| Canadian soldiers exchange fire with ISIS in Iraq Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:41 PM PST TORONTO (AP) — Canadian soldiers opened fire on Islamic State group extremists in Iraq over the last week in what was apparently the first ground firefight between Western troops and ISIS. |
| 'American Sniper's' Fake Baby Mocked by Critics, Moviegoers Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:40 PM PST Clint Eastwood's war biopic grossed a shocking $105 million over the weekend, earned six Oscar noms last week — and is drawing criticism for its use of a very unrealistic-looking baby. |
| How 'American Sniper' Could Complicate the Murder Trial of Chris Kyle's Killer Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:34 PM PST In the wake of the record-breaking box office for the Clint Eastwood film, the defendant's attorney asks, "Can there be a fair trial?" |
| Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 GMT on Tuesday, Jan 20 Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:01 PM PST Reuters sports schedule at 0001 GMT on Tuesday: - - - - TENNIS Australian Open, Melbourne (to Feb. 1) MELBOURNE - World number one Novak Djokovic will open his bid for a fifth Australian Open title against Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene while defending champion Stan Wawrinka faces Turkish journeyman Marsel Ilhan. Women's top seed Serena Williams will take on Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium. ... |
| Asia on edge, braces for China growth data Posted: 19 Jan 2015 03:34 PM PST  By Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian markets were on edge on Tuesday ahead of data expected to show China's economy grew at the slowest pace in 24 years last quarter, adding to the case for more stimulus measures both at home and abroad. A soft result would only magnify concerns about global demand and put further pressure on commodity prices, with oil slipping again on Monday. Investors are already in a skittish mood after the major Chinese indices suffered their biggest one-day drop since the global financial crisis after regulators cracked down on speculative lending. Expectations are that the world's second-largest economy grew 7.2 percent last quarter, the slowest pace since the first quarter of 2009 and short of Beijing's target of 7.5 percent.
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| McCain urges 'boots on the ground' to combat IS Posted: 19 Jan 2015 03:29 PM PST  US Senator John McCain on Monday urged the deployment of international ground forces to combat jihadists in Syria and Iraq, as he toured the Middle East with a Senate delegation. "For months we've been bombing (Syrian border town) Kobane and we still haven't driven ISIS out," the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman told reporters in Jerusalem, using an acronym for the Islamic State group. "The reality is, we need more boots on the ground... we need intelligence, we need special forces, and we can't treat Iraq and Syria as different battlegrounds because it's the same enemy," McCain said.
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| U.S. senator threatens aid cut to Palestinians over ICC move Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:58 PM PST  By Allyn Fisher-Ilan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Palestinians could lose annual U.S. aid if they file a lawsuit against Israel at the International Criminal Court which they joined this month over American and Israeli protests, a senior U.S. Republican senator said on Monday. Lindsey Graham, part of a seven-member delegation of senators visiting Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, said existing U.S. legislation "would cut off aid to the Palestinians if they filed a complaint" against Israel. At a news conference in Jerusalem, Graham called the Palestinian step "a bastardising of the role of the ICC.
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| Yemeni troops battle Shiite rebels in Yemeni capital Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:11 PM PST  SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen's U.S.-backed leadership came under serious threat Monday as government troops clashed with Shiite rebels near the presidential palace and a key military base in what one official called "a step toward a coup."
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| Holders Japan look to seal top spot Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:03 PM PST  Defending champions Japan will be expected to beat Jordan on Tuesday and complete the formality of reaching the Asian Cup quarter-finals by topping Group D. The Blue Samurai only need a point after winning their first two games against Palestine and Iraq and have yet to concede a goal. "We're here to win." Iraq are favourites to join Japan in the last eight as they face Palestine, who have shipped nine goals in two games on their first appearance at the tournament. Japan, who face stiff competition from hosts Australia, Iran and South Korea as they chase a record-extending fifth Asian Cup, will take on the United Arab Emirates in the last eight barring a stunning upset against Jordan.
