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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Ukraine protests turn into fiery street battles

Ukraine protests turn into fiery street battles

Ukraine protests turn into fiery street battles

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:19 PM PST

A protester throws a stone towards a burning police bus in front of him, during clashes with police, in central Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. Hundreds of protesters on Sunday clashed with riot police in the center of the Ukrainian capital, after the passage of harsh anti-protest legislation last week seen as part of attempts to quash anti-government demonstrations. The violent scenes further escalated this ex-Soviet republic?s political crisis and showed a rift among opposition leaders, one of whom fought bravely to stop the violence, while others condemned the events from afar. (AP Photo/Evgeny Feldman)KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Anti-government protests in Ukraine's capital escalated into fiery street battles with police Sunday as thousands of demonstrators hurled rocks and firebombs to set police vehicles ablaze. Dozens of officers and protesters were injured.

Beyonce, John Legend fete Michelle Obama at birthday bash

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:09 PM PST

US First Lady Michelle Obama smiles during an event on January 16, 2014 in Washington, DCMichelle Obama's 50th birthday bash featured performances by pop stars Beyonce and John Legend, and appearances by a host of A-list celebrities, one prominent guest said Sunday. Incredible party," political analyst Donna Brazile told CNN the morning after the festivities, about which few details were revealed by the White House. "The most important thing is, Beyonce performed, and I have to tell you, John Legend sang 'Happy Birthday,'" said Brazile, a longtime Democratic Party operative who ran Al Gore's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2000.

Israel giving back remains of Palestinian militants -army

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:09 PM PST

By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has begun to exhume the remains of a number of Palestinian militants to return them to their families for burial, the army said on Sunday, a move that could help ease some tension between the adversaries. Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian authority are currently locked in peace talks being mediated by the United States that are showing scant signs of progress. Israel has over many years interred the bodies of militants killed in attacks on Israelis at special cemeteries. "In accordance with a Supreme Court decision ... the (military) has begun the return of bodies of terrorists to their respective families in the Palestinian Authority," the army said in a statement.

Obama: Pot is not more dangerous than alcohol

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:09 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said he doesn't think marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol, "in terms of its impact on the individual consumer."

NBC will do live remake of 'Peter Pan'

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:05 PM PST

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Following up on the success of "The Sound of Music" last month, NBC said Sunday that it will broadcast a live version of "Peter Pan" in December.

Va. quickly emerging as key in gay marriage fight

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:05 PM PST

FILE - This Monday Nov. 25, 2013 file photo shows Carol Schall, left, and her partner, Mary Townley, at their home in Richmond, Va. The couple, who were married in California in 2008, decided to join a lawsuit challenging Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage. Almost overnight, Virginia has emerged as a critical state in the nationwide fight to grant gay men and women the right to wed. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Almost overnight, Virginia has emerged as a critical state in the nationwide fight to grant gay men and women the right to wed.

Deadline looms in Panama canal expansion row

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 01:04 PM PST

A bird is seen at the Panama Canal's Gatun locks in Colon 110 km northwest of Panama City, on January 17, 2014No end was in sight Sunday to a financial row over cost overruns on Panama's canal expansion that could threaten the megaproject key to world trade. The Grupo Unidos por el Canal consortium, led by Spanish builder Sacyr, has threatened to suspend the expansion work by January 20 unless Panama pays for $1.6 billion in "unforeseen" costs. GUPC, which includes Impreglio of Italy, Belgium's Jan de Nul and Constructora Urbana of Panama, has agreed to negotiate with the canal authority within the contract. The overall canal upgrade is costing $5.2 billion, including GUPC's $3.2 billion contract to build a third set of locks for the century-old canal, which currently welcomes ships that carry up to 5,000 containers.

Broncos lead Patriots 3-0 in AFC title game

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:50 PM PST

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning warms up before the AFC Championship NFL playoff football game against the New England Patriots in Denver, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)DENVER (AP) — Matt Prater's 27-yard field goal gave the Denver Broncos a 3-0 lead after one quarter in the AFC championship Sunday at sunny Sports Authority Field.

