| Trump aide says U.S. sanctions on Russia may be disproportionate Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:19 AM PST  By David Shepardson and Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top aide to President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by ordering the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies. Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on ABC's "This Week" that Trump will be asking questions of U.S. intelligence agencies after President Barack Obama imposed sanctions last week on two Russian intelligence agencies over what he said was their involvement in hacking political groups in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
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| Syrian warplanes strike near Damascus during fragile truce Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:07 AM PST  By John Davison BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government warplanes resumed their bombardment of a rebel-held valley near Damascus on Sunday after nearly 24 hours with no air raids, a rebel official and monitors said, during the third day of a fragile ceasefire. The truce deal, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict and welcomed unanimously by the United Nations Security Council, has been repeatedly violated since it began, with warring sides trading the blame. Rebels on Saturday warned they would abandon the truce if the government side continued to violate it, asking the Russians, who support President Bashar al-Assad, to rein in army and militia attacks in the valley by 8:00 p.m. Bombardments ceased before that time - although some clashes continued - but began again late on Sunday.
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| Shooter kills 11, himself in Brazil New Year's party rampage Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:31 AM PST A gunman stormed a house party and killed 11 people, including his former wife and 8-year-old son, before shooting himself in the head during a New Year's party in the southeastern Brazilian city of Campinas late on Saturday. Police in the state of São Paulo said the shooter, identified as 46-year-old Sidnei Ramis de Araújo, is believed to have been angry over a split with his wife, Isamara Filier, 41, and their son João Victor. Survivors, according to a police spokesman, said that just before midnight, the shooter jumped over a fence surrounding the house, burst through a door and began firing even as he berated Filier for taking their son. |
| Hundreds of migrants try to storm border into Spain's enclave of Ceuta Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:06 AM PST  At least 800 sub-Saharan African migrants tried to cross into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Sunday by storming a border fence, though most were eventually turned back, the Spanish and Moroccan governments said. Dozens of migrants made it to the top of the six-metre barbed wire fence early on Sunday before being lifted down by cranes, footage from local TV station Faro TV showed. Spain said about 1,100 migrants attempted the crossing.
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| U.S.-led coalition hit Islamic State mortar position in Mosul: Pentagon Posted: 01 Jan 2017 09:13 AM PST  An artillery strike by the U.S.-led coalition in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul struck a mortar position next to two empty school buildings that Islamic State had been using to target Iraqi security forces, the U.S. military said on Sunday. No civilians were in the area and minimal damage was reported to the buildings, the Combined Joint Strike Force said in a statement. "While the Coalition takes extraordinary effort to protect civilians and strike appropriate military targets, we will continue to strike ISIL wherever and whenever our partner's lives are in danger in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict," it said, using an acronym for Islamic State.
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| Cartwright, O'Keefe in Australia third Test team Posted: 01 Jan 2017 05:25 PM PST  All-rounder Hilton Cartwright will make his Test debut as Australia make two changes for the final Test against Pakistan in Sydney, captain Steve Smith said Monday. Zimbabwe-born Cartwright and left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe replace Nic Maddinson and Jackson Bird in the team that demolished Pakistan in Melbourne last week to clinch the three-match series.
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| Giroud gem a work of art, says Wenger Posted: 01 Jan 2017 05:19 PM PST  Arsene Wenger hailed Olivier Giroud's stunning strike against Crystal Palace as a work of art and one of the top five Arsenal goals in his 20-year reign. Giroud's mid-air back-flicked volley gave Arsenal the lead at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday and set them on course for a 2-0 victory. The France forward's sumptuous scorpion-kick goal will undoubtedly rate as one of the goals of the season, but Wenger went one step farther by placing it in the most hallowed of company.
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| Denmark police arrest daughter of President Park's friend: media report Posted: 01 Jan 2017 04:42 PM PST  Danish police have arrested the daughter of South Korean President Park Geun-hye's friend, Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of an influence-peddling scandal that has engulfed Park's government, South Korean broadcaster JTBC reported on Monday. South Korean authorities have been seeking the arrest of the daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, for her ties to the scandal, which resulted in an impeachment vote against Park in parliament last month. There was no immediate comment from South Korean authorities about the report of Chung Yoo-ra's arrest.
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| Phoenix hand reins to Buckingham and Greenacre Posted: 01 Jan 2017 04:32 PM PST  Former Manchester City striker Chris Greenacre and Oxford United coach Des Buckingham were Monday confirmed as coaches of the Wellington Phoenix for the remainder of the 2016-17 A-League season. The pair have guided the Phoenix to one win and three draws while temporarily in charge since Ernie Merrick resigned four weeks ago and have lifted the club from last to eighth place in the 10-team competition. Under the Football Federation of Australia regulations Buckingham, as the holder of a Pro Licence, will be head coach and Greenacre, who has an A Licence, will be co-coach.