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| EU agrees to stick to Russia sanctions policy Posted: 19 Jan 2015 01:40 PM PST  EU foreign ministers agreed Monday there would be no change in the bloc's Russia policy, including sanctions, as the union's diplomatic chief warned the Ukraine situation had got "much worse" in recent weeks. They said they would stick to their course until Russia fully implemented the Ukraine peace accords it had backed in September, despite EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's suggestion of a review in the way the European Union deals with Russia. "EU foreign ministers agree we must keep sanctions pressure on Russia until it helps deliver peace in Ukraine," Britain's Philip Hammond said on Twitter said after talks in Brussels.
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| Canada special forces clash with IS in Iraq Posted: 19 Jan 2015 01:32 PM PST  Canadian special forces exchanged gunfire with Islamic State fighters in Iraq in recent days, in the first confirmed ground battle between Western troops and IS, a senior officer said Monday. The Canadians came under mortar and machine gun fire while training Iraqi troops near front lines and shot back in what Canadian special forces commander Brigadier General Michael Rouleau described as self-defense, killing the IS fighters. Rouleau said the melee had taken place in the previous seven days and was "the first time we've taken fire and returned fire" in Iraq, where the extremists have overrun large areas. The United States has previously reported having launched an unsuccessful hostage-rescue operation against the IS group in neighboring Syria, but Western forces have not officially engaged in ground combat.
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| UN saw drones before Israeli air strike on Syria Posted: 19 Jan 2015 01:15 PM PST  UN peacekeepers serving in the Golan saw drones flying before an Israeli air strike on Syria that killed an Iranian general, a UN spokesman said Monday. Six Hezbollah fighters were killed in the raid near Quneitra on the Syria-controlled side of the Golan Heights. An Israeli security source told AFP that an Israeli helicopter carried out the strike but the UN account raised the possibility that drones may have been used.
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| Egypt jihadists claim attack on Sinai pipeline to Jordan Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:58 PM PST  Egyptian jihadists claimed Monday to have bombed a pipeline in the Sinai that carries gas to Jordan, saying it was targeted over Amman's role in the US-led war on the Islamic State group. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, Egypt's deadliest militant group which has pledged allegiance to IS, tweeted unverified pictures of the claimed attack, without saying when it was carried out. Since the 2011 uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak, there have been 27 confirmed attacks on energy pipelines in the Sinai Peninsula, the most recent of which was on December 23. Jordan is among a number of Arab states that have joined the US-led campaign of air strikes against IS, which captured swathes of Syria and Iraq where it has declared a caliphate.
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| Metro victim remembered as woman of faith, family Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:54 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — In many ways, Carol Glover was like hundreds of thousands of Washington-area commuters who ride the nation's second-busiest rail system. |
| 2015 might be the year we start to get online identity right Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:51 PM PST  Alex Howard thinks 2015 will be a big year for digital government services and identity in the US. He also profiles the startup ID.me, which will provide identity software for Connect.gov.
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| Egypt's Sisi in Riyadh over king's health Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:50 PM PST  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made a lightning stop in Riyadh on Monday night to wish the ailing Saudi King Abdullah good health, official media reported. Sisi arrived from the United Arab Emirates where he had addressed a conference about the fight against "terrorism". He was met by the heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, at King Abdulaziz Medical City where the monarch was admitted for tests on December 31. The royal court announced on January 2 that King Abdullah had pneumonia and was breathing with the aid of a tube.
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| Q&A: Yemen power struggle threatens anti-al-Qaida campaign Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:20 PM PST  CAIRO (AP) — Fierce fighting broke out in Yemen on Monday between the U.S.-backed government and Shiite rebels known as Houthis who seized the capital in September. The power struggle threatens to undermine efforts to battle al-Qaida's potent Yemeni franchise, which claimed this month's attack on a French magazine.
