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| Bodies of missing Mexican band members found in well Monday, Jan 28, 2013 06:59 PM PST MONTERREY (Reuters) - Police found a dozen bodies inside a well in northern Mexico, some of them members of a band abducted last week by an armed group, a spokesman for the state of Nuevo Leon, Jorge Domene, said on Monday. Authorities have identified four of the bodies, including that of a Colombian national. All were wearing jeans and T-shirts with the logo of the music group - "Poderoso Kombo Kolombia." One band member who managed to escape told police that after he and the others were kidnapped, their armed men captors asked them if they belonged to an organized crime gang. ... Full Story | Top |
| Brazil detains band, club owners after deadly nightclub fire Monday, Jan 28, 2013 06:15 PM PST  SANTA MARIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian police investigating a nightclub fire that killed 231 people detained on Monday the owners of the club and two band members whose pyrotechnics show authorities say triggered the blaze. No charges were filed against the four men, but prosecutors said they could be held for up to five days as police press them for clues as to how the fire early Sunday morning could have caused so many deaths. Stunned residents in the southern city of Santa Maria attended a marathon of funerals beginning in the pre-dawn hours. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Nightclub fire exposes faults in Brazil's big ambitions Monday, Jan 28, 2013 06:15 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - A nightclub fire that killed 231 people is prompting Brazilians to worry that a culture of haphazard regulation and lax accountability stand in the way of achieving the country's lofty, first-world ambitions. Brazil, Latin America's biggest country, has been praised by economists and investors over the past decade during a boom that made it one of the world's most promising emerging markets. ... Full Story | Top |
| Governments fall short in fighting defense corruption: survey Monday, Jan 28, 2013 06:04 PM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - More than two-thirds of countries, including many of the world's largest arms traders, have inadequate safeguards to prevent corruption in their defense sectors, a survey by an anti-corruption watchdog said on Tuesday. Germany and Australia are the only countries out of 82 surveyed by Transparency International UK with strong anti-corruption mechanisms, according to what the watchdog says is the first index measuring how governments counter corruption in defense. ... Full Story | Top |
| Large arms shipment intercepted off Yemen, Iran eyed as source Monday, Jan 28, 2013 05:14 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Yemeni forces intercepted a ship on January 23 carrying a large cache of weapons - including surface-to-air missiles - that U.S. officials suspect were being smuggled from Iran and destined for Yemeni insurgents, officials said on Monday. Yemen's government said the arms intercepted aboard the ship off the country's coast also included military grade explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-making equipment, according to a statement by its embassy in Washington. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the operation was coordinated with the U. ... Full Story | Top |
| Exclusive: Israeli finance chief expects cuts to defense spending Monday, Jan 28, 2013 04:36 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, fresh from a record-setting sale of Israeli bonds to investors in Florida, said on Monday that balancing the government budget will require "moderate but still significant" cuts to the defense sector. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Steinitz, a leading member of the weakened Likud party of hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also said there are no plans to further raise taxes in order to hit a deficit target of 3 percent of economic output. ... Full Story | Top |
| Canadian opposition introduces bill that makes secession easier Monday, Jan 28, 2013 03:49 PM PST  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's biggest opposition party introduced a bill on Monday that would make it easier for the French-speaking province of Quebec to secede, although the proposal has no chance of becoming law now. The bill, from the opposition New Democratic Party, would allow Quebec to leave Canada if there were a simple majority vote on a clear question - 50 percent plus one vote, offering clues to NDP policy on the matter if it wins the 2015 election. ... Full Story | Top |
| Guyana's army investigates claims troops robbed mining camps Monday, Jan 28, 2013 03:20 PM PST GEORGETOWN (Reuters) - Guyana's army is investigating allegations that five of its soldiers raided several Brazilian mining camps in the South American country's dense jungle, smoking drugs before beating the miners and stealing gold. The army said it had sent a team to the area and that any of its troops found responsible for the "dastardly act" would face court martial. "The Guyana Defense Force is committed to making the mining community a safe zone so our citizens and international investors can ply their trade peacefully," the army said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Guatemala court orders trial of former dictator, rejects appeals Monday, Jan 28, 2013 03:04 PM PST  GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan court ordered 86-year-old former dictator Efrain Rios Montt on Monday to face charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, throwing out 13 appeals presented by his defense. A judge found sufficient proof linking Rios Montt, who ruled during a particularly bloody period of the country's 36-year civil war, to the killing of more than 1,700 indigenous people in a counterinsurgency operation in 1982 and 1983. ... Full Story | Top |
