| Air strikes hit aid convoy as Syria says ceasefire over Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:35 PM PDT  By Tom Perry and John Davison BEIRUT (Reuters) - An aid convoy was hit in Aleppo province, the United Nations said on Monday, as the Syrian military declared that a week-long ceasefire was over. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the attacks were carried out by either Syrian or Russian aircraft, adding that there had been 35 strikes in and around Aleppo since the truce ended. Fourteen Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers were killed, Elhadj As Sy, secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told a U.N. summit.
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| North Korea's Kim guides new rocket engine test, calls for satellite launch Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:29 PM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised a ground test of a new rocket engine to launch satellites, the North's state media reported on Tuesday, the latest in a rapid succession of missile-related tests this year by the isolated state. Kim asked that the scientists and engineers make "preparations for launching the satellite as soon as possible on the basis of the successful test," the official KCNA news agency said, indicating the North may soon launch another long-range rocket. The test was conducted amid global condemnation of the North's fifth nuclear test this month and a call by the United States, Japan and South Korea this week for greater pressure on Pyongyang over its disregard for United Nations resolutions banning missile and nuclear programs.
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| U.S., China agree to step up cooperation at U.N. on North Korea Posted: 19 Sep 2016 03:53 PM PDT  U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang agreed on Monday to step up cooperation in the United Nations Security Council and in law-enforcement channels after North Korea's fifth nuclear test, the White House said. U.N. diplomats say China and the United States have started discussions on a possible U.N. sanctions resolution in response to the test earlier this month, but Beijing has not said directly whether it will support tougher steps against North Korea.
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| Turkey's Erdogan: U.S. should 'not harbor a terrorist' like cleric Gulen Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:16 PM PDT  By Parisa Hafezi and Stephen Adler NEW YORK (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters in an interview on Monday that the United States should "not harbor a terrorist" like cleric Fethullah Gulen and that his activities should be banned around the world. Erdogan said a state of emergency declared in the wake of the coup could be extended by parliament. Erdogan also said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should not be part of a transitional government and that Syria's territorial integrity should be respected by other countries.
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| Iraqi PM announces operation to retake Shirqat, south of Mosul Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:29 PM PDT  Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Tuesday the launching of a military operation to retake Shirqat, an Islamic State bastion 100 km (60 miles) south of the jihadists' Mosul stronghold. The northern town on the banks of the Tigris River, which Iraqi troops and allied Shi'ite Muslim militias have surrounded, is thought to contain tens of thousands of civilians. Officials have warned for months of a humanitarian disaster inside where residents living under Islamic State's harsh rule say food supplies have dwindled and prices soared.
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| Obama hopes for progress on Mosul by year-end Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:20 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday his administration would ask Congress and other countries to "step up" aid for Iraq to help rebuild Mosul after an expected operation in the coming months to dislodge Islamic State militants from the city. Speaking to reporters at the end of a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Obama said he hoped for progress by the end of the year on Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city which fell to the Islamic State group in June 2014. Mosul is a large city and ISIL has embedded itself deeply within that city," Obama said, referring to the militant group by an acronym.
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| APNewsBreak: Lebanese man gets 10-year Iran prison sentence Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:48 PM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Supporters of a U.S. permanent resident detained for a year in Iran over spying allegations say he's been sentenced to 10 years in prison and given a $4.2-million fine. |
| 3 changes to Australia squad for World Cup qualifiers Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:44 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — Australia football coach Ange Postecoglou has named Austria-born midfielder Jimmy Jeggo in his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Japan next month. |
| The Latest: France urges US to release details of Syria deal Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:42 PM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the developments in Syria, where a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire, now in its seventh day, is hanging in the balance after numerous violations (all times local):
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| Hurricanes to start 2017 Super Rugby season in Tokyo Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:41 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — First time champions the Hurricanes will begin their defense of the Super Rugby title against Japan's Sunwolves in Tokyo on Feb. 25 under the draw for the 2017 tournament which was released on Tuesday. |
| 2 priests found dead after being kidnapped in Mexico Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:31 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two priests were found dead Monday, hours after they were abducted in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz. |
| Aid convoy strike could end US-Russia deal: US official Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:31 PM PDT  A deadly air strike on a UN aid convoy by Syrian or Russian planes calls into question international efforts to salvage a ceasefire, senior US officials said. The attack could only have been carried out by Bashar al-Assad's regime or his Russian allies, two high-ranking American officials told reporters Monday. US Secretary of State John Kerry will attempt to speak to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before Tuesday's meeting of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), he said.
