| Islamic State video shows killing of teen accused as Israeli spy Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:38 PM PDT  A video posted online by Islamic State militants on Tuesday showed a boy fatally shooting Muhammad Musallam, an Israeli Arab accused by the group of having signed up as a jihadi to spy for Israel's intelligence service. The video, published by the group's Furqan media outlet, showed Musallam, 19, sitting in a room wearing an orange jumpsuit, talking about how he had been recruited and trained by Mossad. After that, it showed Musallam being escorted to a field and then being shot in the head by a boy, described by an older, French-speaking fighter as one of the "cubs of the caliphate". Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage, which also appeared on Twitter feeds used by Islamic State supporters.
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| Iraqi troops, militia retake strategic town north of Tikrit from Islamic State Posted: 10 Mar 2015 09:30 AM PDT  By Thaier al-Sudani AL-ALAM, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi troops and militias drove Islamic State insurgents out of the town of al-Alam on Tuesday, clearing a final hurdle before a planned assault on Saddam Hussein's home city of Tikrit in their biggest offensive yet against the ultra-radical group. The power base of executed former president Saddam's clan, Tikrit is the focus of a counter-offensive against Islamic State by more than 20,000 troops and Shi'ite Muslim militias known as Hashid Shaabi, backed by local Sunni Muslim tribes. If Iraq's Shi'ite-led government is able to retake Tikrit it would be the first city clawed back from the Sunni insurgents and would give it momentum in the next, pivotal stage of the campaign - to recapture Mosul, the largest city in the north.
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| Suriname leader's son gets 16 years U.S. prison for Hezbollah aid Posted: 10 Mar 2015 11:19 AM PDT  By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - The son of Suriname's president was sentenced on Tuesday to 16-1/4 years in prison, after pleading guilty last August to U.S. charges that he tried to offer a home base to the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah. Dino Bouterse, 42, who worked in a Suriname counter terrorist unit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan. U.S. prosecutors accused Bouterse of inviting people he thought were from Hezbollah to establish a base in his home country, located north of Brazil, in exchange for $2 million that was ultimately not paid. Hezbollah has since 1997 been designated by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization.
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| Netanyahu says sees 'real danger' of losing re-election bid Posted: 10 Mar 2015 02:33 PM PDT  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he saw "a real danger" he might lose next week's closely contested election and asserted that there was a worldwide effort to ensure such an outcome. In what Israeli media called an unannounced visit to a rally north of Tel Aviv, Netanyahu entreated supporters to make sure he defeats rival Isaac Herzog of the left-of-center Zionist Union party by casting ballots in the March 17 vote. In footage of the event obtained by Reuters Television, Netanyahu said Herzog would seek to renew peace talks with Palestinians and negotiate about "dividing Jerusalem, giving back territory". Israeli Army Radio earlier aired what it said were comments Netanyahu made on Monday to party activists in which he said "it is a very tight race.
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| Italy court upholds Berlusconi acquittal in prostitution case Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:46 PM PDT  By Massimiliano Di Giorgio ROME (Reuters) - Italy's highest court on Tuesday confirmed an acquittal for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor, giving him a boost as he is trying to hold onto his role as a conservative leader. At the first trial in 2013, Berlusconi, 78, was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison. Berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with former teenage nightclub dancer Kharima El Mahroug, known by her stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", during "bunga bunga" erotic parties at his palatial home near Milan when he was prime minister in 2010. He was also charged with abusing his authority to get El Mahroug, who was 17 at the time, released from police custody over unrelated theft accusations.
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| Qatar says to begin rebuilding 1,000 homes in Gaza Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:03 PM PDT  A Qatari official visiting a Gaza neighborhood heavily bombed in last summer's war with Israel said on Tuesday the Gulf Arab state had begun a project to rebuild 1,000 homes as part of a $1 billion aid pledge. Mohammad al-Amadi, head of the Qatari Committee to Rebuild Gaza, said that earlier in the day Israel had allowed four truckloads of cement into the Gaza Strip so that the planned construction of the dwellings could begin. Cogat, the Israeli military office that coordinates the movement of goods into Gaza, said the cement shipments were being handled by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. The PA exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, which Israel took in a 1967 war, while its Islamist rival Hamas rules Gaza.
