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| Biden to meet Syrian opposition leader in Europe - White House Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 07:30 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is set to meet with Syrian opposition leader Mouaz Alkhatib during a European trip in coming days and will discuss U.S. concerns about the Syrian conflict with Russia as well, White House officials said on Thursday. It would be the highest-level U.S. meeting with the Syrian opposition, which is fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in a 22-month-old war that has killed more than 60,000 people and forced more than 700,000 to flee Syria, according to the United Nations. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. skeptical about Argentina-Iran "truth commission" Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 07:28 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday voiced doubt that Argentina and Iran's planned "truth commission" would bring to justice those responsible for the deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center. Argentine courts have said Iran was behind the attack on the Jewish center, which killed 85 people. The commission agreement, announced over the weekend but subject to the approval of Argentina's Congress, outlines plans for Argentine officials to interview suspects in Iran rather than in a third country, as originally proposed by Argentina. ... Full Story | Top |
| Explosion at Mexican oil giant Pemex offices kills 14 Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 06:48 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A powerful explosion rocked the Mexico City headquarters of state-owned oil giant Pemex on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, injuring 100 and trapping others inside. The blast battered the lower floors of the downtown tower, throwing debris into the streets and sending frightened workers running outside. It was not yet clear what caused the explosion, the latest in a series of safety problems to hit Mexico's national oil monopoly. Media reports said the incident occurred when machinery apparently exploded. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clinton warns Russia, Iran of Syria conflict spreading Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 06:43 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Iran and Russia on Thursday to rethink their support for Syria, saying the most dire scenarios of the conflict spilling beyond its borders could come to pass. Clinton told reporters there are signs Iran is sending more people and increasingly sophisticated weaponry to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his 22-month battle against rebels seeking to end his family's four-decades of authoritarian rule. ... Full Story | Top |
| Taiwan names new premier in reshuffle which may see new central bank chief Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 06:32 PM PST TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's vice premier Jiang Yih-Huah will replace premier Sean Chen, the presidential office said in statement issued late on Thursday, as part of a cabinet reshuffle that could see a new central bank chief. Central bank chief Perng Fai-nan wants to retire as part of the reshuffle, two lawmakers told a Taiwanese television station on Thursday. A central bank official refused to comment on Perng's possible retirement. Perng's third five-year term is due to end in February. ... Full Story | Top |
| Lawyer for Saudi man seeks to suppress evidence in Vegas rape case Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 06:09 PM PST LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - The lawyer for a Saudi Air Force sergeant accused of raping a 13-year-old boy at a Las Vegas hotel on New Year's Eve said on Thursday he would seek to suppress his client's statements to police, in part because the man was drunk at the time. During a brief hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court, the 23-year-old defendant, Mazen Alotaibi, waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the case. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clinton: window for Iran talks can't stay open "too much longer" Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 05:20 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The window for negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program cannot stay open for "too much longer," outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday but she declined to provide a deadline. "I don't think the window can remain open for too much longer (but) I am not going to put days, weeks or months on it," Clinton told a small group of reporters on the eve of her departure from the State Department. The United States and its Western allies suspect that Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop a bomb. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two years on, Benghazi threatens "another revolution" in Libya Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 05:05 PM PST  BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - As night fell over Benghazi, a familiar sound echoed across the eastern Libyan city - an explosion, and then gunfire. A bomb had just been thrown at a police car on patrol, injuring an officer. It was the latest of many attacks on local security forces. Two months before, the man whose job it was to ensure Benghazi was safe, the police chief, was shot dead outside his home. ... Full Story | Top |
| At least 14 dead and 80 injured in Mexico blast: Interior Minister Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 04:29 PM PST MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 14 people have died and 80 people were injured at a blast at the Mexico City headquarters of state oil giant Pemex, Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said on Thursday. The death toll could still rise, he told local television. (Reporting by Miguel Gutierrez) Full Story | Top |
| Taiwan's vice premier Jiang to be premier Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 04:12 PM PST TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's vice premier Jiang Yih-Huah will replace premier Sean Chen as part of a cabinet reshuffle, the presidential office said in statement issued late on Thursday. Mao Chi-kuo, the transportation minister, will take over as vice premier, the statement said. (Reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Paul Tait) Full Story | Top |
