| France launches air strikes in Syria; Paris investigation widens Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:51 PM PST  By Emmanuel Jarry and Robert-Jan Bartunek PARIS/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - French warplanes pounded Islamic State positions in Syria on Sunday as police in Europe widened their investigations into coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombings and shootings, which have re-ignited a row over Europe's refugee crisis and drawn calls to block a huge influx of Muslim asylum-seekers. French police have launched an international hunt for a Belgian-born man they believe helped organize the assaults with two of his brothers.
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| Obama urges Russia to join renewed effort to eliminate Islamic State Posted: 15 Nov 2015 12:54 PM PST  By Matt Spetalnick and Dasha Afanasieva BELEK, Turkey (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama vowed on Sunday to step up efforts to eliminate Islamic State and prevent more attacks like those in Paris, while urging Russia's Vladimir Putin to focus on combating the jihadist group in Syria. A White House official said Obama and Putin agreed during a 35-minute meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Turkey on the need for a political transition in Syria, saying events in Paris had made it all the more urgent.
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| French warplanes strike Islamic State Syria bastion Posted: 15 Nov 2015 01:12 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date targeting the Islamic State's stronghold in Raqqa just two days after the group claimed coordinated attacks in Paris that killed more than 130 people, the defense ministry said. "The raid ... including 10 fighter jets, was launched simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Twenty bombs were dropped," the statement said, adding that the mission had taken place this evening. The operation, carried out in coordination with U.S. ... |
| Exclusive: U.S. delivers ammunition to Syrian Arab fighters battling Islamic State Posted: 15 Nov 2015 11:17 AM PST  By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has carried out a fresh delivery of ammunition to fighters from the Syrian Arab Coalition battling Islamic State in northern Syria, pushing ahead with a strategy that initially unnerved ally Turkey, a U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday. The delivery of ammunition represented only the second time the United States has moved to arm the Syrian Arab Coalition, a collection of about 10-12 groups numbering about 5,000 fighters.
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| Holder of Syrian passport found in Paris traveled through Balkans Posted: 15 Nov 2015 10:51 AM PST  By Renee Maltezou and George Georgiopoulos ATHENS (Reuters) - The holder of a Syrian passport found near the body of one of the gunmen who died in Friday night's attacks in Paris was registered as a refugee in several European countries last month, authorities said. Greece identified the man as 25-year old Ahmad Almohammad, from the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, and said he had entered Europe through the Greek island of Leros, where he was processed on Oct. 3. France has not publicly confirmed that the passport holder is a suspect, but Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas said French authorities had told Greece they suspected that Almohammad, whose passport was found outside the Stade de France near the body of a gunman, was one of the attackers.
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| U.N. chief to visit North Korea this week: Yonhap Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:57 PM PST  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit North Korea's capital Pyongyang this week, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Monday, quoting a U.N. source, in what could be a rare diplomatic opening by the isolated state. Ban, who is South Korean, had earlier this year made plans to visit the North, but Pyongyang retracted the approval for the trip at the last minute without explanation. "It is impossible that the U.N Secretary-General will not meet the leader of North Korea, a U.N. member state, as he visits the country," the source told Yonhap, adding that the trip would likely provide significant momentum to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula.
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| Argentine presidential candidates blast each other in debate Posted: 15 Nov 2015 05:03 PM PST  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's presidential contenders have come out attacking each other in the South American nation's first ever head-to-head candidates' debate.
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| The Latest: Official names 2 bombers in Paris attacks Posted: 15 Nov 2015 05:02 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — The latest on the deadly attacks in Paris. (All times local):
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| US transfers five Guantanamo detainees to UAE: Pentagon Posted: 15 Nov 2015 05:00 PM PST  Washington (AFP) - The United States announced Sunday the transfer of five detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United Arab Emirates, part of a long-delayed plan to close the controversial military prison.
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| UN chief Ban Ki-moon to visit North Korea: Yonhap Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:58 PM PST  UN chief Ban Ki-moon is to visit North Korea, the first head of the world body to set foot in the isolated state for more than 20 years, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Monday. Citing an unidentified high-level UN source, Yonhap said Ban would visit Pyongyang in his official capacity as secretary general later this week, though no precise dates were given. The high-level UN source told Yonhap that Ban was almost certain to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who has yet to receive a single head of state since taking over power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011.
