| Cuba's Castro warns Trump to respect country's sovereignty Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:55 PM PST  By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro on Wednesday said Cuba hoped to continue to normalize relations with the United States, but made clear the Trump administration should not expect concessions affecting the country's sovereignty. President Donald Trump, before taking office, threatened to torpedo the still fragile detente between the former Cold War foes unless a "better deal" could be struck, without providing details. "Cuba and the United States can cooperate and live side by side in a civilized manner, respecting our differences and promoting all that is of benefit for both countries and people," Castro said in his government's first remarks since Trump took office on Friday.
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| Mexico opposition leader urges U.N. lawsuit over Trump wall Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:19 PM PST  By Anahi Rama TLAPANALOYA, Mexico (Reuters) - A leading contender for the Mexican presidency urged his government to lodge a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump at the United Nations for the wall he plans to build on the border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants. Speaking as Trump gave orders to start work on the wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border with Mexico, two-time presidential runner-up and leftist opposition leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the announcement was an insult to his country. "I respectfully suggest that the government of Mexico presents a lawsuit at the United Nations against the U.S. government for violation of human rights and racial discrimination," Lopez Obrador told a crowd of supporters north of Mexico City.
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| U.S. Congress member met with Assad in Syria, discussed peace: CNN Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:09 PM PST  Democratic U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and discussed the possibility of achieving peace. The Hawaii Democrat told CNN in an interview that during her four-day visit, she wanted to get a first-hand view of the suffering of the Syrian people.
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| Jihadists crush Syria rebel group, in a blow to diplomacy Posted: 25 Jan 2017 01:44 PM PST  By Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - A powerful jihadist group has crushed a Free Syrian Army rebel faction in northwestern Syria, in an attack that threatens to deal a critical blow to the more moderate wing of the Syrian rebellion and derail new Russian-backed peace talks. The Jabhat Fateh al-Sham jihadist group, formerly known as the Nusra Front, launched an attack on a number of FSA groups in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, accusing them of conspiring against it at peace talks in Kazakhstan this week. The fighting has engulfed the rebels' last major territorial stronghold in northwestern Syria, prompting a major Islamist insurgent faction to warn on Wednesday that it could allow President Bashar al-Assad and his allies to capture the area.
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| Trump moves ahead with wall, puts stamp on U.S. immigration, security policy Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:44 PM PST  By Julia Edwards Ainsley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered construction of a U.S.-Mexican border wall and punishment for cities shielding illegal immigrants while mulling restoring a CIA secret detention program as he launched broad but divisive plans to reshape U.S. immigration and national security policy. A draft executive order seen by Reuters that Trump is expected to sign in the coming days would block the entry of refugees from war-torn Syria and suspend the entry of any immigrants from Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and African countries Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Yemen while permanent rules are studied. Less than a week into his presidency, Trump has moved aggressively to put his stamp on a range of policies, including steps to gut the healthcare system devised by his predecessor, and make clear that as president he is not turning toward more moderate positions than he took as a candidate.
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| Islamic State fighters redeploy in west Mosul after Iraqi forces take east Posted: 25 Jan 2017 06:39 AM PST  By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters have taken up sniper positions in buildings on the west bank of the Tigris river ahead of an expected government offensive into that side the city, locals said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday his forces had taken complete control of eastern Mosul, and the commander of the campaign to retake Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq has said preparations to cross the Tigris are under way. IS fighters have moved in recent days into Mosul's main medical complex made up of a dozen buildings located between two of the city's five bridges - positions that can be used for observation and sniper fire, local residents told Reuters.
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| Flagging crowds dampen Wellington sevens party Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:39 PM PST  The sevens was once the hottest ticket in the New Zealand capital and tickets for both days at the 35,000-capacity Westpac Stadium sold out within minutes. Martin Snedden, the sports administrator in charge when New Zealand hosted the 2011 Rugby World Cup, said it was time for a change of venue after 18 years in Wellington. "History will judge the Wellington Sevens down the track as being an amazing success story, but what's really apparent now is that it's probably run its course," Snedden told Fairfax New Zealand this week.
