| Migrant chaos at Budapest train station; Germany says EU rules still hold Posted: 01 Sep 2015 01:28 PM PDT  By Krisztina Than and Madeline Chambers BUDAPEST/BERLIN (Reuters) - Hundreds of angry migrants demonstrated outside Budapest's Eastern Railway Terminus on Tuesday demanding they be allowed to travel on to Germany, as the biggest ever influx of migrants into the European Union left its asylum policies in tatters. Around 1,000 people waved tickets, clapping, booing and shouting "Germany! Germany!" outside the station. A refugee crisis rivaling the Balkan wars of the 1990s as Europe's worst since World War Two has polarized and confounded the European Union, which has no mechanism to cope with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of poor and desperate people.
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| Iran nuclear deal backers near votes to protect pact in U.S. Congress Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:01 PM PDT  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of the international nuclear agreement with Iran moved within one vote of mustering enough support to protect the deal in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday when two more Democratic senators said they would support the pact. Senators Bob Casey and Chris Coons, known as Iran hard-liners, both said they backed the agreement announced on July 14 between the United States, five other world powers and Tehran. Altogether 31 Senate Democrats and two independents who vote with them now support the deal, a potential legacy foreign policy achievement for Democratic President Barack Obama.
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| Big guns in east Ukraine fall silent, two more die from wounds in Kiev protests Posted: 01 Sep 2015 07:31 AM PDT  Sporadic shelling and shooting, which each side has blamed on the other, had ensured a steadily mounting death toll despite the ceasefire called as part of a peace plan worked out in Minsk, Belarus, in February. More than 6,500 people have been killed since a separatist rebellion erupted there in April 2014.
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| Greece's Syriza party lead shrinks further in election race: poll Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:47 PM PDT  By Angeliki Koutantou ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's Syriza party is on course to win 26 percent of votes in a snap election in September, just one point ahead of the conservative New Democracy party, a poll published by the Pulse for Action 24 television channel said on Tuesday. Former premier Alexis Tsipras of Syriza resigned in August to seek a new mandate for a bailout deal he clinched with the country's international creditors, but Syriza's slipping poll lead suggests the decision could backfire. Tsipras came to power in January promising to end austerity in a country battered by recession and unemployment but eventually accepted stringent conditions for a new 86-billion-euro bailout after months of difficult negotiations with Greece's lenders.
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| Satellite images confirm major temple destroyed in Syria's Palmyra: U.N Posted: 01 Sep 2015 09:31 AM PDT  Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of the Temple of Bel, which was one of the best preserved Roman-era sites in the Syrian city of Palmyra, a United Nations agency said, after activists said the hardline Islamic State group had targeted it. A comparison of before and after images shows the damage to the temple at the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Geneva-based United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group and other activists said on Sunday that Islamic State had destroyed part of the more than 2,000-year-old temple, one of Palmyra's most important monuments.
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| Pope to allow all priests to forgive abortion during Holy Year Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:49 PM PDT  By Isla Binnie and Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis will give all priests discretion during the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Year to formally forgive women who have had abortions -- the Argentine pontiff's latest move towards a more open and inclusive church. In Church teaching, abortion is such a grave sin that those who procure or perform it incur an automatic excommunication, which can only be lifted by designated church officials. Francis described the "existential and moral ordeal" faced by women who have terminated pregnancies and said he had "met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision".
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| Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:02 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States demanded Tuesday that China release a well-known Christian lawyer and religious figures who were detained last month ahead of a meeting with a visiting senior U.S. diplomat. In addition, the U.S. urged China, and other nations, to release female political prisoners. The calls come ahead of a state visit this month to the U.S. by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the upcoming United Nations General Assembly and the 20th anniversary of a 1995 global conference on women that was hosted by Beijing. |
| Guatemalan president's immunity lifted in corruption scandal Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:01 PM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala's Congress lifted President Otto Perez Molina's immunity of office on Tuesday, opening him up to possible prosecution in a widening customs corruption scandal that has rocked his administration and the country's political system.
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| Guatemalan Congress strips president's immunity Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:41 PM PDT  Guatemala's Congress voted Tuesday to strip embattled President Otto Perez's immunity, clearing the way for him to be prosecuted over allegations he masterminded a multi-million-dollar corruption scheme. The resolution was passed unanimously by the 132 lawmakers present, making the conservative leader the first president to have his immunity revoked in the Central American country's history. After months of unprecedented protests that have swept Guatemala, hundreds of demonstrators outside Congress erupted into jubilant cheers at the news, as passing drivers honked their horns in celebration.
