Commuters faced major traffic woes in Sao Paulo today as subway workers went on strike, causing chaos in the Brazilian metropolis a week before it hosts the World Cup opener.
	The Sao Paulo metro is the main transport link to the economic capital's host stadium, and the indefinite strike could pose a massive logistical headache for organizers -- as well as the 4.5 million passengers who use it daily.
	Frustrated commuters broke entrance grilles at the station that serves the stadium, Corinthians Arena, forcing system operators CPTM to take emergency measures to open it.
	With more people using their cars, bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched for up to 209 kilometers, the worst congestion so far this year and the third worst ever recorded in the sprawling mega-city of 20 million people. The strike affected three of the city's five subway lines, a system employee told AFP.
	Sao Paulo was where mass protests erupted a year ago as citizens took to the streets to voice anger at rising public 

Subway strike causes chaos a week from World Cup kick-off

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The US Treasury has fined Dutch aviation services firm Fokker Services USD 21 million for selling aircraft parts to Iran and Sudan in violation of US sanctions on the two countries.
	The Treasury said today that it had reached a settlement with Fokker in which the company accepted responsibility for "egregious conduct" and agreed to pay the amount, which it said could have been up to USD 51 million.
	The case involved an alleged 1,150 specific sanctions violations between 2005 and 2010, in which Fokker indirectly exported or re-exported aircraft spare parts to customers in Iran and Sudan.
	The parts were either of US origin or had been procured by Fokker in the United States, and the company needed a specific license from the government to ship them to Iran or Sudan, which it did not obtain.
	"By illegally exporting aircraft spare parts to designated countries, (Fokker) flagrantly violated US sanctions laws and this illicit activity will not be tolerated," said Adam Szubin, director ..

US fines Fokker for breaking Iran, Sudan sanctions

Some 900 people had to evacuate The Shard, western Europe's tallest building, today after smoke was reported in the London skyscraper's basement.
	London Fire Brigade said there was no evidence of a blaze in the glass-clad, 1,016-foot tower, which pierces the British capital's skyline.
	"As a precaution, the building was evacuated. It's thought around 900 people were in the building at the time," the LFB said.
	The smoke dissipated and people were allowed back inside the building.
	"No injuries were reported and the cause is not known at this stage," said LFB.
	They said there were several possible causes for smoke without fire, such as an electrical fault.
	Seven fire engines and around 50 firefighters were sent to the tower, which stands at the south end of London Bridge, but the incident was over within three hours.
	Glen Cave, who was inside, told the BBC: "We had to walk to floors all the way down and it took about half an hour, but (there were) no dramas."
	The Shard hosts ...

London's Shard tower evacuated after smoke alert

Ukraine said today it had abandoned three checkpoints on the Russian border after a series of night-time attacks by separatists, and reporters on the scene said at least one had been taken over by the militants.
	The decision to leave the border posts came as the government vowed to beef up its security presence to counter pro-Russian rebels amid reports of continued fighting in the country's east.
	The three checkpoints, all in the volatile Lugansk region, were targeted in attacks by pro-Russian rebels overnight yesterday to today, the border guards said in a statement.
	"After an exchange of fire, the threat to the lives of people crossing the border prompted the evacuation of civilians and border guards at the checkpoints," the statement said.
	Today afternoon, Ukraine's blue-and-yellow flag no longer flew over the border post at Dolzhansky after it had been taken over by about 10 armed pro-Russian rebels who allowed vehicles to pass in both directions.
	Numerous civilians were ...

Ukraine closes border posts after night assaults

Bangladesh imposed a radical new "green tax" today to force polluting factories to pay extra levies as it looks to clean up the country's increasingly dirty rivers and air.
	The environmental tax was announced as part of a USD 32 billion budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year, which also focused on giant new infrastructure projects such as a metro in the cramped capital Dhaka and a nuclear power plant to boost growth.
	Industrial effluent and waste from urban sewage "is severely contaminating our rivers and taking heavy toll on the aquatic environment and its surroundings", Finance Minister A.M.A Muhith said as he announced the budget in parliament.
	"I propose to impose a one percent Environment Protection Surcharge or Green Tax on an ad-valorem basis on all kinds of products manufactured in Bangladesh by the industries which pollute the environment," Muhith said.
	A revenue official told AFP the tax would be imposed on a company's turnover if it is found to have polluted "air, soil and .

