| Russia begins Syria air strikes as war enters volatile new phase Posted: 30 Sep 2015 01:00 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn and Phil Stewart MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia launched air strikes in Syria on Wednesday in the Kremlin's biggest Middle East intervention in decades, but Moscow's assertion that it had hit Islamic State was immediately disputed by the United States and rebels on the ground. The air strikes plunged the four-year-old civil war in Syria into a volatile new phase as President Vladimir Putin moved forcefully to assert Russian influence in the unstable region. The attacks also raised the dangerous specter of Washington and Moscow running air strikes concurrently and in the same region, but without coordination.
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| Troops from U.S.-led mission fight Taliban near Afghan city Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:55 AM PDT  By Hamid Shalizi and Kay Johnson KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. and allied special forces in Afghanistan battled insurgents besieging the airport outside the northern city of Kunduz that was captured by the Taliban this week, a coalition spokesman and Afghan official said on Wednesday. It was the first report of on-the-ground clashes between Taliban militants and foreign troops supporting their Afghan allies during three days of sometimes heavy fighting for control of the strategic city of 300,000. Kunduz is the first provincial capital to fall to the Taliban since the hardline Islamist movement was toppled from power in 2001.
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| Israel undermines U.S. peace effort, Palestinian Abbas tells U.N Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:32 AM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau and Hugh Bronstein UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday accused Israel of sabotaging U.S. efforts to broker peace and said that Israeli security operations at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem could lead to a religious war. In an address to the United Nations General Assembly before a ceremony for the raising of the Palestinian flag at U.N. headquarters in New York, Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority no longer considered itself bound by the accords signed with Israel in the mid-1990s. Repeating what the Palestinian Authority has been saying for at least half a decade, Abbas said the agreements would not apply as long as Israel supports settlements of Israelis in the West Bank and refuses to release Palestinian prisoners.
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| Weapons bound for Yemen seized on Iranian boat: coalition Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:38 AM PDT  By William Maclean DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi-led coalition forces said on Wednesday they had seized an Iranian fishing boat loaded with weapons on its way to deliver them to Houthi fighters in Yemen. The announcement came a day after tribal fighters backed by the coalition won control of a strategic dam in central Yemen from Houthi forces following weeks of fighting east of the capital Sanaa. The coalition, which also includes Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, has been battling the Iranian-backed Houthis for more than six months.
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| Series of bombs in southwest China kills at least seven Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:50 AM PDT  A series of package bombs exploded on Wednesday in the southwest China city of Liuzhou, killing at least seven people and injuring 51, state media said. The official Xinhua news agency said police had determined the blasts were a "criminal" act and identified the suspect as a 33-year-old local man surnamed Wei, but added the investigation was continuing. Media images showed a collapsed building, smoke and streets strewn with rubble in Liuzhou in Guangxi region.
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| With 'ring of fire' at EU border, some EU lawmakers want better defense Posted: 30 Sep 2015 07:07 AM PDT  By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries should be required to defend each other given the growing conflicts on their borders, center-right EU lawmakers said on Wednesday, urging governments to consider a collective defense policy similar to NATO. As the EU confronts the failure of its neighborhood policy and faces conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the biggest political grouping in the European Parliament called for an EU equivalent of NATO's Article 5, which considers an attack on one member as an attack against all. "The security environment necessitates that European defense stops being a paper tiger and becomes a fully-fledged policy providing equal security ... for all member states," the center-right European People's Party (EPP) said in a policy paper.
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| Russia urges coordinated terrorism fight as airstrikes begin Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:51 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia followed its launch of airstrikes in Syria with a call Wednesday for the world to unite in the fight against terrorist groups, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told foreign ministers of world powers that his country was circulating a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to help make it happen.
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| Guatemalan national sentenced to US prison for trafficking Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:48 PM PDT PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) — A man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking heroin. |
| The Latest: Iraqi premier calls for more help against IS Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:48 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The latest developments from the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders are grappling with a multitude of global crises, including the fight against terrorism — the Islamic State in particular — and easing the refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa (all times local):
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| Cameron provides Caribbean aid, rejects slavery reparations Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:47 PM PDT  KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday rejected the Caribbean's push for slavery reparations during his first official visit to Jamaica, a once-profitable British colony that became independent just over 50 years ago.
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| Hurricane Joaquin gains strength en route to Bahamas Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:46 PM PDT  Hurricane Joaquin strengthened Friday as it headed towards the Bahamas, possibly becoming a "major hurricane" by week's end, US forecasters said. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour, located about 175 miles east-northeast of the island chain, the US National Hurricane Center reported. The Bahamas issued a hurricane warning for its northwest and a tropical storm warning for its southeast, urging people to brace for heavy winds and rains.
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| Low-nicotine cigarettes cut use, dependence, study finds Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:40 PM PDT  A new study might help the push for regulations to limit nicotine in cigarettes. Smokers who switched to special low-nicotine ones wound up smoking less and were more likely to try to quit, researchers found.
