Nation, world briefs 2/28/2016

Time running out to update nukes

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- In describing how little room the Pentagon has to extend the life of its decades-old nuclear forces, the top U.S. nuclear war-fighting commander, Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, said "we're at the brick wall stage." Time to begin modernizing the country's nuclear weapons is running short, he and other Pentagon leaders said. They contend the force still is in fighting shape -- "safe, reliable and effective" is the mantra. But they argue the time has come to begin modernizing the force or risk eroding its credibility as a deterrent to attack by others. They don't face brick wall-like resistance in Congress, but the debate over spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build and field a new generation of nuclear-capable bombers, submarines and land-based missiles is just beginning.

Election: Irish foes may be partners

DUBLIN -- Ireland could be on course for a historic coalition between two longtime political foes -- the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail parties -- as the first official election results were announced Saturday. A comprehensive exit poll and partial official results from Friday's election suggest the governing Fine Gael of Prime Minister Enda Kenny and the main opposition Fianna Fail offer the most obvious combination to create a stable new government. The two parties, which trace their origins to opposite sides of the 1922-1923 civil war that followed Ireland's independence from Britain, have never shared power before. But analysts said Fine Gael is on course to keep fewer than 50 of the 158 seats in Ireland's parliament, while Fianna Fail could win more than 40, making them the best choice on paper to forge a majority.

Greece becomes a migrant 'warehouse'

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece is fast becoming the "warehouse of human beings" its government has vowed not to allow. Hastily set-up camps for refugees and other migrants are full. Thousands of people wait through the night, shivering in the cold at the Greek-Macedonian border, in the country's main port of Piraeus, in squares dotted around Athens, or on dozens of buses parked up and down Greece's main north-south highway. On Thursday, hundreds of frustrated men, women and children abandoned stranded buses or left refugee camps, setting off on a trek dozens of miles long to reach a border they know is shutting down. About 20,000 migrants were in Greece on Thursday, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said.

106 pythons captured in Florida

DAVIE, Fla. -- The 106 Burmese pythons captured over a monthlong hunt won't help control Florida's invasive snake population, but wildlife officials said Saturday that doesn't matter as much as the awareness they bring to the state's environmental concerns. Thousands of pythons, far from their natural habitat in Southeast Asia, are believed to be stalking Florida wildlife in the beleaguered Everglades. The longest python caught during the hunt that ran between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14 was 15 feet long. It was caught by a team led by Bill Booth of Sarasota.

-- From wire reports