| First U.S.-trained Syria rebel believed killed in fighting: sources Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:12 PM PDT  By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A member of a new Syrian force trained by the U.S. military was believed to have been killed in clashes last week with al Qaeda's Syria wing, in what would be the fledgling force's first battlefield casualty, U.S. officials said on Monday. The U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss the incident, said the Syrian rebel was believed to have been killed during fighting on Friday with suspected members of Nusra Front. The Pentagon declined to comment, citing "operational security reasons." Friday's attack triggered the first U.S. air strikes to support the Syrian force.
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| Pro-Hadi fighters, Houthis battle over Yemen's largest military base Posted: 03 Aug 2015 07:30 AM PDT  Fighters loyal to Yemen's deposed president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, backed by Saudi-led air strikes, battled Houthi forces inside the country's largest military base on Monday, pro-Hadi commanders said. It would also mark another significant gain for the Hadi loyalists after they drove the Houthis from the southern port of Aden in July following months on the defensive. Hadi remains in Saudi Arabia, to where he fled in March as the Houthis closed in on his refuge in Aden.
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| Special Report: State Department watered down human trafficking report Posted: 03 Aug 2015 12:19 PM PDT  By Jason Szep and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the weeks leading up to a critical annual U.S. report on human trafficking that publicly shames the world's worst offenders, human rights experts at the State Department concluded that trafficking conditions hadn't improved in Malaysia and Cuba. The State Department's senior political staff saw it differently — and they prevailed. A Reuters examination, based on interviews with more than a dozen sources in Washington and foreign capitals, shows that the government office set up to independently grade global efforts to fight human trafficking was repeatedly overruled by senior American diplomats and pressured into inflating assessments of 14 strategically important countries in this year's Trafficking in Persons report.
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| Russia's Lavrov meets Hamas chief, invites him to Moscow: official Posted: 03 Aug 2015 07:57 AM PDT  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Qatar on Monday and invited him to visit Moscow, a Hamas official said, extending a diplomatic welcome to the Palestinian group shunned by the West. Meshaal, who is based in Doha, last traveled to Moscow in 2010, four years after his first official visit to the Russian capital. In a statement released in Gaza, the Hamas official said a delegation led by Meshaal briefed Lavrov on conditions in the Gaza Strip, which the Islamist movement rules, in the aftermath of last summer's war with Israel.
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| We want Iran cooperation, not meddling, Gulf Arabs tell Kerry Posted: 03 Aug 2015 05:05 AM PDT  By David Brunnstrom and Noah Browning DOHA (Reuters) - Iran's nuclear deal should bring stability and "good neighborliness" rather than interference, Gulf Arab states told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday as they began talks on the merits of its historic accord with world powers. Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah, welcoming Kerry to Qatar for the talks with the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said the alliance wanted to spare the region "from any dangers and threats from nuclear weapons". This should be done by authorizing the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in line with international rules, he said, speaking for the GCC as host of the meeting.
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| Barnacles on debris could provide clues to missing MH370: experts Posted: 03 Aug 2015 01:24 AM PDT  By Swati Pandey SYDNEY (Reuters) - Barnacles encrusted on a piece of plane debris that washed up on the French island of Reunion might help unravel the mystery of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared last year with 239 passengers and crew on board. Malaysia said on Sunday the piece of debris, a 2-2.5 meter (6.5-8 feet) wing surface known as flaperon, had been identified as being from a Boeing 777, the same model as the missing Malaysian plane. Based on photographs, ecologists in Australia believe the crustaceans clinging to the wing piece are goose or stalk barnacles.
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| Firefighters battle blazes across California Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:57 PM PDT  Thousands of firefighters battled Monday to contain wildfires in California that have forced the evacuation of thousands of homes and burned more than 121,000 acres of land. More than 13,000 people have been forced to flee homes threatened by Rocky, CALFIRE spokeswoman Alisha Herring said. "It's the Rocky Fire that continues to really be a fast-moving fire that definitely continue toss challenge us today," CALFIRE spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
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| Former British PM caught up in child sex abuse claim Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:56 PM PDT  A former prime minister was drawn into the complex web of historic child sex abuse allegations in Britain Monday, when the police watchdog announced an investigation involving 1970s leader Edward Heath. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it would investigate a claim from a retired policeman that prosecution of a person accused of child sex abuse in the 1990s was dropped when they threatened to expose Heath, who died in 2005. Police appealed for anyone with information about the former Conservative leader, who was prime minister from 1970 to 1974 and led Britain into the European Economic Community.
