2015年1月22日星期四

Yahoo! News: World News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: World News


Saudi King Abdullah dies, new ruler is Salman

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:53 PM PST

File photo of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz speaking at the opening ceremony of the OIC summit in MeccaBy Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah died early on Friday and his brother Salman became king, the royal court in the world's top oil exporter and birthplace of Islam said in a statement carried by state television. King Salman has named his half-brother Muqrin as his crown prince and heir. "His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who passed away at exactly 1 a.m. this morning," said the statement. Abdullah, thought to have been born in 1923, had ruled Saudi Arabia as king since 2006, but had run the country as de facto regent for a decade before that after his predecessor King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke.


Ukraine's forces hold line against Russian troops, rebels: Poroshenko

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:12 PM PST

By Natalia Zinets and Alessandra Prentice KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday his troops were holding the line against separatists and Russian forces after a sharp increase in attacks and the withdrawal of government defenders from Donetsk airport. Poroshenko, who told the World Economic Forum on Wednesday that Russia had 9,000 troops inside Ukraine, met defense chiefs to work on a plan to "regroup and stop aggression." "Across all front lines we are firmly holding our positions," he told the meeting, at which he reported that enemy attacks were 10 times more intensive than before. Earlier on Thursday at least eight civilians were killed when a trolleybus was hit by an artillery shell or mortar at a public transport stop in the southern district of Donetsk, which is largely controlled by separatists. Kiev said 10 Ukrainian soldiers were killed overnight, six at the airport complex, a symbolic target where a small group of government defenders had been holding out against Russian-backed separatists for months.

Yemen president quits, throwing country deeper into chaos

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:35 PM PST

File photo of Yemen's President Hadi stands attending a reception during the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Republican Palace in SanaaBy Yara Bayoumy and Mohammed Ghobari SANAA (Reuters) - Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned on Thursday, days after Houthi rebels battled their way into his presidential palace, plunging the unstable Arab country deeper into chaos and depriving Washington of a key ally against al Qaeda. Hadi, a former general, blamed the Houthis' control of Sanaa for impeding his two-year-long attempt to steer Yemen toward stability after years of secessionist and tribal unrest, deepening poverty and U.S. drone strikes on Islamist militants. Hadi tried to bring the political forces together." In the first sign that the turmoil would affect U.S. operations in Yemen, Washington said it had pulled out more staff from its embassy in Sana due to the worsening security situation.


Iraqi PM warns falling oil price could hurt fight against Islamic State

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:25 PM PST

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry listen as Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond speaks during a news conference at the Foreign Office in LondonBy Warren Strobel and Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday he feared lower revenues from falling global oil prices could hurt his country's military campaign against Islamic State. Speaking after attending a meeting of members of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in London, Abadi said allies could help by potentially allowing Baghdad to defer payment for ammunition and weapons. Iraq's economy and budget relies 85 percent on oil and this has been disastrous for us," he told a news conference. "We don't want to see a reverse of our military victory due to our fiscal and budget problems." His comments came as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Washington blasted some of Abadi's recent criticism of the pace of past U.S. and coalition efforts to support Iraq.


Exclusive: U.S. to back new system warning airlines in conflict zones

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:52 PM PST

Crane transports a piece of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 wreckage at the site of the plane crash near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk regionBy Allison Martell and Allison Lampert TORONTO/MONTREAL (Reuters) - The United States will throw its support behind a proposal by the U.N.'s aviation agency to share information about risks to commercial aircraft over conflict zones after the downing of a Malaysian jet in Ukraine last year, according to a senior U.S. official. The U.N. agency's plan falls short of what airlines sought in the aftermath of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash in July, which was for vetted, comprehensive intelligence. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will propose a test system at a major safety conference that kicks off on Feb. 2 in Montreal. The plan entails ICAO running a central website where states and agencies can publish information about conflict zones.


