Obama says Netanyahu's Iran speech contains 'nothing new'
- 5 hours ago
US President Barack Obama has reacted scathingly to a speech by the Israeli prime minister that castigated his policy towards Iran.
In a speech to the US Congress, Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a deal under discussion on Iran's nuclear programme could "pave Iran's path to the bomb" rather than block it.
But Mr Obama said Mr Netanyahu had offered no viable alternative.
Other senior Democrats - and Iran - also criticised Mr Netanyahu.
The Israeli leader's visit was controversial from the start, because the Republican speaker invited him without consulting the White House.
The US president announced he would not meet Mr Netanyahu, who is fighting in a closely contested national election in just two weeks' time.
Emperor and prime minister diverge on Japan’s memory of war
As the 70th anniversary of surrender looms Abe grows tired of apologising and calls for ‘proactive pacifism’
David McNeill
Japan’s emperor famously renounced his divine status after the second World War, making him essentially a ceremonial figure. Yet, for many Japanese their monarch retains a powerful moral authority, in much the same way as the pope does for older Irish people. His pronouncements still ripple through the national psyche, especially on those rare occasions when he seems to touch on politics.
So Emperor Akihito’s new year message, in which he urged the nation to learn from the war, was interpreted as a rebuke to the government of prime minister Shinzo Abe. The emperor’s successor and oldest son, Prince Naruhito, reinforced that message last week when he said it was important to “look back humbly on the past” and “correctly” pass on the tragic experiences of history.
Though filtered through the opaque language of Imperial Household bureaucrats, there was no masking the concerned tone of these royal homilies – or their timing. Abe has appointed a panel of experts to discuss what he should say to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in August. Though not a single word of the “Abe statement” has been penned, it is already the subject of charged political debate.
US general: Iran role in Tikrit assault 'may be positive'
Top US General Martin Dempsey has said Iran's involvement in dislodging "Islamic State" from the city of Tikrit could be "positive." Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops and Shiite militiamen have moved in around the city.
Dempsey said on Tuesday that the involvement of Iranian-backed Shiites in pushing "Islamic State" (IS) out of Sunni areas of northern Iraq could be "a positive thing" - provided it did not exacerbate sectarian tension.
The general, who is chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told US senators that Iran's military assistance for Shiite militia was nothing new, having been a reality since 2004.
However, he said, it was not being carried out in a more open manner, with Iraqi forces pushing to retake the city of Tikrit from IS.
"This is the most overt conduct of Iranian support, in the form of artillery and other things," Dempsey told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Frankly, it will only be a problem if it results in sectarianism."
Some 10,000 left homeless after Manila shanty town fires
Two fires within a day of each other in the same poor Manila community have left thousands homeless. How can fire safety be improved in low-income areas?
About 10,000 families in the Philippines were displaced after two fires broke out less than a day apart in downtown Manila Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
The fires underscore the need for both immediate and long-term solutions to the risk of fires in the poorest areas of Manila and other urban spaces in developing countries – a problem that was highlighted in a 2010 Red Cross report.
The first fire swept through one end of the Parola Compound – a shanty town in the densely-populated Tondo community – around 6 p.m. Monday night, and spread quickly as winds from nearby Manila Bay fanned the flames, China state news agency Xinhua reported.
Indian court bans controversial interview with convicted rapist
Updated 0129 GMT (0929 HKT) March 4, 2015
An Indian court has banned the publication of an interview with a convicted rapist, who blamed his victim and said she "should just be silent and allow the rape."
The woman, who was attacked by five men on a public bus in 2012, later died from her injuries. The attack provoked outrage around the world.
A spokesman for the New Delhi police told CNN the interview was banned because of its potential to breed disorder.
"A police case has been registered, and we have obtained restrain(ing) orders from the magistrate against the interview," Rajan Bhagat said Tuesday. "No channel beaming into India, local or foreign, can air it. It cannot be published either."
Kenya burns tonnes of ivory confiscated from poachers
President sets fire to 15 tonnes of elephant tusks at event marking World Wildlife Day to discourage ivory trade.
In a move to discourage poaching and TRADE
in ivory, Kenya's president set fire to 15 tonnes of elephant tusks at a World Wildlife Day event.
in ivory, Kenya's president set fire to 15 tonnes of elephant tusks at a World Wildlife Day event.
Twenty-five years since ivory TRADE was banned, new demand from emerging markets threatens Africa's elephants and rhinos, President Uhuru Kenyatta said at Tuesday's ceremony at the Nairobi National Park in the capital city.
was banned, new demand from emerging markets threatens Africa's elephants and rhinos, President Uhuru Kenyatta said at Tuesday's ceremony at the Nairobi National Park in the capital city.
African countries are concerned about the scale and rate of the new threat to endangered wildlife species, he said.
"Many of these tusks belonged to elephants which were wantonly slaughtered by criminals. We want future generations of Kenyans, Africans and the entire world to experience the majesty and beauty of these magnificent beasts. Poachers and their enablers will not have the last word," Kenyatta said before setting ablaze a tall pile of elephant tusks doused with petrol.
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