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• At U.N., Obama and Putin clash over working with Syria's Assad
• Afghan Taliban seize Kunduz city center in landmark gain
• China's Xi says to commit 8,000 troops for U.N. peacekeeping force
• At U.N., Castro says U.S. must end embargo to have normal Cuba ties
• Pope wades into U.S. gay marriage debate after historic visit
• Car bomb in central Baghdad kills at least four: sources
• The Latest: Putin doesn't rule out Syrian air strikes
• Central African Republic leader leaves U.N. early due to violence in Bangui
• Modi calls for climate change agenda that helps developing countries
• Obama, Putin clash over differences on Syria's future
• Countries pledge 30,000 peacekeepers at U.N. summit
• Washington state suspends operations of duck tour company
• Families divided, residents flee from Afghan city under siege
• Rescuers save 1,151 migrants off Libya coast, says Italy
• Bomb blast near Baghdad liquor store kills two
• 2 Haiti Senate seats decided in 1st round; 18 go to runoffs
• Obama draws pledges of 30,000 troops for UN peacekeeping
• At least 23 civilians dead in Syria regime raids on IS-held city: monitor
• Obama admits mistakes in Libya, says West should have done more
• Democratic discontent with White House Syria policy growing
• Climate goal closer as UN pressure builds
• World Bank warns of 'high risk' of Israel-Palestinian conflict
• Family wants Iranian's murder reclassified as hate crime
• Rouhani says Iran ready to help bring democracy to Syria, Yemen
• Twenty-two killed in Brazilian beach city
• Herbicide scrutiny mounts as resistant weeds spread in U.S.
• Burkina Faso elite unit refuses to disarm after coup: army chief
• Hurricane Marty closes in on western Mexico
• U.S. Judge stops Georgia aquarium from importing belugas from Russia
• 'Cheers' but no cheer: Obama and Putin's grim toast
• Obama, Castro call for end to Cuba embargo at UN
• Hurricane Marty drifts toward Mexico's Pacific coast
• Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT
• China worries and sinking drugmakers slam stock market
• Venezuela to let deported Colombians return after border dispute

At U.N., Obama and Putin clash over working with Syria's Assad Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:58 PM PDT By Jeff Mason and Denis Dyomkin UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it was willing to cooperate with Russia, as well as Iran, to try to end the Syrian civil war, but the two big powers clashed over whether to work with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking at the annual United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Barack Obama described Assad as a tyrant and as the chief culprit behind the four-year civil war in which at least 200,000 people have died and millions have been driven from their homes. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in contrast, told the gathering of world leaders that there was no alternative to cooperating with Assad's military in an effort to defeat the Islamic State militant group, which has seized parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Afghan Taliban seize Kunduz city center in landmark gain Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:39 PM PDT By Feroz Sultani and Folad Hamdard KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban fighters on Monday battled their way into the center of Kunduz, a city in northern Afghanistan, and seized the provincial governor's office in one of the militant group's biggest territorial gains in 14 years, witnesses and officials said. In a major setback for Afghan forces, who abandoned a provincial headquarters for the first time since 2001, the insurgents raised their white banner over the central square and freed hundreds of fellow militants from the local jail. It was the second time this year that the hardline Islamist movement has besieged Kunduz, a city defended by Afghan forces battling largely without NATO's support after it withdrew most of its troops last year.

China's Xi says to commit 8,000 troops for U.N. peacekeeping force Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:47 PM PDT By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China will contribute 8,000 troops for a United Nations peacekeeping standby force, China's President Xi Jinping told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, a move that could make it one of the largest players in U.N. peacekeeping efforts. Xi's pledge comes as China is trying to show it is a responsible international player amid concern over its growing military might and territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific region. During a state visit to Washington on Friday, Xi agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama that both countries would increase their "robust" peacekeeping commitments.

At U.N., Castro says U.S. must end embargo to have normal Cuba ties Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:55 PM PDT By Hugh Bronstein UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States can normalize ties only after Washington ends its trade embargo and returns the Guantanamo U.S. naval base to Cuban control, President Raul Castro told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. In the first speech at the U.N. by a Cuban president since his older brother Fidel addressed the Millennium Summit in 2000, Castro said his countrymen must be "compensated" for the decades-old U.S. embargo if relations between the former Cold War enemies are to continue to improve. On July 20, the United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations after a break of 54 years.