Saudi King Abdullah was a cautious reformer

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:12 PM PST

File photo of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz addressing the Jeddah Energy MeetingBy Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, born the year the first motorcar bumped through the dusty streets of Riyadh, left a modernizing legacy of cautious social and economic reform. King Abdullah, thought to have been born in 1924, had ruled Saudi Arabia as king since 2006, but had run the country as de facto regent for a decade before that. State television reported early on Friday that King Abdullah had died. After outliving two designated heirs, his younger half brothers Sultan and Nayef, Abdullah is succeeded by Crown Prince Salman.


Saudi King Abdullah has died, Prince Salman successor

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:52 PM PST

FILE - In this Friday, June 27, 2014 file photo, Saudi King Abdullah speaks before a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at his private residence in the Red Sea city of in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. On early Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, Saudi state TV reported King Abdullah died at the age of 90. (AP Photo/Brendan Smialowski, Pool, File)RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington's fight against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died, according to Saudi state TV. He was 90.


Activists hail pardon for Salvador woman in miscarriage case

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:49 PM PST

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Human rights activists on Thursday hailed a decision by El Salvador's congress to pardon a young woman who was convicted of killing her child after she said she suffered a miscarriage.

Obama offers condolences on death of Saudi King Abdullah

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:49 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is expressing condolences and offering sympathy to the people of Saudi Arabia upon the death of King Abdullah, an important ally and a major force in the Muslim world.

Euro plunges, but European brands are not on sale in US

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:48 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2011 file photo, Peter Zavialoff of the The Wine House wine store in San Francisco, samples a glass of Chateau La Tour de By during the Union of Grand Crus 2008 vintage wine tasting in the Garden Court of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Americans hoping to save on European goods thanks to a falling euro shouldn't celebrate just yet. There's simply too much demand in the U.S. for any markdowns. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)NEW YORK (AP) — Americans hoping to save on European goods thanks to a falling euro shouldn't rush to uncork that bottle of French Bordeaux. There's very little to celebrate.


Obama hails late Saudi king's commitment to ties with U.S.

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:43 PM PST

President Barack Obama expressed condolences on Thursday on the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and saluted the late king's commitment to close U.S.-Saudi ties. "The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah's legacy," the statement added.

Oil rises after death of Saudi king, but effect seen muted

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:41 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose on the news of the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Thursday, but the king's death is not expected to change the course of oil prices over the next several months.

South Korea reaches Asian Cup semifinals

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:40 PM PST

South Korea's Son Heung-min, right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during their AFC Asia Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Uzbekistan in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — South Korea reached the Asian Cup semifinals after Son Heung-min scored two goals in extra time in a tough 2-0 win over Uzbekistan.


Obama expresses condolences and sympathies upon the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:34 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Obama expresses condolences and sympathies upon the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.

Kirchner: Argentine prosecutor killed to discredit me

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:33 PM PST

Protesters rally in front of the headquarters of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in Buenos Aires on January 21, 2015, over the death of public prosecutor Alberto NismanArgentine President Cristina Kirchner said Thursday she believes that a prosecutor who died under suspicious circumstances was murdered in a plot to implicate her government in a cover-up of a 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center. Alberto Nisman, lead prosecutor in the two-decade-old case, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in his home Sunday -- one day before he was to go before a congressional hearing to accuse Kirchner of shielding Iranian officials implicated in the attack which left 85 dead. In a post on her Facebook page, Kirchner contended that Nisman was killed to immerse her government in scandal after he had been "used" to publicly accuse her of involvement in the cover-up. "Prosecutor Nisman's charges were never in themselves the true operation against the government.


Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:32 PM PST

TOKYO (AP) — The deadline for paying ransom for two Japanese hostages held by the Islamic State group was fast approaching early Friday with no signs of a breakthrough. Lacking clout and diplomatic reach in the Middle East, Japan has been scrambling for a way to secure the release of the two men, one a journalist, the other an adventurer fascinated by war. Two Japanese who said they have contacts with a leader in the Islamic State group offered Thursday to try to negotiate, but it was unclear if the Japanese government was receptive to the idea.

