| Islamic State shows burning of hostage, Jordan vows 'earth-shaking' response Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:10 PM PST  By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Islamic State militants released a video on Tuesday appearing to show a captured Jordanian pilot being burnt alive in a cage, a killing that shocked the world and prompted Jordan to promise an "earth-shaking" response. A Jordanian official said the authorities would swiftly execute several militants in retaliation, including an Iraqi woman whom Amman had sought to swap for the pilot taken captive after his plane crashed in Syria in December. Reuters could not immediately confirm the content of the video, which showed a man resembling airman Mouath al-Kasaesbeh standing in a small black cage before being set ablaze. The furious reaction of the Jordanian authorities made clear they treated it as genuine.
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| Dead Argentine prosecutor had drafted request for president's arrest Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:17 PM PST  An Argentine prosecutor found dead in mysterious circumstances last month had drafted a request that President Cristina Fernandez be arrested for conspiring to derail his probe into the deadly bombing of a Jewish center, the investigator into his death said on Tuesday. The papers were found in the trash at Alberto Nisman's apartment while his property was being scoured for clues over whether the father-of-two committed suicide or was murdered. "The drafts are in the file," Viviana Fein, the lead investigator into Nisman's death, told a local radio station. Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich even dramatically tore up a copy of the paper in his daily news briefing.
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| Canadian police arrest man, charge him with aiding Islamic State Posted: 03 Feb 2015 12:46 PM PST  By Leah Schnurr OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian police on Tuesday arrested an Ottawa man they said was planning to aid Islamic State fighters and charged him with participation in the activity of a terrorist group. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the man, Awso Peshdary, 25, was also accused of facilitating the activity of a terrorist group. Police said they had laid charges in absentia against two other Ottawa men they said had left Canada to fight with Islamic State. They named them as Khadar Khalib, 23, and John Maguire, 24.
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| Iraq reconciliation would help counter Islamic State - U.S. military Posted: 03 Feb 2015 01:04 PM PST  By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led air war against Islamic State militants has frozen the immediate threat from that group, and now is the time for Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated government to mend its rift with disenfranchised Sunnis, U.S. military officials said on Tuesday. "Quite frankly, we need to see in Iraq political outreach that addresses the fact that some 20 million Sunnis are disenfranchised with their government," Lieutenant General William Mayville told a hearing on global threats facing the United States. Mayville, director of operations for the Pentagon's Joint Staff, told lawmakers he endorsed the current steady, deliberate pace of efforts to defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria because it gave the Iraqi government time to act politically, a step he said was necessary to resolve the crisis.
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| Ukraine says lost five more soldiers in the east in past 24 hours Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:53 AM PST  Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 27 wounded in fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions in the past 24 hours, Kiev military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on Tuesday. Ukrainian military say fighting has been particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk, which government troops are still holding. "Fighting is going on between the terrorists and military forces in the area of Debaltseve and nearby populated areas. The (separatist) fighters are unsuccessfully trying to surround units of the Ukrainian armed forces," Lysenko said at a briefing.
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| U.N.'s highest court absolves Croatia, Serbia of genocide Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:35 AM PST  By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The United Nations' highest court ruled on Tuesday that neither Croatia nor Serbia had committed genocide against each other's populations during the wars that accompanied the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Peter Tomka, president of the International Court of Justice, said the forces of both countries had committed crimes during the conflict, but that the intent to commit genocide -- by "destroying a population in whole or in part" -- had not been proven against either country. "This marks the end of one page on the past, and I'm convinced we will start a new page on the future, much brighter and better," Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic told reporters in the Hague. Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said she hoped the ruling would contribute to "closing this historic chapter and moving on to a better and safer period for people in this part of Europe." The cases were part of the long legal fall-out from the break-up of Yugoslavia into seven states in wars that lasted for much of the 1990s and left more than 130,000 dead in Europe's worst conflagration since World War Two.
