<rss version="2.0"><channel><item><title><![CDATA[Abbas signs onto International Criminal Court after U.N. loss]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/aM1T08_ShX8/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009818926&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0FF" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">RAMALLAH, West Bank</span> (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed on to 20 international agreements on Wednesday, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a day after a bid for independence by 2017 failed at the United Nations Security Council.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The move, certain to anger Israel and the U.S., paves the way for the court to take jurisdiction over crimes committed in Palestinian lands and investigate the conduct of Israeli and Palestinian leaders over more than a decade of bloody conflict.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"They attack us and our land every day, to whom are we to complain? The Security Council let us down - where are we to go?" Abbas told a gathering of Palestinian leaders in remarks broadcast on official television.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"We want to refer to international institutions, and this is one we are referring to, and we'll complain to these people," he added, before signing the documents.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>In the months leading up to the failed U.N. bid on Tuesday, Sweden recognised Palestinian statehood and the parliaments of France, Britain and Ireland passed non-binding motions urging their governments to do the same.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move  would expose the Palestinians to prosecution over support for what he called the terrorist Hamas Islamist group.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"We will take steps in response and defend Israel's soldiers," Netanyahu said in a statement. </p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Palestinian officials on Tuesday said American opposition made inevitable the defeat last night of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state by late 2017 after no more than a year of peace negotiations.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>The United States and Australia voted against the bid, while eight countries voted yes and another five abstained. The Palestinians were unable to achieve a hoped-for nine votes which would have forced the U.S. to exercise its veto as one of the council's five permanent members, in a potentially embarrassing move. </p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Other agreements approved by Abbas included several articles on the court's jurisdiction, commitments against banned weapons and cluster munitions along with less controversial pledges on the political rights of women, navigation and the environment.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Palestinians seek a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem - lands Israel captures in the 1967 Middle East War.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Peace talks mediated by the United States collapsed in April in a dispute over Israeli settlement-building and a prisoner release deal, as well as Abbas's decision to sign on to over a dozen previous international texts Israel saw as a unilateral move the contravened the negotiations.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>Momentum to recognise a Palestine has built up after Abbas succeeded in a bid for de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, which made Palestinians eligible to join the ICC.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p> (Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Allyn Fisher-Ilan; editing by Ralph Boulton)</p><span id="midArticle_2">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:05:36 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Saudi king undergoing medical tests in Riyadh hospital - royal court]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/NVC87N95Odg/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009608848&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU08F" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">DUBAI</span> (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's elderly King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday for medical tests, state media said, citing a royal court statement, after he suffered what one source described as breathing difficulties.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>King Abdullah, who took power in 2005 after the death of his half-brother King Fahd, is thought to be 91, although official accounts are unclear. He has undergone surgery in the past few years related to a herniated disc.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Saudi stocks dipped on the news, which will also be of wider interest as Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter and the top U.S. ally in the Gulf region. Global oil prices did not appear to be immediately affected.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, may God keep him, entered today, Wednesday, ... the King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard in Riyadh to undergo some medical tests," the statement said, according to state news agency SPA.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>A Saudi source familiar with the affairs of the royal family said the king suffered breathing difficulties and was transferred to hospital. "But he's feeling better now and he is in stable condition," the source told Reuters.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Saudi Arabia's stock market, which was already down more than 1 percent due to sliding oil prices, dropped to 5 percent lower in the minutes after the news. It later recovered slightly to be 3 percent lower.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Abdullah named his half-brother, Prince Salman, 13 years his junior, heir apparent in June 2012 after the death of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Earlier this year he appointed Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz as deputy crown prince, giving some assurance on the kingdom's long-term succession process.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>In November 2012, the king underwent an 11-hour operation at the same Riyadh hospital. He had a similar operation in October 2011 and had back surgery twice in the United States in 2010 for a herniated disc, spending three months outside Saudi Arabia recuperating.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p> (Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Andrew Heavens)</p><span id="midArticle_9">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:02:24 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gambia president returns home after reports of coup attempt]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/ArZ1Z406dVE/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009799803&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0F5" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">BANJUL</span> (Reuters) - Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh returned to Banjul on Wednesday and shops and banks reopened, a day after gunfire erupted around the presidential palace in an apparent coup attempt led by a former commander of the presidential guard.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>In a sign of heightened security, government forces set up three checkpoints on the Denton Bridge into the capital to search people as they headed into work and check identity papers, witnesses said.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The U.S. government and the United Nations both issued statements condemning any attempts to seize power but also warning against any further violence.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>There was no word from Jammeh in the aftermath of the turmoil but the president, who returned to the country overnight, was expected to make a traditional New Year's Eve speech later on Wednesday.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>The capital was locked down by security forces on Tuesday after gunfire erupted early in the morning. The sole government statement so far has played down the incident, denying any instability.    </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Diplomats monitoring the country -- one of the most secretive in the region -- warned of the possibility of a crackdown on those accused of having links to the attack.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>"There are fears of reprisals. It is about whether (Jammeh) can be seen to be calm and in control without it getting too bloody," said one Western diplomat.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>The diplomat said four attackers were reported killed and four others injured in clashes. Most are believed to be former members of the Gambian military, the diplomat said. </p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Local media and several analysts said the assailants included Lamin Sanneh, a former head of the presidential guard, and a U.S. Army reservist who had U.S.-Gambian nationality.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Following brief talks at the U.N. Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a transparent investigation into the events and also urged restraint.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Jammeh's security forces foiled a coup plot in March 2006 and Amnesty International said in the wake of that incident it feared some of the alleged coup plotters may have been executed without trial.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Jammeh, 49, took power in a coup 20 years ago and since then has stifled dissent in his impoverished West African nation of 1.9 million. He has faced increasing criticism from abroad over issues ranging from human rights to his claim he can cure AIDS.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>This year the European Union withdrew millions of dollars in aid after Jammeh signed into law an act that could imprison homosexuals for life. The U.S. government also recently removed Gambia from AGOA, its African duty-free trade partnership. </p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>In 2012, Jammeh was criticised for suddenly executing nine people being held in prison.