| Brazil's ex-president Lula to stand trial for corruption Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:22 PM PDT  By Brad Brooks SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will stand trial on corruption charges, a crusading federal judge ruled on Tuesday, adding more turbulence to the country's political landscape. Judge Sergio Moro said that Lula, who served as president from 2003-11 and has for two decades been an iconic and powerful political force in Brazil, will face charges of accepting 3.7 million Brazilian reais ($1.14 million) in bribes connected to a sweeping kickback probe at state-run oil company Petrobras. Moro wrote in his ruling that according to the prosecutors' charges, Lula was a "direct beneficiary" of bribes from OAS SA [OAS.UL], one of the engineering and construction firms at the center of the graft scandal, and therefore must stand trial.
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| Top CIA analyst sees likely Putin re-election bid Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:39 PM PDT  By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to run for re-election in 2018 and may impose tougher authoritarian rule to curb unrest over the slumping economy, the CIA's top Russia analyst said on Tuesday. The rare public comments by Peter Clement, head of the CIA unit that watches Russia, shed light on how some senior U.S. intelligence officials view Putin and where he is taking his country as he prepares an expected run for a fourth presidential term in 2018. Most intelligence analysts think Putin will run again, as he indicated three years ago, said Clement."But he's got to be thinking now, 'What happens between now and 2018?'" (http://reut.rs/2cPK93y) Clement spoke at a George Washington University conference a day after the pro-Putin United Russia party won a lower house majority in parliamentary polls seen as a likely springboard for a Putin re-election bid.
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| Turkey's Erdogan urges world to act against U.S.-based Gulen Posted: 20 Sep 2016 12:08 PM PDT  By Parisa Hafezi UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on world leaders at the United Nations to take measures against a U.S.-based cleric's "terrorist network" that he said threatened their security. "I am calling, from this podium, to all our friends, to swiftly take the necessary measures against the Gulenist terrorist organization for their own safety and the future of their nations," Erdogan said. "It is evident from our experience that if you do not fight the Gulen network at this stage, it may be too late later." Turkish authorities have accused Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating Turkey's failed coup in July. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied involvement in the coup attempt.
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| Canada's Trudeau sidesteps questions on extraditions to China Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:42 PM PDT  By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sidestepped questions on Tuesday on the sensitive topic of possible extraditions to China, saying Canada would stick to high standards when deciding whether to return Chinese citizens. A statement posted on Trudeau's website said his national security adviser went to Beijing last week and agreed to start talks about an extradition treaty as part of a security dialogue. China, which wants the return of officials suspected of corruption who it says are hiding in Canada, has long pressed for such a treaty.
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| Jordan's rebranded Islamists seen staging election comeback Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:03 PM PDT  By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's moderate Islamist opposition could emerge from Tuesday's parliamentary election with renewed influence after surviving government attempts to ban it as part of a wider crackdown on political Islam, analysts said. The group could win up to a fifth of seats in the parliament after ditching its "Islam is the Solution" slogan and joining with Christians and prominent national figures to create a broad-based civic grouping, The National Coalition for Reform, they added. No major incidents were reported in tribal areas where clan fights can occur when results are released.
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| Congo death toll hits 44 in anti-Kabila unrest: rights group Posted: 20 Sep 2016 01:49 PM PDT  By Kenny Katombe and Benoit Nyemba KINSHASA (Reuters) - At least 44 people - including 37 demonstrators and six police officers - have been killed in protests over Congolese President Joseph Kabila's perceived bid to extend his rule, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. The unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo started on Monday after its election commission decided to try to postpone the next presidential vote, due in November. Kabila's opponents say the proposed delay is a maneuver to keep him in power although ruling party politicians deny this.
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| UN suspends Syria aid convoys after 'savage' attack Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:26 PM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — Volunteers were still dousing the fires from an overnight attack on an aid convoy that killed 20 civilians as the U.N. announced Tuesday it was suspending overland aid deliveries in Syria, jeopardizing food and medical security for millions of besieged and hard-to-reach civilians.
