A 19-year-old man opened fire near a popular all-female Mardi Gras parade, killing two people in the latest spate of violence to mar Carnival parties in New Orleans, police said.
	John Hicks, of New Orleans, was booked today and accused of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. He was also was charged with carrying a firearm on a parade route.
	Police spokesman Frank Robertson said the shooting happened when Hicks started arguing with one of the slain men. Police didn't say what they were arguing about. They scheduled a news conference for today.
	The shooting took place at about 10 pm yesterday on St. Charles Avenue on the edge of the city's museum and art districts.
	In at least eight of the past 11 years, shootings have marred the city's Mardi Gras celebration.

New Orleans Police: 2 die in Mardi Gras parade shooting

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Eight Islamic State fighters were killed when they attacked an air base where US and coalition forces are training Iraqi forces.
	Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said that initial reports today showed that all of the IS attackers were killed by Iraqi troops at or inside a gate to al-Asad air base in the western province of Anbar.
	There are about 400 US troops at the base, but Warren said none of the American forces were involved in the fighting. He said the US troops were about two miles (three kilometers) away, in a different section of the sprawling air base.
	US unmanned surveillance aircraft and Army Apache attack helicopters were sent to the scene from Baghdad, but the attack was over before they arrived, so they did not engage in fighting.
	There are currently nearly 2,600 US forces in Iraq. Of those, about 450 are training Iraqi troops at three bases across the country, including al-Asad. Forces from other coalition countries conduct the training at the fourth ...

US: Islamic State fighters killed by Iraqi forces

Rio de Janeiro is kicking off the five days of over-the-top parades and raucous, alcohol-soaked street parties that make up its world-famous Carnival celebrations.
	Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes today handed over the keys of the city to King Momo, the mythical jester who reigns over the extravaganza.
	This year's celebration will be a chance for Brazilians to forget the recent avalanche of bad news, from a stalling economy to rising crime to an ongoing corruption scandal at state-run oil giant Petrobras.
	More than 450 street parties are slated to bring millions of people onto Rio streets, including some 970,000 tourists. Paes says the visitors are expected to inject around $780 million into the local economy.
	Carnival wraps up on Wednesday.

Rio's Carnival kicks off; city gears up for 5 days of fun

The Paris prosecutor's office says six men have been charged with preparation of terrorist acts and terror financing.
	The six men aged 32 to 38 are suspected of helping to finance jihadi networks that recruit young people to fight in Syria.
	All six appeared together in a French court today to face preliminary charges and were ordered held without bail. They were arrested Sunday in the city of Toulouse and town of Albi in southern France.
	Police have conducted several anti-terror operations following last month's terrorist attacks in and near Paris.
	They say Sunday's arrests were not linked to those attacks.
	Prosecutors in recent weeks have filed preliminary charges against 147 people suspected of supporting anti-government fighters in Syria, where the Islamic State group controls much of the country.

France charges 6 with recruiting militants to fight in Syria

Weeks of trial in a years-old lawsuit claiming a marine services company defrauded guest workers from India and subjected them to forced labor are nearing an end in New Orleans.
	A jury began deliberations this week in the 2008 lawsuit against Signal International. The trial began in mid-January. Issues of liability and possible damages were being deliberated by jurors who began work Wednesday and were to continue meeting today.
	It's one of multiple lawsuits backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of workers brought to the Gulf Coast on temporary work visas who were allegedly misled, subjected to substandard housing and falsely promised "green cards" allowing them to stay in the US.
	Signal, headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, has denied wrongdoing and, in court records and testimony, has pointed fingers at a labor recruitment firm and an immigration lawyer who are co-defendants in the case.
	SPLC filed the lawsuit on behalf of 12 people in 2008. A judge refused to grant ...

