| Obama: faster progress needed against Islamic State Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:42 AM PST  U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday progress needs to speed up against Islamic State militants, calling on allies to increase their military contributions to coalition efforts to destroy the group in Iraq and Syria. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Obama said he was sending Defense Secretary Ash Carter to the Middle East to secure more military help from partner nations in the fight against the group. "This continues to be a difficult fight," Obama said.
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| Exclusive: Another U.S. patrol in South China Sea unlikely this year - officials Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:55 PM PST  By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy is unlikely to carry out another patrol within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-built islands in the South China Sea this year as officials had initially suggested, three U.S. defense officials said on Monday. Naval commanders had hoped to carry out another "freedom of navigation" exercise in the region as early as December as part of a plan to regularly send vessels into the area and exercise what the United States views as its rights under international law, officials have said. One official said the next U.S. Navy sail-by was likely to come in January, in what would be the second direct challenge to the territorial limits China effectively claims around seven artificial islands in one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
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| Kerry to explore Assad's future, Syria peace process in Kremlin talks Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:37 PM PST  By Lesley Wroughton PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will use talks in Moscow on Tuesday to try and narrow differences with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in any political transition, a senior State Department official said on Monday. Kerry will seek to prepare the ground for a third round of talks of world powers on Syria amid doubts over whether a meeting penciled in for Friday in New York will go ahead. Russia's Foreign Ministry said late on Monday that Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed in a phone call on the need for specific preconditions to be met before any new meeting, throwing the timing into doubt.
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| Tepid pro-impeachment rallies give Brazil's president respite Posted: 14 Dec 2015 12:51 PM PST  By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Low turnout at pro-impeachment rallies on Sunday provided some respite for President Dilma Rousseff but the real test of the popular mood will come when Brazil returns from its summer holidays in March to face a deepening recession and fewer jobs. The tepid turnout at the weekend protests were a welcome break for the unpopular Rousseff ahead of crucial decisions in Congress and the Supreme Court this week that will decide the course of the proceedings against her. With the Catholic country winding down for Christmas, organizers said they had no time to rally people onto the streets after the proceedings against Rousseff were launched this month.
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| Puerto Rico governor says won't seek re-election Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:29 PM PST  By Nick Brown SAN JUAN (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's unpopular governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla on Monday said he would not seek a second four-year term in next November's election, as he turns his attention squarely to solving the island's $72 billion debt crisis. Garcia Padilla's administration is facing a federal corruption probe, and the governor's approval ratings have been dismal, making him a long-shot for reelection. "We are fighting with all our strength to restructure debt ... and to meet our duty to our people to generate economic development," Garcia Padilla said in Spanish, in a taped address televised and livestreamed on Monday afternoon.
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| Saudi Arabia announces 34-state Islamic military alliance against terrorism Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:24 PM PST By Noah Browning DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism, according to a joint statement published on state news agency SPA. "The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations center based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations," the statement said. A long list of Arab countries such as Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, together with Islamic countries Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and Gulf Arab and African states were mentioned. |
| Australia to add day-night round to 1st-class competition Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:55 PM PST MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Cricket Australia is continuing its push for more day-night test cricket, scheduling first-class matches under lights at three venues early next year. |
| Egypt's finding on Russian jet crash conflicts with others Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:34 PM PST  CAIRO (AP) — Egypt said Monday it has not yet found any sign of terrorism in the deadly Oct. 31 crash of a Russian passenger jet in the Sinai desert, a preliminary finding that conflicts with Russian, U.S. and British statements that they believed a bomb on the aircraft probably was to blame.
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| 'Betrayed' Mourinho turns on Chelsea players after loss Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:21 PM PST  LEICESTER, England (AP) — Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho turned on his players after the team's latest loss in its dreadful Premier League title defense, saying Monday he felt "betrayed" and accusing them of not trying their best.
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| Targeted prosecutions needed to end modern-day slavery scourge Posted: 14 Dec 2015 04:15 PM PST By Alex Whiting LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The might of the law is the best way to end modern day slavery, by bringing strategic cases to court that can change company practice or government policy, experts seeking to stamp out the problem in corporate supply chains said on Tuesday. Such strategic litigation was successfully used to help end the British slave trade 250 years ago, making slavery in Britain illegal. To help end slavery today, lawyers and NGOs must build an international network to use the law to punish and deter human traffickers, experts said. |
| Putin and other ex-KGB have 'gunslinger's gait,' says study Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:51 PM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin walks with a curious "gunslinger's gait" -- a reduced swing in his right arm which he may have acquired through KGB weapons training, an unusual study published Monday said. Specialists in analysing postures and movements that are potential signs of health disorders, they say they were struck by Putin's "distinct" way of walking. Video footage shows that when Putin walks, his left arm swings normally but his right arm barely moves.
