| Saudi suggests pilgrims at fault over haj deaths, Iran angry Posted: 25 Sep 2015 09:47 AM PDT  By Nidal al-Mughrabi MINA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Friday suggested pilgrims ignoring crowd control rules bore some blame for a crush that killed over 700 people at the haj pilgrimage in the annual event's worst disaster for 25 years. The kingdom's regional rival Iran expressed outrage at the deaths of 131 of its nationals at the world's largest annual gathering of people, and politicians in Tehran suggested Riyadh was incapable of managing the event.
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| Croatia lifts border blockade with Serbia Posted: 25 Sep 2015 11:57 AM PDT  By Fatos Bytyci BAJAKOVO, Croatia (Reuters) - Croatia lifted a blockade on its border with Serbia on Friday, ending a week-long standoff that had plunged relations between the two Balkan states to their lowest since Yugoslavia broke up in bloodshed in the 1990s. A Reuters reporter on the scene confirmed cars with Serbian plates were now moving into Croatia. More than 60,000 migrants have crossed into Croatia from Serbia in the past week.
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| At U.N., Pope rails against craving for wealth and power Posted: 25 Sep 2015 11:40 AM PDT  Pope Francis on Friday condemned the craving for material gains and power, warning an annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations that greed is destroying the Earth's resources and aggravating poverty. On his first trip to New York, the Argentine pontiff also prayed at the Sept. 11 memorial in perhaps the most poignant moment of his six-day visit to the United States. The first pope from Latin America, Francis has often criticized unbridled capitalism in the two years of his papacy.
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| Hezbollah welcomes Russian buildup in Syria, says U.S. has failed Posted: 25 Sep 2015 12:32 PM PDT  Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah on Friday welcomed Russia's military buildup in Syria in support of common ally President Bashar al-Assad, saying it was the failure of a U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State that had forced Moscow's hand. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with the group's al-Manar TV that increased Russian support for Assad included highly advanced weapons systems, warplanes and helicopters.
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| Ukraine bans Russian airlines as part of war sanctions Posted: 25 Sep 2015 07:06 AM PDT  By Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine is banning flights by Russian airlines from Oct. 25 as part of a wave of sanctions against Russia over its support for separatists in the east of the country, the government said on Friday. Kiev said last week it was imposing restrictions on more than 90 companies or groups, mostly from Russia, and including airlines Transaero and Aeroflot , the national flag carrier. Spelling out the details of the sanctions, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk told a government meeting: "In accordance with a decision by the Security Council, the government of Ukraine is adopting a decision to ban flights by Russian companies, primarily Aeroflot and Transaero, to Ukraine." The government website quoted him as saying: "Russian planes with the Russian tricolor have no business in Ukrainian airports." He added that any Russian planes carrying military hardware or troops had also been banned from flying over Ukrainian territory.
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| U.S. ties better but 'still a long road to travel': Iran's Rouhani Posted: 25 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT  By Dayan Candappa NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday said ties with the United States had improved, though there was "still a long road to travel" before the two estranged nations could have normal relations. "We can point to the tangibles, the many steps forward, but there is still a long road to travel." He described the historic nuclear deal between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China as a "big test" for U.S.-Iranian relations and said that it was important to create an atmosphere of trust. "If we continue on the path, the road will be paved to further cooperation and collaboration," he said, adding that "we have seen good faith between the two sides." The White House has said there was no meeting planned between Rouhani and U.S. President Barack Obama while they are at U.N. headquarters in the coming days.
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| Pope Francis mingles with high and low in New York visit Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:56 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Sweeping through the landmarks of America's biggest city, Pope Francis on Friday offered comfort to 9/11 victims' families at ground zero, warnings to world leaders at the United Nations and encouragement to schoolchildren in Harlem as he mixed the high and low ministry so characteristic of his papacy.
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| World leaders adopt UN goals to end poverty in 15 years Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:49 PM PDT  World leaders on Friday pledged to end extreme poverty within 15 years, adopting an ambitious set of UN goals to be backed up by trillions of dollars in development spending. Pope Francis welcomed the new global agenda as an "important sign of hope" in his speech to the UN General Assembly and urged leaders to deliver on their promise to transform the world by 2030. Making his first address to the United Nations, the pontiff sounded a note of warning, saying pledges were worthless without the determination to follow through.