| Armenia presidential candidate shot, election in doubt Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:48 PM PST YEREVAN (Reuters) - An Armenian presidential candidate was wounded by unknown gunmen in the capital Yerevan on Thursday night, police said, in an attack that could delay February's election. Paruyr Hayrikyan, whose life was not in danger after the shooting, is one of eight candidates running in the February 18 vote but is not seen as a strong challenger to Serzh Sarksyan, who is expected to be re-elected for a second five-year term. However, according to Armenia's constitution, the election could be postponed by two weeks if a candidate is unable to campaign or run. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clinton: Iran may be sending more people, arms to Syria Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:43 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There are signs that Iran is sending growing numbers of people and increasingly sophisticated weaponry to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday. "It appears that they may be increasing that involvement and that is a matter of great concern to us," she told reporters as she prepares to step down on Friday. "I think the numbers (of people) have increased ... There is a lot of concern that they are increasing the quality of the weapons, because Assad is using up his weaponry. ... Full Story | Top |
| Argentina rejects meeting with Falklands government Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:35 PM PST BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina on Thursday rejected an invitation from Britain to a meeting that would include representatives of the government of the Falkland Islands, further hardening the diplomatic stalemate over the South Atlantic archipelago. Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said in an open letter to his British counterpart William Hague that only a bi-lateral meeting between Argentina and Britain would be acceptable. The two countries fought a 10-week war in 1982 over the Falklands, which are part of Britain's self-governing overseas territories. ... Full Story | Top |
| Explosion rocks Mexican oil giant Pemex offices, injures 20 Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:33 PM PST MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An explosion rocked the Mexico City headquarters of state oil giant Pemex on Thursday, killing one person, injuring more than 20 others and causing extensive damage to the building. A local emergency official said one person had died in the blast and 22 others were injured. Another four people were trapped inside the skyscraper, the official said. The blast, which media reports said was caused by machinery exploding, occurred in the basement, emergency officials said. Pemex initially said the building had been evacuated because of a problem with its electricity supply. ... Full Story | Top |
| At desolate Algeria gas plant, hope for new start Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:32 PM PST  TIGUENTOURINE, Algeria (Reuters) - Algerian engineers at the In Amenas natural gas plant are working to get at least some of the desert facility back to work in the coming days, two weeks after three dozen foreign workers were killed in an Islamist hostage siege. Lying deep in the Sahara, the site was surrounded by troops with armored vehicles when Algerian officials gave journalists a first view of the area since gunmen attacked on January 15 and seized hundreds of hostages before the army stormed in four days later. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt opposition to protest after deadly week Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:26 PM PST  CAIRO (Reuters) - Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi have called mass demonstrations on Friday, raising the prospect of more bloodshed despite a pledge by politicians to back off after the deadliest week of his seven months in office. Protests marking the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak have killed nearly 60 people since January 25. It prompted the head of the army - the institution that effectively ran Egypt for six decades until Mursi's election - to warn that the state was on the verge of collapse. ... Full Story | Top |
| Brazil police blame toxic foam for 235 deaths in nightclub Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 03:00 PM PST  SANTA MARIA (Reuters) - A highly flammable foam was responsible for the death of 235 people in a nightclub in southern Brazil last weekend, filling the venue with a thick poisonous smoke within three minutes, police investigators said on Thursday. The toxic soundproofing foam, responsible for the illnesses of many survivors, may have been the Kiss club's greatest hazard, according to police in Santa Maria, who also faulted broken fire extinguishers and a single, obstructed exit for the tragedy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Canadians' possible role in Algeria attack of great concern to U.S. Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 02:19 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Signs that Canadian citizens were involved in the attack by hostage-taking Islamist militants on a remote gas plant in Algeria are of great concern to American authorities, U.S. intelligence officials said on Thursday. While Algerian authorities apparently have not yet provided Western governments with cast-iron proof, a senior U.S. intelligence official said, "We're taking very seriously the reports of the two Canadians' involvement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Up to 100,000 people flee fighting in Darfur: U.N. Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 12:41 PM PST KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Fighting over a gold mine in Sudan's Darfur region has forced 100,000 people to flee and brought the closure of all public offices and schools in one town to accommodate the displaced, the United Nations said on Thursday. Conflict has raged in the vast arid region of Darfur for almost a decade since mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against the Arab government in Khartoum in 2003, accusing it of political and economic neglect. Violence has ebbed since a peak in 2003/2004 but has picked up again in the past few months. ... Full Story | Top |
