| Obama rejects G20 pressure to abandon Syria air strike plan Posted: 06 Sep 2013 03:47 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick and Alexei Anishchuk ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama resisted pressure on Friday to abandon plans for air strikes against Syria and enlisted the support of 10 fellow leaders for a "strong" response to a chemical weapons attack. Obama refused to blink after Russian President Vladimir Putin led a campaign to talk him out of military intervention at a two-day summit of the Group of Twenty developed and developing economies in St. Petersburg. ... |
| Clashes flare at pro-Mursi marches across Egypt, two dead Posted: 06 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT  By Abdelrahman Youssef and Tom Perry ALEXANDRIA, Egypt/CAIRO (Reuters) - Two people were killed in skirmishes as supporters of deposed president Mohamed Mursi thronged Egypt's cities and towns on Friday for the third time in eight days, trying to rattle an army-backed government bent on crushing his Muslim Brotherhood. But the authorities, who have killed hundreds of Mursi supporters and arrested most of its top leaders, pressed on with a campaign to neutralize Egypt's biggest political movement with a decision to clip its legal status. ...
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| U.S. envoy Power argues for military option on Syria Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:36 PM PDT  By Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Samantha Power, in her first major speech as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, argued Friday that a limited military strike was the only option left to respond to a chemical weapons attack in Syria after diplomatic efforts had stalled. "Some have asked, given our collective war-weariness, why we cannot use non-military tools to achieve the same end? My answer to this question is: we have exhausted the alternatives," Power said at the Center for American Progress. ...
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| Syria, Egypt turmoil nudges Israel, Palestinians toward peace Posted: 06 Sep 2013 04:31 PM PDT  By Arshad Mohammed VILNIUS (Reuters) - Turmoil in Syria and Egypt is nudging Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, a U.S. official said on Friday as Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Europe for talks about that conflict and a possible U.S. strike on Syrian targets. While the chief U.S. diplomat's three-day trip was originally designed to focus on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and will include a lengthy meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in London on Sunday, Syria is sure to consume many of his conversations with European and Arab diplomats. ...
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| U.S. spy agencies decry latest Snowden revelations Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:59 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. spy agencies said on Friday that the latest media revelations based on leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden will likely damage U.S. and allied intelligence efforts. On Thursday, the Guardian, the New York Times and journalistic nonprofit ProPublica published stories saying the security agency has secretly developed the ability to crack or circumvent commonplace Internet encryption used to protect everything from email to financial transactions. ...
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| Tunisia union pushes concessions to end deadlock Posted: 06 Sep 2013 03:12 PM PDT  TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's powerful labor movement on Friday urged the country's Islamist-led government to make "painful" concessions to end a stalemate over its rule after talks with secular opposition failed to break the deadlock. Two and half years after the overthrow of its autocratic leader triggered the wave of "Arab Spring" rebellions, Tunisia's crisis is threatening transition in a country once seen as the region's promising model for fledgling democracy. ...
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| Aussie election starts; opposition tipped to win Posted: 06 Sep 2013 04:42 PM PDT  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing.
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| U.S. resumes aid to Mali after new president takes office Posted: 06 Sep 2013 04:40 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday lifted aid restrictions to Mali after the West African nation's democratically elected government formally took office. U.S. assistance was suspended after a military junta toppled the Malian government in March 2012 and al Qaeda-linked militants seized northern cities. Those militants were defeated after thousands of French soldiers intervened, which paved the way for a peaceful and democratic election in August. Mali's new president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was inaugurated on Wednesday. ...
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| Kerry arrives in Europe to seek support on Syria Posted: 06 Sep 2013 04:32 PM PDT  US Secretary of State John Kerry flew into the Lithuanian capital Vilnius late Friday for talks with EU ministers aimed at shoring up support for US strikes on Syria.
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| Actor in WikiLeaks film defends Julian Assange Posted: 06 Sep 2013 04:19 PM PDT  British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the founder of WikiLeaks in a new film, said Friday he hopes Julian Assange can carry on his work exposing secrets.
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| River Thames crossings reopen after UK security alert Posted: 06 Sep 2013 04:08 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - British police sealed off busy road crossings across the River Thames near London on Friday, causing hours of chaos for thousands of rush-hour motorists after the discovery of a suspicious item prompted a major security alert. The bridge and two tunnels which make up the Dartford Crossing carrying traffic on the M25 London orbital motorway across the river, were closed following reports of a pedestrian "behaving unusually" and the discovery of the unspecified item. ... |
| Australians vote with Abbott set for landslide win Posted: 06 Sep 2013 03:53 PM PDT  Australians were voting in national elections Saturday with conservative challenger Tony Abbott heading for a thumping victory over Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
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| US to resume development aid in Mali: State Department Posted: 06 Sep 2013 03:15 PM PDT  The United States will resume development aid -- but not military assistance -- in Mali, the State Department announced Friday, two days after the West African country's new president was inaugurated.
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| Factbox: Two key U.S. laws underpin NSA surveillance programs Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:59 PM PDT By Lawrence Hurley (Reuters) - Two key provisions of U.S. law have helped intelligence agencies gather reams of information in recent years from telephone companies and electronic service providers. The laws have drawn criticism from civil libertarians and prompted court challenges, the most high-profile of which the government won earlier this year before the U.S. Supreme Court. Both provisions of the law have attracted increased scrutiny amid controversial leaks of documents by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that have revealed widespread U.S. ... |
| Iran's foreign minister condemns Holocaust Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:48 PM PDT  Iran's foreign minister said on Facebook that Tehran condemns the World War II Nazi massacre of the Jews, in stark contract to Holocaust denials by former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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| Obama sets Tuesday speech; big challenges on Syria Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:47 PM PDT  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Beset by divisions at home and abroad, President Barack Obama candidly acknowledged deep challenges Friday in pursuing support for a military strike against Syria from international allies and the U.S. Congress. He refused to say whether he might act on his own, a step that could have major implications for the U.S. as well as for the remainder of his presidency.