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| Forced evictions leave Roma children vulnerable in France, say campaigners Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:25 PM PDT By Morgan Meaker PARIS (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Baby Lea softly squirms on an old yellowing mattress outside the town hall in Montreuil - a suburb in eastern Paris. All of them - including 19 children - have ended up on the streets. Campaigners say the forced eviction of families in Montreuil is part of a wider pattern of discrimination against the Roma minority in France and their status in the country is becoming more precarious in an atmosphere of xenophobia. |
| World leaders must show us the money to hit goals on poverty, inequality: U.N. adviser Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:14 PM PDT By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - World leaders need to ramp up investment to achieve a set of global goals agreed a year ago to combat poverty, inequality, and make the world a safer place by 2030, according to a key adviser on the United Nation's blueprint for the future. Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University economist, is special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) signed by the U.N.'s 193 member states in a blaze of publicity with backing from the Pope to Shakira. |
| How have the U.N.'s global goals fared one year on? Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:13 PM PDT By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - World leaders one year ago agreed on an ambitious set of global goals designed to tackle the world's most troubling problems such as extreme poverty and inequality by 2030 at the United Nations. Described as a blueprint for the future, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets address such daunting challenges as climate change, hunger, education, gender equality, sanitation, jobs, justice and shared peace. |
| Mexican authorities: Suspect identified in priest killings Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:11 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Investigators have identified a suspect in the killing of two priests in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz, authorities said Tuesday, adding that the victims apparently knew their attackers.
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| At U.N., Brazil's Temer says Rousseff's ouster was constitutional Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:07 PM PDT  By Hugh Bronstein UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Brazil's new president, Michel Temer, told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that the impeachment of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff was conducted with "absolute respect" for the rule of law and that confidence was returning to the country's battered economy. Temer, who was sworn in after Rousseff was dismissed by Congress on Aug. 31, said his task now was to restore economic growth and create work for millions of Brazilians who have lost their jobs in the worst recession since the 1930s. Temer's U.N. appearance was part of an effort by his government to attract investment to South America's biggest economy while dispelling questions about his legitimacy as president after the rancorous impeachment of Rousseff that divided Brazil.
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| Lundqvist, Sweden beat Finland 2-0 at World Cup of Hockey Posted: 20 Sep 2016 05:03 PM PDT  TORONTO (AP) — The old Henrik Lundqvist was back in net for Sweden.
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| Thousands protest in Brussels against US, Canada trade deals Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:59 PM PDT  Several thousand demonstrators gathered outside EU institutions in Brussels on Tuesday to protest against huge transatlantic trade deals linking Europe with Canada and the United States. The protests came after mass rallies in German cities on Saturday against the European Union's planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States, and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada.
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| Obama draws pledges from 50 countries to take in 360,000 refugees Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:54 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged countries to "welcome the stranger in our midst" at a summit that drew pledges from 50 countries to take in 360,000 refugees. Speaking at a US-led refugee summit at the United Nations, Obama praised Germany and Canada among other countries for opening up their doors to those fleeing the war in Syria and other conflicts. "We are facing a crisis of epic proportion," Obama said.
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| Syria situation 'unacceptable', world needs to unite, Obama says Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:53 PM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that the situation in Syria is unacceptable and the world is not as unified as it should be to try to stop the more than five-year-old conflict. A ceasefire in Syria, brokered by the United States and Russia, appears to have collapsed. "We all know that what is happening in Syria ... is unacceptable," Obama told a summit on refugees on the sidelines of the annual gathering of leaders at the United Nations. |
| Sweden a bigger challenge for North America without Ekblad Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:52 PM PDT  TORONTO (AP) — A hit by Finland's Leo Komarov on Aaron Ekblad changed Team North America's course at the World Cup of Hockey.
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| Brazil's Lula to stand trial for corruption Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:50 PM PDT  Brasília (AFP) - Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must stand trial for corruption, a judge ruled Tuesday, after prosecutors accused the popular leftist of masterminding the large-scale plundering of state oil company Petrobras. The crusading judge behind the Petrobras investigation, Sergio Mora, accepted charges filed last week by prosecutors investigating Lula -- making him the highest-profile figure to face trial in a case that has taken down some of the country's most powerful business executives and politicians. "Given that there is sufficient evidence of (Lula's) responsibility... I accept the charges," Moro said in his decision.
