| Mogadishu hotel targeted by bombs, at least 11 killed Posted: 01 Jan 2014 02:34 PM PST  By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Three bombs exploded within an hour outside a hotel frequented by government officials in a heavily fortified district of the Somali capital on Wednesday, killing at least 11 people. The attacks on the Jazira hotel, one of the securest places in Mogadishu, underscore the security challenges facing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose election by lawmakers last year was hailed by many as a way to end two decades of conflict. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Islamist rebel group al Shabaab has carried out a campaign of attacks over the past two and a half years in Mogadishu. "First we heard a big crash and the security forces immediately opened fire," said Abdullahi Hussein who lives 300 meters behind the hotel.
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| South Sudan president declares state of emergency ahead of talks Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:12 PM PST By Carl Odera and Aaron Maasho JUBA/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - South Sudanese President Salva Kiir declared a state of emergency in two states on Wednesday as his negotiators prepared for peace talks with rebels to end more than two weeks of violence that has pushed the country towards civil war. Kiir called the emergency in Unity and Jonglei states, the two regions whose capitals are now controlled by rebel forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar, who Kiir has accused of plotting a coup. The White House has said it would deny support - vital in a country the size of France that still has hardly any infrastructure more than two years after secession - to any group that seizes power by force. The rebel delegation earlier arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa ready for the ceasefire talks. |
| Palestinian envoy killed by explosion at Prague home Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:29 PM PST By Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Palestinian ambassador to Prague was killed on Wednesday in an explosion that was triggered when he opened the door to a safe, Czech police said. Jamal al-Jamal, 56, died in hospital after the incident at his home on the morning of New Year's Day. "According to information from the investigation so far, this was definitely not a terrorist attack," national police president Martin Cervicek said on Czech Television. Police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova said an explosive - which may have been part of a security mechanism - went off after the safe was opened. |
| Sunni militants storm Iraq police stations to free prisoners Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:07 PM PST  By Kamal Namaa FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamist militants stormed police stations in several cities of Iraq's western province of Anbar on Wednesday, seizing weapon caches and freeing prisoners after security forces dismantled a Sunni Muslim protest camp on Monday. The attacks on three police stations in Falluja, Ramadi and Tarmiya represent a serious escalation in the confrontation between Iraqi Sunni groups and the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
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| Ex-Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's condition worsens: reports Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:23 AM PST  Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, comatose since a 2006 stroke, has deteriorated to a "life threatening" condition after suffering kidney malfunction, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday. Officials at the hospital near Tel Aviv where Sharon, 85, has been treated, did not answer their telephones. The ex-general and right-wing leader was known for executing a dramatic political about face with a 2005 Gaza pullout that turned Israeli politics on its head when he quit his party and created a centrist faction that ruled Israel for several years. The radio, echoing reports by other Israeli media outlets, said Sharon's condition had worsened in the past several days and that his life was in danger due to kidney failure.
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| Mali dismisses candidates for fraud in elections Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:59 PM PST  Mali dismissed candidates from three constituencies for stuffing ballot boxes in a parliamentary election meant to complete the country's transition to democracy after a 2012 army coup. The West African country's constitutional court was flooded with complaints of electoral fraud from rival parties following the first round of legislative elections in November. The dismissals did not change the overall outcome which granted a victory for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's (IBK) RPM party, with 67 of a total 147 seats in Parliament. The confirmation of the final results is due to unlock $3.25 billion of donor pledges to rebuild the West African country after Islamists seized control of the north in the coup's aftermath.
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| Two killed in clashes between Egyptian police and protesters Posted: 01 Jan 2014 04:15 PM PST Two people were killed in violent clashes that erupted late on Wednesday between pro-Islamist protesters and police in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, the Ministry of Interior said. Egypt has been hit by a wave of violent protests since the army removed elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi from office in July following mass protests against his rule. The Interior Ministry said the clashes happened during two marches organized by some 200 Brotherhood members in Alexandria. "They (the Brotherhood protesters) blocked the road... set shops on fire, burned a citizen's car, fired guns and bird shot and clashed with and terrorized the people," the Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Thursday. |
| Two die in Egypt clashes between police and pro-Morsi students Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:53 PM PST  Two people died on Wednesday in clashes between Egyptian police and student supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi protesting against the new military-installed authorities, security officials said. One of them was shot in the head, security officials said. However, the pro-Morsi alliance in a statement accused "militias of the putschist authorities" of killing the two men and injuring three others. The Brotherhood, to which Morsi belongs, was designated a "terrorist" group last week by the authorities, which accused it of a bombing north of the capital that killed 15 people.
