| France's Fillon wins top spot in conservative primary, Sarkozy out Posted: 20 Nov 2016 04:17 PM PST  By Ingrid Melander and Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) - French voters defied expectations on Sunday by throwing ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy out of the race to be the conservatives' nominee for the presidential election and propelling his ex-prime minister Francois Fillon to top spot. A social conservative with economically liberal ideas, Fillon will face Alain Juppe, another ex-prime minister, in a runoff on Nov. 27 which is likely to produce France's next president in May. Long trailing his rivals in opinion polls, Fillon goes into the conservative primaries' run-off with a strong lead, the backing of defeated candidates including Sarkozy and a fresh poll that already tips him to win that second round.
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| Syrian family, pupils among dozens killed in Aleppo attacks Posted: 20 Nov 2016 11:06 AM PST  By Angus McDowall BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebel shelling killed eight children at a school in the government-held part of Aleppo on Sunday and a barrel bomb killed a family of six in the rebel-held area, part of a heavy government bombardment that has knocked out all the hospitals. Hundreds of people have been killed since Tuesday in a concerted push by the government and its allies to quash resistance in the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo to reestablish control over Syria's biggest pre-war city. Two medics said the al-Baytounji family had suffocated to death because the barrel bomb, which fell in the Sakhour district at about midnight, had been laced with chlorine gas.
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| Merkel says she will seek fourth term as German chancellor Posted: 20 Nov 2016 12:18 PM PST  By Andreas Rinke and Madeline Chambers BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel announced on Sunday she wants to run for a fourth term as German chancellor in next year's election, a sign of stability after Britain's vote to leave the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president. The 62-year old conservative, facing a voter backlash over her open-door migrant policy, said she had thought long and hard before eventually deciding to stand again in the September election, ending months of speculation over her decision. "It is a decision not just for an election campaign but about the next four years ... if health allows it," she added after a meeting of senior members of her conservative Christian Democrat (CDU) party.
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| Mexico president's rating hits new low after Trump victory Posted: 20 Nov 2016 11:09 AM PST  Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's approval rating has slumped to a new low since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency last week, in part due to his invitation of the real estate tycoon to Mexico during the campaign, a poll showed on Sunday. The survey by polling firm Buendia & Laredo for newspaper El Universal said approval of Pena Nieto's performance had fallen to 25 percent from 29 percent in July, hurt by discontent about the economy, rising violence and failure to battle corruption. Pena Nieto's six-year term concludes at the end of November 2018, and opinion polls show his centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) faces an uphill battle to retain power after the next presidential election, scheduled for July 2018.
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| China's Xi says hopes for stability in Hong Kong Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:25 PM PST  BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying that he hopes he upholds national unity and maintains social and political stability, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday. The two were meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peruvian capital Lima. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
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| Obama, Putin about Syria and Ukraine in quick summit meet Posted: 20 Nov 2016 11:11 AM PST  U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke for around four minutes on Sunday at the APEC summit about Syria and Ukraine, in what is likely to be their last in-person meeting before Obama leaves office. "The president urged President Putin to uphold Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements, underscoring the U.S. and our partners' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty," a White House official said. Obama also emphasized the need for their two countries' foreign ministers "to continue pursuing initiatives, together with the broader international community, to diminish the violence and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people," the official said.
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| Saiz's double-double leads Ole Miss past Saint Joseph's Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:34 PM PST ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — Sebastian Saiz scored a career-high 26 points and added 12 rebounds, and Mississippi advanced to the Paradise Jam championship game with an 81-68 victory over Saint Joseph's on Sunday. |
| Asia-Pacific summit closes with call to work for free trade Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:26 PM PST  LIMA, Peru (AP) — Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations ended their annual summit Sunday with a call to resist protectionism amid signs of increased free-trade skepticism, highlighted by the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election.
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| Top Asian News 1:26 a.m. GMT Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:26 PM PST LIMA, Peru (AP) — Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations ended their annual summit Sunday with a call to resist protectionism amid signs of increased free-trade skepticism, highlighted by the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum also closed with a joint pledge to work toward a sweeping new free trade agreement that would include all 21 members as a path to "sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth," despite the political climate. "We reaffirm our commitment to keep our markets open and to fight against all forms of protectionism," the leaders of the APEC nations said in a joint statement. |
| Former Greek President Constantine Stephanopoulos dies at 90 Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:20 PM PST  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Constantine Stephanopoulos, a veteran conservative politician who served two terms as president of Greece from 1995-2005, died Sunday at age 90.
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| Murray eyes long reign at the top Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:16 PM PST  Andy Murray has warned Novak Djokovic he is ready to embark on a sustained period of dominance after the Scot crowned a golden season by finishing on top of the world. Murray produced an imperious display to defeat Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 and win the ATP Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena on Sunday. The 29-year-old's first Tour Finals title came with the hugely significant bonus of ensuring that he remained above Djokovic in the year-end rankings after he knocked the Serb from pole position two weeks ago.
