| Hungary scrambles to confront migrant influx, Merkel heckled Posted: 26 Aug 2015 11:42 AM PDT  By Marton Dunai ROSZKE, Hungary (Reuters) - Hungary made plans on Wednesday to reinforce its southern border with helicopters, mounted police and dogs, and was also considering using the army as record numbers of migrants, many of them Syrian refugees, passed through coils of razor-wire into Europe. In Germany, which expects to receive 800,000 of them this year, Chancellor Angela Merkel was heckled by dozens of protesters as she visited an eastern town where violent anti-refugee protests erupted at the weekend. The surge in migrants seeking refuge from conflict or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia has confronted Europe with its worst refugee crisis since World War Two, stirring social tensions and testing the resources and solidarity of the 28-nation European Union.
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| Tsipras softens stand on Greek debt relief before election Posted: 26 Aug 2015 12:46 PM PDT  By Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) - Outgoing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras signaled on Wednesday he would accept an easing of Greece's huge debt burden if he wins elections expected next month without any of the write-offs he has long demanded. Tsipras, who hopes to return to power with an absolute majority, told Alpha TV that he favored longer repayment periods and lower interest rates on the debt, now that Greece has secured a new 86 billion euro ($98 billion) bailout. With his radical left Syriza party split over the latest bailout, Tsipras heaped praise on his finance minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, and rejected the possibility that his ally may not even run in the election.
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| British hacker for Islamic State killed in U.S. drone strike in Syria: sources Posted: 26 Aug 2015 04:34 PM PDT By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A British hacker who U.S. and European officials said became a top cyber expert for Islamic State in Syria has been killed in a U.S. drone strike, a U.S. source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. It was the second reported killing of a senior Islamic State figure in the last eight days. Islamic State's second-in-command was killed in a U.S. air strike near Mosul, Iraq, on Aug. 18. |
| Ukraine, separatists to strive for full ceasefire from September 1 Posted: 26 Aug 2015 12:32 PM PDT  Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists, in a gesture to shore up a tenuous ceasefire, agreed on Wednesday to strive for an end to all truce violations from next Tuesday, the OSCE and rebel representatives said. "The three-sided 'contact group' considers it important to reach a solid ceasefire from the beginning of the next school year," Martin Saidik, an official for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, told reporters in Minsk, Belarus.
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| U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan, Taliban grab district Posted: 26 Aug 2015 12:50 PM PDT  By Mohammad Stanekzai LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban fighters seized a district headquarters in Afghanistan's Helmand province on Monday despite repeated U.S. air strikes to repel them, adding to the insurgents' recent advances in a heavily fought over region of opium farms and trade routes. Elsewhere in Helmand, a man in Afghan uniform opened fire in the former British base of Camp Bastion, killing two U.S. service personnel, before being shot and wounded. It was the second incident this year involving Afghan troops, or people wearing Afghan uniforms, shooting at foreign soldiers.
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| Rescuers save 3,000 migrants in Mediterranean, 55 dead Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:58 PM PDT Rescuers saved about 3,000 migrants but found more than 50 dead on boats near the coast of Libya on Wednesday, the Italian coast guard said. Rescuers on the Swedish ship Poseidon, mobilised under the European Union's rescue mission Triton, found 51 corpses in the hold of one boat which was also carrying 439 survivors. The coast guard did not say what caused the deaths, which add to a toll already thought to have exceeded 2,300 so far this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. |
| Chilcot defends delay to Iraq report Posted: 26 Aug 2015 04:48 PM PDT  Sir John Chilcot resisted calls to speed the publication of a long-delayed inquiry into the Iraq war on Wednesday, insisting that the report must be "fair". When announced by the government six years ago, the Chilcot inquiry was expected to take a year to report.
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| Serbia and Kosovo hail 'landmark' agreements Posted: 26 Aug 2015 04:38 PM PDT  Serbia and Kosovo voiced satisfaction Wednesday with an EU-brokered deal that marked a major step forward in normalising ties between the former foes, and boosted hopes of faster accession to the European Union. "We have gained more than we hoped for," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told national broadcaster RTS of Tuesday's agreement, which was mediated in Brussels. "I have no bad news, I am not dissatisfied with what has been accomplished," he said, adding that he would visit Kosovo in September to present the deal to ethnic Serbs.