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| Thai activists urge release of man detained over Facebook post Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:49 PM PST By Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai activists on Monday demanded the release of a man arrested for sharing an infographic on Facebook detailing alleged graft in an army-built park, saying plainclothes security officers took him by force. Since taking power in a military coup in May 2014, Thailand's ruling junta has issued directives that have largely stifled dissent, including barring political discussions and debate. On Sunday, a 25-year-old student, Thanet Anantawong, was taken from a hospital while he awaited an operation, said prominent anti-junta activist, Siriwat Serithiwat. |
| Half of Britons want to leave the EU: poll Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:42 PM PST  Half of British voters favour leaving the European Union, a new poll showed Monday, days before Prime Minister David Cameron travels to Brussels for talks aimed at keeping Britain within the bloc. The ICM poll for the Vote Leave campaign found that 50 percent of voters would choose so-called "Brexit" if undecided voters were excluded from the tally, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. The percentage of voters who want to leave the EU had long trailed the number who want to remain according to ICM polls, but the poll's findings also echo a November 24 survey by ORB International that showed 52 percent of Britons want to quit the 28-member bloc.
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| Presidents, prime ministers may age faster, die sooner Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:42 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Leading a country comes with extraordinary privileges but also, apparently, a price: new research suggests that heads of state age faster than normal and that the stress of the job may shave almost three years off their life expectancy.
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| Elected leaders die younger, says study Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:39 PM PST  Politicians may achieve a lifelong dream of becoming a prime minister or president, but in doing so may face the Grim Reaper somewhat sooner than the expected. In Britain and other parliamentary democracies, the researchers looked at politicians who served as party leaders at the time of their election to the legislature.
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| Government says convicted spy's information still top secret Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:39 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Most of the information convicted spy Jonathan Pollard had and passed along to Israel 30 years ago remains top secret and could gravely harm national security, a federal lawyer said Monday.
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| Maryland man accused of trying to support Islamic militants Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:26 PM PST A Maryland man is in federal custody after being charged with trying to provide support to militants in the Islamic State group and receiving money allegedly intended for carrying out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, authorities said Monday. |
| Guinea's president sworn in for 2nd term Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:19 PM PST  CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Guinea's President Alpha Conde has been sworn in for a second five-year term in a ceremony under heavy military and police security.
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| Saudi-led coalition delays truce with Yemen rebels Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:18 PM PST  SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government said Monday that a planned truce with the country's Shiite rebels has been postponed for 12 hours.
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| US must do more to counter IS propaganda: top general Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:08 PM PST  America is coming up far short in its efforts to counter Islamic State propaganda, and the jihadists' messages often resonate with younger people, the US military's top general warned Monday. "I think we probably do get a C-minus or D in terms of doing it right now," General Joe Dunford told a national security forum in Washington. Dunford, whose official title is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said people in the West tend to overlook the power of IS on social media -- even as the jihadists' propaganda captures the imagination of some.
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| More misery for Mourinho as Leicester reclaim top spot Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:01 PM PST  Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez fired Leicester back to the top of the Premier League and extended Chelsea's miserable season with a 2-1 victory on Monday that heaped renewed pressure on Jose Mourinho. Mahrez created Vardy's 15th goal of the season with a wonderful cross on 34 minutes. Claudio Ranieri's side have lost just once all season and, although Chelsea substitute Loic Remy got one back in the closing stages, the hosts held on for a win that put them two points clear of second-placed Arsenal and condemned beleaguered Blues boss Mourinho to a ninth defeat in 16 league games.
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| Top Asian News 11:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:00 PM PST SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand (AP) — Every morning at 2 a.m., they heard a kick on the door and a threat: Get up or get beaten. For the next 16 hours, No. 31 and his wife stood in the factory that owned them with their aching hands in ice water. They ripped the guts, heads, tails and shells off shrimp bound for overseas markets, including grocery stores and all-you-can-eat buffets across the United States. After being sold to the Gig Peeling Factory, they were at the mercy of their Thai bosses, trapped with nearly 100 other Burmese migrants. Children worked alongside them, including a girl so tiny she had to stand on a stool to reach the peeling table. Some had been there for months, even years, getting little or no pay. Always, someone was watching. |
| AP report on slave-peeled shrimp spurs calls for boycott Posted: 14 Dec 2015 03:00 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. officials and human rights activists called on Americans to stop buying fish and shrimp tied to supply chains in Thailand, where The Associated Press has found slaves are forced to work in the seafood industry.
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| 'Hunger Games' tops box office for fourth straight week Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:49 PM PST  The final "Hunger Games" installment topped the North American box office for a fourth week with the monster of a whale from "In the Heart of the Sea" landing in second place. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2," the fourth and last movie in the blockbuster franchise that turned Jennifer Lawrence into a Hollywood megastar, earned $11.4 million in ticket sales, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said Monday. The big-budget film, which stars Chris Hemsworth and was directed by Ron Howard, reportedly cost $100 million to make but raked in only $11.0 million in its first weekend out.
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| Obama warns Islamic State leaders: 'You are next' Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:46 PM PST  US President Barack Obama voiced fresh determination to destroy the Islamic State on Monday, vowing to kill the group's leaders and win back territory in the Middle East. Sounding a notably more strident tone, Obama said that the United States and its allies were taking the fight to Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria, but admitted that progress needed to come faster. "We are hitting ISIL harder than ever," said Obama, in a second address following the seemingly Islamic State-influenced attack in San Bernardino, California that has raised questions about his strategy.