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| 'World thirsts for peace', pope tells religious leaders Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:36 PM PDT  Pope Francis said Tuesday the world "thirsts for peace" after praying with faith leaders for an end to religious fanaticism and indifference to the plight of war victims. "We do not have weapons" to end wars and stop those who commit violence in the name of God, the Argentine pontiff told religious heads from across the globe gathered in the central Italian medieval town of Assisi.
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| Brazil's Petrobras slashes investment amid kickback probe Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:32 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's state-run oil company announced on Tuesday that it is further slashing investment plans by one-fourth less than a year after similar cuts as oil prices fall and a corruption probe widens.
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| Brazil judge orders corruption trial for ex-President Silva Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:25 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must stand trial on charges of money laundering and corruption, a Brazilian judge ruled Tuesday.
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| Saracens winger Ashton gets 13 week ban for biting Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:21 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — England and Saracens winger Chris Ashton has been suspended for 13 weeks for biting an opponent after a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel upheld one of two charges on Tuesday. |
| Air strike kills civilians in central Libya -doctor, eyewitness Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:19 PM PDT At least nine civilians including women and children were killed in an air strike near an oasis town in central Libya on Tuesday, a hospital doctor and local officials said. The identity of the war planes responsible for the strike near Houn could not be confirmed. Armed groups loyal to factions based in eastern and western Libya operate nearby. |
| The Latest: UN says 30 more countries to join climate deal Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:13 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Latest on the high-level U.N. General Assembly meetings (all times local):
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| Moscow says Russian and Syrian planes did not strike Aleppo aid convoy Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:10 PM PDT The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that neither Russian nor Syrian war planes had struck a humanitarian convoy near Aleppo the previous day, saying the convoy's whereabouts had only been known to militants on the ground. The Syrian Red Crescent said the head of one of its local offices and "around 20 civilians" were killed in the attack. The U.S. State Department said it was "outraged" by the bombing and would be raising the matter directly with Russia. |
| Russia's Lavrov, U.S.'s Kerry are meeting in New York on Syria Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:10 PM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry are holding a meeting in New York to discuss a ceasefire in Syria and Monday's air strikes on an aid convoy, Russian news agencies reported. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov) |
| Amnesty accuses Nigerian police unit of torture and bribery demands Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:09 PM PDT A Nigerian police unit that focuses on robberies was accused by Amnesty International on Wednesday of torturing suspects held in custody and demanding bribes to free them. The human rights campaign group said people arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were subjected to hanging, starvation, beatings, shootings and mock executions "until they either make a 'confession' or pay officers a bribe to be released". A Nigeria Police Force spokesman did not respond to calls and text message requests for a comment on Amnesty's report. |
| Syria aid halted as US, Russia wrangle over air strike Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:06 PM PDT  Syria plunged back into bloodshed Tuesday as the UN suspended aid convoys and the United States and Russia wrangled over the blame for air strikes that shattered a short-lived truce. US officials accused Russia of carrying out Monday's deadly attack on a humanitarian convoy, three days after Moscow reacted with fury to an American-led raid that killed dozens of Syrian troops. Washington and Moscow are the joint sponsors of an international effort to impose a ceasefire on Syria's five-year-old civil war, and the row undermined efforts to reopen the dialogue.
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| Venezuela accuses US of spying on Non-Aligned summit Posted: 20 Sep 2016 04:04 PM PDT  Venezuela accused the United States on Tuesday of spying on a Non-Aligned Movement summit it recently hosted, saying Venezuelan fighter jets had intercepted a US surveillance plane and forced it to turn back. President Nicolas Maduro's latest beef with Washington comes after Venezuela hosted leaders from the 120-member group on the Caribbean island of Margarita last weekend, a meeting that featured numerous jabs at US foreign policy. "We know a military aircraft carried out flight patterns 130 nautical miles from Margarita island, collecting information, carrying out intelligence operations on the summit," said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.
