http://www.cbs7.com Your Eye on West Texas en-us Copyright 2013 CBS 7. All Rights Reserved. 6/19/2013 9:49:42 AM Texas News 20 6/19/13

BERLIN - President Barack Obama is calling for a one-third reduction of the world's nuclear stockpiles.

Obama spoke today at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, a powerful symbol of the Cold War. He says it's possible to ensure American security and a strong deterrent and also reduce nuclear weapons.

He says he intends to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move beyond a Cold War nuclear posture.

Obama is pledging to work with NATO allies to forge a new international framework for peaceful nuclear power. He says the U.S. will hold a summit in 2016 on securing nuclear materials around the world.

He's also calling for a treaty to end production of fissile material.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45583 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's president says he will not pursue peace talks with the Taliban unless the United States steps out of the negotiations and the militant group stops its violent attacks on the ground.

Hamid Karzai is upset over a U.S. and Taliban announcement the day before that they would begin preliminary peace talks in Qatar without the Afghan government.

According to a statement from Karzai's office, he says that his High Peace Council would "neither attend nor participate in the talks" until the process is "completely" in the hands of Afghans.

Karzai earlier Wednesday announced he had suspended talks with the U.S. on a new security deal in protest of how the talks were announced.

He also says peace talks cannot begin amid "fighting and bloodshed."]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45582 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

BERLIN - President Barack Obama says it's no surprise that there's friction in early efforts to launch peace talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan's government.

But Obama says even though the war is still ongoing, there must be a parallel track to political reconciliation.

Prospects for reconciliation talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government were dampened Wednesday when Afghan President Hamid Karzai suspended security talks with the U.S. and the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack that killed four U.S. troops.

Obama says the Taliban and the Afghan government distrust each other and have been fighting for years. He says only Afghans can decide whether the reconciliation process can start while the war is continuing.

Obama spoke at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45581 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

BERLIN - President Barack Obama is refusing to describe the type of military support the U.S. will give to Syrian rebels even as he praises a decision by world leaders at a just-completed summit to seek a negotiated peace.

Obama says even though leaders could not agree on whether Syrian President Bashar Assad must go, he has decided it is not possible for Assad to regain legitimacy.

Obama spoke at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (AHN'-geh-lah MEHR'-kuhl).

Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of the Group of Eight industrial economies meeting in Northern Ireland this week tried to narrow sharp differences between Russia, a key Assad backer, and Western leaders.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45580 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Officials say an attack on the main U.N. compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, is over, but the number of casualties isn't yet clear.

At least five civilians and seven attackers are believed dead.

Al-Qaida-linked militants detonated bombs and breached the U.N. compound, setting off gun battles with security forces.

A U.N. spokesman says dozens of staff from U.N. humanitarian and development agencies were in the compound at the time, and many of them moved to a secure bunker. The spokesman says all U.N. personnel who reached the bunker survived, though some may not have made it to the bunker.

One U.N. official says he believes four U.N. workers were killed.

African Union and Somali security forces responded and took control of the compound about an hour after the attack.

The U.N. has had only a small presence in the Somali capital in recent years, due to the dangers of operating in a city controlled by al-Shabab militants. The U.N. reopened a political office there late last year.

Al-Shabab says it carried out today's attack.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45579 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

NEW YORK - Stocks are edging lower in early trading on Wall Street as investors hold back ahead of a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.

The Fed is winding up a two-day policy meeting. Traders hope the bank will clarify when it plans to slow down its bond-buying program.

Sprint Nextel fell 3.3 percent to $7.08 after Dish Network said it would not submit a new bid to take over the wireless carrier.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45578 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

CLEVELAND - A tentative Aug. 4 trial date has been set for an Ohio man accused of kidnapping three women and holding them in his home for about a decade.

Ariel Castro, with his wrists and ankles shackled, appeared in court in Cleveland for a brief hearing Wednesday.

As in previous court appearances, he kept his chin tucked in his chest. He answered "yes" and "no" to the judge's questions about his understanding of the proceedings.

Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) County Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo mentioned plea deal discussions raised by the defense last week. He asked that any plea deal that emerges be submitted by attorneys in writing.

The 52-year-old Castro faces another pretrial hearing June 26.

Also Wednesday, lawmakers in Columbus planned to discuss providing relief payments to the three women.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45577 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

SANFORD, Fla. - A Florida judge has read the formal charge against George Zimmerman to 40 potential jurors who could be selected to decide if he committed murder when he shot Trayvon Martin.

Judge Debra Nelson read the second-degree murder charge Wednesday before 40 potential jurors. Those potential jurors are on moving on to the second round of questioning of what they know about the case involving the former neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot the unarmed 17-year-old last year.

Zimmerman is pleading not guilty, claiming self-defense.

Both Zimmerman's parents and Martin's parents were in the courtroom when the charge was read.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45576 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. - FBI agents have resumed digging in suburban Detroit for the remains of former Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa.

Spokesman Simon Shaykhet says the third day of work started around 8 a.m. Wednesday in Oakland County's Oakland Township.

Hoffa was last seen in 1975 outside an Oakland County restaurant where he was to meet with a New Jersey Teamsters boss and a Detroit Mafia captain. Since then, numerous leads on his possible whereabouts have led to dead ends.

The latest tip came from reputed Mafia captain Tony Zerilli. He says Hoffa was buried beneath a concrete slab in a field north of Detroit.

On Tuesday, authorities used a backhoe to dig in that field. The FBI also called in forensic anthropologists from Michigan State University and Michigan State Police cadaver dogs.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45575 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/19/13

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - Traffic is moving again across the Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge at Mount Vernon, a key route in Washington between Seattle and Canada.

The state Transportation Department announced it opened to southbound traffic just before 5 a.m. Wednesday and would open to northbound traffic an hour later.

