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Syria says it will let UN inspect alleged chemical-attack sites - Los Angeles Times Posted: 25 Aug 2013 09:11 AM PDT BEIRUT — The Syrian government agreed Sunday to allow United Nations inspectors to visit the sites of suspected chemical-weapon attacks outside Damascus, the official Syrian news agency said. Syrian officials and the U.N. "have agreed to a mutual understanding that enters into force immediately allowing the U.N. inspection team to investigate" the sites of the recent alleged attacks, the state media outlet said in a statement. The reported accord comes as U.S. officials were said to be preparing for a possible military strike on Syria in retaliation for the government's alleged use of chemical weapons. President Obama met with his top security advisers this weekend about the Syria crisis. A 20-member contingent of U.N. inspectors is already on the ground in Damascus, but the team's official mandate was limited to looking into three previous allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria. Sunday's agreement would seem to open the way for the experts to visit several areas near the capital where chemical weapons allegedly struck last week. The U.N. and individual member nations, including the United States and Russia, have been pressing Damascus to allow the experts to visit the disputed sites. The U.N. staff "should coordinate with the Syrian government on the date and time of the team's visit to the sites agreed to by the two sides," the state news media said. There was no immediate confirmation from the U.N. The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons in a series of alleged attacks that occurred early Wednesday against opposition strongholds outside of Damascus. Opposition representatives have accused the government of mounting poison-gas bombardments, killing hundreds, including women and children. Unverified footage said to be of the victims has caused global outrage and prompted calls for an independent inquiry. Experts have said the images are not conclusive but could indicate the deployment of a nerve agent of some kind and have stressed the need for on-site inspection and the taking of samples from the area and from purported victims. Officials have said time is of the essence as some of the suspect substances may dissipate in a few days, making detection more difficult. Syrian authorities have said that any chemical attacks were carried out by rebels in a bid to discredit the government and prompt international retaliation against Syria. The Syrian opposition has denied unleashing any chemical strike. No details were immediately available about the logistics of the planned inspections. The areas allegedly hit by chemical gas attacks are in conflict-ridden suburbs of Damascus where government troops and armed rebels have repeatedly clashed. Officials would have to agree on some kind of security regimen and possibly a cease-fire to permit the U.N. presence. Opposition activists have said they are willing to facilitate the entry of U.N. personnel. The agreement to allow U.N. access came Sunday during a meeting in Damascus between the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, and the U.N.'s top disarmament official, Angela Kane, the government said. In a statement, the Syrian foreign minister said his government was ready to cooperate with the U.N. to "expose the false allegations of the terrorist groups accusing the Syrian forces of using chemical weapons." Syrian authorities routinely refer to armed rebels as terrorists. patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

King's 'Dream' not yet realized, says March on Washington speaker - NBCNews.com Posted: 25 Aug 2013 09:13 AM PDT By Michael O'Brien, Political Reporter, NBC News The "dream" of racial equality described by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years ago at the March on Washington has not yet been fulfilled, the last living speaker from the original march said Sunday. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon who spoke at the original rally where King delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech, said more must be done to meet King's vision. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the only living speaker from the original March on Washington, reflects on his experience at the momentous event 50 years ago. "We have a lot of work to do. The dream is not yet fulfilled," Lewis said during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." Following a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Saturday — where Lewis, Attorney General Eric Holder, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and others spoke — Lewis lauded what he called a "nonviolent revolution" since 1963 that has changed race relations in America. That rally sets the stage, as well, for a more formal ceremony on Wednesday where President Barack Obama, the country's first African-American president, will mark King's speech with one of his own. Lewis has spoken with Obama ahead of those remarks, but the Georgia congressman said that it's important to be mindful of the context for the president's speech. "The president is the president. He's not a civil rights leader," Lewis said. Watch the Aug. 25, 1963 edition of Meet the Press, featuring interviews with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and NAACP executive secretary Roy Wilkins. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who helped lead a later generation of civil rights leaders, said that addressing economic inequality, the effects of gun violence and voting rights should be the focus of contemporary civil rights leaders. And Sharpton said he hoped this week's anniversary would help spur a renewed focus on those issues. "Marches are not set to solve a problem. They're set to show the problem, and force someone to solve it," he said. Booker, a Democratic candidate for Senate in New Jersey, said the original March on Washington's message was that "the power of the people is greater than the people in power." The favorite in this fall's special election, Booker said he hoped to break the partisan gridlock in Congress to secure actual achievements. "We as a people can not allow our inability to do everything … to undermine our willingness to do something," he said.

