Thursday, July 18, 2013

World News Briefs -- July 18, 2013 (Evening Edition)

US Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki (L) as he meets with the Arab League Peace Initiative at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, July 17, 2013. Kerry is due to meet on Wednesday with officials from Arab nations that he regards as essential to his push to get Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks. [Photo/Agencies]

Palestinian Officials Block John Kerry Middle East Peace Talks -- The Independent

PLO executive committee had been expected to rubber stamp approval

Hopes that Israeli and Palestinian leaders could imminently resume peace talks were dealt a blow tonight when Palestinian officials unexpectedly refused to back US Secretary of State John Kerry’s latest initiative.

Expectations that the two sides could be about to hold direct talks for the first time since 2010 were raised earlier this week when Arab League representatives approved Mr Kerry’s plan. A meeting of the PLO executive committee in Ramallah that had been expected to rubber stamp Palestinian approval instead broke up without any agreement. The committee is expected to reconvene tomorrow.

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MIDDLE EAST

Mahmoud Abbas convenes late-night meeting on Israel-Palestinian talks.

West must fight Syria's Assad if it wants to topple him: UK general.

Syria refugees "begging" John Kerry for no-fly zone.

Kurdish-Islamist fighting spreads to Syrian oil fields.

World Bank says received no payments from Iran in six months.

Hamas urges new Egyptian rulers to keep tunnels open.

Iran's outgoing President Ahmadinejad arrives in Iraq for second visit.

Imam uses Jerusalem podium to call for destruction of U.S..

ASIA

Biden: U.S. ready to engage with North Korea if talks 'genuine'.

India security forces kill six Kashmir protesters.

Exclusive - Japan survey ships prepare for deployment, tension with China rises.

Japan PM renews claim to disputed islands.

Two Koreas begin another round of talks on Kaesong complex. S. Korea, DPRK agree to hold 5th talks on July 22 at Kaesong.

Indian principal on the run after 22 students die from school lunches.

Minister says Japan to bolster its defenses.

Taliban gunmen execute 8 Afghans working with U.S. military.

AFRICA

Egypt President Adly Mansour in first public address.

Egypt's Brotherhood calls for more protests. Morsi loyalists protest as Egypt's new government begins work.

Refugees from war in neighboring countries flooding into Cameroon.

Guinean troops deployed after deadly ethnic clashes.

DRC army advances in 4th day of battle.

UK and US 'ignore abuses' in Ethiopia's Omo valley.

Pirates raid chemical tanker off Togo, injure crew.

Nelson Mandela spends 95th birthday in hospital.

EUROPE

Germany refuses fresh relief for Greeks as debt ratio spirals out of control. Greece approves scheme to fire thousands of public workers.

Britain taken by surprise by first prolonged heatwave in seven years.

Russia jails top opposition leader; Putin denounced as dictator. Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny jailed for corruption.

Neo-Nazi musician Vikernes freed after arrest in France.

Bulgaria says clear signs Hezbollah behind Burgas bombing.

Athens security tight as German minister Schaeuble visits.

Italian PM faces growing revolt over Kazakh deportations. Italy President warns against endangering government stability.

New Belgian king faces tough task of uniting a divided nation.

AMERICAS

Moody's upgrades outlook on US debt to 'stable,' keeps the Aaa rating.

Detroit files largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Detroit files for Ch. 9 bankruptcy.

Panama charges North Korea weapons ship's crew.

U.N. committee to probe North Korean arms ship seized by Panama.

Cuba calls weapons on North Korean ship 'obsolete'.

Analysis: Ship seizure shows dire straits of Cuban military rather than threat.

Mexican capo tried to escape while being captured.

Quebec brings in 9/11 expert to help sift through train crash debris.

Colombian farmers face displacement, disappearances and disputes over land.

Chilean presidential candidate pulls out of election with depression.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Syria’s Nusra Front tries to show it’s a different kind of al Qaida.

U.S. appeals court reinstates new Guantanamo detainee searches.

Al Qaeda branch says No. 2 leader killed in Yemen.

Court says EU wrongly froze assets of Saudi man.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Dow industrials, S&P 500 hit records.

Bernanke's 'If we were to tighten, the economy would tank' comment ignored by AP, Politico, and others.

Microsoft, Google disappoint; shares pay the price.

U.S. blames China for breakdown of trade talks.

Intel cuts 2013 revenue forecast, capex as PC industry sags.

Intel and IBM see big fall in profit.

Samsung bets on storage devices as smartphone sales growth wanes.

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