The Delta Democrat-Times from Greenville, Mississippi • A16

HUSSAIN AL-QATARI Associated Press KUWAIT CITY Peace talks to end the war in Yemen resumed today in Kuwait, with foreign secre- tary welcoming the United Nations-backed negotiations by saying that a political solution can bring an end to the Philip state- ment came as negotiators from internationally- backed government met in Bayan Palace in Kuwait City with Shiite rebels known as Houthis and their allies. The talks got underway Thursday night. urge all those around the table to come together to find a way to end the conflict, ad- dress the humanitarian situa- tion and allow the return of legitimate govern- Hammond said. The Houthis have held capital, Sanaa, since September 2014 and their ad- vance throughout the Arab poorest country saw a Saudi-led, U.S.-backed mili- tary coalition enter the war in March 2015. In over a year since, the war has killed nearly 9,000 people a third of them civilians, according to the U.N.

Airstrikes account for 60 percent of the civilians killed in the conflict, according to a Jan. 26 U.N. report. The world body has criticized coalition strikes that have hit markets, clinics and hospitals. 16 April 22, 2016 DELTA DEMOCRAT-TIMESX River Stages and Five-Day Forecast 7a.m.

stage 24-hr. change FOUR-DAY FORECAST Today April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 Flood stage TODAY MONDAYSUNDAYSATURDAY Mostly sunny HIGH 79 LOW 55 Mostly sunny HIGH 81 LOW 65 Sunny HIGH 82 LOW 61 A pleasant day HIGH 80 LOW 55 CAIRO 40 27.9 26.4 25.3 24.1 22.6 21.5 CAPE GIRARDEAU 32 23.0 22.7 22.5 22.2 21.9 21.5 NEW MADRID 34 18.1 16.9 15.6 14.3 13.1 12.0 CARUTHERSVILLE 32 20.2 19.2 18.1 17.1 16.3 15.5 MEMPHIS 34 15.6 15.2 14.5 13.7 12.8 11.9 HELENA 44 23.3 23.4 23.1 22.5 21.8 21.1 ARKANSAS CITY 37 22.9 23.2 23.2 23.2 23.0 22.7 GREENVILLE 48 34.4 34.7 35.0 35.0 34.9 34.6 VICKSBURG 43 32.2 32.6 33.0 33.2 33.2 33.1 NATCHEZ 48 41.8 42.0 42.4 42.7 42.9 42.9 Austrian presidential vote could spell political turmoil GEORGE JAHN Associated Press VIENNA For the first time, next president will likely be someone who is not officially backed by either of the two parties that have dominated politics since the end of World War II. That reflects massive voter unhappiness and spells pos- sible political turmoil ahead. The steadily eroding popularity ratings of the governing coalition made up of the center-left Social De- mocrats and the centrist Party are reflected in the dismal chances of their candidates in Sun- presidential election, compared with the right-wing Freedom party hopeful and two others running as in- dependents. Social Democratic candidate Rudolf Hundstorfer has 15 percent support and Andreas Khol, his Peo- Party counterpart, 11 percent.

That compares with support of be- tween 22 and 24 percent for Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer, and independents Alexander Van der Bellen and Irmgard Griss, according to an OGM survey published six days before the vote. Strongly criticized over its han- dling of the migrant crisis, the gov- ernment coalition has swung 180 degrees this year as it tries to claw back support lost to the Freedom Party. It has turned from open bor- ders to one of the most restric- tive asylum regimes. But the two mainstream parties have been foundering even ahead of the presidential election and long be- fore the migrant crisis. The Social Party coalition is a marriage of ne- cessity.

That has meant decades of bickering, most recently over tax, ed- ucation and pension reform lead- ing to deepening voter disillusionment. A win by any of the three front- runners in the presidential election spells trouble for the two mainstream parties. At best it will result in more pressure from the top from a presi- dent not beholden to them. At worst, Freedom Party candidate Hofer has threatened to dismiss the government coalition and call a new national election. An Austrian president has the powers to dismiss a government.

But none has since the office was newly defined after World War II. Instead the role has been traditionally cere- monial, with presidents rarely going beyond gentle criticism of the gov- ernment. Fueled by the migrant crisis, party now is backed by 32 percent of voters, compared with just over 20 percent for coalition parties. A new national election would al- most certainly lead to a Freedom Party victory and threaten to swing Austria toward the Euroskeptic, anti- foreigner orbit now occupied by Hungary and other East European EU members. With Austria among the most prosperous and stable nations, voter dissatisfaction appears dispro- portionate.

But political scientist Anton Pelinka points to the popular- ity of U.S. Republican Party presi- dential candidate Donald Trump in arguing such anti-establishment sen- timent is not unusual. two mainstream parties identified with the status he says. this (status quo) is not exactly a catastrophe for Austri- ans, it has become the object of an occasionally not very rational, often enraged rejection, a la No candidate is likely to get the absolute majority Sunday, meaning a likely second voting round on May 22. Judging by the polls, that will match up Hofer against either Griss or Van der Bellen.