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| Two US journalists shot dead on live TV Posted: 26 Aug 2015 04:35 PM PDT  Vester Lee Flanagan, 41, also known as Bryce Williams -- died in a hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being taken into custody by state police following an intense morning manhunt across the state. Reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were fatally shot at close range while conducting an on-air interview for WDBJ, a CBS affiliate in Roanoke, about 240 miles (385 kilometers) southwest of Washington. The killings once again highlighted gun violence in America -- prompting a quick White House call for action -- and also raised questions about how the Internet provided a brief but unfiltered window on a horrific crime.
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| South Sudan's Kiir signs peace deal despite doubts Posted: 26 Aug 2015 04:20 PM PDT  South Sudan President Salva Kiir signed a deal Wednesday to end 20 months of war in the world's youngest nation, but added a list of reservations that raised doubts about whether peace would take hold. The signing ceremony was held in the capital Juba under the threat of UN sanctions if Kiir failed to put his name to the accord, which had already been signed by rebel leader Riek Machar. At least seven ceasefires have already been agreed and then shattered within days -- if not hours -- in South Sudan, which broke away from Sudan in 2011.
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| Top Mexican chefs take stand against GM corn Posted: 26 Aug 2015 03:34 PM PDT  Top Mexican chefs urged the president Wednesday to join them in their staunch opposition to genetically modified corn in a country where age-old grains are cherished traditions. About 100 well-known chefs such as Enrique Olvera and Alex Ruiz were among the Mexican Cooking Group that urged President Enrique Pena Nieto to side with them. Mexico since last year temporarily banned cultivation of the crops in which some genes are modified to make them hardier or make them work better with a particular pesticide -- pending an investigation into health and environmental safety.
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| L.A. County leaders wash cars two-three times a week amid drought: report Posted: 26 Aug 2015 03:18 PM PDT  By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Despite a devastating four-year drought that has forced strict water conservation measures across California, most Los Angeles County supervisors still have their cars washed two or three times a week, a local newspaper reported. The multiple weekly car washes carry on despite Governor Jerry Brown's admonitions to Californians to take shorter showers and stop watering their lawns and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's own "Save the Drop" campaign, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The five supervisors can either collect a car allowance or have the county buy them a vehicle, which is washed, maintained and kept fueled at taxpayer expense.
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| Two-day ceasefire agreed by warring sides in three Syrian towns: sources Posted: 26 Aug 2015 03:11 PM PDT Syrian insurgents, the Syrian army and Lebanese group Hezbollah agreed on a 48-hour ceasefire in the rebel-held town of Zabadani near Lebanon's border and two Shi'ite villages in Idlib province, sources close to negotiations on both sides said. The ceasefire would begin Thursday at 6 a.m. (11.00 p.m. EDT), the two sources said. A similar ceasefire this month in the same areas, organized with help from Iran and Turkey, broke down even after a brief extension, and fighting has raged since. |
| EPA lacked view of pressure buildup at Colorado mine, internal report says Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:59 PM PDT A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency team working to address seepage at an abandoned Colorado gold mine underestimated water pressure at the site before triggering a blowout that sent toxic waste into rivers, according to an internal report released by the agency on Wednesday. The Aug. 5 blowout at the Gold King Mine located on a creek outside Silverton in southwest Colorado sent more than 3 million gallons (11,360 cubic meters) of acid mine sludge into the nearby Animas River, with the plume later flowing from the Animas into the San Juan River in New Mexico. The spill of bright orange wastewater, which carried high concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury, was an embarrassment for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
| U.S. says regional trade pacts to curb poaching in Africa Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:54 PM PDT  A planned Pacific regional trade pact and a tariff-free deal between African nations and the United States should help to discourage wildlife poaching in Africa, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. Speaking in Gabon at the start of a conference on the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership would include measures to curb demand from Asian for trafficked wildlife from Africa. Froman said the United States would also work within the framework of AGOA, renewed for 10 years in June, on measures supporting African nations to reduce the supply of poached animals to international markets.
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| Tropical storm Erika strengthens, heads toward Florida Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:51 PM PDT  By David Adams MIAMI (Reuters) - A tropical storm watch was extended to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas on Wednesday as Erika, the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, closed in on the Eastern Caribbean and appeared to be heading for Florida, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Erika strengthened slightly on Wednesday and could reach hurricane status near Florida by Monday morning, the Miami-based government forecaster said, but its future intensity was uncertain due to possible wind disruption.
