| Syria peace talks derailed as opposition stays away Posted: 28 Jan 2016 01:40 PM PST  By Suleiman Al-Khalidi, John Davison and Stephanie Nebehay AMMAN/BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition said it will not attend peace talks due to begin in Geneva on Friday, derailing the first attempt in two years to hold negotiations aimed at ending the five-year-long war. An opposition council convening in Riyadh said its delegation would "certainly" not be in Geneva on Friday, saying it had not received convincing answers to its demands for goodwill steps including an end to air strikes and blockades. The Syrian government is clawing back territory from rebels with military help from Iran and Russia.
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| German government agrees tighter asylum rules Posted: 28 Jan 2016 11:03 AM PST  BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their left-leaning Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners agreed on Thursday to tighten asylum rules, reaching a compromise on how to stem a migrant influx, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said. The measures include a two-year ban on family reunions for asylum seekers who are granted limited refugee protection, said Garbiel, who is SPD leader. Germany also wants to speed up the deportations of failed asylum seekers. (Reporting by Holger Hansen, Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Dominic Evans)
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| Protesters march, France eyes business deals as Iran's Rouhani visits Posted: 28 Jan 2016 12:40 PM PST  By Michel Rose and John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - France and Iran hailed the sale of Airbus planes and the renewal of a decades-old carmaking venture as symbols of thawing relations on Thursday while protesters in Paris tried to get human rights onto the agenda. President Hassan Rouhani was accompanied on his official visit to Paris, the first by an Iranian president since 1999, by ministers and business leaders who announced deals including a joint venture between carmakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Iran Khodro and plans for Iran to buy 118 Airbus passenger planes to update its aging fleet.
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| Obama calls for efforts to counter Islamic State moves into Libya Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:21 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama directed his national security advisers on Thursday to counter efforts by Islamic State to expand into Libya and other countries, the White House said. Islamic State militants have taken advantage of chaos in Libya to establish themselves in the city of Sirte, and they have carried out several attacks on oil installations this month. (Reporting by Eric Walsh; Editing by Eric Beech)
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| Islamic State claims Aden suicide car bombing that kills six Posted: 28 Jan 2016 10:11 AM PST  Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing outside Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's residence in the southern city of Aden on Thursday that killed at least six people. Officials said Hadi was inside his residence at the Maashiq Palace at the time of the attack but was unharmed. Hadi's office, in a statement carried by the government-run Saba news agency, said that 11 other people were also injured in the attack, in which a car tried to crash through a security checkpoint guarding the palace.
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| Man arrested with handguns at Disneyland Paris Posted: 28 Jan 2016 10:25 AM PST A man was arrested carrying two handguns and a copy of the Koran at the Disneyland Paris amusement park outside Paris on Thursday, French officials said. France remains in a state of emergency after Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in a series of jihadist attacks in and near Paris in November last year. A police source said the 28-year-old man of European origin arrested at Disneyland had been carrying the guns, one of them an automatic handgun, concealed in a bag with the religious text. |
| North Korea activity points to possible space launch: U.S. officials Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:48 PM PST  By Phil Stewart and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has seen increased activity around a North Korean missile site, suggesting preparations for a possible space launch in the near future, U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday. The finding was revealed as Washington shows growing concern that Pyongyang could use space technology to enhance its missile capability and while United Nations Security Council members discuss fresh sanctions against North Korea after it conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6. The officials cited intelligence suggesting movement of components and propellant at North Korea's Sohae satellite launch facility.
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| Deported 'affluenza' teen booked into Texas detention center Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:36 PM PST  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck was booked into a Texas juvenile detention center following his deportation from Mexico on Thursday, more than a month after he and his mother fled the U.S. as prosecutors investigated whether he had violated his probation.
