| Vowing to destroy terrorism, France seeks global coalition against Islamic State Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:40 PM PST  By Chine Labbé and Crispian Balmer PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande called on the United States and Russia on Monday to join a global coalition to destroy Islamic State following the attacks across Paris, and announced a wave of measures to combat terrorism in France. "France is at war," Hollande told a joint session of parliament at the Palace of Versailles, promising to increase funds for national security and strengthen anti-terrorism laws in response to the suicide bombings and shootings that killed 129. Parliamentarians gave Hollande a standing ovation before spontaneously singing the "Marseillaise" national anthem in a show of political unity after the worst atrocity France has seen since World War Two.
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| Cambodia opposition leader, facing arrest, delays return Posted: 16 Nov 2015 01:53 PM PST  By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Monday delayed his return home from South Korea as tension comes to a head between his supporters and those of Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Southeast Asian nation is still three years away from a general election, but acrimony between the two as they jockey for position is threatening to plunge the country back into political conflict. A Cambodian court on Friday issued an arrest warrant related to an old defamation case for which Sam Rainsy had already received a royal pardon. Parliament on Monday stripped Sam Rainsy of the immunity that comes with his position in parliament.
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| Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries Posted: 16 Nov 2015 10:49 AM PST  Islamic State warned in a new video on Monday that countries taking part in air strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and threatened to attack in Washington. The video, which appeared on a website used by Islamic State to post its messages, begins with news footage of the aftermath of Friday's Paris shootings in which at least 129 people were killed. The message to countries involved in what it called the "crusader campaign" was delivered by a man dressed in fatigues and a turban, and identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the Algerian.
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| Obama rules out U.S. troops on ground to fight Islamic State Posted: 16 Nov 2015 11:31 AM PST  By Matt Spetalnick BELEK, Turkey (Reuters) - President Barack Obama ruled out a shift in strategy in the fight against Islamic State on Monday despite the deadly attacks in Paris, saying putting more U.S. troops on the ground as sought by his political critics "would be a mistake." Speaking after a G20 summit in Turkey, Obama described the attacks in France that killed 129 people as "a terrible and sickening setback" and vowed to redouble efforts to destroy Islamic State, even as the group threatened to strike Washington. Mindful of the difficulties that the United States had in controlling Iraq after its invasion in 2003, Obama is very reluctant to commit American ground forces to Middle East conflict zones.
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| Syrians in Raqqa fear new warplanes in crowded skies Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:26 PM PST  By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Naline Malla AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrians living under Islamic State rule in its de facto capital of Raqqa fear they will pay the price for the group's Paris attacks with more air strikes. Activists and a group monitoring the Syrian war, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the French air strikes appeared accurate, reporting no casualties. The French air strikes had been preceded by an attack by warplanes from Russia, whose air force has pounded the city several times since September in its own campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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| Russia 'outraged' at accusations it killed civilians in Syria Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:13 PM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia told the United Nations on Monday it was "outraged" by allegations that it had killed civilians in Syria and destroyed civilian infrastructure as a U.S.-based rights group accused Moscow's air force of bombing 10 medical facilities in October. Russia launched air strikes in Syria to help bolster forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad at the end of September, but Western powers accuse Moscow of targeting anti-Assad rebels instead of Islamic State militants. |
| UN aid chief: End Syrian war and aid millions who need help Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:51 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. humanitarian chief urged key powers on Monday not to squander the momentum to end the Syrian conflict, pointing to 13.5 million people in desperate need of aid, over four million Syrians seeking refuge elsewhere, and the indiscriminate use of weapons continuing unabated. |
| The Latest: UN rights chief rejects anti-migrant moves Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:49 PM PST  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The latest news as hundreds of thousands make their way across Europe in search of safety and a better life. All times local.
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| APEC summit tests security in volatile Philippines Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:46 PM PST  MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Providing security for the leaders of Asia-Pacific nations including the United States and China is a huge undertaking for any country. For the Philippines, which is hosting this year's APEC summit, the challenges are even bigger and are under renewed scrutiny following the Paris attacks.