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| Nicaragua presidential hopeful ends bid as opposition wilts Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:26 PM PDT MANAGUA (Reuters) - An opposition contender for Nicaragua's November presidential election said on Monday he would end his candidacy, the latest sign that President Daniel Ortega's re-election is becoming a mere formality. Pedro Reyes, a lawyer leading the Independent Liberal Party, or PLI, who was running third in opinion polls, said he would nominate Jose del Carmen Alvarado, a 66-year-old dentist, to run in his place. Reyes said he ended his bid because he did not get any bank loans to finance his campaign, and would instead work to boost the popularity of the PLI, which had only 2. ... |
| Congress struggles to finish Zika aid, prevent shutdown Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:12 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional negotiators on Monday pressed to wrap up a must-do spending bill to prevent an election-season government shutdown and finally provide money to battle the Zika virus, but numerous sticking points remain and top Senate leaders again postponed a planned procedural vote.
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| Bitcoin is money, U.S. judge says in case tied to JPMorgan hack Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:08 PM PDT  Bitcoin qualifies as money, a federal judge ruled on Monday, in a decision linked to a criminal case over hacking attacks against JPMorgan Chase & Co and other companies. U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan rejected a bid by Anthony Murgio to dismiss two charges related to his alleged operation of Coin.mx, which prosecutors have called an unlicensed bitcoin exchange.
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| Police arrest New York bombing suspect following gunfight Posted: 19 Sep 2016 05:00 PM PDT  By Joseph Ax and Mica Rosenberg LINDEN, N.J. (Reuters) - Police on Monday arrested an Afghanistan-born American who they suspect of detonating a bomb in the heart of New York City and planting other devices, capturing the 28-year-old in a dramatic gun battle that wounded him and two officers. Officials did not offer any information on the possible motives of Ahmad Khan Rahami, but they said they were not looking for other suspects. New York's mayor said the bombing that injured 29 people in the bustling Chelsea district was "an act of terror." Police in Linden, New Jersey, swooped in on Rahami just hours after authorities publicly identified him as the prime suspect in the Saturday night blast and sent out an alert to millions of mobile phone users.
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| New York bomb suspect charged: media Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:59 PM PDT  An Afghan-born American was reportedly charged Monday with attempted murder after being shot and captured in connection with bomb attacks in New York and New Jersey, thrusting security fears into the heart of the US election. Saturday's bombings, which left 29 people wounded in Manhattan and forced the cancellation of a US Marine Corps race in New Jersey, came on the same day that a Somali-American with possible links to the Islamic State extremist group went on a stabbing rampage in Minnesota, wounding nine people.
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| Draisaitl's OT goal leads Europe past Czech Republic, 3-2 Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:57 PM PDT  TORONTO (AP) — Europe coach Ralph Krueger was well aware of the odds against his team in the World Cup of Hockey. His players didn't focus on that and instead listened to his message.
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| Uruguay rejects demand by hunger-striking ex-Gitmo detainee Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:56 PM PDT  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Uruguay's government on Monday rejected an ultimatum from a former Guantanamo prisoner who is on a hunger strike demanding to leave the South American country.
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| WNBA buzz from new playoff format Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:45 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA changed its playoff format this season to ensure the best teams advanced and to create more of a buzz for the postseason. |
| 50 dead in clashes in DR Congo capital: opposition Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:41 PM PDT  More than 50 people were killed on Monday in clashes between protesters and security forces in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, opposition groups said, calling for further anti-government demonstrations. The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise. "The coalition (of opposition groups) deplores the number of victims, more than 50 dead at this point, victims of the firing of real bullets by the police and the republican guard," it said in a statement.
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| Congo anti-government march turns violent in capital, 17 dead Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:36 PM PDT  By Kenny Katombe and Amedee Mwarabu KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congolese police on Monday clashed with protesters marching against what they claim is a bid by President Joseph Kabila to extend his mandate, killing at least 17 people and prompting a threat of further sanctions from the United States. The protest, attended by thousands, came at a time of growing local and international pressure on Kabila to step down when his term of office legally ends in December. "The sad and painful death toll from these barbaric and extremely savage acts is as follows: 17 dead of which three were policemen," said Interior Minister Evariste Boshab, condemning "the use of violence to incite disorder and chaos".
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| Trump, Clinton show deep differences after US attacks Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:35 PM PDT A rash of attacks on US soil put national security center stage in the presidential campaign Monday, with Hillary Clinton seeking to show a steady hand and Donald Trump saying America needed to be tougher on terror and immigration. The starkly different responses from the dueling White House hopefuls came after a bombing in New York, a mass stabbing in Minnesota and a New Jersey pipe blast -- all on Saturday. The attacks distilled contrasting approaches on national security and in campaign style, with Democrat Clinton touting experience and patient determination -- and Republican Trump channeling outrage and demanding radical change. |
| Warnings of xenophobia at UN refugee summit Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:33 PM PDT  UN member-states adopted a plan on Monday to tackle the biggest refugee crisis since World War II amid dire warnings about rising xenophobia in Europe and the collapse of countries bordering war-shattered Syria. The first-ever UN summit on refugees and migrants kicked off a week of high-level diplomacy as world leaders take part in the annual General Assembly meeting, dominated this year by the conflict in Syria. Speaking at the summit opening, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein made a rousing appeal to confront "race-baiting bigots," recalling that the refugee crisis stemmed from the world's failure to end the war in Syria.
