| Syria peace talks make little progress, says envoy Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:16 PM PST By Oliver Holmes and Khaled Yacoub Oweis GENEVA (Reuters) - Peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition are not making much progress, the international mediator said on Tuesday after a face-to-face meeting of the warring parties in Geneva that both sides called fruitless. Negotiations intended to end Syria's three-year-old civil war began with a week-long session last month and have resumed this week in Geneva. But Lakhdar Brahimi, a veteran diplomat charged with running the internationally sponsored talks, told a news conference the second round so far was as "laborious" as the first. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Tuesday was a "lost day" while opposition spokesman Louay Safi said "no progress" had been made. |
| Obama says U.S. will deal harshly with violators of Iran sanctions Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:59 PM PST  By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued a sharp warning on Tuesday to companies eyeing business deals with Iran, saying the United States would come down like a "ton of bricks" on those that violated sanctions against Tehran. Obama, speaking at a joint news conference with French President Francois Hollande, said France and other allies were committed to enforcing existing sanctions even as they worked together on a possible a diplomatic deal over Iran's nuclear program. Iran and six world powers struck an interim deal in November under which Tehran agreed to limit parts of its nuclear work in return for the easing of some sanctions. The White House and Western governments are eager to show that, despite diplomatic talks for a longer-term agreement, pressure on Iran remains high.
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| Algerian military plane crashes into mountain, 77 killed Posted: 11 Feb 2014 12:27 PM PST  By Lamine Chikhi OULED GACEM, Algeria (Reuters) - A military transport plane carrying members of the Algerian armed forces and their relatives crashed into a mountain on Tuesday, killing 77 people, the worst air disaster in the North African country in a decade. State television showed footage of the wreckage of the plane near the village of Ouled Gacem in eastern Algeria, smoke rising from the site and emergency crews scouring the forested area for survivors and bodies. "I saw the military plane crashing, and it was cut into two pieces," Mohamed, a fireman told Reuters at Ouled Gacem, near the crash site in Oum El Bouaghi province, 500 km (300 miles) east of Algiers. Colonel Lahmadi Bouguern told the APS state news agency that 99 passengers and four crew were on board the C-130 Hercules transport plane, which took off from the southern Tamanrasset province and was bound for Constantine.
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| Obama says U.S., France agree on continued enforcement of Iran sanctions Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:04 PM PST  The United States and France agree on the need to enforce existing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday. "President Hollande and I agree on the need to continue enforcing existing sanctions even as we believe that new sanctions during these negotiations would endanger the possibility of a diplomatic solution," Obama said in a joint news conference with French President Francois Hollande. "And we remain absolutely united in our ultimate goal, which is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama said.
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| U.S. condemns Afghan decision to go ahead with detainee release Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:28 PM PST  U.S. forces in Afghanistan on Tuesday condemned a decision by the Afghan government to proceed with plans to release additional detainees that the United States believes pose a militant threat. The detainees have become one more issue fueling tension in U.S.-Afghan ties, as foreign troops, who have been in Afghanistan since 2001, steadily withdraw. The U.S. director of national intelligence said on Tuesday he did not expect President Hamid Karzai to sign a bilateral security agreement with Washington. "United States Forces-Afghanistan has learned that 65 dangerous individuals from a group of 88 detainees under dispute have been ordered released from the Afghan National Detention Facility at Parwan," the U.S. military force said in a statement.
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| U.N.'s Ban to France: Mull more troops for Central African Republic Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:51 PM PST  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday he has asked France to consider sending more troops to the Central African Republic because the international response to the crisis "does not yet match the gravity of the situation." Ban said violence between Christians and Muslims continued to worsen and he was gravely concerned that the violence in the landlocked former French colony could spiral into a genocide. "We must do more to prevent more atrocities, protect civilians, restore law and order, provide humanitarian assistance and hold the country together." "The international response must be robust with a credible deployment of force ... It must be swift if we are to prevent the worst-case scenario," said Ban, who is due to report to the United Nations Security Council in March on options for transforming the current African Union peacekeeping force into a U.N. operation. France sent 1,600 troops to the Central African Republic in December to assist some 5,000 African Union peacekeepers, while the European Union has also agreed to send around 500 troops.
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| Haiti to register Haitian migrants abroad Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:09 PM PST  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti is launching a program to register its migrants who live without documentation abroad, including in the Dominican Republic, where thousands of people of Haitian origin are in danger of being left stateless by a court ruling.