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| Russian strikes again expose US disarray Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:40 PM PDT  Russia's dramatic entry Wednesday into the Syrian war put the United States on the back foot once again and left Washington struggling to regain the military and diplomatic initiative. As US Secretary of State John Kerry was in New York trying to coordinate with his Kremlin opposite number Sergei Lavrov, a Russian officer contacted the US embassy in Baghdad. Kerry quickly protested to Lavrov that this was not in the spirit of Moscow's promise to agree a "de-confliction" mechanism to ensure Russian flights do not interfere with US-led operations.
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| Emails: Russia-linked hackers tried to access Clinton server Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:36 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia-linked hackers tried at least five times to pry into Hillary Rodham Clinton's private email account while she was secretary of state, emails released Wednesday show. It is unclear if she clicked on any attachment and exposed her account.
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| Vatican observers raise questions over clerk's pope visit Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:35 PM PDT  LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) — The private meeting Pope Francis held with defiant Kentucky clerk Kim Davis is a strong papal endorsement of religious resistance to gay marriage, but it doesn't necessarily mean he approves of how she's waged her fight, experts said Wednesday.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:32 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan troops backed by U.S. airstrikes massed Tuesday on the outskirts of a key northern city seized by the Taliban in the buildup for what is likely to be a long and difficult campaign to drive out the insurgents. Despite the overnight U.S. bombing of Taliban positions, the militants extended their grip on Kunduz, forcing government forces to retreat from a strategic fortress hilltop and giving the insurgents a vantage point overlooking the city. The airport remained the only pocket of resistance to the militant onslaught, which began with a coordinated attack Monday that took the government, military and intelligence agencies by surprise. |
| Alcohol ban lifted on 'dry' British village Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:29 PM PDT  London (AFP) - A British newsagent has been granted permission to sell alcohol, ending a rare 120-year ban in the last remaining "dry" village in England, officials said Wednesday.
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| In Haiti, Aristide tells thousands to vote for candidate Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:53 PM PDT  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Twice-ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide urged thousands of supporters gathered outside his house Wednesday to vote for the presidential candidate of the political faction he founded years ago.
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| Argentina intensifies effort to get ex-spy chief, blasts US Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:17 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina on Wednesday intensified efforts to track down a former spy chief who reportedly has taken refuge in Miami, with top government officials saying they plan to summon the American ambassador and accusing U.S. authorities of stonewalling.
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| Palestinian flag flies at UN, Abbas seeks full status Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:06 PM PDT  The Palestinian flag was raised at the United Nations in a symbolic gesture Wednesday as leader Mahmud Abbas called on the world body to grant them full membership, warning the risk of religious conflict. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Abbas presided over the packed, slightly chaotic ceremony against a backdrop of stalemate in the peace process and escalating tensions at holy sites in Jerusalem. "In this historical moment, I say to my people everywhere: raise the flag of Palestinians very high because it is the symbol of our identity," the 80-year-old Abbas told the crowd.
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| Mexico extradites 13 alleged drug traffickers to US Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:54 PM PDT  Mexico has extradited to the United States 13 alleged drug traffickers, including a high-profile suspect nicknamed 'La Barbie,' authorities said Wednesday. "We have carried out the extraditions of 13 individuals ... on court extradition requests from several jurisdictions in the United States," said Tomas Zeron, who leads the criminal investigation unit at the Justice Ministry. Among those sent to the United States for trial was former US-Mexican henchman of the Beltran-Leyva cartel, Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias "La Barbie," Zeron said.
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| Benfica beats Atletico Madrid 2-1 to take Group C lead Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:03 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Benfica came from behind to surprise Atletico Madrid with a 2-1 win on Wednesday, taking the lead in Group C of the Champions League.
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| Another record for Ronaldo, another win for Madrid Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:02 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed the 500-goal mark and Real Madrid hailed him as the club's all-time leading scorer on Wednesday, while Manchester United and Manchester City rebounded from opening losses to remain in contention in the Champions League.
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| Excavator: Ancient grave in Greece honored Alexander's pal Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:57 PM PDT  THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — An opulent underground monument in northern Greece that caused a stir when excavated last year may have been a symbolic grave — but not the final resting place of — the closest friend and general of ancient warrior-king Alexander the Great, the excavator claimed Wednesday.
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| Mexico extradites top capos, others from max security jail Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:51 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico extradited 13 people to the United States on Wednesday, including two top drug lords and several suspects in two high-profile 2011 crimes involving Americans — an attack on immigration agents in San Luis Potosi and the killing of consulate workers in Ciudad Juarez.
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| Rare Q fever outbreak reported in American medical tourists Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:40 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Five Americans came down with an unusual illness after traveling to Germany for a controversial treatment involving injections with sheep cells, health officials reported Wednesday.