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| Afghan refugees coming to California struggle with PTSD Posted: 01 Jan 2017 04:30 PM PST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's capital has emerged as a leading destination for Afghan refugees who were awarded special visas because of their service to coalition forces in the war. But life in the United States for them has proven a constant struggle. |
| Gambia authorities shut Teranga FM radio station Posted: 01 Jan 2017 04:25 PM PST  Popular independent Gambian radio station Teranga FM was Sunday ordered to cease operations by national security agents for unspecified reasons, a security source and staff member said. The station, which translates news from Gambian papers into local languages, has previously been silenced and in 2015 its manager was slapped with sedition and "publication of false news" charges for privately sharing a provocative photo of President Yahya Jammeh. "Four National Intelligence Agency operatives and one police officer in uniform came to the radio station this afternoon (Sunday) around 2:30 pm and told us to stop broadcasting," a staff member told AFP on condition of anonymity.
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| 3 men decapitated, 2 more slain in Acapulco over New Year's Posted: 01 Jan 2017 04:07 PM PST  ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — At least five people were killed over the New Year's weekend in the resort city of Acapulco, including three men found decapitated in a central neighborhood, officials said Sunday.
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| Foreigners among victims of Istanbul attack Posted: 01 Jan 2017 03:17 PM PST  Foreigners including many nationals of Arab countries were among the dead in the New Year shooting rampage at an Istanbul nightclub, officials said on Sunday. Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul said that Saudis were among the victims, but gave no figures. The foreign ministry in Amman said three Jordanians were killed and four injured, the official Petra news agency reported.
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| Bettman still down on Olympics; NHLPA 'more optimistic' Posted: 01 Jan 2017 02:22 PM PST  TORONTO (AP) — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players' Association executive director Donald Fehr offered competing visions Sunday on the likelihood that NHL players will attend the next Winter Olympics.
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| The Latest: UN Security Council condemns attack in Turkey Posted: 01 Jan 2017 01:42 PM PST  ISTANBUL (AP) — The Latest on a deadly attack on an Istanbul nightclub. (all times local):
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| Fed up with politics, Brazil cities swear in outsider mayors Posted: 01 Jan 2017 01:13 PM PST  SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's two biggest cities on Sunday inaugurated mayors who are political outsiders and whose victories underscored deep frustration with the political class and public corruption.
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| US condemns Pyongyang missile plan, warns against 'provocative' actions Posted: 01 Jan 2017 12:56 PM PST  It was issued by the Pentagon at a sensitive time -- just weeks before President Barack Obama is due to hand power over to his successor, Donald Trump. The statement came hours after Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, said his country was close to testing such a missile, which would be capable of reaching American shores. "We are in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile," Kim said in a televised New Year's speech, pointing to a string of nuclear and missile tests last year.
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| 'Maximum luck': Giroud scores 'scorpion' in Arsenal victory Posted: 01 Jan 2017 12:44 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Olivier Giroud scored an exquisite goal from an overhead back-heeled strike as Arsenal beat struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday to rise to third in the English Premier League.
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| Guatemalan navy busts cocaine shipment off Pacific coast Posted: 01 Jan 2017 12:24 PM PST GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan authorities have seized more than 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of cocaine from a boat off the coast of the Central American nation. |
| Spurs beat Watford 4-1 to move into Premier League top 4 Posted: 01 Jan 2017 12:03 PM PST  WATFORD, England (AP) — Harry Kane and Dele Alli both scored twice Sunday as Tottenham climbed to fourth in the English Premier League with a 4-1 victory over Watford.
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| 10 on the run after attack on Bahrain jail Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:50 AM PST  Armed men on Sunday attacked a prison in Bahrain where Shiites convicted over anti-government protests are held, killing one policeman and allowing 10 inmates to escape, the interior ministry said. The security forces launched a manhunt for the attackers and the escapees, the ministry said on Twitter. The attack took place at Jaw prison south of the capital Manama.
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| Oman's 2017 budget projects deficit Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:35 AM PST  Oman on Sunday said it will need to borrow money from local and international markets as it announced its budget for 2017 with a projected deficit of around $7.7 billion. A finance ministry statement said the sultanate, which like other oil-producing Gulf states has been hit by a cash crunch because of a sharp drop in oil prices, will also follow a policy of austerity. Oman will therefore seek to borrow locally and abroad to finance 84 percent of the deficit, as well as dig into its foreign reserves to cover the remaining 16 percent, the statement said.
