| Migrant backlog builds in Balkans after new diversion Posted: 18 Oct 2015 07:19 AM PDT  By Aleksandar Vasovic and Marja Novak BERKASOVO, Serbia/LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Buses packed with migrants backed up on Serbia's border with Croatia on Sunday, their passage to western Europe slowed by a new diversion through Slovenia, which vowed to limit the influx. Many spent the night on the buses, wrapped in warm clothes and blankets against the autumn cold, waking to dense fog and another hours-long wait around a kilometer from Serbia's western border with the European Union. Slovenia said it would only accept as many as are able to exit the country into Austria.
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| Exclusive - China's Xi lauds Britain for 'visionary' openness, prods others to emulate Posted: 17 Oct 2015 08:12 PM PDT  Chinese President Xi Jinping heaped praise on Britain for what he called a "visionary and strategic choice" to strengthen commercial ties with China, as he prepared for a state visit to the United Kingdom that's expected to be richer in pomp and considerably warmer in tone than his recent trip to the United States. The trip comes at a time of global anxiety about China's slowing growth. China itself is worried about the slowing of the broader global economy, Xi said, even while he expressed confidence that China would weather the current downturn as it reshapes its economy to be more resilient in the future.
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| Iran deal closer to reality as U.S. prepares sanctions waivers Posted: 18 Oct 2015 11:15 AM PDT  By Louis Charbonneau NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States approved conditional sanctions waivers for Iran on Sunday, though it cautioned they will not take effect until Tehran has curbed its nuclear program as required under a historic nuclear deal reached in Vienna on July 14. "I hereby direct you to take all necessary steps to give effect to the U.S. commitments with respect to sanctions described in (the Iran deal)," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a memo to the secretaries of state, treasury, commerce and energy released by the White House press office.
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| Israel, U.S. signal security ties back on track after Iran feud Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:24 PM PDT  By Phil Stewart and Dan Williams TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel and the United States signalled on Sunday they were starting to put disputes over the Iran nuclear deal behind them, announcing resumed talks on U.S. defence aid for Israel as it hosted Washington's top general and a joint air force drill. The allies had been looking to agree on a 10-year military aid package to extend the current U.S. grants to Israel worth $3 billion annually, which are due to expire in 2017.
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| Yemen's abundant guns fuel its messy civil war Posted: 18 Oct 2015 11:13 AM PDT  By Angus McDowall MARIB, YEMEN (Reuters) - Celebratory tracer fire from a wedding lights up the night sky over Marib, a city that is heavily armed even by the standards of Yemen, where the ready availability of weapons helped start civil war and is now preventing anyone coming out on top. Yemenis often say there are three guns for every person, a boast that has become an urgent concern in a country where the United Nations says the humanitarian situation is "critical". The precise number of weapons is impossible to verify, but the profusion of arms on display in Marib makes the three-to-one claim look not far off.
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| Kerry lobbies for U.S. to remain on UNESCO board despite funding arrears Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:27 PM PDT  By Lesley Wroughton PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday lobbied for the United States to be reelected to UNESCO's board, promising to work with Congress to restore funding after Washington cut off its contributions in 2011 in protest over the Palestinians being admitted as full members. In a speech at UNESCO's Paris headquarters, Kerry said the United States had led new initiatives and deepened its involvement with UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural and educational arm. "The United States is a proud candidate for re-election to UNESCO's executive board, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here just to talk with all of you ... but really to explain to you the depth of the commitment that the United States has to this body, as well as our high hopes for the future," Kerry told UNESCO ambassadors and officials.
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| Walcott backs Arsenal to turn up heat on Bayern Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:46 PM PDT  Theo Walcott insists Arsenal will salvage their Champions League campaign against Bayern Munich on Tuesday by emulating their ruthless demolition of Manchester United. Arsene Wenger's side are in severe danger of failing to reach the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years after two dismal defeats. The Gunners were beaten at Dinamo Zagreb and then suffered the embarrassment of losing at home to Olympiakos, leaving them pointless at the bottom of Group F.
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| Pro-refugee candidate elected Cologne mayor after knife attack Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:35 PM PDT  A German city official who was stabbed in the neck in an attack apparently over her work with refugees was Sunday elected the first female mayor of the western city of Cologne. Henriette Reker, who was in stable condition in hospital after being seriously injured in Saturday's assault, has become the most prominent victim of a growing backlash against a huge influx of migrants to Germany. Standing as an independent, though close to the ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel, the 58-year-old had been the frontrunner to enter town hall and final results gave her a clear win with 52.6 percent of the vote.