New Orleans jury could soon decide 'guest worker' lawsuit

One person was killed and another wounded along the route of a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, police said, but the popular event rolled on.
	About 10 pm yesterday, a person produced a gun and shot the two people during the Muses parade, police spokesman Frank Robertson said.
	A suspect was in custody, and a weapon was recovered nearby. Police didn't release any other details.
	Angela Matherne was taking in the parade the traditional kickoff to Carnival weekend with family when the shooting happened a block away. Matherne told The Associated Press that she didn't hear anything "but saw people running in our direction and police in the opposite."
	Matherne said the parade kept going and she didn't realise there had been a shooting until later, when she left the route.
	Officers stationed nearby responded immediately and barriers were set up, but the parade continued, The New Orleans Advocate reported.
	One victim was struck in the chest and died in surgery, Robertson said. The other .

New Orleans police: Mardi Gras parade shooting kills 1

Egypt's official news agency is reporting that an explosive device struck a police patrol in eastern Cairo, injuring 10, including one civilian.
	A militant group claimed responsibility saying the policemen were heading to disperse Islamists' demonstrations.
	MENA says the bomb exploded today in Cairo's populous Ein Shams district. Security forces sealed off the area, diverted traffic and explosives experts were deployed to search for other devices.
	Egyptian militant group Ajnad Misr or Egypt's Soldiers said on its Twitter account that it targeted the security force before heading to nearby Alf Maskan district, a hotspot of near-weekly clashes between security forces and Islamist demonstrators.
	Demonstrations by supporters of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, ousted by the military in 2013, have largely waned amid a heavy security clampdown.

Blast targeting police station injure 10 in Egypt

China's first female astronaut has begun training for her next mission after having a baby, state media reported today.
	The selection of China's female astronauts had been somewhat controversial because of a reported preference for married women who have children, purportedly to guard against radiation damaging their reproductive health. Those fears have so far proven unfounded, although no pregnant woman has flown in space as far as is known.
	The official China Daily newspaper quoted Liu Yang as confirming at an award ceremony this week that she had given birth but the report gave no more details about the child. She was quoted as saying she was training for her next mission, an attempt to dock with a future space station for which no firm date has been set.
	Liu, 37, was a member of the three-person Shenzhou 9 mission that flew the first trip to China's experimental space station Tiangong 1 in 2012. China plans to launch a more permanent Tiangong 2 space station in about five ...

China's 1st female astronaut becomes mom, resumes training

The New Orleans Police Department says two people are in critical condition after a shooting along a Mardi Gras parade route in uptown.
	Police spokesman Frank Robertson says there was an altercation around 10 pm (local time) yesterday during which a person produced a firearm and shot two people.
	Robertson says one victim was struck in the neck and the other in the chest. He says both were taken to a local hospital.
	Police said one suspect is in custody. No further details were immediately available.
	The shooting occurred during the Muses parade the traditional kickoff to the Carnival weekend.
	The New Orleans Advocate reports officers stationed nearby responded immediately. Barriers were set up, but the parade rolled on.
	The city will host several parades daily until Mardi Gras, which is Tuesday.

New Orleans police: 2 shot along Mardi Gras parade route

FIFA is sticking with its American TV partners through another World Cup.
     In a surprise announcement yesterday, the sport's world governing body extended the U.S. And Canadian deals for its tournaments through 2026.
     Fox added U.S. English-language coverage of the 2026 World Cup to its existing agreement for the 2018 and '22 events.
     Terms of the contracts were not disclosed. In 2011, Fox won the English-language rights for about $425 million for two cycles, outbidding ESPN.
     "These events are some of the world's most important sports competitions, and it is our privilege to be entrusted with these rights in the United States," Fox said in a statement.
     The extensions come amid the uncertainty of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. FIFA plans to move the tournament out of the traditional June-July slot to avoid the brutal Qatari heat, and a working group plans to recommend new dates at a Feb. 23 meeting in Doha. A different schedule would conflict with a busier time of ..

FIFA says it is awarding Fox, Telemundo another World Cup

Protesters clashed with police in this anti-government stronghold amid a storm of tear gas, rocks and rubber bullets as Venezuelans staged dueling marches on the anniversary of last year's bloody protest movement.
	While demonstrations were mostly calm elsewhere in the socialist South American country, an anti-government march turned violent in this restive city near the border with Colombia, which was an epicenter of the 2014 movement.
	Embattled President Nicolas Maduro, meanwhile, yesterday said his administration foiled a coup attempt that was supposed to take place yesterday and he alleged it had US backing.
	He said five air force officers, including a general, were detained for plotting to use a military jet to bomb the presidential palace. He provided no evidence or other details.
	Maduro frequently denounces what he says are coup attempts without providing specifics, and last year arrested several members of the military who he said were plotting to overthrow him.
	A sea of ..

