| Britain, U.S. sending planes, troops to deter Russia in the east Posted: 26 Oct 2016 09:43 AM PDT  By Robin Emmott and Phil Stewart BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain said on Wednesday it will send fighter jets to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in NATO's biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War. Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defense ministers meeting in Brussels on the same day two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions. In Madrid, the foreign ministry said Russia had withdrawn a request to refuel three warships in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta after NATO allies said they could be used to target civilians in Syria.
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| Islamic State holds up Iraqi army south of Mosul Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:22 PM PDT  By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Saif Hameed QAYYARA/BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters kept up on Wednesday their fierce defense of the southern approaches to Mosul, which has held up Iraqi troops there and forced an elite army unit east of the city to put a more rapid advance on hold. Ten days into what is expected to be the biggest ground offensive in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, army and federal police units aim to dislodge the militants from villages in the region of Shora, 30 km (20 miles) south of Mosul. The frontlines in other areas have moved much closer to the edges of the city, the last major stronghold under control of the militants in Iraq, who have held it since 2014.
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| Russia beefs up Baltic Fleet amid NATO tensions: reports Posted: 26 Oct 2016 08:33 AM PDT  By Andrew Osborn and Simon Johnson MOSCOW/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Russia is sharply upgrading the firepower of its Baltic Fleet by adding warships armed with long-range cruise missiles to counter NATO's build-up in the region, Russian media reported on Wednesday. There was no official confirmation from Moscow, but the reports will raise tensions in the Baltic, already heightened since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and cause particular alarm in Poland and Lithuania which border Russia's base there. The reported deployment comes as NATO is planning its biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War to deter possible Russian aggression.
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| U.S. says two top al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan targeted in strikes Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:23 PM PDT The United States carried out strikes in Afghanistan on Sunday targeting two of al Qaeda's most senior leaders in the country, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The U.S. military is still assessing the results of the strikes mounted after extensive surveillance against command-and-control locations in remote areas of Kunar province, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.One of the targets was Faruq al-Qatani, who served as al Qaeda's leader for northeastern Afghanistan and had been assigned by the group's leadership to re-establish safe havens in the country, Cook said. The other, Bilal al-Utabi, was involved in "efforts to re-establish a safe haven in Afghanistan from which to threaten the West, and in efforts to recruit and train foreign fighters," he added. |
| Air strikes in Syria's Idlib kill 26, mostly children: rescuers, monitor Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:50 PM PDT  Air strikes by Syrian or Russian warplanes on Wednesday killed at least 26 people, most of them schoolchildren, in a village in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, rescue workers and a monitoring group said. The raids hit a residential area and a school in Haas village, the Syrian Civil Defence rescue workers' network said on its Facebook account. Syria's civil war pits President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi'ite Muslim militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan against an array of mostly Sunni Muslim rebel groups, including some backed by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the United States.
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| Strong earthquakes hit central Italy; no deaths reported Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:20 PM PDT  A series of strong earthquakes rocked a wide area of central Italy on Wednesday, striking fear among residents rattled by a deadly tremor in August, but there were no reports of casualties and few serious injuries. About five hours after the first quake, Civil Protection department chief Fabrizio Curcio said "tens" of people were reported hurt but only four suffered serious, non-life threatening injuries.
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| Venezuela opposition escalates anti-Maduro protests, dozens injured Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:35 PM PDT  By Andrew Cawthorne and Anggy Polanco CARACAS/SAN CRISTOBAL (Reuters) - Venezuela's increasingly militant opposition stepped up its push to oust leftist leader Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday with protests that drew hundreds of thousands but also saw unrest leading to dozens of injuries and arrests. Enraged by last week's suspension of their push for a referendum to remove Maduro and determined to end 17 years of socialism in the South American OPEC nation, Venezuela's opposition has sharply ramped up its tactics in recent days. After launching a political trial against Maduro on Tuesday in the National Assembly, the opposition coalition held nationwide marches dubbed "Takeover of Venezuela" on Wednesday.