Fugitives facing U.S. fraud charges vulnerable under deal with Cuba

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:31 PM PST

Police stand at the fence surrounding the house of Gilberto Martinez in HavanaBy David Adams HAVANA/MIAMI (Reuters) - Gilberto Martinez was almost penniless when he left Cuba in 2005 to start a new life in the United States. It is not clear what charges the 28-year-old Martinez faces in Cuba but, whatever they are, the U.S. government also wants to bring him in. Florida court records show he is a fugitive and faces up to 16 years in prison after he was indicted on Sept. 30 in a Secret Service credit card fraud probe involving $150,000 of purchases at stores including Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us. In recent years, dozens of Medicare, credit card and mortgage fraudsters who came to the United States from Cuba have avoided prosecution by jumping bail and fleeing to their homeland.


Yemen's US-backed president quits; country could split apart

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:31 PM PST

A Houthi Shiite Yemeni, background, mans a machine gun atop an armored personnel carrier, seized from the presidential guards during clashes, outside the presidential palace in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Heavily armed Shiite rebels remain stationed outside the Yemeni president's house and the palace in Sanaa, despite a deal calling for their immediate withdrawal to end a violent standoff. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen's U.S.-backed president quit Thursday under pressure from rebels holding him captive in his home, severely complicating American efforts to combat al-Qaida's powerful local franchise and raising fears that the Arab world's poorest country will fracture into mini-states.


New Saudi ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:30 PM PST

By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - The death on Friday of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah means Salman bin Abdulaziz has become the country's new ruler and the last to be born before the discovery of oil in the world's top crude exporter. As king, Salman, 78, will have to navigate regional turmoil caused by wars in Iraq and Syria, as well as a bitter rivalry with Shi'ite Muslim power Iran and a lingering threat from an al Qaeda wing in neighboring Yemen. "It appeared to me he had a good handle on the delicate balancing act he had to do to move society forward while being respectful of its traditions and conservative ways," said Robert Jordan who was U.S. ambassador in Riyadh from 2001-03.

State Department reduces US Embassy personnel in Yemen

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:29 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says it has reduced the number of American personnel working at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, amid chaos in that country that has led to the resignation of its U.S.-backed president.

Saudi's new king, Salman, a force for unity in royal family

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:28 PM PST

FILE - In this Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 file photo released by the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, left, speaks with Prince Salman, the Saudi King's brother and Riyadh governor, right, before the king's departure to United States, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On early Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, Saudi state TV reported King Abdullah died at the age of 90. (AP Photo/Saudi Press Agency, File)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's new king, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, is a veteran of the country's top leadership, versed in diplomacy from nearly 50 years as the governor of the capital Riyadh and known as a mediator of disputes within the sprawling royal family.


Burundian accused over nuns murder 'confession' in solitary confinement

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:27 PM PST

Police patrol on September 26, 2013 a street of BujumburaA Burundi radio station boss, who broadcast the alleged confession of a man who claimed he was among the killers of three Italian nuns, was placed in solitary confinement in prison Thursday, activists said. Bob Rugurika, director of the popular independent African Public Radio (RPA), was arrested earlier this week on charges of "complicity" in the nuns' murders after broadcasting the purported confession of the man who claimed he was one of the killers.


Saudi's King Salman follows in brother's footsteps

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:25 PM PST

Saudi Arabia then-Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz in Tokyo on February 21, 2014Saudi King Salman, who succeeded his half-brother Abdullah on his death on Friday, is a 79-year-old stalwart of the royal family credited with transforming the capital Riyadh during his half-century as governor. Like Abdullah, Salman is seen as a moderate with a reputation for austerity, hard work and discipline, especially in his role overseeing the hundreds of young princes in the royal family. Recent years have seen concerns over his health after operations on his back, but Salman took on an increasingly high-profile role as Abdullah's own health issues forced him from the limelight. Born on December 31, 1935, Salman is the 25th son of the desert kingdom's founder Abdulaziz bin Saud and a prominent member of a formidable bloc of brothers known as the Sudairi seven, after their mother Hassa bin Ahmed al-Sudairi.