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| UAE takes 5 Yemeni prisoners freed by US from Guantanamo Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:58 PM PST  MIAMI (AP) — Five men held by the U.S. at its base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been released and sent to the United Arab Emirates.
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| Britain to boost spy agencies after Paris attacks, media report Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:56 PM PST  Britain is to recruit an extra 1,900 security and intelligence staff to counter the threat of terrorist violence following the deadly Paris attacks, British media reported on Monday. The move would be "the biggest increase in British security spending since the 7/7 bombings in London" that killed dozens in 2005 and will be announced by Prime Minister David Cameron later on Monday, according to the Guardian. "I am determined to prioritise the resources we need to combat the terrorist threat because protecting the British people is my number one duty as prime minister," Cameron will say in the upcoming announcement, according to the newspaper.
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| Tech-savvy sex traffickers stay ahead of authorities as lure teens online Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:46 PM PST By Alex Whiting LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Nicole was aged 17 and her mother was sent to prison for white collar crimes, she met a man on Facebook who offered to take care of her. Traffickers worldwide are increasingly using social media to contact vulnerable teenagers and sell them into sex work, quick to adopt the latest online platforms popular with teenagers that has created new challenges for law enforcement agencies. Once limited to luring victims in the street, traffickers can now message thousands of people through Instagram, Facebook, Kik, Tagged and Twitter, with WhatsApp and Snapchat some of the latest tools in their arsenal. |
| Paraguay ruling party loses key mayoral vote Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:39 PM PST  Paraguay's ruling conservative party lost the mayor's office in the capital Asuncion on Sunday in a surprise midterm setback for President Horacio Cartes. Popular TV presenter Mario Ferreiro defeated incumbent Arnaldo Samaniego of the president's Colorado party, 51.2 percent to 40.4 percent, according to official results with nearly all ballots counted. The Colorados had controlled Asuncion for 15 years, and polls had given Samaniego a slight lead.
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| After Paris attacks, fugitive slipped through police dragnet Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:31 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — Hours after the synchronized attacks that terrorized Paris, French police questioned and released the suspect who is now the focus of an international manhunt, officials told The Associated Press on Sunday.
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| Syrian refugee policy takes focus in US presidential race Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:27 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The bloody attacks in Paris are putting the Syrian refugee crisis at center stage in U.S. politics as migrants from that war-torn country surge toward the West and security concerns rise.
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| Park holds off Ciganda to claim Ochoa Invitational Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:27 PM PST  Park In-Bee capped her final round with back-to-back birdies Sunday to win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, setting up a tantalizing showdown with world No. 1 Lydia Ko in next week's LPGA Tour Championship. The 27-year-old South Korean fired a 64 to reach a 18-under 270 total and finish three strokes ahead of playing partner Carlota Ciganda for her fifth title of the year. Spain's Ciganda closed with a nine-under 63 while US LPGA Tour rookie-of-the-year Kim Sei-Young (66), who was the other player in the final group, finished third, five strokes behind Park.
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| Nicaragua blames Costa Rica as Cubans storm border Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:24 PM PST  Nicaragua said thousands of Cubans forced their way into its territory from Costa Rica on Sunday, accusing its southern neighbor of "deliberately and irresponsibly" flooding it with US-bound migrants. The accusation came after Costa Rica said Saturday it was giving temporary visas to a group of about 1,000 stranded, penniless Cubans, telling them they had one week to cross the country and continue their journey toward the United States. Nicaraguan police said thousands of Cubans stormed the Penas Blancas border post and illegally crossed into Nicaragua.
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| Australian, New Zealand stocks fall after Paris attacks Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:24 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — The Australian and New Zealand stock markets began trading lower Monday after becoming the first markets in developed economies to open since Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris killed 129 people. |
| Paris unites in defiant solidarity, then scatters in panic Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:19 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — Parisians banded together Sunday in spontaneous celebrations of life in defiance of the attacks — but then panic over firecrackers sent the crowds fleeing, hiding under benches, overturning chairs and bicycles.
