| U.N. envoy urges Obama, Putin to save Syria ceasefire, talks Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:54 PM PDT  The United Nations mediator called on Thursday on the leaders of the Russia Federation and the United States to salvage the "barely alive" two-month ceasefire in Syria and revitalize the damaged peace process. U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura spoke to reporters in Geneva after briefing the Security Council by video-link at the end of a two-week round of talks. The main opposition High Negotiations Committee pulled out of the formal talks a week ago, in protest of intensified fighting and slow aid deliveries.
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| Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam extradited to France, under formal investigation Posted: 27 Apr 2016 11:18 AM PDT  By Brian Love and Simon Carraud PARIS (Reuters) - Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam was placed under formal investigation on terrorism and murder charges in France on Wednesday after his extradition from Belgium, and he promised to talk to judges during his next hearing, his French lawyer said. A Belgium-born Frenchman, Abdeslam is believed by investigators to be the sole survivor among a group of Islamist militants who killed 130 people in a spate of shootings and suicide bombings in Paris on Nov. 13. "The investigation will determine to what degree he was involved in the acts ... for which he has been put under investigation," lawyer Frank Berton said after an initial hour-long hearing.
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| Israeli forces kill Palestinian woman and brother, armed with knives: police Posted: 27 Apr 2016 11:26 AM PDT  By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian woman and her teenage brother on Wednesday, saying they were armed with knives and tried to carry out an attack at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. Police said the woman, holding a knife, and a man walked rapidly towards police and other Israeli security guards in a vehicles-only lane at the Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem. When they kept advancing...the officers neutralized the terrorists," a police statement said.
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| Kurds, Shi'ites agree to withdraw forces from north Iraq town after clashes Posted: 27 Apr 2016 11:45 AM PDT  The clashes in Tuz Khurmato, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, marked the latest violence in the town since Islamic State militants were driven back in 2014 by Kurdish peshmerga and Shi'ite militia, nominal allies against the Sunni militants. Mayor Shalal Abdul said that under the deal, local police would take control of Tuz Khurmato - home to Kurds, Shi'ite Turkmen and Sunni Arabs. A Kurdish official in the town, Kareem Shkur, said the peshmerga and Shi'ite militias would pull out once the police forces achieved a balance between the town's various ethnic and sectarian groups, estimating that would take around one month. In the meantime, Tuz Khurmato will be secured by a unit from each force coordinated through a joint operations room. Previous agreements have broken down and residents of Tuz Khurmato were skeptical the deal would be implemented. Fighting began several days ago after members of a Shi'ite militia threw a grenade into the house of a Kurdish leader.
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| Ahead of rare North Korea Congress, money trumps Party for most Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:09 PM PDT  By Ju-min Park and James Pearson SEOUL (Reuters) - Kim Dan-bi's brother is the model of the establishment North Korean: an army veteran and member of the ruling Workers' Party, he is now a manager at a state enterprise. "It is even burdensome to those who are running their own businesses." His story illustrates the challenge posed to ruler Kim Jong Un by the nascent grey market economy that has taken hold in the isolated and authoritarian country, as his government prepares for a rare Workers' Party Congress set to begin on May 6. For a growing number of North Koreans, however, money has overtaken Party membership when it comes to getting ahead, according to defectors who have fled to rival South Korea.
