| EU gets one million migrants in 2015, smugglers seen making $1 billion Posted: 22 Dec 2015 09:43 AM PST  By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - More than 1 million refugees and migrants came to the European Union this year, while almost 3,700 died or went missing in perilous journeys which reaped huge profit for smugglers, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday. "This is three to four times as many migrants and refugees coming north as we had in 2014, and the deaths have already far surpassed the deaths last year," IOM chief William Lacy Swing told Reuters. Another 20 percent were Afghans, and 7 percent were Iraqis, IOM and the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said in a joint statement.
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| Amnesty: Russian bombing of Syria may be a war crime Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:06 PM PST  Russia's bombing of Syria may amount to a war crime because of the number of civilians its strikes have killed, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, presenting what it said was evidence that the air raids had violated humanitarian law. "Russian air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and caused massive destruction in residential areas, striking homes, a mosque and a busy market, as well as medical facilities, in...attacks that show evidence of violations of international humanitarian law," Amnesty said in a new report.
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| Turkish tanks pound Kurdish militants in week-long military campaign Posted: 22 Dec 2015 12:12 PM PST  By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish tanks on Tuesday pounded Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in Cizre, a southeastern town at the heart of a military operation that the army said has killed 127 Kurdish militants in a week. Black smoke rose from buildings in the town after shelling from hilltops and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said at least 23 civilians had been killed in the violence. A 16-year-old boy was killed in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the region, from a gunshot wound to the chest during protests against the curfews, security sources said.
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| Identities revealed for all six U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan attack Posted: 22 Dec 2015 11:22 AM PST  By Barbara Goldberg NEW YORK (Reuters) - A female officer in the Air Force, who was one of the first openly gay service members to get married, was identified on Tuesday as being among six U.S. troops killed by a suicide bomber near Bagram air base in Afghanistan. Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen is the first openly gay woman to be killed in action, the Daily Beast news website reported, citing a Department of Defense official. Six American troops, including Vorderbruggen, were killed Monday when a suicide bomber on a motorbike struck their patrol in the deadliest attack on U.S. forces this year.
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| Iraqi troops storm into center of Islamic State-held Ramadi Posted: 22 Dec 2015 08:04 AM PST  "Our forces are advancing toward the government complex in the center of Ramadi," the counter-terrorism units' spokesman Sabah al-Numani said. "The fighting is in the neighborhoods around the complex, with support from the air force."Iraqi intelligence estimates the number of Islamic State fighters entrenched in the center of Ramadi, capital of Western Anbar province, at between 250 and 300.
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| U.S. imposes Ukraine-related sanctions on 34 individuals, entities Posted: 22 Dec 2015 11:08 AM PST  The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 34 individuals and entities as part of its efforts to pressure Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, the U.S. Treasury Department said. "Today's steps support the U.S. commitment to seek a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine by maintaining our sanctions on Russia," the Treasury said in a statement. The U.S. sanctions would not begin to roll back until Russia fully implements its commitments under the Minsk peace agreement, "including the return to Ukraine of control of its side of the international border with Russia," it added.
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| British troops deploy to Afghan province amid Taliban battle Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:35 PM PST  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — When Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani took office, it ushered in a period of hope for the country's traumatized people that decades of violence would soon end. But just one year later, a mood of crisis prevails: British troops are being sent to help the army maintain control of a strategically important district and many Afghans believe the Taliban are winning.
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| Greek Parliament legalizes same-sex civil partnerships Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:29 PM PST  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's parliament has approved legislation legalizing civil partnerships for gay couples, two years after the country was condemned by a European Court for discrimination.
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| Naval base a terror target as two arrested in Australia operation Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:23 PM PST  Two men were arrested on Wednesday during a counter-terrorism operation in Sydney, with a key Australian naval base among locations they were allegedly targeting, police said. Following the latest raids, a 24-year-old faces charges of making a document likely to facilitate a terrorist attack and another man, 20, with conspiracy to "do an act in preparation to commit a terrorist act". New South Wales police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said the latest arrests related to evidence gathered late last year when 15 people were taken into custody and an alleged plan to kidnap and behead a member of the public was uncovered.