Kane scores in SO as Blackhawks top Bruins 3-2

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST

Chicago Blackhawks' Brandon Bollig (52), second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Chicago, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO (AP) — Patrick Kane scored in a shootout to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday in a rematch of last season's Stanley Cup finals.

Egypt: Former official under fire for US comments

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:43 PM PST

CAIRO (AP) — A former Egyptian lawmaker who threatened on a popular TV show that Americans would be "slaughtered in their homes" if an attempt is made on the life of the country's military chief recanted on Sunday, saying his comments were misconstrued.

Boeing, Etihad to develop aviation biofuels

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST

Aircraft maker Boeing Co., Etihad Airways, the oil company Total and others say they will work together on a program to develop an aviation biofuel industry in the United Arab Emirates.

Yemen: Police chief assassinated

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:40 PM PST

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni security officials say that an unidentified gunman shot and killed a police director in the southwest city of Taiz, the latest in a series of assassinations of the country's security officers.

West hails Syria opposition vote to join peace talks

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:38 PM PST

Syrian opposition fighters fire at government planes flying overhead in the northern city of Aleppo on January 19, 2014Western leaders have hailed a decision by Syria's opposition to attend Wednesday's international peace conference alongside representatives of a regime they despise and remain determined to overthrow. After weeks of hesitation and threats to boycott the talks, the deeply divided National Coalition said it will go to Switzerland, with the sole aim of toppling President Bashar al-Assad. US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the opposition's "courageous" decision to attend the talks, describing it as a "path that will ultimately lead to a better future for all Syrians".

Protesters clash with police at large Ukraine rally

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:34 PM PST

By Richard Balmforth and Natalia Zinets KIEV (Reuters) - Protesters clashed with riot police in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday after tough anti-protest legislation, which the political opposition says paves the way for a police state, was rushed through parliament last week. Despite appeals from opposition leaders not to resort to violence, and a personal intervention from boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko, protesters continued to throw smoke bombs and hurl fireworks and other objects at police. A spokeswoman for Klitschko tweeted that President Viktor Yanukovich had agreed to meet Klitschko immediately at the presidential residence outside Kiev, although there was no confirmation from Yanukovich's side.

Record 98 underclassmen eligible for NFL draft

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:33 PM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2012, file photo, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel throws a short pass in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. A record 98 underclassmen, including Manziel, have made themselves eligible for the NFL draft in May. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)NEW YORK (AP) — A record 98 underclassmen, including Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney, have made themselves eligible for the NFL draft in May.

Afghan president again demands US airstrikes end

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:31 PM PST

An Afghan police walks ahead of members of civil society organizations for their protection as they march in a street, during an anti terrorism demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. Hundreds of Afghans gathered outside a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul on Sunday to protest against Taliban attack that killed 21 people. The assault Friday by a Taliban bomber and two gunmen against the La Taverna du Liban restaurant was deadliest single attack against foreign civilians in the course of a nearly 13-year U.S.-led war there now approaching its end. They chanted slogans against terrorism as they laid flowers at the site of the attack. The dead included 13 foreigners and eight Afghans, all civilians. The attack came as security has been deteriorating and apprehension has been growing among Afghans over their country's future as U.S.-led foreign forces prepare for a final withdrawal at the end of the year. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's president demanded Sunday that the United States no longer carry out military operations or airstrikes and must jump-start peace talks with the Taliban before his country signs a security deal to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014.