Pope wades into U.S. gay marriage debate after historic visit Posted: 28 Sep 2015 12:20 PM PDT By Scott Malone PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Pope Francis waited until his historic U.S. visit was over to make his most direct comments on the nation's debate over gay marriage, saying government officials should have the right to refrain from actions that violate their religious beliefs. "Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right," Francis told reporters, speaking in Italian. "If someone does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right." Francis alluded to the Roman Catholic Church's objections to gay marriage during some of his U.S. talks, citing concerns about "juridical" changes to the definition of the family.

Car bomb in central Baghdad kills at least four: sources Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:05 PM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and eleven others wounded on Monday when a car bomb went off at a garage in a busy commercial district of central Baghdad, police and medical sources said. The attack took place near Saadon Street in an area that is home to both Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims and close to the Ishtar Sheraton hotel, a Baghdad landmark on the eastern side of the Tigris River. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, but such explosions are not uncommon in the capital, where Islamic State militants often launch attacks. ...

The Latest: Putin doesn't rule out Syrian air strikes Posted: 28 Sep 2015 04:36 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Developments as the United Nations General Assembly marks its 70th year and world leaders debate issues gripping the global community and governments.

Central African Republic leader leaves U.N. early due to violence in Bangui Posted: 28 Sep 2015 04:26 PM PDT By Crispin Dembassa-Kette and John Irish BANGUI/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The interim president of Central African Republic Catherine Samba-Panza left the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Monday to return home due to the worst violence in the capital of her country this year, two Western diplomats said. Around 30 people have been killed and dozens more injured in three days of inter-communal clashes in Bangui, a city secured by United Nations and French peacekeepers. The violence has sparked fears that Samba-Panza could be overthrown.

Modi calls for climate change agenda that helps developing countries Posted: 28 Sep 2015 04:08 PM PDT By David Brunnstrom and Jeff Mason UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi met U.S. President Barack Obama and France and Britain's leaders on Monday, and called for a climate change agenda from upcoming global talks in Paris that helps developing countries with access to finance and technology.     Modi said after meeting Obama that he and the American president shared an "uncompromising" commitment to fighting climate change without hurting development.

Obama, Putin clash over differences on Syria's future Posted: 28 Sep 2015 04:03 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply disagreed Monday over the chaos in Syria, with Obama urging a political transition to replace the Syrian president but Putin warning it would be a mistake to abandon the current government.

Countries pledge 30,000 peacekeepers at U.N. summit Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:58 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Monday that more than 50 countries have pledged some 30,000 peacekeepers for possible deployment on United Nations missions, as well as helicopters, medical units and training and equipment to deal with roadside bombs. Obama chaired a summit of world leaders at the United Nations to garner commitments to boost the capacity and capabilities of U.N. peacekeeping and to allow the world body to deploy forces more rapidly if a new operation is created. "Our goal should be to make every new peace operation more efficient and more effective than the last," Obama said.

Washington state suspends operations of duck tour company Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:57 PM PDT SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state regulators suspended the operations of a Seattle tour company Monday after one of its amphibious vehicles swerved into an oncoming charter bus last week, killing five people and hurting dozens of others.

Families divided, residents flee from Afghan city under siege Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:39 PM PDT Just before dawn on Monday, the residents of the northern Afghan city of Kunduz awoke to the crack of gunfire, as Taliban fighters fought their way into the city from three sides. Others still mourned relatives killed in the Taliban's most audacious offensive on a city center since the Islamist militant movement was ousted from power in 2001. "My mother-in-law peeked from behind a wall to see what was going on and was shot in the head and died," said a Reuters eyewitness who was in his home in Kunduz when the fighting erupted at around 3 a.m. "It was mayhem and people did not know what to do." Normal life was suspended as most shops remained shuttered, government officials fled to the airport and dozens of United Nations staff were evacuated from close to the city center.

Rescuers save 1,151 migrants off Libya coast, says Italy Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:31 PM PDT The Italian coastguard said it had coordinated the rescue Monday of 1,151 migrants in 11 separate operations off the Libyan coast. Separately, the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) said its ship Dignity 1 had saved 373 people, including 62 women and 10 children. On September 19, more than 4,500 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya were rescued in joint operations by European ships.

Bomb blast near Baghdad liquor store kills two Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:28 PM PDT A car bomb exploded near a liquor store in central Baghdad Tuesday, killing at least two people, security and medical sources said. The Islamic State jihadist group, which has controlled swathes of Iraq since last year, frequently claims responsibility for car bombs in Baghdad.

