Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/127357
Friday, May 3, 2013 – Daily News 5A WORLD BRIEFING Obama opens trip to Mexico MEXICO CITY (AP) — Seeking to put a new spin on a long-standing partnership, President Barack Obama is promoting jobs and trade — not drug wars or border security — as the driving force behind the U.S.-Mexico relationship. But security concerns are shadowing his two-day visit, given Mexico's recent moves to limit American law enforcement access within its borders. Arriving in Mexico City on Thursday on his first trip to Latin America since winning re-election, Obama was met at the steps of his plane by an honor guard and a trumpeting bugler. He greeted top Mexican officials before heading to the National Palace for meetings with President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December. The two leaders were to speak at a joint news conference Thursday evening. Obama is looking for more details from Pena Nieto about changes he is making to the robust security relationship between the neighboring countries. In a shift from his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, Pena Nieto has moved to end the widespread access U.S. security agencies have had in Mexico to help fight drug trafficking and organized crime. The White House has stepped carefully in its public response to the changes, with the president and his advisers saying they need to hear directly from the Mexican leader before making a judgment. ''With the new Mexican administration coming into office, it certainly stands to reason that President Pena Nieto would want to take a Welcome to look at the nature of our cooperation,'' said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser. ''So we're currently working with the Mexicans to evaluate the means by which we cooperate, the means by which we provide assistance.'' The U.S. is producing so much oil that imports are plunging, narrowing the trade deficit. A string of data Thursday raised hopes for stronger hiring and U.S. growth in coming months. More jobs would spur spending and help energize the economy, which has yet to regain full health nearly four years after the Great Recession officially ended. And an interest rate cut Thursday by the European Central Bank, if it helps bolster the European economy, could also contribute to U.S. growth. The U.S. economic reports came one day before the government will report how many jobs employers added in April. Economists think the gain will exceed the 88,000 jobs added in March, the fewest in nine months. The government said Thursday that the number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 324,000 — the fewest since January 2008. Unemployment applications reflect the pace of layoffs: A steady drop means companies are shedding fewer workers. Eventually, they'll need to hire to meet customer demand or to replace workers who quit. US urges NKorea to release US economic American reports hold WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. called Thursout hope for day for North Korea to grant and immediately stronger job amnestya Korean-American release sentenced to 15 years' hard growth labor for ''hostile acts'' WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans are losing their jobs. Employers are struggling to squeeze more work from their staffs. against the state. Kenneth Bae, 44, a Washington state man described by friends as a devout Christian and a tour operator, is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The others eventually were deported or released without serving out their terms, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Analysts say Bae's sentencing could be an effort by Pyongyang to win diplomatic concessions in the ongoing standoff over its nuclear program. But there was no immediate sign a high-profile envoy was about to make a clemency mission to the isolated nation which has taken an increasingly confrontational stance under its young leader Kim Jong Un. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. was still seeking to learn the facts of Bae's case. He said the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which handles consular matters there for the U.S., did not attend Tuesday's Supreme Court trial and that there hasn't been transparency in the legal proceedings. ''There's no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad, and we urge the DPRK authorities to grant Mr. Bae amnesty and immediate release,'' Ventrell told a news conference, referencing the socialist country's formal title, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. chemical weapons would run up against one of the Middle East's most formidable air defenses, a system bolstered in recent years by top-of-the-line Russian hardware. The U.S. said last week that intelligence indicates the Syrian regime has likely used the deadly nerve agent sarin on at least two occasions in the civil war. That assessment has increased pressure for a forceful response from President Barack Obama, who has said the use of chemical weapons would cross a ''red line'' and carry ''enormous consequences.'' Obama has tried to temper expectations of quick action against Syria, saying he needs ''hard, effective evidence'' before making a decision. But he has also said that if it is determined that the regime of President Bashar Assad has used such weapons, then ''we would have to rethink the range of options that are available to us.'' Syria's air defenses, among Mideast's strongest BEIRUT (AP) — International military action against Syria's government over its alleged use of GROWNEY MOTORS (530) 527-1034 1160 MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 0% Financing For 72 Months on Select New Vehicles. 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