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| Thai man arrested on boat believed to be carrying slave fish Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:49 PM PDT  SABANG, Indonesia (AP) — The Thai captain of a seized cargo ship carrying an estimated $2 million worth of seafood has been arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of illegal fishing, in the latest development linked to an Associated Press investigation that uncovered a slave island earlier this year. At least one other crew member is still under scrutiny.
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| The Latest: Pope concludes Mass at New York City arena Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:44 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Latest developments in Pope Francis' visit to the United States. All times local:
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| UN summit approves 15-year blueprint to eradicate poverty Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:41 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — With the bang of a gavel, international leaders approved an ambitious 15-year plan Friday to tackle the world's biggest problems, from eradicating poverty to preserving the planet to reducing inequality. Now comes the tough part: Drumming up support and money to achieve the goals and transform the world.
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| Last UK resident to be freed from Guantanamo after 13 years Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:40 PM PDT  Shaker Aamer, the last British resident held at Guantanamo Bay, is to be released by US authorities to Britain after over 13 years at the military prison, officials said Friday. Saudi-born Aamer is alleged to have been a key British-based recruiter and financier for the Al-Qaeda militant network and purportedly worked for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, according to US military documents. Aamer's lawyer Clive Stafford Smith said that his client, captured in Afghanistan in 2001, would probably not be released until the end of next month.
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| The Latest: Obamas welcome Chinese leader to state dinner Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:34 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest developments from the state visit that President Barack Obama is hosting for Chinese President Xi Jinping. All times local:
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| Croatia, Serbia calm migrant border tensions after EU wades in Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:32 PM PDT  Croatia and Serbia moved to ease tensions along their shared border on Friday after the EU's powerful executive intervened in a bitter row sparked by Europe's biggest postwar influx of refugee. Over the past week, the two neighbours have been locked in their worst spat since the 1990s Yugoslavian conflict, imposing tit-for-tat border restrictions over the human exodus seeking passage through the Balkans to northern Europe. Over the past 10 days since Hungary sealed its southern border with Serbia, nearly 60,000 refugees and migrants have crossed into Croatia, seeking an alternative route towards western Europe.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:32 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday laid out a fresh threat of sanctions for economic espionage emanating from China, even as he and President Xi Jinping pledged their countries would not conduct or support such hacking. "The question now is: Are words followed by action?" Obama said, indicating his skepticism about Chinese assurances on the issue as he stood alongside Xi at a White House news conference. |
| Column: Golf's future in good hands with a new Big 3 (or 4) Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:16 PM PDT  ATLANTA (AP) — As Tiger Woods recovers from another operation on his increasingly creaky body, the Tour Championships goes on without him at soggy East Lake.
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| US-trained Syria rebels gave ammo, equipment to Qaeda group: official Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:27 PM PDT  Washington (AFP) - The Pentagon on Friday said a group of US-trained Syrian rebels had handed over equipment and ammunition to Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the country, the Al-Nusra Front.
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| In search for Mexico's 43, killings of 6 others go ignored Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:23 PM PDT  SAN MIGUEL TECOMATLAN, Mexico (AP) — Unlike the families of the 43 students who disappeared a year ago, Julio Cesar Mondragon's loved ones were left with a body to bury. But there is little comfort in that, because Mondragon's corpse bore witness to the horror of his final moments.