State and contract workers rushed work on a temporary span after the bridge collapsed May 23 when it was hit by a truck carrying an oversize load.

The temporary section of the bridge is 160 feet long but only 24 feet wide. It has two lanes in both directions, but the speed is limited to 40 mph on the bridge.]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45574 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Enniskillen, Northern Ireland - A senior Russian diplomat says the G-8 summit's joint statement on ending the Syrian civil war will not mention whether Bashar Assad must step down from power as part of any peace settlement.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters Tuesday that the eight nations have agreed they should not specify any outcome from peace talks that all agree should start soon in Geneva.

Ryabkov says the talks should aim to create a transitional coalition government for Syria, but should not predetermine whether Assad can participate in that government.

The formal Syria declaration is expected to be published later Tuesday.

Ryabkov dismissed Western claims that Assad's forces used chemical weapons as unproven and said they require further investigation.

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Baghdad- Iraqi authorities say the casualty toll from a double-suicide bombing attack in and around a Shiite mosque in Baghdad has risen to 24 killed and 52 wounded.

Today's coordinated blasts were the latest in a string of attacks hitting Iraq, reviving fears the country is headed back toward the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed it to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

Police and hospital officials provided the casualty numbers for the blasts, which happened near and inside the mosque in Baghdad's northern Qahira neighborhood.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to media.

]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45545 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Kabul, Afghanistan- Security throughout Afghanistan is now primarily the responsibility of Afghan forces, and the U.S.-led NATO coalition plays an entirely supporting role.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai made the announcement today. It opens the way for the full withdrawal of the foreign troops in 18 months.

And Karzai says he'll soon send representatives to the Gulf state of Qatar to discuss peace with the Taliban.
]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45544 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Washington- The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee says it appears the much-criticized national electronic surveillance program foiled "dozens" of terrorist plots.

Michigan Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who will preside over an open hearing of the intelligence panel later Tuesday, says he expects the head of NASA, Army Gen. Keith Alexander, to declassify additional information about the program. The Obama administration already has declassified data crediting the NSA program with breaking up a planned attack on New York City's subway system.

Rogers tells NBC's "Today" show that lawmakers "know there are dozens" of terrorist plots thwarted by the NSA program. And he says Congress also wants to learn much more about how NSA contract employee Edward Snowden, who publicly revealed information about the program, got access to such highly sensitive data.
]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45543 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Washington- U.S. consumer prices rose slightly in May as higher energy costs were partly offset by cheaper food. The small increase underscores that inflation is mild.

The Labor Department says the consumer price index ticked up a seasonally adjusted 0.1 percent last month, only the second increase in seven months. Consumer prices fell 0.4 percent in April, the largest decline in four years. In the past 12 months, prices have increased 1.4 percent.

Higher natural gas and electricity costs pushed up energy prices 0.4 percent. Gas prices were flat. Food costs fell 0.1 percent, as grocery prices dropped by the most in almost four years.

Outside the volatile food and gas categories, core prices rose 0.2 percent in May and 1.7 percent in the past 12 months.

]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45542 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Washington- U.S. builders began construction on more single-family homes and apartments in May, encouraged by more buyers and a scarcity of houses for sale.

The Commerce Department says builders increased housing starts 6.8 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 914,000. That followed a 14.8 percent decline in April. Housing starts are still below March's pace of more than 1 million - the highest in five years.

Applications for building permits fell 3.1 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted 974,000. That's still close to the five-year high hit in April.

Single-family home construction rose 0.3 percent last month. That followed two months of declines. Apartment construction, which is more volatile, surged 21.6 percent after a big drop in April.

]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45541 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Washington- The White House says the Obama administration has completed or significantly advanced most of the executive actions the president ordered to reduce gun violence following the Newtown, Conn., mass shooting.

Vice President Joe Biden's announcement today is meant to keep up pressure on lawmakers in getting a reluctant Congress to pass new firearms laws.

]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45540 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Genevea- Swiss lawmakers have rejected a government-backed banking bill meant to end a high-profile legal standoff with the United States over suspected American tax cheats.

The country's lower house in the capital Bern voted today not to discuss the measure that the finance minister had presented as a way for Swiss banks to disclose client information to U.S. authorities without breaking Switzerland's strict client secrecy laws.

The finance minister says the U.S. is planning to bring criminal charges against some Swiss banks and without the legislation there is "real danger of an escalation" in the standoff between the two countries.
]]> http://www.cbs7.com/news/details.asp?ID=45539 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:49:42 UTC sports 6/18/13

Warsaw, Poland- Polish prosecutors say they are reviewing files on a Minnesota man who was a commander in a notorious Nazi-led unit to see if they contain enough evidence to press charges and request extradition from the United States.

An Associated Press investigation revealed that Michael Karkoc 94, entered the U.S. by lying to American authorities about his leadership role in the SS-led Ukrainian Self Defense Legion, which is accused of burning down villages in Poland during World War II. AP's evidence suggests that Karkoc was at the scene of the massacres, although no records link him directly to atrocities.

Poland's National Remembrance Institute says prosecutors are reviewing files concerning the crimes for any evidence that would justify charges against Karkoc and an extradition request.

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Detroit- U.S. safety regulators are investigating problems with air bag sensors in the seats of some small Suzuki SUVs.

The probe covers 205,000 vehicles including Grand Vitaras from the 2006 through 2011 model years and SX4s from 2007 through 2011.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 128 owners have complained about problems with sensors in the front passenger seats that turn off the air bag when a child is sitting there.

In some cases, the sensors won't detect a child and air bags will inflate. If that happens, a child could be hurt. In other cases, warning lights go off because of software problems.

Investigators will check to see if the problems are bad enough to cause a recall.

The safety agency hasn't received any complaints of crashes or injuries.
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