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| Top Asian News 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:30 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban insurgents on Wednesday killed 26 Afghan civilians after abducting them in the remote central province of Ghor the previous day, officials said, the latest brutal attack targeting the local population in one of the country's most lawless areas. The slain civilians were from a group of 33 taken by the militants near the provincial capital of Ferozkoh, according to Ziauddin Saqib, the deputy provincial police chief. Earlier reports suggested 20 were killed but the death toll rose later in the day. The abductions took place while battles were underway between the Taliban and Afghan security forces on Tuesday that saw two militant commanders killed, Saqib added. |
| Chinese rally to farmer who killed official with nail gun Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:26 PM PDT  SHIJIAZHUANG, China (AP) — Two years after the leaders of his village razed his home to make way for new development, farmer Jia Jinglong took his revenge with a nail gun.
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| About 60 aftershocks shake central Italy Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:18 PM PDT  ROME (AP) — The Latest on two strong aftershocks that shook central Italy (all times local):
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| Nearly three-fifths of all vertebrates wiped out since 1970: WWF Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 PM PDT  Paris (AFP) - Nearly three-fifths of all animals with a backbone -- fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals -- have been wiped out since 1970 by human appetites and activity, according to a grim study released Thursday.
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| Turkey vows to press Syria offensive despite warning from pro-Assad forces Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 PM PDT  By Tulay Karadeniz and Laila Bassam ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkey said on Wednesday it will press its military offensive in Syria until Islamic State is driven from the town of al-Bab, despite a warning from forces allied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a helicopter attack on the rebels it backs. Turkey's incursion into Syria, launched two months ago to drive Islamic State militants from its border and prevent Kurdish fighters from gaining ground in their wake, has complicated an already messy battlefield in northern Syria. As the Turkey-backed rebels push south towards al-Bab, an Islamic State-held town 35 km (22 miles) northeast of Aleppo, they face confrontation with both Kurdish and pro-Assad forces, whose frontlines lie close by.
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| Wildlife populations plunge almost 60 percent since 1970: WWF Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:37 PM PDT  By Alister Doyle OSLO (Reuters) - Worldwide populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles have plunged by almost 60 percent since 1970 as human activities overwhelm the environment, the WWF conservation group said on Thursday. An index compiled with data from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to measure the abundance of biodiversity was down 58 percent from 1970 to 2012 and would fall 67 percent by 2020 on current trends, the WWF said in a report. Conservation efforts appear to be having scant impact as the index is showing a steeper plunge in wildlife populations than two years ago, when the WWF estimated a 52 percent decline by 2010.
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| Nigerian activist held in solitary in Japan, prompting calls for her release Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:05 PM PDT  By Minami Funakoshi and Ami Miyazaki TOKYO (Reuters) - A prominent Nigerian asylum seeker and activist is being held in solitary at a Tokyo detention center, a case that has highlighted a growing crackdown on foreigners living in Japan without visas and prompted demands for her release. Elizabeth Aruoriwo Obueza was detained two weeks ago after authorities turned down an appeal against her asylum rejection, Obueza and her lawyer told Reuters. Obueza, 48, campaigns for asylum seekers and the 4,700 people on "provisional release" from immigration detention - a status that lets foreigners out from detention but bars them from working and traveling freely.
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| No. 1 pick Simmons says no timetable on 76ers return Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:04 PM PDT PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons took a spot in the Philadelphia 76ers locker room instead of the starting lineup on opening night. |
| Study: Fragmented jaguar groups in Mexico show inbreeding Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:57 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — A study of jaguar populations in Mexico and Central America shows significant levels of inbreeding in some areas, suggesting a new danger for a species that has disappeared from three-quarters of its original range. |
| London derby brings more fan trouble to West Ham's new home Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:53 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Seats, coins and bottles were thrown as fans of London rivals West Ham and Chelsea clashed Wednesday in the latest episode of soccer disorder at London's Olympic Stadium.
