| Iraq regains ground from Islamic State; mass deaths reported in Palmyra Posted: 24 May 2015 07:29 AM PDT  BAGHDAD/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iraqi forces recaptured territory from advancing Islamic State militants near the recently-fallen city of Ramadi on Sunday, while in Syria the government said the Islamists had killed hundreds of people since capturing the town of Palmyra. The fall of Ramadi and Palmyra, on opposite ends of the vast territory controlled by Islamic State fighters, were the militant group's biggest successes since a U.S.-led coalition launched an air war to stop them last year. The near simultaneous victories against the Iraqi and Syrian armies have forced Washington to examine its strategy, which involves bombing from the air but leaving fighting on the ground to local forces in both countries.
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| Syria says killed 300 insurgents to free besieged soldiers in Idlib Posted: 24 May 2015 03:51 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian army air strikes killed at least 300 insurgents and wounded hundreds more during a military operation to free besieged troops at a hospital in northwestern Syria, state television said on Sunday. Dozens of Syrian troops, who had been holed up since April in the Jisr al-Shughour hospital in Idlib province, were freed on Friday. (Reporting by Mariam Karouny; editing by David Clarke) |
| Saudi forces and Yemen's Houthis trade heavy fire, border crossing hit Posted: 24 May 2015 04:24 AM PDT  Saudi forces and Yemen's Houthi militia traded heavy artillery fire which destroyed part of the main border crossing between the two countries overnight, residents said on Sunday, an escalation of the two-month war. The Haradh border crossing, the largest for people and goods between the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, and its impoverished neighbor, was evacuated amid shelling which razed its departure lounge and passport section, witnesses said. Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition bombing the Houthis and backing southern Yemeni fighters opposing the group and loyal to the exiled government in Saudi Arabia headed by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
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| Italy coast guard rescues 70 Afghan, Iraqi migrants from crowded boat Posted: 24 May 2015 06:26 AM PDT Seventy Afghan and Iraqi migrants were rescued from a packed boat off the southeastern coast of Italy and brought to shore on Sunday, Italy's coast guard said. Italy closed down a specialized naval mission to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean last year, but continues to bear the brunt of the rescues as the European Union and member states conduct talks on how to deal with the influx. Two Italian coast guard cutters brought the group to the port of Santa Maria di Leuca in Puglia. |
| Women activists cross DMZ to mixed reception on South Korean side Posted: 24 May 2015 01:09 AM PDT  By James Pearson PAJU, South Korea (Reuters) - A group of international women activists crossed the heavily-fortified Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea on Sunday in what they said was a symbolic act for peace. North and South Korea are still technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. Despite its name the DMZ is one of the most heavily militarized and fortified borders in the world.
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| Rohingya Muslims found on boat rescued by Myanmar navy Posted: 24 May 2015 12:24 AM PDT  By Soe Zeya Tun and Antoni Slodkowski ALAETHAKAW VILLAGE, Myanmar, May 24 (Reuters) - At least eight Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar were among some 200 migrants rescued from a trafficking boat by the Myanmar navy on Thursday, according to interviews conducted by Reuters, contradicting official accounts that all onboard were from Bangladesh. Myanmar portrayed the rescue operation as a proof that thousands of 'boat people' were not persecuted Rohingya from Myanmar, denying it discriminates against the minority and resisting pressure to help solve the problem. Southeast Asia is grappling with a humanitarian crisis involving thousands of people trafficked from Myanmar and Bangladesh into Malaysia and Indonesia.
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| Families await 42 bodies, answers after Mexico gunfight Posted: 24 May 2015 04:48 PM PDT  Families of 42 criminal suspects killed in a gunfight with federal forces in western Mexico angrily waited at a morgue Sunday for their bodies, voicing doubts about how they died. "This was not a clash, it was a massacre," said Victor Hugo Reynoso, whose brother Luis Alberto was among those killed on Friday when federal forces fought suspects on a ranch near the Jalisco state border. Authorities say one federal police officer was killed in a three-hour gun battle that erupted when security forces learned that armed men had taken over the vast property in the municipality of Tanhuato.