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| Rights watchdog accuses Russia of civilian killings in Syria Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:19 PM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — A human rights watchdog on Wednesday accused Russia of using cluster munitions and unguided bombs on civilian areas in Syria in attacks that it says have killed hundreds of people in the past few months.
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| Russian raids in Syria may include war crimes: Amnesty Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:16 PM PST  Amnesty International said on Wednesday Russian air raids have killed hundreds of civilians in Syria, many in targeted strikes that could constitute war crimes, since beginning nearly three months ago. Some attacks "appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking residential areas with no evident military target and even medical facilities, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians", Amnesty Middle East and North Africa director Philip Luther said in a statement. The London-based rights group said there is "evidence suggesting that Russian authorities may have lied to cover up civilian damage to a mosque from one air strike and a field hospital in another".
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| Human rights group blasts Colombia peace talks Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:13 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Human Rights Watch on Tuesday harshly criticized an agreement between Colombia's government and leftist rebels on judging war crimes committed during the country's long conflict, saying it sacrifices victims' rights to justice and guarantees impunity. |
| Turing cuts jobs, looking for new CEO after Shkreli left Posted: 22 Dec 2015 04:06 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Turing Pharmaceuticals, the company formerly led by pharma bad boy Martin Shkreli, says it has cut jobs, "realigned its business priorities" and is looking for a new permanent CEO. |
| Polish lawmakers pass contested law on constitutional court Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:58 PM PST  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's parliament passed contested new legislation on Tuesday that regulates the Constitutional Tribunal, something critics say will paralyze the court and make it unable to act as a check on the power of the country's new right-wing government.
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| Ex-All Black Alama Ieremia appointed Samoa coach Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:51 PM PST WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Former All Blacks center Alama Ieremia has been appointed coach of Samoa, replacing Stephen Betham who resigned after this year's Rugby World Cup. |
| One million migrants reach Europe in 2015: UN Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:49 PM PST  More than one million migrants and refugees reached Europe this year, including over 970,000 who made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday. About half were Syrians fleeing the country's brutal civil war, according to the new figures released by the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration. "The number of people displaced by war and conflict is the highest seen in Western and Central Europe since the 1990s," the UNHCR said, referring to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia that decade.
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| Venezuela leftists challenge election of 22 opposition lawmakers Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:46 PM PST  The opposition coalition MUD won a resounding victory in the December 6 legislative vote, ending 16 years of leftist majority in the oil-rich but troubled nation. Jesus Torrealba, spokesman for the MUD, told a press conference that Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) had filed a challenge against 22 incoming deputies before the Supreme Court. "These are not representatives of the MUD, they are representatives of the people," Torrealba said of the lawmakers targeted.
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| Colombia legalizes medical marijuana Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:40 PM PST  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos signed a decree Tuesday legalizing and regulating medical marijuana, the latest softening of the country's hardline tactics in the war on drugs. "This decree allows licenses to be granted for the possession of seeds, cannabis plants and marijuana," he said from the presidential palace. Colombia's government has long been a close ally of the United States in fighting international drug trafficking, using its military and billions of dollars in US funding to try to shed its title as the world's largest cocaine producer.
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| Chinese naval hospital makes first stop in South America Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:32 PM PST  LIMA, Peru (AP) — A Chinese naval hospital ship is making a first-ever call at a South American port in a sign of the Asian economic giant's growing influence in the resource-rich region.
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| French forces kill or capture 'about 10' jihadists in Mali Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:17 PM PST  French forces killed or captured around 10 members of a jihadist movement in heavy fighting at the weekend in northern Mali, the French defence ministry said Tuesday. The statement said Al-Murabitoun had been "responsible for many attacks on civilians of Mali and Niger, as well as local army forces and international forces". Al-Murabitoun was formed in 2013 by the merger of the Signatories in Blood group led by Al-Qaeda-linked Mokhtar Belmokhtar and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), which has been highly active in the Gao region of northern Mali.