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Yosemite fire swallowing everything in its path - CBS News Posted: 24 Aug 2013 08:45 AM PDT FRESNO, Calif. After burning for nearly a week on the edges of California's Yosemite National Park, a massive wildfire of nearly 200 square miles has now crossed into it, and firefighters have barely begun to contain it. 18 Photos Western wildfires Flames of the so-called "Rim Fire" continue to shoot up toward the sky with the fire swallowing up everything in its path, reporter Anjali Hempbill of CBS Sacramento station KOVR-TV reported on "CBS This Morning: Saturday" from near the park. "It's scary," said resident David Husid. "You just don't want to see your house go up. We've got so many memories in the last year." Neighbors watched as a helicopter hovered over their homes, picking up more water to fight the growing flames as thick smoke fills the valleys. The plume of smoke from the fire is so big it creates its own weather patterns inside, making it even harder for crews to predict where the fire burns next. "It's like 'Backdraft' the movie," said Husid. "It sucks the air out, and all of the sudden you get a wind coming from nowhere, and it's not windy up here, and it's just the fire that's pulling all the oxygen, so it can breathe." Crews say the dry brush and rugged terrain make getting into the fire on foot to build containment lines very difficult. "It's dryer than lumber that you buy at a lumber yard," some guy said. Play Video Calif. residents prepare for approaching wildfire Play Video Wildfire racing through land near Yosemite The Yosemite Valley, the part of the park frequented by tourists and known around the world for such iconic sights as the Half Dome and El Capitan rock formations and Yosemite falls, remained open, clear of smoke and free from other signs of the fire that remained about 20 miles away. But the blaze was reverberating around the region. It brought a governor's declaration of emergency late Friday for San Francisco 150 miles away because of the threat the fire posed to utility transmission to the city, and caused smoke warnings and event cancellations in Nevada as smoke blew over the Sierra Nevada and across state lines. And the fire had established at least a foothold in Yosemite, with at least 17 of its 196 square miles burning inside the park's broad borders, in a remote area near Lake Eleanor where backpackers seek summer solace. Park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said that the park had stopped issuing backcountry permits to backpackers and had warned those who already had them to stay out of the area. She emphasized that the skies over Yosemite Valley were "crystal clear," however. "Right now there are no closures, and no visitor services are being affected in the park," Cobb said. "We just have to take one day at a time." The blaze did, however, pose a threat to the lines and stations that pipe power to the city of San Francisco, so Gov. Jerry Brown, who had declared an emergency for the fire area earlier in the week, made the unusual move of doing the same for the city across the state. San Francisco gets 85 percent of its water from the Yosemite-area Hetch Hetchy reservoir that is about 4 miles from the fire, though that had yet to be affected. But it was forced to shut down two of its three hydroelectric power stations in the area. Firefighters monitor the Rim Fire Aug. 23, 2013, near Groveland, Calif., outside of Yosemite National Park. / Getty Images The city has so far been able to buy power on the open market and use existing supplies, but further disruptions or damage could have an effect, according to city power officials and the governor's statement. The declaration frees funding and resources to help the city and makes it eligible for more federal funds to help with power shortages and outages or water problems. Play Video Wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park Play Video Yosemite road blocked as wildfire rages The 196-square-mile blaze was 5 percent contained and more than 2,000 firefighters were on the lines. It continued to grow in several directions, although "most of the fire activity is pushing to the east right into Yosemite," said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In Nevada, the smoke forced officials in several counties to cancel outdoor school activities and issue health advisories, especially for people with respiratory problems. The fire was threatening about 5,500 residences, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze has destroyed four homes and 12 outbuildings in several different areas. It closed a 4-mile stretch of State Route 120, one of three entrances into Yosemite on the west side. Two other western routes and an eastern route were open. Officials issued voluntary evacuation advisories for two new towns — Tuolumne City, population 1,800, and Ponderosa Hills, a community of several hundred — which are about five miles from the fire line, Forest Service spokesman Jerry Snyder said. A mandatory evacuation order remained in effect for part of Pine Mountain Lake, a summer gated community a few miles from the fire. "It feels a little bit like a war zone, with helicopters flying overhead, bombers dropping retardant and 10 engine companies stationed on our street," said Ken Codeglia, a retired Pine Mountain Lake resident who decided to stay to protect his house with his own hoses and fire retardant system. "But if the fire gets very hot and firefighters evacuate, I will run with them." Officials previously advised voluntary evacuations of more than a thousand other homes, several organized camps and at least two campgrounds in the area outside the park's boundary. More homes, businesses and hotels are threatened in nearby Groveland, a community of 600 about 5 miles from the fire and 25 miles from the entrance of Yosemite. Usually filled with tourists, the streets are now swarming with firefighters, evacuees and news crews, said Doug Edwards, owner of Hotel Charlotte on Main Street. "We usually book out six months solid with no vacancies and turn away 30-40 people a night. That's all changed," Edwards said. "All we're getting for the next three weeks is cancellations. It's a huge impact on the community in terms of revenue dollars." The fire is raging in the same region where a 1987 blaze killed a firefighter, burned hundreds of thousands of acres and forced several thousand people out of their homes.

