SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY SAYS ISRAEL'S GOVT SHOULD PREVENT FURTHER SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION WHERE POSSIBLE TO HELP REVITALIZE MIDEAST PEACE TALKS *

BUT KERRY ISN'T CALLING FOR A COMPLETE SETTLEMENT FREEZE *

HE SAYS THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON RESTARTING DIRECT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH COULD SET BORDERS FOR A TWO-STATE DEAL AND RESOLVE THE SETTLEMENT ISSUE *

KERRY MADE THE REMARKS TO REPORTERS IN ISRAEL *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY BLASTS IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL FOR ELIMINATING HUNDREDS OF PRES CANDIDATES FROM THE JUNE 14 ELECTION *

KERRY SAYS VOTE CAN'T BE FREE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT WHEN AN UNELECTED BODY CHOOSES CANDIDATES BASED "SOLELY ON WHO REPRESENTS THE REGIME'S INTERESTS" *

IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL HAS DISQUALIFIED SCORES OF CANDIDATES, INCLUDING FMR PRES AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI *

KERRY ALSO NOTED THERE ARE "TROUBLE SIGNS" THAT TEHRAN IS MEDDLING WITH IRAN'S INTERNET *

WA STATE OFFICIAL SAYS LAST NIGHT'S I-5 BRIDGE COLLAPSE INTO THE SKAGIT RIVER WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERSIZED TRUCK *

STATE PATROL CHIEF JOHN BATISTE SAYS THE TRUCK HIT AN OVERHEAD SPAN *

TWO OTHER VEHICLES WENT INTO THE WATER... THREE PEOPLE WERE RESCUED AND ARE RECOVERING *

FIVE CLIMBERS ARE MISSING AND FEARED DEAD ON THE WORLD'S THIRD-LARGEST MOUNTAIN *

THE FIVE DISAPPEARED MON ON NEPAL'S MOUNT KANCHENJUNGA *

BAD WEATHER HAS PREVENTED RESCUE EFFORTS *

THE CLIMBERS WERE LAST SEEN DESCENDING FROM THE SUMMIT AT AROUND 25,900 FT... KANCHENJUNGA IS 28,162 FEET HIGH *

LARGE EXPLOSION SHAKES AFGHAN CAPITAL OF KABUL *

BLAST COLLAPSED A BUILDING WALL, BUT IT'S UNCLEAR IF THERE WERE ANY CASUALTIES *

IT'S THE SECOND EXPLOSION TO HIT KABUL IN JUST OVER A WEEK *

EGYPTIAN SECURITY OFFICIAL SAYS 10 MALE RELATIVES KILLED A MOTHER AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS IN "HONOR KILLINGS" *

THE MEN SUSPECTED THE WOMEN OF HAVING AFFAIRS AND KILLED THEM TO PROTECT THE FAMILY'S HONOR *

THE THREE BODIES WERE FOUND IN THE NILE RIVER NEAR THE CITY OF LUXOR *

NJ GOV CHRIS CHRISTIE CUTS A RIBBON TO SYMBOLICALLY REOPEN THE JERSEY SHORE FOR THE SUMMER SEASON, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER IT WAS DEVASTATED BY MONSTER STORM SANDY *

CHRISTIE CUT THE FIVE MILE-LONG RIBBON IN SEASIDE HEIGHTS *

SANDY DID AN ESTIMATED $37 BIL WORTH OF DAMAGE IN NJ *

BRITISH SECURITY OFFICIAL SAYS SITUATION INVOLVING A PAKISTANI AIRPLANE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE TERROR-RELATED, ALTHOUGH IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION *

BRITAIN SCRAMBLED FIGHTER JETS TO INTERCEPT A COMMERCIAL AIRLINER CARRYING SOME 300 PASSENGERS FROM LAHORE, PAKISTAN TO MANCHESTER *