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| Yellowstone Park eyes possible slaughter of hundreds of bison Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:03 PM PST Yellowstone National Park managers are considering a plan that would ship hundreds of bison to slaughter if large numbers of the nation's last purebred herd migrate out of parkland and into Montana state lands in search of food. Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said the park was preparing to capture any animals that cross into Montana, where they are not tolerated. "In order for us to approach that population target, we're going to seek opportunities to capture any animals that move outside the park's boundaries," he said, adding that just over 100 bison have been removed so far this year through hunts in Montana. The plan to cull wayward bison is refueling a decades-long debate over management of animals that wander during harsh winters from Yellowstone's snow-covered high country to seek forage in lower elevations in Montana. |
| First lady's state dinner gown by Carolina Herrera Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:02 PM PST  Michelle Obama chose Carolina Herrera to design the gown she wore to the state dinner honoring French President Francois Hollande.
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| Stag state dinner for Hollande has French twist Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:56 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Caviar and cotton candy are on the menu. Bradley Cooper is on the guest list. Mary J. Blige is set to perform. Yet much of the focus for Tuesday's glitzy state dinner for French President Francois Hollande centers on the fact that he's flying solo following a very public breakup from his first lady after being caught in a tryst with another woman.
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| 2 Hong Kong firms paying $10.9M in SEC settlement Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:54 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Hong Kong investment firms have agreed to pay a total of $10.9 million to settle U.S. regulators' allegations of insider trading prior to the takeover of a Canadian oil and gas producer by China's state-owned oil company CNOOC. |
| French defence chief urges crackdown on C.Africa militias Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:54 PM PST  French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday called on the international forces deployed in the restive Central African Republic to put an end to brutal attacks by the country's militias, "by force if needed". "All militias who continue to be involved in mob violence and commit murder must stop," Le Drian said during a visit to Brazzaville in neighbouring Congo. French troops and the African Union-led MISCA mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) must "implement the UN resolutions, by force if needed", he added.
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| Australian police seize $160 million worth of meth Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:52 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Australian police seized about 180 million Australian dollars ($162 million) worth of methamphetamine hidden inside kayaks shipped from China, officials said Wednesday. |
| After chartering 787, Tanaka introduced by Yanks Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:43 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — The latest high-priced addition to the New York Yankees stood on the dais in front of a large news conference, put on his pinstriped jersey with No. 19 and smiled.
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| US state dinner for Hollande has French twist Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:35 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Much of the focus for Tuesday's glitzy U.S. state dinner for French President Francois Hollande centers on the fact that he's flying solo following a very public breakup from his first lady after being caught in a tryst with another woman.
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| Ahn seeks short track gold for adopted Russia Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:34 PM PST  SOCHI, Russia (AP) — New name, new country, nearly the same old Viktor Ahn.
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| Mexican journalist found slain in Veracruz state Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:26 PM PST  VERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) — A Mexican official says authorities have found the body of a reporter who was kidnapped last week from his home in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz.
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| Websites of Venetian, Palazzo casinos hacked Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:24 PM PST LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hackers breached the websites of all Las Vegas Sands Corp. websites Tuesday morning, and the home pages of some of the world's largest casinos remained down through the day. |
| Julia Marino, Paraguay's 1st ever Winter Olympian Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:20 PM PST  KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — Julia Marino grew up in Massachusetts and spent her weekends skiing in New Hampshire. She had a shot at competing for the United States in the Olympics.
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| Obama slams Russia for blocking UN Syria action Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:16 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Western powers are pushing forward with a U.N. Security Council resolution that would raise the prospect of sanctions against Syria despite Russia's vow to veto it. |
| U.N. Security Council discusses Syria aid draft Russia dislikes Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:14 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau and Gabriela Baczynska UNITED NATIONS/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday began debating a Western-Arab draft resolution that would demand humanitarian aid access to besieged areas in conflict-torn Syria, a text Russia has dismissed as "detached from reality." The text was prepared by Australia, Luxembourg and Jordan, whose envoys presented their draft resolution meant to increase aid to Syria to the full 15-nation Security Council. Last week the countries had submitted it to the council's five permanent, veto-wielding members, including Russia, but Moscow swiftly rebuked the proposal as a non-starter. |
| Fiorentina into Italian Cup final with Udinese win Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:11 PM PST FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Manuel Pasqual and Juan Cuadrado gave Fiorentina a 2-0 victory over Udinese on Tuesday and a place in the Italian Cup final after a 3-2 win on aggregate. |
| Joensson's Bradbury moment earns him a bronze Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:10 PM PST  KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — There was only one way for Emil Joensson to sum up his bronze-medal performance at the Sochi Olympics.
