| Putin says Russia beefing up nuclear arsenal, NATO denounces 'saber-rattling' Posted: 16 Jun 2015 12:24 PM PDT  By Maria Tsvetkova KUBINKA, Russia (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was concerned about an anti-missile defense system near its borders, after announcing that Russia would add more than 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) to its nuclear arsenal this year. "We will be forced to aim our armed forces ... at those territories from where the threat comes," Putin said. Putin made his comments a day after Russian officials denounced a U.S. plan to station tanks and heavy weapons in NATO member states on Russia's border.
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| Egypt court hands Mursi death sentence in blow to Muslim Brotherhood Posted: 16 Jun 2015 11:15 AM PDT  By Mahmoud Mourad and Omar Fahmy CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced deposed President Mohamed Mursi to death on Tuesday over a mass jail break during the country's 2011 uprising and issued sweeping punishments against the leadership of Egypt's oldest Islamic group. The general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, and four other Brotherhood leaders were also handed the death penalty. The Brotherhood described the rulings as "null and void" and called for a popular uprising on Friday.
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| China says about to finish some land reclamation in South China Sea Posted: 16 Jun 2015 12:07 PM PDT  By Sui-Lee Wee and David Brunnstrom BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China will soon complete some of its land reclamation on the Spratly islands in the disputed South China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, indicating that Beijing is close to setting up new outposts in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia. The United States, which has called for a halt in China's island building in the South China Sea, said it had "noted" Beijing's announcement, but was concerned about its plans for more construction work, including for military defense. "China's stated plans do not contribute to a reduction in tensions, support the emergence of diplomatic and peaceful solutions, or bolster China's disputed maritime claims," a State Department spokesperson said.
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| U.S. 'not fixated' on Iran answering queries on atomic work: Kerry Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:39 PM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday suggested that Washington would not insist that Iran answer unresolved questions about its past nuclear activities because the United States already knows exactly what Tehran has done. U.S. officials have previously said Iran must answer a set of queries the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has about past Iranian activities that may have been related to atomic weapons research and that some sanctions relief under a possible nuclear deal would depend on resolving those questions.
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| Passions run high ahead of Hong Kong debate on China-vetted democracy blueprint Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:07 PM PDT  Thousands of police and protesters are expected to converge on Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Wednesday when lawmakers debate a Beijing-backed electoral reform plan that could trigger fresh pro-democracy protests in the Chinese-controlled city. The former British colony has reinforced security after mass protests crippled parts of the Asian financial hub late last year and presented China's ruling Communist Party with one of its biggest political challenges in decades.
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| Kerry says 'patience wearing thin' on Syria's Assad Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:18 PM PDT  By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday he had discussed Syria's use of chemical weapons with Russia and the international community's patience with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's behavior was wearing thin. Speaking to reporters via video conference from Boston, Kerry said he was confident Assad's government was responsible for a "preponderance" of chemical attacks against his own people and that "everyone's patience is wearing thin." Kerry said it was one of the issues he discussed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by phone on Monday and was confident Lavrov would raise it with Assad, who agreed in 2013 under a U.S.-Russia brokered deal to dismantle the country's chemical weapons arsenal.
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| Official: California balcony collapse kills at least 6 people Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:12 PM PDT  BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — A 21st-birthday party thrown by a group of visiting Irish college students turned tragic early Tuesday when the fifth-floor balcony they were crammed onto collapsed with a sharp crack, spilling them about 50 feet onto the pavement. Six people were killed and seven seriously injured.
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| Australian middle distance runner Ron Clarke dies Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:10 PM PDT  GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — Ron Clarke, Australia's greatest middle distance runner and the man who lit the cauldron at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, died Wednesday at the age of 78.
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| Wake held for American killed fighting Islamic State group Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:08 PM PDT  HUDSON, Massachusetts (AP) — Friends and family have gathered in Massachusetts to honor an American killed while fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.
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| Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:02 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry is voicing "enormous" concern over heightened tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan. The hostility between the South Asian neighbors dates back seven decades, but tough talk between them has intensified recently, adding to strains that have grown since nationalist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office a year ago. |
| Small boats banned off Puerto Vallarta because of hurricane Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:55 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities closed the waters off the popular beach destination of Puerto Vallarta to small boats Tuesday as Hurricane Carlos continued to skirt up Mexico's southwestern coastline.
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| US strikes kill jihadist leaders but groups live on Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:47 PM PDT  Washington has made the targeted killing of jihadist leaders the central tactic in its war on extremism, but experts say drone strikes alone do not amount to an effective strategy. On Tuesday, the White House boasted that the death in a presumed CIA drone strike of Nasir al-Wuhayshi, Al-Qaeda's franchise leader in Yemen, was a "major blow" against the network. Nick Heras of Washington think tank the Center for a New American Security said Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) might even emerge stronger after al-Wuhayshi's demise.
