The Week
Obama talks Syria with Putin, Colorado wildfire area is declared a crime scene, and more
1. OBAMA ARRIVES AT G8 SUMMIT
President Obama arrives Monday in Northern Ireland for a two-day summit of the Group of Eight nations where Syria’s civil war is expected to dominate his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In their first face-to-face meeting in a year, Obama will try to persuade Putin to get his ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to discuss a peace deal with rebels, but Putin has criticized the West in recent days for promising to send weapons to opposition forces. [Reuters]
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2. LATEST SNOWDEN LEAK DETAILS BRITISH SUMMIT SPYING
In the latest report based on leaks from Edward Snowden, Britain’s The Guardian said Sunday that the U.K.’s counterpart to the American National Security Agency — the Government Communications Headquarters — electronically monitored foreign delegations at two 2009 G20 summit meetings in London. The Guardian says British intelligence agencies set up fake internet cafes and lured in delegates, recording their keystrokes and intercepting emails. [Guardian]
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3. COLORADO WILDFIRE IS DECLARED A CRIME SCENE
Colorado authorities have declared the 16,000 acres burned by the Black Forest fire to be a crime scene, as they suspect that someone started the massive wildfire intentionally. El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa says investigators are zeroing in on the point of origin. The fire, which began June 11, has been the most destructive in the state’s history, destroying roughly 500 homes and killing two people who were apparently overcome as they loaded their car to evacuate. [Denver Post]
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4. TURKISH UNIONS STRIKE IN SOLIDARITY WITH PROTESTERS
Two of Turkey’s main trade unions launched a two-day general strike on Monday to protest a police crackdown on anti-government demonstrators. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a Sunday rally of his supporters, defended his decision to clear Istanbul’s Taksim Square, saying the protests that erupted there had been manipulated by “terrorists.” [BBC News]
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5. CHINESE ACTIVIST SAYS NYU IS KICKING HIM OUT UNDER PRESSURE FROM BEIJING
Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng says officials at NYU are kicking him out of university housing under pressure from China’s government. Chen was under house arrest, but escaped to the U.S. embassy in China last spring before traveling to New York. New York University officials say they had not been influenced by the Chinese government — they say they gave Chen and his family a one-year fellowship “to help them embrace the beginning of their new life,” and the year is up. [New York Post, CNN]
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6. CZECH PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS OVER SPYING SCANDAL
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas is resigning Monday over a spy and bribery scandal. Necas has faced mounting pressure to quit since police conducted raids last week and arrested eight people, including Necas’ closest aide, Jana Nagyova, who was charged with ordering a military intelligence agency to spy on Necas’ estranged wife and two other people. [Associated Press]
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7. CHINA ANNOUNCES TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA
China’s foreign ministry announced Monday that it would hold talks with North Korea on Wednesday. The news came a day after North Korea made a surprise proposal on Sunday to hold “senior-level” discussions with the U.S. to ease tensions that mounted earlier this year over Pyongyang’s long-range rocket launch and February nuclear test. U.S. officials are expected to discuss the offer in meetings in Washington this week with representatives from Japan and South Korea. [Associated Press]
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8. PRINCE PHILIP LEAVES LONDON HOSPITAL AFTER SURGERY
Prince Philip, the 92-year-old husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, left a London hospital on Monday after an 11-day stay. The prince, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, underwent exploratory surgery on his abdomen. No further information was released on his condition. Philip, the oldest living great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, is expected to spend two months convalescing, although he walked out of the hospital smiling and walking steadily. [Reuters]
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9. MISS CONNECTICUT WINS MISS USA CROWN
Miss Connecticut — Erin Brady — won the Miss USA beauty pageant on Sunday. The 25-year-old accountant beat out contestants from every state and Washington, D.C., to take over the title held over the past year by Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether. Brady took the crown after answering a question about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding widespread DNA tests. “There are so many crimes that if that’s one step closer to stopping them,” she said, “then we should be able to do so,” she said. [Associated Press]
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10. JUSTIN ROSE BEATS MICKELSON TO TAKE U.S. OPEN
Justin Rose won the 113th United States Open on Sunday, becoming the first Englishman to capture the trophy at the storied golf tournament in 43 years. Phil Mickelson also made history, falling short of winning his first U.S. Open but finishing as runner-up for a record sixth time. Mickelson already held the record at five. Tiger Woods finished at 13 over par, his worst score at a major as a pro. [Golf.com]
Related articles
- Cameron, Putin to focus on Syria conflict (worldbulletin.net)
- Obama in N. Ireland; speech, G-8, Putin on tap (thenewstribune.com)
- Re: Putin asks why USA supports the reb Al/Q’s. (forum.prisonplanet.com)
- Chen Guangcheng: Chinese Regime Pressured NYU to Force Me Out (theepochtimes.com)
- G8 Northern Ireland summit: Syria set to top agenda – BBC News (bbc.co.uk)
- Vladimir Putin: Russia supports Bashar al-Assad, not barbaric Syrian rebel forces (metro.co.uk)