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| Japanese PM expresses anger over 'outrageous' killing of Jordanian pilot Posted: 03 Feb 2015 05:03 PM PST Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday he was deeply angry over the "outrageous" killing of a Jordanian pilot, who was apparently burnt to death by Islamic State militants, and repeated Japan's resolve not to give in to terrorism. Abe told a lower house budget committee he sympathized with Jordan and would expand Japan's humanitarian support in the region. Islamic State militants released a video on Tuesday appearing to show a captured Jordanian pilot being burnt alive in a cage. On Sunday, Islamic State militants said they had beheaded a second Japanese man they had been holding hostage. |
| U.S. hopes pilot's murder will toughen Jordan's resolve Posted: 03 Feb 2015 05:03 PM PST By Phil Stewart and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Islamic State's burning to death of a captured Jordanian air force pilot is likely to harden Jordan's position as a member of the U.S.-led coalition striking the militant group in Syria, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Jordan has not retrenched from the air campaign against Islamic State since the group captured pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh after his jet crashed in northeastern Syria in December. One official said he expected al-Kasaesbeh's killing "to have an electrifying effect" on Jordan. |
| Defense Department employee arrested in Navy bribery scheme Posted: 03 Feb 2015 05:01 PM PST SAN DIEGO (AP) — A former senior Defense Department employee was arrested Tuesday on allegations he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for helping a Malaysian defense contractor in one of the Navy's worst corruption cases. |
| Obama, King Abdullah vow not to let up against Islamic State Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:56 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Jordanian King Abdullah II vowed not to let up in the fight against the Islamic State group Tuesday, as Jordanians mourned the death of a military pilot held captive by the militants.
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| Money-laundering probe against Peru's first lady Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:53 PM PST  LIMA, Peru (AP) — A prosecutor has reopened a money-laundering investigation into $215,000 in bank deposits to first lady Nadine Heredia before husband Ollanta Humala was elected Peru's president.
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| Mexico recovers stolen radioactive material Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:50 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities have recovered three stolen pickups carrying radioactive material. |
| Cuba publishes first photos of Fidel Castro in 5 months Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:50 PM PST  HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has published the first photos of Fidel Castro in more than five months, showing the 88-year-old former leader engaged in what appears to be a lively conversation with a university student.
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| Petrobras head meets Rousseff, fueling speculation Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:46 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The embattled chief executive officer of Brazil's state-run oil company has held a meeting with President Dilma Rousseff, sparking speculation the executive will soon be forced from her post. |
| One in two Britons forecast to get cancer Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:43 PM PST  One in two British people will develop cancer at some point in their lives, according to a new forecast by Cancer Research UK released on Wednesday. Age was the biggest risk factor for cancer, with other influences including smoking, obesity, diet, tanning and sunburn and lack of exercise, according to the study published in the British Journal of Cancer. "We're living longer and that means we're more likely to develop a range of age-related health issues," said Cancer Research UK chief executive Harpal Kumar. The death rate from cancer was likely to remain the same, the study found, with one quarter of deaths caused by cancer.
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| Mexican president opens probe into his home purchases Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:39 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto pledged Tuesday to open a government investigation into purchases of luxury homes made by himself, his wife and his finance secretary from government contractors.
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| U.N. proceeds with conflict zone flight plan despite Russian doubts Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:38 PM PST  By Allison Martell and Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) - The United Nations aviation agency said at a major safety conference on Tuesday it will press ahead with plans to establish a warning system for airlines on conflict zone risks despite reservations from Russia. Aviation officials also rallied behind a plan to track commercial aircraft in a twin response to several Malaysian airline disasters last year. A senior Russian official had told a gathering of the International Civil Aviation Organization that plans for a centralized information-sharing system posed legal risks that could only be addressed by a full meeting of all 191 ICAO member states in 2016. "The Russian Federation has proposed certain amendments, but there was no support for these proposals," he told Reuters.