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| Oil slips $1 on China economy worries, record Iraq output Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:06 PM PST  Brent crude oil prices fell below $49 a barrel and U.S. crude also fell more than $1 on Monday after the global economic outlook darkened and Iraq announced record oil production. The world's biggest energy consumer, China, faces significant downward pressure on its economy, its premier Li Keqiang was quoted by state radio as saying on Monday. China is expected this week to report growth slowing to 7.2 percent from a year ago, the weakest since the depths of the last global economic crisis. Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed on Sunday house prices fell for a fourth straight month.
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| Peer pressure not propaganda crucial to IS recruitment: experts Posted: 19 Jan 2015 11:22 AM PST  By Michael Holden and Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Peer pressure from radicalised fighters in Syria and Iraq is more influential in attracting new recruits from Europe than Islamic State (IS) propaganda, according to British experts. "When you look at what actually made them go...being angry is one thing, but actually packing your bags and going, it was always the friends that prompted that decision, never any piece of video on the Internet," ICSR's director Peter Neumann told Reuters at a conference on radicalisation in London. Separate research presented at the conference by Kamaldeep Bhui, a cultural psychiatrist from Queen Mary University of London, found that the British Muslims most vulnerable to radicalisation were more likely to be young, depressed and relatively socially isolated, although not "loners".
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| EU calls for anti-terror alliance with Arab countries Posted: 19 Jan 2015 11:22 AM PST  BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday called for an anti-terror alliance with Arab countries to boost cooperation and information-sharing in the wake of deadly attacks and arrests across Europe.
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| European Union looks to respond to threat of radical Islam Posted: 19 Jan 2015 11:13 AM PST  By Robin Emmott and Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU foreign ministers on Monday discussed setting up a new network of European security agents abroad as they sought a united response to the threat from militant Islamists following the attacks in Paris on Jan. 7. "It is a matter of having people on the ground that can liaise at the same level with security agents in the countries where we have delegations," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told a news conference. Priorities also include a crackdown on arms trafficking, support for police in the Middle East and North Africa, stopping EU citizens leaving to fight abroad and curbing radical Islam on the Internet to prevent them bringing violence back home. In the next few days, interior ministers will consider a plan to withdraw the travel documents of EU citizens looking to go to Syria or Iraq, or of those seen as a threat in Europe.
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| Gucci gold for Iranians after 'selfie' ban Posted: 19 Jan 2015 11:03 AM PST  Iran snatched a dramatic late winner against the United Arab Emirates at the Asian Cup on Monday -- but were careful not to celebrate by taking "selfies" with female fans. Substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad, nicknamed "Gucci" by his club mates at Charlton Athletic, popped up to score in injury time and give Iran a 1-0 victory and secure top spot in Group C, meaning they are likely to avoid holders Japan in the quarter-finals. "UAE perhaps deserved to win," Iran coach Carlos Queiroz told reporters. UAE coach Mahdi Ali risked a fine by questioning Japanese referee Ryuji Sato's impartiality, raging that Iran's goal had been offside and saying tournament organisers should never have given the game to an official from Japan, with one of the two teams set to face the Blue Samurai in the quarter-finals.
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| Watch Fox News Apologize for Calling English City "Totally Muslim" Posted: 19 Jan 2015 10:52 AM PST The news network received widespread ridicule in the U.K., including Prime Minister David Cameron calling Fox terrorism expert Steven Emerson "a complete idiot." |
| Oil starts week in negative territory Posted: 19 Jan 2015 10:44 AM PST  World oil prices fell Monday, dented by high global crude inventories and in subdued deals due to a public holiday in the United States, dealers said. In late afternoon London deals, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in March sank $1.02 to trade at $49.15 per barrel. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for February shed $1.06 to $47.63. Trading was expected to remain quiet as a result of the Martin Luther King Jr holiday in the United States on Monday.
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| 'American Sniper' astounds with $105.3M over MLK weekend Posted: 19 Jan 2015 10:43 AM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Eastwood's R-rated Iraq War drama "American Sniper" opened in January like a superhero movie in July, taking in a record $105.3 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. four-day weekend.