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| AP Analysis: Bolt can't outrun Jamaica's doping problem Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:36 PM PST  It was bound to happen.
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| Does depression boost the risk of cancer death? Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:30 PM PST  People who are frequently depressed or anxious may run a higher risk of dying from certain types of cancer, researchers said. Medical records of more than 160,000 adults in England and Wales showed that those describing themselves as psychologically distressed were more likely to succumb to cancer, especially of the colon, prostate and pancreas. Leukaemia and cancer of the oesophagus, or food pipe, were also more elevated among this group, they wrote in the BMJ medical journal.
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| Springboks at their lowest but will rise again, says Mallett Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:18 PM PST  Two-time rugby union world champions South Africa are at their lowest ebb but former coach Nick Mallett told AFP they can return to being a power in the sport. The 60-year-old, who guided the Springboks to a record 17-match unbeaten streak in 1997-98 including sweeping the then Tri-Nations title, advocated a new set of assistant coaches were required to instil belief in the battered squad. The Springbok tour of the northern hemisphere last year saw them lose to England, Wales and humiliatingly to Italy -- a far cry from Mallett's tour in 1998 when they racked up huge wins against Wales (96-13), France (52-10), Scotland (68-10) and Ireland (33-0).
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| Rodgers salutes record-equalling Celtic Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:14 PM PST  Brendan Rodgers praised his Celtic players for their professionalism as they equalled a club record run of 26 domestic games unbeaten at the start of a season. Belgium defender Dedryck Boyata's 72nd minute header helped the current crop of Celtic stars defeat St Johnstone 1-0 at Celtic Park on Wednesday to match the record originally set by the legendary 'Lisbon Lions' side in their European Cup winning season of 1966-67. The win, Celtic's 16th consecutive victory in the league, extended the runaway league leaders' advantage to 22 points over rivals Rangers in second place.
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| Howard Graves, former Associated Press bureau chief, dies Posted: 25 Jan 2017 05:08 PM PST  PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — Howard Graves, a bureau chief and reporter for The Associated Press during a 41-year career that included directing coverage in several Western states and across much of the Pacific region, died Wednesday. He was 90.
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| Trump influences talks at Latin American, Caribbean summit Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:49 PM PST  BAVARO, Dominican Republic (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies dominated talk on Wednesday at a summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders who vowed to defend the rights of migrant communities.
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| Argentine goldsmith creates roses from Falklands war weapons Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:45 PM PST  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Working with precious metals takes time and patience - much like healing the painful wounds of war.
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| Hamon pitches fresh ideas to French Socialists Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:37 PM PST  French Socialist Benoit Hamon urged voters to support his bold leftist ideas for revitalising the country on Wednesday as his party prepares to pick its presidential candidate this weekend. Hamon, 49, has emerged as the surprise frontrunner to lead the Socialists into elections in April and May after their five years in power which has seen their popularity plummet. Hamon has pitched himself as a man of fresh ideas, promising to bring in universal basic income -- a state handout to all adults, irrespective of income -- and new environmental protections.
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| Incoming Haiti leader questioned about corruption suspicions Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:26 PM PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A judge questioned Haiti's president-elect on Wednesday about a confidential report leaked during campaigning that suggests he might have laundered money and received special treatment to get loans in years before the businessman ran for the country's highest political office. |
| Guzan moving from Middlesbrough to Atlanta this summer Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:23 PM PST Middlesbrough says American goalkeeper Brad Guzan will leave after this season and has agreed to sign with Major League Soccer's new Atlanta team. |
| Trump may reinstate secret CIA 'black site' prisons: U.S. officials Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:15 PM PST  By Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump may order a review that could lead to bringing back a CIA program for holding terrorism suspects in secret overseas "black site" prisons where interrogation techniques often condemned as torture were used, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday. The black sites were used to detain suspects captured in President George W. Bush's "war on terrorism" after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and were formally closed by former President Barack Obama. Any return to the Bush administration's initial anti-terrorism tactics - including secret prisons and interrogation methods considered torture under international law - would likely alienate key U.S. allies in the fight against militant groups like al Qaeda and Islamic State.