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| Criminal motives likely in Americans' kidnapping in Iraq: U.S. officials Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:30 PM PST Criminal, not political motives likely were behind the kidnapping of three American contractors in Iraq this month, U.S. officials familiar with investigations into their disappearance said on Thursday. Kidnapping for ransom or other criminal purposes has become a common tactic among Shiite militia groups in Iraq. On Thursday, Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas, a Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee, explicitly accused Iran of involvement in the kidnapping, but cited no evidence to back the claim. |
| UNESCO World Heritage Sites under threat around the world Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:30 PM PST  Luang Prabang (AP) — A number of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites face major challenges, including the following:
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| FARC will be 'ally' in Colombia war on drugs: president Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:14 PM PST  FARC rebels will be an "ally" of the Colombian government in the war on drug trafficking once they strike a peace deal to end a half century of conflict, President Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday. The Marxist guerrillas and Bogota have made several key advances in recent months and the two sides set a deadline of March 23 to sign a final peace accord -- though the FARC have warned that "substantial" obstacles could get in the way. The conflict, which has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced six million, has drawn in right-wing paramilitaries, drug traffickers and several leftist rebel groups, of which the FARC is the oldest and largest remaining.
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| Billionaire Paul Allen's yacht damaged Caribbean protected coral -media Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:07 PM PST  By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - A massive luxury yacht owned by Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen destroyed most of a protected coral reef during a visit to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean earlier this month, media reported. An anchor chain from the vessel damaged nearly 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters), or about 80 percent, of reef near two scuba diving sites in the West Bay, the islands' environment department said, according to the Cayman News Service. Allen's Seattle-based Vulcan Inc organization, which manages his fortune, said on Wednesday that the M/V Tatoosh was moored on Jan. 14 in a "position explicitly directed" by the local port authority and that his team was cooperating with the investigation.
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| Wideman suspended from NHL after collision with official Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:01 PM PST  Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Thursday for a cross check to the back of an official during a game against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. The league said in a news release Thursday that the length of the suspension wouldn't be determined until after the 32-year-old Canadian meets in person with NHL disciplinary officials on Tuesday. The NHL is currently in its All-Star break.
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| The Latest: 'Affluenza' teen attorneys say Couch will behave Posted: 28 Jan 2016 04:00 PM PST FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Latest on "affluenza" teenager Ethan Couch's deportation from Mexico (all times local): |
| US has no plans yet to attack IS forces in Libya: Pentagon Posted: 28 Jan 2016 03:22 PM PST  The United States has not decided whether to launch military action in Libya, where the Islamic State group is exploiting political instability to expand its operations, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said Thursday. Washington is "developing options for what we might do in the future," Carter told reporters. "We're looking to help them (the Libyans) get control over their own country and, of course, the United States will support the Libyan government when it forms," he said.
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| California narrowly upholds key policy for solar growth Posted: 28 Jan 2016 03:19 PM PST  California delivered a narrow victory to the solar industry on Thursday by maintaining a policy that has underpinned rooftop solar's dramatic growth while introducing fees that were smaller than utilities requested. After two years of rancorous debate, California's Public Utilities Commission upheld net metering by a vote of 3-to-2, allowing homeowners with solar panels to keep selling the excess power they generate back to their utility at the full retail rate. Homeowners with solar panels cheer net metering as it lowers their power bills.
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| Fighting in Egypt's restive north Sinai kills 4 children Posted: 28 Jan 2016 03:01 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — Fighting between army troops and extremist militants in the restive northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula killed four children and wounded eight other minors on Thursday, Egyptian medical officials said. |
| China charges Canadian national with espionage: Xinhua Posted: 28 Jan 2016 03:00 PM PST  China has charged a Canadian citizen with spying and stealing state secrets, the Xinhua news agency reported Thursday. Kevin Garratt was detained in 2014 along with his wife, who was later released on bail, in the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong, on the border with North Korea. "Chinese authorities also found evidence which implicates Garratt in accepting tasks from Canadian espionage agencies to gather intelligence in China," Xinhua said, without giving further details.
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| N.Korea apparently readying 'some kind of launch': US officials Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:58 PM PST  North Korea appears to be readying some kind of a rocket launch, two US defense officials said Thursday, amid concerns Pyongyang is preparing to test a ballistic missile in violation of UN Security Council rules. The officials' comments came after Japanese media reported that satellite images showed North Korea seemed to be setting up a long-range ballistic missile launch from the Dongchang-ri site in western North Korea. North Korea does this periodically -- they move things back and forth," the official said.
