| Israel extends Gaza ceasefire for 24 hours, Hamas rejects terms Posted: 26 Jul 2014 04:37 PM PDT  By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ori Lewis GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel extended a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for another 24 hours, but Hamas, which dominates the coastal enclave, said it would only accept the truce if Israeli troops left the territory. Israeli ministers had signaled that a comprehensive deal to end the 20-day conflict with Hamas and its allies, in which at least 1,050 Gazans - mostly civilians - have been killed, and 42 soldiers and three civilians in Israel have died, was remote. "At the request of the United Nations, the cabinet has approved a humanitarian hiatus until tomorrow at 2400 (midnight local time, 1700 EST Sunday)," the official, who was not named, said in a statement after the cabinet session held in Tel Aviv had ended. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will act against any breach of the ceasefire." On Saturday, Gazans took advantage of the lull in fighting to recover their dead and stock up on food supplies, flooding into the streets after the ceasefire began at 8 a.m. (0100 EST) to discover scenes of massive destruction in some areas.
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| U.S. evacuates Libya embassy after 'free-wheeling militia violence' Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:39 PM PDT  By Patrick Markey TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The United States evacuated its embassy in Libya on Saturday, driving diplomats across the border into Tunisia under heavy military escort after escalating clashes broke out between rival militias in Tripoli. Security in the Libyan capital has deteriorated following two weeks of clashes between brigades of former rebel fighters who have pounded each other with rockets and artillery fire in southern Tripoli near the embassy compound. The violence is the worst seen in Tripoli and in eastern Benghazi since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Western governments fear Libya is teetering toward becoming a failed state just three years after the NATO-backed war ended his one-man rule.
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| Turkish court orders arrest of 12 more police officers in wiretap probe Posted: 26 Jul 2014 01:23 PM PDT  By Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court on Saturday ordered the formal arrest of 12 more police officers, including the former head of Istanbul's intelligence unit, pending charges they may have illegally wiretapped Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, media said. The detention of 115 police officers in overnight raids earlier this week ratcheted up a power struggle between Erdogan and his erstwhile ally, Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar based in Pennsylvania, whose followers took up key posts in the police and judiciary during Erdogan's 11 years in power. Fuat Ali Yilmazer, who oversaw intelligence for Istanbul police and is accused of forming and leading a criminal gang, was among those formally arrested, CNN Turk reported. He has accused them of a litany of crimes, including organizing 2013 mass anti-government protests and using the corruption charges in an attempt topple him in a coup.
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| Russia criticizes EU sanctions, raps U.S. over Ukraine role Posted: 26 Jul 2014 08:46 AM PDT By Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia reacted angrily on Saturday to additional sanctions imposed by the European Union over Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis, saying they would hamper cooperation on security issues and undermine the fight against terrorism and organized crime. Russia's Foreign Ministry also accused the United States, which has already imposed its own sanctions against Moscow, of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine through its support for the pro-Western government in Kiev. The 28-nation EU reached an outline agreement on Friday to impose the first economic sanctions on Russia over its behavior in Ukraine but scaled back their scope to exclude technology for the crucial gas sector. |
| Ebola center in Sierra Leona under guard after protest march Posted: 26 Jul 2014 12:58 PM PDT  By Umaru Fofana FREETOWN (Reuters) - Police were guarding an Ebola treatment center in Sierra Leone on Saturday, the day after thousands marched on the clinic following allegations by a former nurse the deadly virus was invented to conceal "cannibalistic rituals" there, a regional police chief said. Across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, at least 660 people have died from the illness, according to the World Health Organisation, placing great strain on the health systems of some of Africa's poorest countries.
