Nation and World briefs for February 16

Obama to welcome Southeast Asian leaders to US for talks

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asian nations gathered in Southern California on Monday for an unprecedented two days of talks about economic and security issues and forging deeper ties amid China’s assertive presence in the region.

Obama welcomed each leader from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, for a summit at Sunnylands, a California desert estate where Obama had his first meeting with China’s current president.

This is the first time the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia have assembled in the U.S. at Obama’s invitation and not on the margins of another gathering. China is not a member of ASEAN.

The summit was conceived as part of Obama’s mission to raise the U.S. profile and help set the agenda in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific, where China’s territorial claims over disputed waters have raised international concerns and led to friction with ASEAN countries.

Member countries make up the world’s seventh-largest economy and represent the fourth-largest trading partner with the U.S.

World stocks rally after Japan’s Nikkei jumps 7.2 percent

HONG KONG (AP) — World stocks rallied Monday, led by a jump in Japan’s main index, amid hopes for more stimulus from central banks in Europe and Japan.

While Wall Street closed for Presidents’ Day, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 soared 7.2 percent to close at 16,022.58, rebounding from last week’s slump to post its second biggest one-day gain in three years.

That led to big gains in Europe, where Britain’s FTSE 100 closed 2 percent higher at 5,824.28 and Germany’s DAX gained 2.7 percent to 9,206.84. France’s CAC 40 rose 3 percent to close at 4,115.25.

Stocks began rallying after government data showed Japan’s economy shrank 1.4 percent on an annualized basis last quarter because of weak consumer demand and slower exports. It’s a setback for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic revival program, which aims to stoke inflation through massive monetary easing. However, the report also gives the government more reason to open the stimulus taps wider to restore growth, economists said.

Investor sentiment was also bolstered by comments from China’s central bank chief playing down the likelihood of a one-off devaluation of the yuan.

Later in the day, stocks were nudged higher and the euro fell sharply after the European Central Bank reiterated that more stimulus would be considered at the next policy meeting in March.

Lab takes 1st title as Westminster debuts obedience contest

NEW YORK (AP) — Sidestep in perfect pace with someone who has fewer feet than you. Sit properly in front of a crowd, while your favorite person walks away. Sort through a pile of identical items to find the one that belongs to that person — by smell.

Can you do it? Heart can. And she’s a 3-year-old Labrador retriever.

Heart won the Westminster Kennel Club dog show’s first-ever obedience competition Monday with a crowd-pleasing, tail-wagging display of canine deportment that included fetching a few heart-print pillows.

“She is just amazing,” said owner and handler Linda Brennan, of Columbia, New Jersey. Plus, “we had the cute factor.”

Heart bested 33 other dogs in the first obedience event of any kind at the nation’s premier dog show since a non-competitive demonstration in 1956. The contestants ranged from a toy poodle to a powerful Rottweiler (mixed-breeds were eligible, but none competed.)

Israeli officer filmed overturning Palestinian’s wheelchair

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says it has launched an investigation into a border police officer who was filmed tipping over a Palestinian in a wheelchair in the West Bank.

Justice Ministry spokeswoman Eden Klein said Monday that an investigation is underway.

The incident happened Sunday after Israeli forces shot and wounded a Palestinian woman who police said had pulled out a knife and tried to attack an officer.

Footage shot by a local resident shows the woman on the ground bleeding and officers ordering Palestinians to keep away. One officer flips over a Palestinian’s wheelchair, dumping him on the ground.

The last five months have seen near-daily Palestinian assaults that have killed 27 Israelis. At least 162 Palestinians, the majority of whom Israel says were attackers, have been killed by Israeli fire.

Texas judge disclosed details about Scalia’s health

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Texas county judge who decided no autopsy was needed following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has disclosed new details about Scalia’s health in the days before he died.

Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara told The Associated Press on Monday she spoke with Scalia’s doctor on the day he was found dead in his room at a remote Texas ranch. She said the doctor told her that Scalia had a history of heart trouble, high blood pressure and was considered too weak to undergo surgery for a recent shoulder injury.

Those details are seemingly at odds with recollections of friends who described Scalia has his usual, happy self during the days leading up to his death. News that the 79-year-old justice was in declining health may come as a surprise to the public, but unlike presidents, the high court’s members don’t provide regular health disclosures.

Guevara told the AP that she consulted with Scalia’s personal physician and local and federal investigators, who said there were no signs of foul play, before concluding that he had died of natural causes. She said she spoke with a “Dr. Monahan” at some point after 8 p.m. on Saturday to discuss Scalia’s health history.

Rear Adm. Brian P. Monahan is the attending physician for members of Congress and the Supreme Court. A Supreme Court spokeswoman could not immediately confirm that Monahan had examined Scalia, and Monahan did not return a phone message left for him at his Capitol office Monday.