|  | | | | | | | | | World | | Special Report: In the event of a confrontation in the seas off its coast, Chinese military brass say they now have the means with which to keep American carriers at bay. “We cannot defeat the United States at sea,” says a retired PLA colonel. “But we have missiles that specifically target aircraft carriers to stop them from approaching our territorial waters if there were conflict.” | | | | | | | | Underscoring the nervous atmosphere in Sri Lanka, authorities locked down the central bank, and the road leading to the capital’s airport was shut briefly by a bomb scare as more people were swept up in the search for those behind Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359. As mourners buried the remains of Christian worshippers killed by the suicide bomb attacks, hundreds of Muslim refugees fled Negombo on the country’s west coast where communal tensions have flared in recent days. Crammed into buses organized by community leaders and police, they left fearing for their safety after threats of revenge from locals. | | | | U.S. criticizes Myanmar court decision on Reuters journalists. The United States criticized Myanmar after the country’s high court upheld the sentencing of two Reuters journalists, expressing deep concern about freedom of expression and urging that the two be reunited with their families. | | | | After Tripoli assault, Libya's next battle could be over banks. Eastern Libya commander Khalifa Haftar has thrown much of his military forces into attacking Tripoli, but the outcome of the offensive could be determined by a separate battle — to keep open the parallel finance system that funds his soldiers. The general has funded his eastern state with a mix of unofficial bonds, Russia-printed cash and deposits from eastern banks, accumulating debt worth around 35 billion Libyan dinars ($25.18 billion) outside the official banking system. | | | | | Spain Election | | Catalonia: the crisis at the heart of Spain's election. The northeastern region’s independence drive has been an agent of radical change. It was instrumental in triggering the election, has been a pivotal issue throughout campaigning and is expected to be crucial in determining the composition of the next government. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Business | | Southwest Airlines reported a 16 percent drop in quarterly profit, saying a U.S. government shutdown, maintenance disruptions and the grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX jets knocked $150 million off its bottom line. 2 min read | | | | Comcast reported first-quarter profit on Thursday that beat Wall Street estimates, boosted by strong additions of high-speed internet customers in a quarter that painted another mixed picture for the biggest U.S. cable provider. 4 Min Read | | | | Facebook on Wednesday blew past Wall Street profit estimates in the first quarter and set aside $3 billion to cover a settlement with U.S. regulators, calming investors who had worried about the outcome of a months-long federal probe. 5 min read | | | | | | | | | | | Top Stories on Reuters TV | | | | | | | |