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>The country attract tourists, particularly during the northern hemisphere's winter. They include about 60,000 Britons a year. The British foreign office advised its citizens to stay indoors and avoid public gatherings.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>Gambia's national territory comprises a splinter of land wedged into Senegal and facing the Atlantic. Senegalese police said on Wednesday Gambia's borders remained open.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p> (Reporting by David Lewis and Diadie Ba in Dakar, Lesley Wroughton in Washington, Louis Charbonneau in New York; Writing by David Lewis and Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Giles Elgood)</p><span id="midArticle_2">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:55:03 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Liberia suspends Ebola curfew to allow New Year's Eve worship]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/mZoyqOBxK9s/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">MONROVIA</span> (Reuters) - Liberia lifted a curfew imposed to curb the spread of Ebola so that people could attend New Year's Eve church services on Wednesday, as an aid group warned of growing complacency over the disease in the country.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The United Nations' health agency did not comment directly on the one-night suspension but called for authorities to keep up "social distancing" measures and encourage people to avoid large gatherings.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Liberia introduced the curfew in September at the height of an epidemic that has killed more than 3,400 people inside its borders and at least 4,400 more in Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to figures from the U.N.'s World Health Organization.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>The virus, which causes vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding, is spread by contact with the bodily fluids. It has no known cure.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"The President has directed the Minister of Justice to suspend the curfew for today, Dec. 31, to allow religious leaders, churches and other religious groups to allow the watch night services, traditional in Liberian society," Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson said.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Churches that hold services should observe measures to prevent the spread of Ebola such as hand washing, temperature testing and avoiding over-crowding on church benches, he added.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>The midnight to 6 a.m. (0000-0600 GMT) curfew would be reimposed the following night, and anyone caught outside would be arrested, he said.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>In a fresh measure to combat Ebola, Liberia on Wednesday suspended the activities of traditional societies, called Poro and Sande, that hold camps where female genital mutilation is practised and men are marked with knives or razor blade.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>The societies are common in Liberia and traditional leaders were due to meet the government to express their concerns about the order, an official in the Information Ministry said after the announcement on state radio.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Medecins Sans Frontieres, a medical charity that has been at the forefront in the fight against Ebola in West Africa, warned of complacency in Liberia.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>"Whilst progress has been made, it is of great concern to everyone at MSF that the population is now much less vigilant about Ebola and health promotion messages are being pushed aside," said MSF field communications coordinator Caitlin Ryan.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>The rate of new cases has slowed in Liberia and health officials say the next phase of the fight against the virus will involve deploying teams of health workers to identify chains of infection.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p> (Additional reporting by Alphonso Toweh in Monrovia and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Andrew Heavens)</p><span id="midArticle_14">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:18:21 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Data point to "unbelievably" steep climb before AirAsia crash - source]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/1B6IcGppVf8/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009684865&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0B5" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">SURABAYA, Indonesia</span> (Reuters) - Radar data being examined by investigators appeared to show that AirAsia Flight QZ8501 made an "unbelievably" steep climb before it crashed, possibly pushing it beyond the Airbus A320's limits, said a source familiar with the probe's initial findings.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The data was transmitted before the aircraft disappeared from the screens of air traffic controllers in Jakarta on Sunday, added the source, who declined to be identified.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"So far, the numbers taken by the radar are unbelievably high. This rate of climb is very high, too high. It appears to be beyond the performance envelope of the aircraft," he said.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>The source added that the data on which those assumptions had been made were incomplete. Colleagues and friends of the Indonesian captain on board have described him as an experienced and professional pilot.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>The preliminary findings sharpen the focus on the role bad weather and the crew's reaction to storms and clouds in the area had to play in the plane's crash into the Java Sea which killed all 162 people on board.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Finding the six-year-old plane's cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), more commonly known as black boxes, was vital to complement the radar data already available.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"With the CVR and FDR, we can establish what went on in the cockpit and what was going on with the aircraft. We can conclude if the radar information is accurate," added the source.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>CLIMBING TOO SLOWLY?</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>At 6.12 a.m. on Sunday, 36 minutes after taking off from Surabaya's Juanda Airport on a flight to Singapore, the pilot asked for permission to climb to 38,000ft from 32,000ft and deviate to the left to avoid bad weather.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Two minutes later, Jakarta responded by asking QZ8501 to go left seven miles and climb to 34,000ft. There was no response from the cockpit. The aircraft was still detected by the ATC's radar before disappearing at 6.18 a.m.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>An image that was reportedly leaked from AirNav Indonesia, which manages the country's air space, and shared on several websites, appeared to show QZ8501 at an altitude of 36,300ft and climbing at a speed of 353 knots.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>The source declined to confirm if that image was accurate. Officials from AirNav Indonesia declined to comment.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>Two veteran pilots told Reuters that, if accurate, the image and information released so far pointed to the fact that the aircraft may have climbed suddenly and then lost speed.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>This can result in the aircraft stalling in mid-air before plunging to the sea, they said.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>One pilot explained that an A320 would cruise at a speed of around Mach 0.78 while at an altitude of 32,000ft. That translates into roughly 516 knots.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>"If you encounter turbulence, you go slower at what we call the turbulence penetration speed to get through it. If you climb to avoid turbulence, you slow down to have a better climb rate. That could be around Mach 0.76," he said. "But if you climb suddenly and start to lose speed, you will stall."</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The source close to the probe said other aircraft in the area at the time of the crash were flying at higher altitudes. Aircraft tracking website flightradar24.com said that they were at between 34,000 and 39,000 feet.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"We know that there was severe local weather and big clouds. But they (the other planes) were higher and did not appear to encounter any major problems. We want to look into that too," added the source.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Industry sources told Reuters that there could be parallels between this incident and the crash of Air France flight AF447 in 2009.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>The investigation into that Airbus A330 showed that the co-pilot lost speed readings due to icing on the airframe.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>His panic reaction meant that he kept trying to climb despite repeated stall warnings, and the crew failed to recognize the situation, eventually sending the aircraft plunging into the Atlantic.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Incidents like these show that the margin for error at higher altitudes is smaller than at takeoff or lower down, say industry experts.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>They add that the A320's systems usually prevent pilots from doing anything outside usual safe flight parameters. But these protections can be disabled in some circumstances, handing control to the pilots and leaving it to manual flying skills.