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| Big spending Guangzhou playing for Champs League survival Posted: 24 May 2015 04:46 PM PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Guangzhou Evergrande has spent over $100 million since 2010 on Italian coaches like Marcello Lippi and Fabio Cannavaro and on South American talent such as Dario Conca and Ricardo Goulart, so leaving the 2015 Asian Champions League at the second round stage is certainly not part of the plan. |
| IS executes 217 in, near Syria's Palmyra in 9 days: monitor Posted: 24 May 2015 04:43 PM PDT  The Islamic State group has executed at least 217 people, including civilians, in and around the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra in the last nine days, a monitor said Sunday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the executions of 67 civilians, including children, and 150 members of regime forces by IS jihadists in different parts of Homs province since May 16. "The Observatory has confirmed that the Islamic State has executed 67 civilians, including 14 children and 12 women in Sukhnah, Al-Amiriyah, the outskirts of the Officers' Housing and Palmyra," said the Britain-based group, referring to several areas in the east of Homs province.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 24 May 2015 04:32 PM PDT KUALA CANGKOI, Indonesia (AP) — It was just the two of them, brother and sister, out on the open ocean with hundreds of other desperate migrants, mostly Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes in Myanmar. For nearly three months, the siblings comforted each other when rolling waves thrashed their boat, when their empty bellies ached and when they were beaten for trying to stand up to stretch their legs. As the oldest, Mohammad Aesop — just 10 years old — knew it was his job to keep his 8-year-old sister safe. But with the Thai crew wielding guns and threatening to throw troublemakers overboard, he felt helpless. |
| The Latest: Busch makes move to front at Coca-Cola 600 Posted: 24 May 2015 04:27 PM PDT  The Associated Press covers the biggest day in motorsports, from Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix to the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600. The latest from the tracks:
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| Defense chief: After Ramadi, Iraq's 'will to fight' at issue Posted: 24 May 2015 04:18 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Islamic State group's takeover of the provincial capital of Ramadi is stark evidence that Iraqi forces lack the "will to fight," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a TV interview that aired Sunday. The harsh assessment raised new questions about the Obama administration's strategy to defeat the extremist group that has seized a strategically important swath of the Middle East.
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| Colin Montgomerie wins Senior PGA Championship Posted: 24 May 2015 04:16 PM PDT FRENCH LICK, Ind. (AP) — There were no last-second buzzer-beaters in Larry Bird's hometown on a bright, breezy Sunday. |
| UK prime minister outlines who can vote in referendum Posted: 24 May 2015 04:04 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Britain's prime minister outlined who will be allowed to vote in referendum on whether or not the country should remain in the European Union on Monday, opting for rules that exclude most voters from the 28-nation bloc who live in the U.K. |
| Player dies in second-division match in Argentina Posted: 24 May 2015 03:52 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Cristian Gomez, a player with Argentine club Atletico Parana, died on Sunday after collapsing during a second-division match. |
| Juan's World! Montoya beats Power for second Indy 500 win Posted: 24 May 2015 03:42 PM PDT  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — His career at a crossroads, his confidence shot, Juan Pablo Montoya received a lifeline from The Captain.
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| 'Indignados' top in Barcelona, could govern Madrid Posted: 24 May 2015 03:42 PM PDT  Spain's "Indignado" protest movement gave its ruling conservative rivals a battering in local elections Sunday, topping the vote for mayor in Barcelona and shattering the ruling party's majority in Madrid. The new political groups, Barcelona En Comu and Ahora Madrid, were formally launched just a few months ago but have already started to break the grip of the two big parties that have run Spain for nearly four decades. Ahora Madrid, led by 71-year-old retired judge and grandmother Manuela Carmena, came second behind Spain's governing Popular Party (PP) but could govern the city if it joins forces with another party.
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| Clutch final par gives Kirk win at Colonial, denies Spieth Posted: 24 May 2015 03:41 PM PDT  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Chris Kirk made a par-saving 7-foot putt after an errant tee shot at the 18th hole, avoiding a playoff at Colonial and winning by a stroke Sunday for his fourth PGA Tour victory.
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| Blow to Yemen peace efforts as UN talks postponed Posted: 24 May 2015 03:30 PM PDT  A United Nations conference designed to help forge peace in war-ravaged Yemen has been postponed, a UN official said Sunday, just four days before it was due to begin. Underlining the difficulty of trying to get the rivals around the negotiating table, exiled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi laid out his government's demands to attend the talks in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, insisting Shiite Huthi rebels must withdraw from territory they have seized.
