| North Korea sentences U.S. student to hard labor; Washington condemns punishment Posted: 16 Mar 2016 01:15 PM PDT  By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's supreme court sentenced American student Otto Warmbier, who was arrested while visiting the country, to 15 years of hard labor on Wednesday for crimes against the state, a punishment Washington condemned as politically motivated. The U.S. State Department called the sentence "unduly harsh" and White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was "increasingly clear" that North Korea sought to use U.S. citizens as pawns to pursue a political agenda. Warmbier, a 21-year-old University of Virginia student, was detained in January for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel in Pyongyang, North Korean media said previously.
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| Kurdish moves on federalism cloud Syria peace drive Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:02 PM PDT  By Rodi Said and Stephanie Nebehay RMEILAN, Syria/GENEVA (Reuters) - Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria are expected to declare a federal system on Thursday, a move likely to further complicate peace talks in Geneva aimed at ending more than five years of war. Russia pulled more warplanes out of Syria, a new delivery of humanitarian aid reached northern Aleppo province and U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura named a Russian academic to his team of advisers in a nod to Moscow's importance in brokering an end to the fighting.
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| Kerry to miss deadline for decision on whether IS atrocities are genocide: U.S. official Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will not have a decision on whether atrocities committed by Islamic State constitute genocide by a March 17 deadline set by Congress, but he should have a decision soon, the State Department said on Wednesday. "We are informing Congress today that we're not going to make that deadline," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing. "We certainly respect the deadlines that Congress lays down on specific reports, or in this case decisions about genocide," he said.
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| Obama slaps new sanctions on North Korea after tests Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:30 PM PDT  By Joel Schectman and Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama imposed sweeping new sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday intended to further isolate the country's leadership after recent actions by Pyongyang that have been seen by Washington and its allies as provocative. The executive order freezes any property of the North Korean government in the United States and prohibits exportation of goods from the United States to North Korea. It also allows the U.S. government to blacklist any individuals, whether or not they are U.S. citizens, who deal with major sectors of North Korea's economy.
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| Protests erupt in Brazil after Lula appointed minister Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:59 PM PDT  By Alonso Soto and Caroline Stauffer BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Protests erupted in Brazilian cities on Wednesday after President Dilma Rousseff named her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva chief of staff and a taped telephone conversation fed opposition claims the appointment was meant to shield Lula from prosecution. Police said 2,500 people demonstrated outside the presidential palace in the capital of Brasilia and others flocked to Sao Paulo's main Avenue Paulista. Lula has immunity from all but the Supreme Court after his nomination as Rousseff's chief of staff was published in a special edition of the Official Gazette.
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| EU's Turkey migration deal hinges on Cyprus: Tusk Posted: 16 Mar 2016 02:43 PM PDT  By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union warned on Wednesday that a deal with Turkey to curb mass migration to Europe hinges on Ankara acting to support peace talks in EU member Cyprus. European Council President Donald Tusk, who will chair an EU summit on Thursday and Friday, said much remained to be done to reach a deal with Turkey. The migration deal needed to be "an opportunity (for Turkey) to support the settlement talks in Cyprus.
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| Obama commends Northern Ireland leaders on peace progress: White House Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:06 PM PDT  U.S. President Barack Obama met with two Northern Ireland leaders and commended them on the progress being made towards peace, the White House said on Wednesday. Obama dropped by a meeting on Tuesday between Vice President Joe Biden, Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, the White House said in a statement. Obama and Biden urged the ministers to move forward with implementation of the Stormont House Agreement of December 2014 and the Fresh Start Agreement of November 2015, the statement said.
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| Million displaced Pakistanis face tough choices before going home Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:04 PM PDT  By Krista Mahr ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Aid shortfalls, ruined infrastructure and the lingering risk of attack are undermining efforts to return around one million Pakistanis to homes they fled after the military cracked down on Islamist militants along the Afghan border. Of some 5.3 million people displaced by fighting in northwestern Pakistan in recent years, a million or so remain to be resettled under a program the authorities see as key to keeping a lid on extremist violence. The frontier regions, which are deeply conservative and hard to access due to rough terrain, have long been the sanctuary of fighters from al Qaeda, the Taliban and other groups.