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| Tremors in U.S. Northeast caused by sonic boom, not quake: agency Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:58 PM PST By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - A fighter jet from a U.S. Navy base in Maryland may have caused a series of sonic booms on Thursday near the New Jersey coast that prompted hundreds of residents to report earthquake-like tremors. A spokeswoman for Naval Air Station Patuxent River said an F-35C was conducting routine flight testing over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday afternoon that may have created sonic booms. People from New Jersey to Connecticut posted on social media and called local police departments to report a series of tremors starting just before 1:30 p.m. The U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors earthquake activity, said no quake had struck. |
| Syria opposition to miss start of key peace talks Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:56 PM PST  Key Syrian opposition members said Thursday they will miss the start of crucial talks in Geneva aimed at ending the devastating war, as the UN warned the negotiations must not fail. The Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, meeting in Riyadh, said it would not attend the Geneva negotiations until an agreement was reached on aid entering besieged towns. A spokeswoman for the UN talks, Khawla Mattar, said that no postponement was planned.
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| Germany to tighten asylum rules as Sweden, Finland plan deportations Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:52 PM PST  Germany moved Thursday to toughen its asylum policies, as Finland and Sweden announced plans to deport tens of thousands of people in a bid to contain the migrant crisis. Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel announced that Germany will place Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on a list of "safe countries of origin" -- meaning their nationals would have little chance of winning asylum. Some migrants will also be blocked from bringing their families to join them in Germany for two years, Gabriel said.
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| Germany moves to tighten asylum rules to stem migrant flow Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:49 PM PST  Germany's coalition partners agreed new measures Thursday to tighten asylum policies in an effort to stem an unprecedented influx of migrants, notably by making it easier to send back arrivals from North Africa and by delaying family reunifications. The measures are part of a package announced by Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, leader of the Social Democrats, after a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats and Horst Seehofer of Bavaria's Christian Social Union. The tough new restrictions are intended to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Germany, which saw an influx of around 1.1 million migrants and refugees in 2015.
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| Venezuela opposition leader in fresh call to oust Maduro Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:43 PM PST  A prominent Venezuelan opposition leader called Thursday for a referendum or constitutional reform to oust President Nicolas Maduro, hardening the anti-government camp's stance in the oil-rich country's political crisis. Former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said the opposition should use its legislative majority to hold a recall referendum or propose a constitutional reform to shorten Maduro's term. Voters fed up of economic hardship in the recession-stricken country punished Maduro in elections last month, handing the opposition control of the legislature for the first time in 17 years.
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| Oil gain boosts US shares; Fed stance hits other markets Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:42 PM PST  New York (AFP) - US shares got a boost Thursday from the surge in oil prices but markets elsewhere remained feeble on worries about weak global growth and a potential Federal Reserve rate hike.
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| Governor extends Flint water emergency as state approves funds Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:41 PM PST  By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on Thursday extended a state of emergency in Flint until April 14, as the Michigan legislature gave final approval of $28 million to address the drinking water crisis. Snyder's move approved by the state legislature means the state emergency declaration will continue as long as the federal emergency declaration issued earlier this month by President Barack Obama. "Extending this emergency will help us continue these efforts while working on long-term solutions to help Flint recover," Snyder said of providing access to bottled water, filters and testing kits.
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| Australian counter-terrorism police raid Melbourne properties Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:38 PM PST By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian counter-terrorism police on Friday morning said they had raided multiple properties in Melbourne amid heightened fears of attacks by home-grown militants inspired by Islamic State. "The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team can confirm it has conducted operational activity in Craigieburn and Meadow Heights, Victoria," the Australian Federal Police said in a press release. No further details were immediately available of the raids in the two Melbourne suburbs. |
| Iran, France hail 'new relationship' Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:29 PM PST  Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and his French counterpart Francois Hollande hailed a "new relationship" between their countries Thursday as the leader of the Islamic Republic visited Paris to seal a host of post-sanctions deals. A commitment for Tehran to buy 118 Airbus aircraft was the most eye-catching of the deals that also included agreements for carmaker Peugeot to return to Iran and for Total to buy Iranian crude oil. "A new era in our relationship starts today," Hollande said at a press conference with Rouhani.