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| Ukraine rebels deny internal strife behind commander's slaying Posted: 24 May 2015 03:25 PM PDT  Ukraine's pro-Russian rebels rushed Sunday to dispel speculation that a bloody internal battle for control of Moscow's money was behind the gangland-style slaying of a top warlord. Prizrak (Ghost) brigade commander Alexei Mozgovoi and at least six others -- including his press secretary and armed guards -- were shot dead Saturday while travelling in an area under his control in the renegade eastern province of Lugansk. Mozgovoi was long believed to have run afoul of Lugansk's self-proclaimed leader Igor Plotnitsky and some key officials in the Kremlin.
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| Dixon loses speed late and fades to 4th in Indianapolis 500 Posted: 24 May 2015 03:17 PM PDT  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Scott Dixon had his second Indianapolis 500 victory in sight and a powerful Chevrolet that led him to believe he could park it in victory lane.
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| Polish president concedes defeat after exit poll released Posted: 24 May 2015 03:16 PM PDT  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski conceded defeat in the county's presidential election Sunday after an exit poll showed him trailing Andrzej Duda, a previously little-known right-wing politician.
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| Fiorentina wins 3-2 at Palermo to qualify for Europa League Posted: 24 May 2015 03:10 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — Fiorentina won 3-2 at Palermo to ensure qualification for the Europa League on Sunday after Sampdoria was held 1-1 at Empoli earlier in the penultimate round of the Serie A season.
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| New parties shake Spain's political system in local vote Posted: 24 May 2015 03:05 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Voters punished Spain's mainstream political parties in local elections Sunday as many people switched their allegiance to new parties that campaigned on a promise of change amid chafing austerity policies, high unemployment and political corruption scandals.
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| Hundreds pay tribute to Brussels Jewish Museum dead Posted: 24 May 2015 03:02 PM PDT  The mayor of Brussels led tributes Sunday to the four people murdered at the Jewish Museum a year ago as he sought to reassure Jews about their future in the Belgian capital. Mayor Yvan Mayeur also renewed his condemnation of the attack allegedly carried out by an Islamist extremist, as he spoke outside the museum to a crowd of several hundred people, including Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. "Brussels is Jewish because all Jews have their place in Brussels," Mayeur said from a makeshift podium in the closed-off street guarded by four Belgian soldiers and at least a dozen police officers.
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| French immigration thriller bags Cannes Palme d'Or Posted: 24 May 2015 02:54 PM PDT  A French thriller spotlighting the plight of traumatised refugees building new lives, "Dheepan", captured the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or top prize on Sunday. As countries around the world grapple with an influx of people fleeing crises, a jury led by American filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen chose the gritty picture about Sri Lankan asylum-seekers by acclaimed French director Jacques Audiard from a field of 19 international contenders. "To receive a prize from the Coen brothers is something pretty exceptional," Audiard said after a victory that surprised many critics at cinema's top showcase.
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| Colombia's Santos to visit Pope Francis in June: report Posted: 24 May 2015 02:52 PM PDT  President Juan Manuel Santos will meet Pope Francis in mid-June as part of a European tour, Colombia's foreign minister said in comments reported Sunday. After meeting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Santos will "travel to Rome for an audience with the Holy Father, who will welcome him on June 15," Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin told the El Tiempo newspaper. Santos's tour begins with a summit in Belgium and will also take him to Sweden to discuss trade issues and Swedish support for a post-conflict Colombia.
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| Conservative newcomer Duda wins Polish presidential cliffhanger Posted: 24 May 2015 02:49 PM PDT  Conservative opposition challenger Andrzej Duda on Sunday won Poland's presidential run-off, exit polls showed, trumping incumbent centrist Bronislaw Komorowski on promises of generous social spending. An MEP and lawyer with a populist streak, Duda scored 53 percent support ahead of Komorowski, who mustered 47 percent, exit polls showed, giving a key indicator of the national mood ahead of an autumn parliamentary election. Analysts said voters hungry for change in the EU and NATO member state could oust the governing centrist Civic Platform (PO) in this year's parliamentary polls and return the controversial Jaroslaw Kaczynski and his conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party to power after eight years.