March to focus on continued fight for civil rights - Boston.com Posted: 24 Aug 2013 09:06 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Alice Long planned months ago to use vacation time to travel from Huntsville, Ala., to the 50th anniversary events for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Long, a NASA administrative assistant, brought along her grandchildren to give them a close-up view of African-American and civil rights history that she said isn't being taught in schools. ''I'm here supporting this march because there are so many injustices in this country,'' Long, 59, said on the eve of Saturday's march from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. ''I'm very concerned about it because I have a 5-year-old grandson and a 13-year-old granddaughter.'' Marchers began arriving early Saturday to gather on the National Mall, many staking out their spots as the sun rose in a clear sky over the Capitol. The NAACP passed out signs reminiscent of the 1963 event expressing reasons for the march five decades later: ''We March To Protect Voting Rights,'' proclaimed one of the placards. Organizers have planned for about 100,000 people to participate in the event, which is the precursor to the actual anniversary of the Aug. 28, 1963, march. It will be led by the Rev. Al Sharpton and King's son Martin Luther King III. After several speeches, participants will walk the half-mile from the Lincoln Memorial to the 2-year-old memorial. On the day of the anniversary, President Barack Obama will speak from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the same place King stood when he delivered his ''I Have a Dream'' speech. Obama will be joined by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Churches and groups have been asked to ring bells at 3 p.m. Wednesday, marking the exact time King spoke. On Friday, a coalition of black leaders issued what they said is the 21st century agenda for the nation as it marks the watershed civil rights event that helped bring about the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The 1963 march drew some 250,000 to the National Mall and ushered in the idea of massive, nonviolent demonstrations. The leaders named economic parity, equity in education, voting rights, health care access and criminal justice reform as national policy priorities. National Urban League President Marc Morial said the agenda was ''by no means a complete agenda'' but one that can strengthen the unity among the coalition's members and a way to go forward in a new civil rights movement. Throughout the buildup to the anniversary march, leaders have been acknowledging and honoring civil rights progress spurred by the 1963 march. But they also have bemoaned what they see as an attack on that progress since King delivered his stirring speech. They cite the Supreme Court ruling that effectively erased a key anti-discrimination provision of the Voting Rights Act; persistent unemployment among African-Americans, which is about double that of white Americans; and the shooting death of unarmed black teenage Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Organizers of Saturday's march hoped this year's event would serve to inspire people again to educate themselves about issues they see as making up the modern civil rights struggle. ''It's very difficult to stomach the fact that Trayvon wasn't committing any crime. He was on his way home from the store,'' Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother, said Friday as she prepared to participate in the march. ''Don't wait until it's at your front door. Don't wait until something happens to your child. ... This is the time to act now. This is the time to get involved.'' ___ Follow Suzanne Gamboa at http://www.twitter.com/APsgamboa © Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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US stocks score solid gains Posted: 23 Aug 2013 04:35 PM PDT NEW YORK: US stocks scored solid gains on Friday as the market got a jolt from Microsoft's announcement that chief executive Steve Ballmer will retire within the next 12 months. The computing giant's shares soared 7.3 per cent to US$34.75 as Ballmer, who succeeded Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 2000, said the company would search for a new leader who can take charge of its "transformation to a devices and services company." The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 46.77 points (0.31 per cent) to 15,010.51. The broad-based S&P 500 added 6.54 (0.39 per cent) at 1,663.50, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 19.09 (0.52 per cent) at 3,657.79. The Commerce Department's unwelcome US new-home sales report for July - sales plunged 13.4 per cent month-on-month - also proved a catalyst for the rally. Stocks were in negative territory before the morning report was released, but rebounded as investors weighed the data's implications on a potential Federal Reserve taper of stimulus. "Questions arose as to whether that data point might convince the Fed to hold off on a tapering announcement at its September 17-18 FOMC meeting," Briefing.com analysts said. Briefing.com noted there was a "presumption that the answer could be yes." The markets showed no hangover from the shock of the Nasdaq's three-hour shutdown Thursday on technology woes. Nasdaq said it was still investigating the issues, and Nasdaq OMX chief executive Robert Greifeld pointed to an outside party in an interview with CNBC television. "We all have to be aware of the other person not acting always in the proper way, and you have to have your system be able to handle defensive driving," he said, without identifying the person. Nasdaq OMX shares rebounded 1.2 per cent after falling more than 3 per cent Thursday. Shares in youth fashion chain Aeropostale plunged 20.2 per cent after turning in a quarterly loss on a 6.4 per cent fall in sales for its second quarter, and predicted a poor third quarter as well. The Gap fared better, slipping 0.1 per cent as its second-quarter sales grew and profits rose 25 per cent, but the general picture for retailers of hip clothes for the young remained poor. On Thursday Abercrombie & Fitch shares also plunged on its bad quarter, and sank another 0.4 per cent Friday, while shares of another trendy chain, American Eagle Outfitters, were down 2.8 per cent. -- AFP