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| Mexico extradites drug cartel boss to US Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:18 PM PST  Mexico has extradited top drug trafficker Cesar Gastelum Serrano to the United States, where he is accused of running a network that smuggles tons of cocaine into the US via Central America, authorities said Sunday. Gastelum, who is linked to Mexico's powerful Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in April in the Mexican resort of Cancun.
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| UK to boost funding for intelligence agencies, aviation security Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:10 PM PST  By Kylie MacLellan BELEK, Turkey (Reuters) - Britain will boost its intelligence agency staff by 15 percent and more than double spending on aviation security to counter the increasing threat from Islamist militants, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday. The government said it had decided to increase resources in the wake of the growing number of plots against Britain and recent militant attacks, including those in Paris and Tunisia. "This is a generational struggle that demands we provide more manpower to combat those who would destroy us and our values." The government said that as part of a broader five-year defense and security review, due to be published on Nov. 23, it would fund an extra 1,900 officers at its MI5 and MI6 spy agencies and GCHQ intelligence agency.
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| American Brittany Bowe breaks world record in 1,500 Posted: 15 Nov 2015 04:07 PM PST  CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — American Brittany Bowe broke the world record in the women's 1,500 meters Sunday, and Russia's Pavel Kulizhnikov topped the previous mark in the men's 500 at a World Cup speedskating event.
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| Canada sticks to refugee plan but security pressures mount after Paris attacks Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:56 PM PST  "We will be accepting 25,000 Syrian refugees between now and January 1st," Trudeau said in the written text of a speech at the G20 major powers summit in Turkey. The debate has been particularly heated in the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec, which - like France - has a large North African immigrant community and is grappling with concerns about radicalization of Muslim youth. Last year, two Quebec-born Muslim converts staged separate attacks on Canadian soldiers, near Montreal and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, killing two. BANNER ON OVERPASS An online petition asking the government to suspend the plan to bring in the refugees was launched on Saturday by a Quebec City resident worried about "jihadists infiltrating" the country, according to Le Soleil newspaper.
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| McDowell, Knox tied in Mexico, head for Monday finish Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:55 PM PST PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Russell Knox and Graeme McDowell each had six birdies and were tied for the lead before the final round was stopped Sunday in the rain-delayed OHL Classic at Mayakoba, setting up a sprint to the finish Monday in Mexico. |
| Inbee Park wins LPGA Tour's Lorena Ochoa Invitational Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:51 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Inbee Park won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday, holding off Carlota Ciganda for her fifth victory of the season and 17th LPGA Tour title.
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| Paris attacks: what we know so far Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:47 PM PST  French investigators believe there were three teams involved in Friday's attacks on Paris and are probing possible links to the conflict in Syria in a joint inquiry with Belgium. Seven of the gunmen and suicide bombers who took part in the carnage, which killed 129 and was claimed by Islamic State jihadists, died in the bloodshed. The initial strike was by a team of suicide bombers outside the Stade de France where the first blew himself up at 9:20 pm (2020 GMT) while the French and German national football teams were playing a friendly.
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| 'Hell:' Famous Paris venue becomes scene of terror bloodbath Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:47 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — There was a moment — just a moment — when the concert hall was eerily quiet. The rock band had stopped playing, and people had dived to the floor after realizing the sudden explosions hadn't been part of the show. Everything was silent.
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| Niger election committee admits to errors in voter lists Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:42 PM PST  "There are failings in the voter lists," said Sabiou Gaya, deputy coordinator for the election committee, adding some of the errors included enrolment mistakes and missing polling booths. Officially, the final list was due to be handed to the Independent National Electoral Commission by end-October. On Saturday, Niger opposition leader Hama Amadou was arrested when he flew into Niamey as security forces blocked off the airport, a year after he fled the country when sought by investigators probing a child trafficking ring.
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| France hits back, striking IS in Syria after Paris carnage Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:28 PM PST  French warplanes pounded the Islamic State group's de facto capital in Syria on Sunday, in the first such strikes since a wave of coordinated attacks claimed by the jihadists left 129 people dead in Paris. As the nation prepared to mourn the victims of the carnage in a minute of silence on Monday, a dozen warplanes dropped 20 bombs on IS targets in the Islamists' stronghold of Raqa, signalling the French government's resolve in its fight against the group. The air raids came after President Francois Hollande called the Paris attacks -- the worst in the country's history -- an "act of war" and vowed to hit back "without mercy".