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| Obama marks rebirth of New Orleans, 10 years after Katrina Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:40 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama will tout New Orleans' inspirational if incomplete resurgence Thursday, 10 years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the "Big Easy" and shattered Americans' confidence in government. Obama will travel to Louisiana to mark the rebirth of a city eulogized by Tennessee Williams as the "last frontier of Bohemia," but which in August 2005 became a Hobbesian dystopia of death and looting. "If you think about nine and a half years ago, I don't think anybody would have envisioned the dramatic progress that the city of New Orleans has made," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
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| Oil dips as gasoline build offsets big U.S. crude draw Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:38 PM PDT  Oil prices fell almost 2 percent on Wednesday after a huge drawdown in U.S. crude stockpiles was offset by a larger-than-expected build in gasoline and distillates, which include diesel. Crude inventories fell 5.5 million barrels in the week to Aug. 21, the biggest one-week decline since early June, according to U.S. government data that countered a Reuters poll of analysts calling a rise of 1 million barrels. Gasoline stocks also rose, by 1.7 million barrels versus forecasts for a 1.3 million-barrel drop, the data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed.
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| Rooney treble seals Champions League return Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:33 PM PDT  Wayne Rooney ended a 10-game scoring drought in style with a hat-trick as Manchester United overpowered Club Brugge 4-0 on Wednesday to qualify for the Champions League group phase. Rooney had symbolised his side's recent goal-scoring problems, which have seen them score only twice in three Premier League games, but he produced three assured finishes and Ander Herrera added another to return United to the tournament after a first season of absence in 19 years. Louis van Gaal's side won the play-off 7-1 on aggregate, following last week's 3-1 victory in Manchester, and will discover the identities of their three group-stage opponents in Thursday's draw in Monaco.
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| US stocks surge, snapping 6-day losing streak Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:30 PM PDT  The Dow Jones industrial average rocketed more than 600 points Wednesday, its biggest gain in seven years, snapping a six-day losing streak that had Americans nervously checking their investment balances.
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| Seven inmates' bodies found in trash at Guatemala jail Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:15 PM PDT  The bodies of seven inmates at a maximum-security prison in Guatemala were found stuffed inside garbage bins Wednesday, their remains showing signs of torture, authorities said. Officials at El Boqueron prison found the bodies in an area that holds inmates from Mara Salvatrucha, one of the drug gangs blamed for a wave of violence sweeping Central America, said prisons spokesman Rudy Esquivel. On August 8, three other inmates were found murdered at the same prison in the eastern city of Cuilapa.
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| Smaller newborn panda twin dies at Washington's National Zoo Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:09 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The smaller of twin panda cubs born over the weekend to giant panda Mei Xiang died on Wednesday after experiencing respiratory difficulty, Washington's National Zoo said. The death of the cub, whose up-and-down weight since the birth on Saturday had raised concerns among the zoo keepers, occurred shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday. The twins' birth captured international attention as giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species.
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| Guinea's ex-junta chief blocked from returning home: party Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:02 PM PDT  A plane carrying Guinea's exiled former junta chief Moussa Dadis Camara back home, where he hopes to run for president, was diverted to Ghana on Wednesday, his party said. Camara is a former army captain who seized power in a 2008 coup after the death of longtime dictator Lansane Conte, a move that was initially welcomed but quickly turned sour as he oversaw a bloody crackdown on his opponents. Manimou said all passengers "were asked to get off the plane at the Accra airport", before being allowed to reboard, with the exception of Camara, his lawyer and bodyguard.
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| Barcelona heads 32-team draw for Champions League groups Posted: 26 Aug 2015 02:02 PM PDT  GENEVA (AP) — The Champions League season takes shape Thursday when UEFA draws 32 elite teams into groups in Monaco.
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| Fire crews battle smoky conditions and flames Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:59 PM PDT  SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Smoke from big wildfires burning east of the Cascade Range hurt air quality Wednesday and hampered efforts by crews battling the flames in Washington state.
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| About 150 animals removed from Dallas home on neglect concerns Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:59 PM PDT By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - About 150 animals, including dogs, cats, birds and a guinea pig, were removed from a Dallas-area home on Wednesday because of severe neglect, according to the SPCA of Texas. The animal protection group said it received a cruelty complaint against the owner of a three-bedroom house in Balch Springs, east of Dallas, and notified authorities. More than 100 cats, 39 dogs and six birds were found emaciated, with many of the animals suffering from extreme hair loss, matted fur or eye infections, according to SPCA spokeswoman Maura Davies. |
| Mahan begins long road in the playoffs, with history on side Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:58 PM PDT  EDISON, N.J. (AP) — Recent history is what gives Hunter Mahan a level of optimism he would not ordinarily have at The Barclays.