| Former Colombian guerrillas face hardships re-entering society Monday, Jan 28, 2013 02:58 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the decades-long guerrilla war in Colombia winds down, the biggest task facing the government is to reintegrate the fighters to society, Alejandro Eder, director of the Colombian Agency for Reintegration, said on Monday. The main obstacle facing Colombia's former guerrillas and paramilitaries in becoming productive members of civil society is stigmatization by the public and a lack of job opportunities, he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian protesters defy curfew, attack police stations Monday, Jan 28, 2013 02:52 PM PST  CAIRO/ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egyptian protesters defied a nighttime curfew in restive towns along the Suez Canal, attacking police stations and ignoring emergency rule imposed by Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to end days of clashes that have killed at least 52 people. At least two men died in overnight fighting in the canal city of Port Said in the latest outbreak of violence unleashed last week on the eve of the anniversary of the 2011 revolt that brought down autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Political opponents spurned a call by Mursi for talks on Monday to try to end the violence. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mali to receive $18.4 million loan from IMF Monday, Jan 28, 2013 02:03 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mali, the strife-torn West African nation, has been approved to receive an $18.4 million loan from the International Monetary Fund to help stabilize its economy over the next 12 months, the IMF said on Monday. The Fund said approval of the loan, under its Rapid Credit Facility, will not fulfill all the government's needs but should send a signal that Mali's economy is on the right path, prompting other donors to offer financial assistance. The IMF first announced in November that it had agreed on a loan with Mali, subject to board approval. "The disbursement ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Murdoch apologizes for "offensive" Netanyahu cartoon Monday, Jan 28, 2013 02:01 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch apologized on Monday for a "grotesque" cartoon in his London-based Sunday Times newspaper depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu building a bloody wall trapping the bodies of Palestinians, after complaints from Jewish groups. The image, which shows Netanyahu holding a trowel dripping blood, was published on Holocaust Memorial Day and carried the caption "Israeli elections. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. plays down purchase of Iran oil by company in South Korea Monday, Jan 28, 2013 01:28 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States played down on Monday a company's purchase of Iranian oil in South Korea, saying the American ally shares the objective of keeping pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program through sanctions. Samsung Total Petrochemicals, a joint venture between South Korea's Samsung Group and French energy giant Total, bought Iranian condensate because thin profit margins in plastics production make inexpensive fuel from the Islamic Republic hard to resist, people familiar with the deal said last week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate immigration reform backers seek quick action Monday, Jan 28, 2013 01:18 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of senators who have agreed on an immigration reform plan said on Monday they hope to move quickly with legislation giving 11 million illegal immigrants a chance to eventually become American citizens. The four Democrats and four Republicans released the outline of a comprehensive immigration reform effort - one with plenty of details missing - that still must be turned into legislation. ... Full Story | Top |
| French seal off Mali's Timbuktu, rebels torch library Monday, Jan 28, 2013 01:03 PM PST  GAO, Mali (Reuters) - French and Malian troops retook control of Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Monday after Islamist rebel occupiers fled the ancient Sahara trading town and torched several buildings, including a library holding priceless manuscripts. The United States and the European Union are backing a French-led intervention in Mali against al Qaeda-allied militants they fear could use the West African state's desert north as a springboard for international attacks. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bomb explodes in southern district of Lebanese capital Monday, Jan 28, 2013 12:59 PM PST  BEIRUT (Reuters) - A bomb planted under a car exploded in a southern suburb of Beirut late on Monday, a Lebanese security source said, rocking a Shi'ite Muslim area that is a stronghold of the militant group Hezbollah. The bomb destroyed the car and damaged buildings in the residential area of Hay al-Sellom but there were no casualties, the source said. It was not immediately clear what the target of the bomb was but the car was parked near a office for Shi'ite Hezbollah-aligned Amal political group. ... Full Story | Top |
| France tells nationals to leave northern Nigeria Monday, Jan 28, 2013 12:57 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - France has asked its citizens to leave northern Nigeria and areas around the capital Abuja after threats due to its military intervention in Mali, a diplomatic source said on Monday. Islamist militants have vowed to target French interests following its two-week-old military offensive in Mali against militants allied to al Qaeda. The diplomatic source said the threat of kidnappings coupled with Nigeria's support for France's action in Mali had raised the risks for French nationals. France has about 2,000 citizens living in Nigeria, of which 335 live in or around Abuja. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iran launches monkey into space, showing missile progress Monday, Jan 28, 2013 12:51 PM PST  DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had launched a live monkey into space, seeking to show off missile systems that have alarmed the West because the technology could potentially be used to deliver a nuclear warhead. The Defense Ministry announced the launch as world powers sought to agree a date and venue with Iran for resuming talks to resolve a standoff with the West over Tehran's contested nuclear program before it degenerates into a new Middle East war. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dutch Queen abdicates, Willem-Alexander to succeed Monday, Jan 28, 2013 12:33 PM PST  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Queen Beatrix, who turns 75 on Thursday, announced she was abdicating in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander, telling her country it was time to hand the crown to the next generation after more than three decades on the throne. Willem-Alexander, 45, who will be sworn in as king on April 30, is married to Princess Maxima, who comes from Argentina, and has three young children. