| U.S., allies discuss new sanctions, Obama weighs next steps on Ukraine: Kerry Posted: 21 Feb 2015 11:47 AM PST  By Lesley Wroughton LONDON (Reuters) - The United States and its European allies are in talks about harsher sanctions against Moscow, while U.S. President Barack Obama will evaluate next steps in dealing with the conflict in eastern Ukraine in coming days, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday. Kerry was speaking after meetings with his British counterpart Philip Hammond in London. He said among options being considered by Obama was whether to arm Ukrainian forces and to impose deeper sanctions against the Kremlin for breaches of a Feb. 12 European-brokered truce. "In the next few days I anticipate that President Obama will evaluate the choices that are in front of him and will make his decision as to what the next step will be," Kerry told a news conference after meetings with Hammond.
|
| U.S. weighs slowing Afghan withdrawal to ensure 'progress sticks': Carter Posted: 21 Feb 2015 10:36 AM PST  By Phil Stewart KABUL (Reuters) - The United States is considering slowing a planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to ensure that "progress sticks" after more than a decade of war, new Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during an unannounced visit to Kabul on Saturday. Under the current plan, the United States will halve the number of troops in Afghanistan to just over 5,000 this year, gradually winding down to a "normal" U.S. embassy presence by the end of 2016. "Our priority now is to make sure this progress sticks," Carter said at a joint conference with President Ashraf Ghani, hours after landing in Kabul.
|
| Nigerian forces retake border town of Baga from Boko Haram Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:27 PM PST By Lanre Ola and Abdoulaye Massalaki BAUCHI, Nigeria/NIAMEY, Niger (Reuters) - Nigerian forces backed by air strikes seized the northeastern border town of Baga from Islamist group Boko Haram on Saturday, the military said, a significant victory in an offensive against an insurgency affecting four African states. Retaking the town - at Nigeria's border with Chad, Niger and Cameroon - was one of several in the past two weeks, and particularly important as Baga was the headquarters of a multinational force of troops from all four countries. "We have secured Baga. |
| Iran sends high-level negotiators to Geneva nuclear talks Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:33 PM PST  By Mehrdad Balali DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dispatched his brother and atomic chief to Geneva to try to overcome hurdles in high-profile nuclear talks with the United States and five other major powers, official Iranian media reported on Saturday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on his way to meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif that Washington wanted an agreement by the deadline of June 30. U.S. and Iranian officials began a new round of talks in Geneva on Friday, seeking to end a 12-year standoff over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, suspected by the West of harboring military aims - a charge Tehran consistently denies. The bilateral Tehran-Washington discussions, to culminate in a foreign ministers' summit on Sunday, are part of wider bargaining between Iran and six major powers - "P5+1" - aimed at restricting Iran's nuclear activities in return for relief from global economic sanctions.
|
| Cuba frees Canadian businessman Tokmakjian after three years in jail Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:13 PM PST  By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has freed Canadian businessman Cy Tokmakjian after more than three years in jail, his company said on Saturday, resolving a case that had strained Cuban-Canadian relations and alarmed foreign investors. Tokmakjian, founder of the Ontario-based company, was convicted of bribery and other charges and sentenced to 15 years in September in what the transportation company had called a "show trial" and a "travesty of justice." Cuban prosecutors had outlined a pattern in which Tokmakjian wooed Cuban officials and their families with a series of gifts, helping the Tokmakjian Group do business estimated at $80 million annually with Cuba until the company was shuttered and its founder arrested in September 2011. Tokmakjian "was welcomed home by his family, friends, and thousands of employees," said the company statement, which also thanked the Canadian government.
|
| Kerry warns on viability of Palestinian Authority if Israel blocks funds Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:14 PM PST  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday expressed concern about the viability of the Palestinian Authority if it does not soon receive tax revenue which has been withheld by Israel. The funds have been held back from the Authority since last month in retaliation for Palestinian moves to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). The move would pave the way for the ICC to take jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in Palestinian lands and to investigate the conduct of Israeli and Palestinian leaders. While the United States opposed steps by the Palestinians to join the ICC, it has raised concerns with the Israelis about its decision to freeze the transfer of more than $100 million in tax revenue, warning it could further raise tensions.
|
| Gareth Pugh prepares for battle at London Fashion Week Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:46 PM PST  British avant-garde designer Gareth Pugh sent a model army down the London catwalk Saturday, equipping them with leather armour, sweeping black gowns and Roman centurion-style headpieces to mark his label's 10th anniversary. The models' faces were painted white with red crosses, the flag of England's patron saint, Saint George, whose legendary battle with a dragon is depicted in an altarpiece at the Victoria and Albert Museum where the show was held. On closer inspection, the spikes turned out to be tens of thousands of hand-cut plastic drinking straws, and the chanting was the sound of Pugh's home team, Sunderland Football Club. For all its reputation for creativity, London rarely sees such conceptual shows and Pugh's return to the city where he has long lived and worked has been welcomed by the fashion industry.
