Germany spied on Kerry, Clinton
BERLIN – Germany’s foreign intelligence agency eavesdropped on calls made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013 and his predecessor Hillary Clinton in 2012, German magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday.
The respected news weekly didn’t give a source for its information but said the calls were collected accidentally, that the three officials weren’t directly targeted and the recordings were ordered destroyed immediately.
Liberia expands Ebola treatment in capital
MONROVIA, Liberia – Liberian authorities expanded Ebola treatment centers in the capital Saturday to cope with increasing numbers of patients, while two more airlines announced they were halting flights to the capitals of Liberia and Sierra Leone amid the deepening crisis.
Kenya Airways and regional carrier Gambia Bird join a number of other airlines in temporarily cancelling flights to avoid transmitting the disease beyond the four countries already affected in West Africa.
Health experts have warned that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa may last another six months. At least 1,145 people have died across Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria.
Russian aid waiting for guarantees
KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia – Hundreds of trucks in a Russian aid convoy waited Saturday near the Ukrainian border as complicated procedures dragged on for allowing them into eastern Ukraine to help civilians suffering amid fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists.
The main holdup was a lack of security guarantees from all sides in the conflict, said the International Committee of the Red Cross, which would have responsibility for distributing the aid.
Ukrainian officials are concerned that the mission, including about 200 trucks, could be a guise for Russia to send in equipment for the rebels, whom Kiev and Western countries claim are backed by Moscow.
Jihadists threatening Syrian rebels
BEIRUT – Syria’s Western-backed opposition called Saturday for U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State group as the jihadists captured three northern villages, putting them within striking distance of a mainstream rebel stronghold.
Islamic State fighters have overrun nearly a dozen towns and villages in Aleppo province in the last week, crushing what little resistance they have encountered.
Associated Press
