| Hit by new wave of refugees, Germany warns EU partners Posted: 07 Sep 2015 11:56 AM PDT  By Paul Carrel and Georgina Prodhan BERLIN/MUNICH (Reuters) - Struggling to cope with record numbers of asylum seekers, Germany told its European partners on Monday they too must take in more refugees, as police in Hungary used pepper spray on desperate migrants who broke out of a reception center at the border. Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking after a weekend in which 20,000 migrants entered Germany from Hungary by train, bus and on foot, described the influx as "breathtaking" and tried to reassure German citizens that the crisis was manageable. "I am happy that Germany has become a country that many people outside of Germany now associate with hope," she said at a news conference in Berlin.
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| Much work remains to detail past Iranian nuclear program: U.N. watchdog Posted: 07 Sep 2015 01:58 PM PDT  It will take a lot of work to determine by the end of the year whether Iran was previously developing nuclear weapons, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Monday. Alongside the July 14 political agreement with six world powers world powers, Iran reached a roadmap accord with the International Atomic Energy Agency which requires Tehran to pass on enough information about its past nuclear program to allow the U.N. body to report on the issue by December. "With regard to clarification of PMD, much work needs to be done," Yukiya Amano, IAEA director general, told a news conference, referring to the term "possible military dimensions".
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| UK's Cameron suffers parliamentary defeat over EU referendum rules Posted: 07 Sep 2015 05:17 PM PDT  By Kylie MacLellan and William James LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron suffered an embarrassing defeat in parliament on Monday after Euroskeptic members of his Conservatives joined forces with opposition lawmakers to reject proposed rules for a European Union membership referendum. It was Cameron's first parliamentary defeat since he was re-elected in May with a slim majority and highlighted the historic splits over Europe in his Conservative Party that contributed to the downfall of two of his predecessors. Cameron, who plans to reshape Britain's relationship with the bloc ahead of a membership vote by the end of 2017, has said he wants to stay in a reformed EU but rules nothing out if his renegotiation is unsuccessful.
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| Japan's PM Abe unchallenged for party top post, gets another three-year term Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:45 PM PDT  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a rare second consecutive term on Tuesday, after his only potential rival for the post of ruling party chief failed to gain enough sponsors to register for the race. Abe, who took office in December 2012, was the only candidate to register for a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election, meaning he gets another three-year term as party chief and hence, premier, becoming the first Japanese leader to do so in more than a decade. ...
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| U.S. asks Greece to deny Russian flights to Syria Posted: 07 Sep 2015 11:19 AM PDT  By Renee Maltezou, Tom Perry and Lidia Kelly ATHENS/BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States has asked Greece to deny Russia the use of its airspace for supply flights to Syria, a Greek official said on Monday, after Washington told Moscow it was deeply concerned by reports of a Russian military build up in Syria. Russian newswire RIA Novosti earlier said Greece had refused the U.S. request, adding that Russia was seeking permission to run the flights up to Sept. 24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would not give any official reaction until there was a decision from Athens.
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| Comic actor easily wins place in Guatemala's presidential runoff Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:53 PM PDT  By Enrique Pretel and Alexandra Alper GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A comic actor rode a wave of outrage over corruption to win the most votes in Guatemala's presidential election on Sunday and is seen as having a strong chance of winning a runoff next month. Jimmy Morales, 46, who is new to politics and campaigned under the slogan "not corrupt, not a thief," has promised a transparent government if he wins the presidency in a second round vote on Oct. 25. It remains unclear if he will face a former first lady or conservative businessman, who are still fighting for second-place finish in Sunday's vote.
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| US Open Glance Posted: 07 Sep 2015 05:04 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A look at Monday's play at the $42.3 million U.S. Open tennis championships: |
| Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 07 Sep 2015 05:02 PM PDT VIENNA (AP) — The head of the U.N. atomic energy agency says satellite imagery of North Korea's main nuclear site indicates that the country is expanding its atomic program. Yukiya Amano spoke Monday at the opening of a 35-nation board meeting of his International Atomic Energy Agency. |
| S.Africa animal rights group tries to stop big game hunt Posted: 07 Sep 2015 05:00 PM PDT  South African animal rights group the NSPCA on Monday said it has obtained a warrant in its attempt to stop a week-long large game hunt that could see hundreds of animals die. Game such as gemsbuck, wildebeest, warthogs, and impalas have already been killed in the hunt, the group said, which is set to take place on a private reserve in the Limpopo region. The NSPCA was granted a warrant by a South African court, and can bring charges against the organisers if they see signs of cruelty towards animals during the hunt.
