| Truck of corpses, new shipwreck intensify Europe's migrant crisis Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:08 PM PDT  By Karin Strohecker PARNDORF, Austria (Reuters) - As many as 50 corpses were found in a parked truck in Austria on Thursday, and another migrant boat sank off Libya, deepening a crisis that is overwhelming Europe and throwing up new tragedies by the day. The abandoned refrigerated truck was found by an Austrian motorway patrol near the Hungarian border, with fluids from the decomposing bodies seeping from its back door. "One can maybe assume that the deaths occurred one-and-a-half to two days ago," Hans Peter Doskozil, police chief in the province of Burgenland, told a news conference, adding that "many things" indicated the migrants were already dead when the truck crossed the border.
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| Greek judge appointed caretaker PM ahead of elections Posted: 27 Aug 2015 12:42 PM PDT  By Renee Maltezou and Deepa Babington ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's top Supreme Court judge was sworn in as caretaker prime minister on Thursday to lead the country to elections next month, ending a week of political deadlock after leftist leader Alexis Tsipras resigned. Vassiliki Thanou, an opponent of austerity who has argued against wage cuts for judges and court officials, and her new interim government will remain in place at least until parliamentary elections are held, expected to be on Sept. 20. "I'm especially happy because I'm receiving the first woman prime minister in the history of the Greek democracy, and this is an important step," Tsipras told Thanou at a handover ceremony at the prime ministerial mansion.
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| U.N. chief sets out framework for Syria poison gas investigation Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:29 PM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Success of a new international inquiry aimed at assigning blame for chemical weapons attacks during Syria's four-year-old civil war will require full cooperation of all warring parties, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday. The remarks were included in a letter to the U.N. Security Council outlining his plans for an investigation into alleged gas attacks, to be conducted by the United Nations and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). "Success will ... depend on the full cooperation from all parties, including the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and other parties in Syria," Ban said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
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| Iran may have built extension at disputed site: U.N. nuclear watchdog Posted: 27 Aug 2015 10:55 AM PDT  By Shadia Nasralla VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran appears to have built an extension to part of its Parchin military site since May, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a report on Thursday, as part of its inquiry into possible military dimensions of Tehran's past nuclear activity. A resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Parchin file, which includes a demand for fresh IAEA access to the site, is a symbolically important issue that could help make or break Tehran's July 14 nuclear deal with six world powers. The confidential IAEA report, obtained by Reuters, said: "Since (our) previous report (in May), at a particular location at the Parchin site, the agency has continued to observe, through satellite imagery, the presence of vehicles, equipment, and probable construction materials.
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| U.S. asks Uzbekistan to join anti-Islamic State coalition Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:23 PM PDT  The United States said on Thursday it had asked Uzbekistan to join the multinational coalition it leads against Islamic State, saying Central Asia's most populous state was free to choose a way of contributing to the fight against the militant group. "We have asked Uzbekistan ... to join the coalition," Daniel Rosenblum, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Central Asia, told reporters during a visit to the Uzbek capital. Uzbekistan, a mainly Muslim nation with a population of 31 million, has been a strategic NATO partner in post-Soviet Central Asia, assisting a U.S.-led war on the purist Taliban movement in neighboring Afghanistan.
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| Colombia recalls ambassador to Venezuela amid border crisis Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:24 PM PDT  BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has recalled the country's ambassador to Venezuela after the Socialist country closed two border crossings and deported over a thousand Colombians. The foreign ministers of the two countries met yesterday but were unable to reach an agreement on the situation. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb)
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| Guatemalan prosecutors urge president to resign amid scandal Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:34 PM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Pressure grew Thursday on Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina to resign as business and government offices closed, protesters marched by the thousands and the attorney general's office urged him to step down "to prevent ungovernability that could destabilize the nation."
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:33 PM PDT BEIJING (AP) — Chinese prosecutors have detained 11 government officials and company executives over a massive warehouse explosion that killed at least 145 people in the country's worst industrial disaster in recent years. A notice on the national prosecutor's website said Thursday they included current and retired officials in the port city of Tianjin, along with others working for the company that runs the port, the largest in northern China. |
| Srebenica Muslim commander charged with war crimes Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:31 PM PDT  A former Bosnian Muslim commander named Naser Oric was charged alongside one of his former lieutenants Thursday with war crimes during the country's 1992-1995 war, Bosnian prosecutors said. Oric, who led Muslim forces in the eastern town of Srebenica, and Sabahudin Muhic were charged with the murder of three Serbian prisoners of war in 1992. Oric, 48, was arrested in June in Switzerland on a warrant issued by Serbia, which also wanted to try him for war crimes against ethnic Serbs in Srebenica.
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| Johnson, Herbert reach Winston-Salem semis Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:27 PM PDT  WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Steve Johnson reached the Winston-Salem Open semifinals when Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu withdrew because of a back injury.