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| 5 of 6 America's Cup teams agree to new regatta framework Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:10 PM PST  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Five of the six skippers in the America's Cup gathered at the House of Garrard in London on Wednesday to announce a framework agreement they say will be good for the future of the oldest trophy in international sports.
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| Top Asian News 12:06 a.m. GMT Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:06 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary James Mattis will travel to Japan and South Korea next week for his first overseas visit since taking office, the Pentagon said Wednesday. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said Mattis would meet with his Korean counterpart in Seoul on Feb. 2 and his Japanese counterpart the following day. The U.S. has thousands of troops based in both countries. "The trip will underscore the commitment of the United States to our enduring alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and further strengthen U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea security cooperation," Davis said. At his Senate confirmation hearing and in his first days in office, Mattis, a retired Marine general, has stressed the importance of maintaining international alliances. |
| Trump says torture works as his government readies a review Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:05 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared Wednesday he believes torture works as his administration readied a sweeping review of how America conducts the war on terror. It includes possible resumption of banned interrogation methods and reopening CIA-run "black site" prisons outside the United States.
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| Theresa May to urge US-UK leadership on trip to meet Trump Posted: 25 Jan 2017 04:02 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain and the United States should "lead together" in the world, as she travels to meet President Donald Trump in Washington.
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| Trump to order plan for Syria 'safe zones': document Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:59 PM PST  By Julia Edwards Ainsley and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is expected to order the Pentagon and the State Department in coming days to craft a plan for setting up "safe zones" for refugees in Syria, according to a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday, a move that could risk escalation of U.S. military involvement in Syria's civil war. The draft executive order awaiting Trump's signature signaled the new administration may be preparing a step that his predecessor Barack Obama long resisted, fearing the potential for being pulled deeper into the bloody conflict and the threat of clashes between U.S. and Russian warplanes over Syria.
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| Canada oil spill on native land came from Tundra Energy pipeline Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:56 PM PST  By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) - Tundra Energy Marketing Ltd on Wednesday confirmed its pipeline was the source of a leak of some 200,000 liters (52,830 gallons) of crude oil onto aboriginal land in Saskatchewan that was discovered by a member of the community last week. "An excavation of the release site has confirmed Tundra Energy Marketing Ltd as the operator of the pipeline," the company said in a statement, adding that it was working with regulators and the Ocean Man First Nation indigenous group to determine the cause. It said on Wednesday that it hoped to send the affected section of pipeline for testing on Thursday, and that 174,000 liters (45,970 gallons) of oil had been recovered and 185 cubic meters (240 cubic yards) of soil had been removed from the site.
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| Mexican opposition urges president to scrap Trump meeting Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:54 PM PST  Mexican opposition figures urged President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday to cancel next week's meeting with US President Donald Trump to protest his wall while everyday Mexicans voiced concern about tighter border security. "The announcement of @realDonaldTrump's wall before the visit of @EPN (Pena Nieto) is an affront to Mexico," Margarita Zavala, a potential 2018 presidential candidate of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), wrote on Twitter. Making good on a campaign promise, Trump ordered work to begin on designing and building the wall as Mexico's foreign and economy ministers were in Washington to prepare Pena Nieto's own visit on January 31.
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| Marseille signs left back Patrice Evra from Juventus Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:37 PM PST  MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Marseille has signed veteran left back Patrice Evra from Italian champion Juventus, the French club's first significant signing under its new ownership.
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| Southampton beats Liverpool, reaches League Cup final Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:35 PM PST  LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool's season is in danger of unraveling after Juergen Klopp's team missed out on a place in the English League Cup final following a 1-0 loss to Southampton at Anfield on Wednesday.