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| Martin Flores leads Web.com Tour Finals event Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:21 PM PDT COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Martin Flores shot a 1-under 70 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Web.com Tour Finals' Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship. |
| Syria commander gives equipment to al-Qaida affiliate Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:20 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says a U.S.-allied Syrian rebel commander surrendered six coalition-provided trucks and ammunition to an intermediary linked to the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, known as the Nusra Front. |
| Ukraine and West condemn rebel ban on foreign aid groups Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:19 PM PDT Ukraine and some of its Western allies condemned on Friday a decision by pro-Russian separatists to ban most foreign aid organizations from parts of rebel-held territory, saying the move violated the Minsk peace agreement. On Thursday, rebel officials of the so-called Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) said they had refused accreditation to 10 out of 11 foreign humanitarian agencies, ordering them to leave LNR territory by Sept. 25. "Ukraine expresses its deep concern, as banning the work of international organizations primarily affects civilians," presidential representative Iryna Herashchenko told Reuters. |
| U.S. to make new diplomatic push on Syria, talk to Iran: officials Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:16 PM PDT  By Lesley Wroughton and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will try to launch a new initiative for a political solution in Syria during meetings in New York in the next week, starting with talks with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday, U.S. and other Western officials said. After backing a United Nations peace process that has failed to end the Syrian conflict, Kerry will test several ideas for a new approach during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in the coming days, the officials said. The new approach - which officials stressed was in its infancy - could bring together Russia, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Arabia and countries such as Turkey and Qatar, which support Syrian opposition groups.
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| Biggar aiming to prove Wales critics wrong Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:16 PM PDT  Dan Biggar said an injury-hit Wales were confident they could emerge victorious from their key World Cup pool match against England at Twickenham on Saturday. Ace goalkicker Leigh Halfpenny and scrum-half Rhys Webb were both ruled out before the tournament while Wales now have fitness concerns regarding props Paul James and Samson Lee.
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| 'Wounds in our heart': Seattle college mourns 4 students Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:15 PM PDT  SEATTLE (AP) — Students and faculty, some arm in arm, filed into a private memorial service in a lecture hall at a Seattle college Friday to honor four international students killed when an amphibious tour vehicle struck their charter bus.
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| 15 civilians killed in Boko Haram attack in SE Niger: TV Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:13 PM PDT  Fifteen civilians were killed in an attack by Boko Haram militants on a border village in southeastern Niger, state television reported late Friday. The attack took place on Thursday night in a village on the banks of the Komadougou Yobe river which runs along a small section of the border between Niger and Nigeria, Tele Sahel said. "We found a dreadful scene, around 15 people had been executed, four of whom were from Nigeria," Hassan Ardo, an official from the Diffa governorate told the channel.
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| Rock-star screams for 'people's pope' in Central Park Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:11 PM PDT  New York (AFP) - They waited for hours. Some even fainted from heat and lack of food. But when Pope Francis glided through Central Park on his popemobile, the screams were deafening.
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| Boehner exits, triggering fight for US House speaker Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:05 PM PDT  Bitter internal divisions in the Republican Party boiled over Friday with the resignation of House Speaker John Boehner, whose exit has sparked what could be a bruising battle to replace him. Boehner had spent years repelling rebellious conservatives who accused him of the lacking fire to battle Barack Obama and fellow Democrats. Now the party's far-right flank could seek to install one of their own, or at least a Republican more willing to press a conservative agenda.
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| U.N. appeals for help for Boko Haram displaced; Nigeria a no-show Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:04 PM PDT  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations, Chad, Niger and Cameroon appealed on Friday for help for millions of people in the Lake Chad Basin region forced to flee the violence of Boko Haram and hit with repeated droughts and floods that have brought malnutrition and disease. U.S. and European Union diplomats said they were disappointed that Nigeria did not attend the event chaired by O'Brien on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
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| Obama announces 'understanding' with China's Xi on cyber theft but remains wary Posted: 25 Sep 2015 04:00 PM PDT  By Matt Spetalnick and Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced on Friday that he had reached a "common understanding" with Chinese President Xi Jinping on curbing economic cyber espionage, but threatened to impose U.S. sanctions on Chinese hackers who persist with cyber crimes. The two leaders also unveiled a deal to build on a landmark emissions agreement struck last year, outlining new steps they will take to deliver on pledges they made then to slash their greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking after White House talks during Xi's first U.S. state visit, Obama quickly homed in on the thorniest dispute between the world's two biggest economies - growing U.S. complaints about Chinese hacking of government and corporate databases, and the suspicion in Washington that Beijing is sometimes behind it.
