| Defiant Greek PM sets up EU clash with bailout rejection, austerity rollback Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:17 PM PST  By Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) - Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras laid out plans on Sunday to dismantle Greece's "cruel" austerity program, ruling out any extension of its international bailout and setting himself on a collision course with his European partners. In his first major speech to parliament since storming to power last month, Tsipras rattled off a list of moves to reverse reforms imposed by European and International Monetary Fund lenders: from reinstating pension bonuses and cancelling a property tax to ending mass layoffs and raising the mininum wage back to pre-crisis levels. Showing little intent to heed warnings from EU partners to stick to commitments in the 240-billion-euro ($272 billion) bailout, Tsipras said he intended to fully respect campaign pledges to heal the "wounds" of the austerity that was a condition of the money. "The bailout failed," the 40-year-old leader told parliament to applause.
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| Leaders scramble to avert 'dramatic spiral' in Ukraine Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:03 PM PST  By Noah Barkin and Lesley Wroughton MUNICH (Reuters) - The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France agreed to meet in Belarus on Wednesday to try to broker a peace deal for Ukraine amid escalating violence there and signs of cracks in the transatlantic consensus on confronting Vladimir Putin. The four leaders held a call on Sunday, two days after Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande traveled to Moscow for talks with Putin that produced no breakthrough in the nearly year-long conflict that has claimed over 5,000 lives. After the call, Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said progress had been made and that he was hopeful the meeting in Minsk would lead to a "swift and unconditional ceasefire" in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have stepped up a military offensive in recent weeks, seizing new territory.
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| Twenty-two people killed outside Cairo soccer stadium Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:22 PM PST  By Ahmed Maher and Mahmoud Mourad CAIRO (Reuters) - Twenty-two people were killed outside an Egyptian soccer stadium on Sunday when security forces barred fans from entering, the public prosecutor's office said. Most of the dead were suffocated when the crowd stampeded after police used tear gas to clear the fans trying to force their way into a league match between two Cairo clubs, Zamalek and Enppi, doctors and witnesses said. The reason for the discrepancy in numbers between the health ministry and the public prosecutor's office was not immediately clear. Soccer matches are often a flashpoint for violence in Egypt where 72 fans were killed at a match in Port Said in February 2012.
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| Bruised Australian PM Abbott survives leadership challenge Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:34 PM PST  By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a challenge to his leadership on Monday after his ruling Liberal Party voted down a motion to unseat him after weeks of infighting, but the attempted revolt appears likely to weaken his grip on power. In a secret party room ballot, a vote to declare the positions of party leader and deputy leader vacant was defeated by 61 votes to 39, a party official told reporters. In a short televised statement following the vote, Abbott insisted the turmoil was over and called for unity within the conservative party and the country. "The Liberal Party has dealt with the spill motion and now this matter is behind us," Abbott said.
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| Iran's Khamenei says could accept fair nuclear compromise Posted: 08 Feb 2015 01:01 PM PST  By Mehrdad Balali and Shadia Nasralla DUBAI/MUNICH (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader said on Sunday he could accept a compromise in nuclear talks and gave his strongest defense yet of President Hassan Rouhani's decision to negotiate with the West, a policy opposed by powerful hardliners at home. As his foreign minister met counterparties in the talks at a conference in Munich, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he "firmly" backed a fair nuclear deal. No agreement is better than an agreement which runs contrary to our nation's interests," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Iranian air force personnel, according to official news agencies. In a speech that still underlined his suspicions about Western nations that he characterized as "bullies", Khamenei backed Rouhani's negotiations with them and said any workable deal would mean both sides easing their demands.
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| Three Sudanese aid workers killed: government official Posted: 08 Feb 2015 02:58 PM PST Three Sudanese aid workers with the Sudanese Red Crescent were killed in the war-torn Blue Nile state on Sunday, an official at a government humanitarian body said. "Three ... Sudanese Red Crescent Society aid workers were killed in Blue Nile state ... while returning from the town of Kurmuk after finishing a task related to the distribution of humanitarian aid in the region," Ahmed Mohamed Adam, head of the Humanitarian Affairs Commission, said in a statement. "The commission condemns targeting the aid workers and calls on the armed movements to respect international humanitarian law and the principle of the protection of aid workers," Adam added. |
| Australia's Barrier Reef 'risks becoming dumping ground': WWF Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:48 PM PST  Australia's Great Barrier Reef could be "severely damaged" if the government does not completely ban the dumping of dredge waste in the World Heritage-listed waters, a report commissioned by conservation group WWF said Monday. The Australian government in January ordered a ban on dumping dredge spoil in the marine park as part of a push to stop the United Nations declaring the site in danger. The report prepared by the consultancy Dalberg Global Development Advisors said there was no need for coal port expansions along Queensland state's coast -- where the reef is located -- as the capacity at existing terminals was unused one-third of the time. Australia has come under scrutiny from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization over the reef's health.