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| Obama: I'll push back on Trump if needed to defend US ideals Posted: 20 Nov 2016 05:00 PM PST  LIMA, Peru (AP) — President Barack Obama said Sunday he doesn't intend to become his successor's constant critic — but reserved the right to speak out if President-elect Donald Trump or his policies breach certain "values or ideals."
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| Leicester lynchpin Vardy loses magic touch Posted: 20 Nov 2016 04:56 PM PST  Twelve months on from his record-breaking Premier League scoring streak, Leicester City talisman Jamie Vardy appears to have lost a little of his stardust. Last November, Vardy set a new record by scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches, but ahead of Club Brugge's visit in the Champions League on Tuesday, he has gone 13 club games without a goal.
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| The Latest: Obama stresses enduring commitment to Japan Posted: 20 Nov 2016 04:11 PM PST  LIMA, Peru (AP) — The Latest on President Barack Obama's final official foreign trip (all times local):
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| Selection chairman urges patience with new-look Aussie team Posted: 20 Nov 2016 04:09 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Australia's chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns has called on the country's cricket fans to show patience with the new-look team named on Sunday for the third test South Africa. |
| Asia-Pacific leaders vow to fight protectionism Posted: 20 Nov 2016 04:02 PM PST  Asia-Pacific leaders vowed Sunday to fight protectionism at the close of a summit upended by US President-elect Donald Trump's shock victory and virulent attacks on free-trade deals. "We reaffirm our commitment to keep our markets open and to fight against all forms of protectionism," said the final statement from the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group. Rising protectionism in Europe highlighted by Britain's exit from the European Union and in the United States underscored by Trump's election was a major concern at the two-day summit in the Peruvian capital Lima.
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| Sarkozy knocked out of French presidential race Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:57 PM PST  Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy crashed out of the presidential election on Sunday, suffering a humiliating defeat in the first round of the rightwing primary. Sarkozy was beaten into third place after a stunning upset by Francois Fillon, who served as his prime minister, with the veteran Alain Juppe finishing second. The surprise result puts Fillon in a commanding position for next Sunday's second round of a contest that is widely expected to decide France's next leader.
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| Obama 'not optimistic' about Syria's immediate future Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:53 PM PST  Lima (AFP) - US President Barack Obama said he was "not optimistic" about Syria's immediate future as the regime and its Russian backers launch a sustained bombardment of civilians in Aleppo.
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| Strong quake hits near Argentina, Chile border, no damage reported Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:51 PM PST A strong quake hit western Argentina, shaking buildings as far away as Santiago, the capital of neighboring Chile, though there were no reports of damage to people, infrastructure or basic services. Chile's navy ruled out a tsunami after the quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey said was a magnitude 6.4. The quake's epicenter was 14 miles (24 km) southwest of the Argentine town of San Juan, and about 165 miles (267 km) northeast of Santiago in Chile. |
| Venezuela hopes for improved U.S. relations in Trump presidency Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:51 PM PST  By Diego Oré CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday he hopes for an improvement in relations with nemesis the United States after Donald Trump's White House win, despite last year calling the real estate tycoon a "bandit and thief." Since he came to power in 2013, Maduro has railed against the United States, blaming it for being behind an "economic war" which has left the OPEC nation in crisis with triple-digit inflation and major shortages. Trump said in July that the United States would "end up being Venezuela" if his rival Hillary Clinton were to win the White House.
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| France's Sarkozy bows out after comeback cut abruptly short Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:44 PM PST By Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) - France's ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy was spectacularly thrown out of the race for the French presidency on Sunday, with voters cutting short a political comeback that tapped into populist sentiment. Dealt a humiliating blow in the conservative nomination contest, four years after losing a first re-election bid to Socialist Francois Hollande, Sarkozy, 61, alluded to a possible withdrawal from political life when he conceded defeat. "It's time for me to try a life with more private passions than public ones," he said, thanking his supermodel-turned-singer wife Carla Bruni and his children. |
| No bullet holes found in crashed Brazil military chopper Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:30 PM PST  SAO PAULO (AP) — Investigators so far have found no bullet holes in a crashed Brazilian military helicopter or in the bodies of four police officers who died when the chopper went down during an anti-drug operation, Rio de Janeiro state's security chief said Sunday.
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| Inter rescues 2-2 draw at AC Milan with last-gasp equalizer Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:30 PM PST  MILAN (AP) — Ivan Perisic scored an equalizer in stoppage time to rescue a point for Inter Milan in an entertaining 2-2 derby draw against city rival AC Milan on Sunday.
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| Haiti's presidential redo goes well; long vote count begins Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:22 PM PST  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti's repeatedly derailed presidential election finally went off relatively smoothly Sunday as the troubled nation tries to get its shaky democracy on a firmer foundation after nearly a year of being led by a provisional government.
