| Iran's Rouhani aims to limit nuclear inspections, warns of talks delay Posted: 13 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT  By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday a comprehensive nuclear deal could be delayed if world powers brought new issues into play, and he would not accept a U.N. inspections regime that jeopardized state secrets. Iran is aiming to strike an accord with six powers by June 30 that would curtail its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. "Iran will absolutely not allow its national secrets to fall into the hands of foreigners through the Additional Protocol or any other means," Rouhani said in a televised news conference, referring to an IAEA provision that would allow more intrusive inspections in the Islamic Republic.
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| Syrian Kurds push deeper into Islamic State stronghold Posted: 13 Jun 2015 06:50 AM PDT  By Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said it began an advance towards an Islamic State-held town at the Turkish border on Saturday, thrusting deeper into the jihadists' stronghold of Raqqa province in a campaign backed by U.S.-led air strikes. Redur Xelil, the YPG spokesman, told Reuters the YPG and smaller Syrian Arab rebel groups fighting alongside it had begun the move towards Tel Abyad after encircling the Islamic State-held town of Suluk 20 km (12 miles) to the southeast. The advance raises the prospect of a battle at the Turkish border between the well-organized YPG militia and Islamic State.
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| Nine dead in air raid on area inhabited by Yemeni ex-leader's relatives Posted: 13 Jun 2015 07:40 AM PDT  By Mohammed Ghobari SANAA (Reuters) - Nine people were killed when Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed a district in the Yemeni capital Sanaa inhabited by relatives of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, residents and medics said. The air raid, which also wounded at least 60 people, came ahead of planned U.N.-sponsored talks in Geneva aimed at ending Yemen's civil war that has drawn in regional powers, including the world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia. Residents said the warplanes had targeted vacant houses in Bait Me'yad, a district near the heart of Sanaa that is home to a number of relatives of Saleh, whose loyalists are allied with Houthi forces, the dominant armed faction in the conflict.
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| Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery Posted: 13 Jun 2015 06:14 AM PDT Islamic State militants attacked government forces and their Shi'ite militia allies on Saturday, killing 11 near the city of Baiji as part of the battle for control of Iraq's biggest refinery, army and police sources said. Four suicide bombers in vehicles packed with explosives hit security forces and the local headquarters of the Shi'ite militias in the area of al-Hijjaj, 10 km (6 miles) to the south of Baiji town, near the refinery, sources at the nearby Tikrit security operations command said. Iraqi government forces and powerful Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias face Islamic State on several fronts in Iraq, a major oil producer and OPEC member. |
| U.S. sends six Yemeni prisoners from Guantanamo to Oman for resettlement Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:13 AM PDT  By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six Yemenis held for more than a decade at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo have been flown to Oman for resettlement, the Pentagon said on Saturday, the latest step in President Barack Obama's slow push to close the facility. The release came a week after Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he was working with the White House on a proposal for Congress on shutting the internationally condemned jail at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, where most prisoners have been held without charges or trial. No further large transfers are imminent, according to a senior U.S. official, though efforts continue to repatriate prisoners or settle them elsewhere.
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| Six Ukrainian servicemen killed, 14 wounded in past 24 hours Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:03 AM PDT  Six Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and 14 wounded in separatist eastern territory in the past 24 hours, despite a four-month-old ceasefire deal, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday. The situation is particularly tense around the airport near rebel-controlled Donetsk city, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said. Meanwhile separatist officials accused Ukrainian forces of firing at the village of Oktyabrsky near Donetsk, wounding two civilians, and shelling three districts of the city over the past day, rebel press service DAN reported.
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| Argentina concedes late goal, draws Paraguay in Copa America Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:43 PM PDT  RANCAGUA, Chile (AP) — Argentina conceded a last-minute equalizer to open its Copa America participation with a disappointing 2-2 draw with Paraguay on Saturday.
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| West Indies 16-2, chasing 392 to beat Australia Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:36 PM PDT  Kingston (Jamaica) (AFP) - West Indies were 16-2 at stumps chasing a target of 392 to defeat Australia on the third day of the second and final Test at Sabina Park on Saturday.
