BEIRUT (Reuters) – An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander in charge of Tehran’s reconstruction assistance in Lebanon has been killed in Syria by rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian officials and a rebel commander said. He said the attack was carried out by rebel fighters near the Syrian town of Zabadani, a few miles (km) from the Lebanese border. The Iranian embassy in Lebanon said Hessam Khoshnevis was killed in an attack by “armed terrorist groups” on the road to Lebanon as he returned to Beirut from Damascus. …
UN official: No deal on resuming Iran nuke probe
VIENNA (AP) -- Senior officials of the U.N. atomic agency have returned from Tehran without a hoped-for deal that would have led to the resumption of a probe into allegations that Iran worked secretly on nuclear arms.
Rugby-Stability the watchword for New Zealand challengers
WELLINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Stability has been embraced by four of New Zealand’s five Super Rugby coaches ahead of the 2013 season as they seek to wrest the title away from Dave Rennie’s Waikato Chiefs. Only new Auckland Blues coach John Kirwan made wholesale changes with 16 new players included in his 32-man squad as he seeks to reinvigorate a moribund franchise. The All Blacks-laden Blues were tipped as winners of the competition last year but injuries to key players and big name signings Ma’a Nonu and Piri Weepu failing to spark caused the team to self destruct. …
FACTBOX-Rugby-New Zealand Super rugby teams
Feb 14 (Reuters) – Factbox on the five New Zealand teams in the southern hemisphere’s Super Rugby competition: – - – - AUCKLAND BLUES Coach: John Kirwan (first year) Captain: Ali Williams Last year’s finish: 12th (W-4, L-12) Best performance: Champions (1996, 1997, 2003) – - Forwards: Kane Barrett, Anthony Boric, Luke Braid, Charlie Faumuina, Steven Luatua, Quentin MacDonald, Tom McCartney, Keven Mealamu, Liaki Moli, Brendon O’Connor, James Parsons, Tim Perry, Ronald Raaymakers, Culum Retallick, Peter Saili, Angus Ta’avao, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Ali Williams Backs: Malakai Fekitoa, Jamison …
FACTBOX-Rugby-Australia Super rugby teams
Feb 14 (Reuters) – Factbox on the five Australia teams in the southern hemisphere’s Super Rugby competition: – - – - QUEENSLAND REDS (Brisbane) Coach: Ewen McKenzie (fourth year) Captain: James Horwill Last year: Third (W-11, L-5) Best performance: Champions (2011) – - Forwards: Albert Anae, Ben Daley, Saia Faingaa, Liam Gill, James Hanson, James Horwill, Greg Holmes, Jono Owen, Eddie Quirk, Radike Samo, Jake Schatz, Rob Simmons, Beau Robinson, James Slipper, David McDuling, Adam Wallace-Harrison. …
Rugby-Super rugby fixtures
WELLINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Fixtures for the 2013 Superrugby competition between teams from South Africa, Australia andNew Zealand (kickoff times GMT): Feb 15 Melbourne Rebels v Western Force, Melbourne (0840) Feb 16 ACT Brumbies v Queensland Reds, Canberra (0840) – - – - Feb 22 Otago Highlanders v Waikato Chiefs, Dunedin (0635) Melbourne Rebels v ACT Brumbies, Melbourne (0840) Bulls v Stormers, Pretoria (1710) Feb 23 Wellington Hurricanes v Auckland Blues,Wellington(0735) Reds v NSW Waratahs, Brisbane (0840) Cheetahs v Sharks, Bloemfontein (1505) Southern Kings v Western Force, Port …
FACTBOX-Rugby-Key details of 2013 Super Rugby competition
Feb 14 (Reuters) – Factbox on the 2013 Super Rugby competition, which starts on Friday: * The annual competition features regional teams from the southern hemisphere, five each from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. * The British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in June/July has meant an early start for Australia’s teams, who begin play on Friday. All teams will start the ‘proper’ first round on Feb. 22. …
Rugby-List of Super Rugby winners
Feb 14 (Reuters) – Super Rugby champions since thecompetition began in 1996 (home team in CAPS): Year Champions Runners up Score 2012 WAIKATO CHIEFS Sharks 37-6 2011 QUEENSLAND REDS Canterbury Crusaders 18-13 2010 BULLS Stormers 25-17 2009 BULLS Waikato Chiefs 61-17 2008 CANTERBURY CRUSADERS NSW Waratahs 20-12 2007 Bulls SHARKS 20-19 2006 CANTERBURY CRUSADERS Wellington Hurricanes 19-12 2005 CANTERBURY CRUSADERS NSW Waratahs 35-25 2004 ACT BRUMBIES Canterbury Crusaders 47-38 2003 AUCKLAND BLUES Canterbury Crusaders 21-17 2002 CANTERBURY CRUSADERS ACT Brumbies 31-13 2001 ACT BRUMBIES Sharks …
U.N. watchdog and Iran fail to reach nuclear deal
VIENNA (Reuters) – The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday it had again failed to cl inch a deal in talks with Iran this week on investigating suspected atom bomb research by the Islamic state. The lack of a breakthrough in Wednesday's meeting in Tehran, though expected by Western diplomats, represented a new setback for international efforts to resolve a decade-old dispute over Iran's disputed nuclear program. … Zimbabwe sets March 16 vote date
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe’s constitutional affairs minister says a referendum on a new constitution has been “tentatively” set for March 16 to be followed by fresh elections later in to end the nation’s shaky coalition government.