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| Destroyed aid convoy in Syria: what we know Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:57 PM PDT  An attack on aid trucks and a warehouse in Syria has killed around 20 civilians, leading the UN to suspend all humanitarian convoys in the war-ravaged country. Trucks carrying food and medical equipment from the United Nations and other agencies were unloading aid into a warehouse in the town of Orum al-Kubra in Aleppo province on Monday. A spokesman for the UN's humanitarian agency (OCHA) in Geneva, Jens Laerke, said "every single partner or party to the conflict" was informed in advance about the delivery.
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| Turkey's Erdogan at UN urges global action against preacher Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:54 PM PDT  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday demanded international action against the US-exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of orchestrating an aborted coup d'etat against him. "I would like to call on all our friends to take the necessary measures against the Fethullah Terrorist Organization in their own countries for the future of their own people and their well-being," he told the UN General Assembly, referring to Gulen's movement. Gulen, who fled Turkey for Pennsylvania and has been active in religious dialogue and charity, strongly denies Erdogan's charges that he organized the July military coup attempt, which quickly collapsed.
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| Egyptian court hands nine policemen jail terms for assaulting doctors Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:51 PM PDT An Egyptian court sentenced nine policemen to three years in prison on Tuesday for physically and verbally assaulting two doctors at a Cairo hospital in January, an incident that prompted strikes and a protest demanding justice. The policemen are not in jail. Momin Abdelazim, one of the two doctors allegedly involved, told Reuters at the time that police assaulted him and a colleague after they refused to falsify medical records to say one officer had a serious head injury. |
| Peru brings up Venezuela crisis at U.N., Venezuela swipes back Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:49 PM PDT  By Hugh Bronstein UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Peru's president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday he is concerned about what he called the critical economic situation in Venezuela, citing shortfalls of food and medicine, while Venezuela accused him of meddling. It was the latest in a series of diplomatic blows to the OPEC-member country as it suffers through a major economic crisis with food supplies depleted and triple-digit inflation. "It is unavoidable that I mention our concern for the very critical political, economic and social situation that our friendly nation of Venezuela is experiencing," Kuczynski said in an official address to the annual gathering of world leaders.
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| U.S. believes Russian aircraft hit Syria aid convoy - officials Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:48 PM PDT  By Michelle Nichols and Angus McDowall UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States believes two Russian aircraft attacked an aid convoy near Aleppo in a strike that shattered a one-week truce, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, but Russia denied involvement. Despite the military blame game over Monday's deadly attack, diplomats struggled to save the U.S.-Russian ceasefire agreement that took effect on Sept. 12. Two Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes were in the skies above the aid convoy at the exact time it was struck late on Monday, two U.S. officials told Reuters, citing U.S. intelligence that led them to conclude Russia was to blame.
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| The Latest: US holds Russia responsible for aid convoy hit Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:46 PM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on developments in Syria, where a cease-fire is faltering further after airstrikes hit an aid convoy overnight (all times local):
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| Mexico police raid sawmills near monarch butterfly refuge Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:35 PM PDT  A special Mexican police unit has raided seven sawmills near the monarch butterfly's mountain sanctuary in a bid to prevent illegal logging threatening the insect's winter migration, officials said Tuesday. North American governments have taken steps since last year to protect the monarch butterfly, which crosses Canada and the United States each year to hibernate on the fir and pine trees of Mexico's western mountains. The force has been conducting foot patrols day and night, using drones and helicopters for surveillance when weather permits, Abel Corona, director of the special units, said at a news conference.
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| Spanish football chief's niece dead in Mexico after kidnapping Posted: 20 Sep 2016 03:31 PM PDT  A niece of Spanish Football Federation president Angel Maria Villar was found dead Tuesday in Mexico after she was abducted and held for ransom for several days, Spain's foreign minister said. The body of the unnamed woman was found at a morgue in the central city of Toluca about 60 kilometres (40 miles) southwest of Mexico City after she was kidnapped on September 13, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo told radio Onda Cero. The woman's husband and her cousin Gorka, one of Villar's sons, had travelled to Mexico along with two Spanish police officers to try to secure her release, the minister said.
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