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| Cameroon downs Switzerland 2-1 to advance to knockout stage Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:27 PM PDT  Madeleine Ngono Mani came off the bench to score one of two second-half goals as Cameroon became only the second African team to advance to the knockout stage of the Women's World Cup with a 2-1 win over Switzerland in Edmonton, Alberta, on Tuesday.
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| Paraguay defeats Jamaica 1-0 after goalkeeping error Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:26 PM PDT ANTOFAGASTA, Chile (AP) — Paraguay defeated Jamaica 1-0 Tuesday in a lackluster Group B match in the Copa America, giving the South Americans four points from its first two matches. |
| Mexico: 7 killed in attack on police-guarded convoy Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:21 PM PDT MORELIA, Mexico (AP) — Seven people including two police officers have been killed in what Mexican authorities call an ambush of a convoy in the southwestern state of Michoacan. |
| Oklahoma teen gets life in prison for killing of Australian Posted: 16 Jun 2015 05:12 PM PDT  DUNCAN, Oklahoma (AP) — An Oklahoma teenager charged with killing an Australian college baseball player was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole.
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| Cameroon beat Switzerland 2-1 to advance at Women's World Cup Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:19 PM PDT  Debutants Cameroon came from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1 and advance to the last 16 of the Women's World Cup on Tuesday. The Swiss had taken the lead when Ana Maria Crnogorcevic scored after 24 minutes but goals from Gabrielle Onguene two minutes after the break, and Madeleine Ngono Mani on 62 minutes sealed all three points. Cameroon, ranked 53, finish second in Group C with six points behind champions Japan, who beat Ecuador 1-0 on Tuesday, and have a maximum nine points from three games.
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| Japan beats Ecuador 1-0, tops group with perfect record Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:16 PM PDT  WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Yuki Ogimi scored in the fifth minute and defending champion Japan beat Ecuador 1-0 on Tuesday to become the first team to win all three of its matches in the group stage of this year's Women's World Cup.
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| Texas police officer resigns, accused of human smuggling Posted: 16 Jun 2015 04:07 PM PDT McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A Texas police officer has resigned and faces a human smuggling charge after being stopped at a border checkpoint with two women allegedly in the U.S. illegally. |
| Russia to add 40 new intercontinental missiles this year Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:52 PM PDT  MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's military will add over 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles this year alone that are capable of piercing any missile defenses, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday in a blunt reminder of the nation's nuclear might amid tensions with the West over Ukraine.
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| Phils, Reds minor leaguers suspended for positive tests Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:51 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Right-handers Isaac Moncion of Cincinnati and Juan Torres of Philadelphia have been suspended for 72 games each following positive tests under baseball's minor league drug program. |
| U.S. set to provide $5 million for anti-Boko Haram force Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:47 PM PDT  The United States plans to provide $5 million to help support a regional military force fighting Nigeria's Islamist militant group Boko Haram, a state department official said on Tuesday. Boko Haram last year held a vast swathe of territory in northeastern Nigeria of just over 30,000 square kilometers (11,500 square miles), about the size of Belgium. The militants have since been beaten back but are still blamed for isolated attacks such as in Chad's capital on Monday where at least 27 people were killed.
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| Danish general election goes down to the wire Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:45 PM PDT  Denmark's centre-left government and riht-wing opposition are neck-and-neck in the polls ahead of Thursday's general election, with Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt staging a major comeback thanks to a resurgent economy. The election campaign has been dominated by the economy and Danes' cherished cradle-to-grave welfare state, as well as immigration, the traditional battle horse of the far-right Danish People's Party (DPP). "With Helle Thorning-Schmidt, there is a 'prime minister effect': people see her as the head of government more than (opposition leader) Lars Lokke Rasmussen and that works in her favour, but it doesn't mean she's going to win," said Danish political science professor Drude Dahlerup of Stockholm University.
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| The Latest: Engineer says balcony appears small for load Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:42 PM PDT 3:15 p.m. PDT |
| Yemen rebels accuse Saudi of trying to sabotage peace talks Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:40 PM PDT  Iran-backed Yemeni rebels on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of trying to sabotage peace talks in Geneva and claimed the exiled government was trying to impose its own agenda on the UN. The rebels arrived a day late in Geneva on Tuesday for the UN-backed talks after being stranded in Djibouti -- a delay they blamed on Riyadh. The rebels claimed that Saudi Arabia had asked Egypt and Sudan to close their airspace to the chartered plane.
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| Carlos strengthens off Mexico's Pacific coast near major port Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:33 PM PDT Hurricane Carlos strengthened off Mexico's Pacific coast on Tuesday, threatening seven states with heavy rains through Thursday morning even though it was not forecast to make landfall, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Carlos was 85 miles (137 km) south of the major commercial port of Manzanillo, packing maximum sustained winds of about 90 miles per hour (145 kph) with higher gusts, and moving northwest at around five miles (8 km) per hour, the Miami-based NHC said. |
| Foo Fighters cancels all European after Grohl injury Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:30 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Dave Grohl managed to finish a concert with a broken ankle, but he can't finish the Foo Fighters tour.