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| Judge may end impasse that halted 9/11 case at Guantanamo Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:33 PM PDT  GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — A lurching effort to try five prisoners at Guantanamo Bay by military commission for the Sept. 11 attack came to an abrupt halt 18 months ago, and a judge is expected to decide as early as Monday whether he can break the impasse and get the case moving again.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:32 PM PDT KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (AP) — The head of an international medical charity whose hospital in northern Afghanistan was destroyed in a U.S. airstrike says the "extensive, quite precise destruction" of the bombing raid casts doubt on American military assertions that it was a mistake. The Oct. 3 attack on the compound in Kunduz city, which killed at least 22 patients and hospital staff, should be investigated as a possible war crime, said Christopher Stokes, general director of Doctors Without Borders, which is also known by its French abbreviation MSF. |
| Artemis rebounds from collision to win AC World Series stop Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:30 PM PDT Artemis Racing of Sweden rebounded from a pre-race collision with an umpires boat to win the second of three races Sunday and claim the overall championship of the America's Cup World Series stop in Bermuda. |
| Britain to unveil new counter-extremism measures Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:09 PM PDT  British Prime Minister David Cameron will launch a new strategy Monday aimed at countering jihadist ideology and stopping young Britons travelling to Syria. Key measures in the plan include allowing parents to have passports removed from 16 and 17-year-olds, and barring those with terrorism or extremist convictions from working with children and vulnerable people. Police say they have foiled several jihadist attacks in Britain, while hundreds of Britons are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group, raising concerns that not enough is being done to counter extremism.
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| On Canada's election trail - tales of bathrobes, hairstyles, mugs and pants Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:09 PM PDT By Josephine Mason TORONTO (Reuters) - One candidate had to drop out after video footage emerged showing him peeing in a cup, another hid in bushes in camouflage to catch vandals defacing his signs, while a third slew a dragon in his campaign video. Canada has not lacked for political farce in recent years: the drunken and often clumsy antics of former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine, gave comedians in North America plenty of material when he was in office in 2010-2014. Indeed, one of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's last campaign appearances before Monday's election was alongside Rob and his brother Doug Ford at a rally in Toronto. |
| 1 minute, 1 kick, and Scotland's World Cup ends in QF defeat Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:08 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — With a monumental upset seemingly only seconds away, referee Craig Joubert blew his whistle and awarded a penalty against Scotland, Europe's last remaining hope in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
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| UK to block teenagers' passports to stop them joining militants Posted: 18 Oct 2015 04:07 PM PDT  British parents worried that their 16 and 17-year-old children might travel to Syria or Iraq under the influence of militants will be able to apply to have their passports removed, Prime Minister David Cameron will say on Monday. The measure is aimed at disrupting a steady stream of young Britons lured by the Islamic State's radical ideology to join the militant group fighting in the Middle East. Cameron has said that defeating militant Islamists is the "struggle of our generation".
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| Israel: Assailant opens fire on bus station, soldier killed Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:57 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — An Arab attacker armed with a gun and a knife opened fire in a southern Israel bus station on Sunday, police said, killing an Israeli soldier and wounding 10 people in one of the boldest attacks yet in a monthlong wave of violence.
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| Canada's ruling Conservatives play defense as Liberals hold lead Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:55 PM PDT By Rod Nickel FREDERICTON, New Brunswick (Reuters) - Canada's ruling Conservatives, trailing the opposition Liberals ahead of Monday's election, spent the last few campaign days mostly on the defensive, shoring up support in electoral districts they won four years ago. Polls released on Sunday showed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's party has an uphill battle, trailing Justin Trudeau's Liberals by almost seven points. While Harper and officials on his campaign plane say they are confident of victory, other Conservatives familiar with the campaign concede defeat is quite possible, even as they put on a brave face. |
| AP Interview: Iran preparing for 'tsunami' of tourists Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:53 PM PDT  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's vice president told The Associated Press on Sunday his country is preparing for a "tsunami" of foreign tourists as Iran and world powers are set to begin implementing a landmark nuclear deal that will lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.
