| Islamic State dealt hefty body blow with death of top aide: officials Posted: 26 Mar 2016 06:54 AM PDT  By Maher Chmaytelli, Isabel Coles and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State will struggle to recover from the death of a top aide, reported this week in a U.S. air strike, whose overview of the group's finances, politics and administration was unmatched, Iraqi and U.S. sources said. Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, also known as Haji Iman and Abu Alaa al-Afri, was a veteran jihadist with a bounty of $7 million on his head. "This is the heaviest blow to Islamic State in terms of assassinations because Qaduli was at the heart of (its) ...administrative structure," said Hisham al-Hashimi, an analyst who advises the Iraqi government on the militants.
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| Kremlin: No Russian troops in Ukraine's Donbass, but there are Russian 'citizens' - RIA Posted: 26 Mar 2016 05:57 AM PDT  MOSCOW (Reuters) - There are no Russian troops in the Moscow-leaning Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, and there have never been, but there are Russian citizens who stand by local residents, RIA news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying on Saturday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was referring to repeated accusations to Moscow by Kiev and the West of its direct military involvement in the conflict between Ukrainian security forces and pro-Russian separatists in the region. (Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Alison Williams)
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| Pakistan, Iran aim to boost trade to $5 billion Posted: 26 Mar 2016 06:11 AM PDT  By Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan and Iran aim to increase annual trade volumes between the two countries to $5 billion by 2021, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday. Sharif spoke at a business conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who arrived in Islamabad on Friday for two-day talks focused on increasing Pakistan's electricity imports from Iran, boosting trade relations and reviving plans for a gas pipeline between the two countries. "More land routes for trade on our border, trade exhibitions, industrial and agricultural cooperation and mutual recognition of standards will boost trade." Trade between Pakistan and Iran fell to $432 million in 2010-11 from $1.32 billion in 2008-09, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, after western powers imposed sanctions on Tehran aimed at halting a nuclear program they suspected was aimed at developing a nuclear bomb. Most of the sanctions were lifted in January in return for Iran complying with a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions.
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| U.N. chief presses Iraq on national reconciliation to defeat Islamic State Posted: 26 Mar 2016 06:57 AM PDT By Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Iraqi government on Saturday to step up efforts to foster reconciliation between the nation's Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim communities in order to combat Islamic State. "National reconciliation is an important part of the strategy to defeat Daesh (Islamic State), who have ruthlessly exploited divisions and targeted the marginalized and disenfranchised," he told a joint news conference in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The U.N. chief was referring to the country's minority Sunnis who say they were marginalized under the Shi'ite-led government installed after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and some of whom have joined the militant group which seized swathes of Iraq nearly two years ago. |
| Hodgson stays humble, Kane hails 'special' England Posted: 26 Mar 2016 04:46 PM PDT  Roy Hodgson insists England are still "a work in progress", but goal-scorer Harry Kane hailed a 'special night' after the Three Lions' stunning 3-2 fightback win away to Germany. Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez had put the world champions 2-0 up at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Saturday with an hour gone before the game turned England's way.
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| Super Rugby: Crusaders end Sharks' unbeaten start Posted: 26 Mar 2016 04:37 PM PDT  DURBAN, South Africa (AP) — The Crusaders ended the Sharks' unbeaten start in Super Rugby and fellow New Zealand side the Chiefs staged a nine-try demolition of the Western Force on Saturday.
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| Sanders wins Alaska, Washington caucuses Posted: 26 Mar 2016 04:35 PM PDT  Bernie Sanders won the Democratic caucuses in Alaska and Washington on Saturday, giving his campaign a much-needed boost as he seeks to disrupt Hillary Clinton's path to the party's presidential nomination. US networks projected Sanders winning by wide margins in both western states where 117 delegates are up for grabs -- 101 in Washington and 16 in Alaska. The Vermont senator and the former secretary of state were also facing off Saturday in Hawaii, where 25 delegates are at stake.
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| After bleak week, Pope Francis offers Easter message Posted: 26 Mar 2016 04:35 PM PDT  VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis concluded a bleak week in Europe with a message of hope during an Easter Vigil service Saturday, saying darkness and fear must not prevail and "imprison" the world with pessimism.
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| Spieth loses match and No. 1 ranking at Match Play Posted: 26 Mar 2016 04:31 PM PDT  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Dell Match Play has produced a semifinal that is almost bigger than Texas.
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| Italy arrests Algerian suspect wanted by Belgium in terror probe: reports Posted: 26 Mar 2016 04:29 PM PDT  An Algerian national wanted by Belgium over a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers was arrested in Italy on Saturday, local media reported, citing police sources. The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern region of Salerno, the reports said. The alleged accomplice of the Brussels attackers would be extradited to Belgium in the coming days, it added.
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| Nadal retires in 3rd set at Miami Open against Dzumhur Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:59 PM PDT  KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Rafael Nadal slumped in a changeover chair, the blood pressure gauge strapped to his mighty left arm serving as a scoreboard.