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p> (Additional reporting by Jane Wardell in SYDNEY and Tim Hepher in PARIS; Editing by Mike Collett-White)</p><span id="midArticle_13">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:01:37 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bodies from crashed AirAsia plane arrive in Indonesian city]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/qptgivt1Bcw/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">PANGKALAN BUN/SURABAYA, Indonesia</span> (Reuters) - The first two bodies from the AirAsia plane that crashed off the coast of Borneo arrived on Wednesday in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, where relatives have gathered to await news of their loved ones.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Rescuers believe they have found the plane on the sea floor off Borneo, after sonar detected a large, dark object beneath waters near where debris and bodies were found on the surface.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Ships and planes had been scouring the Java Sea for Flight QZ8501 since Sunday, when it lost contact during bad weather about 40 minutes into its flight from Surabaya to Singapore.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Seven bodies have been recovered from the sea, some fully clothed, which could indicate the Airbus A320-200 was intact when it hit the water. That would support a theory that it suffered an aerodynamic stall.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Tatang Zaenudin, an official with Indonesia's search and rescue agency, said earlier that one of the bodies had been found wearing a life jacket.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>But he later said no victim had been recovered with a life jacket on.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"We found a body at 8.20 a.m. and a life jacket at 10.32 a.m. so there was a time difference. This is the latest information we have," he told Reuters.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Two bodies, in coffins bedecked with flowers and marked 001 and 002, arrived by an air force plane in Surabaya.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Most of the 162 people on board were Indonesians. No survivors have been found.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>HUNT FOR "BLACK BOX"</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Hernanto, of the search and rescue agency in Surabaya, said rescuers believed they had found the plane on the sea bed with a sonar scan in water 30-50 metres (100-165 feet) deep.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>The black box flight data and cockpit voice recorder have yet to be found.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>Authorities in Surabaya were making preparations to receive and identify bodies, including arranging 130 ambulances to take victims to a police hospital and collecting DNA from relatives.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>"We are praying it is the plane so the evacuation can be done quickly," Hernanto said.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>Strong wind and waves hampered the search and with visibility at less than a kilometre (half a mile), the air operation was called off in the afternoon.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>"The weather today was really challenging in the field, with waves up to 5 metres high, wind reaching 40 km per hour (and) heavy rain, especially in the search area," Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, the head of the search and rescue agency, told reporters in Surabaya.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>He added that the plane's whereabouts had not yet been confirmed and so the search for it would continue.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his priority was retrieving the bodies.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Relatives, many of whom collapsed in grief when they saw the first grim television pictures confirming their fears on Tuesday, held prayers at a crisis centre at Surabaya airport.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>"UNBELIEVABLY" STEEP CLIMB</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>The plane was travelling at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid bad weather. When air traffic controllers granted permission for a rise to 34,000 feet a few minutes later, they received no response.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>The pilots did not issue a distress signal.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>A source close to the probe into what happened said radar data appeared to show that the aircraft made an "unbelievably" steep climb before it crashed, possibly pushing it beyond the Airbus A320's limits.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>"So far, the numbers taken by the radar are unbelievably high. This rate of climb is very high, too high. It appears to be beyond the performance envelope of the aircraft," he said.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>The source, who declined to be named, added that more information was needed to come to a firm conclusion.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Online discussion among pilots has centred on unconfirmed secondary radar data from Malaysia that suggested the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 353 knots, about 100 knots too slow, and that it might have stalled.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>The Indonesian captain, a former air force fighter pilot, had 6,100 flying hours under his belt and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, said the airline, which is 49 percent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>Three airline disasters involving Malaysian-affiliated carriers in less than a year have dented confidence in the country's aviation industry and spooked travellers.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing in March on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew and has not been found. On July 17, the same airline's Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>On board Flight QZ8501 were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain. The co-pilot was French.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>The AirAsia group, including affiliates in Thailand, the Philippines and India, had not suffered a crash since its Malaysian budget operations began in 2002.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p> (Additional reporting by Gayatri Suroyo, Kanupriya Kapoor, Michael Taylor and Charlotte Greenfield in JAKARTA/SURABAYA, Jane Wardell in SYDNEY and Anshuman Daga in SINGAPORE; Writing by Mark Bendeich and Robert Birsel; Editing by Nick Macfie/Mike Collett-White/Susan Fenton)</p><span id="midArticle_3">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:11:23 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Almost 1,000 migrants arrive in Italy on packed cargo ship]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/eHIO340V7yA/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009738515&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0DA" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">ROME</span> (Reuters) - Almost 1,000 migrants arrived in Italy on a cargo ship on Wednesday after apparently being abandoned by its crew in the Adriatic Sea, the Italian Red Cross said.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>The mainly Syrian migrants were bundled off the Blue Sky M when it arrived in Italy in the early hours of the morning after it was first spotted near the coast of Corfu.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Greece sent its navy and coastguard with a military helicopter to the scene on Tuesday in response to an alarm call about a possible incident on the Moldovan-flagged ship. </p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Italian officials were airlifted onto the Blue Sky M after it left Greek waters to check it could navigate safely. The coastguard said there were 970 people on board when the ship arrived at the small port city of Gallipoli.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Emergency workers hurried the migrants out of the freezing cold into a hospital tent and onto coaches when they arrived. After an erroneous Red Cross report of four deaths earlier, officials said no one was known to have died.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Greek state television reported on Tuesday that the alarm had been raised because armed men were on board, but the defence and shipping ministries did not confirm this.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>The Red Cross said the ship, which reportedly set off from Turkey, had apparently been abandoned in the Strait of Otranto that separates Italy from Albania.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"The ship was abandoned by its crew in open water," Red Cross spokeswoman Mimma Antonagi said. "If (Italian officers) had not gone on board, it would have crashed into the coast."</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Local prosecutors have impounded the Blue Sky M as part of an investigation into the incident and arrested a Moldovan man who arrived on the ship and was identified by the migrants as one of the people smugglers arranging their passage, a judicial source said.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Civil war in Syria and anarchy in Libya have swelled the number of people crossing the Mediterranean in rickety boats this year. Many of them paid smugglers $1,000-$2,000 to travel.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>The United Nations refugee agency says 160,000 seaborne migrants arrived in Italy by November 2014 and a further 40,000 in Greece. Thousands more have died attempting the journey. </p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Italy is due to close its Mare Nostrum maritime search and rescue mission definitively at the end of December, partly due to popular concern over the 114 million euro ($138.25 million) bill the mission racked up in its first year.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Human rights groups have warned that closing Mare Nostrum would endanger more lives in the Mediterranean.    </p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>($1 = 0.8246 euros)</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p> (Reporting by Isla Binnie, additional reporting by Vincenzo Damiani in Bari, Editing by Angus MacSwan)</p><span id="midArticle_15">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:31:42 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[At least 23 killed in Yemen suicide bombing - state news agency]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/SLp4X9HNt04/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">SANAA</span> (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 23 people in central Yemen on Wednesday when he blew himself up at a cultural centre where students were celebrating the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, state news agency Saba said.