| Obama faces bipartisan criticism over his foreign policy Posted: 31 Aug 2014 12:52 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama faced criticism over his foreign policy from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Sunday as he wrestled with crises in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Ukraine. Republican lawmakers seized on Obama's comment on Thursday when he said, "We don't have a strategy yet" for confronting the Islamic State militant group, saying it suggested indecisiveness. On Sunday, influential Democrats chimed in with their own critiques of Obama's foreign policy, chiding him for being "too cautious" on Syria, and urging him to do more to help Ukraine resist Russian advances.
|
| Pacino says crowds charge his batteries at Venice fest Posted: 31 Aug 2014 12:35 PM PDT  By Rollo Ross VENICE (Reuters) - Al Pacino stars in two movies shown at the 71st Venice Film Festival, which meant he had to do a double round of media events, but the 74-year-old said he drew energy from the crowds that turned out to see him. So you go with the glow, as they say." Pacino was in Venice to boost director Barry Levinson's "The Humbling", based on a Philip Roth novel about an aging actor who feels like he is losing his acting ability, but who is reinvigorated by a late-life affair with a young woman. His other film, "Manglehorn", directed by David Gordon Green and which is in competition for the Golden Lion prize, is about a Texas locksmith who has never gotten over a love affair that went sour, and has walled himself away from other people.
|
| Wlodarczyk's world record provides ISTAF highlight Posted: 31 Aug 2014 12:18 PM PDT  BERLIN (AP) — Olympic champion Robert Harting delighted home fans by winning the discus at the ISTAF athletics meet Sunday, only to be overshadowed by Anita Wlodarczyk's world record in the women's hammer throw.
|
| Championship leader Marquez wins British MotoGP Posted: 31 Aug 2014 12:03 PM PDT  SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — MotoGP world championship leader Marc Marquez held off Jorge Lorenzo in a back-and-forth battle from start to finish to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday.
|
| Mom charged in girl's death could get trust fund Posted: 31 Aug 2014 11:46 AM PDT  WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — A special education teacher accused of killing her severely disabled 8-year-old daughter by withholding food and medical care could inherit nearly $1 million from the girl's trust fund — even if she's convicted.
|
| Quintana in Vuelta command after Contador causes havoc Posted: 31 Aug 2014 11:31 AM PDT  Colombian Nairo Quintana snatched the overall leader's red jersey at the Tour of Spain on Sunday after Alberto Contador's late attack caused havoc in a group of favorites on the ninth stage. Spain's Contador jumped away from a group of top guns and built a small gap over his rivals some two kilometers from the finish of the 185-km ride from Carboneras de Guadazaon. Winner Anacona of Colombia took the day's laurels after dropping his breakaway companions in the last climb, an 8-km ascent at an average gradient of 6.6 percent. Giro d'Italia winner Quintana and Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez were the only riders who managed to catch Contador after the double Tour de France champion's brutal acceleration left his rivals stuck on the tar on an unusually wet day on the Vuelta.
|
| AC Milan beats Lazio 3-1 in Inzaghi's 1st game Posted: 31 Aug 2014 11:15 AM PDT  MILAN (AP) — AC Milan and new coach Filippo Inzaghi got off to a great start as it eased to a 3-1 win over Lazio in its Serie A opener on Sunday.
|
| Old-school Tide shows glimpse of no-huddle offense Posted: 31 Aug 2014 10:59 AM PDT  ATLANTA (AP) — Looking for a way to calm a jittery first-time starting quarterback, No. 2 Alabama broke out the no-huddle offense for a while against West Virginia.
|
| As Islamic State fighters begin to blend in, defeating them no easy matter Posted: 31 Aug 2014 10:42 AM PDT  By Isabel Coles and Peter Apps BAQIRTA Iraq/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After their lightning takeover in June, flag-waving Islamic State militants paraded through the captured Iraqi city of Mosul in looted U.S.-built Humvees, armored cars and pickup trucks mounted with heavy machine guns. Today, many have ditched military-type vehicles that could make them easy targets of U.S. It is unclear how the Islamic State's tactics will further change as a result of the reclaiming of the strategic Mosul Dam by Iraqi government and Kurdish forces or Sunday's dramatic retaking of Amerli, where thousands had been cut off from food and water, but clearly battlefield strategies are involving on both sides.
|
| Grappling with history, EU tests unity, new faces Posted: 31 Aug 2014 10:26 AM PDT  By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders meeting in Brussels this weekend, amid world war anniversaries, did not want for reminders of the continental conflicts that the bloc's founders meant to consign to history. They took another symbolic step away from the Cold War division of Europe, in choosing a Pole from the ex-communist east to run their Council. Meeting in sight of a huge EU banner commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War One, and on the eve of the 75th anniversary of Hitler's invasion of Poland, many cited that bloody past to focus minds on halting what Lithuania's president said was already "a state of war" with Russia. "We know from European history the danger of the territorial integrity of a nation state being threatened and undermined in this way and we have to send the clearest possible signal," said British Prime Minister David Cameron of an agreement to review possible new sanctions on Moscow within the next week if President Vladimir Putin does not pull back forces from Ukraine.