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| Arsenal faces tough test vs. Bayern in CL, PSG hosts Madrid Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:49 PM PDT  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Arsene Wenger's hopes of Arsenal turning around its floundering Champions League campaign rest on the daunting task of toppling Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
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| Dunford meets with Israeli leaders, pledges cooperation Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:36 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — The top U.S. military officer pledged further military cooperation with Israel Sunday in meetings with the country's leaders, amid increasing worries about Iranian involvement in the Syria conflict.
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| Merkel hails refugee progress with Turkey, vows to push EU bid Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:34 PM PDT  German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday hailed progress in helping Turkey deal with the refugee crisis and vowed to push forward its long-stalled EU membership bid, as Slovenia warned it would have to slow a rising influx of migrants. Merkel held talks in Istanbul with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a critical one-day visit, which came with Germany reeling from a bloody knife attack on a pro-refugee politician. The European Union wants Turkey to do more to tighten its border security and help contain the historic influx of Syrians and others escaping conflict, persecution and poverty.
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| American Matt Kuchar wins Fiji International by 4 shots Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:27 PM PDT SUVA, Fiji (AP) — American Matt Kuchar shot his second straight 3-under 69 for a four-stroke victory Sunday in the Fiji International. |
| Guinness declares the longest baguette at 400 feet in Italy Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:26 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — A judge from Guinness World Records has certified a 122-meter-long (400-foot-long) baguette baked at the Milan Expo 2015 World's Fair as the longest in the world.
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| 'Trudeaumania' heir could become Canada's next PM Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:22 PM PDT  TORONTO (AP) — The son of a man who brought glamor and excitement to Canadian politics in the late 1960s is favored to become Canada's next prime minister.
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| Canada PM appeals for support as rival leads before Monday vote Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:22 PM PDT  By Rod Nickel and Allison Lampert NEWMARKET/TORONTO, Ontario (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his team on Sunday urged Conservative supporters to get out the vote as polls showed Liberal rival Justin Trudeau holding a firm lead one day before the country's fiercely fought election. Fighting for a rare fourth term as prime minister, Harper used a rally in Newmarket-Aurora, just north of Toronto, to again tout his economic track record. "The choice we make is going to have real consequences for the next four years for families, for seniors, for small business." A Nanos survey released on Sunday put the Liberals at 37.3 percent, approaching levels needed to win a majority of seats in Parliament in Monday's vote.
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| Rich nations lag in 'fair share' of climate action - study Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:17 PM PDT  By Alister Doyle BONN, Germany (Reuters) - The United States and other rich nations are doing less than their fair share to fight climate change under a U.N. accord due in December while China is outperforming, a report by 18 civil society groups said on Monday. Overall, governments' pledges for curbs on greenhouse gas emissions are not enough to limit a rise in temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), seen as a threshold for damaging heat waves, downpours and rising sea levels, it said. "The ambition of all major developed countries falls well short of their fair shares," according to the report by groups including Christian Aid, Oxfam, the International Trade Union Confederation and WWF International.
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| Agudo leads Celta Vigo to the top, Newcastle wins in style Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:10 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — It's a three-way race for the title in the Spanish league, where Celta Vigo forward Manuel "Nolito" Agudo is fighting toe to toe with the likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the battle for the league's top scorer award.
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| Fiorentina stays top despite loss to Napoli as Inter draws Posted: 18 Oct 2015 03:06 PM PDT  MILAN (AP) — Fiorentina stayed top of Serie A despite losing 2-1 at Napoli on Sunday, after title rival Inter Milan was held to a 0-0 draw by Juventus.
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| Reker: from victim of anti-refugee attack to new Cologne mayor Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:52 PM PDT  On Saturday Henriette Reker, in charge of running refugee services in Cologne, was stabbed in the neck by an assailant with a far-right background. The attack on the final day of campaigning turned the 58-year-old trained lawyer into Germany's most prominent victim of a growing backlash against a record influx of refugees. Married to an Australian professional golfer, Reker has for five years run the Department of Social Affairs, Integration and Environment in Cologne, the western city best known for its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe.
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| Female suicide bombers kill 11 in NE Nigeria: police Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:27 PM PDT  The attack happened in Dar village, in the north of Adamawa state, on Saturday evening, the former head of the Madagali local government council, Maina Ularamu, said. Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked the area, which is near the border with Borno state to the north and the Islamists' Sambisa Forest stronghold, prompting calls for better security. Ularamu said "so far 12 corpses have been found" but the Adamawa state police spokesman, Othman Abubakar, confirmed 11 dead.