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| Cyclone likely to miss Australian iron ore port: weather bureau Posted: 10 Mar 2015 05:01 PM PDT By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's largest iron ore export terminal Port Hedland is likely to escape the worst of a tropical cyclone that is forming off the country's northwest coast, the weather bureau said on Wednesday. A tropical low is expected to form a cyclone over the next few hours and is on track to strike the coast on Thursday, just to the west of Port Hedland, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said. Tropical cyclones are frequent at this time of year and can disrupt loading operations at the port. |
| Gunmen kill 2 journalists in southern town in Guatemala Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:54 PM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Gunmen shot and killed two journalists and wounded a third Tuesday as they walked in a park in southern Guatemala, the editor of Prensa Libre newspaper said.
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| Suriname leader's son sentenced to over 16 years in prison Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:52 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The son of the president of Suriname received leniency Tuesday from a judge who ordered him to serve over 16 years in prison, about half of the 30-to-life term the U.S. government sought after he admitted that he offered a home base in his South American country to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
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| Two decades of courtroom saga for Berlusconi Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:51 PM PDT  Billionaire tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, whose acquittal for paying for sex with a minor was confirmed Tuesday, has been plagued by over 20 years of legal woes since he first entered Italy's political scene in 1993. The majority of trials have either ended in guilty verdicts being overturned or charges expiring under statute of limitations rules which critics say his lawyers have skilfully exploited. 1994: Berlusconi is accused of bribing tax police and is sentenced to 33 months in prison. 1995: He is accused of buying a football player for his club AC Milan with a slush fund.
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| Israel demolishes EU-funded shelters in Jerusalem Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:45 PM PDT  Israeli authorities on Tuesday demolished an EU-funded shelter in Arab east Jerusalem, the European Union said, denouncing the move. "We condemn today's demolition of temporary shelters funded by the European Union... as part of its response to the needs of the affected communities," an EU statement said. EU funds have helped to pay for some 200 temporary buildings used as shelters in villages inhabited by Bedouin communities in the West Bank, just outside Arab east Jerusalem. Israel occupied east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it, in a move never recognised by the international community.
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| Ireland rushes law after inadvertently legalising drugs Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:43 PM PDT  Ireland's parliament sat late into the night Tuesday to rush through emergency laws to close a loophole making the possession of ecstasy, ketamine, magic mushrooms and other drugs temporarily legal. The situation arose after the Court of Appeal struck down part of Ireland's 1977 Misuse of Drugs Act after a legal challenge. Varadkar said legislation had been prepared in advance of the court decision and that it would pass both houses of parliament within 24 hours. The legal challenge was brought by a man prosecuted for possession of methylethcathinone, a substance once stocked by "head shops" that sell legal or herbal stimulants.
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| FBI probes possible domestic terrorism at Reno KFC Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:41 PM PDT  RENO, Nev. (AP) — The FBI is investigating an apparent attempt to firebomb a fast-food restaurant in Reno because of the possibility it could have been an act of domestic terrorism after the initials of an animal rights group were found scrawled on a drive-thru sign, local fire officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
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| Italy's top court clears Berlusconi in bunga bunga sex case Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:35 PM PDT  Italy's top court on Tuesday confirmed the acquittal of Silvio Berlusconi on charges that he paid for sex with an under-age dancer and then abused his position as prime minister to cover it up. After nine hours of deliberations, the judges at the Court of Cassation delivered a ruling that brings to an end a lengthy legal saga centred on the billionaire media tycoon's infamous "bunga bunga" sex parties. Berlusconi has just finished serving a community service order for tax fraud and remains embroiled in several other legal cases. Berlusconi was convicted in 2013 of the most serious charges he has faced in a scandal-tainted career, only to be acquitted on appeal a year later.