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| Stenson stretches lead at East Lake as Spieth makes a surge Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:59 PM PDT  ATLANTA (AP) — Two years after Henrik Stenson sailed to victory at the Tour Championship, he has another comfortable lead after 36 holes at East Lake and Jordan Spieth is chasing him.
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| Mexico seeks new DNA tests in missing students case Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:58 PM PDT  Mexican authorities are sifting through nearly 60,000 bone fragments to see if any can be tested for a DNA match with 43 students who vanished last year, officials said Friday. Independent forensic experts from Argentina are helping government investigators to find any remains that could be sent to Austria's Innsbruck University for lab tests, said Eber Omar Betanzos, a human rights prosecutor. The attorney general's office sent 17 charred remains to the university last year, but only one student was positively identified while only a partial match was found of a second one.
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| Yankees' Tanaka throws bullpen, could return next week Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:55 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka threw 31 pitches in a bullpen session Friday, and the New York Yankees right-hander said he thinks he can return to the rotation this season despite a strained right hamstring. |
| Arsenal defender Gabriel given one-match ban, fined Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:55 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista has been given a one-match ban by the English Football Association after admitting a charge of improper conduct. |
| New Syrian Forces turned over coalition-issued equipment to Nusra Front: U.S. Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:46 PM PDT  New Syrian Forces gave the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front six pickup trucks and ammunition that had been supplied by the U.S.-led coalition, the U.S. military said in a statement on Friday. "If accurate, the report of NSF members providing equipment to al Nusra Front is very concerning and a violation of Syria train-and-equip program guidelines," U.S. Central Command spokesman Colonel Patrick Ryder said in a statement. The New Syrian Forces turned over the trucks and ammunition in exchange for safe passage through an al Nusra area, the statement said.
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| The Latest: Pope leaves blessing in UN guest book Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:44 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Latest developments at the United Nations summit to adopt an ambitious blueprint to eradicate extreme poverty and other global goals. (All times local).
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| Dalai Lama cancels October U.S. visit on doctors' advice Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:44 PM PDT  Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has canceled a planned October visit to the United States at the advice of doctors following a medical check-up this week, his office said in a statement on Friday. The statement said doctors had urged the Dalai Lama to rest for several weeks, though it gave no indication that he was ill nor details about the state of health of the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate. The latest statement confirmed that the Dalai Lama was in the United States for a checkup, adding: "The doctors have advised His Holiness to rest for the next several weeks.
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| Emotional campaigns close in 'historic' Catalonia polls Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:41 PM PDT  Rival leaders in Catalonia wrapped up emotional campaigns Friday in what they called a "historic" election that nationalists vow will set the region on the road to independence from Spain. With red and gold Spanish flags in one camp and striped red and gold Catalan ones in the other, separatist leaders vied for votes against supporters of the pro-unity national government at noisy rallies in Barcelona. "Sunday is a special day for the future of Catalonia.
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| Tsipras, Putin discuss refugee crisis in phonecall Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:33 PM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke by phone on Friday about strengthening bilateral ties and the growing migrant crisis, the premier's office said. Putin called to congratulate Tsipras, who won a clear election victory on Sunday, giving him a fresh mandate to push trough a controversial bailout deal with international creditors that demands tough reforms in return for the rescue funds. During the conversation, they spoke about "strengthening bilateral ties" as well as regional developments, "particularly the issue of the refugee flows," Tsipras' office said.
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| Pope prays at Ground Zero in emotion-packed New York day Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:29 PM PDT  Pope Francis spent an emotionally-charged day in New York on Friday from morning prayers at the 9/11 Memorial to a drive past adoring masses thronging in Central Park. Leading a gathering of 700 at the site of Ground Zero, the pope paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims and those who responded to the worst attacks on US soil that killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. "I hope our presence here sends a powerful sign of our wish to share and reaffirm the wish to be forces of reconciliation, forces of peace, of justice," the pope said.
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| A quick Q&A on issues ahead for FIFA, Blatter and Platini Posted: 25 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT  ZURICH (AP) — FIFA sank deeper into a crisis on Friday that threatened to take down the two most powerful men in world football.
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