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| Obama uses secure White House bunker to fight Obamacare battle Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:32 PM PDT  A Situation Room health care powwow the day of apparent Syrian massacre.
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| Pancho the Pelican an urban celebrity in Havana Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:28 PM PDT  HAVANA (AP) — Pancho the Pelican apparently prefers the company of humans to his own kind, and the grit of the big city to a life spent soaring through the breeze above the Caribbean Sea.
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| Putin, Obama fail to ease Syria rift at G20 Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:14 PM PDT  US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin failed Friday to end their bitter dispute over US plans for military action in Syria, as half of the G20 called for a "strong" response to a chemical weapons attack blamed on the regime.
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| UN team find burned villages, abuse in C.Africa Posted: 06 Sep 2013 02:12 PM PDT  Aid workers who carried out an emergency mission to the north of strife-torn Central African Republic found villages abandoned and burned, and evidence of widespread rights abuses, the UN refugee agency said Friday.
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| US strike aims to halt Assad's killing campaign: Power Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:38 PM PDT  A US military strike on Syria would aim to stop a campaign by President Bashar al-Assad's regime "to kill their way to victory," a top US official said Friday.
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| Putin critic rallies supporters ahead of Moscow polls Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:36 PM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin's top critic Alexei Navalny on Friday roused supporters at the final rally of his fierce campaign for Moscow mayor before facing a Kremlin-backed incumbent in polls this weekend.
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| US orders diplomats out of Lebanon amid fears Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:26 PM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — The State Department ordered all nonessential U.S. personnel Friday to leave Lebanon, reflecting fears that an American-led strike on neighboring Syria would unleash more bloodshed in this already fragile nation.
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| US evacuates non-essential staff from Beirut mission Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:24 PM PDT  The United States evacuated non-essential staff from its Beirut embassy Friday and urged Americans not to travel to Lebanon, Pakistan or southern Turkey, as Washington considers strikes against neighboring Syria.
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| Tourism helps slow Greek recession in 2nd quarter Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — High tourism revenues helped Greece's battered economy shrink less than initially estimated in April-June, making a projected exit from a six-year recession in 2014 more likely.
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| Fed poised to taper despite weak US jobs report Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:18 PM PDT  The United States posted a disappointing August labor report Friday but most analysts say the Federal Reserve is still on track to taper stimulus.
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| World leaders push big companies to pay more taxes Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:08 PM PDT  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — It's time to make Google, Apple and other multinational companies pay more taxes. That's the message President Barack Obama and the leaders of the world's leading economies sent to cross-border giants at a summit ending Friday.
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| Two dead as Morsi supporters hold new rallies in Egypt Posted: 06 Sep 2013 01:07 PM PDT  Two people were killed Friday when clashes broke out between supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi as thousands demonstrated despite a sustained government crackdown on Islamists.
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| Bolivian anti-graft officer held on extortion charge in Miami Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:58 PM PDT  By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI (Reuters) - A senior Bolivian police official, accused of flying to Miami in late August to extort $30,000 from a prominent businessman seeking asylum in the United States, will remain in jail until a bond hearing next week, a judge ordered on Friday. FBI agents arrested the deputy chief of Bolivia's police anti-corruption unit, Mario Fabricio Ormachea Aliaga, in a sting operation August 31 after meeting with Humberto Roca, the former president of AeroSur, once Bolivia's largest private airline. ...
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| U.S. orders diplomats out of Lebanon Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:54 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Friday ordered nonessential American diplomats and the families of staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon immediately due to security concerns as the Obama administration and Congress debate military strikes on neighboring Syria. The department also authorized the voluntary departure of diplomats and families at the U.S. Consulate in Adana, Turkey, which is the closest American diplomatic post to Syria in Turkey.
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| Congo president gives 10,000 euros to Spanish town Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:52 PM PDT  Congo's president has made an impression on a small town in recession-hit Spain -- after relaxing at its thermal baths for a few days he left local residents 10,000 euros ($13,000).
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| Obama sits down with Russian rights activists Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:46 PM PDT  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Before leaving for home after the Group of 20 summit, President Barack Obama sat down with Russian civil society activists on Friday evening to assure them that he would keep pressing Moscow to respect human rights, some of the activists said. But Obama also explained to them why this wasn't always possible.
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| Obama moves to defuse spying row with Brazil, Mexico Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:42 PM PDT  President Barack Obama vowed Friday to work with Brazil and Mexico to ease tensions over allegations that the US National Security Agency spied on the leaders of Latin America's powerhouses.
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| Nigeria military says killed 50 Boko Haram fighters Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:35 PM PDT  Nigeria's military said Friday it had killed 50 Boko Haram Islamists in an operation in the northeast launched in response to an insurgent attack, in the latest violence to hit the region.
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| New rights worries over arrests in Egypt Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:35 PM PDT  CAIRO (AP) — The detentions of an Egyptian labor lawyer and a journalist raised concerns among rights activists Friday that the military-backed government's crackdown on Islamists is expanding to silence other critics of its policies.
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| Reid introduces Syria resolution in Senate Posted: 06 Sep 2013 12:33 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has formally introduced the resolution giving President Barack Obama the authority to use military force against Syria.
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