Pollution-ridden Bangladesh unveils green tax in budget

China's state censors today scrubbed the Internet of references to commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown including a huge vigil in Hong Kong, extending a campaign of repression that has seen dozens of critics detained.
	Organisers said a record 180,000 people filled Hong Kong's Victoria Park for yesterday night's gathering, the only major commemoration on Chinese territory of the 25th anniversary of the events of June 4, 1989.
	The assault on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, during which hundreds of unarmed civilians -- by some estimates, more than 1,000 -- were killed, remains highly sensitive in the Communist nation.
	It forbids public discussion of the military's brutal suppression of the demonstrations, and dozens of individuals, among them human rights campaigners, lawyers and journalists were detained ahead of the anniversary.
	Five, including celebrated human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, were held on criminal charges last month after taking part in a private seminar about 

China censors sweep web of Tiananmen references

At least two people were killed today when 301 inmates staged a dawn jailbreak from an eastern Democratic Republic of Congo prison, police said.
	Gunfire rang out shortly before sunrise at the prison in the city of Bukavu, residents said, and the inmates managed to force their way through the main gate a short while later.
	"We have just finished the tally, there were a total of 301 escapees, but 35 have already been recaptured," a police officer told AFP, requesting anonymity.
	"The provisional toll this afternoon is two dead, a civilian and a soldier, and seven injured including three civilians and four soldiers."
	The officer explained that prison wardens had been overcome by the inmates who "took weapons and managed to open the prison door."
	Descartes Mponge, president of the South Kivu Civil Society organisation, told AFP there were "at least 1,600 prisoners in this prison" at the time of the breakout.
	Large numbers of police and soldiers surrounded the prison after the escape, 

301 inmates break out of DRCongo jail, two killed: police

Maria Sharapova reached the final of the French Open for the third straight year at Roland Garros today, digging deep to see off the youthful challenge of Canada's Eugenie Bouchard.
     The 27-year-old, seventh seed once again did it the hard way, battling back from a set down to edge the 20-year-old from Montreal 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a match full of beefy baseline shot-making.
     It was the 19th time in a row that the never-say-die Sharapova had won a three-set match on clay, dating back to a loss against Justine Henin at Roland Garros in 2010.
     On Saturday she will take on the winner of the other semi-final opposing fourth seed Simona Halep of Romania and Andrea Petkovic of Germany.
     For the fast-rising Bouchard, it represents the second time she has reached a Grand Slam semi-final, after this year's Australian Open, and the second time she has failed to go a step further, having lost to eventual champion Li Na in Melbourne.
     "She played an unbelievable match. Her level ..

Sharapova overpowers Bouchard in Paris

Pope Francis today hailed the soldiers who fought "Nazi barbarism" in a message for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy and voiced hope that European nations could recover their Christian roots.
	In a letter from the Vatican to French Catholic leaders, the Argentine pontiff said that the commemoration "reminds us that excluding God from the lives of people and societies can bring nothing but death and suffering".
	"European nations can find in the Bible of Christ, the prince of peace, the root of their history and a source of inspiration for establishing ties that can be ever more fraternal," the message said.
	Francis praised "the numerous soldiers who left their country to land on the beaches of Normandy to fight against Nazi barbarism and free occupied France".
	The Vatican said Francis "also does not forget the German soldiers dragged into this drama, like all victims of war".
	D-Day veterans marched back to Normandy's beaches and villages today, in an emotional 

Pope condemns 'Nazi barbarism' in D-Day messsage

A global union said today that it had filed a formal complaint at a UN body against Qatar Airways, accusing it of breaching the rights of its almost entirely foreign staff.
	Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez of the International Transport Federation said the complaint was lodged today with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
	The union body wants the UN labour agency to condemn the wholly state-owned airline for violating global rules on workers' rights, as well as domestic regulations.
	"We're urging the ILO to make the recommendations necessary to bring the Qatar government into compliance with its international commitments as soon as possible and end the disgraceful measures," Rodriguez said.
	Energy-rich Qatar is already under pressure over the treatment of migrant construction workers, an enduring issue given fresh impetus as the emirate prepares to host football's 2022 World Cup.
	In April, the ILO urged Qatar to remove a host of restrictions on forming unions and striking, and ..