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| Teen to be sentenced for helping Islamic State Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:22 PM PDT ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) — A Virginia teenager is set to be sentenced for helping another teen travel to Syria to join the Islamic State and providing other aid to the militant group. |
| Teenage goths at higher risk of depression: study Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:11 PM PDT  Teenagers who identify as "goths", a subculture known for its members' black clothes and makeup, have a three times higher risk of depression than non-goth peers, researchers said Friday. "Our study does not show that being a goth causes depression or self-harm, but rather that some young goths are more vulnerable to developing these conditions," said the study's lead author Lucy Bowes from the University of Oxford.
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| 4 killed in Dominica as Tropical Storm Erika hits island Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:10 PM PDT  ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Streets across Dominica turned into fast-flowing rivers that swept up cars as Tropical Storm Erika pummeled the eastern Caribbean island, unleashing landslides and killing at least four people.
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| 'I stopped counting': Doctor on discovering migrant boat dead Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:05 PM PDT  Stiff lifeless bodies submerged in water -- it's a sight Canadian doctor Simon Bryant won't soon forget after he found dozens of dead migrants in the hold of a boat off Libya. The 56-year-old doctor was on a mission Wednesday with Doctors Without Borders on the Phoenix, a vessel dedicated to rescuing migrants, when he was asked to help the Swedish coast guard during their rescue of a wooden boat with over 450 people on board.
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| MMA heavyweight Wren returns from Africa for a new fight Posted: 27 Aug 2015 04:02 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Wren re-evaluated his life less than two years ago from a Ugandan hospital bed, where he clung to life with severe cases of malaria and blackwater fever. |
| Fatal shot in San Francisco pier shooting was ricochet Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:56 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The murder suspect at the center of a national immigration debate admits he fired the shot that killed a young San Francisco woman on an evening stroll with her father.
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| Spieth stumbles out of the blocks at Barclays Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:45 PM PDT  EDISON, N.J. (AP) — The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs brought out the worst score from Jordan Spieth in three months.
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| Greece's top judge takes over as caretaker PM ahead of snap vote Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:45 PM PDT  Vassiliki Thanou, the 65-year-old head of the Supreme Court, took her oath of office in a brief ceremony at the presidential mansion. Dressed entirely in white, the diminutive judge then told outgoing PM Alexis Tsipras that her administration was likely to face additional challenges, such as the migrant wave from Syria. "As the circumstances evolve, I feel this government will be called upon to face (other) critical issues such as migration," she said.
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| Golden Gate tribute to fallen IndyCar driver Wilson Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:44 PM PDT  IndyCar stars drove their race cars across the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday in memory of Justin Wilson, who died of a severe head injury suffered in a race at the weekend. The popular British driver's death has cast a shadow over this weekend's season finale at Sonoma Raceway and ignited discussion of ways to make the IndyCar series safer. "Very emotional cross of the bridge in Justin's car," tweeted Marco Andretti, who led the motorcade in teammate Wilson's #25 Andretti Autosport car.
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| Nigeria marks 500 days since schoolgirls seized by Boko Haram Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:42 PM PDT  Relatives of over 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram marked 500 days since their abduction Thursday, with hope of their rescue dwindling despite fresh efforts to end the insurgency. The date was marked as the security situation deteriorated in northeastern Nigeria, where Islamists have stepped up deadly attacks since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, killing more than 1,000 people in three months. Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state on the evening of April 14 last year, seizing 276 girls who were preparing for end-of-year exams.
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| UN moves forward with plans for Syria chemical weapons probe Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:32 PM PDT  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Thursday that he is planning to set up a three-person team to investigate alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The move came amid new reports of a mustard gas attack in Syria that local activists said could have been carried out by Islamic State jihadists. The investigative panel will seek to identify who is behind the attacks, in line with a UN resolution adopted this month to establish responsibility for the use of the banned toxic agents.
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| Mexico advances to International title game at LLWS Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:25 PM PDT  SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Left-hander Daniel Zaragoza gave up only three hits and doubled home a pair of runs Thursday, leading Mexicali Baja California, Mexico, to an 11-0 victory over Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and a berth in the International championship game at the Little League World Series.
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| Italian BASE jumper dies in Swiss Alps stunt Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:22 PM PDT  A 46-year-old Italian plunged to his death in the Swiss Alps Thursday after crashing onto rocks during a BASE jump, the second such accident in Switzerland in under a year, police said. BASE jumping, or wingsuit jumping, is an extreme sport that involves free-falling off a cliff, bridge or another type of platform before activating a parachute.
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| Liberia union warns of rise in police attacks on journalists Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:14 PM PDT  Liberia's press union on Thursday called on police to stop "whipping" journalists, condemning a rise in violence against members of the media in the west African country. A week ago, a male and female journalist were beaten by state security forces with batons while covering a demonstration by teachers outside the office of the president, an AFP journalist witnessed. "Journalist are not whipping dogs, this increasing violence against journalists is a calculated plan to intimidate and harass the independent media," said the Press Union of Liberia in a statement.