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| China charges Canadian with spying, stealing state secrets: Xinhua Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:22 PM PST Canada said on Thursday it was concerned and monitoring developments closely after China indicted a Canadian citizen detained since 2014 on charges of spying and stealing state secrets. Kevin Garratt was detained in August 2014 near China's sensitive border with North Korea along with his wife, who was also detained for months before being released last year. Xinhua state news agency said Garratt was indicted in Dandong, a city in China's northeast where the Garratts had operated a cafe since 2008. |
| US restates labeling rules on West Bank products Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:21 PM PST  The United States has issued a reminder that products imported from the West Bank or Gaza should not be labeled "made in Israel," the State Department confirmed Thursday. The guidance was issued last week by US Customs but debate erupted after media reports suggested Washington was hardening its stance against Israeli settlement policy. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the decision to reissue the policy had been taken after complaints that some West Bank products had been mislabeled prior to US import.
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| North Korea possibly tested components of hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6: CNN Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:20 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea might have attempted to test components of a hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6, CNN reported on Thursday, citing an unnamed U.S. official. North Korea tested a nuclear device on Jan. 6 that it said was a hydrogen bomb. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters earlier on Thursday that the United States still believes that Pyongyang did not test a hydrogen bomb. (This version of the story corrects to show components possibly tested on Jan. 6) (Reporting by Eric Beech)
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| Red Cross says Palestinian hunger striker at 'critical stage' Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:19 PM PST  The life of imprisoned Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qiq is in danger from his 64-day-old hunger strike, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday. "Mr. Qiq has been on hunger strike for more than 60 days and has entered a critical stage, his life being at risk," the ICRC said in a statement. The European Union on Wednesday said it was "especially concerned" about his deteriorating health.
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| Zika virus 'spreading explosively': WHO chief Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:17 PM PST The Zika virus is "spreading explosively" in the Americas, the head of the World Health Organization said Thursday, as the global health body warned that it expected up to four million cases of the disease. WHO chief Margaret Chan called for an emergency meeting on February 1 on the outbreak of the virus, which has been blamed for the birth defect microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with an abnormally small head. "The level of alarm is extremely high," Chan said, adding that the meeting of WHO's Emergency Committee on Monday will seek to determine if the outbreak qualifies as an international public health emergency. |
| US journalist humbled by efforts to win release from Iran Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:10 PM PST  Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, in his first public appearance since his release by Iran, said Thursday it was humbling to learn of efforts to free him during his imprisonment. "For much of the 18 months I was in prison, my Iranian interrogators told me that the Washington Post did not exist, that no one knew of my plight, that the United States government would not lift a finger for my release," a teary-eyed Rezaian said at a dedication ceremony for the new Washington Post headquarters. Rezaian was among four prisoners freed in Iran earlier this month, hours before world powers sealed a deal with Iran on its nuclear program.
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| Four soldiers killed in two separate attacks in northern Mali Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:10 PM PST Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northern Mali, has claimed two major attacks on hotels that killed dozens, many of them foreigners, in November in Mali's capital Bamako and this month in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso. |
| Alphabet changes results format to separate Google, other bets Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:09 PM PST  (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc said it would report its financial results under two segments, Google and other businesses, starting with its fourth-quarter earnings statement on Monday. Under "Google", Alphabet will report the results of its main Internet and related businesses such as Search, Ads, Commerce, Maps, YouTube, Apps, Cloud, Android, Chrome and Google Play, and hardware products such as Chromecast, Chromebooks and Nexus and its virtual reality offerings.
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| Iran's Rouhani says main problem in Syria is terrorism Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:09 PM PST By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - The Syrian people must be left to decide their own future, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday, adding that defeating terrorism was Syria's main problem and not who is running the country. On the first official visit to France by an Iranian president since 1999, Rouhani also said Tehran would keep to commitments it made under a nuclear agreement with major powers, but that major powers would also have to keep their end of the bargain. The visit came as global diplomats are trying to arrange the first peace talks in two years to end the Syrian civil war. |
| Carter 'very, very angry' at Iranian video of US sailors Posted: 28 Jan 2016 02:01 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of Defense Ash Carter says Iran's videotaping of American sailors surrendering aboard their boats in the Persian Gulf earlier this month made him deeply angry. |
| US blacklists Hezbollah 'money launderers' Posted: 28 Jan 2016 01:57 PM PST  Washington (AFP) - The US Treasury on Thursday named two Lebanese men it said laundered money for Hezbollah to its sanctions blacklist.
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