Wednesday, October 9, 2013

World News Briefs -- October 9, 2013



Chemical Weapons Watchdog Says Syria Cooperating With Mission -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syrian officials have been constructive and cooperative in the early stages of the program to destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, the head of the global chemical weapons watchdog said on Wednesday.

Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said that experts aimed to visit 20 sites in the coming days and weeks, and could eliminate Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014 if they won support from all sides in its civil war.

"The cooperation has been quite constructive and I would say the Syrian authorities have been cooperative," Uzumcu told a news conference in The Hague, where the OPCW is based.

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MIDDLE EAST

Chemical weapons watchdog says Syria cooperating with mission.

Syrian rebels forced to rely on homemade weapons.

Fire from Syria wounds Israeli soldier on Golan Heights.

Report: Key powers split on Iran atomic talks.

Isolated Hamas faces money crisis in Gaza Strip.

Israeli military chief praises Egyptian anti-terror ops.

Internal intrigue, not Israel, eyed in latest hit on Iranian scientist.

ASIA

ASEAN summit gets under way in Brunei.

Former dictator Musharraf granted bail, free to leave Pakistan.

Foreign donors urged to help bar Afghan rights violators from polls.

Indian army ends deadly two-week Kashmir operation.

Sri Lanka's economic boom fails to erase painful civil war memories.

Southeast Asia agrees anti-haze system.

Bo Xilai can appeal against life sentence, rules Chinese court.

AFRICA

Egypt sets November trial date for Morsi.

U.S. seen withholding most military aid from Egypt: source.

Around 60 dead in clashes in Central African Republic.

Libyan PM Ali Zeidan calls for foreign help on militancy.

EU may help Somalia establish Coast Guard to combat piracy.

Sierra Leone takes precautions against al-Shabab.

EUROPE

IMF sees business-loan losses of EU250 billion in EU banks.

Report: 110 people own 35 pct of Russia's wealth.

Voting underway in Azerbaijan Presidential elections.

Russia rejects bail appeals in Greenpeace 'piracy' case.

Dutch apologize to Russia over diplomat's arrest.

Regulation will be imposed on the British press as politicians reject self-regulation.

Britain's National Crime Agency to 'relentlessly pursue' organised crime.

French air traffic controllers' strike threatens flight chaos.

Italy to hold state funeral for shipwreck migrants.

AMERICAS

President Obama warns debt ceiling default would hurt US globally.

US recession looms if Treasury uses tools to prevent a debt default.

Venezuela's President Maduro seeks to govern by decree.

Rebels blame Colombia defense chief for stalled peace talks.

Protesters disrupt FIFA visit to stadium in Brazil.

UN sued over Haiti cholera epidemic.

Panama hopes U.S. will clean up chemical weapons it left on island.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

GOP lawmakers want captured Libyan in Guantanamo.

Zawahiri’s Man in Libya.

US fears al-Qaida, radical Islamists could take root in Syria.

U.S. target in Somalia: An inside story on an Al-Shabaab commander.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Obama to nominate Janet Yellen to head Federal Reserve.

Gates’s future fuels speculation as Microsoft seeks new chief.

World Bank plans to halve extreme poverty by 2020.

Next generation of iPads set to launch on 22 October - with rumours suggesting Apple could be working on a 13-inch model.

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