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| Tropical Storm Bill soaks Texas coast Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:28 PM PDT  By Kristen Hays and Terry Wade HOUSTON (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Bill hit the Texas coast with strong rains and high winds on Tuesday though no serious injuries were reported, relieving officials and residents just three weeks after floods killed about 30 people in the state. The second named tropical storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season made landfall near the sportfishing town of Matagorda, then lost much of its punch, the National Weather Service said. Vessel traffic was also halted in the Houston Ship Channel, the biggest U.S. petrochemical port, and the ports of Galveston and Texas City.
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| Controversial US activist: 'I definitely am not white' Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:27 PM PDT  Rachel Dolezal -- who was president of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) -- resigned from her post after her parents, who are white, said she is too. "I identify as black," Dolezal -- who has tawny skin and dark curly hair -- told NBC's "Today" show. Dolezal built a career as an activist in the black community of Spokane.
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| Toxic algae bloom off West Coast might be largest ever: scientists Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:26 PM PDT A toxic algae bloom in the Pacific Ocean stretching from California north to Washington state might be the largest ever detected off the U.S. West Coast, scientists said on Tuesday. The bloom, which first appeared in May, involves microscopic algae that produce a neurotoxin potentially fatal to humans called domoic acid, according to researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Levels of domoic acid in California's Monterey Bay are some of the highest scientists have ever observed, Raphael Kudela, professor of ocean sciences at the Santa Cruz campus, said in a statement. |
| McIlroy feels at home on Chambers Bay and world ranking Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:24 PM PDT  UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. (AP) — Rory McIlroy didn't fare so well the last time he played links golf. He shot an 80 at Royal County Down in the Irish Open, missed his second straight cut, returned to his home in Florida and spent four days of practice to get back to his style of golf.
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| Six Irish die in California balcony collapse Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:14 PM PDT  Six young Irish nationals died in the early hours Tuesday when a fourth-floor apartment balcony collapsed during a 21st birthday party in the California university town of Berkeley, authorities said. At least seven people were injured, with some in critical condition, after the tragedy at a building located two blocks from the University of California, Berkeley campus, local media and officials said. Most of those involved were Irish students from University College Dublin, Ireland's largest university, on the J1 work-study visa program, which allows them to teach, study, conduct research and work legally during their stay in the United States.
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| APNewsBreak: Republicans putting together trade rescue plan Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:09 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Republican leaders in Congress, after talks with President Barack Obama, put together a quick rescue plan Tuesday for highly controversial, White House-backed trade legislation that Democrats derailed in the House last week.
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| UN report makes recommendations to stop sex abuse Posted: 16 Jun 2015 03:05 PM PDT  To eliminate sex abuse from UN peacekeeping missions, the first major review of operations in 15 years recommends that countries which flout children's rights be barred from blue helmet missions. A panel headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta was tasked with rethinking peacekeeping at a time when UN missions are increasingly under threat and increasingly asked to manage conflicts. Ramos-Horta was tapped to carry out the mission last year before recent allegations implicated UN peacekeepers in sexual abuse in Haiti and Liberia, and French troops in Central African Republic.
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| Italian rugby federation reaches agreement with players Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:59 PM PDT ROME (AP) — The Italy squad is expected to resume its World Cup training camp in the next few days after reaching an agreement in principle with the Italian rugby federation. |
| Egypt court confirms Morsi death sentence Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:57 PM PDT  An Egyptian court upheld Tuesday a death sentence against ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi for plotting jailbreaks and attacks on police during the country's 2011 uprising. It also sentenced Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, to life in prison on charges of spying for the Palestinian Hamas movement, Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah and Iran. In a separate trial in April, Morsi was sentenced to 20 years on charges of inciting violence against protesters in 2012, when he was president.
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| Signs of rapprochement as US, Venezuelan officials meet Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:44 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Nicolas Maduro says a recent meeting between Venezuelan and U.S. officials has opened an important channel that could lead toward restoration of full diplomatic relations.
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| 'Living with fear': Syrian refugees recall IS-ruled Tal Abyad Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:43 PM PDT  Refugees who escaped clashes in the Syrian town of Tal Abyad to find refuge in Turkey recall nervously what it was like to live under their former Islamic State (IS) rulers. Carrying sacks of possessions on their heads, or sometimes simply just their children, thousands flooded into Turkey to find sanctuary from the fighting. "It's horrible to live under sharia rule, which bans pretty much everything," said Halil el-Ahmed, 55, who fled to Turkey with his family of 15 after spending three nights in the open.
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| Fox says Rupert Murdoch's sons to take new posts July 1 Posted: 16 Jun 2015 02:40 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Twenty-First Century Fox said Tuesday that Rupert Murdoch will turn over more power to his sons James and Lachlan on July 1. |