|
| Rockets target Libya airfield used by anti-Islamist general Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:39 PM PST  Rockets were fired at an eastern Libyan airfield used by an anti-Islamist general but fell short, the facility's manager said Saturday, adding that there were no casualties or damage. Unknown assailants fired four rockets at the international airport just outside Labraq, from which General Khalifa Haftar's forces launch raids against Islamist positions in the east.
|
| Bell apology for 'embarrassing' England Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:36 PM PST  England opener Ian Bell apologised Sunday for his side's embarrassing start to the World Cup after being thrashed by Australia and New Zealand in their first two games. England opened cricket's showpiece ODI tournament with a 111-run hiding by Australia before suffering an eight-wicket thrashing by New Zealand. England captain Eoin Morgan said after the New Zealand humiliation that his side was "disappointed" rather than "embarrassed", but for Bell there was no escaping the "E" word.
|
| First Ukraine war prisoner exchange completed Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:35 PM PST  ZHOLOBOK, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military and separatist representatives exchanged dozens of prisoners under cover of darkness at a remote frontline location Saturday evening, kicking off a process intended to usher in peace to the conflict-ridden east.
|
| With deal, West Coast seaports tackle huge cargo backlog Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:34 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The leader of the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's largest, said Saturday it would take three months "to get back a sense of normalcy," following a labor dispute between dockworkers and employers.
|
| Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:33 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — After more than a decade of warfare, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban are set to begin, officials, diplomats and experts said as President Ashraf Ghani declared that peace is closer now than at any time since the war began following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. On Saturday, Ghani said that "the grounds for peace have never been better in the last 36 years" of continuous Afghan wars, including 13 years of conflict with the Taliban. |
| Suicide bomber kills 4 in Assad clan's hometown Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:29 PM PST  A suicide bomber driving an ambulance killed four people on Sunday in an unprecedented attack on a hospital that took Syria's civil war to the ruling Assad clan's hometown for the first time, a monitoring group said. The attack came as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that troops had executed 48 people earlier this week in a northern village, among them 10 children. Four people were killed in the attack," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The attack, the first explosion to hit the heart of the western town since the outbreak of Syria's civil war in 2011, killed a nurse, a hospital employee and two soldiers, said Observatory director Abdel Rahman.
|
| Coca-Cola bottler suspends operations in Mexican city Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:29 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Coca-Cola's largest bottler in Mexico has temporarily suspended operations in the capital of the embattled state of Guerrero following attacks on its workers and its trucks. |
| Golovkin retains WBA middleweight title Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:27 PM PST MONACO (AP) — Gennady Golovkin defended his WBA middleweight title successfully with a commanding performance against Britain's Martin Murray on Saturday, stopping him in the 11th round of a one-sided contest. |
| As many as 2,800 inmates to be moved from Texas prison Posted: 21 Feb 2015 04:09 PM PST RAYMONDVILLE, Texas (AP) — As many as 2,800 federal prisoners will be moved to other institutions after inmates seized control of part of a prison in South Texas, causing damage that made the facility "uninhabitable," an official said Saturday. |
| Lawyer: Jailed Caracas mayor to fight conspiracy charges Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:58 PM PST  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Lawyers for the jailed opposition mayor of Caracas said Saturday they would ask a judge to dismiss conspiracy charges against him, calling accusations that he participated in a plot to overthrow Venezuela's socialist government "totally unfounded."
|
| Goran Dragic arrives in Miami, eager for a fresh start Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:30 PM PST MIAMI (AP) — Goran and Zoran Dragic held up their new uniforms and smiled for the cameras, then followed Miami coach Erik Spoelstra's lead and quickly made their way toward the Heat locker room. |
| Goosen keeps the lead at Riviera Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:27 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Retief Goosen made only two pars on the back nine Saturday at Riviera and survived a day of wild shots and bad breaks for a 2-under 69 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Northern Trust Open.
|
| Abraham retains super middle title on points over Smith Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:18 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — Arthur Abraham retained his WBO super middleweight belt by defeating Paul Smith of England by unanimous decision for the second time on Saturday. |
| Three Italians killed, two hurt in Swiss Alps avalanche: police Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:10 PM PST  Three Italians were killed and two were injured when they were hit by an avalanche while skiing in an area known as "Death Valley" in the Swiss Alps on Saturday, police said.
|
| Kueng stuns Bobridge for individual pursuit title at worlds Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:05 PM PST  SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Stefan Kueng staged a stunning comeback to upset world-record holder Jack Bobridge and win the men's individual pursuit final at the track cycling world championships on Saturday.
|
| Barcelona's winning streak ends with 1-0 home loss to Malaga Posted: 21 Feb 2015 03:00 PM PST  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Malaga stunned Barcelona with a 1-0 victory at Camp Nou on Saturday to end the host's 11-game winning streak and prevent it from taking an overnight lead in the Spanish league.
