| Putin unveils Ukraine ceasefire plan, France halts warship Posted: 03 Sep 2014 11:08 AM PDT  By Gareth Jones and Vladimir Soldatkin KIEV/ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin outlined plans for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday but Ukraine's prime minister dismissed the proposal, while France expressed its disapproval of Moscow's support for separatist forces by halting delivery of a warship. After speaking to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko by phone, Putin said he believed Kiev and pro-Russian separatists could reach agreement at planned talks in Minsk on Friday. "Our views on the way to resolve the conflict, as it seemed to me, are very close," Putin told reporters during a visit to the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, describing the seven steps he had put forward to secure a resolution to the crisis.
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| Obama says will 'degrade and destroy' Islamic State Posted: 03 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT By Balazs Koranyi and David Mardiste TALLINN (Reuters) - The United States plans to fight Islamic State until it is no longer a force in the Middle East and will seek justice for the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday. He added that destroying the militant group will take time because of the power vacuum in Syria, the abundance of battle-hardened fighters that grew out of al Qaeda during the Iraq war, and the need to build coalitions, including with local Sunni communities. Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing the beheading of the U.S. "The bottom line is this, our objective is clear and that is to degrade and destroy (Islamic State) so that it's no longer a threat not just to Iraq but also the region and to the United States," Obama told a news conference. |
| U.N. denies Golan peacekeepers ordered to hand arms to Syria rebels Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:49 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. peacekeeping chief strongly denied on Wednesday allegations from the Philippines' army chief that Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights were ordered to surrender their weapons to Islamist militants who had trapped them. Filipino army chief General Gregorio Catapang said his soldiers had defended themselves against Islamist rebels last weekend in defiance of an order from their U.N. force commander to surrender their weapons, a move that would be highly controversial in the six-nation, blue-helmeted force. The U.N.'s under-secretary-general for peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, denied that any such order was given. The back-and-forth underlines a rise in tensions in the U.N. peacekeeping force following weekend skirmishes with Islamist militants in Israeli-controlled territory on Syria's southeastern border.
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| Attack on Somali Islamist leader seen triggering power struggle Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:36 PM PDT  Washington said on Wednesday it was still uncertain whether the laser-guided attack on Monday had killed Ahmed Godane, who aligned al Shabaab with al Qaeda and authorized the group's deadly raid on a Nairobi shopping mall last year. Al Shabaab, usually vocal on social media and other channels of communication, has yet to comment. With no obvious candidate to replace the man who ruled al Shabaab with an iron fist and killed off many of his rivals, experts say there is a real chance his death would trigger infighting or the formation of smaller, potentially more dangerous splinter movements. "If it is confirmed that he is in fact dead, it is a game changer in many ways for al Shabaab," said Abdi Aynte, director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
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| Al Qaeda suspect al-Liby stays with defense lawyer paid by Libya Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:21 PM PDT  By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - Suspected Al Qaeda figure Anas al-Liby has elected to stick with his defense lawyer, despite a judge's warnings that the lawyer has a potential conflict of interest because the Libyan government is paying his fees. Al-Liby, whose real name is Nazih al-Ragye, told U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York on Wednesday that he understood his lawyer Bernard Kleinman theoretically could find his loyalties divided between his client and the Libyan government. Kaplan said he would permit Kleinman to remain on the case if al-Liby agreed to waive any future appeal centered on whether Kleinman's representation was tainted by the potential conflict.
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| Venezuela reshuffles cabinet, backs away from economic shake-up Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:38 PM PDT  By Alexandra Ulmer CARACAS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Maduro has reshuffled his cabinet in a bid to boost his popularity but shows no sign of revamping Venezuela's troubled economy, meaning prospects of gasoline price hikes and a unification of Byzantine currency controls have dimmed. Caught between trying to preserve predecessor Hugo Chavez's socialist legacy and fixing the economy, Maduro on Tuesday night pushed Rafael Ramirez from his twin posts as oil minister and boss of state oil company PDVSA, ending the official's decade-long grip on the country's energy industry. Maduro promoted PDVSA's [PDVSA.UL] exploration and production chief, Eulogio Del Pino, to the company's top job and tapped Asdrubal Chavez, cousin of late leader Chavez, to lead the oil ministry.
