CA-NEWS Summary

Obama makes direct peace appeal to the Israeli people

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama appealed directly on Thursday to the Israeli people to put themselves in the shoes of stateless Palestinians and recognize that Jewish settlement activity in occupied territory hurts prospects for peace. In a showcase speech in Jerusalem to Israeli university students, Obama coupled his plea with an acknowledgement of the Jewish state's security concerns in a region destabilized by the West's nuclear standoff with Iran and civil war in Syria.

Mosque blast kills senior Syrian imam in capital: TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion at a mosque in the Syrian capital on Thursday killed at least 15 people, including a senior pro-government Muslim cleric, state television and activists said. Syria TV said a "terrorist suicide blast" hit the Iman mosque in central Damascus, and Mohammed al-Buti, the imam of the ancient Ummayyad Mosque, was among the dead.

Iran will destroy Israeli cities if attacked: Khamenei

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday that the Islamic Republic would destroy the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if its nuclear infrastructure came under attack from the Jewish state. Israel puts little stock in big power negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's uranium enrichment - which Western nations suspect is a conduit to nuclear weapons capability - and has repeatedly hinted at pre-emptive war against its arch-enemy.

Kurd rebel leader orders fighters to halt hostilities

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan ordered his fighters on Thursday to cease fire and withdraw from Turkish soil as a step to ending a conflict that has killed 40,000 people, riven the country and battered its economy. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds, gathered in the regional center of Diyarbakir, cheered and waved banners bearing Ocalan's mustachioed image when a letter from the rebel leader, held since 1999 on a prison island in the Marmara Sea, was read out by a pro-Kurdish politician.

Murdoch attacks British PM David Cameron over press regulation

LONDON (Reuters) - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch sharply criticized British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday for agreeing tougher press regulation, saying the new system was a "holy mess" and that Cameron had disappointed his supporters. Cameron struck a surprise deal on Monday with his junior coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, and the opposition Labour party, that will allow a new regulator to be set up with the powers to levy large fines on newspapers and oblige them to print prominent apologies where appropriate.

How to keep Chavez memory alive? Name him 200 times a day!

CARACAS (Reuters) - Hugo Chavez's protege and the new flagbearer of socialism in Venezuela has lost no time proving his loyalty in public - in fact, 3,456 times in just 16 days. That is the number of times acting President Nicolas Maduro has mentioned Chavez in speeches since his mentor's death from cancer on March 5, according to a local tracker.

Italian marines accused of killing Indians to return to India-statement

ROME (Reuters) - Two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen while on anti-piracy duty will return to India on Friday, the Italian government said in a statement, reversing a previous decision not to send them back to face trial after a home visit. "The Italian government requested and received written assurances from the Indian authorities regarding the treatment of the marines and the protection of their fundamental rights," the government said in a statement.

EU gives Cyprus bailout ultimatum, risks euro exit

NICOSIA/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Union gave Cyprus till Monday to raise the billions of euros it needs to secure an international bailout or face a collapse of its financial system that could push it out of the euro currency zone. In stark twin warnings on Thursday, the European Central Bank said it would cut off liquidity to Cypriot banks and a senior EU official made clear to Reuters that the bloc was ready to see the bankrupt island banished from the euro in the belief it could then contain damage to the wider European economy.

U.N. launches probe of possible Syrian chemical arms attack

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it will investigate Syria's allegations that rebel forces used chemical weapons in an attack near Aleppo, but Western countries sought a probe of all claims concerning the use of such banned arms. "I have decided to conduct a United Nations investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The investigation will focus on "the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian government," he told reporters.

Scotland independence referendum set for September 18, 2014

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scotland will hold an independence referendum on September 18, 2014, to decide if its five million people should end a 300-year-old union and leave the United Kingdom. First Minister Alex Salmond, announcing the date in the Scottish parliament on Thursday, said a break of ties with London would give Scots the chance "to build a better country".

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-005449941.html

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