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| Andy Murray returns to DC tournament for 1st time since 2006 Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:52 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Andy Murray is back on hard courts for the first time in four months — and back at the Citi Open for the first time in nine years.
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| Green energy sees secure future from Obama's climate plan Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:49 PM PDT Solar and wind energy in the United States is likely to have a secure future thanks to President Barack Obama's plan to cut carbon emissions by forcing utilities to use renewable sources to produce electricity, the industry said on Monday. With its 2030 deadline, Obama's Clean Power Plan offers a degree of stability over the next 15 years to renewable energy companies which have historically relied on more precarious state and federal subsidies to drive growth. "The manufacturers will keep investing if we can look forward and say over the next five-plus years we're going to see continued demand for this product," said Mike Garland, chief executive of Pattern Energy Group Inc, which owns 16 wind farms in the United States, Canada and Chile. |
| Special Olympics athlete found after disappearing from LAX Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:49 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — An autistic teenage Special Olympics athlete who vanished from Los Angeles International Airport was found Monday afternoon, hours after another missing competitor turned up safe in Northern California.
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| Building cranes topple onto houses in Netherlands Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:49 PM PDT  Two large building cranes working on a bridge upgrade in the Netherlands fell over and toppled onto nearby houses and shops on Monday, in a dramatic moment that was captured on camera but caused no major injuries. Local authorities in the western town of Alphen aan den Rijn said there were no victims in the incident, while local media reported that one man had been plucked from the rubble complaining of hip pain. Initially, firefighters had said about 20 people had been wounded, a figure they later retracted.
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| Oil prices slide as worries about global supply glut mount Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:47 PM PDT  The slump in oil prices deepened Monday, pulling down the price of U.S. crude to the lowest level in more than four months.
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| Venezuela first lady runs for congress; spouse's foe blocked Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:40 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's first lady will run for congress while an opposition leader has been formally barred from the contest.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:33 PM PDT BAGO, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi visited one of the country's many flood-afflicted areas Monday, raising her profile during a national disaster that has killed at least 46 people and could affect this November's general election. Over the weekend President Thein Sein visited the areas in central Myanmar hit hardest by flooding from almost continuous rains since mid-July. On Friday, he declared four areas of the country disaster zones, but only after he had come under a barrage of criticism in the press and on social media for failing to quickly mobilize relief. |
| 24 Cuban migrants land in Key West Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:31 PM PDT MIAMI (AP) — Authorities say 24 Cuban migrants have landed in the Florida Keys. |
| Mourning, outcry after Mexico journalist's killing Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:30 PM PDT  Family, friends and colleagues held an emotionally charged funeral service Monday for Mexican photojournalist Ruben Espinosa after he was brutally killed in a multiple homicide. Around 50 people, as well as Espinosa's dog Cosmos, held a vigil for the 31-year-old before laying him to rest in a Mexico City cemetery. Fellow journalists threw their cameras in the air at his grave site, where a sign placed by his tombstone read: "You were our eyes.
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| Sudan says Bashir plans to speak at U.N. summit in New York Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:27 PM PDT  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes and genocide charges, is planning to travel to New York in September to speak at the United Nations, Sudan's deputy U.N. envoy said on Monday. A provisional U.N. agenda for a sustainable development summit lists the Sudanese head of state as scheduled to speak on Sept. 26. The summit is due to formally adopt a plan for the world's sustainable development over the next 15 years.
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| Japan's Nishikori says left calf is 'feeling pretty well' Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:24 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Kei Nishikori says his injured left calf is healed after taking time off following Wimbledon.