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| 4 held in Detroit killing of French street artist Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:28 PM PDT DETROIT (AP) — Detroit police have arrested four people in the robbery and killing of a French street artist whose body was found in the ruins of an abandoned public housing project last year, authorities said Wednesday. |
| UN seeks help to free abducted UN peacekeepers Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:27 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council called Wednesday on "countries with influence" to press al-Qaida-linked insurgents to release 45 U.N. peacekeepers from Fiji abducted last week in the Golan Heights.
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| Guatemala bishop's killer ran alleged jail empire Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:26 PM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan army captain sentenced to 20 years for the slaying of a Roman Catholic bishop was charged with money laundering and organized crime for allegedly building a multimillion-dollar illicit prison empire based on threats and corruption.
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| Rio court puts Olympic golf course in turmoil Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:22 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro's Olympic golf course faces an uncertain future after a court proposed Wednesday that the under-construction layout should be modified to meet environmental concerns. |
| Virgin Islands guv pardons convicted ex-lawmaker Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:19 PM PDT CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — The U.S. Virgin Islands governor said Wednesday that he is pardoning a former senator who was convicted of failure to file income tax returns so she can again run for public office. |
| US and British leaders vow united stand on Ukraine Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:17 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to stand together in support of Ukraine against Russia in a joint statement in The Times newspaper on Thursday. "Russia has ripped up the rulebook with its illegal, self-declared annexation of Crimea and its troops on Ukrainian soil threatening and undermining a sovereign nation state," the two leaders wrote. "With Russia trying to force a sovereign state to abandon its right to democracy and determining the course of its future at the barrel of a gun, we should support Ukraine's right to determine its own democratic future and continue our efforts to enhance Ukrainian capabilities.
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| Venezuela president plays to factions with shakeup Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:09 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The political factions holding up President Nicolas Maduro appear to each have won a slice of power with a Cabinet shuffle that breaks up the control one man held over Venezuela's oil and economy.
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| Spain beats France 88-64 to go 4-0 at World Cup Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:07 PM PDT  GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Ricky Rubio's quick hands set the tone and Marc Gasol had a game-high 17 points as Spain beat France 88-64 Wednesday to remain undefeated at the Basketball World Cup.
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| EU deploys mission to Ukraine to boost police reform Posted: 03 Sep 2014 04:00 PM PDT  The European Union is deploying dozens of experts to Ukraine to help reform police forces and bolster the new West-leaning government's commitment to the rule of law, EU officials said Wednesday. They said fighting corruption and human rights abuses in the civilian security forces was "at the core of the revolution" that toppled the Russian-leaning government in February. The officials said some of an initial group of 57 EU professionals from Sweden, Britain, Germany, Luxembourg and Baltic countries had arrived in Ukraine. The EU Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine was launched in July with a two-year mandate to help the authorities carry out reforms in the police, the interior ministry and border guards.
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| Brazilian club banned from tournament after racism Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:58 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's sports tribunal banned Gremio from this year's Brazilian Cup on Wednesday after its fans racially insulted an opposition player in a match last week. |
| IS militants vow to 'de-throne' Putin over Syria support Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:51 PM PDT  Islamic State militants have issued a threat to President Vladimir Putin, vowing to oust him and "liberate" the volatile North Caucasus over his support of the Syrian regime. The General Prosecutor's Office of Russia demanded that access to the address, which was posted on YouTube on Tuesday and features what jihadists say is a Russian-supplied fighter jet, be blocked. "This is a message to you, oh Vladimir Putin, these are the jets that you have sent to Bashar, we will send them to you, God willing, remember that," said one fighter in Arabic, according to Russian-language captions provided in the video. "And we will liberate Chechnya and the entire Caucasus, God willing," said the militant.