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| Helicopter to free ship passengers trapped in Antarctic ice Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:42 PM PST  A helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker is set to lift passengers from a Russian ship stranded in Antarctic since Christmas Eve, putting an end to a nine-day international rescue cooperation. The helicopter on the Snow Dragon has been waiting on standby for better weather conditions to start the rescue operation. Two other vessels, Australia's Aurora Australis and a French flagged ship, also tried to help but failed to reach the ship due to high wind and heavy snow. "Weather conditions have improved in the area and rescue operations are likely to commence shortly by helicopter," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which is coordinating the rescue, said on Thursday morning.
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| Antarctic ship rescue set to start: authorities Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:39 PM PST  Rescuers are expected Thursday to launch a complex operation using a Chinese helicopter to airlift passengers from a Russian ship ice-bound in Antarctic seas as weather improves, Australia's maritime authority said. The Akademik Shokalskiy, carrying 52 passengers and 22 crew, has been trapped in pack ice 100 nautical miles east of the French base Dumont d'Urville since December 24. An Australian government supply ship, the Aurora Australis, admitted Tuesday it was unable to break through, forcing a more complex helicopter rescue. But in a message posted Thursday on its official Twitter account, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said a rescue effort could soon start.
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| Gun battles in Central African capital create fresh panic Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:26 PM PST  Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - Gun battles between rival militias in the Central African Republic capital Bangui on Wednesday killed one person and sent hundreds fleeing to a makeshift camp near the airport. Machine gun fire could be heard near the camp as fresh clashes broke out between Christian militias and the Muslim former rebels who overthrew the president in a March coup, witnesses said. Three wounded children and 13 adults were taken to an improvised hospital in the camp run by Doctors without Borders (MSF) in the space of a single hour, and one later died. Around 100,000 people displaced by weeks of violence have sought refuge near the main French army base by Bangui airport.
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| 52 passengers trapped in Antarctica to be rescued Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:18 PM PST  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Passengers on board a research ship that has been trapped in Antarctic ice for more than a week are expected to be rescued by helicopter on Thursday after three icebreakers failed to reach the paralyzed vessel, officials said.
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| Powerful storm looms for Midwest, Northeast, forecasters say Posted: 01 Jan 2014 02:40 PM PST By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Reuters) - The eastern United States faces a major winter storm this week that could reach blizzard conditions in some areas and snarl plans for travelers returning from holiday trips, forecasters said on Wednesday. The powerful storm will stretch from the Midwest into the mid-Atlantic states and New England on Thursday and Friday, forecasters said. A double-barreled weather system aimed at both upstate New York and the New York metropolitan area, especially Long Island, could dump 10 to 12 inches of snow accompanied by high winds and frigid temperatures, he said. The heaviest accumulations - up to a foot - were forecast for the New York metropolitan area, parts of Connecticut and in Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston, said Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist for Accuweather.com. |
| Mexico's Zapatista rebel movement marks 20 years Posted: 01 Jan 2014 02:18 PM PST  SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico (AP) — In the misty mountain strongholds of the southern Mexico state of Chiapas, ski mask-clad members and supporters of the Zapatista rebel movement gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of a New Year's uprising that wrenched the world's attention to the plight of the country's impoverished and oft-ignored indigenous.
