| Brazil drug gangs spark prison riot, at least 56 dead Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:56 PM PST  By Alonso Soto BRASILIA (Reuters) - A prison riot has left at least 56 dead, with decapitated bodies thrown over prison walls in the bloodiest violence in more than two decades in Brazil's overcrowded penitentiary system, officials in the Amazon city of Manaus said on Monday. Sergio Fontes, the security chief for Amazonas state, told a news conference the death toll could rise as authorities get a clearer idea of the rebellion, sparked by a fight between rival drug gangs. Fontes told reporters several decapitated bodies were thrown over the prison wall, with most of those killed coming from the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC) drug gang.
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| Syrian rebels say they froze talks on Russian-backed peace conference due to ceasefire violations Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:39 PM PST  Syrian rebel groups said on Monday they had decided to freeze any talks about their possible participation in Syrian peace negotiations being prepared by Moscow in Kazakhstan unless the Syrian government and its Iran-backed allies end what it said were violations of a ceasefire. In a statement, the rebel groups also said that any territorial advances by the army and Iran-backed militias that are fighting alongside it would end the fragile ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides, that came into effect on Friday. "The regime and its allies have continued firing and committed many and large violations," said the statement signed by the mainly moderate rebel groups operating under the umbrella of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA).
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| Islamic State kills 24 with Baghdad car bomb, attack police stations in Samarra Posted: 02 Jan 2017 01:51 PM PST  By Kareem Raheem and Ghazwan Hassan BAGHDAD/TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - An Islamic State car bomb killed 24 people in Baghdad's Sadr City district on Monday and the militants also attacked two police stations in the city of Samarra as Iraqi forces fought to oust the group from Mosul, its last major stronghold in Iraq. At least four other attacks across Baghdad, some also claimed by Islamic State, killed nine more people earlier in the day, bringing the total death toll from bombings in the capital over the past three days to more than 60.
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| South Korea pushes for extradition of daughter of President Park's friend Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:00 PM PST  South Korean authorities said on Tuesday they will proceed with steps to extradite Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of a central figure in a South Korean political scandal that has led to a parliament vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye. Chung is being held in Denmark after police there arrested her on Sunday in the northern city of Aalborg. Denmark's public prosecutor said on Monday that Chung will remain in custody for four weeks after having been charged with committing economic crime in South Korea.
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| China navy confirms carrier conducted drills in South China Sea Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:20 PM PST  China's sole aircraft carrier conducted drills in the South China Sea, the navy said, days after neighboring Taiwan said the carrier and accompanying ships had passed 90 nautical miles south of the island amid renewed tension between the two sides. The Soviet-built Liaoning aircraft carrier and accompanying warships sailed round the east coast of Taiwan in what China called a routine exercise complying with international law. China claims most of the South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
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| No proof Russian hacking influenced U.S. election: Trump spokesman Posted: 02 Jan 2017 11:57 AM PST  No evidence has emerged to suggest Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the U.S. presidential election and it would be irresponsible to jump to conclusions before receiving a final intelligence report, Donald Trump's spokesman said on Monday. "There is zero evidence that they influenced the election," Sean Spicer told Fox News. Due to become White House press secretary when Trump enters the White House on Jan. 20, Spicer told CNN the president-elect would see the intelligence report once it was completed later this week.
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| Tornadoes hit Mississippi as storms pound southern coastal states Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:11 PM PST By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A severe storm system pounded the U.S. South on Monday with heavy rain, hail and strong winds that snapped power lines in several states along the Gulf of Mexico coast, with tornadoes reportedly touching down in Mississippi. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches stretching from Louisiana to Florida and flash flood watches for several states in that area. There were no immediate reports of major injuries or deaths from the storm system. |
| Seahawks enter the playoffs with a whimper, not a roar Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:04 PM PST  RENTON, Washington (AP) — For the fifth straight season, the Seattle Seahawks have won 10 games and are headed to the playoffs, the longest such streaks in franchise history.
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| Caldwell confident Lions can bounce back against Seahawks Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:58 PM PST  ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Jim Caldwell knows what it takes to bounce back in the NFL, within a game and a season, perhaps as much as anyone in the league.
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| Venezuela searches for missing helicopter in Amazon jungle Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:49 PM PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan teams are searching in the Amazon rain forest for a military helicopter that went missing with as many as 13 people on board. |
| Hyde, Burnett step up to help battered Packers cornerbacks Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:44 PM PST  GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (AP) — When three cornerbacks went down with injuries, the Green Bay Packers' safeties had to make a quick change.
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| No N. Korea missile will be capable of reaching US: Trump Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:40 PM PST  President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter again on Monday evening to promise North Korea would not develop a nuclear missile capable of reaching US territory. "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US," Trump tweeted. Although Washington has repeatedly vowed that it would never accept North Korea as a nuclear state, Trump has not previously clearly stated his policy on the isolated Stalinist state.