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| Home teams under pressure in Super Rugby round 4 Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:02 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Teams with home matches in the fourth round of Super Rugby will be under pressure this weekend to make full use of that advantage as they try to keep pace with the Brumbies and Sharks. |
| Brazil top prosecutor decided to request probe against Rousseff, Veja blog says Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:56 PM PDT Brazil's Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot has decided to formally request an investigation of President Dilma Rousseff for allegedly obstructing a sweeping corruption probe, Veja magazine's Radar column said on Wednesday. According to Radar, which did not say how it obtained the information, Janot is leaning toward requesting an investigation of Rousseff after the Supreme Court approved a plea bargain by a senator last week which said the president had attempted to block a sweeping anti-corruption investigation. |
| Brazil judge releases phone taps between pres., ex-pres. Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:55 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The judge who is heading the sprawling investigation into corruption at Brazil's state oil company on Wednesday released recordings of phone taps of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, including a conversation with his successor, President Dilma Rousseff.
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| British budget extends austerity, cuts growth outlook Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:53 PM PDT  Britain unleashed more austerity on Wednesday in its latest annual budget and cut its growth outlook, blaming the impact of global market turbulence rooted in China. Finance minister George Osborne also warned that a potential "Brexit", or departure from the European Union, would risk damaging the nation's economic recovery, ahead of a referendum in June. Chancellor of the Exchequer Osborne said the government would seek additional spending cuts totalling £3.5 billion ($5.0 billion, 4.5 billion euros) by 2020, when it expects to reach a budget surplus despite higher borrowing.
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| Aid agencies call for full access in Syria as conflict enters sixth year Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:53 PM PDT  By Luke Mintz LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Humanitarian agencies demanded unconditional access to all communities in Syria as Russia continued on Wednesday to withdraw its military forces from the country. In a joint statement signed by 102 humanitarian organizations to mark the fifth anniversary of the conflict's beginning, aid agencies urged all warring parties that humanitarian access must "include access to all people in need by whatever routes necessary". The statement, signed by the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, Oxfam and others, noted "encouraging signs of progress" in Syria, with the cessation of hostilities, allowing humanitarian agencies to "rush more food and other relief to communities desperate for help".
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| Bayern comes from behind to advance in Champions League Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:51 PM PDT  MUNICH (AP) — Thomas Mueller equalized in the first minute of injury time and Bayern Munich scored two more goals in extra time to complete a thrilling 4-2 victory over Juventus on Wednesday that sent the German powerhouse into the Champions League quarterfinals.
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| EPA chief warned in September Flint water crisis could 'get big' Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:49 PM PDT  The administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned in September that the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, could "get very big" months before the EPA issued an emergency order requiring the state and city to take immediate steps to protect residents, emails released on Wednesday showed. The EPA released 1,200 pages of redacted emails Wednesday on the agency's response to the Flint water crisis. An EPA spokeswoman did not comment on McCarthy's emails.
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| Rapid melt of New Zealand glaciers ends hikes onto them Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:40 PM PDT  FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand is renowned for its wondrous scenery, and among the country's top tourist attractions are two glaciers that are both stunning and unusual because they snake down from the mountains to a temperate rain forest, making them easy for people to walk up to and view.
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| 17 miners killed in Venezuela were shot in head Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:39 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan officials say all but one of 17 miners found dead in a mass grave near where they went missing had been shot in the head. |
| Obama to address Cuban people in Havana speech Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:38 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama will take a message of reconciliation directly to the Cuban people next week, delivering a public address billed as the keystone of an historic visit to the communist-ruled island. Obama will on Sunday become the first US president in 88 years to visit Cuba, a trip his advisors say will be heavily focused on taking his message to the public. The centerpiece will be an address Tuesday at the Gran Teatro Alicia Alonso, which the White House hopes will be televised across the country.