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| Militants kill two Tunisian soldiers near Algerian border: army Posted: 26 Jul 2014 01:36 PM PDT At least 2 Tunisian soldiers were killed on Saturday when Islamist militants attacked a checkpoint in a remote area of Kef region near the Algerian border, the second attack on an outpost in less than two weeks, authorities said. Since April, thousands of Tunisian soldiers have been deployed in the Chaambi region bordering Algeria in an operation to flush out al Qaeda-linked militants. Tunisia has struggled with the rise of Islamist militants since the 2011 popular revolt ended the rule of autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and began the country's fragile steps towards democracy. |
| Families mourn victims of Air Algerie crash in Mali Posted: 26 Jul 2014 04:40 PM PDT  By Michel Rose and Tiemoko Diallo PARIS/BAMAKO (Reuters) - Family members of those killed on the Air Algerie flight that crashed in Mali were taken to the wreckage to grieve on Saturday as French President Francois Hollande announced three days of mourning. Hollande ordered that flags on government buildings across France fly at half-mast for three days from Monday after the death of 118 people including 54 French nationals in the crash. Hollande, who met with relatives of victims for three hours on Saturday afternoon, said that all the bodies would be flown to France and that he would make sure that families can, at some point, travel to the crash site to help them cope with their grief. Families of victims from Burkina Faso, from where the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft took off early on Thursday morning, were flown out by helicopter to pay respects at the scrubby bushland site.
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| Israel extends Gaza humanitarian ceasefire for another 24 hours: government official Posted: 26 Jul 2014 04:37 PM PDT Israel's security cabinet approved extending the humanitarian ceasefire begun early on Saturday until midnight local time (1700 EST) on Sunday, an Israeli government official said. "At the request of the United Nations, the cabinet has approved a humanitarian hiatus until tomorrow (Sunday) at 24:00. The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will act against any breach of the ceasefire," the official, who was not named, said in a statement. Late on Saturday, militants ignored an Israeli announcement that it would extend the truce by four hours and resumed firing rockets into Israel from Gaza around two hours after the end of the initial 12-hour ceasefire period. |
| UK deputy PM says Russia should not host World Cup Posted: 26 Jul 2014 04:34 PM PDT  British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg joined calls on Sunday for Russia to be stripped of the World Cup in 2018 following the shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine. The Liberal Democrat leader, whose party is the junior partner in Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government, said sporting events should be part of a new package of EU sanctions against Moscow. "You can't have this -- the beautiful game -- marred by the ugly aggression of Russia on the Russian Ukrainian border," Clegg told the Sunday Times newspaper. "Not only would Vladimir Putin exploit it, I think it would make the rest of the world look so weak and so insincere about our protestations about Vladimir Putin's behaviour if we're not prepared to pull the plug."
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| Richard III's makeshift grave opens to public Posted: 26 Jul 2014 04:32 PM PDT  The grave of King Richard III, immortalised by Shakespeare as one of history's great villains, was opened up to the public on Saturday in central England. The remains of the infamous ruler were found in 2012 under a car park in the city of Leicester. Around a hundred visitors were on hand to watch city mayor Peter Soulsby cut the ribbon on the £4 million ($6.8 million, 5 million euro) new visitor centre at the discovery site. Early arrivals at the building, in an abandoned school close to Richard's grave, were able to examine a replica of his skeleton made using a 3D printer.
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| Israel says it's extending Gaza truce for 24 hours Posted: 26 Jul 2014 03:54 PM PDT  BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas resumed rocket fire Saturday on Israel after rejecting Israel's offer to extend a humanitarian cease-fire, the latest setback in international efforts to negotiate an end to the Gaza war.
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| Israel extends Gaza ceasefire, but Hamas resumes rocket fire Posted: 26 Jul 2014 03:51 PM PDT  Israel said Sunday it was extending a lull in its devastating military operation in Gaza for another 24 hours, but Hamas said it would not do likewise after resuming rocket fire at the end of mutually agreed 12-hour ceasefire on Saturday. Israel's cabinet "approved the UN request regarding a humanitarian ceasefire to run until midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday", an Israeli government official told AFP on condition of anonymity late Saturday. Hamas reacted in a statement that "no humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and without residents being able to return to their homes and ambulances carrying bodies being able to freely move around in Gaza".
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| 5 Seconds of Summer get hands-on with ticket sales Posted: 26 Jul 2014 03:47 PM PDT  INGLEWOOD, California (AP) — The rising pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer gave its feverish female fans the surprise of a lifetime by personally selling tickets Saturday morning for an upcoming concert in Inglewood, California.