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fighting in South Sudan town kills four, thousands flee Monday, Jan 28, 2013 12:07 PM PST JUBA (Reuters) - A gunfight between South Sudanese soldiers and a former rebel commander's guards killed four people in a small eastern town, destroyed buildings there and forced thousands to flee, witnesses and officials said on Monday. Symptomatic of the disorder that has plagued some parts of the south since it split from Sudan after decades of civil war, the fighting on Sunday in Jonglei state's Pibor broke out between soldiers on patrol and bodyguards of James Kuberin. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to criticize Sri Lanka at U.N. rights council Monday, Jan 28, 2013 12:06 PM PST COLOMBO (Reuters) - The United States will deliver a sharp public rebuke to Sri Lanka at the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March for failing to pursue those responsible for abuses as government forces were crushing Tamil rebels in 2009, officials said on Monday. A three-member U.S. delegation is in Colombo on a five-day visit to discuss issues including progress in implementing the recommendations of Sri Lanka's own official investigation into the war, which called for the prosecution of soldiers suspected of killing civilians. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israel, Jewish groups slam Argentina-Iran "truth commission" Monday, Jan 28, 2013 11:38 AM PST BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Israel and world Jewish groups denounced plans by Argentina and Iran to form a truth commission to investigate the deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center that Argentine courts say was sponsored by Iran. The forming of the commission, announced during the weekend, was seen as a diplomatic win for Iran as it confronts a U.S.-led effort to isolate Tehran because of its nuclear program. Western nations fear Iran intends to use the program to produce atomic weapons. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hundreds defy Egyptian curfew to rally against president Monday, Jan 28, 2013 11:07 AM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Hundreds of anti-government protesters took to the streets of the Egyptian cities of Port Said, Ismailia and Suez late on Monday in defiance of President Mohamed Mursi's declaration of a curfew and a state of emergency after days of deadly unrest. The crowds shouted "Down down with Mohamed Mursi, down down with the state of emergency," in Ismailia and similar slogans were heard in the other cities along the Suez Canal. Around 50 Egyptians have been killed in clashes between protesters and police. ... Full Story | Top |
| Azerbaijan, Armenia hold talks over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Monday, Jan 28, 2013 11:05 AM PST PARIS (Reuters) - Officials from Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Paris on Monday for talks over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was the cause of a war that killed about 30,000 people in the early 1990s. The conflict between ethnic Azeris and Armenians erupted in 1991 over the area, a mountainous enclave within Azerbaijan but with a majority Armenian population, which Armenian-backed forces seized along with seven surrounding Azeri districts. A truce was signed in 1994, but there was no peace treaty. ... Full Story | Top |
| From beer to water, Netherlands gets first king in a century Monday, Jan 28, 2013 11:00 AM PST AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - In a country where a third of the land is below sea level, a head of state familiar with the complexities of keeping nearly 17 million people dry can be a good thing. So it's not entirely a coincidence that Willem-Alexander, who will take up the throne on April 30, as head of the House of Orange-Nassau and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been immersed in the business of water management and conservation for much of his life. ... Full Story | Top |
| African forces to take over Mali job: Hollande Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:54 AM PST PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Monday it would be up to African forces to tackle Islamist rebels in the northern part of Mali once the main towns in the region were retaken. At a news conference in Paris, Hollande said "we are in the process of winning the battle" but acknowledged the harder part was still to come and that it would largely be a task for Malian and African forces. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fleeing Islamists leave legacy of destruction in Timbuktu Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:54 AM PST (Reuters) - The burning of a library housing thousands of ancient manuscripts in Mali's desert city of Timbuktu is just the latest act of destruction by Islamist fighters who have spent months smashing graves and holy shrines in the World Heritage site. The United Nations cultural body UNESCO said it was trying to find out the precise damage done to the Ahmed Baba Institute, a modern building that contains priceless documents dating back to the 13th century. ... Full Story | Top |
| Factbox: Timbuktu, ancient trading town caught up in Mali's war Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:54 AM PST (Reuters) - The Malian town of Timbuktu, recaptured from Islamist rebels by French and Malian troops, is an ancient center of Islamic culture that grew rich in the 14th and 15th centuries as a trading post for gold and salt crossing the Sahara. Here are some facts about the town: * Timbuktu has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Founded in 1100 by Tuareg nomads, it was once the richest town in the ancient empire of Mali, whose wealth came from the trans-Saharan caravan trade. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mali MNLA Tuareg rebels say control Kidal, Islamists gone Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:54 AM PST DAKAR (Reuters) - Secular Malian Tuareg MNLA rebels said on Monday they were now in control of the northern town of Kidal after Islamist militant fighters abandoned it. "Now it is us who are in control," Colonel Mohamed Ag Najim, the MNLA's military commander, told Reuters by satellite phone from the northeastern town. Another MNLA rebel contacted in Kidal by Reuters gave the same account, but there was no immediate independent confirmation. ... Full Story | Top |