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| Bernhard Langer rallies for 25th Champions Tour victory Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:26 PM PDT SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Bernhard Langer rallied to win the San Antonio Championship on Sunday for his second victory of the year and 25th overall on the Champions Tour. |
| Joubert in the firing line as penalty call denies Scots at World Cup Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:22 PM PDT  Referee Craig Joubert found himself facing a barrage of criticism after his controversial penalty decision helped deny Scotland victory in a thrilling World Cup quarter-final against Australia at Twickenham on Sunday. It was then that the experienced Joubert, in charge of the 2011 World Cup final, awarded Australia a penalty after ruling Scotland replacement prop Jon Welsh had strayed offside.
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| Palestinian gunman kills one, wounds 11 in Israeli city of Beersheba Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:12 PM PDT  By Ori Lewis and Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian gunman went on a shooting rampage at the central bus station in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Sunday, killing a soldier and wounding 11 other people, police said. Palestinian media outlets named the attacker as Asam al-Araj from Shuafat, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Initial reports had said two attackers were involved but the regional police commander said investigators later believed there was only one.
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| Marseille held 1-1 by Lorient in French league Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:05 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Marseille players were booed off the pitch Sunday after being held 1-1 by Lorient in the French league as the nine-time champions' dismal season continued. |
| Uncertainty may reign after Canada's Oct. 19 election Posted: 18 Oct 2015 02:03 PM PDT MAJORITY LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT The most stable government is one where one party has a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons and therefore cannot be brought down by opposition parties. The Liberals have a shot at this if they can build on current polling around 36 percent to 38 percent. |
| Migrants told 'Be patient' as entry to Croatia slows Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:53 PM PDT  Two Syrian sisters hold up a sign on an improvised board made of pink rubber -- an attempt to keep fellow refugees calm as they wait in long, slow-moving queues at the Serbia-Croatia border. The sisters, travelling from war-torn Damascus with their father, were among around 2,000 refugees waiting to cross into Croatia from Serbia on Sunday afternoon as the flow of travellers allowed to go over the border dramatically slowed down. Like tens of thousands before them, they are desperately trying to reach northern Europe, but their plans have been hindered by EU member Hungary's decision to close its Croatia border to migrants.
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| Nigeria establish two-goal CHAN advantage Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:48 PM PDT  Nigeria were among seven countries to build first-leg leads while keeping clean sheets in 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying this weekend. Angola, Burundi, Guinea, Niger, Uganda and Zambia also established aggregate advantages ahead of return matches next weekend in the biennial competition restricted to home-based players. A further five first legs are scheduled for Sunday and all the overall winners secure places at a 16-nation tournament in Rwanda next January and February.
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| Thousands stranded on new migrant route through Europe Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:39 PM PDT  OPATOVAC, Croatia (AP) — Tension was building among thousands of migrants as they remained stranded in fog and cold weather in the Balkans on Sunday in their quest to reach a better life in Western Europe, a day after Hungary closed its border with Croatia and the flow of people was redirected to a much slower route via Slovenia.
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| Veils and lost voices: Canada set to vote Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:35 PM PDT  Political party leaders criss-crossed Canada on Sunday in a last-gasp attempt to sway many still undecided voters, the final chapter in a gripping and hard-fought three-way election fight. An 11-week campaign that will culminate in up to 26.4 million people voting on Monday was one of the longest in the nation's history, giving Canadians unprecedented exposure to party leaders and their viewpoints in five debates and almost daily stump speeches. Along the bruising way was a record influx of people fleeing war in Syria, a court ruling quashing a veil ban and a recession -- crises that gave Canadians a chance to assess parties' reactions in near-real time.
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| Police in Paris seize seven tonnes of cannabis from parked vans Posted: 18 Oct 2015 01:33 PM PDT  Customs officials seized more than seven tonnes of cannabis from three vans parked in an upmarket area of Paris, French President Francois Hollande said Sunday, in the biggest ever such haul in the capital. The discovery overnight Saturday to Sunday is the result of a weeks-long investigation by the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED). "The drugs were found in empty vehicles, parked on a boulevard, that were obviously being used as temporary and mobile storage places," Finance Minister Michel Sapin said in a statement.
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