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| Inside 'American Sniper': How Clint Eastwood Cast A Real Navy Seal Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:54 AM PST "Clint shot bad guys in movies and I shot bad guys in real life, so let's go ahead and make a realistic move," says former Navy SEAL Kevin Lacz about his first acting gig. |
| The real battlefield against jihadist armies Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:42 AM PST The other is Iraq where Islamic State reigns in several cities. Because the real battlefield is not on the ground. Only then can such unity of purpose help their armies make the sacrifices necessary to win on the physical battlefield, especially in gaining support of civilians in the embattled areas. Last September, after ousting a deeply sectarian leader, Iraq finally began such a civic struggle against Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL). |
| Iran general killed with Hezbollah fighters in Israel raid Posted: 19 Jan 2015 07:44 AM PST  An Israeli strike on Syria killed an Iranian general, Tehran confirmed Monday, as thousands of supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah gathered to bury one of six fighters killed in the same raid. The attack on Sunday near Quneitra on the Syrian-controlled side of the Golan Heights enraged Hezbollah's supporters, but analysts said the group would avoid a major escalation with Israel. "General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi and a number of fighters and Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah) forces were attacked by the Zionist regime's helicopters," it said. A source close to Hezbollah said six Iranians had been killed in the attack.
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| Asian Cup: Iran beats UAE 1-0 Posted: 19 Jan 2015 06:07 AM PST  Substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad scored an injury-time goal to lift Iran to a 1-0 win over UAE and top spot in Group C at the Asian Cup on Monday.
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| Honda's Asian Cup ref rant correct, says Japan captain Posted: 19 Jan 2015 06:02 AM PST  Japan captain Makoto Hasebe on Monday stood by team-mate Keisuke Honda after the AC Milan midfielder was fined for criticising the standard of refereeing at the Asian Cup. Honda, Japan's spiky cult hero, was hit with a $5,000 fine for an outburst following the team's 4-0 win over Palestine. Japan coach Javier Aguirre said the matter had been dealt with internally but Hasebe came out in support of Honda's comments, claiming the Blue Samurai were "confused" by the way games are being officiated at the tournament.
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| Iraqi cleric al-Sadr calls for more control over militias Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:49 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Senior Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says the country must rein in the powerful Shiite militias battling the Islamic State militant group and have them coordinate more directly with the country's official armed forces. |
| Vast ancient Greek tomb contains bones of woman, baby, men Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:34 AM PST A vast ancient tomb once thought to possibly house the remains of Alexander the Great contains bones of a woman, a newborn baby and two men and fragments of a cremated person, the Greek culture ministry said on Monday. Speculation that the limestone grave in the Amphipolis tomb site might belong to the legendary Alexander, to one of his generals or to family members reached fever pitch in recent months as archeologist kept unearthing tantalizing finds. The Amphipolis site, believed to be the largest ancient tomb to have been discovered in Greece, dates back to Alexander's era, around 300-325 B.C. The ancient conqueror died in Babylonia - in present day Iraq - in 323 B.C. after a military campaign across the Middle East out to present-day Pakistan. The culture ministry said research on the tomb's bones showed the buried woman was over 60 years old and about 1.57 meters tall while the two men were aged 35 to 45 years old. |
| Give World Cup to Australia, says Palestine boss Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:06 AM PST  Palestine coach Ahmad Alhasan on Monday showered praise on Asian Cup hosts Australia and said they should be allowed to hold the World Cup. Australia lost their bid to hold the 2022 World Cup, missing out to Qatar, whose nomination has been shrouded in controversy amid allegations of corruption. Palestine are appearing at the Asian Cup for the first time and are on the brink of a group-stage exit after losing 4-0 to favourites Japan and 5-1 to Jordan. "I think Australia has the capacity and capability to even host the World Cup, not just the Asian Cup," Alhasan said.