Violent clashes in Venezuela on protest movement anniversary

The Minnesota Orchestra announced that it will play two concerts in Cuba in May in what's believed to be the first major cultural exchange between the two countries since their leaders announced a move toward warmer relations.
	Orchestra CEO Kevin Smith said the Cuban Ministry of Culture invited it to play at Havana's International Cubadisco Festival on May 15 and 16.
	It will be the first visit by a major US orchestra to Cuba since the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra played in Cuba in December 1999.
	"This initiative will demonstrate the power of music to offer extraordinary opportunities for cultural exchange," said Marilyn Nelson, a life director on the orchestra board who is helping finance the trip.
	"We are thrilled that our orchestra will have the opportunity to make this connection in Cuba."
	There was no immediate response to the announcement from the Cuban government.
	The opportunity is partly a result of the moves toward normalized relations announced on Dec. 17 by US ...

US orchestra travel to Cuba in major cultural exchange

A French official says Egypt has agreed to buy 24 Rafale jets as part of a USD 5.93 billion defense deal, marking the first foreign sale of the French-made fighters.
	The official said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was expected to travel to Cairo on Monday to sign the accord. The official spoke only on condition that his name not be used, citing ministry protocol.
	The sale, if confirmed, would mark the culmination of years of French efforts to sell the multi-role fighters built by Dassault Aviation. A company spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
	The official said a French FREMM frigate and missiles made by MBDA were also part of the deal.

Official: Egypt 1st foreign buyer of French Rafale fighters

Israel's prime minister faced accusations of politicizing the country's most prestigious award after moving to disqualify some of the judges because he disagreed with their political views.
	A number of judges for the Israel Prize have resigned in protest, while nominees say they won't accept the award. One of the nominees, author David Grossman, told Channel 10 TV on Thursday that he pulled out in response to the "prime minister's campaign of incitement," calling it an attack on "freedom of thought."
	Netanyahu recently rejected the nominations of two judges in the literature category. In a Facebook post, he said the panel is controlled by judges with "extremist views" on the far left of the political spectrum, such as encouraging soldiers not to serve in the army. He said the committee needs to reflect the wider public.
	"This man who is supposed to be taking care of the Iranian issue at his speech before the U.S Congress, or the country's welfare or health issues, is dealing with ..

Israel Prize judges resign, say Netanyahu meddling

The US is criticizing Myanmar's decision to invalidate temporary citizenship cards for minority Rohingya Muslims.
	Top State Department envoy on human rights, Tom Malinowski, registered his concern in a tweet Thursday.
	He wrote that invalidating the so-called white cards is counter to hoped-for reconciliation in Rakhine State and inclusive elections.
	Many Rohingya have been left homeless in deadly violence with majority Buddhists in that region.
	The cards were instituted by the former ruling junta for minorities in the process of applying for citizenship.
	Myanmar's president declared Wednesday that the cards would be invalidated at the end of March. That negated an earlier decision that would have allowed card holders to vote and had prompted Buddhists to protest.
	Myanmar may hold a constitutional referendum this year, before national elections.

US criticizes Myanmar invalidation of temp citizen cards

Each year about 8.8 million tons of plastic ends up in the world oceans, a quantity much higher than previous estimates, according to a new study that tracked marine debris from its source.
	That's the equivalent of five grocery bags full of plastic debris dotting each foot of coastline around the world, said study lead author Jenna Jambeck, an environment engineering professor at the University of Georgia.
	And if the biggest polluters, mostly developing Asian countries, don't clean up how they throw stuff away, Jambeck projects that by 2025 the total accumulated plastic trash in the oceans will reach around 170 million tons.
	 That's based on population trends and continued waste management disposal problems, although there may be some early signs of change, she said.
	More than half of the plastic waste that flows into the oceans comes from just five countries: China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The only industrialized western country on the list of top 20 ...