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| Business jet makers want out of U.N. aircraft tracking plan Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:38 PM PST By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) - Business jets, which mostly carry the rich and powerful, should not be subject to a United Nations proposal to require plane makers to install costly equipment that would better track aircraft, an industry group said on Tuesday. The U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has proposed outfitting commercial jets with ejectable flight recorders and wants them to report their positions more frequently. The International Business Aviation Council, which represents business jet makers, said the plan should not apply to jets with 19 or fewer passenger seats. "When they spend their safety dollars, they really want value for money," Peter Ingleton, director of the group's ICAO liaison office, told Reuters on the sidelines of a global safety meeting. |
| Argentine prosecutor considered call for president's arrest Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:36 PM PST  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Investigators examining the death of a prosecutor who accused Argentine President Cristina Fernandez of agreeing to shield the alleged masterminds of a 1994 terror bombing said Tuesday they have found a draft document he wrote requesting her arrest.
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| Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:32 PM PST TOKYO (AP) — The killing of two Japanese taken hostage by the Islamic State group has violently driven home the high stakes Japan faces and limited options it can muster in such circumstances. It also offers a glimpse into how Japan is struggling to handle the rising menace of terrorism. |
| Is S&P's $1.38B deal enough to keep credit raters in check? Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:29 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — More than six years after the financial crisis struck, credit rating giant Standard & Poor's will be paying a hefty $1.38 billion penalty for its role in fueling the subprime mortgage meltdown. But that doesn't mean it can't happen again.
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| Anna Fenninger wins super-G at worlds; Lindsey Vonn 3rd Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:27 PM PST  BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — Anna Fenninger was barely across the finish line when she looked up and saw "new leader" flash across the video board.
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| Lance Armstrong cited after parked cars hit by SUV Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:26 PM PST  DENVER (AP) — Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong hit two parked cars with an SUV after a night of partying in Aspen, Colorado, but agreed to let his longtime girlfriend take the blame to avoid national attention, police reports show.
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| S.Africa inventions aim to stop slum fires, floods Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:21 PM PST  South Africans social entrepreneurs have come up with inventions aimed at curbing deadly fires and floods in the country's crowded informal settlements. A turquoise detector no bigger than a pack of cigarettes is among the innovations being showcased at a technology exhibition in the capital Pretoria. "Shack environments tend to be fairly smokey because of a lack of electrification," Lumkani's co-designer, University of Cape Town engineering lecturer Samuel Ginsberg, said. Fires spread quickly in the dense slums that ring many towns and cities in South Africa.
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| Argentine prosecutor drafted Kirchner arrest warrant Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:07 PM PST  Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman drafted an arrest warrant for President Cristina Kirchner which was recovered from the trash at the investigator's apartment following his mysterious death last month, officials said Tuesday. Prosecutor Viviana Fein -- who on Monday had denied the existence of the document -- admitted the 26-page warrant for Kirchner's arrest, dated June 14, 2014, was discovered after Nisman's death from a gunshot wound on January 18. Nisman, 51, died on the eve of an appearance before Argentine lawmakers in which he was expected to accuse Kirchner of mounting a cover-up over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center which left 85 people dead and 300 wounded. It was the worst terror strike on Argentina's soil in its modern history.
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| UN urges stepped up regional operations against Boko Haram Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:04 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday urged immediate stepped up regional military coordination and operations to more effectively combat the Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria and neighboring countries. |
| Australian leader thanks Egypt for reporter's freedom Posted: 03 Feb 2015 04:02 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister thanked the Egyptian president on Tuesday for his help in releasing an Australian reporter from prison and expressed hope that two Al-Jazeera colleagues would also be freed soon. |
| Cuban players draw dozens of MLB scouts to Caribbean Series Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:58 PM PST  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Dozens of major league baseball scouts are in Puerto Rico to get a look at Cuban talent at the Caribbean Series being played in the U.S. territory.
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| Mexico president vows probe of his home purchases, contractor deals Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:40 PM PST  By Anahi Rama and Michael O'Boyle MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Tuesday ordered an investigation of home purchases by himself, his wife and his finance minister from government contractors but he fell short of demands for an independent probe into possible corruption. Pena Nieto named a former election official to head the Public Administration Ministry (SFP) and investigate whether he and Finance Minister Luis Videgaray had steered big government contracts toward businessmen who had sold them homes. The post had been empty since Pena Nieto took office over two years ago, when he proposed replacing the SFP with a more independent anti-corruption body that has yet to take shape. "I am conscious that these accusations have created the appearance of something improper, something that really did not happen," Pena Nieto said.
