Exclusive :China urbanization plan hits roadblock over spending fears-sources

By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s plan to spend $6.5 trillion on urbanization to bolster the economy is running into snags, sources close to the government said, as top leaders fear another spending binge could push up local debt levels and inflate a property bubble. Premier Li Keqiang has rejected an urbanization proposal drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), seeking changes to put more emphasis on economic reform, according to the sources, who are familiar with the matter. …

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Areva says 13 staff injured in Niger attack

PARIS (Reuters) – Areva said on Thursday that 13 staff had been injured in an attack at its Somair mine near Arlit in northern Niger. The French nuclear reactor maker condemned what it called a “despicable attack” and said it was working closely with the Niger and French forces. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by John Irish)

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Stricken Japan nuke plant struggles to keep staff

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 file photo, workers in protective suits and masks wait to enter the emergency operation center at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station in Okuma, Japan. Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant that melted down in March 2011 after being hit by a tsunami, is finding that it can barely meet the headcount of workers required to keep the three broken reactors cool while fighting power outages and leaks of tons of radiated water, said current and former nuclear plant workers and others familiar with the situation at Fukushima. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, Pool)TOKYO (AP) — Keeping the meltdown-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeastern Japan in stable condition requires a cast of thousands. Increasingly the plant's operator is struggling to find enough workers, a trend that many expect to worsen and hamper progress in the decades-long effort to safely decommission it.

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Portuguese leaders build faith in bailout exit

A woman with a Portuguese flag shouts slogans during a protest against austerity in front of the presidential palace in LisbonBy Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) – President Anibal Cavaco Silva thanked Portugal's patron saint for a long-delayed approval of Lisbon's bailout review last week, but the head of state could claim a share of the credit for himself. The conservative president's role has grown far beyond his figurehead status in the past few weeks. With the president on his side, Prime Minister Passos Coelho appears immune to opposition calls for an early election, despite a teetering coalition, record-low popularity in opinion polls and protests and strikes promised for late May and June. …

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