The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France have ended their latest Berlin crisis meeting with a joint call to end hostilities in Ukraine but no ground-breaking agreement.
	The four top diplomats in their statement said they "call on all sides involved to cease hostilities and to withdraw heavy weapons" from a demarcation line agreed in a September truce pact signed in Minsk.
	"I'm not going to say we saw a breakthrough, but I think we saw tangible progress today," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, adding that coming days would show whether there is real progress or not.

Foreign ministers in Ukraine talks call for ceasefire

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American Express Co. Has said it planned to cut its workforce by 4,000 jobs to reduce costs.
	Marina Hoffman Norville, a spokeswoman for the US banking group and a leading issuer of credit cards, said it was taking a USD 313 million charge in its fourth-quarter accounts to cover the severance costs of the layoffs, which amount to about six per cent of its global staff.
	American Express reported a 15 per cent increase in earnings per share, to USD 1.39, in its fourth quarter, on a seven per cent rise in total revenues to USD 9.1 billion.
	"Solid results this quarter reflected the underlying themes that have characterized our performance throughout 2014: higher card member spending, increased loan balances, tight control of operating expenses and a substantial return of capital to shareholders through share repurchases," said Kenneth Chenault, chairman and chief executive.

American Express cutting 4,000 jobs

Kurdish forces launched an offensive against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, cutting a road linking two of the main areas it holds in north Iraq, officials said.
	The Kurdistan Regional Security Council said peshmerga forces began a "large-scale offensive" around 7:00 am .
	The drive succeeded in cutting the road between IS's stronghold Mosul, the first city the jihadists took in a June offensive, and Tal Afar, a large town to its west that the group has held for months, senior Kurdish security officials said.
	A US-led anti-IS coalition announced it carried out six air strikes in the two areas from Tuesday to Wednesday three near Tal Afar and three near Mosul. It did not specify the exact locations targeted.
	The strikes hit targets including vehicles, IS units, buildings, heavy weapons and a bridge, a statement said.
	IS spearheaded a sweeping offensive that has overrun much of Iraq's Sunni Arab heartland since June, presenting both an opportunity for territorial expansion ...

Kurdish forces cut key road in north Iraq drive

Belgian authorities have charged a sixth person with terrorism following a series of raids in Belgium last week that foiled a plot to kill police, the prosecutor's office said today.
	The man, identified as Abdelmoumaim H. And who is in his 20s, was arrested Tuesday and charged with "participating in the activities of a terrorist group," the prosecutors said.
	Five other people who were picked up during the January 15 raids face the same count of terrorism, including three Belgian nationals in their 20s who were placed in custody.
	The Brussels court prolonged for a month the custody of those three suspects, identified Wednesday as Marouan E, Mohamed A and Billel H.
	The prosecutor's office said the suspects are also charged with violating weapons laws, while Marouan E. Is additionally accused of premeditated armed rebellion in a group.
	Belgian media identified him as Marouan El Bali, 25.
	During the police raid on a hideout in the eastern town of Verviers, terror suspects Sofiane A, 

Sixth person charged in foiled Belgium terror plot

A dozen ex-French soldiers have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, raising concerns over the possible existence of radical elements within the military, a defence ministry source.
	"We estimate at around a dozen the number of former troops who have joined these networks," the source, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
	"Our concern is not former soldiers... It's preventing the phenomenon of radicalisation with our forces," the source added.
	Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian refused to comment directly on the affair.
	"The cases of former soldiers being tempted by jihadism are extremely rare," he told a press conference to announce new anti-terrorism measures in the wake of the recent attacks in Paris.
	The military's 1,000-strong internal intelligence unit will get 65 extra staff to help vet and track recruits more closely, the ministry announced.
	The army's biggest fear is that rogue soldiers could turn their weapons on their comrades or use their combat and explosives .

A dozen former French soldiers waging jihad: defence source

The White House gave an icy response to news that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to address Congress next month, suggesting it would be a departure from protocol.
	"We haven't heard from the Israelis directly about the trip at all," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.
	The White House added it would "reserve judgment" on any possible meeting between Obama and Netanyahu for now.
	"The typical protocol would suggest that the leader of a country would contact the leader of another country when he is travelling there. That is certainly how President Obama's trips are planned.
	"So this particular event seems to be a departure from that protocol."
	While Israel and the United States remain close allies, Obama and Netanyahu have publicly clashed over Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and about how to tackle Iran's disputed nuclear program.
	The Obama administration, Earnest said, would want to hear about plans for the trip and Netanyahu's ...

