QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Russia is turning into a haven - virtually, intellectually and physically -for those who have an ax to grind with the West, who are whistle-blowers or have problems with Western authorities. It’s the only country in the world that at this point can afford it, or thinks it can afford it.”
Dmitri V. Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, after Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the U.S. for leaking classified documents, fled from Hong Kong for Moscow Article 1A
Residents return to flooded Calgary
CALGARY, Alberta - About 65,000 residents of Calgary were allowed to return to their homes Sunday to assess the damage from flooding that has left Alberta’s largest city awash in debris and dirty water.
Some were returning to properties spared by flooding, but others were facing extensive repairs to homes and businesses.
About 75,000 people had to leave at the height of the crisis as the Elbow and Bow rivers surged over their banks Thursday night. Three bodies have been recovered since the flooding began in southern Alberta and a fourth person was still missing.
While pockets of the city’s core were drying out, other areas were still submerged.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi didn’t anticipate that anyone could return to work downtown until at least the middle of the week.
Palestinian OKs premier’s quitting
RAMALLAH, West Bank - President Mahmoud Abbas accepted the resignation of his newly appointed prime minister Sunday, a spokesman said, leaving his Palestinian Authority in disarray at a time when he is focusing on a U.S.
push to restart peace negotiations with Israel.
Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah had served only two weeks when he abruptly resigned last week over a conflict of authority with his deputies. Abbas initially asked him to reconsider, but ultimately accepted the resignation and asked Hamdallah to stay on as head of a caretaker government until a replacement is found, Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh told The Associated Press.
There was no sign of a likely candidate to succeed Hamdallah.
Flag, sign removed from Taliban office
KABUL - The Afghan government confirmed the removal of an objectionable sign, flag and flagpole that had led the Afghan delegation to boycott negotiations with American and Taliban officials in Qatar.
Still in question, however, is whether the change will be enough for Afghanistan to send its official delegation to Qatar, where American and Taliban officials awaited word.
The signs and flag were unveiled when the Taliban opened their Doha office last week.At the official opening of the office the Taliban had put up signs saying “Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” which is the name they used for their government when they ran Afghanistan, and they raised their white flag with black writing.
Afghan officials were furious and said they would not send their peace delegation to Qatar until the signs and flag were removed.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 06/24/2013