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Obama: Syria chemical weapon claim a 'grave concern' - BBC News Posted: 23 Aug 2013 08:43 AM PDT 23 August 2013 Last updated at 12:05 ET Bridget Kendall investigates how the attack unfolded, mainly through extremely distressing videos posted online US President Barack Obama has said the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria in an attack on Wednesday is a "big event of grave concern". Mr Obama said the US was still seeking confirmation such weapons were used, but if proved true the situation would "require America's attention". Meanwhile, Syria's main ally Russia has said there is growing evidence that Syrian rebels were behind the attack. The opposition says hundreds died in a government assault outside Damascus. But despite calls from many different countries, there is no sign yet that the Syrian authorities will allow a UN inspection team to visit to investigate the claims. Unverified footage shows civilians - many of them children - dead or suffering from what appear to be horrific symptoms as a result of Wednesday's attack. Also on Friday, UN agencies said the number of children forced to flee Syria had reached one million. The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, and children's fund, Unicef, described the figure as "a shameful milestone", and said a further two million children were displaced within the country. 'Very troublesome' Last year, President Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a "red line" and force a tough US response. In an interview broadcast on CNN on Friday, he said that the recent claims of chemical weapons use were "very troublesome". "What we've seen indicates clearly this is a big event, of grave concern, and we are already in communications with the entire international community," Mr Obama said. He said that "core national interests" of the US were involved in the Syrian conflict, "both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass destruction are not proliferating, as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region." The BBC has learnt that some in the White House are furious and regard Wednesday's attack as an outrage that breached international law and demands a response. But Mr Obama warned in his interview: "Sometimes what we've seen is that folks will call for immediate action, jumping into stuff, that does not turn out well, gets us mired in very difficult situations, can result in us being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region." Meanwhile, Russia joined calls for an "objective investigation" by UN chemical weapons experts. Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said Moscow had urged President Bashar al-Assad to co-operate with a probe, but also that questions remained about the willingness of the opposition to provide "secure, safe access of the [UN] mission to the location of the incident". "More new evidence is starting to emerge that this criminal act was clearly provocative," the ministry added. "On the internet, in particular, reports are circulating that news of the incident carrying accusations against government troops was published several hours before the so-called attack. So, this was a pre-planned action." The ministry also described as "unacceptable" calls from various European capitals for the UN Security Council to authorise the use of force in Syria. 'Something to hide' Other leaders have also pushed for an urgent UN investigation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has already called for inspectors to start "without delay". "I've seen people with loss of speech... [one child] compulsively shooting with a toy gun," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres "I can think of no good reason why any party - either government or opposition forces - would decline this opportunity to get to the truth of the matter," Mr Ban said from the South Korean capital, Seoul. He said any use of chemical weapons would violate international law and should result in "serious consequences for the perpetrator". UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said it seemed like the Syrian government had "something to hide" over the reported chemical attack. "I know that some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria. I think the chances of that are vanishingly small and so we do believe that this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime on a large scale," he told reporters. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said that there should be a "reaction of force" from the international community if allegations that the Syrian government was responsible are verified. Damascus has described the allegations that it sanctioned the use of chemical weapons as "illogical and fabricated". But according to Reuters news agency, Syrian anti-government activists are trying to smuggle tissue samples from victims' bodies to the UN inspectors to prove their claims. "The UN team spoke with us and since then we prepared samples of hair, skin and blood and smuggled them back into Damascus with trusted couriers," activist Abu Nidal told Reuters. The main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, also said it would do everything to assist the UN inspectors and ensure their safety. "It is critical that those inspectors get there within 48 hours. The clock is ticking and we want to see those inspectors and we believe that the evidence will show who used those chemical weapons against innocent civilians," spokesman Khaled Saleh told Reuters. 