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| England comes from behind to beat Germany 3-2 in Berlin Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:53 PM PDT  BERLIN (AP) — Jamie Vardy scored his first England goal two minutes after coming on as a substitute and Eric Dier scored in injury time to beat Germany 3-2 and preserve the team's unbeaten record in Berlin on Saturday.
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| McIlroy books WGC Match Play semi-final against Day, Spieth ousted Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:41 PM PDT  Defending champion Rory McIlroy birdied four of the last six holes in a 4 and 3 win over Chris Kirk on Saturday to book a semi-final showdown with Jason Day at the WGC Match Play in Texas. Day advanced with a 3 and 2 victory over Brooks Koepka. The victory means the Australian will regain the world number one ranking from American Jordan Spieth, who was ousted Saturday morning in the round of 16 by South African Louis Oosthuizen.
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| Spieth loses his swing and heads home from Match Play Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:38 PM PDT  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Jordan Spieth felt it on the practice range, and he said it on the golf course.
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| Dier seals England's superb fightback win over Germany Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:36 PM PDT  Eric Dier's superb injury-time header sealed England's stunning fightback victory from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win over world champions Germany in Berlin on Saturday. A fierce Toni Kroos strike had given Germany the lead just before the break while a pin-point Mario Gomez header put the hosts 2-0 up on 57 minutes. A Harry Kane strike gave England hope before Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy grabbed the equaliser just three minutes after coming on.
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| Police in Mexico find 6 dead after shootout Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:17 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Police in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz say they killed three alleged criminals in a shootout, and then found three bodies the suspects had apparently been transporting. |
| Puerto Rico's Congress rep hopes to amend debt crisis bill Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:13 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's representative to Congress says he'll work with Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to make changes to a draft bill dealing with the island's debt crisis, ensuring that a federal oversight board will supervise rather than control the commonwealth government. |
| Ian Poulter shoots 68 to take Puerto Rico Open lead Posted: 26 Mar 2016 03:11 PM PDT RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Ian Poulter shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday at windy Coco Beach to take the third-round lead in the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open. |
| Congo opposition urges 'peaceful' protest of president's re-election Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:48 PM PDT  Five defeated opposition candidates in Congo's recent presidential poll called on their countrymen to challenge the re-election of President Denis Sassou Nguesso through "peaceful" and legal actions, according to a statement confirmed by AFP Saturday. Sassou Nguesso was declared the winner of the March 20 elections held under a media blackout, extending his 32 years in power in a vote the opposition says was marked by "massive fraud". AFP received confirmation Saturday that the rallying call was signed by runner-up Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas who received more than 15 percent of votes cast, third-place candidate Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko who polled nearly 14 percent, and candidates Claudine Munari, Andre Okombi Salissa and Pascal Tsaty Mabiala.
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| Brussels attack victims came from Belgium and around world Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:44 PM PDT  BRUSSELS (AP) — Victims of the attacks on Brussels' airport and subway included commuters heading to work and travelers setting off on long-anticipated vacations. In a city that's home to international institutions including the European Union and NATO, they came from Belgium and around the world. Among the confirmed dead:
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| Bolivia to take Chile to court over water dispute: president Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:41 PM PDT  Bolivian President Evo Morales said Saturday that his country has decided to file suit against Chile at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over a water dispute. Bolivia argues it owns the Silala spring in its southwest department of Potosi and that it is not being compensated by Chile for use of its waters, which flow across their shared border. Chile, however, argues that it is an international waterway.
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| Belgium charges attacks suspect, 'March Against Fear' called off Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:38 PM PDT  Belgium on Saturday charged a suspect thought to be the fugitive third Brussels airport bomber with terrorist murder, as a peace march for the victims was cancelled for security reasons after the attacks in the heart of Europe. The postponement of the Easter Sunday rally underscored the tension in Belgium as police track members of an Islamic State group cell linked to both Tuesday's Brussels attacks that killed 31 as well as the Paris terror assaults in November. The airport suspect officially identified as Faycal C, and named by sources close to the inquiry as Faycal Cheffou, was arrested on Thursday night and investigators believe he could be the third man pictured in airport surveillance footage alongside two suicide bombers.
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| Egypt in historic British Open squash finals sweep Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:26 PM PDT  Ramy Ashour, the three-time former world champion, led a charge which ensured that Egypt will on Sunday have both British Open champions for the first time. Ashour produced a sensational performance to beat reigning world champion Gregory Gaultier, 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, and reach the menâ s final, where he will face compatriot Mohamed El Shorbagy, the top-seeded titleholder. In between these successes, there were also defeats for the other world champion, Nicol David, and the other British Open titleholder Camille Serme, on a day which must rank as one of the most dramatic the 94-year-old event has ever seen.
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| Wonder goal for footballer Kekana, dream debut for coach Renard Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:19 PM PDT  South African Hlompho Kekana struck a wonder goal and French coach Herve Renard made an instant impact with Morocco in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Saturday. Kekana scored from inside his own half five minutes after half-time as South Africa drew 2-2 with Cameroon in Atlantic town Limbe after leading twice. Spotting Cameroonian goalkeeper Guy Roland Ndy Assembe off his line, the recalled South African midfielder thumped the ball from close to the touchline.