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| A look at the latest developments in Europe's migrant crisis Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:58 PM PDT  Record numbers of migrants fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea are trying to reach Europe this year, despite the risks of perilous sea crossings and little humanitarian assistance. Here are the latest developments Wednesday:
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| Rooney scores 3, Man United in Champions League group stage Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:58 PM PDT  BRUGES, Belgium (AP) — Wayne Rooney ended a 10-game scoring drought by grabbing a hat trick in Manchester United's 4-0 win at Bruges that eased the English team into the Champions League group stage on Wednesday.
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| Guatemala ex-VP remanded in custody in corruption case Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:58 PM PDT  A Guatemalan judge ruled Wednesday that former vice president Roxana Baldetti must remain in jail pending trial on charges of defrauding the customs service of millions of dollars. Judge Miguel Angel Galvez said he considered it "prudent" to deny bail to Baldetti, whom prosecutors and a special UN investigative commission accuse of masterminding a customs bribery ring along with President Otto Perez. The judge said the former vice president posed a flight risk because she also has Italian citizenship.
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| Merkel vows no tolerance for migrant hate as 55 die in Mediterranean Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:55 PM PDT  German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced down far-right hecklers on Wednesday, vowing zero tolerance for "vile" anti-migrant violence as rescuers found 55 corpses on stricken boats in the Mediterranean. The biggest migration crisis to hit Europe since World War II spiralled further as chaotic scenes erupted at a Hungarian border town with police firing tear gas, and Budapest considering deploying troops to stem a record influx of asylum-seekers. Alarmed by the worsening situation, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged countries "in Europe and elsewhere to prove their compassion and do much more to bring an end to the crisis".
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| Monsanto abandons takeover bid for Swiss rival Syngenta Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:50 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Agricultural business giant Monsanto is abandoning its takeover bid for competitor Syngenta AG after the Swiss chemical producer rejected its latest offer of nearly $47 billion. |
| Musa fires CSKA past Sporting, into Champions League groups Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:48 PM PDT KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — Ahmed Musa fired CSKA Moscow into the Champions League group stage with a late winner as the Russian team mounted a second-half comeback to beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 on Wednesday and 4-3 on aggregate. |
| Greece's Tsipras rules out most potential coalition partners Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:47 PM PDT  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's prime minister on Wednesday raised the political stakes ahead of next month's early national election, saying he will not enter a coalition with the main center-right and centrist opposition parties even if he needs their backing to govern.
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| Leverkusen beats Lazio 3-0 to advance in Champions League Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:44 PM PDT  LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the group stage of the Champions League by beating 10-man Lazio 3-0 on Wednesday.
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| South Sudan leader signs peace deal amid sanctions threat Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:43 PM PDT  JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday signed a peace deal with rebels, more than 20 months after the start of fighting between the army and rebels led by his former deputy.
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| Fracking caused 2014 Canadian quake: media Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:42 PM PDT  Fracking by a Canadian subsidiary of Malaysian oil and gas giant Petronas triggered one of the world's largest earthquakes linked to the controversial practice, Canadian media said Wednesday. The British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission said it has linked the operations of Progress Energy in the province's northeast to a 4.4-magnitude quake felt in Fort St John in August 2014, the CBC reported. The commission told the broadcaster that the quake was "triggered by fluid injection during hydraulic fracturing" by the company.
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| Mexico seizes 9 quarter horses at Zeta's cartel ranch Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:37 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Raids and arrests haven't cooled the fascination of Mexico's Zetas drug cartel with fine horses. |
| Nike fights subpoena in federal lawsuit against Armstrong Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:37 PM PDT AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Athletic apparel giant Nike Inc. is fighting subpoenas for financial documents and witness depositions in the federal government's lawsuit against former cyclist Lance Armstrong, arguing they are irrelevant to the case and could compromise trade secrets. |
| Saudi arrested in 1996 bombing that killed 19 Americans Posted: 26 Aug 2015 01:36 PM PDT  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A man described as the mastermind of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing that killed 19 American servicemen in Saudi Arabia has been captured, a U.S. and a Saudi official said Wednesday, ending a nearly two-decade manhunt for one of the FBI's most-wanted terrorists.
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