'Chemical attack': What we know 01:15: 21 August (10:15 GMT 20 Aug): Facebook pages of Syrian opposition report heavy fighting in rebel-held districts in the eastern Ghouta, the agricultural belt around Damascus 02:45: Opposition posts Facebook report of "chemical shelling" in Ein Tarma area of Ghouta 02:47: Second opposition report says chemical weapons used in Zamalka area of Ghouta Unverified video footage shows people being treated on pavements in the dark and in makeshift hospital Reports say chemical weapons were used in Ghouta towns of Irbin, Jobar, Zamalka, and Ein Tarma as well as Muadhamiya in the western Ghouta, but this is not confirmed Syrian government acknowledges military offensive in the Ghouta but denies chemical weapons use 'Traumatised' Meanwhile, the UN says children now make up half of all refugees fleeing Syria. About three-quarters of those children are under 11. The BBC's Jim Muir meets the Syrian children living on the streets of Beirut "The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members and their futures," said UN high commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres. Most of the children have arrived in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the UN says, and increasingly Syrians are fleeing to North Africa and Europe. But with its appeal for Syria less than 40% funded, the two UN agencies say they are struggling to meet the needs of the refugees. The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the agencies are now warning of a lost generation that are ill-equipped to bring peace and stability to their country in the future.

Arrest made in Spokane beating death of WWII vet - CNN International Posted: 23 Aug 2013 07:45 AM PDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Juvenile charged with murder, robbery Delbert "Shorty" Belton was a World War II vet He was shot in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa Suspects are described as "two young African American males" (CNN) -- A juvenile has been arrested by Spokane police in connection with the beating death of an 88-year-old World War II veteran this week, police said Friday. The male suspect has been charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree murder. The man -- Delbert Belton -- was brutally beaten and left for dead by two teens outside a lounge in Spokane, Washington, where he loved to go play pool. The motive? Police don't have one. The teens appeared to have picked him at random, authorities say. A retired aluminum company worker who served in the Pacific, Belton, friends say, took a bullet in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa. He survived that attack. Delbert Belton survived being wounded in action during the Battle of Okinawa only to be beaten to death by two teens in Spokane, Washington. But on Wednesday night, Belton -- affectionately called "Shorty" by friends for his height -- headed to the Eagles Lodge where he was a regular. Police found him in the parking lot, with serious head injuries. He died Thursday. "It does appear random," Spokane police Lt. Mark Griffiths told reporters. "It appears he was assaulted in the parking lot and there was no indication that he would have known these people prior to the assault." It's the second time in a week that a seemingly random attack by teenagers has claimed a life. On August 16, a 23-year-old Australian baseball player attending college in Oklahoma was gunned down in the town of Duncan. One of three teens police arrested in that shooting said they carried it out because "we were bored and didn't have anything to do." 'All there is is bad news' The randomness of the two attacks was not lost on Ted Denison, who's been friends with Belton for a long time. "It's really depressing," Denison told CNN late Thursday night. "Seems that all there is is bad news." The two men met more than 20 years ago and worked on cars together. "We were mechanic buddies," the 42-year-old Denison said. "We just kind of kicked right along." But the friends also hung out together outside the garage. "We went dancing on Saturday nights," Denison said. "We went out to breakfast together." Belton stopped by the Eagles Lodge two or three times a week. He played pool, but by his own admission, wasn't too good at it. "He went up there and played pool, met with some of the guys he used to work with at Kaiser Aluminum," where he was employed more than 30 years, Denison said. His wife died several years ago. The WW II vet is survived by a son, 65. Waiting for a friend Wednesday night, Denison was outside the lodge waiting for a friend because he didn't want her to walk home alone, Lillian Duncan told the Spokesman-Review newspaper. "He was so awesome," Duncan told the paper. "Anybody that didn't get to know him missed out on a wonderful angel in their life." Police are looking for two suspects. Witnesses described them as "young African American males of average build," according to a police statement. Officers used K-9 search dogs to search for the suspects, swept for fingerprints on the chain link fence in the area where they were last seen headed, and scoured through surveillance tapes. So far, the attackers haven't been found. "We are actively looking for the suspects in this tragic incident and following up on tips and other leads in order to bring those responsible to justice," said police spokeswoman Monique Cotton. Outside the lodge Thursday, friends and strangers alike left flowers, flags and messages for Belton. Belton never had problems outside the lodge before -- no threats, no altercations, Denison said. "If he had, I would have made sure I was there." 0 Comments » SHARE THIS Print Email More sharing