| France deports Moroccan it says has radical Islam ties Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 12:18 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - France deported a Moroccan man on Thursday suspected of links to the radical Islamist group Forsane Alizza, the Interior Ministry said, after the threat of domestic attack escalated following its intervention in Mali. Ali Benhammou, who was sent back to Morocco, had been involved in two cells linked to the French group Forsane Alizza (Knights of Pride) which "had made France a priority target," the ministry said in a statement. Benhammou been trying to travel to Iran, with the ultimate objective of reaching Afghanistan, the ministry said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Defiant Iran plans to speed up nuclear fuel work Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 12:12 PM PST  VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has announced plans to install and operate advanced uranium enrichment machines, in what would be a technological leap allowing it to significantly speed up activity the West fears could be put to developing a nuclear weapon. In a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran said it would introduce new centrifuges to its main enrichment plant near the central town of Natanz, according to an IAEA communication to member states seen by Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombia sets hurdles for FARC rebels to join politics Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:52 AM PST BOGOTA (Reuters) - As Colombia holds peace talks with FARC rebels, some opposition lawmakers have speculated the insurgents could take part in national elections next year, but the government is laying down terms that make that unlikely. Interior Minister Fernando Carrillo said in an interview he is "moderately optimistic" that talks in Cuba to end five decades of war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC will be successful, while saying he harbors a "big dose of skepticism. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunmen kill five north Nigeria police, ceasefire in doubt Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:44 AM PST KADUNA/KANO (Reuters) - Gunmen killed at least five police in two attacks in northern Nigeria on Thursday, casting doubt on the ceasefire declared days earlier by a purported Islamist commander and highlighting how difficult it will be to end insecurity in the region. Around 60 gunmen in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna state attacked the divisional police station and branches of Ecobank and First Bank with grenade launchers and assault rifles, killing three policemen, police said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Malian president offers Tuareg rebels talks Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:24 AM PST  TIMBUKTU, Mali/PARIS (Reuters) - Mali's president offered talks to Tuareg rebels on Thursday in a bid for national reconciliation after a French-led offensive drove their Islamist former allies into desert and mountain hideaways in the country's vast north. France's three-week ground and air campaign has dislodged al Qaeda-linked fighters from northern Mali's major towns, ending the first phase of an operation designed to prevent Islamists using the region as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring West African countries and Europe. ... Full Story | Top |
| Freeing Kurdish activists would help Turkey peace moves: watchdog Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:17 AM PST ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Freeing thousands of Kurdish activists from Turkish prisons could help a fledgling peace initiative to end a three-decade-old insurgency, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. Anti-terrorism laws have allowed Turkish courts to jail people engaged in non-violent action, especially those seeking greater Kurdish rights, New York-based HRW said in its 2013 World Report, which examined more than 90 countries. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise" Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 11:13 AM PST  BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria protested to the United Nations on Thursday over an Israeli air strike on its territory and warned of a possible "surprise" response. The foreign ministry summoned the head of the U.N. force in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to deliver the protest a day after Israel hit what Syria said was a military research centre and diplomats said was a weapons convoy heading for Lebanon. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. chides Iran on plan to speed up nuclear fuel work Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:59 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that Iran's installation of advanced uranium enrichment machines would be a "provocative step" in further violation of United Nations resolutions against Tehran's nuclear program. Iran, in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it would introduce new centrifuges to its main enrichment plant near the central town of Natanz, according to an IAEA communication to member states seen by Reuters. "This does not come as a surprise," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia's 2012 crackdown worst since Soviet era -rights group Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:57 AM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Authoritarianism increased last year in Russia to levels unseen since the Soviet era with a raft of harsh laws curbing political freedoms and harassment of opposition activists and critics, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. The crackdown coincided with the return of Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin and the appointment of his predecessor and protégé, Dmitry Medvedev, as prime minister, according to the New York-based group. "Since Putin's return ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain struggles in push to ease Syria arms embargo Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:53 AM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain's call to amend a European Union embargo on arms sales to Syria to help opponents of President Bashar al-Assad met opposition on Thursday when EU governments warned it could allow weapons to end up in the wrong hands. A package of EU sanctions against Syria comes up for renewal at the start of March, and Britain, backed among others by France, has said EU rules should be eased to allow some equipment to be sent to the rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunman kills Pakistani Sunni leaders in apparent tit-for-tat hit Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:49 AM PST  KARACHI (Reuters) - A gunman on a motorcycle shot dead three Pakistani Sunni Muslim leaders on Thursday, police said, in the latest apparent tit-for-tat killing in the southern financial hub of Karachi. Conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite militants has been blamed for many recent killings in Pakistan's largest city. At least 217 people have been killed this month, police sources say, but they do not know how many qualify as "target killings", the official term for assassinations. "Three persons riding a bike intercepted (the victims')vehicle ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombia rebels free seized oil workers, kill four soldiers Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:45 AM PST BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Thursday freed three oil contractors kidnapped a day earlier, military sources said, though the guerrillas killed four soldiers in the south as they step up pressure during peace talks. The kidnappings and other violent incidents came days after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, made clear during peace negotiations in Cuba that it would continue to capture armed forces, possibly hampering the talks. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. rights inquiry says Israel must remove settlers Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:43 AM PST  GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. human rights investigators called on Israel on Thursday to halt settlement expansion and withdraw all half a million Jewish settlers from the occupied West Bank, saying that its practices could be subject to prosecution as possible war crimes. A three-member U.N. panel said private companies should stop working in the settlements if their work adversely affected the human rights of Palestinians, and urged member states to ensure companies respected human rights. ... Full Story | Top |
| Palestinians feel vindicated by UN rights report on Israel Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:43 AM PST RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians welcomed a U.N. Human Rights Council report on Thursday highly critical of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying it vindicated their struggle against Israel. The U.N. investigation, which was boycotted by the Jewish state, urged Israel to halt settlement construction unconditionally and begin removing all 500,000 Israeli settlers from occupied territory immediately. "This is incredible. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian rebels make slow headway in south Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:29 AM PST  AMMAN (Reuters) - The revolt against President Bashar al-Assad first flared in Deraa, but the southern border city now epitomizes the bloody stalemate gripping Syria after 22 months of violence and 60,000 dead. Jordan next door has little sympathy with Assad, but is wary of spillover from the upheaval in its bigger neighbor. It has tightened control of its 370-km (230-mile) border with Syria, partly to stop Islamist fighters or weapons from crossing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria says Israel responsible for air raid results Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:28 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said on Thursday Israel and its allies bore responsibility for the results of the Israeli air raid near Damascus and said it had the right to defend its sovereignty. "Syria holds Israel and those who are protecting it at the Security Council responsible for the results of the attack and confirms its right to defend its land and sovereignty," state television quoted a letter from the Foreign Ministry to the United Nations as say saying. (Reporting by Mariam Karouny; Editing by Alison Williams) Full Story | Top |
| Syria summons U.N. Golan commander to protest Israel attack Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:28 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria summoned the head of a United Nations mission in the Golan Heights on Thursday to protest against an Israeli air raid which Damascus said is a violation of a disengagement accord that followed the last major war between the two countries. State media said Major General Iqbal Singha, head of the UNDOF peacekeeping force, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry where the protest was delivered. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chief gravely concerned by report of Israeli air strike in Syria Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:28 AM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "grave concern" on Thursday over reports that Israeli jets bombed a convoy near the Lebanese border, apparently hitting weapons destined for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. "The Secretary-General notes with grave concern reports of Israeli air strikes in Syria," Ban's press office said in a statement. "The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to prevent tensions or their escalation ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda calls on Iraqi Sunni protesters to take up arms Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:25 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's Iraqi wing on Thursday urged Sunni protesters to take up arms against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, adding fuel to growing sectarian unrest in the world's fastest-growing oil exporter. Al Qaeda's local affiliate Islamic State of Iraq said "peace and patience" were useless for dealing with the Shi'ite-led government they see as oppressors of Iraq's Sunni minority. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameron says Britain will train Libyan security forces Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:10 AM PST  TRIPOLI (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron used a surprise visit to Tripoli on Thursday to pledge Britain's help in training Libya's security forces, part of broader European efforts to counter Islamic militancy in North Africa. In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers approved the outline of a mission to help Libyan authorities tighten border security to combat arms-smuggling and stop militants crossing the border. The training and advisory mission is expected to involve about 70 civilian experts and to be launched by summer. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian FARC rebels free three kidnapped oil workers: sources Thursday, Jan 31, 2013 10:08 AM PST BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Thursday freed three oil contractors working for Canada's Gran Tierra Energy who had been kidnapped a day earlier, military sources said. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta) Full Story | Top |
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