Playfield next week, where Bebel Gilberto, G. Love & Special Sauce, Amel Larrieux, Living Colour, and The Roots will also perform.
The highly anticipated show featuring songs from Hendrix’s legendary catalog is being produced by Michael Dorf, who is known for producing similar events at Carnegie Hall. Seated concert tickets start at $50 for the concert, which takes place on June 5.
Venezuela bans private gun ownership
Venezuela has brought a new gun law into effect which bans the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition.
Until now, anyone with a gun permit could buy arms from a private company.
Under the new law, only the army, police and certain groups like security companies will be able to buy arms from the state-owned weapons manufacturer and importer.
The ban is the latest attempt by the government to improve security and cut crime ahead of elections in October
Venezuela saw more than 18,000 murders last year and the capital, Caracas, is thought to be one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America.
'Must do more'
The government has been running a gun amnesty in the run-up to the introduction of the new law to try to encourage people to give up their illegal arms without fear of consequences.
Hugo Chavez's government says the ultimate aim is to disarm all civilians, but his opponents say the police and government may not have the capacity or the will to enforce the new law.
Criminal violence is set to be a major issue in presidential elections later in the year.
Campaign group The Venezuela Violence Observatory said last year that violence has risen steadily since Mr Chavez took office in 1999.
Several Latin American countries have murder rates far higher than the global average of 6.9 murders per 100,000 people.
According to a recent United Nations report, South America, Central America and the Caribbean have the highest rates of murder by firearms in the world.
It found that over 70% of all homicides in South America are as a results of guns - in Western Europe, the figure was closer to 25%.
Donation allegations refuted by Grenada PM's Office
Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has admitted receiving money from an overseas donor as leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), but it’s not US$150,000 as claimed by the opposition New National Party (NNP).
Dr Keith Mitchell, leader of the NNP, has also alleged that the US$150,000 was contributed by a source in Saudi Arabia, but that charge has also been refuted.
“Approximately five months ago, a friend of Grenada, who does not wish to be publicly identified, and whose place of corporate residence is the British Virgin Islands, made a political donation of 50,000 US dollars to the prime minister as political leader of his party,” said a statement issued on Wednesday by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The full text of the PMO’s statement is as follows:
In the wake of the resounding and embarrassing defeat suffered in the recent vote of no-confidence motion on May 15th 2012 and the shock from the massive and enthusiastic crowd brought out by the Prime Minister at his Thanksgiving rally at the Grenville Car Park, the NNP and those known to be opposed to Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, are desperately grasping at straws, in their attempt to tarnish the good character of the Prime Minister and Political Leader of the NDC.
As a result, they are now trying to convince the Grenadian Public that the Prime Minister was engaged in some kind of shady financial dealings and that he received the sum of $150,000 US dollars from a criminal source in Saudi Arabia.
The Prime Minister wishes to assure the Grenadian public, in keeping with his commitment to the good governance agenda and his pledge to the Grenadian people to be accountable and transparent, that nothing could be further from the truth.
JLP would not have taxed new items
Opposition leader, Andrew Holness, says a Jamaica Labour Party administration would not have placed general consumption tax on the new items which will now attract the tax.
Making his contribution to the budget debate in parliament this afternoon, Holness, slammed the government’s taxation package saying it will not induce growth but seems to be a strategy for scraping up all the revenues the government can.
Andrew Holness was bruising in his criticism of the government’s budget and revenue measures when he spoke in parliament this afternoon.
Taking a jab at Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, he said the People’s National Party government had become the worst nightmare of Jamaicans.
According to Holness the government should have taken the opportunity to implement tax reform which could induce growth instead of just implementing a tax package simply designed to raise revenue.
The opposition leader said a government led by him would not have placed general consumption tax on books, animal feed, seeds, fertilisers or basic food items.
Holness said it was unconscionable that the government has widened the tax base placing GCT on certain basic food items, without putting in a system to ensure equity.
He said when he was prime minister towards the end of last year, he had started discussions about creating a comprehensive social protection programme.
Holness says comprehensive tax reform would have been an important step in demonstrating to creditors that the country is taking steps to fix its structural problems.
Spain denies 'senseless' IMF bailout rumours
Spain's economy minister has dismissed talk of it seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as "senseless".
And the IMF denied that Spain had asked to discuss rescue loans.
The IMF has contributed to bailouts of all the other eurozone nations, such as Greece, that needed help.
Meanwhile, the European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi described the current set-up of the eurozone as "unsustainable".
There were rumours that Spain had already gone to the IMF, after the Spanish deputy prime minister went to meet the IMF's managing director Christine Lagarde.
"My desire is to not come out and deny these rumours because they are senseless," Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Spanish television.
Spain has taken Greece's place as the epicentre of the eurozone crisis as concerns over the health of Spanish banks have shaken markets.