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>At least 48 people were also injured, including many women and children and women, the deputy director of the provincial health department said, according to Saba. The celebration, in the city of Ibb, was organised by the Houthis, the group that controls most of Yemen.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>No one claimed responsibility for attack, but it resembles bombings carried out by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which operates in Yemen. AQAP regards Shi'ites, the sect of Islam to which the Houthis belong, as heretics.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Tensions have increased in Yemen since the Houthis captured Sanaa in September and expanded south and west of the capital. The Western-allied country, which shares a long border with the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, had been trying to overcome an al Qaeda threat before the Houthi advance.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Medics and residents earlier put Wednesday's death toll at 33, saying that 20 bodies were transferred to al-Thawra hospital and 13 others were taken to another hospital.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>A local resident said the final death toll was likely to rise and might be more than 33. The resident, who declined to be identified, said the director general of the Ibb governorate was among the dead, but the governor, who was reported to have been wounded, had escaped unharmed.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in a condolence message to the Ibb governor and families of the victims, condemned "the terrorist and criminal" attack and instructed the government to ensure the wounded receive full medical attention, Saba said.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Residents reported a second explosion occurred outside one of the two hospitals, al-Thawra. But security sources later said that security forces had been firing in the air to disperse residents who had gathered in front of the hospital.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p> (Reporting by Sami Aboudi and Mohammed Mukhashaf; Editing by Dominic Evans, John Stonestreet, Larry King)</p><span id="midArticle_10">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:09:37 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cuban blogger says husband freed, other activists still detained ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/fvb8Y0kYoUo/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009736086&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0D7" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">HAVANA</span> (Reuters) - A prominent opposition blogger in Cuba said her husband was freed by the authorities overnight but several dissidents were still in custody on Wednesday, a day after they were arrested in a move that drew condemnation from the United States. </p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The detentions in the Cuban capital were the most significant crackdown on the opposition on the communist-led island since Havana and Washington agreed on Dec. 17 to restore diplomatic ties and end more than 50 years of hostility.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Yoani Sanchez, who said her husband Reinaldo Escobar had been taken away in handcuffs along with another activist, said Escobar returned home overnight. She thanked well-wishers for their support but said several dissidents were still held. </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"It's Dec. 31 and there are families which cannot celebrate together," Sanchez wrote on Twitter. "We continue to protest on behalf of those who are still in detention." </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>About 12 activists were taken away by police officers, while others were instructed not to leave their homes, said Elizardo Sanchez, the leader of a dissident human rights commission that monitors such detentions.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Tuesday's action by the authorities came ahead of a planned open-microphone event in the capital's Revolution Square, at which activists were going to speak about their vision for Cuba. </p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>The organizer of the event, which flopped after the detentions when only a handful of people showed up, was performance artist Tania Bruguera. She had vowed to go ahead with the event even after Cuban officials denied her a permit.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>On Tuesday, Bruguera also went missing, and Sanchez said her husband saw her at the police station where he was held. That could not immediately be confirmed by Reuters. </p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Cuba's government had denounced the plans for the open-microphone event as "political provocation."</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Responding to the first major test of U.S. President Barack Obama's policy shift toward Havana, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that it was deeply concerned by the detentions. </p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>"We strongly condemn the Cuban government's continued harassment and repeated use of arbitrary detention, at times with violence, to silence critics, disrupt peaceful assembly and freedom expression, and intimidate citizens," it said.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Obama has said Cubans should not face harassment or arrest for expressing their views, and that Washington would continue to monitor human rights on the island. </p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p> (Reporting by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Toni Reinhold)</p><span id="midArticle_14">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:07:48 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Russia's Putin praises Crimea's "return home" in New Year address]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/mPDaOLL0bNs/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009687230&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0BH" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">MOSCOW</span> (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised New Year's address on Wednesday that the "return home" of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula to Moscow's control would forever remain an important chapter in Russia's history.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Putin is facing the biggest challenge of his 15-year rule as the Russian economy is sliding sharply into recession, hurt by Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and falling prices for oil, Russia's chief export.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>His comments are likely to strike a chord in a country where many people have always viewed Crimea as part of their homeland because of centuries of shared history and the region's mainly ethnic Russian population.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"Love for one's motherland is one of the most powerful and uplifting feelings. It manifested itself in full in the brotherly support to the people of Crimea and Sevastopol, when they resolutely decided to return home," Putin said. "This event will remain a very important epoch in domestic history forever."</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Russia annexed Crimea in March following the ouster of a Russian-backed Ukrainian president in Kiev, triggering the deepest crisis in East-West relations since the end of the Cold War and prompting several waves of Western economic sanctions.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Ukraine and the West view the annexation as illegitimate.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Putin's popularity has surged at home thanks to his tough stance on the Ukraine crisis, but a deepening economic crisis threatens to undermine the stability and prosperity on which his approval ratings partly rest.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Next year, the Russian economy is projected to fall by around 4.5 percent if the average price of oil remains near $60 per barrel, according to the central bank. </p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>"The (next) year will turn out the way we make it," Putin said. "We have to fulfil, implement everything we had planned for our own sake, for the sake of our children and the Motherland." </p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>The New Year's address was broadcast to Russia's Far East regions many hours before Moscow, when it is typically shown just before midnight.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>In a separate and apparently conciliatory gesture, Putin sent New Year's greetings to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing Putin's press service.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p> (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Alexander Winning and Ralph Boulton)</p><span id="midArticle_12">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:03:07 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Retired Afghan leader meets, advises successor "almost daily"]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/aUc_DETvN-4/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009728584&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0CY" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">KABUL</span> (Reuters) - Afghanistan's retired president, Hamid Karzai, meets his successor almost every day and advises him on key policy issues, he said in an interview, a role that could raise concerns in the West over ties with Kabul.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The former leader's relationship with the United States deteriorated sharply towards the end of more than a decade in power, but any hope foreign governments had of Karzai slipping quietly into retirement would appear to be misplaced.