| Syrian army, backed by Iranian fighters, advance south of Aleppo: monitor Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:56 AM PDT  Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah and Iranian fighters made advances on Saturday in their offensive to retake territory around the northern city of Aleppo from insurgents and jihadist fighters, a monitoring group said. The campaign around Aleppo, which the army launched on Friday, is one of several assaults it has waged against rebel fighters since Russian jets began carrying out air strikes on Sept. 30 in support of President Bashar al-Assad. It has concentrated so far on clearing rebel areas south of Aleppo rather than the city itself, which is home to 2 million people and divided between government forces and rebels.
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| Israel says more knife attacks thwarted, four Palestinians dead Posted: 17 Oct 2015 01:23 PM PDT  Israeli authorities said four Palestinians had been shot dead and a fifth seriously injured in thwarted knife attacks on Saturday in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank as tensions ran high after more than two weeks of unrest. Forty-one Palestinians and seven Israelis have died in the recent street violence, which was in part triggered by Palestinians' anger over what they see as increased Jewish encroachment on Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound. Israel says it is keeping the status quo at the holy compound, which is also revered by Jews as the location of two destroyed biblical Jewish temples.
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| Yemen mulls U.N. invitation to attend peace talks Posted: 17 Oct 2015 11:03 AM PDT  Yemen's Saudi-backed government said on Saturday it was studying an invitation from the United Nations to attend talks aimed at ending a war between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi militiamen who control much of the country including the capital. "The Yemeni government confirms that we're always ready for and committed to peace," spokesman Rajeh Badi told Reuters from the Saudi capital Riyadh. "We value the role of the United Nations and thank its special envoy to Yemen, who has exerted great efforts toward achieving a peaceful resolution," he said, adding that his government would respond to the call within 48 hours.
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| North Korea rejects more nuclear talks, demands peace treaty with U.S. Posted: 17 Oct 2015 11:07 AM PDT  North Korea on Saturday rejected the idea of resuming talks to end its nuclear program, saying previous such attempts ended in failure, and reiterated its demand that Washington come to the table to negotiate a peace treaty. The statement by the North's foreign ministry came a day after U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye said in Washington they were open to talks with North Korea on sanctions but that Pyongyang needs to show it was serious about abandoning its nuclear ambition. "If the United States insists on taking a different path, the Korean peninsula will only see our unlimited nuclear deterrent being strengthened further," the North's foreign ministry said in a statement.
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| U.S. group scales back plan to monitor Egypt election Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:33 PM PDT  Democracy International said on Friday it would monitor Egypt's parliamentary elections but has scaled back its plans after having trouble getting visas for all its staff. Democracy International has been accredited by Egypt's High Election Commission to observe the polls but the U.S. based group said in a statement that "some visas for accredited core team members and short-term observers have not been issued and most visas have not been issued for the duration necessary to observe the entire election process." It said that without the necessary and appropriate visas for its accredited observers it would not be able to conduct the comprehensive observation it originally expected to carry out. Egypt's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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| Croatia diverts migrants to Slovenia after Hungary closes border Posted: 17 Oct 2015 10:37 AM PDT  By Aleksandar Vasovic and Marja Novak OPATOVAC, Croatia/LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Migrants streaming across the Balkans reached Slovenia on Saturday, diverted overnight by the closure of Hungary's border with Croatia in the latest demonstration of Europe's disjointed response to the flow of people reaching its borders. Hungary's right-wing government declared its southern frontier with Croatia off limits to migrants, blocking entry with a metal fence and razor wire, just as it did a month ago on its border with Serbia. Croatia began directing migrants west to Slovenia, which said hundreds had arrived already and more were on their way.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:32 PM PDT MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Typhoon Koppu grew stronger but was moving slower toward the northeastern Philippines late Saturday as the government urged local authorities to issue forced evacuations of residents in flood-prone areas. Local officials have been advised to conduct the "forced evacuation" of communities historically hit by flash floods and landslides as well as coastal villages at risk from destructive storm surges that could reach as high as 3 meters (10 feet), civil defense chief Alexander Pama said. |
| 4 matchups in Ireland vs Argentina at Rugby World Cup Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:26 PM PDT  CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — A look at four key player matchups for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal between Ireland and Argentina on Sunday (Ireland players listed first):
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| Key matchups in Australia vs Scotland at Rugby World Cup Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:25 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — A look at key player matchups for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal between Australia and Scotland on Sunday (Australia names first):
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| Britain unveils £5m plan to combat 'poison' of extremism Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:18 PM PDT  Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday pledged £5.0 million to root out the "poison" of extremists like Islamic State (IS) that target the alienated and vulnerable in British communities. The pledge came on the eve of the launch of the Conservative government's counter-extremism strategy, which will also include a broader crackdown on extremist content online. There is also set to be a clampdown on extremism in prisons and universities, and incentives for schools to integrate pupils better.
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| 'Chevalier' named best picture at London Film Festival Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:17 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari's comedy of manhood "Chevalier" was named best picture at the London Film Festival on Saturday, during a ceremony that honored Cate Blanchett with a major career award.