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| Muslims in Europe: the misperceptions, and the facts Posted: 19 Jan 2015 04:30 AM PST The Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris and growing support for a weekly anti-Islamization march in Dresden, Germany, have raised fears of an impending backlash against Muslims in Europe, many of whom already feel unfairly discriminated against. On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande separately reaffirmed their support for Muslims in an attempt to counter the virulent rhetoric from anti-immigration groups. More than 20 million Muslims live in the 28 countries that form the European Union. Their share of the population across Europe grew from 4 percent in 1990 to 6 percent in 2010, according to the Pew Research Center. |
| Bangladesh police arrest four suspected Islamic State members Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:50 AM PST By Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladeshi police arrested four suspected members of Islamic State in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday, including a regional coordinator for the militant group who told police they had been trained in Pakistan. Reports of the growing influence of Islamic State, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, have raised alarm bells across South Asia, though it remains unclear whether militants organizing under the Islamic State name in the region are acting on their own or as part of a centralized initiative coming out of the Middle East. "We arrested them in the city early on Monday, carrying a huge number of leaflets related to militancy for training, a laptop and other materials," Shaikh Nazmul Alam, deputy police commissioner with Dhaka's detective and criminal intelligence division, told reporters. The suspected coordinator, whom police identified as Mohammad Sakhawatul Kabir, told police that he and the other three men had received training in Pakistan, Alam said. |
| Iraq boss fears Asian Cup could 'destroy' reputation Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:27 AM PST  Radhi Shenaishil said Monday that he had taken a huge risk to his reputation by agreeing to fill in at the last minute as Iraq's coach for the Asian Cup. Hakim Shakir was sacked as Iraq boss just weeks before the start of the continental showpiece, after the Lions of Mesopotamia finished bottom of their group at the Gulf Cup. With the Iraq Football Association scrambling to find a replacement, Qatar Sports Club agreed in mid-December to loan head coach Shenaishil for the tournament in Australia. Being on loan with the Iraq national team means a lot of pressure to make things work in a very short period of time.
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| Saudi border guards get shoot on sight orders Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:12 AM PST  Saudi border guards have been given orders to shoot infiltrators on sight after three troopers were killed on the Iraqi frontier earlier this month, a spokesman said on Monday. The orders apply to guards patrolling the southern border with Yemen as well as the northern frontier with Iraq, Major General Mohammed al-Ghamdi told AFP. Senior commander General Odah al-Balawi was among the three border guards killed in the January 5 clash with four Saudi infiltrators, two of whom blew themselves up. No group has claimed responsibility for the border clash but Saudi Arabia is among Arab countries taking part in US-led air strikes against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria, raising concerns about possible retaliation inside the kingdom.
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| Football: Wilkins backs Jordan to spring Japan shock Posted: 19 Jan 2015 01:54 AM PST  Jordan coach Ray Wilkins has promised his side will make life as awkward as possible for holders Japan in Tuesday's pivotal Asian Cup clash. The Blue Samurai are overwhelming favourites to make it three wins out of three to finish top of Group D, but should Jordan pull off a shock in Melbourne they can still progress to the quarter-finals, albeit Iraq remain in the mix. "We will try to make it as uncomfortable as we possibly can against Japan. The Englishman made it clear that Jordan would not throw caution to the wind with goal difference potentially the deciding factor.
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| Yazidi girl who escaped Islamic State now searches for missing relatives Posted: 18 Jan 2015 10:02 PM PST By Benedetta Argentieri DOHUK, Iraq (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Adeba Shaker, a 14-year-old from Iraq's minority Yazidi sect, recalled the day when she smiled again for the first time since her abduction by Islamic State militants. Shaker and 13-year-old Chenar found each other at a camp for internally displaced people just outside Dohuk, in northern Iraq, where Chenar came after being freed by a Sunni Muslim family who paid to save her from Islamist fighters. "I can't describe how I felt, I was so happy," Shaker told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at the camp. "Now we need to find everybody else." Sixteen of Shaker's relatives are still being held by Islamic State fighters who control large swathes of Iraq and Syria. |