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US stocks make solid gains Posted: 22 Aug 2013 04:47 PM PDT NEW YORK: US stocks managed solid gains on Thursday despite a three-hour shutdown of the Nasdaq market that disrupted trade on other exchanges as well. Nasdaq blamed technical problems in its computers for the shutdown, which came after midday and lasted until trade resumed around 3:25 pm (1925 GMT), giving investors 35 minutes to clear their books. At the finish the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 66.19 points (0.44 percent) at 14,963.74. The broad-based S&P 500 added 14.16 points (0.86 percent) at 1,656.96, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 38.92 points (1.08 percent) to 3,638.71. "The upturn is being led by Germany, where growth accelerated again in August, driven in turn by rising domestic and export demand," said Markit chief economist Chris Williamson. "So far, the third quarter is shaping up to be the best... since the spring of 2011," Williamson said, cautioning that the bloc was not yet entirely in the clear. And HSBC's PMI for China's manufacturing sector jumped to 50.1 in August, up from July's 11-month low of 47.7. The Nasdaq shutdown was disruptive, but the market allowed traders to cancel orders and key stocks and options contracts could traded on other boards. But it struck a blow to the market still getting over its mishandling of last year's disastrous Facebook IPO and, more recently, the lost of the listing of Oracle shares to the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Nasdaq OMX were down 3.4 percent at the close. Shares of fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch sank 17.7 percent to their lowest level in nine months after the company's second-quarter income sank, coming in at half of forecasts. Discount retail chain Dollar Tree rose 2.5 percent on its second-quarter report, which showed net income up nearly 5 percent and a similar gain in sales. Yahoo shares jumped 3.1 percent on an industry report that traffic at its websites surpassed that on websites owned by search rival Google in July. Hewlett-Packard sank 12.5 percent on its weak quarterly earnings report, as the personal computer market continues to shrivel. Oilfield services company Halliburton gained 1.8 percent after announcing a US$3.3 billion share buyback -- AFP

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Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman, be known as Chelsea - CNN (blog) Posted: 22 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Army does not provide hormone therapy to prisoners, official says Bradley Manning, convicted of leaking classified documents, wants to live as a woman Identifying as Chelsea Manning, private says "I am a female" in statement read on NBC's "Today" Manning was sentenced last week to 35 years for giving secret documents to Wikileaks (CNN) -- "I am Chelsea Manning." With those words, read from a statement on NBC's "Today" on Thursday, Bradley Manning immediately shifted public conversation away from the Army private's conviction on espionage charges to gender identity. "As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me," Manning said in the statement. "I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition." While his supporters may back Manning, the Army said Thursday it won't. "The Army does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery," Lt. Col. Justin Platt told CNN Thursday. One Army official who was not authorized to speak publicly on Manning's case said the private remains a male in the eyes of the Army. Another said Manning would be treated like any other prisoner. During Bradley Manning's court-martial, his defense team released a 2010 photo of him dressed as a woman. Manning, the soldier convicted of giving classified state documents to WikiLeaks, intends to begin hormone therapy for gender reassignment and live the rest of his life as a woman, he said in a statement read on NBC's "Today" show on August 22. Intelligence leaker Bradley Manning HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 > >> "A lot of the inmates have issues they're dealing with," said the second official, who also was not authorized to speak publicly on Manning's case. "Even if you have gender identity disorder, you still serve your sentence." Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, told "Today" that he'll take action if the Army doesn't provide Manning with the hormone therapy that he's requesting of the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. "I'm hoping Fort Leavenworth would do the right thing and provide that," Coombs said. "If Fort Leavenworth does not, then I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that they are forced to do so." Manning was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in prison for leaking 750,000 pages of classified documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. A military judge convicted Manning in July, sparing the private from the most serious charge of aiding the enemy. Gender identity issues The issue of Manning's gender identity repeatedly surfaced in the court martial proceedings. A widely circulated picture released by the military shows Manning wearing a blonde wig. The image came from an e-mail Manning sent to