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Speaking at his large compound in the capital Kabul, Karzai said he still saw himself as a figure to be reckoned with in Afghan politics, despite stepping down four months ago.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"President Ashraf Ghani and I are meeting very, very often. Or, almost daily," said the 57-year-old scion of an influential Afghan family, who was handpicked by the United States and its allies to rule after the Taliban was overthrown in 2001.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"So it's a relationship that I fully enjoy and have respect for... (On) the issues that have significance to the whole of the Afghan people, I'll be there," he told Reuters in a recent interview. "That's where we meet and discuss, and it's a very good cooperation."</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Nazifullah Salarzai, Ghani's spokesman, said the two men met frequently.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"President Ghani meets the former Afghan president on a regular basis and seeks his consultations on most national and international issues," he said.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Karzai added that his lifestyle had changed little despite retiring, as he continued to host tribal and religious elders, lawmakers and government officials to discuss current events.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>TROUBLE MAKER VS. PEACEMAKER?</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Once the darling of the international community, Karzai turned troublemaker with fervently anti-Western speeches in his later years in power and by resisting U.S. pressure to sign a crucial security treaty.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Ghani's leadership stands in stark contrast: the former World Bank official has proven a friend to Washington, is less prone to angry public outbursts and is blunt with staff he feels are falling short in their duties.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>Ghani's first major act as president was to sign the U.S. security agreement allowing a limited number of troops to remain in Afghanistan now the combat operation is over.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>The bulk of NATO forces left Afghanistan before an end-2014 deadline, and Afghan security forces must cope with a vicious insurgency by Taliban militants that has killed thousands of people this year, and an economy hugely reliant on aid.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>Kabul-based political analyst Bashir Bezhan said there was a risk that Ghani's strong ties with the international community could weaken if Karzai wielded too much influence.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>"Our ties with the West, especially with the U.S., were deeply damaged," Bezhan said. "I think President Ashraf Ghani should move forward, not look back."</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Karzai would not go into detail about what advice he gave Ghani, but he criticised the United States.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>"I hope (the United States) will change and they will now focus entirely on helping and building a stronger, better Afghanistan," he said.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>A senior official in Karzai's former administration who remains close to him said U.S. relations were discussed.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"Karzai tells Ashraf Ghani to be very cautious dealing with the U.S. and (that he) must react quickly and strongly when they breach the (security) agreement," said the source, who declined to be named.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>KARZAI CALLS FOR UNITY</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Asked whether Washington was worried by Karzai's active role in politics, a senior U.S. administration official said:</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>"The United States is confident that President Ghani and Chief Executive (Abdullah) Abdullah are forging an inclusive, effective government that is responsive to all Afghans."</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Bette Dam, author of "A Man and a Motorcycle", a book on how Karzai came to power, said it was not surprising the former leader was still so active politically.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>"Karzai will, as much as he can, represent his tribe to maintain power for them, something that might not always be in the interest of Ghani," Dam said.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>"But Karzai is more powerful, and that's why Ghani needs to take him more seriously and deal with it, (whether) he wants to or not."</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>In his interview, Karzai urged Afghans to be patient, as Ghani and his de facto deputy Abdullah, previously locked in a long dispute over this year's election outcome and how to share power, tried to form a government acceptable to both.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>"Both the president and the CEO must be given time to make their decisions and appoint the people they consider to be right for their position," Karzai said.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p> (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton in Washington, Editing by Mike Collett-White and Maria Golovnina)</p><span id="midArticle_15">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:54:27 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[U.S.-led forces launch 10 air strikes in Syria, Iraq]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/SuMyOdHcirM/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">WASHINGTON</span> (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition launched seven air strikes in Syria and three in Iraq on Wednesday against Islamic State militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>In Syria, five of the air strikes were near Kobani and two were near al Hasakah, the task force said in a statement.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Two of the strikes in Iraq hit Islamic State positions near Fallujah and one hit targets near Mosul, the statement said.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p> (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Bill Trott)</p><span id="midArticle_4">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:52:24 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Energy deals keep the lights on for Ukraine's New Year festivities ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/FT7yY8s_wmo/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">KIEV</span> (Reuters) - Ukraine will have stable enough imports of coal and electricity to welcome the New Year with a well-lit festive tree in the home and illuminations on the street, national energy authorities said on Wednesday.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>"All Ukrainians will be able to greet the New Year with light. There will be no outages in the near future," Volodymyr Demchyshyn told a news conference, striking an upbeat note after a year of war and upheaval in the former Soviet republic.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The state energy firm Ukrenergo has been carrying out phased power cuts due to a lack of coal for its thermal power plants caused by the separatist conflict in the east, a mining region whose coal supplies generate around 40 percent of electricity.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>But Demchyshyn said a just-signed deal to import electricity from Russia could help stabilise supplies, while Ukrainian companies would be able to import around 1 million tonnes of coal early in the New Year, half of it coming from Russia.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"The issue on imports of power is resolved. We have had talks with Moldova, Belarus and Russia and agreements for imports of 1,500 megawatts have been signed," Demchyshyn said.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"All these will allow us to avoid any outages." </p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p> (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Alison Williams)</p><span id="midArticle_9">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:31:15 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ADVISORY - Four migrants found dead on packed cargo ship brought to Italy]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/o9Bt_pm19Zc/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">ROME</span> (Reuters) - (The Italian Red Cross says its information on four dead was erroneous. We will file a new story.)</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p> (Editing by Angus MacSwan)</p><span id="midArticle_2">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:42:21 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Palestinian statehood resolution fails at UN council, U.S. votes against]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/7lMUsIqJHE8/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">UNITED NATIONS</span> (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday rejected a Palestinian resolution calling for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and the establishment of a Palestinian state by late 2017.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The resolution called for negotiations to be based on territorial lines that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. It also called for a peace deal within 12 months. </p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Even if the draft had received the minimum nine votes in favor, it would have been defeated by Washington's vote against it. The United States is one of the five veto-wielding permanent members.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>There were eight votes in favor, including France, Russia and China, two against and five abstentions, among them Britain. Australia joined the United States in voting against the measure.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power defended Washington's position against the draft in a speech to the 15-nation council by saying it was not a vote against peace between Israel and the Palestinians.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>"The United States every day searches for new ways to take constructive steps to support the parties in making progress toward achieving a negotiated settlement," she said. "The Security Council resolution put before us today is not one of those constructive steps."