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| Hated Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz gets statue Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:41 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — City officials in central Mexico unveiled a statue of former dictator Porfirio Diaz on Tuesday, saying they wanted to honor his contributions to economic development. |
| UN: Gaza could be 'uninhabitable' by 2020 if trends continue Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:38 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A new United Nations report says Gaza could be "uninhabitable" in less than five years if current economic trends continue. |
| Boavista introduces Rivaldo's son as its newest player Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:38 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — First-division Portuguese club Boavista has introduced Rivaldo's son as its newest signing on Tuesday. |
| Argentina beats Canada in the men's Olympic qualifiers Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:38 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Luis Scola had 35 points and 13 rebounds, and Argentina beat Canada 94-87 on Tuesday in the men's Olympic qualifying tournament.
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| Latest on US Open: 1st round sets record for retirements Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:36 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on the U.S. Open (all times local):
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| Rio head vows to introduce viral testing in Olympic waters Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:35 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Olympic organizers promised Tuesday to introduce viral testing in the polluted waters in Rio de Janeiro where about 1,400 athletes will compete in next year's games. |
| Supporters of Iran deal near key vote total to back up Obama Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:24 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of the Iran nuclear deal are on the cusp of clinching the necessary U.S. Senate votes to keep the contested agreement alive and hand President Barack Obama a major foreign policy victory, in spite of furious opposition.
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| Guatemala's Congress strips President Perez' immunity amid graft scandal Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:20 PM PDT  By Sofia Menchu GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala's Congress on Tuesday voted unanimously to strip President Otto Perez of immunity, paving the way for prosecutors to charge him in an unprecedented graft scandal that has engulfed his government. Perez, a 64-year-old retired general, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has said he will not resign over a scandal that has sent thousands of protesters onto the streets and gutted his cabinet. Perez cannot run for re-election under the constitution, and is set to remain in office until a handover in January.
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| Europe in new migrant standoff as figures show scale of crisis Posted: 01 Sep 2015 04:19 PM PDT  Hundreds of migrants demanding to travel to Germany faced off with police outside Budapest's main railway station late Tuesday, as new figures highlighted the unprecedented scale of Europe's refugee crisis. Police cleared and briefly shut Budapest's Keleti station a day after thousands of migrants boarded trains for Germany and Austria. As night fell, around 500 mainly Syrian migrants, still blocked from the station entrance by a police line, chanted "Germany! Germany! Hungary, let us go!".
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| Kerry to outline US assurances to Israel, Gulf to lawmakers Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:59 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry will send a letter to all members of Congress on Wednesday outlining U.S. security commitments to Israel and the Gulf Arab states in light of the Iran nuclear deal. |
| Commonwealth Games: Durban poised to win 2022 bid Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:59 PM PDT  Durban is set to be officially anointed host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday, making it the first African city to ever host the event. South Africa's third largest city is the only candidate in the vote for 2022 hosting rights after Canada's Edmonton withdrew in February, citing cost concerns. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which is currently holding its general assembly in Auckland, has recommended officials in the 71-nation back Durban's bid.
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| Cuban defector Hector Olivera joins Braves for final month Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:58 PM PDT  ATLANTA (AP) — In what is shaping up as their worst season since 1990, the Atlanta Braves at least have a little something to be excited about in the final month of the season.
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| Michael Clarke won't play in Australian Twenty20 league Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:43 PM PDT MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Michael Clarke's recent retirement from test and one-day play has been extended to the Twenty20 format, at least for this domestic season in Australia. |
| US presidential hopeful Marco Rubio to visit Puerto Rico Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:42 PM PDT  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico this week, his staff said Tuesday.
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| USOC endorses Los Angeles for 2024 Olympics bid Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:39 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Olympic Committee on Tuesday named Los Angeles as its candidate for the 2024 Games, replacing Boston's soured bid and marking a comeback for LA's dream of becoming a three-time Olympic host.
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| Guatemala's Congress votes to withdraw President Otto Perez Molina's immunity of prosecution Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:31 PM PDT GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala's Congress votes to withdraw President Otto Perez Molina's immunity of prosecution. |
| Brazil police charge former top Lula aide for four crimes Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:30 PM PDT  Brazil's Federal Police on Tuesday charged Jose Dirceu, former chief of staff to former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with four crimes related to his alleged involvement in bribery and bid-rigging at Petrobras and other state-run companies. Dirceu, who has been held since Aug 3 at a jail in Curitiba, Brazil under suspicion of involvement in Brazil's largest-ever corruption scandal, was charged with racketeering, receiving bribes, fraud and money laundering, the Federal Police press office said. Dirceu is the most senior member of Brazil's ruling Workers' Party to be arrested in the scandal so far.
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| Guatemalan president faces judgment day in Congress Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:30 PM PDT  Guatemala's Congress convened Tuesday to debate whether to strip embattled President Otto Perez of his immunity and force him to face prosecution over massive corruption that has sparked unprecedented protests. Protesters demanding the conservative leader's ouster formed a cordon outside Congress to protect lawmakers as they arrived, after a separate group of demonstrators initially blocked the building's entrances. A congressional investigative committee recommended three days ago that lawmakers vote to revoke Perez's immunity, which would trigger a criminal trial and possibly force him from office.