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| Four Palestinians killed in anti-Israeli knife attacks Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:13 PM PDT  Four Palestinians were shot dead and a fifth wounded in attacks on Israelis in east Jerusalem and the West Bank Saturday, as violence that has fuelled concerns of an uprising showed no let-up. The violence that has raged for more than two weeks prompted a "very concerned" US President Barack Obama to call for calm. Including alleged assailants, 41 Palestinians have been killed since the violence erupted on October 1.
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| Police trying to identify suspects in stabbing of train hero Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:07 PM PDT  SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — The Sacramento Police Department is asking for help in identifying two suspects involved in the stabbing of a U.S. Airman hailed as a hero for helping to stop a terror attack on a Paris-bound train over the summer.
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| Savea revives memory of Lomu with rampaging try in RWC Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:04 PM PDT  CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Julian Savea has already been compared favorably to Jonah Lomu and his rampaging try against France in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday bore all the hallmarks of the All Blacks great.
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| German politician stabbed in attack tied to migrant crisis Posted: 17 Oct 2015 04:02 PM PDT  A German mayoral candidate active in helping refugees was seriously wounded on Saturday in what police described as a stabbing with a "racist, political" motive, heaping further pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel over the migrant crisis. The German leader expressed her "shock" over the attack in the western city of Cologne which left mayoral hopeful Henriette Reker with serious neck wounds. The stabbing comes as Merkel prepares to travel to Istanbul on Sunday for talks on the crisis with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has heaped scorn on Europe's efforts to deal with the problem so far.
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| New Zealand delivers reminder of who is World Cup favorite Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:58 PM PDT  CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — The All Blacks delivered the most brutal of reminders to anyone doubting their ability to defend the Rugby World Cup title, scoring nine tries against France on Saturday in a quarterfinal record 62-13 thrashing.
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| Guyana calls for conservation as water supplies dwindle Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:58 PM PDT GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The government of Guyana called on residents Saturday to conserve water as officials warned that the drought-like conditions afflicting the South American country would likely persist into next year. |
| Earthquake hits northwest Argentina, kills 1; injuries reported Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:56 PM PDT A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northwest Argentina on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, leaving at least one person dead, injuring several more and damaging homes, according to local media. "Currently there is one woman dead and injured people are being treated at the local hospital," said Ernesto Flores, undersecretary with Salta's civil defense authority, according to state-run news agency Telam. A doctor at a hospital in El Galpon told news agency DyN that five people were treated there for mild injuries. |
| Saint-Andre era ends in shame at Rugby World Cup Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:45 PM PDT  CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — It was a fitting way for the woeful tenure of Philippe Saint-Andre to end — a record loss and jeers from France rugby fans who won't be sorry to see him go.
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| Neymar scores 4 goals for Barcelona; Ronaldo leads Madrid Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:34 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Neymar scored four goals and set up another in Barcelona's 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league on Saturday, while Cristiano Ronaldo led Real Madrid with a goal and an assist in a 3-0 victory over Levante.
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| Neymar scores 4 times in Spain; Bayern remains perfect Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:33 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Neymar helped Barcelona fans forget the absence of the injured Lionel Messi on Saturday by scoring four goals in the Spanish league, while Cristiano Ronaldo settled for one as Real Madrid went provisionally top of the standings.
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| Chelsea, Manchester United back to form in Premier League Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:28 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Chelsea and Manchester United bounced back from disappointing losses with impressive wins in the Premier League on Saturday.
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| Canada's strategic voters lean Liberal as vote nears Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:20 PM PDT By Julie Gordon VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Organizers of two key strategic voting campaigns in Canada are throwing most of their support to the center-left Liberals, who lead the ruling Conservatives in polls and may also benefit from a bandwagon effect in the final days of the tight campaign. Both Leadnow, a non-profit group funded through individual donations, and website strategicvoting.ca have seen support grow as sentiment against Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his 10-year-old government builds and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau opens up a lead in opinion polls. Nearly 90,000 people have pledged to "vote together" to beat the Conservative candidate in their riding, marking a 30 percent rise in support in the last three weeks of the 11-week campaign, Leadnow said. |
| Simple choice for Cheika when picking Australia XV at RWC Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:10 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — The decision on whether or not to risk David Pocock or Israel Folau in Australia's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against Scotland boiled down to one question for coach Michael Cheika: could they do their jobs?
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| 'Pathetic' Trump and Jeb Bush spar over 9/11 remarks Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:05 PM PDT  Republican White House hopefuls Donald Trump and Jeb Bush locked horns after frontrunner Trump implied that former president George W. Bush shared some blame for the September 11, 2001 attacks. "When you talk about George Bush, I mean, say what you want, the World Trade Center came down during his time," Trump said on Bloomberg TV, in just his latest controversial remarks. George W. Bush was president during the attacks that killed about 3,000 people.
