Headline News 2014 May 14

Coal mine explosion likely to be Turkey's deadliest ever: minister Turkey's energy minister says the coal mine explosion and a fire in the western Manisa province is likely to be the country's deadliest mining disaster ever. Taner Yildiz says the death toll has risen to 205, with hundreds still believed to be trapped underground. Turkey's worst mining disaster was a 1992 gas explosion that killed 263 workers near a Black Sea port. An electrical fault triggered Tuesday's explosion and a fire in the privately-owned mine in Soma when 787 workers were in the mine. Fifty-seven people have been confirmed as injured. A huge rescue operation is underway to reach those trapped. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared three days of national mourning, ordering flags to be lowered to half-staff. Ukraine to hold talks to curb violence Ukraine is due to host round-table talks in Kiev amid efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the crisis in the country's east. The talks will include members of the interim government and regional leaders, but pro-Russian separatists have refused to take part. The move is part of a "roadmap" drawn up by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. On Tuesday, seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed in an ambush by rebels in the east. It's the heaviest loss of life for government forces in a single clash since Kiev sent soldiers to put down a rebellion in the country's east. Flight 370 mystery spurs UN agency to call for global tracking system The International Civil Aviation Organization is calling for the implementation of a worldwide aviation tracking system after what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. At a meeting of the UN agency in Montreal, representatives of more than 40 countries set a September deadline for a plan to set up a global flight tracking system. Among the requirements are better use of existing communications links and mandatory warnings to air traffic controllers when a plane deviates from its approved flight route. Flight 370 is thought to have deviated sharply from its flight plan. The search for the plane is now concentrated in the Indian Ocean off of Australia. Russian navy ships depart for joint exercise with China Six Russian navy ships have left Vladivostok for Shanghai to take part in a joint naval drill with the Chinese navy. The ships, including guided missile cruiser Varyag, from the Russian Pacific Fleet would take part in the drill in the northern part of the East China Sea. This will be the third such exercise after joint drills off the coast of Russia's Far East in July 2013 and the Yellow Sea in April 2012. Spokesman rebuts "mainland buying out Taiwan" remarks The Chinese mainland has refuted accusations that it is "buying out Taiwan". A spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office says such accusations are baseless and come with vile political intent to disturb cross-Strait cooperation. The spokesman made the remarks when asked whether the setting up of free economic zones in Taiwan would open doors for mainland funds, laborers, service industries and goods, enabling the mainland to "buy out" the island. He stressed that economic cooperation will bring mutual benefits and win-win results to people on both the mainland and Taiwan. Police closes investigation on GSK China's bribery case Chinese police have finished the investigation into the suspected bribery case of GlaxoSmithKline China and handed it over to prosecutors. Police in central China's Changsha city say the ten-month investigation has found that William Mark Reilly, a British national and executive of GSK China, had ordered his subordinates to commit bribery. Reilly allegedly pressed his sales teams to bribe hospitals, doctors and health institutions through various means and gained an illegal revenue worth of billions. China sets up organ for income distribution reform China's State Council has set up an inter-ministry agency to coordinate income distribution reform. The agency is led by the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planning body. It will be tasked with coordinating all work in deepening income distribution reform, which is a key policy objective for the top leadership to narrow the wealth gap. Chinese political advisor dismissed over ivory trading A political advisor from east China's Zhejiang Province has been sacked over suspicion of involvement in ivory trading. Shao Yanfang is board chairwoman of a construction engineering company in Jinhua city. She was found to have hoarded 22 elephant tusks at her home at the end of last year. Shao was arrested in December and her case is under further investigation. Brazil coach Scolari 'to face criminal probe' Reports from Portugal say the coach of Brazil's national football team, Luiz Felipe Scolari, is to a face criminal investigation as he denies tax evasion. Scolari coached Portugal's national team from 2003 to 2008. The allegations are believed to be connected to his time there. The allegations come less than a month before the start of the World Cup.