| British embassy in Libya aware of reports of threats Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:52 AM PST TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The British embassy in the Libyan capital said it was aware of reports of a potential threat against it, days after London urged British nationals to leave the eastern city of Benghazi due to a "specific and imminent threat" against Westerners. "We are aware of reports of a potential threat against the British embassy in Tripoli and we are liaising closely with the Libyan government," an embassy spokeswoman said on Monday. "There is no change to our travel advice, we still recommend against all but essential travel to Tripoli." No further details were given. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollande to address European Parliament February 5 Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:50 AM PST  PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande will set out his vision of the European Union's future in a keynote address to the European Parliament next week, his office said on Monday. The "solemn" speech, followed by a debate with the leaders of the political groups in the Strasbourg-based EU legislature, gives the Socialist leader a chance to respond to British Prime Minister David Cameron's call for a reformed EU that returns more power to member states. ... Full Story | Top |
| France fears Islamist rise in Syria unless opposition helped Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:41 AM PST  PARIS (Reuters) - France's foreign minister said on Monday Syria risks falling into the hands of Islamist militant groups if supporters of the Syrian opposition do not do more to help it in a 22-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. Addressing the opening of a conference in Paris with senior members of the Syrian National Coalition, Laurent Fabius said the meeting must focus on making the opposition politically and militarily cohesive to encourage international assistance. ... Full Story | Top |
| Guantanamo inmate seeks European court ruling against Poland Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:21 AM PST WARSAW (Reuters) - Lawyers for a man who says the CIA held him in a secret prison in a Polish forest asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Monday to rule on his case because they say a criminal investigation run by Poland is going nowhere. The decision by lawyers for Saudi-born Abu Zubaydah to go to the court in Strasbourg raises fresh questions about how serious Poland is about investigating allegations that the CIA, as part of a global operation to detain suspected al Qaeda militants a decade ago, used facilities on Polish territory. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. does not believe media reports about blast at Iranian enrichment plant Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:18 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States does not believe media reports about an explosion at an Iranian uranium enrichment plant, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Monday. The reports had said there had been an explosion early last week at the underground Fordow bunker near the holy Iranian city of Qom. "We have no information to confirm the allegations in the report and we do not believe the report is credible," Carney said. "We don't believe those are credible reports." (Reporting By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bill Trott) Full Story | Top |
| Russia presses on with plans to try dead whistleblower Monday, Jan 28, 2013 10:16 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia pushed forward with plans for the posthumous trial of a lawyer on tax evasion charges on Monday, despite a boycott by relatives and lawyers who said President Vladimir Putin's government was "dancing on the grave of a dead man". Sergei Magnitsky died in 2009 after complaining repeatedly he was denied treatment as his health declined in jail, prompting the United States last month to bar entry to Russians accused of involvement in his death or serious rights abuses. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House condemns violence in Egypt Monday, Jan 28, 2013 09:59 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States condemned on Monday the deadly violence that has swept Egypt in recent days and called on Egyptian leaders to make clear violence is not acceptable. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United States welcomed calls for a national dialogue and urged all Egyptians to peacefully use the democratic process. "We look for all Egyptians to express themselves peacefully," Carney told reporters. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Will Dunham) Full Story | Top |
| Boko Haram commander declares Nigeria ceasefire Monday, Jan 28, 2013 09:56 AM PST MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - A purported commander of Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram declared a unilateral ceasefire on Monday, raising fresh questions about possible rifts within the secretive militant movement as it was not clear if he was speaking for the group. Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man local security sources say is a sect member, twice made statements last year saying Boko Haram is ready for peace talks with the government. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House says Obama congratulates Netanyahu on election win Monday, Jan 28, 2013 09:52 AM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his party's victory in last week's Israeli elections and pledged to work closely with the country's new government on Middle East peace, the White House said. "The president indicated that the United States looks forward to working with the next government," the White House said in a statement describing the telephone call between the two leaders known to have a strained relationship. ... Full Story | Top |
| Malian musicians back power of harmony over guns Monday, Jan 28, 2013 09:18 AM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - As musicians from Mali took to a London stage on Saturday night, news was announced that back home French troops had captured the airport of the Islamist-controlled city of Gao. A cheer went up - and not surprisingly. Since Islamist militants seized control of Mali's north following a military coup in March 2012, the country has been convulsed by conflict. Its musical community, whose singers and players have won worldwide acclaim, has been targeted by the hardline Islamists bent on imposing sharia, or Islamic law. ... Full Story | Top |
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