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| Belgium calls off Spain game after raised security alert Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:45 PM PST  BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium called off Tuesday's soccer match against Spain less than 24 hours before kickoff after the government raised the security threat level amid an investigation related to the Paris attacks.
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| France deploys aircraft carrier to support Syria raids Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:43 PM PST  France's president said Monday its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier would be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to boost operations in Syria as Paris intensifies a bombing campaign against the Islamic State group there. "The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will set off on Thursday for the eastern Mediterranean, which will triple our capacity to take action," Francois Hollande told lawmakers in Versailles, outside Paris.
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| A partial list of victims of the Paris terrorist attacks Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:37 PM PST Here is a partial list of victims of Friday's attacks in Paris confirmed by The Associated Press and other media: |
| Paris attacks revive U.S. arguments about encryption, surveillance Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:36 PM PST By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The deadly attacks in Paris are reigniting a debate over whether U.S. government spies should have easy access to encrypted messages flowing across the Internet. Intelligence agencies have long argued for so-called "backdoors" that would enable them to monitor encrypted email messages, chat applications, phone calls and other types of electronic communications. A U.S. security official said there is no evidence yet demonstrating that the Paris attackers used a particular method for communicating, or whether any technology they used was encrypted in a particular way. |
| Surge of Cuban migrants sends Costa Rica-Nicaragua ties plunging Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:27 PM PST  San José (AFP) - A surge of some 2,000 Cuban migrants trying to cross Central America to reach the United States triggered a diplomatic spat between Costa Rica and Nicaragua Monday, plunging tense relations between the two countries to a new low. The row boiled over this past weekend when Nicaragua forcibly sent back the Cubans, who had been given temporary visas by Costa Rica to traverse its territory, ignoring an appeal by San Jose that they be given a "humanitarian corridor" through the region. As Nicaragua's military stepped up border surveillance to prevent further crossings, Managua's ambassador to the United Nations, Maria Rubiales, accused Costa Rica of "violating our sovereignty" and lodged complaints with international bodies.
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| AP NewsBreak: Leaders say no to Russian track at Rio Games Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:25 PM PST  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Leaders of the world anti-doping movement called for Russian track athletes to be banned from next year's Olympics, saying Monday that the nine-month window between now and the Games isn't enough to ensure the program and its athletes are clean.
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| The Latest: Belgium calls off Spain game Posted: 16 Nov 2015 04:19 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — The latest on the deadly attacks in Paris. (All times local):
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| France, England to unite in song and solidarity at friendly Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:46 PM PST  A communal rendition of the French national anthem will provide the emotional centre-point as France play England at Wembley on Tuesday four days on from the devastating Paris attacks. The stadium's bars will shut five minutes before kick-off to encourage fans to observe tributes that will include a minute's silence, the laying of flowers by team captains Wayne Rooney and Hugo Lloris and the singing of 'La Marseillaise', which England's fans have been urged to join in with. "We will sing that together and share in that moment," said France goalkeeper Lloris, who plays for London club Tottenham Hotspur.
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| Transatlantic airlines show big fuel-efficiency gaps: ICCT study Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:32 PM PST By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The biggest transatlantic airlines are up to 51 percent less fuel-efficient than their smaller lower-cost rivals, which offer fewer first-class seats and maintain newer fleets of aircraft, according to a report released on Monday. A 43-page study by the International Council on Clean Transportation found that Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, German-based Air Berlin and Ireland's national flag carrier Aer Lingus had the smallest carbon footprints among 20 transatlantic carriers in 2014. British Airways, Scandinavian airline SAS and Deutsche Lufthansa AG had the worst CO2 performance, as measured by passenger mile (km) per quart (liter) of fuel. |
| Belgian connection: from barkeeper to suicide bomber Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:29 PM PST By Robert-Jan Bartunek, Philip Blenkinsop and Alissa de Carbonnel BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Two weeks ago, the mayor of Molenbeek ordered the closure of a neighborhood bar where Brussels police had found young men dealing drugs and smoking dope over the summer. Last Friday, the owner blew himself up at another laid-back corner cafe, this time in Paris, on a mission of retribution from Islamic State. Brahim Abdeslam's journey from barkeeper to suicide bomber remains a mystery, along with the whereabouts of his younger brother Salah, now on the run as Europe's most wanted man but until recently the manager of Brahim's bar, Les Beguines. |
| Quick thinking may have averted massacre at Paris stadium Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:22 PM PST  SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — The suicide bombers' explosive belts, packed with shrapnel, had been designed to kill and maim the crowds at the national stadium.