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| French give Hollande lowest approval rating this year Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:05 PM PDT  French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls have seen their approval ratings fall again this month, with Hollande's hitting its lowest level this year, according to an Ifop poll released on Sunday. The share of respondents satisfied with Hollande fell to 20 percent from 23 percent in September, in the survey for the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. It had stood at 29 percent in January, when Hollande was praised for his handling of Islamist militant attacks in Paris.
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| Bishops urge UK's Cameron to take in more Syrian refugees Posted: 17 Oct 2015 03:04 PM PDT A group of 84 Church of England bishops have written to British Prime Minister David Cameron to urge him to increase the number of Syrian refugees the country will take in by 2020 to at least 50,000. Under pressure from public opinion to strengthen Britain's response to the migrant crisis on Europe's borders, the government has pledged to take in 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years. It would be a meaningful and substantial response to the scale of human suffering we see daily." A spokesman for Cameron's office did not respond directly to the content of the bishops' letter, but in response to a question about it said it was "absolutely right that Britain should fulfill its moral responsibility to help the refugees." "But in doing so, we must use our head and our heart by pursuing a comprehensive approach that tackles the causes of the problem as well as the consequences," the spokesman said. |
| Guinea president wins second term, opponent vows to protest Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:53 PM PDT  CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Guinea President Alpha Conde has won a second term, the election commission announced Saturday, avoiding a runoff with his closest rival, who vowed to protest the results.
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| All Blacks on fire with nine-try blitz of France Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:44 PM PDT  The All Blacks buried their demons when Dan Carter directed a nine-try symphony to wipe France out of the World Cup with a 62-13 victory in their quarter-final showdown on Saturday. Julian Savea bagged a hat-trick to overtake Jonah Lomu in the all-time All Blacks try scorers list, 38 to 37. A beaming and bloodied Richie McCaw was replaced 10 minutes from the final whistle knowing his side had put a decisive end to the legendary nightmare losses to France at the 1999 and 2007 tournaments.
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| Latest: Southern hemisphere take early honors in WC quarters Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:41 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — The latest at the Rugby World Cup (all times local):
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| Springboks overcome Wales 23-19 to reach RWC semifinals Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:40 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Fourie du Preez had been waiting and waiting, and finally got what he wanted with six minutes left in an enthralling start to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
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| Mexican drug lord flown to Sinaloa mountains after escape Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:24 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Fugitive drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was flown to a mountainous region of his home state of Sinaloa following his daring July 11 escape from prison through a mile-long tunnel, a federal official said Saturday.
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| Montenegro police tear gas opposition protesters Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:20 PM PDT  Montenegro police Saturday used tear gas to disperse several hundred opposition activists trying to protest outside parliament to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's left-wing government. Hundreds of officers sealed off key government institutions in downtown Podgorica to stop protesters approaching the assembly, firing the tear gas when the demonstrators tried to break through their lines. Earlier on Saturday special police officers dispersed a few dozen supporters of the main opposition party who had been camping out in front of the assembly for almost three weeks seeking Djukanovic's resignation.
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| De Rossi scores in 500th game to help Roma beat Empoli 3-1 Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:18 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — Daniele De Rossi marked his 500th game for Roma with a goal as he helped the capital side beat Empoli 3-1 in Serie A on Saturday, while AC Milan's miserable season continued with a 1-1 draw at Torino.
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| Ivory Coast declares hajj tragedy mourning as toll climbs to 52 Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:15 PM PDT  Ivory Coast Saturday announced a day of mourning for victims of last month's stampede at the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, as the African nation's death toll in the tragedy rose to 52. President Alassane Ouattara declared next Saturday as a day of national mourning for the disaster at Mina, near Mecca, in which more than 1,700 people died -- the deadliest incident in the pilgrimage's history. Ivory Coast's director general of religions Messamba Bamba said 52 of its citizens were now confirmed to have died -- up from a previous toll of 14 -- with seven still unaccounted for.
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| Montenegro police break up anti-government protest Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:12 PM PDT  PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegrin police have used tear gas to break up a protest by the opposition demanding the government's resignation and an early election in the small Balkan state.
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| Michael Allen, Scott McCarron share lead in San Antonio Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:10 PM PDT SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Defending champion Michael Allen shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Scott McCarron in the Champions Tour's San Antonio Championship. |
| Wales bows out of Rugby World Cup after another narrow loss Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:08 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — As his rival coach Heyneke Meyer was jumping around and delightedly punching the air, Warren Gatland shook his head mournfully at another one that got away for Wales.
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| Guinea incumbent Conde re-elected with 57.85% of votes Posted: 17 Oct 2015 02:05 PM PDT  Final results from the first round of Guinea's contested presidential election show that incumbent Alpha Conde has been re-elected with 57.85 percent of votes, the country's electoral commission (CENI) announced Saturday. "Ahead of the definitive confirmation of the results by the Constitutional Court, CENI declares that professor Alpha Conde has won in the first round," said commission president Bakary Fofana. Opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, who has condemned the vote as fraudulent, came second with 31.44 percent, CENI added.
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