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| Palestinian envoy dies after 'accidental' Prague blast Posted: 01 Jan 2014 02:08 PM PST The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic died on Wednesday after a blast at his Prague residence that police said was an accident. The blast was likely caused by an anti-theft system on the door of a safe that Jamal al-Jamal was opening at the time, Prague police said. The 56-year-old suffered "very serious injuries" in the blast and was taken to Prague's military hospital in an artificial coma, said Jirina Ernestova, spokeswoman for the emergency services. Daniel Langer, surgeon at the Prague military hospital to which Jamal was taken, told Czech television the ambassador had suffered devastating "head, belly and chest injuries following an explosion." |
| Inter-religious violence kills three in Central African Republic's capital Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:55 PM PST  By Serge Leger Kokpakpa and Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI (Reuters) - Clashes between Muslims and Christians in Central African Republic's capital killed at least three on Wednesday as angry residents threw grenades and torched homes, witnesses said. French and African troops deployed in the country have struggled to stop the tit-for-tat violence between Muslim Seleka rebels, who seized power in March, and Christian self-defense militia, clashes that killed more than 1,000 people in December.
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| Date 'set' to apply Iran nuclear deal: report Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:32 PM PST  Experts from Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have chosen January 20 to begin implementing the Geneva deal on Tehran's nuclear programme, IRNA news agency said Wednesday. "One of the main proposals is to begin applying the agreement from January 20," the agency cited Hamid Baeedinejad as saying. Baeedinejad, who heads the Iranian delegation of experts, had already been reported on Tuesday by the ISNA news agency as saying the deal should be implemented in late January. Experts from Iran and the so-called P5+1 -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany -- have been holding technical talks on implementing an agreement reached November 24 on Iran's controversial nuclear ambitions.
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| Egypt: Puppet ad draws terror accusations Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:28 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — Prosecutors have questioned officials in one of Egypt's largest telecommunications companies over an online advertisement featuring a puppet, which a controversial blogger has accused of delivering a coded message linked to the Muslim Brotherhood group, the company said Wednesday. |
| Syria opposition says jihadists 'serve regime interests' Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:21 PM PST  Syria's opposition National Coalition on Wednesday accused an Al-Qaeda-linked group in the country of ties to the Syrian regime, saying it was serving the government's interests. The criticism is the strongest yet by the coalition of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and comes after the group reportedly tortured and killed an opposition doctor in northern Syria. "The Coalition believes that ISIL is closely linked to the terrorist regime and serves the interests of the clique of President Bashar al-Assad, directly or indirectly," it said in a statement.
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| South Sudan peace talks to open in Ethiopia Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:14 PM PST  JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Negotiators from South Sudan's two warring sides arrived Wednesday in Ethiopia for peace talks, and a U.N. official urged both forces to bring the world's newest country "back from the brink."
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| Police: 6 killed by car bombs in Somali capital Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:08 PM PST MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Two car bombs exploded on Wednesday night outside a hotel in Somalia's capital that often is used by foreigners and government officials, killing at least six people and wounding eight, police said. The explosions occurred one day after al-Qaida-linked Islamic rebels had warned Mogadishu to brace for an attack. |
| Palestinian ambassador in Prague killed in blast Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:58 PM PST PRAGUE (AP) — The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic died Wednesday in an explosion that occurred when he opened an old safe that had been left untouched for more than 20 years, officials said. |
| De Blasio sworn in as New York mayor Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST  New York's new Mayor Bill de Blasio was sworn in Wednesday promising to restore progressive ideals and end growing economic inequality in America's biggest city. De Blasio, who in November won a landslide election to become New York's first Democratic mayor in 20 years, took the oath of office on the steps of City Hall, with former US president Bill Clinton presiding. "We are called to put an end to economic and social inequalities that threaten to unravel the city we love," de Blasio said after taking the oath as its 109th mayor on a frigid afternoon. He also set forth a progressive agenda that included expanding a paid sick-leave law, providing more affordable housing, reforming New York's controversial stop-and-frisk policy, and guaranteeing full-day universal pre-kindergarten schooling for every child in the city and after-school programs for middle schoolers.
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| Ex-Israel PM Sharon's health worsens: radio Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:44 PM PST  The health of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for nearly eight years, worsened on Wednesday, Israeli media reported. The 85-year-old, who is at the Tel Hashomer hospital in the city of Tel Aviv, was suffering from "serious kidney problems" after undergoing surgery, army radio said.