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| Female suicide bomber wounds eight in Turkish city of Bursa Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:09 PM PDT By Orhan Coskun and Humeyra Pamuk ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A female suicide bomber wounded eight people when she blew herself up near the main mosque in the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa on Wednesday, officials said, the fifth suicide bombing in a major urban center this year. The local governor's office said the woman was thought to have detonated a device she was wearing at 5:26 pm (1426 GMT) near the western gate of Bursa's Grand Mosque. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said eight people were wounded, reducing the toll from 13 given by the health minister earlier. |
| UN envoy appeals to US, Russia to help Syria peace talks Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:31 PM PDT GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. envoy for Syria is appealing to the U.S. and Russia to intervene "at the highest level" to help revive ailing Syrian peace talks without setting a date for them to resume. |
| AP NewsAlert Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:19 PM PDT GENEVA (AP) — UN envoy appeals for US, Russian initiative 'at highest level' to help Syrian peace talks. |
| Republican donor backs clean energy senators with digital campaign Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:15 PM PDT  By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican political donor said on Wednesday he would spend "seven figures" on a targeted digital campaign backing two senators who support clean energy policies, which could help tip the balance in their tight November re-election races. Jay Faison, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based executive of an audio-vision equipment company, said he would endorse Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire for re-election. Portman is a co-sponsor of a bipartisan energy efficiency bill, while Ayotte is one of the only Republican supporters of President Barack Obama's plan to cut carbon emissions.
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| 3 killed by garbage collapse at Guatemala dump Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:14 PM PDT GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Three people are dead following the collapse of a massive slope of trash at a garbage dump in Guatemala City. |
| Kaufman aims to feed off fan support at Zurich Classic Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:13 PM PDT  AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Fresh off his impressive showing at the Masters, PGA Tour rookie and former LSU golfer Smylie Kaufman is preparing for another heaping of fanfare at the Zurich Classic.
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| Egyptian migrants killed in clash with Libyan smugglers: official Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:10 PM PDT The United Nations mission to Libya said the deaths had occurred in a series of incidents on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants and internally displaced people are currently in Libya, according to the United Nations. Powerful smuggling networks linked to Libya's numerous armed groups generally control migration flows, and migrants are frequently subjected to abuses. |
| Chile court tosses key part of president's labor reform law Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:04 PM PDT  By Anthony Esposito and Gram Slattery SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A top court ruled on Wednesday that key provisions of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's landmark labor reform were unconstitutional, invalidating parts of the legislation just weeks before it was due to take effect.
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| Fu joins Ding in snooker World Championship semi-finals Posted: 27 Apr 2016 04:02 PM PDT  Dreams of a first Asian world snooker champion moved closer to reality as Hong Kong's Marco Fu joined China's Ding Junhui in the semi-finals of this year's World Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Wednesday. Fu withstood a fightback by Barry Hawkins to win 13-1l on Wednesday, the day after Ding became the first man into this year's semi-finals with a 13-3 thrashing of former champion Mark Williams.
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| Ireland edges closer to forming new government with deal on water charges Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:57 PM PDT  A deal between two rival parties to suspend controversial water charges nudged Ireland closer to the formation of a minority government on Wednesday after more than two months of tortuous negotiations. Fine Gael, the largest party to emerge from the February 26 election, had championed the retention of Irish Water, the utility it created as part of austerity measures in 2013. Following the announcement, Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin on Wednesday called the water charges "very far from being the single most important issue facing our country".
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| Raiders will announce draft selections from Mexico City Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:55 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Oakland Raiders will announce their third-day draft selections from Mexico City on Saturday. |
| Nick Kyrgios, Borna Coric in quarterfinals of Estoril Open Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:48 PM PDT ESTORIL, Portugal (AP) — Second-seeded Nick Kyrgios of Australia beat Inigo Cervantes of Spain 7-6 (4), 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Estoril Open on Wednesday. |
| Australia's tough immigration policies hit in middle of election campaign Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:37 PM PDT  By Jane Wardell SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea and Australia will hold urgent talks about the fate of 900 asylum seekers after PNG announced the closure of the island detention center holding them, leaving Australia's tough immigration policies in disarray in the midst of a general election campaign. PNG's High Commissioner to Australia Charles Lepani said on Thursday talks would take place early next week, but responsibility for what to do with the men rested with Australia which has remained firm against taking any of the detainees.