</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>She said the text was "deeply imbalanced" and contained "unconstructive deadlines that take no account of Israel’s legitimate security concerns." To make matters worse, Power said, it "was put to a vote without a discussion or due consideration among council members."</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>She did not spare Israel either. "Today's vote should not be interpreted as a victory for an unsustainable status quo," Power said, adding that Washington would oppose actions by either side that undermined peace efforts, whether "in the form of settlement activity or imbalanced draft resolutions." </p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, the sole Arab representative on the council, expressed regret that the resolution was voted down, while noting that she thought council members should have had more time to discuss the proposal.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>The defeat of the resolution was not surprising. Washington, council diplomats said, had made clear it did not want such a resolution put to a vote before Israel's election in March.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>The Palestinians, the diplomats said, insisted on putting the resolution to a vote despite the fact that it was clear Washington would not let it pass. Their sudden announcement last weekend that Ramallah wanted a vote before the new year surprised Western delegations on the council.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>PALESTINIAN FRUSTRATION</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>In order to pass, a resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the council's five permanent members. </p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>The European and African camps were split in the vote. France and Luxembourg voted in favor of the resolution while Britain and Lithuania abstained. Among the Africans, Chad voted yes while Rwanda and Nigeria abstained.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>The Palestinians, frustrated by the lack of progress in peace talks, have sought to internationalize the issue by seeking U.N. membership and recognition of statehood via membership in international organizations.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Palestinian observer Riyad Mansour thanked delegations that voted for the resolution, noting that lawmakers in a number of European countries have called for recognition of Palestine. He said it was time to end the "abhorrent Israeli occupation and impunity that has brought our people so much suffering."</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>"It is thus most regrettable that the Security Council remains paralyzed," he said.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Mansour added that the Palestinian leadership "must now consider its next steps." The Palestinians have threatened to join the International Criminal Court, which they could then use as a forum to push for war crimes proceedings against Israel. </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>In a brief statement, Israeli delegate Israel Nitzan said the Palestinians have found every possible opportunity to avoid direct negotiations and brought the council "a preposterous unilateral proposal."</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"I have news for the Palestinians - you cannot agitate and provoke your way to a state," he said. </p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>French Ambassador Francois Delattre said Paris would continue its efforts to get a resolution through the council that would help move peace efforts forward. </p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>"France regrets that it isn't possible to reach a consensus today," he said, noting that he voted for the resolution despite having reservations about its contents. "Our efforts must not stop here. It is our responsibility to try again."</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>An earlier Palestinian draft called for Jerusalem to be the shared capital of Israel and a Palestinian state. The draft that was voted on reverted to a harder line, saying only that East Jerusalem would be Palestine's capital and calling for an end to Israeli settlement building.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>The Israeli government had said that a Security Council vote, following the collapse in April of U.S.-brokered talks on Palestinian statehood, would only deepen the conflict.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Israel, which pulled troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, has said its eastern border would be indefensible if it withdrew completely from the West Bank.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p> (Editing by Chris Reese, Dan Grebler, Toni Reinhold and Ken Wills)</p><span id="midArticle_12">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:11:34 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hong Kong culls chickens, suspends imports after H7 bird flu found]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/xWC71yD0cwo/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009680667&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0AW" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">HONG KONG</span> (Reuters) - Hong Kong began culling 15,000 chickens on Wednesday and suspended imports of live poultry from mainland China for 21 days after the H7 bird flu strain was discovered in a batch of live chickens from the southern province of Guangdong. </p>
</span><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Authorities also ordered the closure of the wholesale poultry market, where the virus was discovered, for 21 days for cleaning and disinfection. </p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The chickens infected with the H7 avian flu were imported from a farm in Huizhou city across the border from Hong Kong, said the Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man. </p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>The Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department is culling all live poultry in the Cheung Sha Wan wholesale market, which is assigned to keep only imported poultry. </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Hong Kong authorities usually cull birds by suffocating them in black bags filled with carbon dioxide. </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"The department will conduct inspections as well as collect additional samples from all the 29 registered live chicken farms in Hong Kong to ensure that they are not affected by H7 influenza," Ko said. </p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Hong Kong confirmed its first case of deadly bird flu this winter at the weekend after a woman fell critically ill with the H7N9 strain of bird flu. It was suspected she caught the disease in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, where she recently visited and consumed chicken.     The city's authorities had culled 20,000 poultry in January this year when birds imported from the mainland were found to have the H7N9 strain.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>China has had a problem with bird flu for several years, and new infections tend to crop up in the winter months.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>The Xinhua state news agency said six people in the eastern province of Zhejiang had contracted the H7N9 bird flu strain this winter, one of whom had died.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Shanghai and the southeastern province of Fujian have also reported cases, the news agency added.    The H7N9 virus passes between birds, but there is not enough evidence to prove that it passes between humans, according to the World Health Organisation.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p> (Reporting by Venus Wu and Donny Kwok; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Ryan Woo)</p><span id="midArticle_11">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:07:08 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Left turn could cost UK's Labour the 2015 election, says ex-PM Blair ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/9SbVNFpyUt4/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009677100&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU0AS" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">LONDON</span> (Reuters) - Ed Miliband, leader of Britain's opposition, has damaged his chances of winning next May's national election by steering his Labour party too far to the left, former Labour prime minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>The criticism from one of Labour's most successful leaders highlights policy divisions within the party and doubts over Miliband's ability to win a close-fought election race against Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>In an interview with The Economist magazine, Blair warned that the election could be one "in which a traditional left-wing party competes with a traditional right-wing party, with the traditional result".</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Asked if he meant that the Conservatives would win, he said: "Yes, that is what happens." </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Blair later said on Twitter that his remarks had been misinterpreted, that he supported Miliband and was expecting Labour to win.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Blair won three elections between 1997 and 2005 by rebranding the party, whose history is rooted in Britain's trade union movement, as "New Labour", a more centrist party which successfully courted the support of big business and the media.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Miliband has ditched the New Labour tag since he won the leadership of the party in 2010, and is fighting his campaign on a promise of regulating big companies to protect consumers.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>"We have the chance to change direction ... to fight for policies that actually honour and reward hard work, and that hold the banks and energy companies accountable," Miliband said in a New Year message released on Wednesday.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>His agenda has put business leaders on edge ahead of the vote.