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| Memorial service scheduled to honor crash victims Posted: 26 Jul 2014 03:39 PM PDT PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) — A memorial service at sea will be held for a 17-year-old pilot from Indiana and his father, whose plane crashed during an around-the-world flight attempt. |
| Two Israeli soldiers die after earlier Gaza attack: army Posted: 26 Jul 2014 03:33 PM PDT  Jerusalem (AFP) - Two Israeli soldiers, who were wounded in and near the Gaza Strip earlier this week, died Saturday, bringing to 42 the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of military operations in the Palestinian territory, the army said.
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| Aussies go top in medals chase, Bolt breezes in Posted: 26 Jul 2014 03:05 PM PDT  Australia's swim stars sent their country top of the Commonwealth Games medals table on Saturday while Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt sprinkled a little stardust on Glasgow. The women's 4x200m freestyle relay team took Australia's gold haul to 11 from a possible 21 after three days at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre as they smashed the previous Games record by nearly four seconds. There was an Australian one-two in the women's 200m breaststroke as Taylor McKeown sealed gold ahead of teammate Sally Hunter before Emily Seebohm set a new Games record in retaining her 100m backstroke title.
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| Hamas rejects Israel's 24-hour extension of Gaza ceasefire Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:59 PM PDT  Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Hamas on Sunday rejected Israel's decision to extend by 24 hours a pause in hostilities in Gaza, saying Israeli tanks first had to withdraw from the territory.
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| Obama prods Republicans on border issue Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:56 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — With one week left before Congress' August recess, President Barack Obama is prodding Republicans to help ease the influx of unaccompanied minors and migrant families from Central America, but with chances dimming that border legislation will reach his desk before the break, he also is focusing on other ways to stem the flow.
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| Venezuela ruling party faces dissent at convention Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:51 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's socialist party is holding its first national convention since the death last year of President Hugo Chavez, with delegates hoping to quell infighting and discontent about party leadership. |
| New Zealand remain on sevens track after Scottish scare Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:44 PM PDT  Four-time champions New Zealand remained on track to add an unprecedented fifth Commonwealth rugby union sevens crown to their accolades after surviving a Scottish scare on the first day's action on Saturday. After easily seeing Canada off 39-0 in their opening Pool A game, the All Blacks struggled to a 17-14 victory over hosts Scotland. The Scots, boasting full internationals Stuart Hogg and Sean Lamont in their ranks, fought back from a 17-0 deficit with Lee Jones and Scott Wight both crossing for tries. New Zealand then saw Gillies Kaka and Tim Mikkelson yellow carded for ball-killing infringements, and reduced to five, Jones crossed for his second for the Scots, Wight converting to cut the margin to three with one minute to play.
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| Ukraine launches offensive to retake Donetsk Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:39 PM PDT  DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials said their forces advanced to the outskirts of a key town north of Donetsk on Saturday as they try to retake the stronghold held for months by pro-Russia rebels.
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| Hundreds of human skeletons found in Bolivian mining city Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:35 PM PDT  Construction workers in Bolivia have stumbled upon a mass grave with the remains of hundreds of likely indigenous miners during the Spanish colonial era, a researcher said Saturday. The workers found the remains this week as they started construction on a new building in the "El Minero" district of Potosi, located high up in the Andes. "We are talking about a common grave found at about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet), and the human remains are scattered over an area of four by four meters," said Sergio Fidel, a researcher at a museum belonging to Tomas Frias University. In the Spanish colonial era, Potosi became famous for its massive silver and tin reserves, which started to be mined in the 16th century.
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| Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:32 PM PDT HONG KONG (AP) — As skyscrapers around Hong Kong harbor erupted into a reverie of laser beams and giant digital displays during their synchronized nightly light show, one innocuous 28-story building near the water's edge had stayed dark for months, clad in bamboo scaffolding for a face-lift. Then, in June, the renovated tower came to life, flashing giant Chinese characters that some in Hong Kong saw as a warning. |
| England's Peaty beats Olympic champ to gold Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:31 PM PDT  England's Adam Peaty claimed Commonwealth gold in the men's 100m breaststroke in a new Games record time of 58:94sec in Glasgow on Saturday. The 19-year-old edged out Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa into silver. "It's a major stepping stone for me and for my country at the moment," said Peaty.