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| Islamic State claims bomb attack in Syria's Tartous Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:22 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State said it carried out a bomb attack on the Syrian coastal city of Tartous that Syrian state media said killed two security officers. Islamic State said in an online statement claiming the attack that two of its members detonated car bombs. It did not say whether they were suicide attackers or provide any further details. Syrian state media said the attack, first reported early on Sunday, was carried out by two suicide bombers wearing explosives. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Adrian Croft) |
| More than 1,000 migrants storm border at Spain's Ceuta Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:16 AM PST  More than 1,000 migrants tried to jump a high double fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Sunday in a violent assault that saw one officer lose an eye, local authorities said. A group of 1,100 people from sub-Saharan Africa trying to reach Europe stormed the border fence just after 4 am (0300 GMT) on New Year's Day in an "extremely violent and organised" way, said the central government's representative office in Ceuta. None however managed to get through, bar two who were badly injured and taken to hospital in Ceuta, the office said in a statement.
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| Britain's Queen Elizabeth misses church again due to heavy cold Posted: 01 Jan 2017 11:09 AM PST  By Peter Nicholls SANDRINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth missed a New Year's Day church service on Sunday due to a heavy cold, Buckingham Palace said, a week after the 90-year-old monarch missed a Christmas Day service for the first time in decades. The world's longest-reigning monarch, who became unwell before Christmas, stayed indoors at her Sandringham country estate in Norfolk, eastern England, while other members of the royal family attended the service. "The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
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| Israel says will not release bodies of slain Hamas men Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:53 AM PST  Israel on Sunday ruled that it would not release to their families the bodies of Hamas militants killed during attacks on Israelis but would instead bury them, the government said. The decision by the security cabinet followed the release on Saturday by the Palestinian group of video footage showing a mock birthday party for Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, believed by the army to have been killed in the 2014 Gaza war. "The political-security cabinet discussed standing policy on treatment of the bodies of Hamas terrorists killed during terror attacks and decided that they will not be returned but will be buried," a statement posted on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official Twitter account said.
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| Danish politician Henning Christophersen dies at age 77 Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:48 AM PST COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Henning Christophersen, a former vice president of the European Union's executive commission who previously was a senior government member in Denmark, has died. He was 77. |
| Giroud's scorpion stunner stings Palace Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:41 AM PST  Olivier Giroud stole the show as the Arsenal striker's outrageous "scorpion kick" stung Crystal Palace and inspired his side's 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Giroud produced an audacious mid-air shot from behind his back to open the scoring and illuminate a dank afternoon in north London with one of the goals of the season. The France international's breath-taking strike deserves to be ranked alongside any of the wonder goals conjured by Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
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| Turkmenistan halts gas flow to Iran in arrears row Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:35 AM PST  Turkmenistan halted gas supplies to Iran Sunday amid tensions between the two countries over arrears, the Iranian National Gas Company was quoted by oil ministry news agency Shana as saying. "The gas company of Turkmenistan has cut gas exports to Iran, contrary to the agreement reached, by demanding immediate payment of arrears," Shana cited an official statement as saying. The two countries have been holding discussions but have not yet reached agreement on the payment and amount of arrears Iran owes to Turkmenistan.
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| Giroud nets wonder goal as Arsenal, Spurs climb Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:29 AM PST  Olivier Giroud scored a stupendous "scorpion kick" volley as Arsenal climbed to third place in the Premier League table with a 2-0 New Year's Day victory over Crystal Palace. Giroud netted with a breathtaking improvised strike reminiscent of Henrikh Mkhitaryan's recent goal for Manchester United and Alex Iwobi was also on target at the Emirates Stadium. A bashful Giroud told the BBC: "It is not difficult to say it is the best one.
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| Top Asian News 6:17 p.m. GMT Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:17 AM PST TOKYO (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hinted Sunday that Pyongyang may ring in the new year with another bang — the test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. In his annual New Year's address, Kim said that after testing what the North claims was its first hydrogen bomb last year, preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have "reached the final stage" Kim did not explicitly say an ICBM test, which if successful would be a big step forward for the North, was imminent. But he has a birthday coming up on Jan. 8, and last year Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test on Jan. |
| Iran says Turkmenistan cuts of gas shipments over past debts Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:17 AM PST TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran says Turkmenistan has cut off shipments of heating gas over past debts. |
| WNBA players were near site of Istanbul attack, coach says Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:11 AM PST  A handful of WNBA players, including Essence Carson, Chelsea Gray and Jantel Lavender of the Los Angeles Sparks, were next door to a deadly shooting in a nightclub in Istanbul early Sunday.
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| Israeli killed, another injured in Istanbul attack Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:01 AM PST  An Israeli woman was killed and another injured in the New Year attack at an Istanbul nightclub that left at least 39 people dead, Israel's foreign ministry said Sunday. Israeli media said that the injured woman was one of her friends.
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| Conservative mega-church bishop takes helm as Rio's mayor Posted: 01 Jan 2017 10:00 AM PST  An evangelical mega-church bishop who once branded Catholics demons was sworn in as Rio de Janeiro's mayor on Sunday, putting a staunch conservative in charge of one of Latin America's most liberal cities. Marcelo Crivella, from the socially conservative Brazilian Republican Party (PRB), won the mayoral race in October municipal elections.
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