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| Colombia seizes 1 metric ton of cocaine on Mexico flight Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:59 PM PDT  BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Authorities in Colombia said they seized over 1 metric ton of cocaine disguised as printer ink and bound for Mexico.
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| UK lawmakers pass EU referendum legislation to upper house Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:55 PM PDT Prime Minister David Cameron's planned referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union moved a step closer after legislation paving the way for the vote was passed to parliament's upper house. Lawmakers in parliament's House of Commons voted early on Tuesday by 316-53 to back Cameron's plan to hold a referendum by the end of 2017, meaning it will now be considered by members of the upper house, the House of Lords. On Monday, Cameron suffered an embarrassing defeat in parliament at the hands of his own Euroskeptic lawmakers, who joined forces with opposition parties to vote against proposed rules on government activity in the run-up to the referendum. |
| Violence once again mars New York's West Indian Day Parade Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:46 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The West Indian Day Parade, a rollicking, colorful celebration of Caribbean culture, music, style and food, rolled through New York City's streets Monday but, once again, was marred by predawn violence that left one man dead and an aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in critical condition.
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| Hundreds of migrants march on Hungary motorway Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:34 PM PDT  Scores of migrants broke through a police line near a refugee centre on Monday and marched against oncoming traffic on a motorway hard shoulder headed for Budapest. The group of around 200 walked some 15 kilometres (nine miles) along the M5 motorway before police negotiators persuaded them to board buses to take them back to a nearby registration camp for asylum-seekers. Police earlier closed a section of the motorway near Roszke in southeast Hungary close to the Serbian border after the group climbed over a barrier and onto the road, which leads to the capital.
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| Guatemalan revolt against establishment extends to election Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:24 PM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A citizen revolt against Guatemala's political establishment that helped oust former President Otto Perez Molina in the midst of a corruption scandal appears to have continued at the ballot box.
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| Greece must bolster border against migration: conservative leader Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:21 PM PDT  Greece should strengthen its border defences to check the unprecedented wave of migrants landing on its shores, the head of the conservative party that could return to power in this month's election said early Tuesday. "As regards migrants, the borders must be better protected and Greece should not send the message that 'it's good over here, come over'," New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis said in a television interview. Greece's acting migration minister on Monday said the island of Lesbos was "on the verge of explosion" with over 15,000 mainly Syrian refugees waiting to be registered for onward travel to Athens.
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| Danish police close motorway as refugees march to Sweden Posted: 07 Sep 2015 04:19 PM PDT  Police in southern Denmark late Monday closed a motorway as groups of refugees marched towards the border with Sweden, known for its more generous asylum policies. "This is being done for the safety of the people who are walking along the motorway," local police said in a statement after closing the first 29 kilometres (18 miles) of the road from Rodby harbour in southern Denmark to Copenhagen. Earlier in the day, up to 150 refugees began marching towards the border but many later agreed to be taken to police stations to register for asylum in Denmark.
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| Factbox: Tough talk expected as U.S. Congress debates Iran nuclear deal Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:52 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers will begin a high-stakes debate on a resolution disapproving the Iran nuclear deal when they return from a summer recess on Tuesday, ready to resolve an issue that stirred a passionate partisan division in Washington. Although there is strong support for the resolution in the Republican-controlled Congress, President Barack Obama has said he will veto it and appears to have the Democratic votes needed to sustain the veto, ensuring the nuclear deal survives. If enacted, a disapproval resolution would eliminate Obama's power to temporarily waive U.S. sanctions on Iran passed by Congress, which analysts say are the majority of U.S. sanctions, crippling the accord. |
| Mexico's 43 missing students: What we know, don't know Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:48 PM PDT  Last year, Mexican authorities declared that the "historic truth" in the disappearance of 43 students was that a drug gang killed them and incinerated their bodies in a garbage dump. The young men had headed toward Iguala on buses that they had hijacked -- an illegal yet common practice by the students, known as leftist radicals who use the vehicles for their activities. This time the students -- most of them freshmen -- were going to Iguala to raise funds and take more buses for an October protest.