Maldives ex-president in embassy refuge no longer faces arrest: government
MALE (Reuters) – Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed no longer faces arrest, a government spokesman said on Thursday, a day after Nasheed took refuge in India's embassy because he feared being detained and his supporters clashed with police outside. Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected leader, who left office last year in contested circumstances, entered the Indian High Commission as police attempted to arrest him in connection with a court case. … Report: Senior Iranian official in Lebanon killed
BEIRUT (AP) -- Lebanese media say a senior Iranian official has been killed as he was returning from Syria to Beirut.
North Korea likely to face tough unilateral sanctions for its nuke test, but will China join?
SEOUL, South Korea – For the past decade, the world’s most powerful nations have turned to sanctions in an attempt to punish North Korea for a series of rocket launches and nuclear tests. Their stated goal: to stop North Korea’s march toward acquiring an arsenal of nuclear-armed long-range missiles.
Israel publishes some details as Australian spy mystery deepens
JERUSALEM/CANBERRA (Reuters) – An Australian immigrant, reported to have been recruited by Israel's Mossad spy agency, was charged with grave crimes before he committed suicide in an Israeli jail, one of his lawyers said on Thursday. The closely guarded case has raised questions in Australia and Israel about the suspected use by the Mossad of dual Australian-Israeli nationals and the circumstances behind the 2010 detention and death of 34-year-old Ben Zygier. … NKorea to face sanctions for nuke, but China key
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- For the past decade, the world's most powerful nations have turned to sanctions in an attempt to punish North Korea for a series of rocket launches and nuclear tests. Their stated goal: to stop North Korea's march toward acquiring an arsenal of nuclear-armed long-range missiles. Asian shares gain on improving sentiment, G20 eyed
TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian shares rose on improving risk sentiment while the yen steadied ahead of the weekend meeting of G20 finance and c entral bank officials, whose views on global growth and differences over currencies will be scrutinized by investors. "Asian markets have extended gains with risk sentiment remaining resilient as markets continue to push to new highs. Ahead of the European open, we are calling the major bourses relatively flat with GDP numbers in focus," Stan Shamu, market strategist at IG Markets, said in a note. … German, French economies contract in fourth quarter
BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) – Europe's two largest economies, Germany and France, both shrunk markedly in the last three months of 2012, suggesting the euro zone has slipped deeper into recession and throwing a first quarter recovery for the bloc into doubt. The German economy contracted by 0.6 percent on the quarter, official data showed on Thursday, marking its worst performance since the global financial crisis was raging in 2009. France's 0.3 percent fall was also a touch worse than expectations. … Gatwick wants prices based on customer contracts
LONDON (Reuters) – London's Gatwick airport on Thursday published its business plan for the next 10 years, saying it favoured setting prices charged to airlines based on bilateral contracts rather than pure regulation. Gatwick, which is investing 1 bill ion pounds over the next five years as it looks to grow to 37 million passengers by 2020, is required to publish the business plan so that aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) can set price caps for the five years from April 2014. … Judge to rule on Transocean's plea deal with Justice Department over Gulf oil spill
NEW ORLEANS – A federal judge will decide whether to approve Transocean Ltd.’s agreement with the Justice Department to plead guilty to a misdemeanour charge and pay $400 million in criminal penalties for its role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Israeli-Australian Prisoner X's suicide in jail straining ties between close allies
CANBERRA, Australia – He was known as Prisoner X, his crimes unknown. For months he languished in an Israeli prison until he was he was found dead in his cell in an apparent suicide. Later, rumours would swirl that he was an Australian-Israeli who worked for the Israeli secret service Mossad.
No comments:
Post a Comment