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| Obama's Ukraine policy at crossroads as fighting rages on Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:47 PM PST By Warren Strobel, Matt Spetalnick and Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON/MUNICH (Reuters) - Russian-backed rebels' violent offensive in eastern Ukraine leaves President Barack Obama with perplexing and urgent choices, but aides say he will exercise his typical caution in deciding his next move. Should Obama provide lethal weaponry to the Western-backed Kiev government to staunch Europe's worst conflict in two decades? Many U.S. lawmakers and some of Obama's own advisors are calling for that step, but it risks igniting a proxy war with Russia and driving a wedge between Washington and western Europe. Should he impose tougher sanctions on Russia? |
| Putin says Ukrainians have to agree among selves to end crisis Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:46 PM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin said the conflict in Ukraine will continue if rival groups there do not agree among themselves, in comments published Monday ahead of a proposed summit with French, German and Ukrainian leaders. Putin, however, warned that the summit planned in the Belarussian capital Minsk would only take place if the leaders agreed on a "number of points" by then. The Russian president will be in Egypt on Monday and Tuesday for a meeting with his counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
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| South Korea's Sei Young Kim wins playoff in Bahamas Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:46 PM PST PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — South Korean rookie Sei Young Kim won the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, holing an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with countrywoman Sun Young Yoo and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn. |
| Canada demands Egypt free Al-Jazeera journalist Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:42 PM PST  Canada pushed Egypt on Sunday to immediately release Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian who is set to be retried this week while also awaiting deportation. "Canada is deeply concerned with the announcement that a retrial date has been set despite assurances that Mr. Fahmy would be released along with his colleague, Peter Greste," said Lynne Yelich, minister of state for consular affairs. "Canada calls for the immediate release of Mr. Fahmy," she said in a statement.
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| British Muslims protest Charlie Hebdo Mohammed cartoons Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:41 PM PST  The crowd marched to Downing Street holding signs reading "Charlie and the abuse factory", "We love Prophet Muhammad more than our lives", and "To insult is not freedom". Speakers addressed the protest and held communal prayers, before representatives delivered a petition signed by over 100,000 British Muslims to Cameron's office. After a deadly jihadist attack on Charlie Hebdo's offices in Paris in January, Londoners had queued to buy the following memorial issue which featured a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed on its front cover.
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| Jordan pounds IS as Iraqi ground offensive looms Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:34 PM PST  Jordan announced it has carried out dozens of air strikes on the Islamic State group, as a top US envoy said Iraqi troops would begin a major ground offensive against the jihadists in the week ahead. Jordanian air force chief Major General Mansour al-Jobour said Sunday the kingdom had launched 56 air raids since Thursday as part of an international assault against IS that Washington says is beginning to bite. Jordan has vowed an "earth-shattering" response after the Sunni extremists captured one of its air force pilots, Maaz al-Kassasbeh, burned him alive and released a gruesome video of the execution. "On the first day of the campaign to avenge our airman Maaz al-Kassasbeh, 19 targets were destroyed, including training camps and equipment," Jobour told reporters.
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| Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:32 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived an internal government challenge to his leadership on Monday, despite a revolt by dozens of colleagues that leaves him politically damaged. A meeting of lawmakers in the ruling conservative Liberal Party voted 61 to 39 to reject a motion that called for a ballot for party leader and deputy, party whip Philip Ruddock reported after the brief meeting. |
| Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey lead US men past Panama, 2-0 Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:25 PM PST  CARSON, Calif. (AP) — When Michael Bradley curled a corner kick over the Panama defense and into the net for a spectacular goal, Clint Dempsey was unsure exactly how it happened.
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| Challenger to Australia's leader will have to wait Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:24 PM PST  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — While some in Australia's ruling Liberal Party consider embattled Prime Minister Tony Abbott too conservative, the main criticism of his rival Malcolm Turnbull is that he's too moderate. But the party will have to wait for another chance to choose between the two, after rejecting a bid to hold a ballot for a new leader on Monday.
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| Jason Day wins at Torrey Pines in a playoff Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:21 PM PST  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jason Day won a four-man playoff Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open with a par on the second extra hole at tough Torrey Pines.
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| Renard keeps magic touch in shootouts; more misery for Grant Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:12 PM PST  BATA, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — For Herve Renard, history repeats itself.
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| Officials: 25 people killed in Egyptian soccer match riot Posted: 08 Feb 2015 04:03 PM PST  CAIRO (AP) — A riot broke out Sunday night outside of a major soccer game in Egypt, with a stampede and fighting between police and fans killing at least 25 people, authorities said.
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| Iraqi ground offensive against IS 'within weeks': US pointman Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:59 PM PST  Iraqi troops will begin a ground offensive "in the weeks ahead" to take back swathes of the country seized by the Islamic State (IS) group, the US coordinator for the international coalition against the jihadists said Sunday. "There will be a major counter offensive on the ground in Iraq," top US envoy John Allen said in an interview with Jordan's official Petra news agency. The US has been leading an aerial campaign against the jihadists, who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria and have imposed a brutal form of Islam in the territory. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the assault was beginning to win back territory and deprive the jihadists of key funds.