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| Belgium keeps EU, Canada waiting over trade deal Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:49 PM PDT  Belgian politicians failed to break their deadlock over a planned EU-Canada free trade agreement on Wednesday, but agreed to resume talks on Thursday in a sign they may be nearing a consensus that would keep the deal alive. The news prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call off plans to fly to Brussels on Wednesday night. CETA, seven years in the making, is backed by all 27 other EU governments but rejected by the French-speaking south of Belgium, meaning Belgium as a whole cannot sign it.
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| Icardi double sinks Torino and saves Inter coach De Boer Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:42 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — Mauro Icardi ended the longest goalscoring drought of his Inter Milan career with two goals that may have saved the job of coach Frank De Boer.
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| Belgium plans new talks to break EU-Canada trade deadlock Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:41 PM PDT  Belgium's political leaders looked Thursday to a new round of talks aimed at resolving differences that have blocked a landmark EU-Canada free trade deal and made a signing summit the same day unlikely. The stakes are high amid warnings that the EU's international standing, already battered by Britain's shock June Brexit vote, will suffer further if seven years of trade negotiations go to waste because of internal Belgian politics. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said representatives from the federal government and the country's linguistic communities would resume their talks at 0800 GMT on Thursday after adjourning before midnight Wednesday without an agreement.
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| Obama, Turkey's Erdogan discuss campaign against Islamic State: White House Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:40 PM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the next steps in the campaign against Islamic State during a telephone call on Wednesday, the White House said. Obama "welcomed continued dialogue between Turkey and Iraq to determine the appropriate level and form of Turkey's participation in the Counter-ISIL Coalition's efforts in Iraq, and both leaders affirmed their strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq," the White House said in a statement, referring to the jihadist group by an acronym. |
| Pacquiao not slowing down in build up to Vargas fight Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:34 PM PDT  Manny Pacquiao says that despite a punishing schedule which includes juggling two high-profile jobs in the build up to his return to boxing he has still managed to maintain his fire for the sport. Now that the Philippine Senate is on a break, the boxing legend says he is finally able to start training in earnest to face World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas. Three months after ending his brief ring "retirement," Pacquiao is in the final weeks of preparations for the fight which will be held November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
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| Hawks give 4-year extension to new starting PG Schroder Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:31 PM PDT ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks signed point guard Dennis Schroder a four-year contract extension worth $70 million, a person familiar with the deal said Wednesday. |
| In first, US abstains in UN vote against Cuba embargo Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:24 PM PDT  The United States on Wednesday abstained for the first time in 25 years from a vote at the United Nations calling for an end to the US embargo against Cuba. The UN General Assembly adopted the annual resolution by an overwhelming 191 votes in favor -- with only the United States and Israel abstaining in the 193-nation forum. Washington's abstention was in line with calls from President Barack Obama for the opposition-controlled Congress to lift the decades-old embargo as part of a historic normalization of relations.
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| Adopted and brought to US, South Korean man to be deported Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:21 PM PDT  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A South Korean man flown to the U.S. 37 years ago and adopted by an American couple at age 3 has been ordered deported back to a country that is completely alien to him.
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| Rift between Brazil's Senate and judiciary could derail fiscal reform Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:10 PM PDT  By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - The president of Brazil's Senate urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to halt an investigation into the use of Senate police to protect senators from a corruption probe, stoking tensions between the judiciary and the legislative branch. The row threatens to cast a shadow over Brazilian President Michel Temer's efforts to push through legislative reforms to restore fiscal discipline to Brazil's overdrawn budget accounts. Senate President Renan Calheiros, who faces several corruption investigations, filed an injunction requesting that the Supreme Court respect boundaries between the different branches of government and stop an operation that "invaded" the jurisdiction of the Senate.