Whoever opposes Hofer is ex- pected to be able to line up a sizable number of votes from Austrians who backed the socialists or centrists in round one but are opposed to the Freedom Party. Still, political uncertainty may lie ahead, even if Hofer is defeated. Van der Bellen, a member of the Greens party who is running as an in- dependent, has vowed not to swear in any Freedom Party politician as chancellor if he wins Sun- vote. The next national elections must be held within two years. The presi- dent has a six-year mandate.

That means possible confrontation be- tween the Freedom Party and Van der Bellen, should he triumph. One thing is for sure, says Pelinka. The era of prolonged dominance by one or the other party is ending. was overly stable in the political sense for too he says. comes the phase of a low political Yemen joins British foreign secretary for talks in Kuwait AP PHOTO Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, center, shakes hands at Yemen talks in Kuwait City.

ZALYSHANY, Ukraine Viktoria Vetrova knows the risk her four children take in drinking milk from the two cows and eating dried mushrooms and berries from the forest. But the cash-strapped Ukrainian government can- celed the local school lunch program for 350,000 children last year the only source of clean food in this village near Chernobyl. So rural families are resorting to milk and pro- duce from land still contami- nated by fallout from the worst nuclear acci- dent three decades ago. 8-year-old son Bogdan suffers from an en- larged thyroid, a condition which studies have linked to radioactivity. are aware of the dan- gers, but what can we said Vetrova, standing in her kitchen after pouring a glass of milk.

is no other way to family and thou- sands of others are caught be- tween the consequences of two disasters: the residue from Chernobyl and the re- cent plunge of economy. After the April 26, 1986, explosion and fire, the most heavily affected areas in Ukraine were classified into four zones. Residents from three of them were evacuated or allowed to volunteer for resettlement. But the village of Zalyshany, 53 kilometers (32 miles) southwest of the destroyed reactor, is in the fourth zone not contami- nated enough for resettlement but eligible for subsidies to help with health issues. Girls scarred by Nepal quake share friendship KATHMANDU, Nirmala pouts when her fa- ther fits the prosthetic leg onto her stump and wraps the long straps around her waist.

He whispers quiet encourage- ment in her ear as she grum- bles. Finally, she limps around the Kathmandu sweatshop that is now her home. As soon as she can she takes off the plastic leg, danc- ing on one foot through the little textile factory, including the makeshift room where her family lives. Nirmala lives a few min- utes from where a apartment collapsed around her in last earthquake, crushing her right leg and re- quiring it to be amputated inches below her waist. The barely-contained bundle of 8- year-old exuberance dreams of being a doctor, or maybe a famous actress.

Yet she still has not returned to school, and her exhausted father has no way to get her back. Her best friend, Khendo, lives on the other side of town, crowded into her small apartment. Khendo lost her left leg in the quake, but she mind her prosthe- sis. She moves easily with a pair of crutches, looks for- ward to class and loves eating the dried sweet berries called kafal while waiting for the school bus. The earthquake brought the two girls together, putting them in the same ward at Bir Hospital.

Both were 7 years old at the time. Both are very close to their fathers, poor men who can barely write their own names. Both owe their lives to strangers. UK visit overshadowed by debate LONDON spring- time in London, but President Barack Obama might sense a chill in the air. The U.S.

leader is being welcomed by British Prime Minister David Cameron and wined and dined by the royal family on a three-day visit to the U.K. that began late Thursday. But looming June 23 referendum about whether to stay in the 28-nation Euro- pean Union has strained the with several senior U.K. politi- cians bluntly telling the pres- ident to butt out of debate. They have branded Obama and and accused him of meddling for suggest- ing that the U.S.

would be happier if Britain stayed in the bloc. The White House says Obama is willing to speak out on the subject. asked his view as a friend, he will offer U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said, adding that the American stance was clear. Lithuania govt websites hit by cyberattacks VILNIUS, Lithuania Lithuanian officials say gov- ernment websites have been hit by cyberattacks for the third time this month.

The latest so-called denial- of-service attacks disrupted the websites of Parliament and the ministries of finance, defense, agriculture and oth- ers for about 30 minutes on Thursday. Police launched an investi- gation but couldn't immedi- ately say who was behind the Thursday attacks and those earlier this month. The most intense attacks happened on April 11 during a meeting of Crimean Tartars in Lithuania. Arvydas Zvirblis, head of the Infobalt cybersecurity committee, said "these coor- dinated attacks are unpre- dictable and can cause serious damage." He said Lithuania needs to upgrade its cyber defense capabilities. Associated Press Ukraine children eat food tainted by Chernobyl.