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| Kerry to miss deadline on Islamic State genocide question Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry will miss this week's congressional deadline for deciding whether atrocities by the Islamic State against Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria should be designated genocide, the State Department said Wednesday. |
| Brazil judge says Rousseff, Lula discussed influencing investigation Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:26 PM PDT A Brazilian judge made public on Wednesday phone conversations between President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and said the conversation showed they considered trying to influence anti-graft prosecutors. "I observe that, in some dialogues they talk about, apparently, trying to influence or obtain assistance from prosecutors or the courts in favor of the former president," Judge Sergio Moro wrote in a filing published on the court's website. Lula has immunity from Moro starting on Wednesday after he was appointed by Rousseff as her chief of staff, though not from the Supreme Court. |
| Obama unveils centrist Garland as Supreme Court pick Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:24 PM PDT  President Barack Obama chose the centrist judge Merrick Garland for a pivotal vacancy on the Supreme Court Wednesday, warning Republican foes their "unprecedented" refusal to consider his nominee threatens the integrity of US institutions. Obama tapped the 63-year-old judge to replace conservative stalwart Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly on the eve of Valentine's Day. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life and the body's rulings can exert a powerful influence on major social issues in America.
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| Mexico president Pena Nieto calls for measures to address air pollution Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:19 PM PDT  Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday urged state and federal authorities to take measures to control air pollution, after the government declared an environmental emergency earlier this week due to severe air contamination. The government of Mexico City, which is home to over 20 million people, driving five million cars, said the area surrounding the capital city suffered its third consecutive day of extreme air pollution, with the high concentration of ozone in the air reaching its highest level in 13 years. "Sadly, the air quality, particularly in the Valley of Mexico, has been badly deteriorating over the last months and years," Pena Nieto said at a public ceremony, referring to the region that surrounds the capital city.
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| Facing graft charges, Brazil's Lula joins government in crisis Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:14 PM PDT  Brasília (AFP) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff named her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva her chief of staff Wednesday, sparing him possible arrest for corruption and betting on his political prowess to save her from a spiraling crisis. The two leftists who have led Brazil for the past 13 years are both fighting for their political lives, and news they were teaming up again in the government deeply divided Brazil. Allies call Lula the only man capable of saving Rousseff's embattled administration, but opponents condemn the fact that ministerial immunity will now protect him from prosecution in ordinary court.
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| Goffin upsets Wawrinka in 3 sets to end skid at Indian Wells Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:10 PM PDT  INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — David Goffin upset Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) to reach the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, ending the Belgian's 14-match skid against top 10-ranked opponents.
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| Doubling renewables by 2030 could save $4.2 trln/yr-research Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:04 PM PDT  By Nina Chestney LONDON (Reuters) - Doubling the share of renewables in the global energy mix to 36 percent by 2030 could save the would economy up to $4.2 trillion a year, research by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showed on Wednesday. Renewable sources, such as wind and solar, accounted for around 18 percent of global energy consumption in 2014. Under existing national policies, the share of renewables is forecast to reach 21 percent by 2030.
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| Barcelona beats Arsenal 3-1 to advance to CL quarters Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:03 PM PDT  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona's big three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all scored to beat Arsenal 3-1 on Wednesday, sending the defending champions into the Champions League quarterfinals for a ninth consecutive season with a 5-1 victory on aggregate.
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| Students in Mexico design "narco" fashion show Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:56 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — About 200 fashion design students at Mexico City's IberoAmerican University have opened a show of dozens of dresses and other clothes examining the effects of the drug trade on Mexican culture.
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| Activists at Syria peace talks call for 'comprehensive change' Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:55 PM PDT By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - A group of Syrian political activists invited to take part in the Geneva peace process presented a submission to the media on Wednesday after meeting U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura, who has said he wants to meet representatives of all sides in the conflict. "We all have different backgrounds and different political positions, we don't fully agree on everything," said Jihad Makdissi, a representative of the Cairo platform. The Geneva talks are part of a diplomatic push launched with U.S. and Russian support to end more than five years of war in Syria that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and allowed for the rise of Islamic State. |
| Brazil opposition lawmakers demand Rousseff resignation during session Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:49 PM PDT BRASILIA (Reuters) - Dozens of lawmakers opposed to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff chanted "resign" at a Congressional session late on Wednesday, in a sign of rising political tensions in Latin America's largest economy. The lawmakers gathered around a microphone interrupted the session to demand Rousseff's resignation, according to images broadcast live by news channel GloboNews. Rousseff's administration is struggling with fallout from a sweeping corruption probe, known as "Operation Car Wash. ... |
| Mexico eyes stricter car emissions amid smog alert Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:47 PM PDT  Mexico's president demanded on Thursday stricter vehicle emissions controls for the country's sprawling capital as an air pollution alert prompted authorities to restrict traffic for a third straight day. President Enrique Pena Nieto, meanwhile, instructed the environment ministry to establish "as soon as possible" a new vehicle emissions test system with the best available technology to "ensure low emissions of pollutants" from cars. Pena Nieto said the environment minister will have to coordinate with authorities in the capital and five surrounding states to create the new rules for a metropolitan area of 21 million people, with five million vehicles out on the road each day.