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| Venezuelan leader seeks decree powers amid US rift Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will request Tuesday special decree powers to confront what he termed "imperialist aggressions" from the United States, as relations between the countries sank further. Maduro will submit his request to the National Assembly, dominated by his ruling socialist party, a day after US President Barack Obama ordered new sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials over an opposition crackdown.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT LETPADAN, Myanmar (AP) — Hundreds of riot police charged at students protesting Myanmar's new education law on Tuesday, pummeling them with batons and then dragging them into trucks, bringing a quick, harsh end to a weeklong standoff. Authorities said more than 120 people were arrested. Security forces threw stones and jumped over fences as they broke up the demonstration. Dozens of students and monks were chased into a Buddhist monastery, said Honey Oo, a student leader. |
| Falcao plays for Man United second string, fails to score Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:31 PM PDT MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Struggling Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao made a surprise appearance for the club's under-21 team on Tuesday. |
| Twenty-five years on, Pinochet's legacy still haunts Chile Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:31 PM PDT  Twenty-five years after Chile's return to democracy, glorifying Augusto Pinochet has finally become taboo, but the country is still fighting to erase the social and political legacy of his dictatorship. Pinochet, who seized power in a bloody 1973 coup and ruled Chile with steely ruthlessness for the next 17 years, stepped down on March 11, 1990, handing the presidential sash to democratically elected president Patricio Aylwin after a lengthy transition. With his trademark dark glasses and military uniform, General Pinochet was an emblem of the dictatorships that gripped much of Latin America in the depths of the Cold War.
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| Mourinho bemoans PSG's 'aggression' ahead of game at Chelsea Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:29 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Laurent Blanc wants Paris Saint-Germain to reach Chelsea's level in the Champions League. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wants his team to be nothing like PSG.
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| Real Madrid loses 4-3 to Schalke but advances in Champions Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:28 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo rescued Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday with two goals in a pulsating 4-3 defeat to Schalke that saw the holders squeeze through to the quarterfinals with a 5-4 victory on aggregate.
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| Mexican peso hits historic low against the dollar Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:26 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican peso has established a historic low against the dollar for a second consecutive day amid expectations of interest rate hikes in the United States. |
| Ex-Italian premier Berlusconi's acquittal upheld Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:21 PM PDT  ROME (AP) — Italy's highest court upheld Silvio Berlusconi's acquittal in his infamous "bunga bunga" case Tuesday, giving the former premier a welcome legal victory as he tries to rally his Forza Italia party ahead of regional elections in May.
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| IS video purports to show killing of alleged Israeli spy Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:11 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group released a video Tuesday that purports to show the killing of a Palestinian man accused of being a spy for Israeli intelligence. |
| Macedonia opposition claims government manipulated elections Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:08 PM PDT  SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia's main opposition party on Tuesday published what it says is new evidence of government vote-manipulation in three recent elections, following up on accusations of a massive wire-tapping scandal.
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| Day after his death, German architect Frei Otto wins Pritzker Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:05 PM PDT  German architect Frei Otto was named winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize on Tuesday, one day after his death at the age of 89, organizers of the award said. Otto, renowned for designs which incorporated lightweight tent-like structures, was informed he had won architecture's highest accolade shortly before his death, a statement said. "Frei Otto's career is a model for generations of architects and his influence will continue to be felt," said Tom Pritzker, who chairs the foundation which bestows the honor.
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| Clinton on emails: I should have used government account Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:03 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Confronting a growing political furor, Hillary Rodham Clinton conceded Tuesday it was a mistake to exclusively use private email as secretary of state, but she defiantly rejected accusations that she created a security risk or violated the law. She also defended getting rid of tens of thousands of personal emails.
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| Argentina probes copter crash as France mourns dead athletes Posted: 10 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PDT  VILLA CASTELLI, Argentina (AP) — Investigators picked through the wreckage of two helicopters Tuesday, removing cellphones, bits of paper and other charred and unrecognizable items, as France mourned the loss of prominent athletes in the dual crash in the Andean foothills.