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| UK film awards boost 'Boyhood' but clip wings of 'Birdman' Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:56 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Slow-cooked coming-of-age tale "Boyhood" took the best film and director trophies at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, while Wes Anderson's candy-colored comedy "The Grand Budapest Hotel" won the biggest haul of prizes, with five.
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| Chilean mountaineers find plane missing for half century Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:51 PM PST SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chilean mountaineers say they have found the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the Andes 54 years ago, killing 24 people, including eight members of a professional soccer team. |
| Benfica draws 1-1 at Sporting after Jardel's late equalizer Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:49 PM PST LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica defender Jardel scored in injury time to salvage a 1-1 draw at Sporting Lisbon in the capital city derby on Sunday. |
| Masterful Messi puts Barca 1 point from Madrid; United draws Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:46 PM PST  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi helped Barcelona close in on the lead in the Spanish league with another masterful display on Sunday, while Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain both had to settle for draws in England and France.
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| Australian prime minister survives leadership challenge Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:43 PM PST  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived an internal government challenge to his leadership on Monday, despite a revolt by dozens of colleagues that leaves him politically damaged.
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| Long-time IOC member Vazquez Rana dies at 82 Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:43 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mario Vazquez Rana, a Mexican businessman and former prominent member of the International Olympic Committee, has died. He was 82.
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| 2-handed bowler wins record 3rd straight USBC Masters Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:25 PM PST GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Australia's Jason Belmonte won his record third straight United States Bowling Congress Masters title Sunday, beating McKendree University senior AJ Johnson 202-157. |
| Kim wins Bahamas LPGA title as Ko keeps top spot Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:24 PM PST  South Korean rookie Kim Sei-Young won a playoff Sunday to capture the Bahamas LPGA Classic while teen Lydia Ko kept the world's top ranking, foiling a number-one bid by Park In-Bee. Kim sank a five-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to reach the playoff, then followed with a six-foot birdie putt on the same 18th green on the first extra hole to defeat Thai teen Ariya Jutanugarn and compatriot Yoo Sun-Young and win the crown in only her second US tour appearance.
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| Ibrahimovic scores as PSG draws 1-1 at Lyon Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:22 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint Germain's tenacity paid off as the defending champions earned a deserved 1-1 draw at French league leader Lyon on Sunday.
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| Hirscher fast in slalom, wins Alpine combined at worlds Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:22 PM PST  BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — Well behind after the downhill, Marcel Hirscher of Austria doubted he had much of a chance. He couldn't have been more mistaken.
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| Messi nets 1, plays part in 4 more as Barca beats Bilbao 5-2 Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:18 PM PST  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi scored one goal and played a part in four more as Barcelona won 5-2 at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday and reduced Real Madrid's lead of the Spanish league to one point.
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| Greek premier proclaims end to austerity in policy statement Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:16 PM PST  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras set his leftist government on a collision course with Greece's creditors Sunday, proclaiming an end to the era of austerity and "five years of bailout barbarity."
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| 22 die as Egypt police clash with football fans Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:16 PM PST  Twenty-two people were killed Sunday in clashes between Egyptian police and Zamalek football club fans at a Cairo stadium, the state prosecutor said, in the country's deadliest sports violence since dozens died at a match in 2012. According to the health ministry, at least another 25 people were wounded in the clashes that erupted when fans tried to force their way into the venue to watch a game. The violence prompted the government to postpone the Egyptian Premier League indefinitely, the prime minister's office said in a statement. The match between Zamalek and Enbi was open to the public, unlike most other games between Egyptian football clubs since deadly stadium riots in Port Said in 2012.
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| French comeback highlights 1st round of Fed Cup Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:08 PM PST  France's comeback from 2-0 down to beat host Italy 3-2 highlighted Sunday's first-round play in the Fed Cup, with Russia, Germany and the Czech Republic also advancing to the semifinals.
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| Goalkeeper Barry wins Cup of Nations for Ivorians Posted: 08 Feb 2015 03:07 PM PST  Goalkeeper Boubacar Barry scored the decisive goal as Ivory Coast ended a 23-year Africa Cup of Nations title drought by winning 9-8 on penalties after the final ended 0-0 following extra time. Before netting, veteran Barry had set up the match-winning chance by diving to his left and pushing away a spot-kick from Ghana goalkeeper Razak Braimah. Ivory Coast triumphed despite making a disastrous start to the 22-penalty climax with the first kick from Wilfried Bony hitting the crossbar and Junior Tallo firing the second spot kick wide. It was a highly tactical and cagey finale to the biennial African football showpiece in Equatorial Guinea city Bata.
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| Weather worries U.S. cattle producers as they slowly expand herds Posted: 08 Feb 2015 02:57 PM PST  By Tom Polansek ZUEHL, Texas (Reuters) - Texas rancher Jim Rackley would like to add more cattle to his herd of about 50 to take advantage of sizzling beef prices and growing demand from health-conscious consumers for his grass-fed beef. Now a combination of record-high cattle prices and cheap grain has prompted ranchers to start adding back cattle earlier than expected. "Every time we think we're coming out of the drought, we get hit again,' said Rackley, a former high school football coach in Texas, where the sport and beef are state passions.
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