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Blair said that one of the lessons he had learned from three election wins was not to alienate business.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>"I am convinced the Labour Party succeeds best when it is in the centre ground," he said.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>Labour has a slim lead over the Conservatives in opinion polls, but the rising popularity of nationalist and single-issue parties is expected to complicate the result and could once again mean a coalition government will have to be formed.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>Last month, Miliband fended off rumours of a plot to oust him as leader, as his personal ratings fell amid criticism of his apparent failure to connect with working-class Labour voters and overturn perceptions that he lacks economic competence.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p> (Editing by Robin Pomeroy)</p><span id="midArticle_15">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 13:06:28 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Korean air boss's daughter detained in 'nut rage' case]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/xn6P0YfisWo/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141230&t=2&i=1009124845&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABT0L0" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">SEOUL</span> (Reuters) - The daughter of the chairman of Korean Air Lines, whose outburst over the way she was served nuts in first class prompted widespread outrage and ridicule, was in custody on Wednesday facing charges of violating aviation safety.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Heather Cho, 40, former head of in-flight service, had demanded the chief steward be removed from the flight at John F. Kennedy airport in New York on Dec. 5 after another flight attendant in first class served her macadamia nuts in a bag, not a dish.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>In what media dubbed the "nut rage" incident, the Airbus A380, which had pushed back from its gate, returned for the chief attendant to disembark, arriving in South Korea 11 minutes late.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>"The necessity for detention is recognized as the case is grave and there has been an attempt to systematically cover up charges from the beginning," Lee Kwang-woo, a judge at Seoul Western District Court, said in a text message.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>She can be held for up to 20 days before prosecutors bring charges.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>The Transport Ministry had concluded that Cho abused flight attendants and that airline officials may have tried to cover up the episode.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>Another airline official was detained over allegations that he abetted perjury and obtained information on the ministry's probe to update Cho.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>The Cho family, one of South Korea's most powerful, faced fresh criticism on Wednesday after media said her sister, also an executive with the airline, had sent a text message to Cho on Dec. 17 saying: "I will surely take revenge."</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Emily Cho apologised on Wednesday on Twitter: "I am sorry beyond words for the content of my text message that was reported in today's newspaper. I don't want to make any excuses. It is all my fault".</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Korean Air had no comment and said that Emily Cho was not available to comment.</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Flanked by prosecution officials after the court's detention order late on Tuesday, Heather Cho said "sorry" several times, her head bowed.</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>The Transport Ministry came under fire after revelations that some of its officials leaked information to the company.</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>Cho's case aggravated resentment towards family-run conglomerates, stirred by their dominance of the economy and a widening wealth gap.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>An official at the facility where Cho was being held said she would not receive special treatment. "Whoever comes here, whether it is Cho Hyun-ah (Heather Cho)...they are treated equally."</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p> (Editing by Tony Munroe and Susan Fenton)</p><span id="midArticle_16">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:59:45 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Crowded skies in Southeast Asia put pressure on pilots, air traffic control]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/tBUMIqaPQy8/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20141231&t=2&i=1009525378&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=LYNXMPEABU05E" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">SYDNEY/SINGAPORE</span> (Reuters) - The sheer volume of flights in the skies over Southeast Asia is putting pressure on outdated air traffic control and on pilots to take risky unilateral action in crises such as that possibly faced by AirAsia Flight QZ8501.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Pilots who have flown the Indonesia to Singapore route say it's not unusual for delays to requests to increase altitude to avoid bad weather - and for requests to eventually be rejected due to the number of other planes in the area.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>That leaves pilots flying in a region of volatile weather conditions facing a high-risk challenge: when to take matters into their own hands and declare an emergency, allowing them to take action without getting permission from air traffic control.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Most consider that step - which requires them to broadcast a wideband call to other aircraft in the area and which will later be closely scrutinised by regulators - a last resort.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>"As a professional pilot, you are obligated to think quickly," a Qantas Airways pilot with 25 years experience in the region told Reuters. "If you've signed for the plane, as we put it, you've signed for potentially 300 passengers and millions of dollars worth of aircraft; that's a multibillion dollar liability. Part of the job is to balance the risk and make a snap decision."</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Weighing those risks has become increasingly difficult in Southeast Asia, an area that has seen explosive growth in budget air travel in recent years.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>The number of passengers carried annually across Asia-Pacific has jumped by two-thirds in the past five years to more than 1 billion, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Budget airlines, which only took to the skies around a dozen years ago, today make up about 60 percent of Southeast Asia's seat capacity. AirAsia and Indonesia's Lion Air have placed record orders with the main plane makers.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Boeing predicts the region's airlines will need about 13,000 new planes over the next two decades, and Airbus expects Asia-Pacific to drive demand over that period.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE</p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>"There are certain flight corridors that are over-stressed due to traffic," said a former Singapore Airlines (SIA) pilot with a decade's flying experience at the carrier. "One certainly would be the Indonesia/Singapore flights which are flown by many different companies and aircraft types at a variety of altitudes and speeds."</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>Pilots say that causes a logistical nightmare for the region's air traffic control (ATC), particularly outside high-tech hubs such as Singapore.</p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>"As the airways become more crowded, it takes ATC longer to coordinate and give clearances such as higher altitudes and weather deviations," the former SIA pilot said.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>This can be critical in a region where weather conditions can change very quickly, with strong winds and tropical thunderstorms posing time-critical challenges for pilots.</p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>The circumstances around the AirAsia crash are not yet known, but investigators and the airline's chief Tony Fernandes have pointed to changeable weather being a significant factor.</p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines said last month that while airlines were investing heavily in fuel-efficient planes to meet rising demand, there was growing concern about the need to also invest in related infrastructure, such as airport terminals, runways and air navigation services.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>OUTDATED EQUIPMENT</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>To keep aircraft travelling in a flight corridor at a safe distance from each other, air traffic controllers in Indonesia employ procedural separation - where they use pilots' radio reports to calculate their position relative to other traffic. </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>That takes longer than the more sophisticated radar separation used in Singapore and elsewhere in the world, which allows a controller to more quickly take stock of radar returns from all aircraft in the area.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>A lack of up-to-date equipment and volatile weather conditions were cited by pilots and aviation experts in the 2013 crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737, when the pilot reported the plane being "dragged down" by wind into the sea just short of the runway.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>That was considered a classic example of wind shear - the sudden change in wind speed and direction. Airports in the region's popular island resorts, including Bali, Koh Samui, Langkawi and Cebu, don't have on-ground wind shear detection equipment to help pilots land and take off. [<a href="http://reut.rs/1D4SLcj">reut.rs/1D4SLcj</a>]</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Pilots said critical decisions often come down to experience.</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>"In my opinion, if I don't get permission (to change course) and there's weather ahead, I'll just deviate and deal with the authorities later," said another former SIA pilot who is now with a Gulf carrier.</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p> (Editing by Ian Geoghegan)</p><span id="midArticle_11">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 08:57:56 GMT]]></pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shi'ite militias expand influence, redraw map in central Iraq]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/XlZPl-3ZcjU/story01.htm]]></link><description><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title="" src="" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><p><span class="articleLocation">BAGHDAD</span> (Reuters) - Behind black gates and high walls, Iraqi national security agents watch 200 women and children.</p>