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| Car hits family of 4 crossing Saipan road in crosswalk Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:43 PM PDT SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AP) — A family of two adults and two children crossing a Saipan road were hit by a car. |
| Britain kills IS fighters in Syria for first time Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:43 PM PDT  A Royal Air Force (RAF) drone killed a British jihadist in Syria last month who was planning attacks on Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday. The killing of 21-year-old Reyaad Khan, who left home to join Islamic State (IS) group militants in 2013, is a first because it happened in a country where Britain is not at war and has provoked fierce criticism from human rights campaigners. Cameron said the strike was "an act of self-defence" since Khan had been planning "barbaric" attacks in Britain against high-profile commemorations over the summer.
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| France, Britain raise stakes on Islamic State in Syria Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:36 PM PDT  France said Monday it had begun preparations for air strikes on the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, and Britain said it too was weighing the case for hitting at jihadists in the war-torn country, from which tens of thousands of people have fled to Europe. British Prime Minister David Cameron emphasised the risk of terror attacks in saying he believed there was "a strong case" for Britain taking part in airstrikes in Syria. Britain had carried out a first strike in Syria in August with a drone, killing three jihadists, two of them from Britain, he revealed.
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| Syrian refugees protest to leave Uruguay, say too costly Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:35 PM PDT  MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Syrian refugees protested outside the Uruguayan presidency Monday to demand authorities help them leave for other countries, saying the nation that gave them sanctuary is too expensive and they have scant economic opportunity.
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| Army's role questioned in missing Mexican students case Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:33 PM PDT  An independent probe into the disappearance of 43 Mexican students put a spotlight on the army's failure to protect them from crooked police despite knowing about the attacks. A report by experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, released Sunday, found that soldiers had been spotted at the crime scenes and that one intelligence agent had seen police clash with and detain a group of students. Parents of the students and survivors of the tragedy have held protests in front of the headquarters of the army's 27th battalion in Iguala and have repeatedly questioned the military's role in the incident, on the night of September 26, when municipal police in the southern city of Iguala whisked away the students after shooting at their buses.
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| Mueller leads Germany to 3-2 win over Scotland in qualifier Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:26 PM PDT  GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Thomas Mueller led Germany to a 3-2 away win over Scotland on Monday as the world champions took a big step toward European Championship qualification.
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| Germany, Portugal close in on Euro 2016 qualification Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:22 PM PDT  BERLIN (AP) — Germany and Portugal closed in on European Championship qualification on Monday, while Northern Ireland missed the chance to book its place at next year's tournament in France.
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| Paraguay Catholics toss cash from church belfry in festival Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT  ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Jorge Gonzalez woke up early, had breakfast and went straight to church in this town on the outskirts of Paraguay's capital hoping to catch money falling from the sky.
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| EU's Tusk warns against federalist push, treaty change Posted: 07 Sep 2015 03:15 PM PDT  By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Council President Donald Tusk issued a warning on Monday against forcing the pace of centralization in the EU and said those calling for changes to Union treaties had "zero" chance of success any time soon. In a speech that focused on ways to strengthen the euro zone within its current legal framework, the message from the former Polish premier who chairs EU leaders' summits carried cautionary messages for Brussels officials seeking sweeping new powers to manage the migration crisis and for Prime Minister David Cameron as he tries to renegotiate treaties to keep Britain in the bloc. Tusk, who gave a defense of Europe's halting, flawed and fractious approach to resolving common problems, cited painful personal experience of communism to warn against "utopian visions", including those of "ultra-European ideologists".