his sergeant titled, "My Problem." "It's not going away, it's haunting me more and more as I get older," Manning wrote in the e-mail. "Now, the consequences of it are dire, at a time when it's causing me great pain in itself. As a result, I'm not sure what to do about it." An Army psychologist called by the defense said Manning appeared to be isolated and under intense pressure as a male soldier struggling with gender identity issues. Speaking in the sentencing phase of the court martial last week, Manning said the decision to leak the documents came while "dealing with a lot of issues" -- a reference to the gender identity crisis. Reaction Manning's announcement brought a wide range of reaction. On Twitter, where "Chelsea Manning" was a hot topic of discussion, user onekade wrote of being "pretty much in awe of Chelsea Manning's bravery, on so many fronts." Others were less supportive. "Chelsea Manning," conservative pundit John Podhoretz tweeted. "This country has officially jumped the shark." Coombs told "Today" that Manning did not intend to make a public issue of his desire to live as a woman. "She never really wanted this to be public to begin with," Coombs said. "When the information came out, you need to understand that she gave it to adrian lamo in a very private setting, in a one-on-one chat, never expecting this to be public. Now that it is, unfortunately, you have to deal with it in a public manner." Manning's lawyer: He should not 'rot in jail' Legal issues The issue of taxpayers being required to pay for gender reassignment surgery has come up repeatedly in recent court cases. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court reinstated a lawsuit brought by a transgender prisoner in Virginia, where the prison had refused to allow her to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Last year a federal judge ordered Massachusetts to pay for a sex change operation for a convicted murderer. The state is appealing that decision. There are few good statistics on the number of transgender inmates in U.S. prisons, according to Vincent Villano of the National Center for Transgender Equality. A study of California prisons identified 330 transgender inmates in an overall prison population of 160,000, he said. The center believes those numbers are higher, he said. CNN's Chris Lawrence and Dan Merica contributed to this report 0 Comments » SHARE THIS Print Email More sharing

If chemical attack proved, France says, nations should respond 'with force' - Washington Post Posted: 22 Aug 2013 08:18 AM PDT BEIRUT — France on Thursday raised the possibility of international intervention in Syria if there is solid proof that President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his people. Activists, meanwhile, struggled to confirm that more than 1,000 people had perished, as experts warned that vital physical evidence could dissipate unless a U.N. inspection team — already in the country to investigate previous claims of poisonous gas use — was given permission to visit the site. The U.N. weapons experts were negotiating with Syrian officials to try and gain access, according to U.N. officials. Although the United States, France, Britain and others have specifically requested that the inspection team proceed, "there is a requirement of consent in situations like this," Deputy U.N. Secretary General Jan Eliasson said, "and also that the security situation will allow them to enter the area. It is a very dramatic situation and the security situation right now does not allow such access." The Syrian government on Wednesday strongly denied that there had been an attack. But widely circulated images of children in spasms and vomiting added to the pressure on the United States and the international community to take robust action. The alleged attack came almost exactly a year after President Obama said the use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces would be a "red line" for his administration. "There would have to be reaction with force in Syria from the international community," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French television network BFM, when asked about action that should be taken if the allegations are proven. He added, however, that "there is no question of sending troops on the ground." Fabius alluded to the possibility that the international community might need to circumvent the United Nations Security Council, which has been stymied in acting on Syria by veto-wielding Russia, a long-time ally of Assad's. During an emergency meeting on Wednesday, the council's members failed to agree on a strongly worded statement condemning the attack, simply calling for a "thorough, impartial and prompt investigation." Britain, France and the United States were pushing for a stronger statement, but Russia and China objected, the Associated Press reported. The Russian government, Assad's strongest supporter, suggested that the opposition itself had staged the attack in a "pre-planned provocation.'' After a two-hour closed door session, the council emerged with a "call for investigation" of the new allegations. The request does not refer specifically to the team currently on the ground, instead speaking of the need to "clarify" what happened. Under its current mandate and agreement with Syrian government, the U.N. team that is now inside Syria is authorized to examine only three sites of the 13 that various other governments and the Syrian opposition had identified as suspicious before the Wednesday attack. One Security Council diplomat said that Wednesday's letter was intended to "increase political pressure on Syria" to permit the inspection team currently in the country access to the site of the latest incident.