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| PNG says Australian immigration center on Manus island to close Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:37 PM PDT SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea (PNG) will close an Australian immigration detention center on an island after the PNG Supreme Court declared detention there unlawful, PNG's prime minister, Peter O'Neill, said on Wednesday. O'Neil said Papua New Guinea would ask Australia to make arrangements for the more than 800 asylum seekers held at the detention center on Manus Island. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Robert Birsel) |
| 20 killed in Syrian regime strikes on Aleppo: civil defence group Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:36 PM PDT  At least 20 civilians were killed late Wednesday in regime strikes on a hospital and nearby residential building in the Syrian city of Aleppo, civil defence volunteers known as the White Helmets said. A dentist and five members of a family, including two children, were among those killed "by airstrikes targeting al Quds Hospital and a nearby residential building in al Sukkari neighbourhood in eastern Aleppo," the volunteers told AFP. A doctor who was the only paediatrician in the rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo was also among the dead, an AFP correspondent on the ground said.
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| Putin orders Russian space program shake-up after launch delayed Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:34 PM PDT  By Christian Lowe and Dmitry Solovyov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his space officials to raise their game on Wednesday after he flew thousands of kilometers (miles) to watch the inaugural launch of a rocket from a new spaceport, only for it to be called off. The episode was the latest problem to beset Russia's space program, which Putin aims to revive as part of his push to restore Russia's military and technological might after years of post-Soviet neglect. There should be an appropriate reaction," a stern-looking Putin was shown saying on state television at the Vostochny cosmodrome, hours after the launch was scrapped.
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| White House hopeful Cruz taps Carly Fiorina as running mate Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:32 PM PDT  White House hopeful Ted Cruz went all-in Wednesday as he sought to bar Donald Trump's triumphant march to the Republican nomination, naming Carly Fiorina as his running mate as the primary race hits its final stretch. The Texas senator made the surprise announcement a day after Trump clinched a knock-out series of wins in five states, putting him within striking distance of the nomination as all eyes turn to next week's key vote in Indiana. Cruz tapped the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Fiorina as his would be his vice presidential pick, without waiting -- as is customary -- for the end of the primary campaign.
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| US honors Puerto Ricans who fought, died in segregated unit Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:28 PM PDT  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Angel Acevedo looked down at the Congressional Gold Medal in his hands as his eyes welled with tears during a ceremony held Wednesday to honor Puerto Ricans like him who faced discrimination and waited decades to be recognized for fighting several wars under the last segregated unit in combat.
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| US condemns strike on Syrian rescue group Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:23 PM PDT  The United States on Wednesday condemned an alleged deadly strike by Syrian regime forces on a renowned rescue team, but refused to say why it had denied the group's leader a visa. State Department spokesman Mark Toner expressed horror at what he said were "multiple aerial strikes" on a Syrian Civil Defense station Monday in the northern town of Al-Tarab near Aleppo. "At least five members of the civil defense are believed to have been killed and many more innocent people were injured," he said.
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| Bayern loses 1-0 to Atletico in Champions League semifinal Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:19 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — An early goal by youngster Saul Niguez gave Atletico Madrid a gritty 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.
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| Ukraine says Russia detained sister of jailed pilot Savchenko Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:18 PM PDT  By Matthias Williams KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of detaining the sister of jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko and seizing her passport while she was in a Ukrainian diplomatic car at a border crossing between the two countries. The press service of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Savchenko's sister had been told by a Russian border guard that she was on a federal wanted list, without giving a reason, and prevented her from leaving Russia. Poroshenko has alerted Ukraine's international partners about the incident, Poroshenko's office said.
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| Sick of crisis, Venezuelans line up to recall Maduro Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:07 PM PDT  Venezuelans lined up Wednesday to seek a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro, exasperated with a grinding crisis that has paralyzed government offices five days a week and triggered rolling blackouts. A day after Maduro announced his latest drastic measures to tackle power shortages in the recession-hit country, the opposition was gathering signatures for an official petition to launch a referendum. Citizens queued up to sign, voicing anger at Maduro over a crisis that has led to power outages for four hours a day in most of the country, exacerbating an already disastrous economic implosion.