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| Hamon more convincing in TV debate before French Socialist primary: poll Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:33 PM PST  Hardline French Socialist Benoit Hamon was seen as more convincing in a television debate on Wednesday with ex-Prime Minister Manuel Valls ahead of a runoff vote at the weekend to pick the party's presidential candidate, an Elabe poll showed. The survey, conducted for BFM TV shortly after the debate was over, found 60 percent of those polled found Hamon more convincing compared with 37 percent for Valls. Hamon, a former education minister who was kicked out of Valls' government in 2014 for differences on economic policy, won the first round of the party primary vote on Sunday with Valls coming in second.
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| Speaker Ryan says 'black sites' document not from Trump Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:23 PM PST (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Wednesday the Trump administration did not write a document ordering a review that could bring back CIA the "black site" prison program. "My understanding is this was written by somebody who worked on the transition before who's not in the Trump administration. This is not a product of the administration," Ryan said in an interview with MSNBC. |
| Plans to remove nuclear fuel at Fukushima delayed again: Nikkei Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:21 PM PST (Reuters) - A plan to remove spent nuclear fuel from Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings Inc's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant hit by the March 2011 tsunami has been postponed again due to delays in preparation, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday. The report comes a few months after the Japanese government said in October the cost of cleaning up the Fukushima plant may rise to several billion dollars a year, adding that it would look into a possible separation of the nuclear business from the utility. |
| U.S. Congress member met with Assad in Syria, discussed peace: CNN Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:11 PM PST  Democratic U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and discussed the possibility of achieving peace. The Hawaii Democrat told CNN in an interview that during her four-day visit, she wanted to get a first-hand view of the suffering of the Syrian people.
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| Celta ousts Real Madrid from Copa del Rey quarterfinals Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:11 PM PST  MADRID (AP) — Celta Vigo pulled off another major upset in the Copa del Rey, eliminating Real Madrid with a 2-2 home draw on Wednesday to reach the semifinals for the second straight season.
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| Clark to step down as UNDP chief in April Posted: 25 Jan 2017 03:04 PM PST  Helen Clark, the highest ranking woman at the United Nations, is stepping down as director of the UN Development Programme in April, according to an email seen by AFP on Wednesday. The former prime minister of New Zealand told UNDP staff that she had notified UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres of her intention to leave the top post on April 19, at the end of her second four-year term.
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| Holder Juventus beats Milan 2-1 to reach Italian Cup semis Posted: 25 Jan 2017 02:59 PM PST  TURIN, Italy (AP) — In a rematch of last year's final, Italian Cup holder Juventus beat 10-man AC Milan 2-1 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday to avenge its more recent defeats to Vincenzo Montella's side.
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| Los Angeles Council puts final stamp on 2024 Olympics bid Posted: 25 Jan 2017 02:58 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday gave final approval to a proposal that could bring the 2024 Olympic Games to Southern California.
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| French prosecutor probes job once held by candidate's wife Posted: 25 Jan 2017 02:46 PM PST  PARIS (AP) — French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon's campaign hit its first major hurdle Wednesday, when financial prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation following claims that his wife was paid about 500,000 euros ($537,000) with parliamentary funds while holding a fake job.
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| Unbeaten Celtic equal 50-year-old 'Lisbon Lions' record Posted: 25 Jan 2017 02:41 PM PST  Celtic equalled a 50-year-old club record on Wednesday as the Scottish champions beat St Johnstone 1-0 to extend their unbeaten run to 26 matches. Dedryck Boyata's 72nd minute strike at Celtic Park ensured Brendan Rodgers' side stretched their unblemished start in all domestic campaigns this term. The Glasgow team's unbeaten streak draws them level with the run achieved in the most successful season in Celtic's history -- the 'Lisbon Lions' 1966-67 campaign, which ended with a clean sweep of trophies including the European Cup.
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| Landry wins in the Bahamas, 2nd victory on Web.com Tour Posted: 25 Jan 2017 02:39 PM PST GREAT ABACO, Bahamas (AP) — Andrew Landry took a step toward returning to the PGA Tour on Wednesday by closing with a 5-under 67 for a three-shot victory in the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. |