</span><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>Boys and girls play in the yard and then dart inside their trailers, located in a former U.S. military camp and onetime headquarters for Saddam Hussein’s officials in Babel province’s capital Hilla.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>The women and children are unwilling guests, rounded up as they fled with their male relatives in October from Jurf al-Sakhr, a bastion of Islamic State, during a Shi'ite militia and military operation to clear the farming community. </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Once they were arrested, security forces separated out the men, accusing them of being Islamic State fighters. They have not been heard from since.  </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Security forces say the women and children are being investigated, but have not been brought to court.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Their status shows how central Iraq’s mixed Shi’ite and Sunni regions are being altered. </p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>As Shi'ite forces push into territories held by Islamic State, many Sunnis have fled for fear of both the Shi’ite-led government and the Sunni jihadists.  </p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Shi'ite leaders insist Islamic State must never be allowed to strike them again, nor return to areas now abandoned. </p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>Shi'ite groups now decide who can stay in a community and who should leave; whose houses should be destroyed and whose can stand. </p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>In one case, a powerful Shi’ite paramilitary organization has started redrawing the geography of central Iraq, building a road between Shi’ite parts of Diyala province and Samarra, a Sunni city that is home to a Shi’ite shrine.   </p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>“The ideas of what Shi’itestan’s limits are is changing,” said Ali Allawi a historian and former Iraqi minister. </p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>“Some of these towns and villages, which were neutral or partial to ISIS, have been retaken. I don’t think the people living there will go back. We are talking about depopulated areas that may be resettled by different groups.”</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>More than 130,000 people, mostly Sunnis, fled central Iraq in 2014, counting just Baghdad's agricultural belt and northeastern Diyala province, the International Rescue Committee told Reuters. </p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>The exodus has left villages empty as Shi’ite paramilitaries, tribes and security forces fill the void. </p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>Iraqi government officials including Prime Minister Haider Abadi stress the importance of helping people return home. </p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>But in the current chaos it is questionable whether officials can help, or that the displaced will want to return. </p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>"I AM TRAPPED"</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>Already dramatic changes are happening on the ground. For the 200 women and children from Jurf al-Sakhr, it has meant an undefined period of detention. </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>When they ran from their homes in October raising white surrender flags, security forces and militias separated the women from their male relatives.  </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Now the women, jailed in Hilla, worry about their fate. </p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>“I’m trapped here living on charity without understanding why all this happened to us”, said Um Mohamed, sobbing during a visit Reuters made to the heavily secured compound last week.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>“All that I wish is to have my husband back and to return to our small farm.”</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>Security officials say the women and children have not been brought before a court, and will not be freed soon.  </p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p>“These families were joining or harbouring Islamic State,” said Falah al-Rahdi, head of the Babel provincial council’s security committee. “The judicial system will decide their fate."</p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>Privately, officials in Babel province vow never to welcome back its Sunni residents. </p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>CONFISCATE LAND</p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>As Shi’ite militia leaders and tribal allies surround Sunni villages in central Iraq, they insist they have strong intelligence from inside those communities. </p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>“Our orders come from the government: whoever is with Islamic State, we will confiscate their land. Those who aren’t Islamic State will be allowed back,” a national commander from Asaib Ahl al-Haq told Reuters.</p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>He said he contacted sources in Islamic State-held areas and waited until all civilians had escaped before liberating a community.  </p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>However, those who have lost their homes say the militias make little distinction between jihadists and civilians when they storm areas. </p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Akram Shahab, 32, a Shi’ite in Diyala’s Saadiya district, fled with his family last June when Islamic State were about to overrun the town. </p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>He heard from a Sunni neighbour that a jihadist family had moved in. For Shahab it was a relief his house was not blown up.  </p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>But after Iraqi militias and security forces kicked Islamic State out of Saadiya in November, Shahab was stunned to learn that the militias had burned his house assuming it was a terrorist’s. </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>The next day, Shahab went with Shi'ite militiamen to inspect the ruins.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>“I blamed the militia members at the scene for burning my house and they defended themselves, saying how could they tell a Sunni house from a Shi’ite house.”</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>Shahab, who comes from a family with both Shi'ite and Sunni relatives, said he managed to save his Sunni aunt’s house by telling the militia she belonged to their sect.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p>    “They spray-painted (Shi’ite) on the gate to alert the other militia groups,” he said.  </p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p>    “They told me,‘We need to clean your town from those germs who supported Islamic State. You might have lost your house but as a Shi’ite you will live with your head high from now on’.”</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_9"></span><p>SCENIC HIGHWAY</p><span id="midArticle_10"></span><p>Not only are homes being demolished, but new infrastructure is being built. </p><span id="midArticle_11"></span><p>A Shi’ite paramilitary organization is constructing a road to strengthen its positions across the mixed areas of Diyala and neighbouring Salahuddin province. </p><span id="midArticle_12"></span><p>The Badr Organization, a leading political party and militia with ties to Iran, is supervising the new road, which leads to Samarra. </p><span id="midArticle_13"></span><p>It means Badr can resupply troops guarding Samarra, currently surrounded by Islamic State. </p><span id="midArticle_14"></span><p>The 35 km road will also allow Shi'ite pilgrims from Iran to visit Samarra, one of Shi’ite Islam’s most sacred shrines. </p><span id="midArticle_15"></span><p>On a recent day, in olive green sweater and commander’s cap, Badr Organization chief Hadi al-Amri toured the 35 km road. </p><span id="midArticle_0"></span><p>Arguably the most popular Shi’ite politician in Iraq for defending Diyala, Amri placed orange work cones on the ground and directed bulldozers. </p><span id="midArticle_1"></span><p>“The road is of strategic importance to finish off Islamic State in the outskirts of Diyala and to put pressure on them in Salahuddin," said Badr lawmaker Mohammed Naji.  </p><span id="midArticle_2"></span><p>"Hadi Amri suggested this road and he supervises it daily in spite of the dangers.”  </p><span id="midArticle_3"></span><p>Senior Iraqi politicians say Amri is the commander closest to Iran on the battlefield. </p><span id="midArticle_4"></span><p>Amri's new project -- the Samarra road -- passes through one trouble spot: an area called Hawi, which Badr considers to be filled with Islamic State cells.  </p><span id="midArticle_5"></span><p>“We have started neutralizing the villages, putting guards on the road," Naji said. "We have not displaced the people there. We put forces there to make sure Islamic State cannot enter the villages."  </p><span id="midArticle_6"></span><p></p><span id="midArticle_7"></span><p> (Reporting By Ned Parker; Editing by Giles Elgood)</p><span id="midArticle_8">]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 31 Dec 2014 07:39:34 GMT]]></pubDate></item></channel></rss>