Global union hits Qatar Airways with UN complaint

A US Navy jet crashed into the sea as it was making a late-night approach to land on an aircraft carrier off the coast of southern California, officials said today.
	The pilot ejected from the F/A-18E Super Hornet before impact at about 10:00 pm yesterday (0500 GMT today) and was in stable condition aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the Navy said in a statement.
	The other aircraft operating at the time of the accident were diverted to the Coronado naval base in California, where they landed without incident an hour after the crash, it said.
	The F/A-18E Super Hornet was not recovered.
	"All air operations have ceased aboard Carl Vinson until further notice," the Navy said, adding that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the accident.
	Another US military aircraft crashed yesterday in California, local media reported. The pilot of the Marine Harrier jet ejected for reasons that were not yet clear, and the aircraft crashed in a residential area. No one was hurt.

US Navy jet crashes in sea; pilot in stable condition

British satellite operator Inmarsat intends to help air passengers to stay in touch during flight in the European Union, it announced today, taking a lead from a boom in the United States.
	The company said it would provide in-flight broadband wifi services to passengers flying within the European Union.
	Inmarsat, whose raw data has been used in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, said in a statement that it has joined forces with European peer Hellas-Sat to order a powerful new satellite from French-Italian firm Thales Alenia Space.
	For delivery in 2016, the satellite will set up an air-to-ground network across the EU costing USD 200 million to USD 250 million over six years, Inmarsat said in a statement.
	The satellite -- named Europasat -- will be operated on a shared basis, halving Inmarsat's additional deployment costs of USD 200 million.
	The company noted that North America had already witnessed keen demand for in-flight passenger Internet services with the 

Inmarsat unveils in-flight wifi plans for Europe

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Paris today for an increasingly rare foreign visit that will see her feted as France's "super guest of honour" at D-Day commemorations attended by an A-list of world leaders.
	The 88-year-old monarch, accompanied by her 92-year-old husband Prince Philip, stepped off a scheduled Eurostar train from London to an enthusiastic welcome from around 300 well-wishers at the French capital's Gare du Nord.
	Among them was Margaret Kittle, a Canadian whose late husband Harold fought in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II.
	"It's great she's here, she's the only one of the leaders who will be on the beaches tomorrow to have known the war first hand," Kittle said.
	"I've seen the queen several times and saw her mother and father before the war in Canada when I was a girl of four. But today is really special."
	Melody Zhang, from Beijing but studying in London, added: "I just got to know two hours ago she's coming and I rushed to try and see her. ...

Queen Elizabeth II arrives in France for D-Day ceremonies

Russia's foreign ministry said today that Syrians had chosen their country's future by voting in "legitimate" polls to reelect President Bashar al-Assad.
	"It's unacceptable to ignore the opinion of millions of Syrians who... Came to polling stations and made a choice in the interests of the future of the country," spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a televised briefing.
	"In Moscow the vote is seen as an important event that ensures the continued function of state institutions in Syria according to the constitution of this sovereign country," he said.
	"We have no basis to cast doubt on the legitimacy of these elections," Lukashevich said, while acknowledging that "in these conditions, they cannot be considered 100 per cent perfect from the point of view of democratic standards."
	"At least Russian observers came to the conclusion that they took place in a transparent atmosphere, despite all the complex security conditions in this country, and they noted a very high turnout," ...

Syrians chose their future in 'legitimate' poll: Russia

Four UN staffers have been roughed up by the security detail at Tripoli airport after being briefly detained for alleged arms smuggling, the UN chief of mission in Libya said today.
	The unidentified foreigners were "held for questioning by the security brigade... For an hour and a half and roughed up" yesterday night, Tarek Mitri told a press conference in the capital.
	Mitri denounced the "unacceptable" treatment of the men, who he said have diplomatic immunity.
	The men were carrying arms licensed by the interior ministry and were returning from the eastern town of Al-Baida, where they had travelled to prepare a visit by Mitri.
	Separately, Mitri complained that a senior UN official had been briefly detained, and his papers confiscated, after he recently went to attend a court hearing.
	He said the incident occurred at Tripoli's Al-Hadhba complex, where officials from the regime of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi are being held and tried.
	Yesterday night's incident came hours after .