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| Panama Canal says talks ongoing with consortium to resume project Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:03 PM PST  By Lomi Kriel PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - The Panama Canal's administrator said on Tuesday it was holding ongoing talks with a building consortium led by Spain's Sacyr aimed at jumpstarting a stalled project to expand the waterway, which ran aground amid a dispute over massive cost overruns. The Panama Canal Authority said in a statement that the talks were focused on resuming construction work on the multi-billion dollar project, which the consortium halted last week, a timetable of deadlines for work to be completed and fresh financing from the parties. Talks are also centered on extending a moratorium on repayments of advances made to the consortium, as well as the date of delivery of massive doors for a new set of locks being built. The companies working to widen the Panama Canal and the waterway's administrator on Friday each made new proposals aimed at reviving the major public works project.
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| USA, Canada to meet in Olympic women's hockey Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:02 PM PST  SOCHI, Russia (AP) — The United States plays Canada in Olympic women's hockey Wednesday with little but pride at stake.
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| Deadly ice and snow storm bears down on U.S. South Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:01 PM PST  By Colleen Jenkins WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - A major winter storm that has caused at least six deaths unfurled across much of the U.S. South on Tuesday, and forecasters warned that ice could cripple road travel and bring widespread power outages in coming days. The storm could be "a catastrophic event" of "historical proportions," the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, Georgia, said of the latest blast of wintry weather to hit the region. Conditions were expected to worsen overnight, with up to an inch of ice predicted in parts of Georgia and central South Carolina. Two to 6 inches of snow fell in north Georgia on Tuesday, with another 5 to 9 inches expected by Thursday morning, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Darbe.
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| Jackson says surgery saved her basketball career Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:55 PM PST  MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was told her basketball career could have ended if she had not undergone surgery this week on her knee and Achilles tendon.
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| PL leader Chelsea held 1-1 by struggling West Brom Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:49 PM PST  WEST BROMWICH, England (AP) — Victor Anichebe grabbed a late equalizer for relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion to stun Chelsea on Tuesday, with the Premier League leaders barely looking like potential champions in a 1-1 draw.
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| Speedskater Shani Davis is heavy favorite in 1,000 Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:49 PM PST  SOCHI, Russia (AP) — History awaits Shani Davis in the 1,000 meters, and the American speedskater relishes the opportunity to burnish his Olympic legacy with a record third straight victory.
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| U.S. ambassador to meet India's Modi, ending isolation Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST  By Frank Jack Daniel NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to New Delhi is to meet the Hindu nationalist who could be India's next prime minister, softening Washington's stance towards a man denied a U.S. visa nearly a decade ago. Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, is considered the favorite to form a government after a general election due by May. He is also the chief minister of Gujarat state, where in 2002, Hindu mobs killed at least 1,000 people, most of them Muslims. "We can confirm the appointment" with Ambassador Nancy Powell, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said.
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| Olympic Alpine history beckons skier Hoefl-Riesch Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST  KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — Olympic Alpine history beckons several contenders for the women's downhill on Wednesday, none more than Maria Hoefl-Riesch.
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| Plans revealed to create Richard III genome Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:40 PM PST  British scientists on Tuesday announced plans to create the complete genome sequence of infamous British king Richard III after his remains were found under a car park in 2012. Geneticist Turi King will lead the £100,000 project ($164,000, 120,000 euros) to produce the first genome sequence from ancient DNA for a named historical figure, the project's co-funders the Wellcome Trust and the Leverhulme Trust said in a statement. "It is an extremely rare occurrence that archaeologists are involved in the excavation of a known individual, let alone a king of England," said King. "Sequencing the genome of Richard III is a hugely important project that will help to teach us not only about him, but ferment discussion about how our DNA informs our sense of identity, our past and our future," she added.
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| Fewer than 1 in 5 English adults now smoke: study Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:39 PM PST  Fewer than one in five adults in England now smoke, the smallest fraction in three generations, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reported on Tuesday. In a letter, health researchers Jamie Brown and Robert West of University College London reported on a seven-year-old programme to monitor smoking prevalence in England. "For the first time in probably 80 years, smoking prevalence in England has fallen below 20 percent," the letter said. The decline in smoking prevalence in England began in the 1970s, they said, with an annual fall of 0.6 percentage points a year on average.
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| Chelsea frustrated by West Brom in EPL title push Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:38 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Chelsea became the latest leading Premier League side to see its ambitions stall at West Bromwich Albion as a 1-1 draw prevented the leaders from bolstering their position on Tuesday.
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| Linger brothers seek 3rd Olympic gold in doubles Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:37 PM PST  KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — Andreas and Wolfgang Linger left the past two Olympics with gold medals. They may have to settle for a different color this time.
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