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| The Paris assailants: what we know Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:21 PM PST  Investigators probing the deadly Paris attacks have so far identified five of seven gunmen and suicide bombers whose bodies were found at three sites across the city, while the hunt is on for others. Here is a look at the men behind France's worst-ever terror attacks, which struck a concert venue, bars, restaurants, and a stadium. The 29-year-old French national blew himself up at the Bataclan music venue, one of three attackers who killed 89 people there in the bloodiest scene of Friday night's violence.
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| CIA chief warns Islamic State may have other attacks ready Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:20 PM PST  By Jonathan Landay, Mark Hosenball and John Irish WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CIA Director John Brennan warned on Monday that the attacks in Paris claimed by the extremist Islamic State movement were not a "one-off event" and that the militants may have similar operations ready to launch. Foiling those plots, however, could prove difficult because Europe's intelligence and security resources are severely stretched trying to keep track of the hundreds of European extremists who have returned home from fighting in Syria and Iraq. "A lot of our partners right now in Europe are facing a lot of challenges in terms of the numbers of individuals who have traveled to Syria and Iraq and back again, and so their ability to monitor and survey these individuals is under strain," Brennan said.
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| Ireland reaches Euro 2016 with 2-0 win over Bosnia Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST  DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland qualified for next year's European Championship on Monday as Jonathan Walters returned from suspension to score both goals in a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina and secure a 3-1 aggregate win in their playoff.
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| Canada provinces balk at Trudeau's Syrian refugee goal Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:08 PM PST  By Rod Nickel and Kevin Dougherty WINNIPEG, Manitoba/MONTREAL (Reuters) - A plan by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year appeared in jeopardy on Monday as some provincial and municipal leaders said the timeline does not allow for enough security checks and is logistically impossible. Canadian misgivings echoed those expressed in the United States by more than a dozen state governors who said they would not allow Syrian refugees to be settled in their states, contending it was too dangerous after Friday's deadly attacks in Paris. The immigration minister in the mostly French-speaking province of Quebec, Kathleen Weil, said she does not believe Trudeau's goal is realistic.
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| France leads world in silent tribute for Paris victims Posted: 16 Nov 2015 03:07 PM PST  France led a minute's silence observed around the world on Monday in memory of the victims of the worst-ever terror attacks on French soil. In Paris, President Francois Hollande and his cabinet, all dressed in black, bowed their heads at the Sorbonne University, surrounded by scores of students. At Place de la Republique near the site of many of the attacks, hundreds more stood still to remember those killed in the bloodbath, while large crowds also gathered in silence by the Bataclan music venue and outside a nearby bar and restaurant, where most of the victims died, AFP journalists said.
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| Andy Murray not afraid to play Davis Cup final in Belgium Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:56 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Andy Murray plays tennis for a living, and he doesn't plan on being afraid of doing his job.
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| Experts say states lack legal authority to block refugees Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:42 PM PST  DETROIT (AP) — Governors across the U.S. have threatened to stop accepting Syrian refugees following last week's attacks in Paris, even as experts counter they lack legal authority to block the relocations.
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| Rooney offers condolences to Paris victims Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:40 PM PST  England captain Wayne Rooney expressed his condolences on Monday in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday that left 129 people dead and over 350 injured. "On behalf of the players, we'd like to give our condolences," Rooney told a press conference at England's team hotel in Watford, north of London, ahead of Tuesday's friendly against France at Wembley. Rooney said that he had spoken to some of his Manchester United team-mates involved in Friday's friendly between France and Germany at the Stade de France in Paris, which coincided with three suicide bomb attacks outside the ground.