Clashes erupt in Kiev after defiant mass protest

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:22 PM PST

Head of UDAR (Punch) party and one of the leaders of the opposition Vitali Klitschko (C) tries to stop clashes between police and protesters on January 19, 2014 during an opposition rally in the centre of the Ukrainian capital KievClashes between police and protesters raged in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Sunday after 200,000 defied new restrictions on protests to turn out for a new rally against President Viktor Yanukovych. Several hours of the bloody clashes left dozens injured and further raised stakes in the almost two month-standoff between the opposition and Yanukovych which has seen protesters seize control of the centre of Kiev. In a statement is called on the Ukrainian government to "immediately start negotiations with all sides to resolve the political standoff, address protesters' concerns, and prevent violence from spreading". Ukrainian police used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon in a bid to disperse the hundreds of people who sought to storm police cordons near the Verkhovna Rada parliament in the capital, witnesses and AFP correspondents said.

Wiig mainstay for Hader in 'Skeleton Twins'

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:21 PM PST

Craig Johnson, second from right, director and co-writer of "The Skeleton Twins," poses with, from left, cast members Boyd Holbrook and Bill Hader and executive producer Mark Duplass at the premiere of the film at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are accustomed to sharing the same stage — and keeping a crowd in stitches — since starring on "Saturday Night Live" together from 2005 to 2013. But in their new film "Skeleton Twins," they get melodramatic.

Nevada marina deemed safe despite 100K fish kill

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:08 PM PST

The Sierra's eastern front to the west of Reno is reflected in the Sparks Marina, where all of the fish have died over the past month _ an estimated total of 100,000 trout, bass and catfish _ on Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, in Sparks, Nev. Scientists say a sudden cold spurt in December likely caused a violent ``turnover'' of the 77-acre, man-made lake's waters that sucked out almost all the oxygen and killed the fish. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner).SPARKS, Nev. (AP) — Most locals reacted like Rick Dinoso when he first heard that all the fish in the Sparks Marina were dead — an estimated 100,000 trout, bass and catfish.

Analysis: Egypt vote muddies political outlook

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:05 PM PST

FILE - In this file photo taken Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, an Egyptian woman wears a t-shirt with a photo of Egypt's Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi outside a polling station on the first day of voting in the country's constitutional referendum in Cairo, Egypt. While last week's constitutional referendum approved the draft charter, the low turnout - less than 39 percent - has put on display the country's enduring divisions six months after the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and nearly three years after autocrat Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. (AP Photo/Eman Helal, File)CAIRO (AP) — For all the self-congratulatory headlines in Egypt's pro-military media, the results of last week's constitutional referendum may have fallen short of the emphatic popular mandate the nation's military chief was looking for before announcing his presidential run.

'Ride Along' rolls into No. 1 spot at box office

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 12:02 PM PST

FILE - This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ice Cube, left, and Kevin Hart in a scene from "Ride Along." "Ride Along" is likely to roll into the top spot at the weekend box office when it faces off against "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" and "Devil's Due." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Quantrell D. Colbert, File)LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Ride Along" arrived in first place at the weekend box office.

NBC renews 'Parks & Recreation' for 7th season

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:55 AM PST

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The future is looking bright at NBC for Golden Globe winner Amy Poehler, not so much for Michael J. Fox.

Lawmakers say Obama surveillance idea won't work

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:53 AM PST

President Barack Obama talks about National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, at the Justice Department in Washington.Seeking to calm a furor over U.S. surveillance, the president called for ending the government's control of phone data from hundreds of millions of Americans and immediately ordered intelligence agencies to get a secretive court's permission before accessing the records. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON (AP) — A chief element of President Barack Obama's attempt to overhaul U.S. surveillance will not work, leaders of Congress' intelligence committees said Sunday, pushing back against the idea that the government should cede control of how Americans' phone records are stored.

Iraq announces offensive against al-Qaida

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:43 AM PST

Gunmen take cover during clashes with Iraqi security forces outside Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. Violence across Iraq, including a series of car bombings and fighting between militants and government troops over control of the country's contested Anbar province, killed dozens Saturday, officials said. (AP Photo)BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi government forces and allied tribal militias launched an all-out offensive Sunday to push al-Qaida militants from a provincial capital, an assault that killed or wounded some 20 police officers and government-allied tribesmen, officials said.