PLANE WAS DIVERTED TO STANDSTED AIRPORT, OUTSIDE OF LONDON, AND TWO PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF ENDANGERING THE AIRCRAFT *

POWERFUL 8.3 EARTHQUAKE HITS EASTERN RUSSIA, WITH TREMORS FELT AS FAR AWAY AS MOSCOW, ABOUT 4,400 MILES WEST OF THE EPICENTER *

NO REPORTS OF CASUALTIES OR DAMAGE *

THE QUAKE WAS CENTERED IN THE KURIL-KAMCHATKA ARC, ONE OF THE MOST SEISMICALLY ACTIVE REGIONS IN THE WORLD *

SYRIAN GOVT AGREES TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE PROPOSED BY THE U.S. AND RUSSIA TO END SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR *

PRES BASHAR ASSAD'S GOVT HAS NOT ISSUED A DEFINITIVE STATEMENT ON PROPOSED TALKS, BUT A SYRIAN LAWMAKER SAYS THE GOVT PLANS TO ATTEND *

CONFERENCE IS EXPECTED TO BE HELD IN GENEVA NEXT MONTH *

FRENCH SPECIAL FORCES AND NIGER TROOPS FATALLY SHOOT THE LAST TWO TERRORISTS INVOLVED IN YESTERDAY'S TWIN ATTACK ON A MILITARY BASE AND FRENCH URANIUM MINE IN NIGER *

CREDIT FOR ATTACKS WAS CLAIMED BY AL QAEDA-LINKED MOKHTAR BELMOKHTAR, WHO COORDINATED THEM WITH MUJWA MILITANT GROUP *

NIGER HAS EMERGED AS A FIRM ALLY OF FRANCE AND THE U.S. IN THE FIGHT AGAINST AL QAEDA-LINKED GROUPS *

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White House Press Pool report 6 from Thailand

Subject: Pool report 5//toast

Potus and PM Yingluck ended their news conference at about 8 p.m. local time after taking two questions apiece. It was open press. Afterward, they retired to a large dining hall in the same government house complex, where a dozen circular tables were set up with fancy silverware and china under a huge glittery chandelier. A long head table was also set up near one entrance, and the other side had a stringed band and a tradition Thai music group set up, with an elegant looking woman in a red dress holding a mic as though she might later sing.  There was a small stage or dance floor with a projected mural behind it featuring US and Thai flags. On the dining tables on one side were little namecards with table titles relevant to Potus: Honolulu, Chicago, Washington DC and New York. And on the other side the tables had names of Thai cities including Chiang Mai.
Potus and PM Yingluck and Sec State Clinton entered, along with other dignitaries. Yingluck sat in the middle of the long table, with Clinton on her left and Potus to her right. Also at the head table for the Americans were Tom Donilon, Danny Russell and Valerie Jarrett. Kurt Campbell and Jon Favreau were spotted among the Americans as the circular tables. half-filled champagne glasses were at each seat.
Yingluck gave the first toast, congratulating Potus on his election victory and saying this would be “a celebration for your second term in office. I believe your presidency will be a successful one and fruitful” for fostering Thai-US relations. After she finished everyone clinked glasses.
Then Potus gave a toast, saying: “My visit to this country is far too brief. but even in my short time I’ve seen the warmth and hospitality of the Thai people. This is the ‘Land of Smiles,’ and I’ve felt it everywhere I’ve gone. The peace and tranquility I felt at Wat Pho and viewing the reclining Buddha. The strength and wisdom of the king. … And we all feel the unique friendship of the Thai people.” He noted that he is proud of Thai Americans, incluiding his Illinois friend Ladda Tammy Duckworth, the first Thai American elected to Congress.
“In Asia, Thailand is our oldest friend,” Potus said. Everyone clinked glasses again and sipped their champagne and the pool was led out as the food began to be served. Couldn’t see what Thai food the president would be lucky enough to eat, but we all know he likes all of it.
Holding in the place where they had the press conference.
– 30 –

David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff