G8 Summit: a group of world leaders failed to mention the fate of Syrian President Assad in an official statement calling for peace. G8 leaders also called on the Syrian authorities and Syrian opposition groups to commit to cutting ties with all organizations affiliated with al Qaeda.
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Photo: campaigners wearing giant heads resembling the G8 nations leaders, wave as they arrive on a replica Viking longboat, during a protest near the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland on June 17, 2013. The campaigners represented the Enough Food For Everyone ‘IF’ campaign, calling for action to eliminate the causes of hunger. REUTERS/Andrew Winning
Putin said Moscow and Washington had differing views over Syria but agreed the bloodshed must stop and that the warring parties should be brought to the negotiating table. Both leaders looked tense and uncomfortable, with Putin staring mostly at the floor.
“Our positions do not fully coincide, but we are united by the common intention to end the violence, to stop the number of victims increasing in Syria, to resolve the problems by peaceful means, including the Geneva talks,” Putin said.
“We agreed to push the process of peace talks and encourage the parties to sit down at the negotiation table, organize the talks in Geneva.”
Obama tried to lighten the mood by discussing judo but Putin, a black belt in the martial art, replied the U.S. president was simply trying to get him to relax.
Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Photo gallery: inside the G8 Summit
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U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed foreign policy on Friday and Saturday at a retreat near Palm Springs, California.
“We are more likely to achieve our objectives of prosperity and security of our peoples if we are working cooperatively rather than engaged in conflict,” Obama told reporters.
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Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
You could hold my umbrella-ella-ella: famous people don’t always hold their own umbrellas, but when they do, they do it with worldly stature and infinite wisdom.
Pictures by REUTERS - Jason Reed; Caroline Blumberg; Tobias Schwarz; Regis Duvignau; Brian Snyder; Suzanne Plunkett.
“I’ll be probably calling around, looking for somebody to play cards with me or something, because I’m getting kind of lonely in this big house. So maybe — maybe a whole bunch of members of the House Republican caucus want to come over and socialize more.”
READ ON: “Lonely” Obama eyes second-term strategy with Congress
Credit Obama for giving voters what he’s promised, a like-minded team that will help him avoid unnecessary war so that he can focus on strengthening America. However, what may be even more important is the team’s ability to deal with the unexpected. The greatest certainty of the next four years is uncertainty.