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| 2 quakes rattle Italy, crumbling buildings and causing panic Posted: 26 Oct 2016 04:03 PM PDT  ROME (AP) — A pair of strong aftershocks shook central Italy late Wednesday, crumbling churches and buildings, knocking out power and sending panicked residents into the rain-drenched streets just two months after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 300 people.
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| Greece court cancels TV license overhaul; blow to government Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:56 PM PDT  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A high court has canceled a television license auction in Greece, dealing a blow to the country's left-wing government which carried out the sale as part of an anti-corruption drive.
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| Strong twin quakes rock central Italy Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:55 PM PDT  Twin earthquakes rocked central Italy on Wednesday -- the second registering at a magnitude of 6.0 -- in the same region struck in August by a devastating tremor that killed nearly 300 people. Several dozen people were treated for light injuries or shock, civil protection chief Fabrizio Curcio told a late night press conference, but no serious injuries had been reported. As authorities rushed to assess the full extent of the damage, the mayor of one mountain town said many buildings had collapsed.
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| Earthquake temporarily halts Italian league match Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:54 PM PDT PESCARA, Italy (AP) — A top-level soccer match between Pescara and Atalanta was temporarily halted when a second earthquake in the space of two hours struck central Italy on Wednesday, sparking terror among the fans. |
| Trump vows to spend big on White House race, Clinton targets Florida Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:53 PM PDT  Donald Trump vowed to pour his own millions into the race for the White House Wednesday, refusing to be written off in the uphill battle against frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Polls showed the Democratic nominee, who is vying to become the first female US president, still comfortably ahead of her billionaire Republican rival with just 13 days to go before Americans pick a new president. The 70-year-old Manhattan businessman took heart, however, from a new survey that shows him with a two point lead in early voting Florida, and a slight narrowing in the race nationally.
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| More than 90 migrants believed missing after boat sinks off Libya: coastguard Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:50 PM PDT More than 90 migrants are believed missing after their boat sank off the coast of western Libya on Wednesday, a coastguard spokesman said. Ayoub Qassem said coastguards had rescued 29 migrants some 26 miles off the shore east of Tripoli, and that survivors said 126 people had been on the rubber boat before one of the sides was ripped and it started taking on water. Libya is the main departure point for mostly African migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. |
| Arkansas scientist pleads in rice seed theft case Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:46 PM PDT KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 61-year-old scientist has pleaded guilty to a federal charge nearly three years after he was accused of stealing proprietary seeds developed in the U.S. and giving them to a delegation visiting from China. |
| Mass protest in Venezuela demanding end of 'dictatorship' Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:43 PM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Anti-government protesters jammed the streets of Venezuela's capital on Wednesday on the heels of a decision by congress to open a political trial against President Nicolas Maduro, whose allies have blocked moves for a recall election.
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| Fears for dozens of children after France's 'Jungle' cleared Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:42 PM PDT  France's infamous "Jungle" was cleared of thousands of migrants in a massive operation that wrapped up Wednesday, but aid groups said dozens of unaccompanied children were not guaranteed a bed for the night. "Unregistered minors are wandering around, lost, wondering where they will spend the night," said Samuel Hanryon, spokesman for Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The warning came as the abandoned slum outside the port of Calais smouldered from countless fires set by departing migrants, causing many to flee without their possessions.
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| Brazil land grab threatens isolated tribes: activists Posted: 26 Oct 2016 03:41 PM PDT  The worst land grab in decades in the Brazilian Amazon is threatening the survival of isolated tribes that have no contact with the outside world, a rights group said Wednesday. Ranchers and settlers in the remotest reaches of northwestern Brazil are voraciously cutting down rainforest to farm crops, encroaching on the ancestral lands of three uncontacted groups, said Survival International. The land grab is also threatening another tribe, the Uru Eu Wau Wau, or "Harpy Eagle" people, that has only limited contact with the outside world, said the London-based group.
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