News Wrap: EU strikes agreement on migrant crisis aid

JUDY WOODRUFF:

In other news, European leaders are promising new efforts to process thousands of refugees and migrants reaching Greece and Italy.

The agreement early today also includes more than a billion dollars in aid for those still in refugee camps in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the crisis stoked new tensions along Serbia's border with Croatia. Long lines of cargo trucks backed up as the rival nations cut off imports and blocked traffic in a war of words over the flow of refugees.

ZORAN MILANOVIC, Prime Minister, Croatia (through interpreter):

All that the Serbian prime minister has to do is to stop this flow of migrants, 9,000 in one day. We cannot make 50 refugee camps at the border. What we have done so far is good, and we can cope with 4,000, 5,000 a day, but above that, no.

NEBOJSA STEFANOVIC, Serbian Interior Minister (through interpreter):

Croatia is behaving irresponsibly. By imposing this economic aggression, they are hurting the economy of both countries. Serbia is forced to introduce countermeasures. We are not happy about it, but we have to protect our state and our sovereignty.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

More than 40,000 migrants have entered Croatia from Serbia over the last nine days.

GWEN IFILL:

The president of China arrived in Washington this evening for a highly anticipated state visit. Xi Jinping's plane touched down at Joint Base Andrews, after flying cross-country from Seattle. He was greeted by Vice President and Mrs. Biden. Xi has a private dinner with President Obama tonight. He will be formally welcomed tomorrow.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Mr. Obama will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in New York for the first time in nearly a year. The Kremlin said today the focus will be Syria and coordinating the fight there against Islamic State forces.

But White House spokesman Josh Earnest charged again that Russia's military buildup will do far more harm than good.

JOSH EARNEST, White House Press Secretary:

President Obama will make it clear once again that Russia doubling down on their support for the Assad regime is a losing bet. The likely consequence of them doing so is only to deepen and expand the ongoing crisis in that country. That doesn't serve the interests of either the Russian people or the American people.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Earnest said Russia's involvement in Ukraine will be President Obama's top item. The talks will follow Putin's address to the U.N. General Assembly.

GWEN IFILL:

In Yemen, an Islamic State affiliate claimed an attack that killed 25 Muslims at prayer today. The suicide bombing wrecked a mosque in Sanaa, as worshipers observed the holiday of Eid al Adha. The bomber set off a smaller explosion, then blew himself up as people ran for the exits.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

The government of Colombia and that country's largest rebel group now say their long-running conflict will end in the next six months. The two sides announced the deal last night in Havana, Cuba, where peace talks took place. A final agreement would end more than 50 years of fighting. The United States welcomed the deal, but Colombia's conservative political opposition condemned it.

GWEN IFILL:

The scandal over Volkswagen cheating on emissions tests is expanding again. In Berlin today, Germany's transport minister confirmed that rigged V.W.s expanded beyond the U.S.

ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, German Transport Minister (through interpreter):

We were informed by Volkswagen that there are vehicles with 1.6-liter and 2-liter diesel engines in Europe affected by the manipulations. That is why we will continue to work intensely together with Volkswagen in order to determine what cars exactly are involved.

GWEN IFILL:

Eleven million Volkswagen cars worldwide were fitted with the software responsible for the emissions cheating.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Back in this country, the Senate balked again at defunding Planned Parenthood as the price of preventing a government shutdown. Republican conservatives have pushed that plan. But they once again came up short of the 60 votes needed to advance a bill, but only after the two parties traded broadsides.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), Minority Leader: By inserting into this debate a meaningless, losing attack on women as just a waste of time, but they decided, the Republicans have decided once again to place partisan, ideological agendas over the well-being of the nation.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), Majority Leader: There's no reason to continue blocking every attempt to fund the government or to protect political allies that are mired in scandal. So, I'm calling on colleagues across the aisle to join us in standing against a shutdown. I'm calling on them to join us in standing up for women's health instead.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, as you heard, is saying he opposes shutting the government. He's now expected to offer a so-called clean bill to fund operations throughDecember 11. It's not clear whether House Republicans will go along.

GWEN IFILL:

The world's largest maker of construction equipment, Caterpillar, will cut as many as 10,000 jobs through 2018. The announcement today is the latest sign of a worldwide slowdown in mining and energy exploration. And that, in turn, held Wall Street back. The Dow Jones industrial average lost nearly 80 points to close back near 16200. The Nasdaq fell 18 points. And the S&P 500 dropped six.