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| Brazil's president narrows opponent's lead Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:46 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — A new poll shows that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has narrowed the lead enjoyed by her chief rival in a likely second-round runoff in the upcoming presidential election. |
| Body bags make Russians reflect on Ukraine war Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:45 PM PDT  When Russian paratrooper Nikolai Kozlov was deployed to Crimea to help Moscow take over the peninsula from Ukraine, his parents were proud of him. Six months later Kozlov is disabled for life, an amputee now recovering in hospital from wounds incurred on a Kremlin-orchestrated covert mission to Ukraine to prop up separatists fighting against Kiev. The paratrooper's uncle, Sergei Kozlov, said his brother asked him to help take care of the young man in the hospital. "Seva called yesterday and said that Kolka had been wounded in Ukraine, and had lost a leg, or both legs -- I didn't ask," Kozlov said, referring to his brother and nephew by their nicknames.
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| Investors await peace before re-entering Ukraine Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:41 PM PDT  Far from the sound of guns and artillery, an "invest in Ukraine" conference opened in London this week to lure the Western business community back once peace returns. Attendees from both Ukraine and the West agreed on the development potential of the former Soviet republic, which recently signed an association agreement with the European Union, but said investment can only begin once the guns fall silent. Economic activity in Ukraine has sharply contracted since the conflict began five months ago in the east of the country between pro-Russian rebels and forces loyal to Kiev, and Ukraine's gross domestic product is expected to shrink 6-7 percent this year.
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| Immigration lawyer charged with investment fraud Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:38 PM PDT SANTA ANA, California (AP) — A Los Angeles immigration lawyer was charged Wednesday with running a fraudulent scheme to recruit Chinese and Korean immigrant investors for an ethanol project that was never built. |
| Norman Foster, Romero to build Mexico airport Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:27 PM PDT MEXICO (AP) — British architect Norman Foster and Mexico's Fernando Romero have had their design chosen for Mexico City's new $9.2-billion airport, Mexic authorities announced Wednesday. |
| Slain US journalist was also an Israeli citizen Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:25 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel confirmed on Wednesday that slain American journalist Steven Sotloff was also an Israeli citizen, while President Barack Obama vowed to build a coalition to "degrade and destroy" the extremist group that carried out the videotaped beheading.
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| Family says slain reporter gave voice to voiceless Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:19 PM PDT PINECREST, Florida (AP) — The family of a journalist slain by Islamic State militants says Steven Sotloff dedicated his life to portraying the suffering of people in war zones, but was "no hero." |
| Romania gives green light to NATO fighter force Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:19 PM PDT  Romania has given the green light to NATO to base fighters there as the crisis in neighbouring Ukraine deepens, its president said Wednesday. "These planes will be part of the NATO integrated defence system alongside the Romanian air force," Traian Basescu said after a meeting of the country's defence council. Basescu has urged Europe to take a stronger line with Russia over Ukraine, and called on NATO on Wednesday to reinforce its eastern flank in case the situation degenerated futher. Last week he called for the EU and NATO to supply weapons to Kiev to help the country fight pro-Russian insurgents in the east.
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| Makarova beats Azarenka to reach US Open semis Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:19 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Ekaterina Makarova describes herself as a person who prefers "to stay in the shade."
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| Calais mayor threatens to close port as immigrants storm gates Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:08 PM PDT  Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart threatened to shut down the French port as around 100 migrants tried to storm their way onto a ferry to England on Wednesday. The mayor said Britain was not doing enough to deter hundreds of migrants turning up in the town in the hope of getting across the English Channel. Ramps to the ferries had to be raised to stop the migrants boarding the ships after 85 forced a gate and climbed over fences, overwhelming security staff. A second attempt to force another entry into the port failed, as 150 migrants gathered around the entrances to the dock.
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| Obama calls Ukraine 'a moment of testing' for West Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:07 PM PDT  TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday harshly condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine as a threat to peace in Europe and pledged that NATO will protect allies who fear they will be Moscow's next target. Standing on Russia's doorstep, Obama declared "this is a moment of testing" for the Western alliance to stand up to the Kremlin.