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| Syrian army advances as rebels put peace talks on hold Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:25 PM PST  Syria's ceasefire appeared under threat as government forces intensified their attacks near Damascus and around 10 rebel groups said they were suspending talks about planned peace negotiations this month. The talks are due to take place in the Kazakh capital Astana in late January but the rebels said they were pulling out of discussions due to "violations" by Damascus of a four-day old truce. The talks are being organised by Russia, which supports the Syrian regime, and Turkey and Iran, which back the rebels.
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| Wiggins signs up for ski jump TV show Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:09 PM PST  Newly retired Olympic cycling champion Bradley Wiggins will swap the velodrome for the ski jump ramp in British television show The Jump, the programme makers announced on Tuesday. Wiggins, 36, follows in the footsteps of fellow British sporting greats Steve Redgrave (rowing), Beth Tweddle (gymnastics) and Rebecca Adlington (swimming), all of whom pulled out of the show through injury. It was a mix of that and the other committed names this year that made me want to sign up," Wiggins said in a press release.
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| At least 56 inmates killed in prison riot in northern Brazil Posted: 02 Jan 2017 04:01 PM PST  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — An attack by members of one crime gang on rival inmates touched off a riot at a prison in the northern state of Amazonas, leaving at least 56 dead, including several who were beheaded or dismembered in the worst bloodshed at a Brazilian prison since 1992.
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| Huge wildfire destroys homes in Chile tourist city Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:52 PM PST  A wildfire ravaged 50 hectares of woodland and destroyed homes in the tourist city of Valparaiso in western Chile, driving the authorities to evacuate hundreds of people on Monday. At least one person was reported hurt after the fire broke out on the outskirts of the historic port city, the National Emergencies Office (ONEMI) said in a statement. "Emergency protocol have been activated," the country's President Michelle Bachelet said on Twitter.
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| Chasing series sweep, Australia wins toss, bats in 3rd test Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:26 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Chasing a sweep of the three-match series, Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss Tuesday and chose to bat in the third test against Pakistan. |
| IS makes unusual claim of responsibility for Turkey attack Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:18 PM PST  ISTANBUL (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday made an unusual claim of responsibility for a major terrorist attack in Turkey, saying a "soldier of the caliphate" carried out the mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people as they welcomed the new year.
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| Tarasenko brace lifts Blues to outdoor win over Blackhawks Posted: 02 Jan 2017 03:17 PM PST  Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals within two minutes of the third period Monday to break a 1-1 tie and lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the NHL's Winter Classic outdoor game. Tarasenko's first goal at 12:05 in the third came as his attempt at a backhanded centering pass deflected off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and into the net. The Russian right winger's next goal, at 13:58, was more straightforward -- a wrist shot past Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford for his 18th goal of the season.
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| Police question Netanyahu as part of graft probe Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:53 PM PST  Police grilled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for three hours on Monday on suspicion of receiving gifts from businessmen, as part of a graft probe that has shaken the country's politics. Investigators quizzed Netanyahu at his residence in central Jerusalem under caution "on suspicion of receiving benefits", a police spokesman said afterwards, adding there were no further details to give. Ahead of the questioning, Netanyahu denied any wrongdoing and told his political opponents to put any "celebrations" on hold.
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| Peru demands cash payment from Odebrecht in plea deal talks Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:52 PM PST  The office of Peru's attorney general announced on Monday that it has asked Odebrecht for a "significant sum" of money as part of talks toward a plea deal, after the Brazilian company acknowledged distributing bribes to unnamed Peruvian officials. The total amount Odebrecht will be required to pay will be negotiated with the company after it makes an initial deposit, said Hamilton Castro, the lead prosecutor investigating the public works contracts in Peru that Odebrecht may have won through bribes. Last month Odebrecht, at the center of Brazil's biggest ever graft scandal, signed a plea deal in the United States in which it admitted to distributing hundreds of millions of dollars to secure contracts in several countries in Latin America, including $29 million in Peru from which it obtained more than $143 million in benefits.
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| Syrian rebels announce freeze of talks about peace negotiations Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:39 PM PST  About 10 Syrian rebel groups announced Monday they were suspending talks about planned peace negotiations this month in the Kazakh capital Astana, due to "violations" by Damascus of a four-day old truce. "As these violations are continuing, the rebel factions announce... the freezing of all discussion linked to the Astana negotiations," they said in a joint statement, referring to talks planned for late January organised by Russia, which supports the Syrian regime, and Turkey and Iran which back the rebels. The rebels said they "respected the ceasefire across the whole of Syria .. but the regime and its allies have not stopped shooting and have launched major and frequent violations, notably in the (rebel) regions of Wadi Barada and Eastern Ghouta", both in the province of Damascus, they said.
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| Israeli police question Netanyahu over corruption allegation Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:30 PM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was grilled by police investigators for over three hours at his official residence Monday night, opening what could be a politically damaging criminal investigation into suspicions that he improperly accepted gifts from wealthy supporters.
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| Stocks start 2017 with gains, but many markets stay shut Posted: 02 Jan 2017 02:01 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Global stocks rose on the first day of 2017, though trading volumes were thin as many major markets observed New Year's holidays.