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| Spain: Leftist mayors for Madrid, Barcelona in historic turn Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:35 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Madrid and Barcelona pulled off one of Spain's most significant political upheavals in recent memory Saturday, swearing in far-left mayors who stridently oppose the country's governing party and want to replace it in national elections later this year.
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| Bratislava hospital tests South Korean man in suspected MERS case Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:34 PM PDT A Bratislava hospital is testing a 38-year-old South Korean man for possible Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a spokeswoman said on Saturday. The hospital has sent tests to a laboratory in Prague and expects results on Sunday, spokeswoman Petra Stano Matasovska said. Slovakia media reported the man was transported from the city of Zilina, 200 km north of the Slovak capital. |
| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:32 PM PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Experts from the World Health Organization and South Korea on Saturday downplayed concerns about the MERS virus spreading further within the country, which recorded its 14th death and a dozen new infections, but said it was premature to declare the outbreak over. After a weeklong review of the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, the panel of experts told a news conference that there was no evidence to suggest the virus is spreading in the community. The outbreak in South Korea has so far been occurring only in hospitals, among patients, family members who visited them and medical staff treating them. |
| Uruguay defeats Jamaica 1-0 on Cristian Rodriguez goal Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:30 PM PDT  ANTOFAGASTA, Chile (AP) — Defending champion Uruguay defeated Jamaica 1-0 in their Copa America opener on Saturday.
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| Relay swimmer withdraws from Australian swim team Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:24 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — Freestyle swimmer Brittany Elmslie has withdrawn from the Australian team for the world championships after undergoing surgery to a remove a benign growth in her breast three weeks ago. |
| Colombia upset France to make history at Women's World Cup Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:22 PM PDT  Goals in either half from Lady Andrade and Catalina Usme lifted Colombia to an historic 2-0 Women's World Cup win against France on Saturday in the first major upset of the tournament. Third-ranked France had been bidding to seal their last 16 berth along with champions Japan after a 1-0 win over England in their opener, but must now wait until their final game in a tight Group F. Colombia, ranked 28, moved top of Group F with four points from two games, with France on three along with England who beat Mexico 2-1 on Saturday.
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| Hurricane warning issued as Carlos to gain strength, speed Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:15 PM PDT MIAMI (AP) — A Hurricane warning has been issued as Carlos is expected to strengthen and increase its forward speed over coming days as it heads toward southwestern Mexico. |
| Greece's PM warns of 'difficult compromise' after default threat Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:07 PM PDT  Greek premier Alexis Tsipras warned Greece on Saturday to prepare for a "difficult compromise" with its EU-IMF creditors as his closest advisors delivered a last-chance proposal to avert a catastrophic default by Athens. Cash-starved Greece is under huge pressure to strike an agreement to unlock vital bailout funds in the coming days, if not hours, after top eurozone officials turned the screws Friday and said they were preparing the ground for an Athens default. The Tsipras envoys brought his latest bid to end a five-month standoff with the EU and IMF, who are demanding tough reforms in exchange for giving Athens 7.2 billion euros ($8.1 billion) still remaining in its international rescue package.
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| Park In-Bee takes charge at WPGA Championship Posted: 13 Jun 2015 04:05 PM PDT  Park In-Bee fired a flawless seven-under-par 66 on Saturday to seize a two-stroke lead and close in on a third straight title at the Women's PGA Championship. The South Korean star birdied three of the last four holes at Westchester Country Club, capping her round with back-to-back birdies for a 54-hole total of 14-under 205 in the second major of the 2015 LPGA season. LPGA Tour rookie Kim had gone to the final hole tied for the lead, but Park's birdie coupled with her own miscue saw Park suddenly in a commanding position going into the final round.
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| Bolt calls 200 performance in New York worst of career Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:57 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The last time he competed in this stadium, Usain Bolt ran the fastest 100 meters in history.