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| FBI: No arrests yet in scam targeting migrant kids Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:25 PM PDT  HOUSTON (AP) — Scammers have been preying on the relatives of unaccompanied young migrants being held at two U.S. military bases by conning them into paying nonexistent fees to be reunited with their loved ones, officials said.
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| Hawthorn beats Sydney in AFL thriller Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:24 PM PDT MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Jarryd Roughead kicked four goals in his 200th premiership match as Hawthorn beat Sydney 15.14 (104) to 13.16 (94) to snap the Swans' 12-match winning streak in the Australian Football League. |
| Glory for Le Clos, Halsall, four more golds for Australia Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:10 PM PDT  South Africa's Chad le Clos solidified his status as the world's best 200m butterfly swimmer as he retained his Commonwealth Games title on Saturday, while Australia added another four golds in the pool. The most impressive individual performance, however, went to England's Fran Halsall as she broke two Commonwealth Games records in winning the women's 50m freestyle and qualifying fastest for Sunday's 50m butterfly final. Le Clos nearly came a cropper before he even got into the pool on Saturday after twisting his ankle when slipping off a bus as he arrived back at the athletes' village on Friday night. "Last night I slipped off the bus, so I was a bit worried, my ankle was a bit swollen," said Le Clos.
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| Australia strong in Commonwealth Games pool Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:07 PM PDT  GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Emily Seebohm successfully defended the 100-meter backstroke gold medal she won at New Delhi four years ago to continue Australia's domination in the Commonwealth Games pool on Saturday.
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| Top Asian News at 9:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 26 Jul 2014 02:03 PM PDT HONG KONG (AP) — As skyscrapers around Hong Kong harbor erupted into a reverie of laser beams and giant digital displays during their synchronized nightly light show, one innocuous 28-story building near the water's edge had stayed dark for months, clad in bamboo scaffolding for a face-lift. Then, in June, the renovated tower came to life, flashing giant Chinese characters that some in Hong Kong saw as a warning. |
| Godzilla returns: Sequel announced at Comic-Con Posted: 26 Jul 2014 01:58 PM PDT SAN DIEGO (AP) — Godzilla is coming back. |
| Raul Castro marks anniversary of Cuba revolution landmark Posted: 26 Jul 2014 01:54 PM PDT  Cuban President Raul Castro on Saturday officiated at a ceremony to mark the 61st anniversary of the guerrilla assault on the Moncada Barracks, widely regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. More than 100 rebels led by Fidel Castro attempted to storm the military facility at Moncada on July 26, 1953, in the first armed action of the revolution to topple dictator Fulgencio Batista. The assault ended in a crushing defeat for the rebels, with many killed, while Fidel and Raul Castro were captured and imprisoned. Around 8,000 people attended Saturday's ceremony in Artemisa, around 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Havana, headed by Raul Castro, 83, dressed in military fatigues.
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| Hamas renews rocket fire at Israel after Gaza lull Posted: 26 Jul 2014 01:45 PM PDT Hamas resumed firing rockets at Israel from Gaza on Saturday, after a 12-hour humanitarian window which the world had said should pave the way for a longer-term truce. The rocket fire came shortly after Israel announced it would extend the humanitarian ceasefire for another four hours, as its security cabinet debated whether to press on with the 19-day operation. The conflict has claimed more than 1,000 Palestinian lives, most of them civilians, and has killed 40 Israeli soldiers as well as three civilians inside Israel. US Secretary of State John Kerry met European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers in Paris earlier to push both sides to extend the temporary truce, which began at 0500 GMT. |
| Hamas says it behind rockets fired at Israel after truce Posted: 26 Jul 2014 01:34 PM PDT  Hamas said it fired several rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip late Saturday, after a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire in the embattled Palestinian territory, despite a four-hour Israeli extension. The movement's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam brigades, said in three separate statements it had fired two rockets at Tel Aviv in central Israel, five at Nachal Oz in the south, and another five at the southern city of Ashkelon. The fire came shortly after a 12-hour humanitarian truce window expired, with Israel having agreed to suspend its bombardment of Gaza from 08:00 am to 08:00 pm local time (0500 GMT to 1700 GMT). The Qassam Brigades continued to release statements claiming further rocket fire at Israel late Saturday night.
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