 |
| No update on Joan Rivers' condition, hospital says Posted: 31 Aug 2014 10:10 AM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Joan Rivers remains hospitalized three days after going into cardiac arrest at a doctor's office in New York City.
|
| Torres completes loan move to Milan from Chelsea Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:54 AM PDT  MILAN (AP) — AC Milan has completed the signing of Fernando Torres on a loan deal from Chelsea.
|
| Wlodarczyk sets world record in women's hammer Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:37 AM PDT  BERLIN (AP) — Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland set a world record of 79.58 meters in women's hammer throw at the ISTAF athletics meet on Sunday.
|
| Scottish nationalist leader dismisses claim of sinister campaign tactics Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:22 AM PDT  By William James LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Scotland's pro-independence campaign Alex Salmond on Sunday dismissed an accusation that grassroots supporters had used "organized street mobbery" to try to silence a series of street debates hosted by an opposition lawmaker. The two sides in debate over Scotland's future have been trading barbs ahead of a Sept. 18 vote on whether to become an independent state, or to keep the country's 307-year-old union with England and Wales intact. A poll last week showed that support for independence had risen after a televised debate, although surveys still show a lead for the 'Better Together' anti-independence campaign. The accusations of intimidation came from Jim Murphy, a member of the British parliament who last week suspended a tour of Scottish towns designed to promote the case for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
|
| WHO: Senegal Ebola case 'a top priority emergency' Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:06 AM PDT  DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The effort to contain Ebola in Senegal is "a top priority emergency," the World Health Organization said Sunday, as the government continued tracing everyone who came in contact with a Guinean student who has tested positive for the deadly disease in the capital, Dakar.
|
| Auffarth wins eventing at World Equestrian Games Posted: 31 Aug 2014 08:48 AM PDT  CAEN, France (AP) — Sandra Auffarth of Germany won the individual gold medal in eventing at the World Equestrian Games by riding a clear round on Opgun Louvo in the show jumping portion on Sunday.
|
| Aftershock hits California's Napa Valley Posted: 31 Aug 2014 08:33 AM PDT (Reuters) - California's Napa Valley, the site of a strong and damaging earthquake a week ago, was shaken by a small aftershock early on Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, measuring magnitude 3.2, occurred five miles southwest of Napa. There were no immediate reports of damage. It was one of many aftershocks that have occurred since Aug. 24 when a magnitude 6.0 quake struck, the biggest to hit California's Bay Area in 25 years, injuring more than 200 people and damaging dozens of buildings. ... |
| VENICE WATCH: 'Star Wars' stars keep mum in Venice Posted: 31 Aug 2014 08:16 AM PDT  VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Venice Film Festival is bringing 11 days of red carpet premieres, innovative movies and Hollywood glamour to the Italian city. Here's what has been catching the eye of The Associated Press:
|
| Flash floods snarl traffic in Sweden, Denmark Posted: 31 Aug 2014 08:00 AM PDT  HELSINKI (AP) — Heavy rains and flash floods have snarled road and rail traffic in Sweden and Denmark, with divers called to rescue people in submerged vehicles.
|
| Balotelli misfires but Liverpool wins at Spurs Posted: 31 Aug 2014 07:43 AM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Liverpool's speedy attacking unit produced a 3-0 victory at Tottenham on Sunday though Mario Balotelli failed to score on his return to the Premier League.
|
| Israel's 'The Farewell Party' finds humor in death Posted: 31 Aug 2014 07:27 AM PDT  VENICE, Italy (AP) — With dozens of films jostling for attention at the Venice Film Festival, it takes originality to make an impact. Two Israeli filmmakers have done it by refusing to accept that death is no laughing matter.
|
| Marquez takes 11th win of season at Silverstone Posted: 31 Aug 2014 07:11 AM PDT  MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez powered to his 11th victory in 12 races after a thrilling British Grand Prix battle with fellow-Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo on Sunday. Marquez, who had put his works Honda on pole position for the 10th time this season, lost out to Lorenzo at the start but seized back the lead from Yamaha's double champion with seven laps to go. Italian Valentino Rosso, making a record 246th start in the top category, finished third on his Yamaha.
|
| For gamers, combating online abuse not easy Posted: 31 Aug 2014 06:55 AM PDT  SEATTLE (AP) — While most attendees of Penny Arcade Expo come to the boisterous convention to play games, bag swag and meet like-minded people, a few take the time to investigate online bullying and why it's so prevalent among the gaming community.
|
| US trained Alaskans as secret 'stay-behind agents' Posted: 31 Aug 2014 06:21 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Fearing a Russian invasion and occupation of Alaska, the U.S. government in the early Cold War years recruited and trained fishermen, bush pilots, trappers and other private citizens across Alaska for a covert network to feed wartime intelligence to the military, newly declassified Air Force and FBI documents show.
|
| Brace yourselves: Campaign cash buying tons of ads Posted: 31 Aug 2014 06:05 AM PDT  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa's airwaves are already jammed with ads, most of them negative, in one of the Senate races nationwide that will decide which party claims the majority.
|