Bankia, Spain's fourth largest bank, has asked for another 19bn euros (£15bn) recently from Madrid, but many question whether Spain will be able to afford it.
Eurozone 'vacuum'
Speaking to the European Parliament, Mr Draghi said: "Can the ECB fill the vacuum of lack of action by national governments on fiscal growth? The answer is no. Can the ECB fill the vacuum of the lack of action by national governments on the structural problem. The answer is no.
"The next step... is to clarify what is the vision a certain number of years from now. The sooner this is specified, the better it is."
And EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn said more austerity was needed if the eurozone was to avoid disintegration.
Mr Rehn talked down the idea of European states issuing joint bonds, saying that austerity and closer co-operation were needed.
"We need a genuine stability culture and a much upgraded common capacity to contain common contagion," he told a conference.
New figures also showed eurozone inflation slowed more than expected this month.
Inflation in the 17 countries that use the euro eased to 2.4% in May from 2.6% in April.
The figure is still above the ECB's target to keep inflation below 2%, but the lower-than-expected number could fuel calls for an interest rate cut next week.
Mixed data
In other figures released on Thursday, Germany's unemployment rate fell below 7% as Europe's biggest economy continued to perform strongly.
The jobless rate dropped to 6.7% in May, from 7% in April, as the number of people unemployed fell by 108,000 to 2.86 million.
However, there was more bad news from Greece as figures showed that Greek retail sales volumes fell by 16.2% in March compared with a year earlier. This followed February's decline of 12.9%.
US economic growth slower than thought in first quarter
The US economy grew at an annualised 1.9% in the first three months of 2012, less than the 2.2% first thought.
The slower growth rate - which was in line with forecasts - followed a modest downward revision in consumer spending.
A rise in the growth in imports also accounted for the weaker outlook.
The second official estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) from the Commerce Department also showed that after-tax corporate profits fell for the first time in three years.
The department said that after-tax corporate profits fell by 4.1%, the biggest fall since the last three months of 2008.
The figures showed that consumer spending grew at 2.7% instead of the previously estimated 2.9%, while a drop in government spending from 3.9% to 3% also held back economic growth.
In addition, businesses restocked at a modest pace, reflecting weakening demand.
Retail boost
Estimates for the current April-to-June quarter show that analysts expect growth to pick up to an annualised pace of 2.5%, although that would still be below the 3% growth rate the Commerce Department said the US economy was growing at in the fourth quarter of last year.
Many economists expect US economic growth to continue at about 2.5% for the rest of the year, a better performance than the 1.7% growth recorded in 2011.
That picture was enhanced by news from US retailers, with many stores reporting stronger-than-expected sales in May.
Limited Brands, the parent company of underwear chain Victoria's Secret, the discount chain Target and clothing companies Gap and TJX Cos, which owns TJX and TJ Maxx, were among those reporting sales that beat analysts' forecasts.
Many analysts had feared that warmer-than-usual spring weather meant shoppers had brought forward clothing purchases which would mean fewer sales in May.
There was more good news from the Thomson Reuters Same Store Sales index, which was 3.9% higher in May, beating forecasts for a 3.6% rise.
However, the fragility of the US economy was highlighted by employment data, which showed private payroll growth rose only slightly in April, and the Labor Department said claims for jobless benefits were higher last week, suggesting a slowdown in the jobs market from its stronger showing earlier this year.
The most widely watched employment figures - the non-farm payrolls - will be released on Friday.
The first-quarter GDP figures are subject to at least one more revision, as more data comes in to the department for assessment.
British Chambers of Commerce cuts growth forecast
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has slashed its forecast for economic growth this year, from 0.6% to 0.1%.
But the group, which represents more than 100,000 businesses, raised its forecast for 2013 from 1.8% to 1.9%.
The data, in the BCC's latest Quarterly Economic Forecast, follow official figures showing that the UK has returned to recession.
BCC director-general John Longworth called for more "enterprise-friendly" action from the government.
Unemployment will also increase from 2.625 million - or 8.2% of the workforce - to 2.9 million, or 9%, in the third quarter of 2013, driven primarily by continued public sector spending cuts.
Mr Longworth called for the creation of a business bank to provide capital for small business, more infrastructure spending, long-term strategies for aviation and energy, and more deregulation.
Without action the economy will "bump along the bottom" for longer than expected, Mr Longworth said.
"We need growth and we need it now," he said.
"If the government works together with the private sector to create the right environment over the long term, we'll be able to prove once and for all that bold businesses can propel us forward out of stagnation and firmly on the road to recovery."
The BCC's report warns that problems in the eurozone will persist for a considerable time and cause difficulties for UK businesses.
However, household spending will see modest improvement, from shrinking 1.2% in 2011 to growth of 0.7% in 2012, 1.7% in 2013 and of 2.1% in 2014.
Business investment should improve, from 1.2% in 2011 to 4.3% in 2012.