2 Haiti Senate seats decided in 1st round; 18 go to runoffs Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:28 PM PDT PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two candidates won election to Haiti's Senate and eight won seats in the lower house in the first round of legislative elections last month, elections authorities announced.

Obama draws pledges of 30,000 troops for UN peacekeeping Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:26 PM PDT More than 50 countries pledged 30,000 troops for United Nations peacekeeping on Monday at a US summit called to shore up missions under strain from the rise in global crises. China scaled up its contribution, taking the lead in setting up an 8,000-strong standby police force while Colombia made a first-time offer of up to 5,000 troops. The pledges represent a major boost to UN peacekeeping, which relies on voluntary contributions from UN member states to run its 16 mission worldwide.

At least 23 civilians dead in Syria regime raids on IS-held city: monitor Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT At least 23 civilians, including eight children, were killed in regime air raids on a market in a jihadist-held city of eastern Syria on Monday, a monitoring group said. "Regime military aircraft fired at least two missiles at a souk (market) in Mayadeen, killing at least 23 civilians including eight children and five women," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The ultra-radical organisation has imposed its extreme interpretation of Islam in areas under its control across swathes of Syria and Iraq.

Obama admits mistakes in Libya, says West should have done more Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:19 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday the international community should have done more to avoid a leadership vacuum in Libya, which has been in disarray since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi four years ago. Obama told the United Nations General Assembly the international community must work harder in future to ensure states do not implode. The rapid descent of Libya into violent chaos was one of the most dramatic events in the "Arab Spring," the abrupt collapse of long-standing autocratic governments in a number of Arab countries in the face of popular protests.

Democratic discontent with White House Syria policy growing Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:14 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic discontent with the U.S. strategy in Syria is growing, with some of President Barack Obama's supporters in Congress questioning what he is doing to fight Islamic State militants, stem the exodus of Syrian refugees and find a political solution to the conflict.

Climate goal closer as UN pressure builds Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:09 PM PDT A stream of national pledges have put the planet closer to tackling climate change but there is more work to do, experts said Monday, as leaders pressed for a strong new UN accord. A week of climate events in New York ahead of the annual United Nations summit brought out new promises from governments and the private sector to slash greenhouse gas emissions blamed for Earth's rising temperatures and severe weather. The United Nations offers one of the last opportunities for high-level talks before the conference opens on November 30 in Paris with the aim of sealing a far-reaching new global climate agreement.

World Bank warns of 'high risk' of Israel-Palestinian conflict Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:08 PM PDT The World Bank warned of the "high risk" of renewed Israel-Palestinian conflict if the political and economic status quo between the two sides persists, in a report released Tuesday. "In short, the status quo is not sustainable and downside risks of further conflict and social unrest are high," said the World Bank. The percentage of the population living under the poverty line has reached 39 percent in Gaza and 16 percent in the West Bank.

Family wants Iranian's murder reclassified as hate crime Posted: 28 Sep 2015 03:01 PM PDT The family of an Iranian man stabbed to death by a white supremacist in California wants local officials to have their son's death classified as a hate crime. The West Coast Trial Lawyers, the attorneys handling the case, issued a statement Monday saying that the family of the late Shayan Mazroei want their son's murder case reopened to be reclassified. Mazroei, 22, was knifed to death outside an Irish pub in the southern California town of Laguna Niguel on September 7.

Rouhani says Iran ready to help bring democracy to Syria, Yemen Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:56 PM PDT By Parisa Hafezi and Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that Tehran was ready to help bring democracy to war-torn Syria and Yemen, and blamed the spread of terrorism in the Middle East on the United States. In a speech to the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, Rouhani said Iran was prepared to assist in "the eradication of terrorism and in paving the way for democracy". "As we aided the establishment of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are prepared to help bring about democracy in Syria and also Yemen," said Rouhani.

Twenty-two killed in Brazilian beach city Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:51 PM PDT Twenty-two people were murdered over the weekend in Natal, a northeast Brazilian city renowned for its fine beaches, in what police said Monday was drug trade-related violence. "The murders took place between Saturday and Sunday and could have been connected to a power struggle after the arrest of gang leaders," Kalina Leite, secretary for security in the state of Rio Grande, told AFP in a statement. On Thursday, 13 people were arrested in a major police swoop against a narcotics and money laundering gang in the Mosquito slum in the north of Natal, police said.