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| German diplomat takes over as U.N. envoy to Libya on Tuesday Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:32 PM PST  Veteran German diplomat Martin Kobler will take over from Bernardino Leon of Spain as the top United Nations envoy to Libya on Tuesday, the U.N. press office said. "The leadership transition comes at a critical time for Libya," it said in a statement released on Monday. "Mr. Kobler is committed to ensuring continuity of United Nations facilitation of the Libyan dialogue process, building on what Libyan parties have achieved to date," the statement added.
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| Kerry arrives in Paris in show of U.S. support after attacks Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:30 PM PST U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Paris on Monday to pay respects to those killed in last week's attacks in the French capital and to stress Washington's support for a key ally in the war against Islamic State militants. Kerry's visit comes three days after gunmen killed more than 130 people in attacks on bars, a concert hall and a soccer stadium in Paris. The U.S. Secretary of State will express "shared resolve to continue countering violent extremism here and around the world", State Department spokesman John Kirby said. |
| Belgium's Molenbeek: fear grips suburb-turned-Islamist hotbed Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:26 PM PST  Brussels' Molenbeek area, long infamous in Belgium's capital city for its crime and unemployment, has emerged once again as a European hotbed of Islamist extremism where residents say they live in fear. "We are between two fires, the fire of white people and the fire of the Islamist extremists," Abderrahman, 55, told AFP as he stood opposite a police barrier. Residents also say many parents worry about their sons leaving to fight with Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, where a lack of economic opportunities for ethnic minority youths has created widespread disaffection.
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| Seven UK terror plots 'stopped' in last year: Cameron Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:25 PM PST  British security services have foiled at least seven terror plots in the past year, with fighters returning from Syria posing a growing threat, Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday. "Our security services have foiled no fewer than seven different terrorist plots right here in Britain over the past year alone," Cameron said in a speech in London. Cameron had earlier said that the plots were foiled in six months, but later clarified that the period was actually a year.
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| Murray, Nadal in dominant mood at Tour Finals Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:22 PM PST  Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal produced emphatic responses to the critics as they kicked off their ATP Tour Finals campaigns in dominant fashion on Monday. Murray silenced the doubters who claimed he was distracted by dreams of Davis Cup glory with a gritty 6-4, 6-4 win over David Ferrer, while Nadal, beset by problems during the worst year of his career, showed he isn't finished yet with a 6-3, 6-2 thrashing of French Open champion Stan Wawrinka. Former Wimbledon champion Murray has made it clear his main priority in the closing weeks of the season is Great Britain's attempt to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 in their first final since 1978.
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| Who were the Paris attackers? Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:22 PM PST (Reuters) - France, which along with Belgium has launched a massive manhunt for people involved in the attacks that killed at least 129 people in Paris on Friday, is striving to establish the identities of the attackers and chief suspects. Following is a list of some of the seven attackers who died, as well as others named in the investigation. |
| Hollande sets out fightback against IS after Paris attacks Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:20 PM PST  French President Francois Hollande vowed to destroy the Islamic State group on Monday after its atrocities in Paris, promising tough new anti-terror measures at home and intensified bombing of Syria. France and Belgium staged dozens of raids on suspected extremists as the manhunt continued for an eighth jihadist, including in a known radical hotspot in Brussels where some of the attackers are thought to have lived. Describing the coordinated attacks that killed 129 people as "acts of war," Hollande urged a global fightback to crush IS and said he would hold talks with his US and Russian counterparts on a new offensive.
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| Swedish police: Attack threat against government, Parliament Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:14 PM PST HELSINKI (AP) — Swedish security officials say they have received a threat of attacks against the prime minister, the government and Parliament. |
| Skal Labissiere looks to take next step for No. 2 Kentucky Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:12 PM PST  LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Skal Labissiere has heeded Kentucky coach John Calipari's advice to be an offensive presence.
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| US OKs sale of $1.3 billion in guided bombs to Saudi Arabia Posted: 16 Nov 2015 02:04 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has approved a $1.3 billion sale of bombing munitions to Saudi Arabia as its air force strikes rebel targets in Yemen. |