UN meeting challenges world to stand up to anti-Semitism

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:23 PM PST

French philosopher and writer Bernard-Henri Levy addresses the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. The U.N. General Assembly is holding its first-ever meeting devoted to anti-Semitism in response to a global increase in violence against Jews — a meeting scheduled even before the recent attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The first U.N. General Assembly meeting Thursday on anti-Semitism sparked calls for global action to combat the rising hatred of Jews and a surprising denunciation from the world's 57 Islamic nations of all words and acts that lead "to hatred, anti-Semitism, Islamaphobia."


Japan faces deadline to free Islamic State hostages

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:21 PM PST

Ko Nakata, an expert on Islamic law, reads a message to hostage takers during a press conference on two hostages held by the Islamic State group, at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Nakata told reporters he was able to reach the Islamic State. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO (AP) — The deadline for paying ransom for two Japanese hostages held by the Islamic State group was fast approaching early Friday with no signs of a breakthrough.


Zambia ruling party candidate takes early lead in vote

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:12 PM PST

A man runs on January 19, 2015 past a giant billboard for the presidential candidate of the Zambian ruling party Patriotic Front, Edgar Lungu, on the eve of the Zambian presidential elections in LusakaZambia's ruling party candidate Edgar Lungu on Thursday edged ahead in the race to replace the late president Michael Sata, authorities said as voting continued in parts of the country. According to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, ballots from 90 of the 150 constituencies had been counted by Thursday afternoon. Lungu, the ruling Patriotic Front's candidate, was leading with 590,252 votes, closely followed by opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development with 524,976. Nevers Mumba of the former ruling party Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) was meanwhile trailing a distant third with 8,831 ballots.


Obama to pass on meeting Netanyahu during Washington visit

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:11 PM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2014 file photom President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. President Barack Obama will not meet with Netanyahu when he travels to Washington in March, the White House said Thursday, one day after being caught off-guard by Republicans' invitation for the Israeli leader to address a joint session of Congress. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned trip to Washington in March is kicking up a diplomatic dust storm in the nation's capital.


Hostage video: was it really done outside?

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:11 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — The video of two Japanese hostages being held by the Islamic State group seems, like past IS videos, taken in an arid, desert setting. But suspicions are emerging that the message was not prepared outdoors at all.

Saudi state TV reports: King Abdullah has died at 90

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:08 PM PST

Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz attending a horse racing event in Riyadh on March 13, 1998RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington's fight against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women, has died, according to Saudi state TV. He was 90.


Saudi King Abdullah dies: royal court statement 

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:07 PM PST

Saudi King Abdullah (R) arrives at the White House in Washington, DC on November 14, 2008Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the OPEC-kingpin's royal court said in a statement. The late monarch's half brother Moqren was named crown prince, according to the statement. King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalised in December suffering from pneumonia and had been breathing with the aid of a tube. Abdullah's half-brother Salman, 79, was named crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.


U.N. approved cross-border aid helps 600,000 Syrians in six months

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:56 PM PST

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday that 54 aid shipments to Syria had been made since the U.N. Security Council authorized some cross-border routes in July, supplying food to 600,000 people, along with water and medical supplies. In his latest monthly report to the council, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations and partners had made 40 shipments from Turkey and 14 from Jordan. Deliveries could not be made from Iraq due to insecurity, he said. The Security Council approved humanitarian access without Syrian government consent into rebel-held areas at four border crossings from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.

Spies, lies and death: plot thickens in Argentine scandal

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:52 PM PST

Marcelo Novillo, whose son Adrian was a victim of a violent crime, cries as he holds up a sign that reads "I am Nisman" in Buenos AiresBy Nicolás Misculin and Sarah Marsh BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Alberto Nisman was working hard to prepare for a congressional hearing on his claim that Argentina's president tried to whitewash Iran's alleged involvement in a bombing that killed 85 people, a make-or-break day in his career as prosecutor.     In the spotlight since leveling his hefty accusations last week, Nisman needed to make a convincing case, based on a decade of work with spy agencies around the world.     So he put in the extra hours at his Buenos Aires apartment on Saturday. Officials initially said he apparently committed suicide with a 22 caliber gun borrowed from a distant colleague, and a source close to the judicial investigation who visited the scene told Reuters there was so much blood that no one could have left it without leaving a trace.


