UNITED STATES-RUSSIA

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is vehemently rejecting Russia's military actions in Syria as self-defeating and dismissing the idea that Moscow is strengthening its hand in the region. He vows not to let the conflict become a U.S.-Russia "proxy war."

 

PRESIDENTIAL RACE-OBAMA SYRIA

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama accuses White House hopefuls of concocting "half-baked" ideas for solving the crisis in Syria, appearing to even dismiss his former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's call for a no-fly zone before later clarifying his view of the Democratic front-runner.

 

OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTING

ROSEBURG, Oregon — The 26-year-old gunman who opened fire on fellow students in his community college English class, killing nine people, was an Army boot camp dropout who studied mass shooters before becoming one himself.

 

CANADA-ELECTION

TORONTO — Canada's Conservative government says it will create a phone line for Canadians to report those engaged in "barbaric cultural practices," ahead of the final debate in Canada's divisive election campaign.

 

TROPICAL WEATHER

ELEUTHERA, Bahamas — Hurricane Joaquin destroys houses, uproots trees and unleashes heavy flooding as it hurled torrents of rain across the Bahamas, and the U.S. Coast Guard says it is trying to reach a disabled cargo ship with 33 people aboard that lost contact during the storm.

 

GUATEMALA-MUDSLIDE

GUATEMALA CITY — A rain-sodden hillside about 300 feet (100 meters) high collapses onto a neighborhood on the outskirts of Guatemala's capital with a roar and wave of sudden darkness, killing at least 26 people and sending 36 to hospitals. Officials estimate that as many as 600 people could be unaccounted for.

 

COLOMBIA-WARLORD KILLED

BOGOTA, Colombia — A years-long manhunt for a ruthless cocaine warlord who ruled a remote rural fiefdom with an armed band and generous bribes has ended with a military raid that killed the man considered Colombia's second most-wanted criminal.

 

MERCK-CANCER DRUG

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials expand approval of an innovative Merck drug to treat patients with an advanced form of the most common lung cancer.

 

ROBIN WILLIAMS-ESTATE FIGHT

SAN FRANCISCO — Robin Williams' widow and his three children from previous marriages reach a settlement in their legal fight over the late actor's estate, ending a public dispute following the beloved comedian's suicide last year.