Obama: Israel not set upon attacking Iran

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Sunday he does not think Israel has decided whether to attack Iran over its disputed nuclear program, a standoff that has the Middle East on edge.

The president sought to assure allies and foes alike that the United States was working in lockstep with Israel to solve the crisis, “hopefully diplomatically.”

Obama’s comments came as Israel’s major allies in the West are working hard to talk it out of a unilateral military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, arguing forcefully that an attack ultimately would only strengthen the regime in Tehran. Israel fears that Iran is fast approaching a point at which a limited military strike would no longer be enough to head off an Iranian bomb.

“I don’t think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do,” Obama said during a pre-Super Bowl interview with NBC. He reiterated that the United States has removed no option from consideration in dealing with Iran.

Yemen leader sighting incites NYC crowd

NEW YORK – A protest against embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh outside a luxury hotel in New York got heated Sunday when demonstrators saw him leave the building, with one charging toward him and another throwing a shoe.

“Everybody is living in fear of this guy at home, but here, he’s getting good treatment!” said Yemeni immigrant Nasser Almroot, a Brooklyn grocer.

The dozen angry protesters were kept behind police barricades across the street from the Ritz-Carlton hotel where Saleh passed.

The 69-year-old leader is visiting the United States for medical treatment.

He exited the hotel Sunday afternoon and waved and smiled sardonically toward the yelling protesters – even blowing them a kiss. Suddenly, one of them tried to charge across the street but was restrained by police, who wrestled him to the ground.

Undersea photographer dies in helicopter crash

LOS ANGELES – Mike deGruy, 60, an award-winning cinematographer who spent three decades making documentary films about the ocean, was killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia.

His employer, National Geographic, said Sunday that deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight died Saturday.

Their helicopter crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney. Australia’s ABC News reported that Wight was piloting.

Associated press