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| Brussels airport says building 'stable,' looking at temporary check-in desks Posted: 26 Mar 2016 02:05 PM PDT  Brussels Airport said Saturday an examination of the main building housing the departure hall wrecked by two suicide bombers showed the structure is stable and it will now see if temporary check-in desks can be installed. In a separate earlier statement, Brussels Airport said it did not expect to be able to reopen before Tuesday, with a partial resumption of passenger services, as it repaired the damage and put in place new security measures. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the departure hall, wrecking the concourse, and shortly afterwards another bomber hit the Brussels metro, leaving 31 dead in all and more than 300 wounded in Belgium's worst ever terror attack.
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| The Latest: Tennessee man is identified as Brussels victim Posted: 26 Mar 2016 01:54 PM PDT  BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on the bombings Tuesday in Brussels that killed 31 people and wounded 270 (all times local):
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| The Latest: Syrian woman gives birth at Greek refugee camp Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:58 PM PDT  TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The Latest on Europe's migration crisis (all times local):
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| Italy unhappy with Egyptian explanation of student's death Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:54 PM PDT  Italy has cast doubt on Egypt's explanation for the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni, after Egyptian police said he was the victim of a criminal gang after they had killed four gang members and found his passport among them. Italy "will not stop until we have the truth," warned Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in his weekly e-news letter, saying the country would not be "satisfied with some convenient truth" and urging the Egyptians to keep investigating.
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| Heavy Russian airstrikes as Syrian army fights IS in Palmyra Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:40 PM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian airstrikes have seized three neighborhoods inside Palmyra, a town with famed Roman-era ruins that fell to the Islamic State group last May, state media reported Saturday.
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| Kamworor wins world half marathon despite fall, Farah 3rd Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:32 PM PDT  CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Geoffrey Kamworor fell on the starting line of the world half marathon championships but got back up to successfully defend his title in record time on Saturday, with Mo Farah coming third.
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| UK tabloid censured over story of Muslims' IS support Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:20 PM PDT  Britain's press regulator on Saturday censured Rupert Murdoch's The Sun tabloid for a "significantly misleading" story claiming one in five British Muslims sympathise with jihadist fighters. The ruling on the front-page story from November comes amid heightened community tensions following the Brussels attacks this week claimed by the Islamic State group, which left 31 people dead. The mass-selling daily claimed an exclusive poll revealed "1 in 5 Brit Muslims' sympathy for jihadis", and published a picture of Mohammed Emwazi, the British IS executioner known as Jihadi John, alongside the shock headline.
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| Greece starts emptying border camp as new arrivals slow Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:17 PM PDT  Greece said Saturday it has begun emptying the main migrant camp on its border with Macedonia, as the huge tide of refugees flooding into the country slows to a trickle following the EU-Turkey deal. Eight buses transported around 400 refugees from the Idomeni camp Friday, while another three buses left on Saturday, taking them to other camps set up in northern Greece, local police said.
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| Cruyff fans pay their respects at Barcelona memorial Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Thousands of fans mourning the death of Johan Cruyff paid their respects to the former player and coach at a temporary memorial in Barcelona's Camp Nou Stadium on Saturday.
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| From crime to journalism, Belgian terror suspects a mixed bag Posted: 26 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT  Two brothers who dabbled in crime, a freelance journalist, a university drop-out and a mystery man -- the five suspects in Belgium's airport and subway train attacks are a mixed lot. Two of the men blew themselves up at the Brussels' airport, a third inside a metro train, killing 31 people and injuring 300 on March 22. A fourth suspect was charged Saturday with terrorist murder and identified by the federal prosecutor's office only as Faycal C.
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| Turkish soldier killed in Iraq by IS rockets fired at base Posted: 26 Mar 2016 11:59 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish Air Force jets on Saturday joined coalition forces in attacking Islamic State targets in northern Iraq, hours after a Turkish soldier was killed at a military base in the region from rockets fired by the extremist militants. |
| France players expect emotional evening on return to stadium Posted: 26 Mar 2016 11:58 AM PDT  PARIS (AP) — France's players expect an emotional evening when they return to the Stade de France for the first time since the Nov. 13 bombings at the national stadium.
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| Parisians attend first aid training in case of new attacks Posted: 26 Mar 2016 11:56 AM PDT  PARIS (AP) — About 3,200 Parisians have attended free first aid training in the French capital to be better prepared for possible terror attacks.
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| Sri Lanka out as Buttler puts England into WT20 semifinals Posted: 26 Mar 2016 11:46 AM PDT  NEW DELHI (AP) — Jos Buttler struck an unbeaten 66 and Chris Jordan grabbed 4-28 on Saturday to help England knock out defending champion Sri Lanka and advance to the World Twenty20 semifinals with a 10-run victory.
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