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| Leicester stuns stumbling Chelsea 2-1, top of Premier League Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:43 PM PST  LEICESTER, England (AP) — English football's most lethal double act propelled Leicester to a 2-1 win over stumbling champion Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday, with goals by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez keeping their team top of the standings.
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| Surfers bid farewell to 2 Australians killed in Mexico Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:39 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Surfers have gathered along Mexico's Pacific coast to bid farewell to two Australian surfers killed in November. |
| Yao, Shaq, Iverson could join Hall of Fame in 2016 Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:39 PM PST  Expected changes to the Basketball Hall of Fame election process could see Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson and China's Yao Ming among those inducted in 2016, according to an NBA website report on Monday. Citing unnamed sources, the report said the Basketball Hall of Fame changes will include reducing by one year the wait for eligibility for induction to the sporting shrine. The new plan would see eligibility after five calendar years rather than five NBA seasons and that would open the door early for several candidates that could be first ballot selections, notably Yao, O'Neal, Iverson as well as Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.
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| Official: Insufficient funds to host unaccompanied children Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:33 PM PST SAN ANTONIO (AP) — After a spike in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in the past two months, a top health official has voiced renewed concern that too little money will be available to house the children, risking another border crisis, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. |
| Puerto Rico governor announces he will not seek re-election Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:25 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The governor of Puerto Rico announced Monday that he will not seek a second four-year term leading this debt-swamped U.S. territory. |
| Trial of China rights lawyer lasts three hours, police block court access Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:20 PM PST  By Sui-Lee Wee BEIJING (Reuters) - The trial of one of China's most high profile human rights lawyers on charges of inciting ethnic hatred and provoking trouble lasted just three hours on Monday, with police blocking diplomats, foreign reporters and protesters from the court. Pu Zhiqiang, who has spent nearly 19 months in detention, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, according to one of his lawyers, Shang Baojun. As many as 11 diplomats from countries including the United States, Germany and France congregated near the Beijing courthouse seeking to observe the trial.
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| Olympians association opposes blanket ban on all Russians Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:17 PM PST MONACO (AP) — The global association of Olympic athletes says it's unfair that all Russia's track and field athletes have been banned from international competition because of allegations of state-sponsored doping. |
| Study documents sea lion brain damage due to algae's toxin Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:14 PM PST  By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A toxin produced by marine algae is inflicting brain damage on sea lions along California's coast, causing neurological and behavioral changes that can impair their ability to navigate in the sea and survive in the wild, scientists said on Monday. Brain scans on 30 California sea lions detected damage in the hippocampus, a brain structure associated with memory and spatial navigation, in animals naturally exposed to the toxin known as domoic acid, the researchers said.
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| Turkey relaunches EU bid as part of migrant deal Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:13 PM PST  Turkey and the European Union officially launched a new stage in Ankara's long-stalled membership bid on Monday as part of a deal aimed at tackling the migration crisis. Foreign ministers from the 28-member bloc approved a new "chapter", focusing on economic and monetary policy, of Turkey's decade-long accession process to join the EU. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the opening of the first new section for two years was "quite symbolic" and would help tackle issues such as migration and terrorism.
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| Serbia, EU launch accession talks Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:09 PM PST  EU hopeful Serbia and Brussels on Monday opened the first two of the 35 stages in negotiations for Belgrade to join the bloc. The conference on Monday evening saw the opening of two so-called chapters in membership talks: chapter 35 on Belgrade's normalisation of relations with its breakaway territory of Kosovo, and chapter 32 on financial control. Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and misery have crossed through Serbia, a key country in the so-called Balkan migrant route to northern and western Europe.
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| With both clubs struggling, Lazio and Sampdoria draw 1-1 Posted: 14 Dec 2015 02:01 PM PST  ROME (AP) — Lazio and Sampdoria exchanged late goals for a 1-1 draw in Serie A on Monday that did little for either side with both clubs struggling,
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| Nigerian media magnate facing graft charges granted bail Posted: 14 Dec 2015 01:58 PM PST  A Nigerian court on Monday granted conditional bail to the founder of the country's first private radio and television stations who is facing fraud and money laundering charges. The case is part of a wider probe into disputed arms deals under former president Goodluck Jonathan by the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari who took over in May. Raymond Dokpesi, head of Raypower FM and Africa Independent Television (AIT), was brought before a federal high court in Abuja last week on six charges of corruption.
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| Yemen truce to begin Tuesday along with Swiss talks Posted: 14 Dec 2015 01:51 PM PST  The Saudi-led coalition said Monday that a ceasefire in Yemen will begin the following morning instead of at midnight as earlier announced, as warring parties prepared for UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland. The coalition which launched an air campaign against Iran-backed rebels in March said the ceasefire will begin at 0900 GMT following a request by Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, but it warned that it "reserves the right to respond in case of any violation". Hadi has declared his government's intention to have a 7-day truce to coincide with talks opening in Switzerland and to be "renewed automatically if the other party commits to it," the statement said.
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