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| Belgium connection under spotlight after Paris attacks Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:07 PM PST  Prosecutors on Sunday disclosed a growing Belgian connection to the Paris attacks as Premier Charles Michel conceded that a Brussels neighbourhood is a "gigantic problem" given its past links to international terrorism. Belgian prosecutors cooperating with their French counterparts said two assailants killed in Friday's attacks were Frenchmen who had lived in Brussels, that two cars tied to the attacks found in Paris were rented in Belgium, and Belgian police have detained seven people. At least one of the dead assailants and five of the people arrested in raids Saturday had spent time in the poor immigrant Brussels district of Molenbeek, officials said.
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| Hungary beats Norway 2-1, qualifies for Euro 2016 Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:02 PM PST  BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary secured a spot at next year's European Championship by beating Norway 2-1 Sunday, ending a 30-year absence from major tournaments.
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| No. 1 Djokovic stretches ATP finals winning streak to 15 Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:55 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Right now, Novak Djokovic is about as good as it gets on a tennis court.
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| Paris attacks: an international joint venture in violence Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:51 PM PST By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Early leads in the investigation into the deadly Paris attacks point to the likelihood of a team led by French nationals, based in Belgium, and which may have used a refugee route from Syria via Greece to link up for their killing spree. Details are only slowly emerging of the seven dead attackers and an eighth assailant still on the run who perpetrated strikes on Paris bars, a concert hall and a soccer stadium that killed 132 people and injuring 349. The international reach of their network prompted French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to call for an urgent European Union meeting to assess what new security measures the bloc needs to counter such threats. |
| Polish minister says Syrians can return to fight and 'liberate' homeland Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:50 PM PST  The hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees pouring into Europe can be trained to form an army and return to "liberate" their homeland, Poland's new foreign minister said on Sunday. Witold Waszczykowski also told public television that the refugees could be gainfully employed in this manner rather than sipping coffee on an iconic Berlin avenue or other European cities. "Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have come to Europe recently.
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| Brazil far-right protesters call for military coup Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:37 PM PST  The demonstration in Brasilia, featuring a giant inflatable doll of a soldier and coffins meant to represent Rousseff's death, was a rare public display of support for a military takeover in Latin America's biggest country, where a two-decade dictatorship ended in 1985. "We back military intervention as a form of cleansing so that we can put the country back in order, call elections and that way regain democracy," said one protester, a member of a far-right "Patriotic Camp" set up near Congress. Most at the protest called on Congress to impeach the president, whose second term has been marred by a huge corruption scandal and steep slide into economic recession.
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| New Romania PM unveils technocrat government Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:32 PM PST  Romania's prime minister-designate Dacian Ciolos named a technocrat government on Sunday, tapping European Union experts as well as private-sector leaders to steer the country until elections next year. Ciolos, 46, was tasked on Tuesday by President Klaus Iohannis with forming a new government after ex-premier Victor Ponta stepped down following mass anti-government protests sparked by a nightclub fire that killed 55 people in Bucharest. Amid a popular rejection of a political class seen as corrupt and blamed for the tragedy, Iohannis supported having a technocrat government run the country until legislative elections set for the end of 2016.
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| Michigan governor puts refugee acceptance efforts on hold Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:28 PM PST DETROIT (AP) — Michigan's Republican governor, who has bucked many party leaders by welcoming Syrian refugees, is putting the efforts on hold following the deadly attacks in Paris. |
| Belgium launches international manhunt for Paris attack suspect: source Posted: 15 Nov 2015 02:27 PM PST  Belgium has issued an international arrest warrant for a man suspected of having taken part in the Paris attacks with two of his brothers, a judicial source said Sunday. One of the brothers is on the run, one is in custody in Belgium -- though it is unclear whether he took part in the rampage -- while the third blew himself up outside a cafe on the bustling Boulevard Voltaire, sources said. French police released a photo of the suspect they were looking for in connection with the attacks, naming him as 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam and describing him as a "dangerous individual".
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