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| London Fashion Week hits climax with Burberry, Erd Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:32 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Luxury British fashion house Burberry unveiled its highly anticipated display at London Fashion Week Monday, an opulent affair featuring frilly blouses, velvet blazers and silky pajama shirts - for both men and women. Elsewhere, Christopher Kane and Erdem were among designers showing off their newest collections to the fashion pack before they jet off to Milan.
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| Britain's May says will get the right trade deal with EU Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:27 PM PDT Britain will get "the right deal in terms of trade" with the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May told a group of U.S. business and finance leaders on Monday, in a bid to reassure investors after her country's shock vote to leave the European Union. "In terms of the negotiations with the European Union, we will be getting the right deal for the United Kingdom and that is the right deal in terms of trade in goods and services because we recognize the importance of both," she said. The June 23 vote took many investors and chief executives by surprise, triggering the deepest political and financial turmoil in Britain since World War Two and the biggest ever one-day fall in sterling against the dollar. |
| The Latest: US, China vow to cooperate on NKorea nuke threat Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:25 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Latest on the high-level U.N. General Assembly meetings (all times local):
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| Top Asian News 11:21 p.m. GMT Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:21 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World leaders on Monday approved a declaration aimed at providing a more coordinated and humane response to the refugee crisis that has strained resources and sparked divisions from Africa to Europe. The issue of what to do about the world's 65.3 million displaced people took center stage at the U.N. General Assembly with leaders from the 193 member states taking part in the first-ever summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants. Advocacy groups worried that the New York Declaration on Migrants and Refugees — an outcome document which contains no concrete commitments and is not legally binding — falls short of what is needed, while U.N. |
| World leaders at UN approve plan for refugee crisis Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:21 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World leaders on Monday approved a declaration aimed at providing a more coordinated and humane response to the refugee crisis that has strained resources and sparked divisions from Africa to Europe.
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| US says Russia must step up if Syria truce is to be salvaged Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:17 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry scrambled Monday to try to salvage Syria's fractured week-old truce after the Syrian military announced it was over amid numerous violations, including an attack on an aid convoy, and apparent Russian unwillingness to press Damascus on the point.
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| Attack on aid convoy in Syria kills many Posted: 19 Sep 2016 04:06 PM PDT  At least 18 trucks in a 31-vehicle convoy delivering aid in Syria were hit on Monday in an attack a monitoring group said left 12 dead, prompting outrage from the United Nations. The convoy from the UN and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) was en route to the hard-to-reach town of Orum al-Kubra, in Aleppo province, to deliver humanitarian assistance to 78,000 people, the UN said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 aid workers and drivers were killed in the strike, but the United Nations did not confirm the casualties.
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| Obama, Iraqi leader vow rapid offensive to retake Mosul Posted: 19 Sep 2016 03:57 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi put the Islamic State group on notice Monday that they plan to recapture the city of Mosul within months. If successful, the operation could mark a major turning point in the campaign to defeat the extremist group.
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| Irish boxer Conlan signs with Top Rank after Olympic woes Posted: 19 Sep 2016 03:43 PM PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) — Irish amateur champion boxer Michael Conlan has signed with Top Rank Promotions one month after his upset loss at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. |
| Canelo Alvarez has broken thumb, won't fight again in 2016 Posted: 19 Sep 2016 03:38 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Junior middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has a broken right thumb that will keep him out of the ring for the rest of the year.
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| Nadal, Farah defend medical records after new hack Posted: 19 Sep 2016 03:13 PM PDT  Rafael Nadal and British Olympic great Mo Farah said they have nothing to hide after their medical records were the latest to be leaked by a cyber-hacking group on Monday. Spanish tennis ace Nadal and four-time Olympic champion distance runner Farah were shown to have used TUEs in the past to gain permission to take substances that figure on WADA's banned list. "When you ask permission to take something for therapeutic reasons and they give it to you, you're not taking anything prohibited," Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam winner, told Spanish media.
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| Venezuela state declares food emergency at schools Posted: 19 Sep 2016 03:02 PM PDT  The opposition governor of Venezuela's second-largest state, Henrique Capriles, declared an emergency Monday over a lack of food for public schools, blaming the socialist government's "misguided" policies. "We are declaring a food emergency in our state," said Capriles, the governor of Miranda state, who is leading a campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office in a recall referendum. Capriles and his center-right opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), blame the leftist president for an economic crisis that is causing severe shortages of food and medicine in Venezuela.
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