White House cool on planned Netanyahu Congress speech

Formula One team Force India's drivers Germany's Nico Hulkenberg and Mexican Sergio Perez pulled back the covers on the car they hope will bring them success in the 2016 season today.
	The duo revealed the new model in a museum in Mexico City, which belongs to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim who is Perez' sponsor.
	Force India's billionaire Indian owner Vijay Mallya was especially proud of the new livery on the car which is brand new, a combination of silver and black with the team's traditional colour of orange streaking from the nose cone to the rear of the car in two symmetrical curves.
	"I love the addition of silver, which makes the car appear more sleek and aggressive and I'm sure it's something that will appeal to the fans as well," purred Mallya.
	"Our traditional team colours remain integrated in the livery, but we've given it a very modern twist."
	With regard to the shape of the car there has been a lowering at the front of the car of the chassis and the nose.
	"The front ..

Formula One: Force India unveil car for 2015 season

Police arrested an American biochemistry professor at an Ottawa hotel today over an alleged chemical threat that prompted authorities to evacuate the building, police and media reported.
	"We apprehended a male at the Chimo hotel without incident," a police spokeswoman told AFP.
	"He is being held on a Canada-wide warrant issued relating to charges in Nova Scotia province."
	Earlier, police evacuated the hotel and brought in hazmat and tactical squads, after reportedly receiving a tip from the man's wife that he had travelled from Halifax to Ottawa in a van packed with dangerous chemicals.
	The man's vehicle has also been located, police confirmed.
	Local media identified the suspect as American national Christopher Phillips, and said he is a professor at a university in Halifax where he lives with his family.
	They also said he was once a biochemical weapons expert for the US military, and had uttered threats against the Canadian government.
	Ottawa police Constable Chuck Benoit told 

Man arrested over alleged chemical threat in Canada capital

Yemen's President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi won the support of Gulf neighbours today and readied for talks with Shiite militia who had attacked his residence, raising fears of a coup.
	The powerful militia, known as Huthis, seized almost full control of the capital Sanaa in September and have fought pitched battles with government forces this week as they press for more political power.
	On Tuesday, the militia seized Hadi's offices at the presidential palace and attacked his residence, in what officials said was an attempt to overthrow the government.
	There were no signs of fresh violence today, but medical and security sources said at least 35 people had been killed and 94 wounded in the two previous days.
	The unrest has raised deep international concern, with the UN Security Council condemning the attacks and backing Hadi as Yemen's "legitimate authority".
	After an emergency meeting in Riyadh, foreign ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council today accused the Huthis of .

Yemen leader readies for talks after 'coup' warnings

A court in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant for the editor of the country's top daily newspaper over a cartoon and article deemed offensive to Muslims.
	Activists have accused the Bangladesh government of seeking to muzzle its critics, and the warrant came weeks after authorities forced off air a private television station that broadcast a speech by the son of the opposition leader.
	Matiur Rahman, who edits the Bengali daily Prothom Alo, was accused of hurting religious sentiment in a case filed last October.
	Public prosecutor Alam Khan Kamal told AFP the judge had issued the arrest warrant after Rahman failed to appear in court on three consecutive occasions.
	Rahman did not immediately answer calls for comment.
	Prothom Alo is Bangladesh's most widely read newspaper with a circulation of around half a million and has a reputation for being politically neutral.
	The charge relates to a cartoon published in 2007 that used the name Mohammed a common first name in Bangladesh and an 

Bangladesh court orders newspaper editor's arrest

French intelligence did not prevent the Paris attacks despite benefitting from "most intrusive" surveillance laws because suspects are "buried under data", US whistleblower Edward Snowden said today.
	"France passed one of the most intrusive, expansive surveillance laws in all of Europe last year and it didn't stop the attack," the former US intelligence contractor told Dutch state broadcaster NOS in an interview.
	The French parliament passed a controversial law in December 2013 that facilitates police and intelligence agencies' access to telephone and Internet data in the fight against militants and organised crime.
	Snowden, interviewed in Moscow where he has sought political asylum after revealing the US National Security Agency methods, drew a parallel with the controversial post-9/11 Patriot Act.
	Mass surveillance enabled by the act did not prevent the 2013 Boston marathon attacks, Snowden said, recalling a conversation with a colleague on the day of the bombings that killed 3 .