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| UK's Cameron suffers parliamentary defeat over EU referendum rules Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:59 PM PDT By Kylie MacLellan and William James LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron suffered an embarrassing defeat in parliament on Monday after Euroskeptic members of his Conservatives joined forces with opposition lawmakers to reject proposed rules for a European Union membership referendum. It was Cameron's first parliamentary defeat since he was re-elected in May with a slim majority and highlighted the historic splits over Europe in his Conservative Party that contributed to the downfall of two of his predecessors. Cameron, who plans to reshape Britain's relationship with the bloc ahead of a membership vote by the end of 2017, has said he wants to stay in a reformed EU but rules nothing out if his renegotiation is unsuccessful. |
| Putin jockeying for deal with US on Syria Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:54 PM PDT  MOSCOW (AP) — Signs of an ongoing Russian military buildup in Syria have drawn U.S. concerns and raised questions of whether Moscow plans to enter the conflict. President Vladimir Putin has been coy on the subject, saying Russia is weighing various options, a statement that has fueled suspicions about the Kremlin's intentions.
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| Grandfather of tennis star Rafael Nadal dies Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:48 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — Mallorca's regional government says the grandfather of Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has died. He was 85. |
| As Europe handles waves of Syrian refugees, U.S. is slow to help Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:46 PM PDT By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Europe grapples with a flood of refugees from the Syrian war and the pope urges Catholics to help them, the U.S. government may lack the political appetite to offer American soil as a safe haven to more than the current trickle of Syrians. Refugee and immigrant groups had urged the United States to admit more Syrian refugees long before the crisis erupted this summer in Europe. Some hoped global outrage over images of a drowned Syrian toddler in Turkey last week, and Pope Francis' call on Sunday for European parishes to take in refugees - coming just two weeks before a trip to the United States - might help prod the United States into action. |
| Cameron suffers defeat in Commons vote on EU referendum bill Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:39 PM PDT  British Prime Minister David Cameron suffered an embarrassing defeat Monday over how the referendum he has called on leaving the European Union will be conducted. While the defeat in the House of Commons was on a technicality, it highlights the struggle Cameron faces to keep eurosceptics in his own centre-right Conservative party in line before the vote, due by the end of 2017. It was Cameron's first defeat in the Commons, where he has a majority of only 16 seats, since winning Britain's general election in May.
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| Greece mulls denying airspace to Russia planes carrying supplies to Syria Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:30 PM PDT  The United States has asked Greece to ban Russian supply flights to Syria from its airspace, a Greek official said Monday, amid growing US fears that Moscow is increasing its military backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Confirming the US request a Greek foreign ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "We received the (US) request on Saturday and are examining it". Russia has asked Greece, which is a NATO member, to permit the passage of two planes between September 1 and 24, the Greek official said.
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| Northern Ireland, Romania stay on track for Euro 2016 Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:22 PM PDT  BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Kyle Lafferty scored an injury-time goal to earn 10-man Northern Ireland a 1-1 draw against Hungary on Monday, keeping his team on track to surprisingly qualify for the European Championship.
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| Britain, France join Germany in showing solidarity with migrants Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:21 PM PDT  Britain and France Monday joined Germany in pledging to accept tens of thousands of refugees as Europe's record influx of people fleeing war and misery sparked warnings that one Greek migrant chokepoint was "on the verge of explosion". European leaders are scrambling for solutions as bloody conflicts in Syria, Iraq and beyond send hundreds of thousands of desperate people on dangerous voyages through the Balkans and across the Mediterranean to the 28-nation EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is Europe's top refugee destination, hailed the warm welcome her citizens gave to 20,000 asylum-seekers who streamed across its southern borders on weekend trains, and pledged billions more in money to house them.
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| Mexican government affirms that students burned at dump Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:21 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's attorney general's office remained convinced on Monday that many of the 43 students who disappeared in 2014 were killed and incinerated at a garbage dump, one day after an independent experts' report said it did not happen.
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| Whale entangled in fishing wire in California spotted in Mexican waters Posted: 07 Sep 2015 02:19 PM PDT (Reuters) - A blue whale that was spotted last week entangled in fishing wire off the Southern California coast might have moved hundreds of miles south to Mexico, still towing a line and a red buoy, officials said on Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard said a vessel reported seeing a blue whale tangled in fishing line near the Coronado Islands, off the coast of Mexico just south of the California border, according to Jim Milbury, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. |