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| Journalist killings revive US gun control debate Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:12 PM PDT  The brazen killing of two US journalists during a live television broadcast by a former reporter fired by the station reignited calls Thursday for tougher gun control in America -- though there was little hope for change. The killings on Wednesday of reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, as they conducted an early morning on-air interview for WDBJ -- a CBS affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia -- were no different. "How many massacres do we have to have... before the public cries out and says what it is that they want us to do?" Roanoke Mayor David Bowers said on CNN.
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| Prosecutors: Lottery scam leader deserves severe sentence Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:08 PM PDT  BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — U.S. prosecutors say the sentence for a man convicted in North Dakota of leading a Jamaican lottery scam should reflect the "severe mental anguish" he caused his victims.
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| Obama lauds New Orleans' progress since Katrina, says more to be done Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:02 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday heralded the progress New Orleans has made rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina battered the area 10 years ago but said more needed to be done to overcome poverty and inequality. On his ninth trip to the city that made worldwide headlines in 2005 after a devastating flood was exacerbated by a slow government response, Obama toured a neighborhood of colorful new houses and a new school and community center. "Just because the houses are nice doesn't mean our job's done," Obama told reporters after shaking hands with residents and greeting children from the community.
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| Lucky-loser entry Tsurenko advances in Connecticut Open Posted: 27 Aug 2015 03:02 PM PDT  NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Lucky-loser entry Lesia Tsurenko of the Ukraine beat fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday in the Connecticut Open quarterfinals.
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| Guatemala president faces mounting pressure in scandal Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:55 PM PDT  Guatemala's Congress launched an investigative committee Thursday to consider revoking President Otto Perez's immunity, as thousands of protesters called on him to resign over a swirling corruption scandal. Perez has been left increasingly isolated since UN investigators accused him of running a massive fraud scheme at the national customs service, a scandal that has already felled his former vice president and caused nearly half his cabinet to resign in protest.
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| UN calls for panel to identify Syria chemical weapons users Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:54 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is proposing the establishment of a three-member independent panel backed by experts to identify those responsible for using chlorine and other chemical weapons in attacks in Syria for the first time. |
| Chilean truck drivers reach capital to protest arson attacks Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:54 PM PDT SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chilean authorities on Thursday allowed truck drivers blocking roads outside Santiago to reach the capital, ceding to their desire to protest against arson attacks by indigenous rights militants. |
| 23 dead as Madagascar troops battle cattle rustlers Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:48 PM PDT  Deadly clashes between troops and armed cattle rustlers on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar have left 23 people dead, the army said on Thursday. Eight of the dead were soldiers while 15 of them were cattle thieves, known as "dahalos" in the local Malagasy language. "We have eight soldiers killed and another 12 injured," said Theophile Rakotonirina, head of the army's operations and intelligence unit.
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| Tropical Storm Erika soaks Caribbean, heads for U.S. East Coast Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:47 PM PDT  By David Adams MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Erika weakened slightly on Thursday as it dumped torrential rain on islands in the Eastern Caribbean and appeared to be headed for the U.S. East Coast early next week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Erika could reach hurricane status near Florida's east coast by Monday morning, the Miami-based government forecaster said. It has the potential to become the first hurricane to hit Florida since Wilma in October 2005.
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| Mexico interim coach Ferretti excludes Ochoa for friendlies Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:46 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's new interim coach Ricardo Ferretti has left goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and brothers Jonathan and Giovani Dos Santos out of the squad for the upcoming friendlies next month against Trinidad and Tobaho and Argentina. |
| US OPEN 2015: Tournament at a glance Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:43 PM PDT A look at the U.S. Open, the year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament: |
| Russia destroys food intended for BMW racers Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:38 PM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — Russian news agencies say more than 1.5 tons of food intended for a BMW car racing team coming to Moscow has been destroyed because of improper import documentation. |
| Another 1,400 migrants rescued off Libya, 52 found dead Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:37 PM PDT  A Swedish coastguard ship docked at the Sicilian port of Palermo on Thursday carrying more than 570 migrants and the bodies of 52 people, officials said. The Italian coast guard said it had rescued around 1,400 people off the coast of Libya on Thursday, a day after it pulled another 3,000 to safety from the same area. Palermo's prosecutor opened a murder inquiry similar to that launched by Catania earlier this month after the discovery of 49 bodies in the hold of another packed fishing boat.
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| US OPEN 2015: Women who beat Williams say belief important Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:35 PM PDT  So here's the question 127 of the 128 women in the U.S. Open's main draw will ask themselves: How do you beat Serena Williams?
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| US OPEN 2015: Serena Williams eyes 1st Grand Slam since 1988 Posted: 27 Aug 2015 02:34 PM PDT  Ask Serena Williams what could prevent her from completing tennis' first true Grand Slam in more than a quarter-century at the U.S. Open, and the response will not include the name of a single possible opponent.
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