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| 4-day win beckons for Australia in 2nd test vs West Indies Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:42 PM PDT  KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc took two cheap wickets following half-centuries from Shaun Marsh, David Warner, and Steve Smith on Saturday as Australia looked set to beat the West Indies without needing to go the distance in the second test.
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| Guyana to seek UN help to end border dispute with Venezuela Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:32 PM PDT GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana's government says it plans to formally ask the United Nations to intervene and help resolve an escalating border dispute with neighboring Venezuela. |
| Swiss flies out opposition journalist hiding at its Baku embassy Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:28 PM PDT  Switzerland has flown out of Azerbaijan an opposition journalist who had been sheltering for 10 months at its embassy in Baku, officials said Saturday, a day after the inaugural European Games opened in the tightly-controlled ex-Soviet country. Emin Huseynov flew out of Azerbaijan on the plane of Switzerland's top diplomat Didier Burkhalter, who attended the Euro Games ceremony in Baku late on Friday, the federal department of foreign affairs said.
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| Alves fires Brazil into World Cup last 16 Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:19 PM PDT  A first half Andressa Alves' goal booked South American giants Brazil their ticket to the last 16 of the Women's World Cup on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Spain. Brazil become the second team to advance to the knock-out rounds after defending champions Japan secured their berth on Friday night. Marta nearly added to her record World Cup tally of 15 goals on 43 minutes off a corner.
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| Audi leads Porsche after 8 hours of 24 Hours Le Mans race Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:10 PM PDT  LE MANS, France (AP) — German driver Rene Rast led for Audi in the 24 Hours Le Mans ahead of Porsche drivers Mark Webber of Australia and Nico Hulkenberg of Germany, eight hours into the race on Saturday.
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| Brazil advances to knockout stage with 1-0 win over Spain Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:04 PM PDT  Andressa Alves scored in the 44th minute as Brazil earned a spot in the knockout stage with a 1-0 win over Spain at the Women's World Cup in Montreal on Saturday.
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| England beats Mexico 2-0 at Women's World Cup Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:02 PM PDT  Fran Kirby and Karen Carney scored in the second half, and England beat Mexico 2-1 Saturday at the Women's World Cup in Moncton, New Brunswick.
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| Faeroe Islands beat Greece again in Euro 2016 qualifying Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:54 PM PDT  FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The Faeroe Islands proved the first time wasn't a fluke when it beat Greece again 2-1 in European Championship qualifying on Saturday.
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| Hong Kong democracy groups take to streets as key vote looms Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:41 PM PDT  Pro-democracy campaigners will take to the streets of Hong Kong Sunday ahead of a vote on the political reform package that has divided the city and sparked mass protests. The controversial electoral roadmap, which lays out how Hong Kong's next leader should be chosen, goes for debate at the legislature on Wednesday and will be voted on by the end of the week. Opposition lawmakers have vowed to vote down the election package, which sticks to the Beijing ruling.
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| Turkish forces block massing Syrians at border: AFP Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:36 PM PDT  Akçakale (Turkey) (AFP) - Turkish security forces on Saturday used water cannon and fired warning shots to push Syrians back from the frontier as thousands massed at a border crossing to escape escalating fighting between Kurds and jihadists, an AFP photographer said. The Syrians came as far as the barbed wire fences around the Turkish crossing of Akcakale in the southeast of the country but were allowed no further. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) had advanced to within 10 kilometres (six miles) of Tal Abyad.
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| Faeroe Islands stun Greece again to claim 2nd qualifying win Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:23 PM PDT  The Faeroe Islands claimed a second surprise victory over 2004 European champion Greece in qualifying for the 2016 tournament on Saturday as Group F pacesetters Romania and Northern Ireland drew 0-0.
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| Indignados mayors take power in Madrid and Barcelona Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:19 PM PDT  Leftist activists from the Indignados (Outraged) protest movement that grew out of Spain's economic crisis took power in Madrid and Barcelona Saturday after ruling conservatives suffered major losses in local elections. Supporters in both cities shouted the Indignados rallying cry "Yes, it's possible!" as former judge Manuela Carmena, 71, a communist in her youth, was sworn in as mayor of Madrid, and 41-year-old anti-eviction activist Ada Colau became Barcelona's first female mayor. In the Spanish capital, Carmena ended 24 years of conservative Popular Party rule.