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| London schoolgirls 'stole jewellery' to fund Syria flight Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:59 PM PDT  Three London schoolgirls who fled to Syria are believed to have stolen family jewellery to fund their travel, police said Tuesday as the trio's relatives expressed disbelief at their actions. Schoolfriends Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-olds Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, left their homes last month and flew to Istanbul, from where they are believed to have joined Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria. Giving evidence before parliament's home affairs committee, Britain's national police lead on counter-terrorism, Mark Rowley, said the girls paid a travel agent more than £1,000 (1,409 euros, $1,506) for their flights.
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| US condemns use of force against Myanmar protesters Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:59 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. condemnation Tuesday of the use of force by baton-wielding Myanmar police against students protesting for academic freedom comes as international optimism over the former pariah nation's democratic transition withers in a crucial election year. |
| Bread brings comfort to east Ukraine's ravaged town Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:55 PM PDT  In a fresh sign of life returning to the battered east Ukraine city Debaltseve as fighting subsides, the bread factory is open again, churning out golden loaves despite a hole blasted in the roof by artillery fire. "Since the fighting ended, people came out of their cellars and began to return to the city, but they still had no food, no money," said Sergei Monakov, the manager of the factory, which reopened at the weekend. Debaltseve became the centre of a withering crossfire last month between pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian soldiers.
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| Battle lines drawn as PSG, Chelsea reconvene Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:52 PM PDT  Eleven months on, but with the same coach and broadly the same team, Paris Saint-Germain return to Chelsea on Wednesday seeking to prove their worth as a Champions League force. In last season's quarter-finals, PSG came to Stamford Bridge leading 3-1 from the first leg and with a huge 13-point advantage in Ligue 1, only to crash out after Demba Ba's 87th-minute strike took Chelsea through on away goals. This season, a round earlier, the tie is more delicately balanced at 1-1, and it is Chelsea who are dominating domestically, five points clear in the Premier League with a game in hand, while in France, PSG trail Lyon by a point.
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| Obama nominates career diplomat as ambassador to Pakistan Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has nominated the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon to become the new envoy to Pakistan. |
| Spanish court blocks London auction of Columbus letter Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:46 PM PDT  The letter, written on April 29, 1498 by Columbus to his son Diego, was being put up for auction by a foundation run by the House of Alba, one of Spain's noblest and richest families. A Madrid High Court ruled in favour of a ban on sending the letter out of the country after the culture ministry opposed the sale on the ground that it was an invaluable and intrinsic part of Spain's cultural heritage, a decision which the Alba Foundation challenged in court. The House of Alba is now headed by Carlos Martínez de Irujo, after the death of his flamboyant billionaire mother María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva in November aged 88.
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| U.S. sanctions may be godsend for struggling Venezuelan leader Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:34 PM PDT By Alexandra Ulmer CARACAS (Reuters) - At the start of the year, a grave-faced President Nicolas Maduro promised "God would provide" after oil prices crashed by half, exacerbating Venezuela's deep recession, chronic shortages and sky-high inflation. 'PLAYING INTO MADURO'S HANDS' Washington's sanctions hand Maduro, whose popularity has slipped to the low 20s according to local pollster Datanalisis, ammunition to back his view of foreign sabotage. |
| Mexico mounts multi-agency plan to recover glacier bodies Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:33 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican officials say they will mount a joint state, federal and municipal effort to recover the mummified bodies of two climbers from Mexico's highest mountain.
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| Colonial Williamsburg offers to protect Iraqi artifacts Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:33 PM PDT WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) — The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia says it has offered to house Iraqi artifacts to protect them from destruction by the Islamic State group. |
| MexicoLeaks launches to receive information leaks in Mexico Posted: 10 Mar 2015 03:31 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — A group of Mexican media outlets and civil society groups have launched MexicoLeaks, a digital platform to receive information leaks that could lead to corruption investigations. |
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