Herbicide scrutiny mounts as resistant weeds spread in U.S. Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:48 PM PDT By Carey Gillam (Reuters) - (This September 22, 2015 story was refiled to correct the ninth paragraph to reflect that a Dec. 4 hearing, to be held in a room used by the House Agriculture Committee, is being organized by the National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research. The briefing is aimed at congressional staff and members of Congress, but is not being held by the committee itself.) Concerns about the world's most popular herbicide continue to mount, as U.S. agricultural experts note spreading weed resistance to glyphosate.As the key ingredient in Monsanto Co's Roundup herbicide products as well as about 700 other products, glyphosate is widely used on farms as well as residential lawns. In the latest account of glyphosate-resistant weeds, U.S. weed scientist Dallas Peterson said this week that resistance is increasing rapidly in the key farming state of Kansas.

Burkina Faso elite unit refuses to disarm after coup: army chief Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:45 PM PDT Burkina Faso's powerful presidential guard is resisting efforts to disarm it after carrying out a short-lived coup against a transitional government earlier this month, the army's chief of staff said on Monday. The government, restored to power by popular protests and international pressure, disbanded the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP) on Friday after it had arrested the president, taken the prime minister hostage and named General Gilbert Diendere as head of state. "The disarmament process ... has found itself at an impasse since Sunday... marked by the refusal of officers from the former Presidential Security Regiment to follow disarmament," the statement said.

Hurricane Marty closes in on western Mexico Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:45 PM PDT Hurricane Marty was churning Monday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexican resort town Acapulco, causing authorities to shutter schools and send 200,000 students home. The storm was "almost stalled off the coast" which could make it more dangerous since that could increase the volume of rain, said National Weather Service chief Alberto Hernandez. At 2100 GMT, Marty was packing top sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour), and was located 145 miles west of Acapulco, the US National Hurricane Center said.

U.S. Judge stops Georgia aquarium from importing belugas from Russia Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:43 PM PDT By Rich McKay ATLANTA (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday blocked the importation of 18 captured beluga whales from Russia in a decision considered a victory for U.S. wildlife regulators and conservation groups. The ruling prevents the captured whales from being brought to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and other facilities nationally that hoped acquire them, including SeaWorld parks. "This is good news for whale conservation worldwide," said Tyler Sniff, an attorney for the Animal Welfare Institute, a group that joined with U.S. regulators in objecting to the importation.

'Cheers' but no cheer: Obama and Putin's grim toast Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:38 PM PDT Rarely can a toast at a UN luncheon have been so chilly. Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin went through the motions on Monday, clinking glasses and making eye contact, but no more. Obama saluted the world leaders seated at his table, but when he came to Putin, his look hardened and his smile faded.

Obama, Castro call for end to Cuba embargo at UN Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:37 PM PDT US President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro both called for an end to the US embargo on Havana at the United Nations Monday, on the eve of their scheduled meeting in New York. During his wide-ranging speech, Obama said he was confident that the US Congress would "inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place anymore," drawing applause from the 193-nation UN General Assembly. The embargo, which has been in place since 1960, remains a bone of contention in the United States as the Republican-held Congress balks at the administration's move to end the blockade.

Hurricane Marty drifts toward Mexico's Pacific coast Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:37 PM PDT MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Marty is drifting toward Mexico's coast in the Pacific and a hurricane warning has been issued for part of the coast.

Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:33 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban captured the strategic northern Afghan city of Kunduz on Monday in a multi-pronged attack involving hundreds of fighters, the first time the insurgents have seized a major urban area since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. The fast-moving assault took military and intelligence agencies by surprise as the insurgents descended on the city, one of Afghanistan's richest and the target of repeated Taliban offensives as the militants spread their fight across the country following the withdrawal last year of U.S. and NATO combat troops.

China worries and sinking drugmakers slam stock market Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:31 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Ongoing worries about the health of the Chinese economy and another big sell-off in drugmakers pushed the stock market back toward its lowest level of the year.

Venezuela to let deported Colombians return after border dispute Posted: 28 Sep 2015 02:23 PM PDT President Nicolas Maduro will let over 1,500 deported Colombians return to Venezuela and legalize their status, regional bloc UNASUR said on Monday, in a further easing of tensions between the two South American neighbors. The 12-country Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) said in a statement Maduro agreed to the measure after a meeting with its secretary general, Ernesto Samper, a former Colombian president, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

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