Paris attacks 'despite mass surveillance': Snowden

A respected American surgeon has died after being critically injured when a man shot him in a hospital in the northeastern city of Boston, the hospital announced today.
	The incident occurred shortly before noon at Brigham and Women's Hospital on Tuesday. The shooter killed himself after the incident.
	The hospital said Michael Davidson, director of endovascular cardiac surgery, died late Tuesday from gunshot wounds.
	"Dr. Davidson was a wonderful and inspiring cardiac surgeon who devoted his career to saving lives and improving the quality of life of every patient he cared for," it said in a statement.
	Police named the shooter as Stephen Pasceri, 55. His mother had been a patient of Davidson and Boston police said the doctor had been deliberately targeted.
	US media reports said Pasceri blamed Davidson for his mother's death.

Boston surgeon dies after hospital shooting

On a pitch which captain Jason Holder admitted held no terrors, the West Indies collapsed to 122 all out and suffered a humiliating nine-wicket defeat in the third one-day international against South Africa at Buffalo Park today.
	Marlon Samuels made 26 but no other West Indian batsmen reached 20 in a dismal performance on a good pitch.
	Man of the match Vernon Philander took two wickets inside the first two overs and finished with three for 27, while leg-spinner Imran Tahir claimed a career-best four for 28.
	South Africa needed just 24.4 overs to complete a series-clinching win. Hashim Amla took his tally for the series to 280 runs for once out with an unbeaten 61 not out, while Faf du Plessis made 51 not out.
	It was another crushing defeat for the West Indies following a one-sided encounter in the second match in Johannesburg last Sunday when South Africa made 439 for two on the way to winning by 148 runs.
	"We batted poorly," said Holder. "The pitch was a little slow but there ...

Cricket: South Africa cruise to series win over woeful WIndies

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday Russia had recently increased the flow of heavy arms and equipment into eastern Ukraine but he declined to comment on Kiev's charge it has 9,000 troops on the ground helping pro-Moscow rebels.
	"We will not go into specific figures or numbers," Stoltenberg said when asked about Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's remarks that more than 9,000 Russian soldiers were now in the separatist east.
	Russia had been moving forces and equipment back and forth repeatedly but recently "we have seen an increase in Russian equipment inside eastern Ukraine... Like tanks, artillery, armoured vehicles and advanced air defence systems," Stoltenberg said.
	"This Russian military presence... Does not contribute to a peaceful and negotiated solution," he said, calling on Russia once again to fully implement the Minsk peace accords it signed up to in September.
	Poroshenko said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that there were "more than 9,000 troops of the ..

NATO says Russia has increased equipment flows into Ukraine

The United States said it was closely monitoring a crisis in Yemen that has seen Shiite militia seize much of the capital Sanaa, with Washington calling for a peaceful solution.
	President Barack Obama "is being updated by his national security team," a senior administration official told AFP, as the government of President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi a US political ally teetered.
	"We strongly condemn the violence and those stoking it in an effort to disrupt Yemen's political transition," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
	"We will continue to support efforts to bring about a peaceful solution."
	The US military is ready to evacuate American diplomats and other personnel from Yemen if asked by the State Department, but no action was imminent at the moment, defense officials told AFP.
	Two amphibious ships with US Marines on board, the USS Iwo Jima and the USS Fort McHenry, are in the region and available if needed.
	The Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, had recently 

US calls for peaceful solution to Yemen crisis

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said  that more than 9,000 Russian soldiers were currently backing up pro-Moscow fighters in the separatist east of the country.
	"We have more than 9,000 troops of the Russian Federation on my territory, including more than 500 tanks and heavy artillery and armed personnel carriers," Poroshenko told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
	The pro-Western leader stressed there was no military solution to the brutal nine-month conflict that has killed more than 4,800 people and brought Ukraine's economy to its knees.
	But he insisted that the key to peace was held by Russia a country that has firmly denied supporting the insurgents despite NATO satellite imagery purporting to show its forces' presence in Ukraine.
	"The solution is very simple. Stop supplying weapons. Stop supplying ammunition. Withdraw the troops and close the border. A very simple peace plan," Poroshenko said to a round of applause.
	Poroshenko elected in May on a promise to bring his .