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| Skier Jean Vuarnet, who struck gold with tuck position, dies Posted: 02 Jan 2017 01:53 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — Olympic skiing champion Jean Vuarnet, who helped pioneer the aerodynamic tuck position for downhill racers but suffered tragedy with the deaths of his wife and son in a doomsday cult murder-suicide, has died, the French Olympic Committee announced Monday. He was 83.
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| Mexicans block roads, stations to protest gasoline hikes Posted: 02 Jan 2017 01:49 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Small groups of protesters blockaded some roads and gasoline stations in Mexico on Monday to protest a government price deregulation that sent the price of fuel up by as much as 20 percent over the weekend.
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| Parts of U.S. South under tornado watch as storms pound coastal states Posted: 02 Jan 2017 01:29 PM PST By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A severe storm system hit the U.S. South with heavy winds and hail on Monday, prompting a tornado watch for several states along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches stretching from Texas into Georgia and a tornado watch for several states in the same area. "All severe hazards will be possible including damaging winds and tornadoes, especially across portions of southeast Louisiana and central and southern Mississippi through southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle," the National Weather Service said. |
| Guardiola tetchy despite City beating Burnley with 10 men Posted: 02 Jan 2017 01:02 PM PST  MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola was tetchy and terse even though his Manchester City side needed only 10 men to beat Burnley 2-1 on Monday in a swift recovery from a loss to title rival Liverpool.
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| In Iraq, Hollande says IS battle prevents attacks at home Posted: 02 Jan 2017 01:01 PM PST  Western support for military action against the Islamic State group is key to preventing attacks at home, French President Francois Hollande said Monday in Iraq, where yet another bombing killed dozens. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car on a square in Baghdad's Sadr City neighbourhood, killing at least 32 people in the latest attack on the Iraqi capital claimed by IS. Later the interior ministry said jihadist gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a police station in the city of Samarra north of Baghdad, sparking clashes.
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| Man United beats 10-man West Ham for 6th successive win Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:55 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Manchester United benefited from a controversial red card and an equally debatable goal to beat 10-man West Ham 2-0 in the English Premier League on Monday, earning a sixth successive victory.
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| Libyan presidential council member resigns, citing failure Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:55 PM PST BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — A prominent member of the presidential council of Libya's U.N.-backed government in Tripoli resigned on Monday, a major blow to the fledgling body attempting to assert authority over the fractured North African nation. |
| Inmates beheaded in Brazil riot, 56 killed Posted: 02 Jan 2017 05:37 PM PST  Rioting inmates decapitated their rivals in brutal fighting between two gangs in a Brazilian jail that left 56 dead, while 144 prisoners escaped, officials said Monday. The riot broke out Sunday afternoon and lasted through the night at a prison on the outskirts of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, state public security secretary Sergio Fontes said. Outside, heavily armed police hunted for dozens of inmates who escaped through a series of tunnels discovered at the Anisio Jobim penitentiary complex.
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| Migrants in U.S., Mexico fret about Trump threat to halt remittances Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:18 PM PST  By Michael O'Boyle CLEARWATER, Fla. (Reuters) - In central Mexico's Mezquital Valley, new pick-up trucks bounce along unpaved roads and U.S.-style houses are springing up alongside cornfields. During the holiday season, even as money and gifts have flowed into the area from relatives working in the United States, residents have fretted about what a Trump presidency will mean for them and family members working in the United States. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump said he would stop allowing wire transfers of money out of the United States from Mexican nationals unless Mexico agreed to fund a border wall.
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| Christmas message leads to death threats, police case in Pakistan Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:11 PM PST By Kay Johnson and Mubasher Bukhari ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Christmas message calling for prayers for those charged under Pakistan's blasphemy laws has led to death threats against the son of a provincial governor killed five years ago for criticizing the same laws. The case highlights the continuing influence in Pakistan of Muslim hardliners who praise violence in the name of defending Islam, despite a government vow to crack down on religious extremism. The hardliners have called for mass protests if police do not charge activist Shaan Taseer with blasphemy against Islam - a crime punishable by death. |
| DR Congo set for talks on implementing crisis deal Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:10 PM PST  Opposing sides in the crisis that has gripped DR Congo will this week hold their first talks on implementing a landmark deal on the country's political future, mediators said Monday. "An initial meeting for deciding on ways to implement the agreement is scheduled for Tuesday," Father Donatien Nshole, the spokesman for National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), which is overseeing the process, told AFP. The hard-fought New Year's Eve agreement aims at defusing a crisis over the future of President Joseph Kabila.
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| Defoe punishes Liverpool, Man Utd sink Hammers Posted: 02 Jan 2017 12:05 PM PST  Jermain Defoe scored two penalties as third-bottom Sunderland prevented Liverpool from significantly trimming Chelsea's lead at the Premier League summit in a 2-2 draw on Monday. Liverpool twice went ahead, through Daniel Sturridge and Sadio Mane, but Defoe's two spot-kicks mean Chelsea will move eight points clear if they win at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
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