Israeli police, Palestinians clash at Jerusalem holy site

Israeli police fired stun grenades to disperse Palestinian worshippers who threw rocks at them after Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, a police spokesman said.
Dozens of officers entered the politically sensitive area in Jerusalem's Old City to break up hundreds of protesters, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. He added that two policemen were slightly injured and 15 Palestinians arrested.

source reuters.com

Putin says he and Obama still at odds on Syria, blames attack on rebels

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he and U.S. President Barack Obama stuck to their positions over Syria but listened to each other during a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit on Friday and are looking for ways forward.

 

President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for 20 minutes on the sidelines of a G20 summit on Friday but remained at odds over the conflict in Syria, Putin's senior foreign policy adviser said, "they sat down before today's working session, in armchairs, and had a 20-minute chat, one on one," the adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Reuters. He said Syria was the main topic and said: "No, their (positions) have not come closer."

source reuters.com

Egyptian protester killed as thousands demonstrate

One person was killed on Friday in the Egyptian province of Damietta during protests called by the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies against Egypt's army-backed government, a medical official said.

The man killed in the Damietta town of Kafr el-Bateekh was Ibrahim Selim, 30, said Abdel Hadi Dorah, the head of the local emergency services. Witnesses said he was a Mursi supporter.

The violence erupted when dozens of Mursi supporters staged a march after Friday prayers, triggering clashes with government supporters, witnesses said. Birdshot, rocks and sticks were used in the violence. At least five other people were injured.

source  reuters.com

Suspected al Qaeda gunmen kill two officers in southern Yemen

Suspected al Qaeda militants shot dead two senior officers in Yemen's security services on Friday, security sources said, in the latest of a wave of such attacks.
Colonel Omar Rabie Ben Amr, who headed what is known as the political security apparatus at a border checkpoint with Saudi Arabia, was shot dead as he left a mosque after Friday prayers in al-Qoton area of Hadramout.

source reuters.com 

Obama did not request Snowden's extradition at meeting: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday after meeting Barack Obama that the U.S. president did not request the extradition of former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, who has received temporary asylum in Russia.

source reuters.com

The Syrian government has announced that it is offering a bounty

The Syrian government has announced that it is offering a bounty to anyone who captures a "non-Syrian terrorist", or helps to apprehend one, state television said. A bounty of 500,000 Syrian pounds (roughly $4,000) will be offered for capture, while 200,000 Syrian pounds (about $1,500) goes to anyone who gives information regarding terrorist locations.

The statement said the identities of those who provided information would be kept secret and their "protection ensured". Concerning Syrian rebels who informed on their comrades, state television added, that they would be granted amnesty and “their affairs will be settled.”

G20 summit in St Petersburg discuss about Syria

Russia President Vladimir Putin and US leader Barack Obama have discussed Syrian crisis on the sidelines of G20 summit in St Petersburg, says Russian presidential aid Yuri Ushakov. However, “there remains a difference in opinions” following the meeting, Ushakov said. Putin and Obama have agreed to continue discussing the settlement for the Syrian crisis on the level of their foreign ministers.

A military strike on Syria will put an end to all the efforts made by the UN-Arab League envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, to politically resolve the conflict, agreed the participates of the G20 summit breakfast meeting, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, "I cannot say that this was the prevailing opinion, but many responsible states are coming to a very clear understanding that the use of force, bypassing the UN Security Council, will put an end to all efforts for a political resolution and carrying out the Geneva-2 peace conference made by Lakhdar Brahimi," Lavrov said, "our common conclusion is to do everything possible to prevent the military scenario in Syria," Lavrov added. "There is still time for this."

The US did not participate, while Canada, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Senegal, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, France and Russia were present at the meeting.