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| Five things we learned from the Premier League Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:20 PM PST  Chelsea went top, Liverpool slipped up at Southampton, Yaya Toure made a triumphant return for Manchester City and Arsenal hit Jose Mourinho's Manchester United with a late sucker-punch. Few would have predicted Chelsea would be top of the table before the end of November after a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on September 24 left them eight points off the pace in eighth place.
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| Syrian government refuses UN truce terms for Aleppo Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:20 PM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government refused the U.N. envoy's latest proposal for a truce in Aleppo on Sunday, calling on insurgents to withdraw and saying it would not grant autonomy to the rebel-held east in exchange for calm.
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| Haitians vote in hopes of restoring constitutional order Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:19 PM PST  Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haitians cast their ballots Sunday for president and members of the legislature in elections that had been delayed for more than a year by a constitutional crisis. Leading candidates for president include Jovenel Moise, a wealthy Haitian backed by former president Michel Martelly, and Jude Celestin, candidate of the opposition LAPEH. Also up for grabs are 25 of the 109 seats in the lower house of Haiti's legislature, and 16 of the 30 Senate seats.
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| Obama defends legacy at Asia-Pacific summit Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:17 PM PST  US President Barack Obama defended his legacy on free trade and security issues Sunday at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders thrown into uncertainty by the election of his radically different successor Donald Trump. Ending his final foreign visit as president, Obama pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who has a far warmer relationship with Trump -- on Syria and Ukraine, and rallied allies to forge ahead with free trade plans that the president-elect has trashed. Trump's shock election victory has made it a bittersweet goodbye for Obama, who campaigned against the brash billionaire as unfit to succeed him but is now asking the international community to give the Republican time and an open mind.
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| 4 players cited after weekend internationals Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:07 PM PST DUBLIN (AP) — All Blacks Sam Cane and Malakai Fekitoa are among four players to have been cited for foul play after the weekend rugby internationals. |
| Surprise duo in France's rightwing primary runoff Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:07 PM PST  Former prime minister Francois Fillon's stunning upset in France's rightwing primary set up a run-off duel with another ex-premier, Alain Juppe, that is widely expected to decide the country's next leader. By leap-frogging to first place in the first round of the primary, Fillon caused the elimination from the nominating contest of his former boss, ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy. The pro-business, reform-minded Fillon, 62, has campaigned as a compromise candidate, with more bite than the moderate Juppe but less punch than the pugnacious Sarkozy.
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| Russian President Putin says Trump confirmed willing to mend ties Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:07 PM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties, though he also said he would welcome President Barack Obama in Russia. "The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalize Russian-American relations. Putin said he thanked Obama during Sunday's meeting in Lima "for the years of joint work".
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| Colorado Rhodes Scholar to study mass migrations Posted: 20 Nov 2016 03:07 PM PST  DENVER (AP) — A former Colorado high school student is headed to the University of Oxford after winning a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study mass migrations caused by world turmoil.
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| Prandelli under pressure as Valencia fails to win again Posted: 20 Nov 2016 02:51 PM PST  MADRID (AP) — Less than two months after taking over at Valencia, Cesare Prandelli is already hearing the boos at Mestalla Stadium.
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| Rio: 11 dead, vast police sweep in notorious slum Posted: 20 Nov 2016 02:38 PM PST  Police in Rio launched a vast operation Sunday in the City of God slum, where seven youths were found killed a day after four police officers died when their helicopter crashed nearby. The security chief for the state of Rio, Roberto Sa, described the huge public safety operation, which includes an armored vehicle, as being open-ended.
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| Nice reclaims top spot in French league Posted: 20 Nov 2016 02:36 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — Valentin Eysseric scored against his former teammates to send Nice three points clear at the top of the French league with a 1-0 win at Saint-Etienne on Sunday.
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| Tacoma resident chosen as a 2017 Rhodes Scholar Posted: 20 Nov 2016 02:29 PM PST TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A 23-year-old from Tacoma who plans to combine his knowledge of genetics and philosophy to help guide tough ethical decisions as advancing technologies make designing humans possible was selected as a Rhodes Scholar on Sunday. |
| France's Fillon wins top spot in conservative primary, Sarkozy goes out Posted: 20 Nov 2016 02:18 PM PST By Ingrid Melander and Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) - French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday conceded defeat in the race to be the conservatives' nominee for next year's presidential election after his former prime minister, Francois Fillon, stormed to a winning lead in the primaries. Sarkozy, president from 2007-12, said he would now back Fillon in an expected runoff against Alain Juppe, another former prime minister, on Nov. 27 in a contest which is likely to produce France's next president in May. According to results based on 8,709 polling stations out of a total 10,229, Fillon was seen gathering 44.1 percent of the votes, Juppe 28.2 percent and Sarkozy 21.0 percent, with the gap with Sarkozy widening from the first partial results. |