Poroshenko says over 9,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine

Gulf foreign ministers today accused Shiite militia in Yemen of attempting to stage a "coup" against President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, a day after the Huthi fighters seized the presidential palace.
	"The states of the Gulf Cooperation Council consider what happened in Sanaa on Tuesday... A coup against the legitimate authority," the ministers said in a statement following an emergency meeting in Riyadh.
	The GCC also expressed support for the "constitutionally legitimate authority" of Hadi, and rejected "all measures aimed at imposing change by force".
	They warned that Gulf states "would take all measures necessary to protect their security, stability and vital interests in Yemen."
	The ministers offered to send a GCC envoy to Yemen for mediation if the Huthis withdrew from the presidential palace and other government buildings and freed Hadi's abducted chief of staff Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak.
	They also called for the withdrawal of militiamen around Hadi's residence in western ...

Gulf states condemn attempted 'coup' in Yemen, back president

Israeli conduct during last summer's war in the Gaza Strip increased the number of civilian casualties, an independent report has said, by failing to differentiate between military targets and civilian populations.
	Despite claims to the contrary, the military did not give sufficient warning for civilians to evacuate residential areas before striking them, according to the report partly commissioned by Physicians for Human Rights and carried out by eight independent medical experts.
	The report also cited potential violations of humanitarian law and indiscriminate strikes that led to the deaths of medical workers, and called for a full inquiry into the 50-day conflict.
	The war between Israel and Islamist movement Hamas killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and has caused growing instability in Gaza, where 100,000 people whose homes were destroyed or damaged remain displaced.
	Another 73 died on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers,
	"Attacks were characterised by heavy and 

Israel failed to minimise civilian toll in Gaza war: report

A woman gave birth to a baby girl over the Atlantic on a flight to New York from Jordan, a US airport official said today.
	The 33-year-old woman was assisted by a nurse and doctor who happened to be on board Royal Jordanian flight J261 when she went into labor.
	The little girl was born at around 5:30 pm New York time on Tuesday, while the plane was cruising over the Atlantic, said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
	"From what the doctor said, it was a fairly straight forward delivery," he told AFP. The baby weighs more than 2.7 kilos.
	The twin-jet Boeing Dreamliner landed at John F Kennedy International Airport later Tuesday evening following a journey of 11 and a half hours.
	Mother and baby were taken to a nearby hospital and are reportedly in good health, Pentangelo said.
	The woman is a Jordanian citizen and was travelling alone.

Jordanian woman gives birth over Atlantic

Press freedom is increasingly "under siege," US Secretary of State John Kerry warned as he paid tribute to the slain journalists of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
	"The truth is that freedom of the press, whether symbolized by a pencil, a pen, a camera, or a microphone is under siege, purposefully," Kerry told a conference called to examine ways to improve security for journalists.
	"That is because some people, some groups, and even some governments want to dictate the truth, want to define it, want to hide what we would know to be the truth."
	"Obviously, we cannot and we will not let that happen," he vowed after the "outrage" in Paris earlier this month when Islamist attacks on the offices of Charlie Hebdo and on a Jewish supermarket left 16 people dead.
	Last week Kerry laid wreaths at the sites of the Paris attacks in a poignant visit to the French capital to offer US condolences and support.
	He recalled that in 2014 at least 60 journalists were killed and 73 in ...

Kerry says freedom of press 'under siege'

A group of pro-Syrian regime hackers briefly took over the Twitter account of France's Le Monde newspaper early today, tweeting several messages including one reading "Je ne suis pas Charlie".
	The tweet was a negative reference to the "Je Suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) hashtag that became a popular way of showing solidarity in the wake of this month's Islamist attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead.
	The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) also managed to tweet in support of Palestine and against the bombing of Syria before the account was suspended.
	Le Monde's account was back up this morning with a tweet reading: "Our account was hacked, but we have it back under control. We apologise for the fake messages posted in our name."
	It said it would file a complaint against persons unknown.
	The paper said yesterday that the group had tried and failed to hack its website on Sunday and Monday. The hackers had attempted to get into its Twitter account by ...

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