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| US order militia participant convicted of federal gun charge Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:35 PM PDT BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A federal judge has convicted a member of a border militia of federal firearms crimes after guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found in his motel room after a friendly fire incident involving a Border Patrol agent. |
| Ronaldo scores twice as Madrid beats Malmo 2-0 Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:34 PM PDT  MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 500th and 501st goals of his career to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win over 10-man Malmo in Group A of the Champions League on Wednesday.
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| PSG beats Shakhtar 3-0 for 2nd win in Champions League Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:33 PM PDT  LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier had a dream Champions League debut on Wednesday, scoring one goal and setting up another to help the French side win 3-0 at Shakhtar Dontesk.
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| Manchester clubs victorious as Ronaldo hits record Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:33 PM PDT  The two Manchester clubs enjoyed victories in a happier night for England in the Champions League on Wednesday, while the individual performance of the evening came, not for the first time, from Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United and City were made to work hard for 2-1 wins against German clubs Wolfsburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively, 24 hours after Chelsea and Arsenal had both crashed to defeats. Former United star Ronaldo, meanwhile, scored his 500th career goal and then equalled Raul Gonzalez Blanco's club record tally of 323 goals for Real Madrid as the Spaniards won 2-0 against Malmo in Sweden.
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| Root of investor anxiety: Uncertainty about China and Fed Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:31 PM PDT  Fears about China's slowdown and a coming U.S. interest rate hike have sent global stock markets into a fidgety freefall.
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| US, Russia to hold military meeting on Syria soon: Kerry Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:28 PM PDT  The United States and Russia will hold a military meeting shortly to avoid accidental conflict in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday after meeting his counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Kerry said that, despite Washington's concern over Russia's support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and its choice of targets in its just-launched bombing campaign, the two men had developed ideas to push forward the political process there. "We all want Syria to be democratic, united, secular.
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| April trial date set for banker accused of spying against US Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:23 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. judge has set an April trial date for a Russian banker charged with conspiring with others in a Cold War-style Russian spy ring. |
| Pope met secretly in US with anti-gay marriage clerk Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:22 PM PDT  Kim Davis, a born-again Christian, told broadcaster ABC she met the pontiff on September 24 while he was in Washington after receiving a surprise phone call from a Vatican official. In Rome, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi confirmed the encounter with the Kentucky clerk, but declined to comment further. Davis has become a heroine to US same-sex marriage opponents, after she landed in jail for six days for refusing to issue licenses for gay marriage, which the US Supreme Court legalized nationwide in June.
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| A look at Russia's military involvement in Syria Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT  Russia on Wednesday launched its first air strikes in Syria, in what it said was an operation to defeat Islamic State jihadists. How big is the Russian force in Syria? The Russians currently have at least 32 warplanes deployed in Syria, US officials say.
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| Juventus beats Sevilla to go top of Champions League group Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:08 PM PDT  TURIN, Italy (AP) — Juventus eased to a 2-0 win over Sevilla to move top of Group D in the Champions League on Wednesday as the Turin side once again put its domestic woes to one side.
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| Russia begins airstrikes in Syria, but West disputes targets Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:05 PM PDT  MOSCOW (AP) — Russia launched airstrikes Wednesday in Syria, sharply escalating Moscow's role in the conflict but also raising questions about whether its intent is fighting Islamic State militants or protecting longtime ally, President Bashar Assad.
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| ETA 'maintains its commitment' to peace after arrests in France Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:03 PM PDT  Armed Basque separatist group ETA said it "maintains its commitment" to peace, according to a statement published Wednesday after the arrest of two of its political leaders in France last week. David Pla, 40, and Iratxe Sorzabal, a 43-year-old woman, were seized in the Pyrenees village of Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry in southwest France, one of ETA's strongholds, in a joint operation between France and Spanish police on September 22. "Police operations in recent months have aimed to undermine the resolution process" of the conflict, ETA said in a statement dated September 27 published by Basque newspaper Naiz, a traditional mouthpiece for the group.
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| Reconstructionists to ordain rabbis with non-Jewish partners Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:02 PM PDT PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Judaism's Reconstructionist movement announced Wednesday it will allow rabbinical students with non-Jewish partners to become rabbis, a decision that ends years of debate and that officials anticipate will help retain students who go on to become "wonderful rabbis." |
| Suspect in Danish police stabbing was 'potential radical': spy agency Posted: 30 Sep 2015 03:00 PM PDT  A Palestinian man suspected of seriously wounding a Danish policeman in a stabbing attack was known to authorities as possibly mentally unstable and a potential radical Islamist, the intelligence service said Wednesday. The suspect, a stateless Palestinian 25-year-old who was about to be deported from Denmark, was arrested after a manhunt on Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing a policeman at the country's largest reception centre for asylum seekers. The officer was critically wounded after being stabbed three times in the stomach at the Center Sandholm northwest of Copenhagen, but after surgery his condition was stable.
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