Four UN staffers 'roughed up' at Libya airport: boss

Hundreds of people may have been killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack on four villages in northeast Nigeria, a local lawmaker and residents said today.
	Gunmen in military uniform struck Goshe, Attagara, Agapalwa and Aganjara in the Gwoza district of Borno state late on Tuesday, razing homes, churches and mosques and killing residents who tried to flee the violence.
	Some community leaders put the death toll in the attacks as high as 400 to 500, although there was no independent verification of the claim because of poor communications and difficulties by the emergency services in accessing the area.
	If confirmed, the attack would be one of the deadliest in the Islamists' five-year insurgency and top the more than 300 who were killed on May 5 when militant fighters laid siege to the nearby town of Gamboru Ngala.
	"The killings are massive but nobody can give a toll for now because nobody has been able to go to that place because the insurgents are still there. They have taken over .

Hundreds feared dead in 'massive' Boko Haram village raids

A Venezuelan opposition leader has been ordered to stand trial on charges of instigating violence at an anti-government demonstration, prosecutors said today.
	A judge ruled that Leopoldo Lopez, who has been in custody for three months, should stand trial, the prosecutor's office said. Lopez is charged specifically over violence that broke out during a rally against the government of Nicolas Maduro on February 12.
	Opponents of the leftist Maduro took to the streets in February to protest rampant crime, runaway inflation, a lack of economic opportunity and shortages of such basic goods as toilet paper in the country with the world's largest proven oil reserves.
	A total of 42 people died in the protests, which went on for four months, although they have died down now to just sporadic assemblies of handfuls of protesters.
	Lopez, a Harvard-educated economist aged 43, leads an opposition party called Popular Will. It is considered a hardline wing of an opposition umbrella grouping and ..

Venezuela opposition leader to face trial over demos

The row over the top EU job escalated today after officials said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron had "candid" talks on the hotly debated issue.
	London objects to Merkel's favoured candidate to become the next European Commission chief, former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker, on the grounds that he supports further political union in the 28-member bloc.
	A spokesman for Cameron said he met Merkel at Britain's EU office in Brussels after a dinner for leaders of the Group of Seven industrialised nations.
	"Their discussions focused on the next European Commission - the issues it should focus on and the appointment of the next president," the spokesman said.
	But a source in Cameron's Downing Street office indicated that the meeting between Merkel and Cameron, normally fairly close allies in Europe, had not gone as smoothly as planned.
	"They had friendly, candid and constructive discussions in keeping with how their bilaterals usually are .

Merkel, Cameron in tough talks over top EU job

A Bahraini court jailed four Shiites for life today over the death of an Asian resident in one of five bombings year before last, a judiciary source said.
	Another Asian was killed and one wounded in the other blasts, which rocked the Manama districts of Gudaibiya and Adliya on November 5, 2012 in a kingdom hit by a Shiite-led uprising.
	The victims' nationalities have not been disclosed.
	It was unclear if the defendants were linked to the other bombings or if others were thought to be responsible.
	They were charged with "forming and joining a terror group, premeditated murder, carrying out a bombing aimed at spreading terror, as well as using and possessing explosives to carry out a terror act," the source said.
	Bahrain's main Shiite opposition bloc Al-Wefaq had condemned the attacks, insisting on its calls for peaceful protests.
	Scores of Shiites were rounded up following a crackdown on protesters against the ruling Sunni dynasty in March 2011, and many have been tried and ...

Bahrain jails Shiites for life over Asian expat killing

Japan's SoftBank today unveiled what it billed as an "emotional" humanoid robot that will entertain customers at the mobile carrier's phone outlets -- and maybe become a member of their family.
	Company president Masayoshi Son joked around with the talking, dancing and singing humanoid named Pepper at an event just outside Tokyo.
	The bug-eyed 120-centimetre (3.9-feet) tall robot may eventually take on a customer-service agent role at Softbank's stores, Son said, adding that its "human emotions" made it a perfect fit for families in a rapidly ageing society where labour shortages loom.
	"Pepper is not yet perfect, but he can already understand about 70 to 80 per cent of spontaneous conversations," Son told reporters.
	The robot can learn and "understand" human facial expressions and emotions, making it a perfect party companion, babysitter or even caretaker for seniors, said the flamboyant chief executive, who led SoftBank's $22 billion purchase of US-based Sprint last year.
	"Pepper .

AFP

AFP

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