WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is racing to keep pace with stepped-up activity in the once sleepy Arctic frontier, but it is far from being in the lead. Nations across the world are hurrying to stake claims to the Arctic’s resources, which might be home to 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30 […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Carrots, sticks and sanctions: The Iranian nuclear deal examined
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a potentially history-shaping choice of diplomacy over confrontation, the U.S. and other world powers agreed Sunday to give Iran six months to open its nuclear sites to possible daily inspections in exchange for allowing Tehran to maintain the central elements of its uranium program, in a multi-layered deal to test Iran’s […]
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Congress likely to give shutdown workers back pay
WASHINGTON (AP) — A partial government shutdown enters its fifth day, with Congress convening for a session that promises no progress in breaking the impasse but will at least offer back pay to furloughed federal workers. The GOP House is scheduled Saturday to vote on legislation backed by the White House and congressional Democrats that […]
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Key powers reach agreement on UN resolution on eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The five permanent members of the deeply divided U.N. Security Council reached agreement Thursday on a resolution to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons, a major step in taking the most controversial weapon off the battlefield of the world’s deadliest current conflict. Senior U.S., Russian, British and French diplomats confirmed the agreement, which […]
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Syrian official: Chemical weapons deal a ‘victory’
BEIRUT (AP) — A high-ranking Syrian official called the U.S.-Russian agreement on securing Syria’s chemical weapons a “victory” for President Bashar Assad’s regime, but the U.S. warned Sunday “the threat of force is real” if Damascus fails to carry out the plan. The comments by Syrian Minister of National Reconciliation Ali Haidar to a Russian […]
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Syria chemical weapons deal negotiated by U.S., Russia could swing momentum toward ending war
GENEVA (AP) — A diplomatic breakthrough Saturday on securing and destroying Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile averted the threat of U.S. military action for the moment and could swing momentum toward ending a horrific civil war. Marathon negotiations between U.S. and Russian diplomats at a Geneva hotel produced a sweeping agreement that will require one of […]
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Obama admits Congress might not support strike
WASHINGTON — Congressional support for President Barack Obama’s push for a military strike against Syria continued to erode Monday as key lawmakers in both parties announced their opposition, while others began searching for alternatives to the proposed cruise-missile attacks. As the opposition piled up, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pulled back his plan for […]
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U.S. runs into resistance over strike on Syria
PARIS (AP) — The U.S. tried to rally support on Saturday for a military strike against Syria, running into resistance from the American public and skeptics in Congress and from European allies bent on awaiting a U.N. report about a chemical attack they acknowledge strongly points to the Assad government. President Barack Obama prepared for […]
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Maine lawmakers not ready to endorse Syria strike
PORTLAND (AP) — While all of Maine’s congressional delegation remains undecided about military strikes on Syria, none of the four lawmakers is eager for the U.S. military to get involved in another conflict in the Middle East. Calls from constituents are heavily against military strikes, they say. “I do think we’re at a growing risk […]
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Assad warns of a risk of regional war if West strikes Syria
PARIS (AP) — France released an intelligence report on Monday alleging chemical weapons use by Syria’s regime that dovetailed with similar U.S. claims, as President Bashar Assad warned that any military strike against his country would spark an uncontrollable regional war and spread “chaos and extremism.” The verbal crossfire, including a rejection of the Western […]