France

Defiant Russia says Lavrov to seek reform in Syria

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:41:09 +0000

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will ask President Bashar al-Assad for rapid reforms on a visit to Syria this week, his ministry said Sunday, as Moscow hit back at Western outrage over its UN veto.

Lavrov’s visit to Damascus on Tuesday alongside the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) will aim to stabilise the situation in Syria by winning the implementation of “rapid” reforms, the foreign ministry said.

FRANCE: French minister slammed for ‘unequal civilisations’ comment

News Wires — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:58:21 +0000

France’s Interior Minister Claude Gueant (pictured) has drawn angry criticism from opposition members after suggesting in a speech to a right-wing student group that all civilisations are “not of equal value”.

FRANCE: French minister slammed for ‘unequal civilisations’ comment

News Wires — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:50:35 +0000

France’s Minister of Interior Claude Gueant (pictured) drew angry criticism from left-wing parties after he said that all civilisations were “not of equal value”, speaking at a conference organised by a right-wing student group.

Irish look to avenge Rugby World Cup defeat

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:31:15 +0000

Ireland go into Sunday’s Six Nations match with Wales with revenge very much on their minds after losing to the Welsh twice last year including October’s World Cup quarter-final.

While the Irish will want to banish memories of that limp performance against an admittedly sharper and better Welsh outfit, they are also bitter about the manner in which they lost to a controversial Mike Phillips try in last year’s Six Nations clash in Cardiff.

Boxer Donaire steps up to super bantam with win

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:30:54 +0000

Nonito Donaire knocked down Wilfredo Vazquez jnr in the ninth round en route to a split decision over the former champ in a super bantamweight title bout in San Antonio, Texas.

Donaire, a former International Boxing Federation flyweight and World Boxing Council bantamweight title holder, claimed the World Boxing Organization belt in his first foray at super bantamweight.

The 12-round bout was on the undercard of the World Boxing Council middleweight title fight between unbeaten champion Julio Cesar Chavez jnr and Marco Antonio Rubio at the Alamodome.

Environment agency becomes crunch issue in Rio talks

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:55:58 +0000

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is emerging as a hot issue in preparations for June’s Rio conference, styled as a once-in-a-generation chance to restore a sick planet to good health.

The US is fighting a proposal, backed according to France by least 100 countries, for transforming UNEP from a poorly noticed, second-string unit into a planetary super-agency.

Environmentalists have long complained that Nairobi-based UNEP, set up in 1972 as an office of the UN and with a membership of only 58 nations, lacks clout to deal with the globe’s worsening ills.

Europe cold snap claims 260 lives, disrupts travel

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:10:23 +0000

The death toll from the vicious cold snap across Europe has risen to more than 260, with the winter misery set to hit thousands of those seeking to escape it Sunday as air traffic was hit.

Ukraine has suffered the heaviest toll with 122 deaths, including many who froze to death in the streets as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 38.1 degrees Celsius (minus 36.5 Fahrenheit).

Airports were shut, flights and trains delayed, and highways gridlocked as emergency services raced to clear falling snow.

Russia, China veto UN move on Syria as toll rises

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:30:31 +0000

Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria for its crackdown on protests, hours after Syrian forces bombed Homs, killing hundreds.

The heaviest reported day of death since the Syrian uprising began coupled with the second UN veto in four months triggered a wave of international outrage at the failure to reach a common stand at the United Nations.

Washington on Saturday said it was “disgusted” with the rare double veto and France denounced Friday’s massacre in the city of Homs as a “crime against humanity.”

Six voted into NFL Hall of Fame but Parcells snubbed

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:11:07 +0000

Curtis Martin, fourth on the NFL all-time rushing list with 14,101 yards, was among six players voted into the American Football Hall of Fame on Saturday while some big names were snubbed.

Defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, offensive tackle Willie Roaf, defensive end Chris Doleman, center Dermontti Dawson and cornerback Jack Butler, a seniors category nominee, were also selected to the US sport shrine.

New blast hits Egypt’s gas pipeline to Israel

blade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:01:14 +0000

Saboteurs on Sunday blew up a pipeline that supplies gas to Israel, the 12th such attack in a year, security officials said.

Masked gunmen planted explosives under the pipeline in the Al-Massaeed area, close to the town of El-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula, they said.

Witnesses said they heard a very loud explosion, before a large fire broke out.

Sources say the attack on the pipeline came the day after an Islamist leader from the area died in his prison cell in Cairo. Interior ministry officials said he died from natural causes.