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| Boko Haram 'in deadly raid on NE Nigeria town' Posted: 24 May 2015 02:46 PM PDT  Boko Haram fighters killed several people and destroyed dozens of homes in a raid on a town in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, local residents, a vigilante and the military said on Sunday. Scores of Islamist militants in trucks and on motorcycles stormed the town of Gubio, 95 kilometres (60 miles) by road north of the state capital, Maiduguri, on Saturday night. "Boko Haram invaded our town last night and killed many of our people and burnt more than half of the town," resident Babor Kachalla, who fled to Maiduguri following the attack, told AFP.
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| Nigeria in crisis as presidential handover looms: opposition Posted: 24 May 2015 02:42 PM PDT  Nigeria's opposition on Sunday accused outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan of leaving a country in crisis, as fuel shortages brought the nation to a standstill just days from Muhammadu Buhari's inauguration. Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) highlighted record lows in electricity production, multiple strikes and billions of dollars in unpaid debts, suggesting Jonathan's government was deliberately leaving the country in a mess. "Never in the history of our country has any government handed over to another a more distressed country," APC spokesman Lai Mohammed said in an emailed statement.
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| Hull relegated, Newcastle survives on final day of season Posted: 24 May 2015 02:32 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Hull was relegated and Newcastle ensured its survival as the Premier League season ended with a series of farewells on Sunday.
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| FC Krasnodar pushes for Champions League spot Posted: 24 May 2015 02:25 PM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — FC Krasnodar boosted its bid to qualify for the Champions League for the first time with a 2-1 home win over FC Rostov on Sunday. |
| FRENCH OPEN LOOKAHEAD: American teen Tiafoe makes Slam debut Posted: 24 May 2015 02:23 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — When Frances Tiafoe steps on Court 5 at the French Open for his Grand Slam main-draw debut Monday, he'll be the first 17-year-old American man to play in the clay-court tournament since 1989, when a couple of guys named Pete Sampras and Michael Chang did it.
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| Chelsea ends title-winning season with victory Posted: 24 May 2015 02:14 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Before raising the Premier League trophy aloft, Chelsea's players first decided to lift something just as precious: striker Didier Drogba.
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| Falcao returns to Monaco after disappointing spell at United Posted: 24 May 2015 02:12 PM PDT  MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United sent Radamel Falcao back to Monaco on Sunday after a disappointing season-long loan in which the Colombia international failed to show the predatory instincts that once made him one of the world's top strikers.
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| Audiard's 'Dheepan' wins Palme d'Or in upset Cannes finale Posted: 24 May 2015 01:57 PM PDT  CANNES, France (AP) — The 68th Cannes Film Festival was brought to a surprising close Sunday with Jacques Audiard's Sri Lankan refugee drama taking the festival's coveted top honor, the Palme d'Or.
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| UN peace talks on Yemen postponed: official Posted: 24 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT  United Nations-brokered talks designed to return peace to war-torn Yemen have been postponed, a UN official told AFP on Sunday, just four days before they were due to begin in Geneva. On Saturday, Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi laid out his exiled government's demands to attend the conference, including the withdrawal of Shiite rebels from territory they have seized. Hadi had said he was in favor of Thursday's now-postponed talks but insisted the United Nations press the Huthis to pull back from regions they captured across Yemen, according to the official Saba news agency.
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| Nishikori off to strong start at French Open Posted: 24 May 2015 01:52 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan eased into the second round of the French Open on Sunday, beating French wild-card Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
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| Walsh Jennings, Ross run AVP Tour winning streak to 8 Posted: 24 May 2015 01:37 PM PDT KENNER, La. (AP) — Three-time Olympic champion Kerri Walsh Jennings and silver medalist April Ross won the season-opening New Orleans Open on Sunday to extend their AVP Tour winning streak to eight events. |
| US says Iraqi forces lack will to fight IS Posted: 24 May 2015 01:33 PM PDT  Washington on Sunday accused Iraqi forces of lacking the will to fight the Islamic State group, which scored a resounding victory a week earlier with the capture of Ramadi. The jihadists had appeared on the back foot in Iraq in recent months but twin offensives on Ramadi and on the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra have swung the momentum. The loss of Ramadi, capital of Iraq's largest province of Anbar, raised questions over the strategy adopted not only by Baghdad but also by Washington to tackle IS.
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