Putin faces isolation over Syria as G8 ratchets up pressure

Russian President Vladimir Putin faced further isolation on the second day of a G8 summit on Tuesday as world leaders lined up to pressure him into toning down his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Following an icy encounter between the Kremlin chief and U.S. President Barack Obama late on Monday, the G8 leaders will seek to find resolution to a war that has prompted powers across the Middle East to square off on sectarian lines.

Guantanamo detention camp needs to be closed: Barack Obama

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama pledged on Tuesday to make a new push to close the Guantanamao detention camp, saying his administration would re-engage with Congress in an attempt to overcome obstacles to shutting the facility.

"It needs to be closed," Obama told a White House news conference. "I'm going to go back at this." But he offered no new path to removing congressional, political and legal hurdles he faces.

Obama to contribute 5% of his salary to US Treasury

WASHINGTON: At a time when US is facing economic strain and automatic budgetary cuts is in place, US President Barack Obama will return five per cent of his salary amounting to USD 20,000 to the Department of Treasury.

The salary of the US President is USD 400,000 per annum (over Rs 2 crore) and in a show of solidarity he will return USD 20,000 (over Rs 10 lakh).

"Obama instructed his staff he wanted to do this when the sequester took effect," White House press secretary Jay Carney said yesterday.

US refuses to declare 1984 riots in India as genocide

Washington: The Obama Administration on Tuesday refused to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India a genocide, but noted that grave human rights violations had occurred.

The White House response in this regard came months after a section of the Sikh community in the US launched an online petition campaign urging the Obama Administration to recognize the 1984 riots as genocide.


The petition created on November 15, 2012, had generated more than 30,000 signatures within weeks.

Each petition that crosses the threshold of 25,000 signatures is reviewed and receives a response.

"During and after the 1984 violence, the United States monitored and publicly reported on the grave human rights violations that occurred and the atrocities committed against members of the Sikh community," the White House response said.

Obama arrives in Israel amid low expectations

TEL AVIV: US President Barack Obama arrived in Israel on Wednesday without any new peace initiative to offer disillusioned Palestinians and facing deep Israeli doubts over his pledge to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

Making his first official visit here as president, Obama hopes to use the trip to reset his often fraught relations with both the Israelis and Palestinians in a choreographed three-day stay that is high on symbolism but low on expectations.