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| Beach volleyball's Walsh Jennings says shoulder is stronger Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:07 PM PDT Three-time beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings says her surgically repaired right shoulder is holding up as she zeroes in on another Olympic berth. |
| Protests as Venezuela embraces 2-day workweek to save power Posted: 27 Apr 2016 03:02 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan cities cleaned up from a night of looting and fiery protests Wednesday as government offices closed their doors for the rest of the week in the face of a worsening energy crisis that is causing daily blackouts.
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| US warns citizens over possible terror threats in Turkey Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:54 PM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The United States has issued a new warning to its citizens about "credible indications" of terrorist threats at tourist areas in Turkey. |
| Nigeria says preventing attacks by armed herdsmen a security priority Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:53 PM PDT  Nigeria's government has made preventing attacks by armed herdsmen a security priority in Africa's most populous country, a spokesman for the president said on Wednesday in the wake of an attack that may have left up to 50 people dead. The government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, is already contending with the militant Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and a resurgence of pipeline attacks in the oil-rich southern Niger Delta region. Police and local politicians said seven people were killed on Monday when armed herdsmen, suspected to be Fulani, clashed with locals in the southeastern town of Ukpabi Nimbo, in Enugu state.
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| Costs for fan zone security at Euro 2016 to be shared 3 ways Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:50 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Spending on security at fan zones during the European Championship in France will be shared between the host cities, the government and European soccer's ruling body, UEFA. |
| Rangers Darvish set for 1st rehab start since elbow surgery Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:45 PM PDT ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish is scheduled to pitch Sunday in his first minor league rehab start since Tommy John surgery more than 13 months ago. |
| 'Up to 16 Egyptians' feared killed in clashes with smugglers in Libya Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:39 PM PDT  Egypt's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that up to 16 Egyptian migrants may have been killed in Libya in a clash with people smugglers. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) put the toll at 12 Egyptians and three Libyans. Libya, which borders Egypt to the west, has slided into chaos and has become a launching pad for illegal migrants who cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
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| Obama to push for global collaboration in cancer research Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:36 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden will push for international cooperation in the fight against cancer in a speech at the Vatican. |
| UN council weighs US measure to restore W. Sahara mission Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:34 PM PDT  The United States on Wednesday circulated a draft UN resolution that calls for restoring the UN mission in Western Sahara after Morocco expelled dozens of staff, leaving peace operations hanging by a thread. The Security Council is set to vote Friday on the draft text on renewing the MINURSO mission's mandate for a year amid sharp divisions on the council on the way forward.
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| Ecuador asks IMF for loan after quake: IMF official Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:34 PM PDT  The International Monetary Fund has received a request for a credit line from Ecuador following a deadly earthquake earlier this month, an IMF official said on Wednesday. Alejandro Werner, director of the Western Hemisphere department, said the fund would be discussing Ecuador's request for a loan from its Rapid Financing Instrument. Last week, Ecuador's president said the country would temporarily increase some taxes and sell assets, and said it may issue global bonds to fund a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction after the devastating 7.8 magnitude quake, which killed over 650 people.
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| Rio shrugs off doubts for 100 day countdown Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:27 PM PDT  Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday launched the 100 day countdown to hosting South America's first Olympic Games with government and global sports leaders insisting they can overcome Brazil's political meltdown and troubled preparations. "Rio is ready to make history," Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, said at the torch handover. With Rio's hills, beaches and the famed statue of Christ the Redeemer providing one of the most telegenic backdrops in the world, the Games are expected to be spectacular.
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| Sudan student killed during university protest Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:17 PM PDT  A student was shot dead on Wednesday during clashes between Sudanese security forces and protesters at a university in the capital's twin city of Omdurman, officials said. Violence erupted when security forces confronted angry students who spilled out of the campus of Ahaliya university in Omdurman, which lies on the western banks of the Nile opposite Khartoum. The protesters were demanding the release of fellow students arrested in previous demonstrations at Sudanese universities.
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| Ancient Buddhist sculpture returned to Pakistani government Posted: 27 Apr 2016 02:15 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — An ancient Buddhist sculpture smuggled into the United States has been returned to the government of Pakistan by New York City prosecutors.
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