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| Kjetil Jansrud leads 1st downhill training run at worlds Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:38 PM PST  BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — Kjetil Jansrud of Norway had the fastest time in the first men's downhill training session at the world championships Tuesday.
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| Mother of seven accused of treason released from jail amid outcry Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:36 PM PST  A mother of seven accused of treason for telling the Ukrainian embassy about Russian troop movements was to be released from jail Tuesday, her husband said, though the charges against her remain. Svetlana Davydova, who faces between 12 and 20 years in prison, is being held in the high-security Lefortovo jail in Moscow. Her case has led tens of thousands of people to petition President Vladimir Putin to show clemency. "The pre-trial restrictions have been changed," her husband Anatoly Gorlov told AFP, stressing however that the charge has not been dropped.
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| Britain authorises 'three-parent' babies Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:34 PM PST  Britain on Tuesday became the first country in the world to allow the creation of babies with DNA from three people after MPs voted for the controversial procedure. Lawmakers at the House Commons voted by 382 to 128 in favour of allowing the creation of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) babies with DNA from three people, a move aimed at preventing serious inherited diseases being passed on from mother to child. "Families who know what it is like to care for a child with a devastating disease are best placed to decide whether mitochondrial donation is the right option for them," said Jeremy Farrar, director of health charity Wellcome Trust. The change could apply to up to 2,500 women of reproductive age in Britain with hereditary mitochondrial diseases but opponents say it opens the way to the possibility of "designer babies" in future.
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| Mexico leader orders investigation into his mansions Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:27 PM PST  Battling favoritism accusations, Mexico's scandal-hit President Enrique Pena Nieto announced on Tuesday an investigation into houses that he, his wife and his finance minister bought from government contractors. Pena Nieto, who has been under fire over the purchases of the luxurious homes, denied that there were any conflicts of interest in the transactions with companies that have won lucrative government contracts. "This has never been the case in my responsibility as president or in my previous public offices," Pena Nieto said in televised remarks announcing a series of measures to combat corruption in Mexico.
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| Christie declines to take questions on final day of UK trip Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:24 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie canceled plans to talk with reporters in London on Tuesday after his comments on vaccinations sparked a political flap at home.
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| Jury: Toyota must pay $11M to victims of fatal crash Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:11 PM PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A U.S. jury ordered Toyota Motor Corp. to pay nearly $11 million to victims of a fatal Minnesota crash on Tuesday after ruling that a design flaw in the 1996 Camry was partially to blame for the 2006 wreck. |
| Police announce charges against alleged IS recruiting cell Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:08 PM PST  TORONTO (AP) — Canadian police on Tuesday arrested one man who they say was part of an Islamic State recruiting cell and charged two more men who are overseas — one of whom may be dead.
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| Argentina weighs spy agency reform after prosecutor death Posted: 03 Feb 2015 03:02 PM PST  Argentine lawmakers Tuesday began debating President Cristina Kirchner's order to disband the intelligence service, mired in scandal after the suspicious death of a prosecutor who was probing the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center. Kirchner has ordered the overhaul of the Intelligence Secretariat, known as the SI, and the creation of a new Federal Intelligence Agency that would have reduced wiretapping powers and would wield less influence on certain political cases. The leadership of the new agency will be chosen by the president, but subject to Senate approval. SI chief Oscar Parrilli, whom the president named in December, defended the planned changes and slammed opposition members for walking out to show their disagreement.
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| Man United beats 4th tier Cambridge in FA Cup replay Posted: 03 Feb 2015 02:54 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Manchester United overcame fourth-tier Cambridge in an FA Cup replay on Tuesday, winning 3-0 less than two weeks after a humbling 0-0 draw.
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