Iran prepares for start of landmark nuclear deal

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:42 AM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2010 file photo, a worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. Ahead of the start of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, an official in the Islamic Republic has called limiting uranium enrichment and diluting its stockpile the country's TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Ahead of the start of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, an official in the Islamic Republic called limiting uranium enrichment and diluting its stockpile the country's "most important commitments," state radio reported Sunday.

Jihadi group urges end to Syrian rebel infighting

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:40 AM PST

This undated image posted on a militant website on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 shows fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria. Two weeks of fighting between an al-Qaida-linked group and other rebel forces in Syria has killed more than 1,000 people, an activist group said Thursday, as clashes raged between the rival factions in a northwestern town. The fighting pitting the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other groups are the most serious among rebel forces since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011. (AP Photo/militant website)BEIRUT (AP) — The head of an al-Qaida-linked group in Syria reached out to rival rebel groups who have been engaged in a bloody battle with his fighters this month, calling for the two sides to end their infighting and instead unite against the government and its allies.

Protesters, police clash in Ukraine's capital

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:29 AM PST

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Thousands of anti-government demonstrators clashed for hours with riot police in Ukraine's capital Sunday, attacking officers with sticks, stones and flares after new laws were passed to stifle protests. Dozens of people, including more than 20 police, were injured.

Analysis: Egypt vote muddles political outlook

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:26 AM PST

Holding national flags and portraits of military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egyptians celebrate the passage of a new constitution after 98.1 percent of voters supported Egypt's military-backed constitution in a two-day election, in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. In the lead up to the vote, police arrested those campaigning for a "no" vote on the referendum, leaving little room for arguing against the document. (AP Photo/El Shorouk Newspaper, Sabry Khaled) EGYPT OUTCAIRO (AP) — For all the self-congratulatory headlines in Egypt's pro-military media, the results of last week's constitutional referendum may have fallen short of the emphatic popular mandate the nation's military chief was looking for before announcing his presidential run.

Palestinian militants' bodies sent to relatives

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:24 AM PST

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel is transferring the bodies of some Palestinians killed in fighting to their families, the military said Sunday, hours after it carried out an airstrike targeting a Palestinian militant who it says fired rockets at Israel last week.

Brazil says to follow NSA developments closely

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:12 AM PST

Brazil's government called U.S. President Barack Obama's promise to ban spying on leaders of close allies a "first step" on Sunday and said it would follow the consequences of the U.S. leader's Friday speech closely. The South American country's reaction to Obama's pledge to scale back the National Security Agency in response to Edward Snowden's revelations was more cautious than the welcome response the U.S. received from the German government on Friday, however. The Brazilian government will monitor the practical ramifications of the speech very closely," Rousseff's spokesman Thomas Traumann wrote on the president's office official blog. Revelations that the U.S. had monitored the personal e-mails of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff caused Brazil to cancel a state visit and cost Chicago-based Boeing a $4 billion-plus fighter jet contract last year.

Mourinho writes off United's title chances

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:10 AM PST

Chelsea's Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o celebrates scoring their third goal and completing his hattrick during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London on January 19, 2014Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho declared Manchester United's Premier League title defence over after his side's 3-1 victory on Sunday left the defending champions 14 points behind leaders Arsenal. Samuel Eto'o scored his first Chelsea hat-trick to move his side back to within two points of first place, and with United so far off the pace, Mourinho says it will be almost impossible for them to retain their title. They are 14 points behind Arsenal, 13 behind Manchester City, and 12 from us," he said.