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| Burundi rights activist shot and wounded in the capital Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:22 PM PDT BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — A leading rights activist in Burundi was shot and wounded late Monday by unknown assailants in the capital, Bujumbura, a civic leader said. |
| Puerto Rico confirms it failed to make $58M debt payment Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:21 PM PDT  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The government of Puerto Rico confirmed Monday that it failed to make a $58 million debt payment in a significant escalation of the debt crisis facing the U.S. island territory.
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| California water officials seek penalties in Santa Barbara oil spill Posted: 03 Aug 2015 04:00 PM PDT  By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California water quality regulators have asked state Attorney General Kamala Harris to consider enforcement action against the owner of an oil pipeline that ruptured near Santa Barbara in May, spilling petroleum onto beaches and the Pacific Ocean. The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board said on Monday that it had referred the incident near Refugio State Beach to the state's top prosecutor, who under the law could seek penalties of up to $25,000 per day of violation, plus $25 for every gallon of oil spilled. "The Water Board will work closely with the Attorney General's office to make sure all those responsible for the Refugio spill face the strongest enforcement measures allowed by law," Board Chair Jean-Pierre Wolff said in a news release.
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| Whale appears alongside yachts in luxury Argentine area Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:51 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A whale appeared in the marina of one of Buenos Aires' most exclusive neighborhoods Monday, periodically surfacing alongside luxury yachts while hundreds of onlookers tried to capture the moment with smartphones.
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| Over 550 migrants rescued off Italy, five found dead: MSF Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:40 PM PDT  More than 550 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean arrived in Sicily on Monday aboard a ship operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which also carried the bodies of five people who died at sea. The migrants who were brought to safety in Palermo had been travelling on several different boats and were rescued over the weekend, the aid group said.
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| The demise of hitchBOT: 'Bad things happen to good robots' Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:39 PM PDT  Envisioned as a social experiment to see if its kind could trust humans, the talking humanoid got its answer -- sadly -- when it was found dismantled and left for dead in Philadelphia. "If we get the OK from the creators to repair or replace the needed parts for hitchBOT, we'll be happy to do so," it said on its blog.
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| UK government announces new steps against illegal immigrants Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:31 PM PDT  Britain's government promised new measures Monday to crack down on illegal immigrants by making landlords evict them, as the Calais migrants crisis continued to dominate the headlines. Landlords in England who do not remove people with no right to remain in Britain, or do not check their immigration status before renting them a property, could be jailed for up to five years. In addition, 100 more guards are to be placed on duty at the terminal in Calais, while UK Border Force officials are to begin working inside the control room of the cross-channel Eurotunnel from Monday.
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| Kosovo votes for new war crimes court Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:29 PM PDT  By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's parliament voted to change the constitution on Monday and create a war crimes court, which the West wants to try ethnic Albanian former guerrillas for alleged war crimes including organ harvesting. The vote was held just one month after parliament first tried to approve the creation of the court, seen by many Kosovo Albanians as an attempt to tarnish their 1998-99 guerrilla war against Serbian rule. The now-disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which counts among its former ranks much of Kosovo's current political elite, has been dogged for years by allegations it removed organs from ethnic Serb captives, who were then killed and their organs sold on the black market.
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| Dominican truckers block border crossings into Haiti Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:23 PM PDT SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The main truckers union in the Dominican Republic on Monday blocked transport of all freight through border crossings into neighboring Haiti, citing concerns about their safety. |
| Pope to lead Havana mass next to Che Guevara portrait Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:22 PM PDT  Workers in Cuba have begun building the altar where Pope Francis will deliver mass during a landmark visit next month, placing it just to the left of a giant image of Che Guevara. Francis, who hails from Argentina like the famous revolutionary, will visit Cuba September 19 to 22 as part of a tour that will later take him to the United States. The 36-meter (118-foot) work is based on an iconic 1960 photo of Guevara by Alberto Korda that has also been reproduced on T-shirts and posters worldwide.