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| UN renews attempt to get aid into Syria Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:09 PM PST  The UN Security Council Tuesday renewed a resolution facilitating the cross-border delivery of aid to millions of Syrians, while complaining previous such measures were not seen through on the ground. The resolution extends authorization for UN humanitarian convoys to cross into Syria without the consent of the Damascus regime, in line with a previous text adopted in July 2014 and due to expire in January. The document said the Security Council was "gravely concerned at the lack of effective implementation of its resolutions" calling for greater facilitation of aid deliveries.
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| Trump under fire for sexism after vulgar Clinton jibes Posted: 22 Dec 2015 03:00 PM PST  Republican frontrunner Donald Trump found himself accused of sexism again Tuesday after he coined a vulgar new term of abuse while attacking rival Hillary Clinton. Whipping up a raucous crowd of supporters in Michigan on Monday night, Trump's scorn for his Democratic rival took a sexually graphic and personal turn. Recalling the 2008 presidential race, in which Hillary lost out to Barack Obama in the battle for the Democratic nomination, the billionaire real estate mogul appeared to reach for a Yiddish term.
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| Campaign takes off in C. Africa as 30 vie for president Posted: 22 Dec 2015 02:52 PM PST  Campaigning kicked off in earnest on Tuesday in the Central African Republic, where no fewer than 30 candidates are running for president. The long-delayed presidential and parliamentary polls set for Sunday are aimed at ending more than two years of sectarian conflict. The result cleared the way for Sunday's polls to turn the page on the conflict that erupted after a mainly Muslim rebellion overthrew longtime Christian leader Francois Bozize in 2013.
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| Puerto Rico official accused of stealing from robbery victim Posted: 22 Dec 2015 02:47 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A supervisor at Puerto Rico's Institute of Forensic Sciences who was investigating the killing of a 70-year-old man during a home robbery has been accused of trying to steal more than $3,000 from the victim. |
| Ohio man gets 25 years for role in credit union's collapse Posted: 22 Dec 2015 02:13 PM PST CLEVELAND (AP) — A northeastern Ohio man was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in federal prison for obtaining nearly $11 million in fraudulent loans that authorities said helped cause one of the biggest credit union failures in U.S. history. |
| USVI signs deal with Royal Caribbean to boost tourism Posted: 22 Dec 2015 02:12 PM PST CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — The U.S. Virgin Islands has signed a 10-year deal with the world's second largest cruise line to help boost tourism and generate revenue. |
| Brazil antitrust body probes 21 companies in Petrobras case Posted: 22 Dec 2015 02:10 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's antitrust body has opened investigations into 21 companies and 59 executives for an alleged contract-fixing cartel operating at state-run oil giant Petrobras. The agency says contracts totaling about $9 billion are under suspicion. |
| After Paris accord, most U.S. Republicans back action on climate Posted: 22 Dec 2015 02:09 PM PST  By Megan Cassella WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of U.S. Republicans who had heard of the international climate deal in Paris said they support working with other countries to curb global warming and were willing to take steps to do so, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday. The desire for action is notable for an issue that has barely made a ripple on the campaign trail among 2016 Republican presidential candidates. Few of the Republican White House contenders have said much at all about the United Nations summit in Paris this month, though Democratic candidates, such as Hillary Clinton, have welcomed it.
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| How the Dow Jones industrial average fared on Tuesday Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:57 PM PST Stocks rose for a second day on Tuesday, helped by a stabilization in crude oil prices. Chipotle Mexican Grill fell on more worries about the safety of its food. |
| UN envoy warns Yemen peace plan fragile Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:50 PM PST  The United Nations special envoy for the conflict in Yemen warned UN ambassadors on Tuesday that a fledgling peace process was hanging by a thread. At the weekend Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Iran-backed Huthi rebel's wound up peace talks in Switzerland without a breakthrough. Ahmed called for a stronger ceasefire agreement and urged UN member states to support his efforts to mediate a dialogue in the run-up to renewed talks next month.