Fire rages in Norway heritage village

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:05 AM PST

A large blaze on Sunday raged through a historic village in western Norway, destroying many of its famed 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses and forcing the evacuation of local residents, police said. The fire in the riverside village of Laerdalsoyri, some 200 kilometres (miles) northwest of Oslo, began in a house on Saturday evening. "There were a lot of heroes in Laerdal that night," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Egypt prosecutors send ex-president to new trial

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:03 AM PST

FILE - In this July 13, 2012 file photo, then Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks to reporters at the presidential palace in Cairo. Egypt's prosecutors referred to trial Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, the country's former Islamist president on charges of insulting the judiciary and defaming its members to spread hate - the fourth case filed against Mohammed Morsi since his July ouster, the state news agency reported. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's prosecutors referred to trial Sunday the country's former Islamist president on charges of insulting the judiciary and defaming its members to spread hate— the fourth case filed against Mohammed Morsi since his July ouster, the state news agency reported.

U.S. lawmaker investigates whether Russia behind Snowden's leaks

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 11:01 AM PST

A picture of Snowden, a contractor at the NSA, is seen on a computer screen displaying a page of a Chinese news website, in Beijing in this photo illustrationThe head of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said on Sunday he is investigating whether former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden had help from Russia in stealing and revealing U.S. government secrets. Snowden last year fled the United States to Hong Kong and then to Russia, where he was granted at least a year of asylum. And that investigation is ongoing." Senator Dianne Feinstein, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on "Meet the Press" that Snowden "may well have" had help from Russia. Feinstein said Snowden gained employment at the National Security Agency "with the intent to take as much material down as he possibly could." On the ABC program "This Week," U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, also expressed his belief that Snowden had foreign help.

Former Algerian PM announces election run

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 10:55 AM PST

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — A former Algerian prime minister has announced his candidacy for April's presidential election.

Israeli company to unveil laser defense

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 10:48 AM PST

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2013 file photo, an Israeli soldier is seen next to an Iron Dome rocket interceptor battery deployed near the northern Israeli city of Haifa. A state-owned Israeli arms company said it will unveil a new laser-defense system called the "Iron Beam." The system is to be displayed at the Singapore Air Show next month and is expected to be operational next year. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File)JERUSALEM (AP) — A state-owned Israeli arms company says it will unveil a new laser-defense system next month that will be capable of shooting down short-range rockets and mortar fire.

Governor Christie's NJ woes dog Florida fundraising trip

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 10:40 AM PST

New Jersey Governor Christie speaks during his annual State of State address in Trenton, New JerseyBy Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New Jersey mayor who added to Governor Chris Christie's woes with fresh claims that his office punishes uncooperative local officials stuck to her story on Sunday, overshadowing the governor's fundraising trip in Florida. Widely seen as a Republican contender for the White House in 2016, Christie avoided mention of his troubles at home while he raises funds on a closely watched trip to Florida this weekend. His office dismissed as false claims by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that he sent his deputy to tell her she risked not getting requested funds for Superstorm Sandy relief unless she backed a redevelopment project in her city. But Zimmer stuck to her story on Sunday that two state officials, including Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, told her Christie would withhold funding if Zimmer did not support a bid by the New York-based Rockefeller Group to build on several blocks in the city.

Lawyer: Boy jailed in Philly shooting not to blame

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 10:39 AM PST

Police walk to the Delaware Valley Charter School Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, in Philadelphia. Police say two students have been shot at a Philadelphia high school. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A 17-year-old boy charged as an adult in the shooting of two students inside a school gym isn't responsible for the crime, his attorney said.

LA-area fire wanes; dangerous conditions remain

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 10:20 AM PST

GLENDORA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters said Sunday they continued their steady progress in surrounding a wildfire near Los Angeles that destroyed several homes.

Rights group: Law failing to protect child brides

Posted: 19 Jan 2014 10:16 AM PST

FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008 file photo, a Saudi man stands in front of a wedding dress at a shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Yemen are the only Arab countries that do not have laws that set a minimum age for marriage. According to a December 2011 Human Rights Watch report, approximately 14 percent of girls in the Arab world's poorest nation of Yemen were married before the age 15, and 52 percent were married before 18 years old. (AP Photo, File)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Cultural traditions and a lack of legal protections are driving tens of millions of girls around the world into early marriage, subjecting them to violence, poverty and mistreatment, an international human rights group says.
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