|
| Caracas mayor to appeal coup plot charge Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:37 PM PST  The mayor of Caracas, who was detained and charged with plotting to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government, will appeal the "baseless" allegations, his lawyer said Saturday. Antonio Ledezma's arrest is part of a growing crackdown on high-profile opponents of the socialist president as OPEC member Venezuela struggles with a deepening economic crisis. "His defense will be using everything we have at our disposal," attorney Omar Estacio told AFP. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles called on the government to produce evidence of the supposed conspiracy.
|
| Caracas mayor to appeal "unfounded" charges, lawyer says Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:30 PM PST  By Alexandra Ulmer CARACAS (Reuters) - The mayor of Venezuela's capital Caracas will fight charges of plotting violence against the socialist government, his lawyer said on Saturday, denouncing the accusations as baseless. Intelligence agents seized 59-year-old Antonio Ledezma, a trained lawyer, at his office on Thursday night. He was indicted the next day on conspiracy charges against President Nicolas Maduro and is held at the Ramo Verde military prison, where fellow hardline opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has been jailed for a year.
|
| London Fashion Week Day 2: Sequins, retro looks, Cinderella Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:29 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — London Fashion Week entered Day 2 on Saturday, featuring dozens of new designs — from dramatic, conceptual creations by Gareth Pugh, to more wearable pieces by Julien Macdonald and Emilia Wickstead.
|
| Another winter storm to pummel eastern United States with snow and sleet Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:21 PM PST  A fresh band of winter weather was churning up the East Coast on Saturday after pummeling parts of the South and Midwest, threatening to pile up more snow in storm-weary Boston and send the region back into a deep freeze. The system cut a curving, 2,000-mile path from southern Missouri to Maine, with a winter storm warning in effect until Sunday for parts of southern Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. In Kentucky and Tennessee, forecasters warned of possible flooding as rain fell on frozen ground.
|
| Jaguar Land Rover recalls nearly 62K vehicles over air bags Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:14 PM PST INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jaguar Land Rover North America is recalling 61,793 vehicles because the front, passenger-side air bag may be disabled if a lightweight adult sits in the seat. |
| Benfica comes back 3-1 at Moreirense to increase lead Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:06 PM PST LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica fought back for a 3-1 win at 10-man Moreirense to provisionally increase its lead of the Portuguese league on Saturday. |
| Sri Lanka wins toss, bowls vs. Afghanistan in World Cup Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:05 PM PST DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl against Afghanistan in a Cricket World Cup Pool A match at University Oval on Sunday. |
| Come home, families beg Syria-bound UK schoolgirls Posted: 21 Feb 2015 02:00 PM PST  The families of three British schoolgirls feared to be travelling to join the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria issued emotional appeals for them to come home Saturday. Close friends Kadiza Sultana, 17, and 15-year-olds Shamima Begum and Amira Abase left their east London homes Tuesday and flew to Istanbul. Turkey is a key entry point for those seeking to travel to Syria.
|
| Superfish points fingers over ad software security flaws Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:55 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A little-known Silicon Valley startup was caught in a firestorm of criticism this week for making software that exposed Lenovo laptop users to hackers bent on stealing personal information. But Superfish Inc. has also won praise for producing visual search technology that many see as the next big thing in online shopping.
|
| Column: Late, yes, but Mayweather-Pacquiao will deliver Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:49 PM PST  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Manny Pacquiao slept through the big announcement, secure in knowing that the fight was already made and the questions would finally stop.
|
| Mercedes recalls more than 147,000 vehicles to fix seal Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:47 PM PST INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 147,000 sedans and station wagons made over the past few years to fix a problem with an engine compartment seal that could spark a fire. |
| PSG leads French league after 3-1 win against Toulouse Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:42 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — Teen midfielder Adrien Rabiot scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Toulouse 3-1 to move provisionally top of the French league on Saturday.
|
| Coetzee tries earn Sharks bonus-point victory Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:24 PM PST  A brace of second-half tries from flank Marcell Coetzee earned Coastal Sharks a bonus-point 29-12 Super 15 victory over Golden Lions Saturday in rain-drenched Durban. Springbok Coetzee struck after 64 and 77 minutes at Kings Park in identical fashion -- carrying the ball over the try-line after driving mauls following line-outs. Right-wing Odwa Ndungane and scrum-half Cobus Reinach were other try scorers for the Durban-based outfit. Fly-half Patrick Lambie contributed the other nine points from three conversions and a penalty off seven shots at goal.
|
| PAOK beats Veria 3-1, stays 3rd in Greek league Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:19 PM PST ATHENS, Greece (AP) — PAOK scored all of its goals in the first half and coasted to a 3-1 victory at Veria in the Greek league on Saturday. |
| Finance minister: Greece to submit reforms list by Sunday Posted: 21 Feb 2015 01:18 PM PST  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece will submit a list of reforms to be agreed with its creditors Sunday, the country's finance minister said Saturday.
|