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| Barca star trio outgun Arsenal to reach quarters Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:47 PM PDT  Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were all on target as Barcelona piled more pressure on under-fire Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger by easing into the Champions League quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate with a 3-1 win at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Neymar's early strike appeared to erase any forlorn hopes of an Arsenal comeback, but the visitors were handed a lifeline when Mohamed Elneny drilled into the top corner just after half-time.
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| Syria peace talks broaden as pro-Russia opposition meet UN envoy Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:40 PM PDT  Peace talks to end Syria's brutal war broadened Wednesday to include an opposition group close to Moscow, as the UN intensified efforts to find a political solution to the five-year conflict. UN mediator Staffan de Mistura met for the first time late Wednesday with an umbrella delegation including the so-called Moscow Group, which are demanding an equal seat at the negotiating table. The entry into the Geneva talks of the Moscow Group, along with the so-called Cairo and Istana groups, followed Russia's surprise decision to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, where they had been fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
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| EU's Juncker 'cautiously optimistic' on eve of summit on migrant deal Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:31 PM PDT  European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday he believed the EU could seal a deal with Turkey on curbing its migrant crisis after he held eve-of-summit talks with Cyprus on a major stumbling block. "I am cautiously optimistic that we will conclude a binding agreement with Turkey," Juncker said on Twitter, reiterating comments he made to the German financial paper Handelsblatt. German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind the deal, saying it may offer "a real chance" of a solution and vowing the EU would stand firm on human rights.
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| Arnold Palmer Invitational to raise purse in big way in 2017 Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:31 PM PDT  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The most noticeable change to the Arnold Palmer Invitational won't be on the golf course.
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| Ex-dictator faces genocide retrial in Guatemala Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:30 PM PDT  A Guatemalan court on Wednesday began a closed-door retrial of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during his 1982-1983 rule. Rios Montt, now 89, was being tried in absentia with only the family members of victims on hand. Rios Montt's attorney says his client has been diagnosed with dementia.
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| Murdered Venezuelan miners were mainly shot in head: prosecutor Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:10 PM PDT  Seventeen miners murdered near a gold deposit were mainly shot in the head, and four suspects have been arrested so far in a case that has shocked Venezuela, the chief state prosecutor said on Wednesday. President Nicolas Maduro's government has blamed local gangs, with the involvement of foreign paramilitaries, while the opposition has accused local security forces of complicity. The miners disappeared on March 4, prompting days of protests by relatives and families in Tumeremo town, before their bodies were discovered this week in a mass grave.
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| Gunmen kill colleague of slain Honduran environmentalist Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:10 PM PDT TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Unidentified gunmen killed a colleague of environmentalist leader Berta Caceres, who was slain almost two weeks ago in similar circumstances, Honduran authorities said Wednesday. |
| England's Marler free to face France in Rugby clash Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:08 PM PDT  Joe Marler will be available to face France when England go in search of a Grand Slam in Paris on Saturday after Six Nations officials decided to take no action against him for calling Wales prop Samson Lee a "gypsy boy". Marler was also cleared in a separate incident after being cited for striking Rob Evans during England's 25-21 victory at Twickenham last Saturday. The panel said no further action was needed as Marler had not committed a red-card offence.
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| U.S. opposes Kurdish enclave in Syria now, but leaves door ajar Posted: 16 Mar 2016 03:08 PM PDT The United States said on Wednesday it opposed Syrian Kurds forming an autonomous region in northern Syria but could accept such an arrangement if the Syrians themselves ultimately agreed on it. Syrian Kurds are considering combining three autonomous areas of northern Syria into a federal arrangement, a step that could pave the way to Syria's breakup. The United States has long taken the stance that it favors the unity and territorial integrity of Syria, which has been riven by a five-year civil war in which more than 250,000 people have died and millions have fled their homes. |