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| European Games start with passion and politics Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:06 PM PDT  BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Azerbaijan, a former Soviet satellite, is considered one of Europe's lesser known sporting nations.
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| Clinton calls for 'better deal' at first major rally Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:02 PM PDT  Hillary Clinton held the first major rally Saturday of her campaign to become the first woman president of the United States, promising a "better deal" for struggling middle-class Americans. Several thousand of her most devoted admirers braved scorching heat and a strict security cordon to pack a relatively small venue at a memorial to famed World War II and New Deal president Franklin D. Roosevelt. "I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I will be the youngest woman president in the history of the United States," the 67 year old said to cheers and applause.
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| Lewandowski scores 3 as Poland beats Georgia 4-0 Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:00 PM PDT  FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Robert Lewandowski's hat trick in the last four minutes boosted Poland to a 4-0 victory over Georgia and control of Group D in 2016 European Championship qualifying on Saturday.
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| Slovenia gay pride warns same-sex marriage still in jeopardy Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:55 PM PDT  Over a thousand people marched Saturday at Slovenia's 15th Gay Pride festival warning their fight was not over since a recently adopted bill legalising same-sex marriages could still be revoked in a referendum. "The legal situation still isn't clear, the law hasn't entered into force yet and we are here to warn about it," Simona Mursec, one of the organisers of the festival in the capital Ljubljana, told AFP. In March, Slovenia adopted a bill to become the 11th country in the world to give same-sex and heterosexual marriages equal status.
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| Ronaldo nets 3, Portugal beats Armenia 3-2 in Euro qualifier Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:54 PM PDT  YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo's hat trick gave 10-man Portugal a 3-2 win at Armenia in a 2016 European Championship qualifier on Saturday.
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| Colombia stuns France 2-0 in Women's World Cup Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:52 PM PDT  Lady Andrade and Catalina Usme scored goals as Colombia stunned third-ranked France 2-0 Saturday in one of the biggest upsets in Women's World Cup history.
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| Pentagon poised to store heavy weapons in Baltic and Eastern Europe - NYT Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:46 PM PDT  The Pentagon is poised to store battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons for as many as 5,000 troops in several Baltic and Eastern European countries, to deter any possible further Russian aggression in Europe, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Citing U.S. and allied officials, the newspaper said that if approved the proposal would mark the first time since the Cold War that Washington has stationed heavy military equipment in the newer NATO member states in Eastern Europe that were once part of the Soviet sphere of influence. The proposal, which seeks to reassure European allies in the wake of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014, is expected to be approved by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the White House before a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels this month, the paper said, quoting senior officials.
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| AU chair urges dialogue to end Burundi crisis Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:34 PM PDT  The head of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, on Saturday urged rival sides in Burundi to engage in dialogue to solve the political crisis gripping the central African nation. The country has been embroiled in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his bid in April for a third consecutive five-year term. "We would like to encourage all the parties to engage in constructive dialogue placing the interest of the country and the people, welfare and lives of their people and the stability and peace above all else," said AU chairwoman Dlamini-Zuma at a peace and security meeting in Johannesburg on the eve of an African Union summit.
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| England pacers Jordan, Plunkett will miss rest of ODI series Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:33 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — England fast bowlers Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett are injured and will miss the three remaining one-day internationals against New Zealand.
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| Police disperse migrants as tempers fray at France-Italy border Posted: 13 Jun 2015 01:28 PM PDT  Italian police moved Saturday to disperse around 200 migrants who were staging a sit-in at a border crossing with France after French police refused to let them enter the country. Officers in riot gear pushed the migrants back towards the town of Ventimiglia, five kilometres (three miles) from the border. Some of the migrants refused entry into France had gone on hunger strike and others organised a sit-in at the border crossing and tried to block traffic.
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