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| Top Asian News 9:35 p.m. GMT Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:36 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — When Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani took office, it ushered in a period of hope for the country's traumatized people that decades of violence would soon end. But just one year later, a mood of crisis prevails: British troops are being sent to help the army maintain control of a strategically important district and many Afghans believe the Taliban are winning. The announcement that British soldiers are being dispatched to Helmand Province came hours after a Taliban suicide bomber killed six U.S. troops near a major military base in the deadliest single attack on American troops in the country since 2013. |
| Amnesty International: Burundi rights abuses must be probed Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:32 PM PST  BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — A human rights group says independent experts should investigate Burundi's forces for alleged human rights violations, including extra-judicial executions, rape and looting in the unrest over President Pierre Nkurunziza's extended tenure.
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| Hoping for an average U.S. winter? Forget it Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:26 PM PST As one of the warmest U.S. winters moves into the new year, nothing will change the pattern unless the polar vortex unexpectedly invades the country from the Arctic, meteorologists said. Last year the fast moving current of air encircling the Arctic, called the polar vortex, moved down from Canada, causing the coldest U.S. winter in at least 35 years. Instead, Thomson Reuters Analytics forecasts suggest the United States will have the second warmest first quarter in a decade due to the strong El Niño weather pattern. |
| Charles Hill hired by MLB to head Europe efforts Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:25 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Charles Hill has been hired by Major League Baseball International as managing director of Major League Baseball Europe, Middle East and Africa. |
| Rohr steps down as Burkina Faso coach Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:16 PM PST  Gernot Rohr has announced his departure from his role as coach of Burkina Faso via Facebook, the country's football federation (FBF) said on Tuesday. The 62-year-old German was only appointed coach of the Stallions in February this year following their disappointing showing at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, when they were eliminated in the group stage under the Belgian Paul Put.
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| Hirscher nearly hit by falling drone; Kristoffersen wins Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:13 PM PST  MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy (AP) — A drone crash near four-time defending overall champion Marcel Hirscher marred a World Cup slalom ski race that Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway won by a massive 1.25-second margin on Tuesday.
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| Sudan human rights situation 'deteriorating': top lawyer Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:01 PM PST  Human rights in Sudan are deteriorating despite efforts by President Omar al-Bashir to hold talks with his opponents on the country's many problems, a top lawyer told AFP on Tuesday. Bashir -- wanted by the International Criminal Court over war crimes charges in the Darfur region -- may have launched a national dialogue, but tight press and political freedoms remain in place, human rights lawyer Nabil Adib said. Bashir announced the talks in January 2014 in a bid to resolve the conflicts on Sudan's border regions and its faltering economy.
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| Son of ex-IAAF chief Diack ready to testify: report Posted: 22 Dec 2015 01:01 PM PST  Papa Massata Diack, the son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack, denied Tuesday any involvement in bribery or corruption and refuted claims he helped finance Senegalese president Macky Sall's election campaign in 2012. Papa Diack, a former marketing consultant with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said he was ready to "give evidence, but in Senegal". "I'm in Senegal, where it's (possible) to send a letter of request.
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| Croatian conservatives secure majority to form government Posted: 22 Dec 2015 12:54 PM PST  Croatia's main opposition conservatives and a small party that emerged as a kingmaker in last month's election have secured the parliamentary majority needed to form a government, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said Tuesday. Members of the Patriotic Coalition, led by the main opposition conservative HDZ, and the smaller Most party "informed me that they enjoy the support of a majority, or 78 deputies" in the 151-seat assembly, Grabar-Kitarovic told reporters. "By Wednesday evening either we will have a PM-designate or I will name a temporary government and call early parliamentary elections," Grabar-Kitarovic said.
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