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KL shares open lower Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:57 PM PDT Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened bearish in early trading today, led by losses in index-linked counters. At 9.10am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 19.9 points lower at 1,724.95, after opening 17.51 points easier at 1,743.49. Maybank shed 19 sen to RM9.81 while IOI Corp eased 12 sen to RM5.18. Both counters contributed 4.376 points to the index. HwangDBS Vickers Research said the bears may return to the local bourse today with the benchmark FBM KLCI pulling back deeper towards the key support line of 1,720 ahead. Overnight, Wall Street's major stock indices slipped between 0.4 per cent and 0.7 per cent. This came after minutes of the last US Federal Open Market Committee meeting revealed that the policymakers were supportive of a move to reduce monetary stimulus if the US economy improved. Back home, Bank Negara Malaysia revised downward the country's GDP's growth for this year to 4.5-five per cent from five-six per cent previously forecast. "In terms of corporate actions, listed companies that reported below par quarterly financial results last evening included AirAsia and Boustead Holdings," said HwangDBS in a note today. Weaker sentiment spilled over other Asian market as well. Across Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 was 1.10 per cent lower at 13,276.04, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index shed 0.69 per cent to 21,817.73 and Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 1.20 per cent to 3,071.66. On Bursa Malaysia, the Plantation Index slipped 76.14 points to 8,108.77, the Finance Index erased 201.43 points to 16,250.93 but the Industrial Index was up 3.55 points at 2,944.83. The FBM Emas Index trimmed 129.17 points to 12,028.63, the FBM100 Index fell 125.55 points to 11,763.89 and the FBM 70 Index gave up 105.05 points to 13,797.14. Market breadth was negative with losers outstripping gainers 347 to 21, while 117 counters were unchanged, 1,100 untraded and 18 others were suspended. Turnover stood at 131.095 million shares worth RM133.734 million. Among actives, The Media Shoppe and INS Bioscience were flat at nine sen and five sen, respectively. MAS and Sona Petroleum shed one sen each to 33.5 sen and 42.5 sen, respectively, while Flonic Hi-Tec was 1.5 sen lower at 16.5 sen. Heavyweights, Axiata was flat at RM6.65, YTL Corp shed one sen to RM1.58 and CIMB fell seven sen to RM7.55.-- Bernama

Ringgit opens lower against US dollar Posted: 21 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar on weaker demand for the local note, amid improving external environment, a dealer said. The ringgit fell against the US dollar to 3.3150/3180 from 3.2930/2960 on Wednesday. The dealer said investors' appetite shifted towards the greenback following the release of the Federal Open Market Committee's July meeting minutes today. "Federal officials were comfortable with Chairman Ben Bernanke's plan to start reducing bond buying later this year if the economy improves," he added. Meanwhile, Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said Malaysia was expected to maintain a current account surplus this year, and could cope with the current "highly destabilising" capital flows. "This is not a new phenomenon. We coped with it before," she said, adding that the economy was expected to remain supported by strong domestic growth. Sales of Malaysian bonds by foreigners, who held almost half of the country's government debt, could be absorbed by Malaysian institutions including the insurance industry, she said. The ringgit depreciated against the Singapore dollar to 2.5828/5857 from 2.5745/5776 yesterday and was sharply lower against the yen at 3.3861/3899 from 3.3771/3819 on Wednesday. The currency weakened against the British pound to 5.1777/1834 from 5.1601/1658 on Wednesday and fell against the euro to 4.4215/4265 from 4.4083/4133 yesterday.-- Bernama

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