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| Ethiopia hands lengthy prison terms to Muslim activists Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:19 PM PDT By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An Ethiopian court sentenced 17 Muslim activists on Monday to prison sentences ranging from seven to 22 years on charges they plotted to create an Islamic state in the majority Christian country. The defendants, who all denied the charges, were arrested in 2012 on charges of plotting to stage attacks to create an Islamic state in Ethiopia, which has a sizable Muslim minority. The sentencing comes as Ethiopia faces increasing scrutiny from human rights groups that have regularly accused it of arresting activists, journalists and bloggers to stamp out dissent. |
| Venezuela opposition figure Machado barred from vote Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:18 PM PDT  Venezuelan opposition politician Maria Corina Machado said Monday officials refused to register her as a candidate for the country's December legislative elections after she was controversially banned from public office. Machado, one of the leaders of anti-government protests that shook Venezuela last year, was notified by leftist President Nicolas Maduro's government on July 13 that she was banned from holding public office for one year.
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| Trillions of dollars needed for UN anti-poverty plan Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:14 PM PDT  The United Nations is hoping to raise between $3.5 and $5 trillion annually for the next 15 years to fund a bold new anti-poverty agenda billed Monday as a "to-do list" for the world. The UN's 193 member-states agreed on a draft plan for the sustainable development goals at the weekend and world leaders are set to endorse them at a summit in New York on September 25 to 27.
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| Greek stock market suffers record drop as shutdown ends Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:12 PM PDT  Greece's stock exchange suffered its steepest-ever fall on Monday, plunging more than 16 percent as trading resumed after a five-week shutdown triggered by the country's debt crisis. Bank shares were particularly hard-hit, sinking some 30 percent after the Athens bourse opened for the first time since the government imposed capital controls to prevent a bank run and stave off financial collapse at the height of its standoff with EU-IMF creditors over a new bailout. The ATHEX index ended the day a record 16.32 lower to 668.06 points, its worst drop in nearly 30 years, highlighting investors' ongoing anxiety about the Greek economy even after a new rescue deal was agreed last month.
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| Misery deepens for those in Puerto Rico who can't leave Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:05 PM PDT  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Most tables are empty at Walter Martin's coffee shop in San Juan's colonial district. His brow is furrowed with concern and glistens with sweat in the sweltering Caribbean morning.
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| Libya warns against diseases in Benghazi as meat rots in closed port Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:03 PM PDT By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan authorities warned on Monday that diseases might break out in the eastern city of Benghazi due to imported meat left rotting for months in containers at the city's closed commercial port. Libya's second-largest city has been a war zone for over a year with forces loyal to the official government based in the east fighting Islamist groups, part of chaos in the oil producer four years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi. Imported meat, vegetables and dairy products have been stored in containers in the port since it closed in November when fighting reached the central area. |
| Libya investigates video of guards beating jailed Gaddafi son Posted: 03 Aug 2015 03:02 PM PDT By Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's state prosecutor is seeking to identify guards shown in a video apparently beating a son of Muammar Gaddafi held in a Tripoli prison, his office said on Monday. The video was posted a week after a Tripoli court sentenced another of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam, and eight former regime officials to death over crimes during the 2011 uprising that toppled his father, who was later captured and killed by rebels. The video appears to show guards goading and beating Saadi Gaddafi, 42, who was extradited to Libya by Niger last year. |
| Russell continues her comeback on Lady Vols' tour of Italy Posted: 03 Aug 2015 02:59 PM PDT  Tennessee center Mercedes Russell finally gets to play with her Lady Vols teammates again this week as she continues her comeback from foot surgeries.
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| Stronger Nishikori seeks return to US Open final Posted: 03 Aug 2015 02:50 PM PDT  Japan's fifth-ranked Kei Nishikori made history by reaching last year's US Open final and he feels stronger, smarter and more confident as he begins the quest to repeat the feat. Nishikori opens his hardcourt run to this year's Flushing Meadows fortnight with a first-round match Tuesday against 95th-ranked Australian James Duckworth at the ATP Washington Open. Nishikori beat top-six rivals Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka in five sets and then ousted top-ranked Novak Djokovic to reach last year's US Open final, becoming the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final.
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| Brazilian universities to help with dirty water cleanup Posted: 03 Aug 2015 02:49 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao signed a deal Monday with several Brazilian universities and research institutes to develop a plan for cleaning up the polluted waters of the city's sewage-strewn Guanabara Bay, where Olympic sailing events will be held.
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