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| Mass grave found in northern Mexico Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:27 PM PDT  A mass grave has been found in northern Mexico, authorities said Tuesday, as a rights group indicated it could contain 31,000 bone fragments corresponding to at least 31 bodies. The pit was discovered on a ranch in the town of Salinas Victoria, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the industrial hub of Monterrey, said a spokeswoman for the Nuevo Leon state prosecutor's office, Priscila Rivas. "The ranch was found through statements by detained criminals, information from victims and investigations by the prosecutor's office," Rivas told AFP.
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| Madrid joins Barcelona in network to help migrants Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT  Madrid said Tuesday it was joining Barcelona's initiative to form a "network of cities" to welcome some of the hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants arriving in Europe. Barcelona city hall said Tuesday it had met with local NGOs to discuss how to register migrants coming to the city and place them with the "many Barcelona families" which have "offered to receive refugees". "Barcelona's intention is to work to set up a network of cities of refuge in order to face up to this crisis in a unified way," it said in a statement.
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| Turkey raids critical media group after British reporters jailed Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:18 PM PDT  Turkish police on Tuesday swooped on the Ankara-based offices of a media group critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a day after two British reporters were jailed on controversial terror charges. The raids on Koza-Ipek Media sparked fresh concern about press freedom in Turkey, which is gearing for snap legislative elections in November, its second in five months. Six people have been arrested and a warrant has been issued for the conglomerate's chief executive, Akin Ipek, who is thought to be in Britain, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.
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| No. 2 Halep, No. 4 Wozniacki avoid upset bug at US Open Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:17 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Wozniacki crashed John Isner's post-match news conference, needling her good friend for arriving late to his interview session and delaying the start of hers.
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| Sands China recruits Alan Dershowitz for lawsuit appeal Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:11 PM PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lawyers for Sands China Ltd. are relying on well-known attorney Alan Dershowitz in arguing for the dismissal of a wrongful termination lawsuit being pursued against the company in a southern Nevada courtroom because it's registered in the Cayman Islands and does business in China, not Las Vegas. |
| Otto Perez, Guatemalan crime-fighter turned suspect Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:09 PM PDT  Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina came to power in 2012 promising to crack down on crime, but now the retired general is the one allegedly on the wrong side of the law. Perez is fighting for his political survival after UN investigators accused him of running a massive corruption scheme that defrauded the national customs service of millions of dollars. Investigators say Perez and ex-vice president Roxana Baldetti operated a system in which businesses could bribe corrupt officials to clear their imports through customs at a fraction of the actual tax rate.
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| Charges sought against Brazil's former chief-of-staff Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:08 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Police on Tuesday asked prosecutors to file charges against Brazil's former presidential chief of staff, Jose Dirceu, for alleged involvement in the massive corruption scheme at state-owned oil company Petrobras. |
| Transfer window: Club rifts, failed moves, record spend Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:03 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — A record $1.3 billion was spent by English Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window.
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| Turkish police fire tear gas to break up Istanbul protest Posted: 01 Sep 2015 03:00 PM PDT  Turkish police on Tuesday used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse protestors in central Istanbul, detaining over a dozen people, an AFP photographer said. Police intervened as demonstrators attempted to form a human chain and shouted slogans against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its offensive against Kurdish militants. Jets from a water cannon were fired down the middle of the street -- a busy shopping area -- and police used tear gas as demonstrators ran for cover.
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| Israel asks UN to reject Palestinian attempt to raise flag Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:59 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israel on Tuesday urged U.N. leaders to reject a Palestinian attempt to raise their flag at U.N. headquarters as early as this month's gathering of world leaders there.
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| Venezuela, in spat with Colombia, nabs 32 paramilitaries Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:58 PM PDT  Venezuela has arrested 32 alleged paramilitaries leading smuggling rings since it closed part of its border with Colombia, a top official said Tuesday. Cabello was speaking at a rally with some of the 3,000 troops being sent in to reinforce the area in western Venezuela. The countries have been locked in a row since Maduro on August 19 closed part of the border after unidentified assailants attacked a Venezuelan anti-smuggling patrol, wounding three soldiers and a civilian.
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| Shrinking Exit Glacier a powerful sign of warming climate: Obama Posted: 01 Sep 2015 02:56 PM PDT  By Roberta Rampton SEWARD, Alaska (Reuters) - President Barack Obama walked down a winding wooded path past a small brown post marked "1926," past a glacial stream trickling over gravel that eons of ice have scraped off mountain peaks. "This is as good a signpost of what we're dealing with on climate change as just about anything," Obama told the reporters waiting on the outwash plain at the base of the glacier. It was the signature moment of Obama's trek to Alaska, aimed at making the world pay heed to how much damage rising seas have already caused, and demand their leaders reach a deal in Paris in December to curb climate-changing carbon emissions.
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