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| Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 03 Sep 2014 03:02 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council called Wednesday on "countries with influence" to press al-Qaida-linked insurgents to release 45 U.N. peacekeepers from Fiji abducted last week in the Golan Heights. A press statement approved by all 15 council members after a briefing by U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous again demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the Fijian peacekeepers. |
| US wants UN action on foreign terrorist fighters Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:58 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is hoping for unanimous approval of a U.N. resolution calling for global action against the growing phenomenon of foreigners traveling to fight for terrorist groups when President Barack Obama hosts a Security Council summit later this month, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said Wednesday. |
| Western leaders to meet with Ukrainian president Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:58 PM PDT  NEWPORT, Wales (AP) — President Barack Obama and European leaders will meet with Ukraine's president to discuss Russia's provocations in Ukraine.
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| Top Colombian general says rebels will be defeated if no peace deal Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:55 PM PDT  By Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's military will not stand in the way of a peace deal between the government and leftist rebels, but would defeat the guerrillas on the battlefield if an accord fell through, the head of the armed forces said on Wednesday. "We will not be an obstacle to peace," General Juan Pablo Rodriguez, a 35-year military veteran who supports the talks, told Reuters in his Bogota office. We will move ahead in the process of neutralizing these terrorist groups." The government, led by President Juan Manuel Santos, has been in peace talks with the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for nearly two years, in an effort to end a war that has killed more than 200,000 and displaced millions over the past five decades. It is possible for the armed forces to defeat the FARC militarily, Rodriguez said, though "in a guerrilla warfare conflict it's very difficult to give an exact date." Though the FARC's troop numbers have been more than halved from their height of 20,000 at the end of the 1990s, the military has struggled to decisively defeat the disparate rebel fronts, which operate in hard-to-reach rural areas, including dense and sparsely-inhabited jungle in the country's south.
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| Christie tests overseas diplomacy with Mexico trip Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:53 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took a spin on the international stage Wednesday, bringing state business to Mexico City and testing his diplomatic savvy as he considers a run for U.S. president in 2016.
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| NATO plan to cost hundreds of millions: general Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:50 PM PDT  A plan to form high-readiness military units to be approved at this week's NATO summit in Wales would cost "several hundred million euros" a year to implement, a NATO general told AFP on Wednesday. "Keeping people on alert carries a certain cost," General Jean-Paul Palomeros, who heads up one of two NATO strategic commands, said in an interview. "We will become more efficient," said Palomeros, who is in charge of modernising NATO forces. Palomeros said the Readiness Action Plan being adopted in response to what NATO sees as Russian intervention in the conflict in eastern Ukraine could be in place "by the end of the year".
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| Crisis-hit Palestinian economy battered further: UN Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:44 PM PDT  The already faltering Palestinian economy further shrank in 2013 and 2014, even without taking into account devastation caused by the recent conflict with Israel, a UN development agency said Wednesday. Economic growth slumped from 11 percent in 2010 and 2011 to just 1.5 percent last year, and was set to shrink further, said the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). "The deterioration of the Palestinian economy, largely rooted in the territory's occupied status, has resulted in weak growth, a precarious fiscal position, forced dependence on the Israeli economy, mass unemployment, wider and deeper poverty and greater food insecurity," UNCTAD said. The agency, which produces regular studies of the Palestinian economy, underlined that its latest edition did not take into account the impact of the latest Gaza conflict.
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| Argentina beats Germany 4-2 in WCup final rematch Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:43 PM PDT  DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Angel di Maria set up three goals and scored the fourth himself as Argentina trounced Germany 4-2 in their friendly game Wednesday to get a small measure of payback after losing to the host in the World Cup final.
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| Captain Rooney gives England 1-0 win over Norway Posted: 03 Sep 2014 02:40 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Wayne Rooney marked the start of his England captaincy by scoring a penalty in an uninspiring 1-0 victory over Norway in front a record-low crowd for the team at the new Wembley Stadium.
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