Study: World dumps 8.8 million tons of plastics into oceans

Galvanised by the recent terror attacks in France, European Union leaders today debated a range of ambitious steps to better protect their 28 nations, including exchanging airliner passenger manifests, tightening controls at the border and combating extremism on the Internet.
	EU President Donald Tusk, the summit meeting's host, said he would seek agreement on a "work plan to step up the fight against terrorism." The bloc's top official for counter-terrorism warned member governments last month that "Europe is facing an unprecedented, diverse and serious threat."
	Counter-terrorism policy shot to the top of the EU agenda following the Jan. 7-9 terror attacks in Paris against a satirical weekly, a policewoman and a kosher grocery store that claimed a total of 17 victims.
	The three gunmen, who proclaimed allegiance to Al-Qaida in Yemen and the Islamic State group, were also shot dead by French police.
	The attacks mobilized France and other EU countries to seek more effective ways to ..

EU leaders debate new anti-terror measures

The Burundian army, police and members of the ruling party's youth league executed 47 people following a clash with an armed group in the country's northwest, an international human rights group said.
	Human Rights Watch said it spoke with more than 50 people, including members of the armed group in detention, local government officials and 32 witnesses to the killings, which took place between Dec. 30 and Jan. 3 in the province of Cibitoke.
	There was no immediate comment from the Burundian government.
	Although there is limited information about the armed group, it appears members crossed into Burundi from neighboring Congo in late December, the rights groups said.
	Members of the group surrendered to authorities in January and most of those who surrendered were executed, the report said.
	"The Burundian security forces have a responsibility to defend citizens against violence, but that cannot mean murdering those they have detained," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human ...

Rights group: Burundi police, soldiers executed 47 rebels

The UN Security Council threatened new sanctions against Sudanese government officials and armed groups that attack civilians in Darfur, target peacekeepers and impede efforts to end the 12-year conflict in Sudan's vast western region.
	The council made the threats in a resolution adopted unanimously that extends the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions in Darfur until March 12, 2016. Members said they intend to review the panel's mandate and take action on further extensions by Feb. 12 of next year.
	Darfur has been torn by conflict since 2003 when rebels took up arms against the government in Khartoum, accusing it of discrimination and neglect. The United Nations says 300,000 people have died in the conflict and 2.7 million have fled their homes.
	Several rebel groups have signed peace deals with the government, but Darfur's two main rebel factions, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement, have not.
	The resolution ...

UN threatens sanctions against Sudan government and rebels

A US homeowner was sentenced to 70 years in prison, with no parole for at least 20 years, in the shotgun killing of a German exchange student who was trespassing in his garage.
	A Montana jury convicted Markus Kaarma, 30, of deliberate homicide in the case that caused an outcry in Germany and brought scrutiny to the state's law allowing the use of deadly force in some situations to protect home and family.
	Kaarma shot 17-year-old Diren Dede, who was unarmed, in April after he was alerted by motion sensors in his garage. Witnesses testified that Kaarma fired four times at the teen.
	Dede's father, Celal Dede, said after the sentencing: "It is justice. I am not happy. My son is dead."
	He and his wife attended the entire trial, and he returned from Germany for the hearing.
	Kaarma sat staring down during the proceedings, occasionally glancing around the crowded courtroom. He had buzz-cut dark hair and wore an orange jail suit.
	"I'm sorry my actions caused the death of Mr. Dede," he ...

US man gets 70 years in German exchange student's death

European Union lawmakers are demanding the immediate release from jail of a Saudi blogger sentenced to be flogged 50 times a week over several months for insulting Islam.
	The parliamentarians condemned Raif Badawi's flogging as a "cruel and shocking act."
	Thursday's resolution was passed by 460 votes to 153, with 29 abstentions.
	The 32-year-old father of three was lashed 50 times on Jan. 9, but a second beating was postponed for medical reasons.
	Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes in total for encouraging Saudis to share opinions about the role of religion in the country on his Free Saudi Liberals website.

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