Egypt to free 100 students ahead of 2011 revolt anniversary

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:50 PM PST

A supporter of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi walks through the debris following clashes with police in Cairo on August 14, 2013Egypt's public prosecutor Thursday ordered the release of 100 students arrested in a crackdown on protests since late 2013, ahead of the fourth anniversary of a popular uprising. The students, who have not been formally charged, will be set free out of "concern for their academic future", the prosecutor's office said in a statement. The decision came hours after a court ordered the release of the two sons of former president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in the 2011 uprising, pending a corruption retrial. The anti-Mubarak revolt started on January 25, 2011, setting off a tumultuous four years during which his Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi was also unseated.


Bomb explodes outside presidential palace in Cairo, one injured

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:49 PM PST

A general view of Cairo's skyline and landscape is seen at sunset on July 13, 2013A police officer was injured when a small bomb exploded outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Thursday, police sources said. An unknown assailant on a motorbike threw the bomb in front of the main entrance of the Al-Qubba palace before fleeing, the sources said. There has been a wave of violence in Egypt since Islamist president Mohammed Morsi was toppled by the military in July 2013 and a crackdown was launched on his supporters, leaving more than 1,400 people dead.


Israeli man under house arrest for leaked Madonna songs

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:48 PM PST

JERUSALEM (AP) — An aspiring singer who auditioned for Israel's top TV song competition was placed under house arrest Thursday on suspicion of hacking into international pop star Madonna's computer and stealing and selling unreleased songs, his lawyer said.

U.N. council urges probe of bus attack in eastern Ukraine

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:43 PM PST

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday called for an investigation of a deadly attack on a trolley bus in Ukraine's rebel-controlled eastern city of Donetsk. It also "underlined the need to conduct an objective investigation and bring perpetrators of this reprehensible act to justice." The council did not say who should investigate the incident, which was the result of a shell or mortar attack. The Kiev government and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have blamed each other for the attack.

'Profound differences' but US, Cuba to meet again

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:42 PM PST

US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson speaks during a press conference at the Convention Palace in Havana on January 22, 2015The United States and Cuba fell short of setting dates Thursday to reopen their embassies but the Cold War foes agreed to meet again to overcome deep rifts and normalize relations. Cuban officials and the highest-ranking US delegation to visit Havana in 35 years said their landmark discussions had been productive as they work to restore ties broken off in 1961. Both sides admitted they had "profound differences" but they decided to see each other again. It was the first get-together since US President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro surprised the world in December when they simultaneously announced plans to normalize ties.


U.S. agency urges cockpit video, better plane-tracking

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:41 PM PST

By Alwyn Scott NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. air accident investigation agency on Thursday urged adoption of systems to shoot cockpit video in the crucial minutes before a crash, and called for better tracking to find downed planes. The agency also called for equipment to allow retrieval of critical black box flight data without an underwater search. The recommendations from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board follow a string of accidents in which wreckage and black boxes were difficult or impossible to find, including Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished last March. "Technology has reached a point where we shouldn't have to search hundreds of miles of ocean floor in a frantic race to find these valuable boxes," said Christopher Hart, acting chairman of the NTSB.

U.S. says mistrust must be overcome to restore Cuba ties

Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:39 PM PST

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson speaks during a conference in HavanaBy Lesley Wroughton and Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - The United States and Cuba moved closer to restoring diplomatic relations on Thursday with historic, high-level talks, but the Americans noted the two sides must overcome more than 50 years of mistrust to normalize trade and travel. The talks were the first since U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Dec. 17 that they would work to restore diplomatic ties, which Washington severed in 1961 two years after Raul's brother, Fidel, took power and began implementing communist rule. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, who led the American delegation, said re-establishing diplomatic ties and opening embassies in Havana and Washington were "not overly cumbersome," but the two sides had profound differences on other issues, such as Cuba's human rights record. Cuba in turn expressed concern over human rights in the United States, a reference to recent police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City.


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