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| 15,000 nationalists march in Kiev Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:43 PM PST  KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — About 15,000 people marched through Kiev on Wednesday night to honor Stepan Bandera, glorified by some as a leader of Ukraine's liberation movement and dismissed by others as a Nazi collaborator.
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| Murray's new year starts with setback, Nadal through Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:37 PM PST  Wimbledon champion Andy Murray warned of "bumps along the road" during his comeback from injury and his words proved prophetic as he began the new year with a stunning second-round loss in the Qatar Open. Murray led by a set and 3-0 and yet lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Florian Mayer, the world number 40 from Germany, who seemed more surprised than anyone at how the contest turned around.
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| At least eight killed in twin Mogadishu car bombs Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:33 PM PST  At least eight people were killed when a car bomb rammed into one of Mogadishu's top hotels Wednesday and a second vehicle exploded as the wounded were being treated. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attack, which also appeared to involve a commando of gunmen, bore all the hallmarks of Somalia's Al Qaeda-linked Shebab group. "A booby-trapped car exploded against hotel Jazeera," near a United Nations complex, police officer Muhidin Ahmed told AFP. "Another car loaded with explosives went off as security forces were trying to assist victims," police officer Mohamed Warsame said.
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| Israel lawmakers appeal to Obama for spy's release Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:29 PM PST  Israeli MPs handed President Shimon Peres a petition on Wednesday urging the United States to release imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, after reports Washington spied on its own allies. "Pollard has served 29 years in prison for the severe offences he committed," reads the petition, which was signed by 106 of the 120 members of the Israeli parliament and addressed to US President Barack Obama. The former US Navy analyst was arrested in 1985 for giving Israel thousands of secret documents about US espionage in the Arab world. A spokeswoman for Ayelet Shaked of the far-right Jewish Home party, one of the authors of the petition, told AFP the initiative was motivated by the recent revelations of US spying on Israeli leaders.
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| Iraq PM to deploy more troops to combat Anbar unrest Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:27 PM PST  Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday reversed a decision to withdraw soldiers from Anbar cities and ordered reinforcements to the mainly Sunni Arab province to tackle attacks by militants. Clashes broke out in Anbar, west of Baghdad, as security forces tore down a year-old Sunni Arab protest camp outside the provincial capital Ramadi on Monday. On Wednesday, police reportedly left many positions in the Anbar city of Fallujah, while militants torched police stations both there and in Ramadi.
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| Hospital: Ariel Sharon's health worsens Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:25 PM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — The medical condition of the comatose former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sharply deteriorated Wednesday, the hospital treating him said.
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| Spurs stun United, Arsenal cling to top spot Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:13 PM PST  Tottenham Hotspur hammered another nail into Manchester United's creaking Premier League title defence with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on New Year's Day. Having won their previous six games in all competitions, United were hoping to match wins by their fellow title rivals, but instead they slumped to a sixth defeat of the season that left them 11 points off the pace. Tottenham, unbeaten in the league under new manager Tim Sherwood, took a 34th-minute lead when Emmanuel Adebayor outjumped Chris Smalling to head home Christian Eriksen's right-wing centre. Eriksen added a second in the 66th minute, smuggling a header past David de Gea from Aaron Lennon's cross.
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| S.Sudan government, rebels in Ethiopia for ceasefire talks Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:48 AM PST  South Sudan's warring parties arrived in Addis Ababa Wednesday for talks aimed at ending nearly three weeks of conflict that has left thousands dead, even as fighting continued in the world's newest nation. UN special envoy Hilde Johnson said in Juba it was "positive that they are sending delegations," underscoring the dire need for "reconciliation and healing" after the violence that has forced 200,000 people to flee their homes. Fighting erupted in South Sudan on December 15, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup.
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| Israeli parliament aims to be world's greenest Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:46 AM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's parliament plans on becoming the "greenest in the world" by generating its own electricity and through other environmentally friendly initiatives. |
| Analysis: Israel, Palestinians face hard choices Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:42 AM PST  RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry returns to the region Thursday, the American message to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders is clear: It's time to start making hard decisions.
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