RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT SAYS THE G8 SUMMIT'S JOINT STATEMENT ON ENDING SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR WILL NOT MENTION WHETHER PRES BASHAR ASSAD MUST LEAVE POWER AS PART OF ANY PEACE SETTLEMENT *

DEPUTY FOREIGN MIN SERGEI RYABKOV SAYS G8 NATIONS HAVE AGREED THEY SHOULDN'T SPECIFY ANY OUTCOME FROM PEACE TALKS IN GENEVA THAT ALL NATIONS AGREE SHOULD BEGIN SOON *

HE SAYS THE TALKS SHOULD FOCUS ON CREATING A TRANSITIONAL COALITION GOVT FOR SYRIA, BUT SHOULDN'T PREDETERMINE WHETHER ASSAD CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT GOVT *

RUSSIA ALSO DISMISSED TODAY'S WESTERN CLAIMS THAT ASSAD'S FORCES USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS AS SPECULATED, ADDING THEY REQUIRE FURTHER INVESTIGATION *

FORMAL SYRIA DECLARATION IS EXPECTED TO BE PUBLISHED LATER TODAY *

RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MIN SAYS IRAN IS WILLING TO HALT ITS 20% ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM, A KEY CONCESSION SOUGHT IN INTL TALKS OVER IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM *

IT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ENRICHMENT ACKNOWLEDGED BY IRAN AND ONE EXPERTS SAY COULD BE MADE WEAPONS GRADE IN JUST MONTHS *

SERGEY LAVROV SAYS "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS" THERE ARE ENCOURAGING SIGNS IN INTL EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE WITH IRAN *

TWO HOMICIDE BOMBERS BLOW THEMSELVES UP INSIDE AND NEAR A SHIITE MOSQUE IN BAGHDAD, KILLING 26 PEOPLE AND WOUNDING AT LEAST 50 OTHERS *

BLASTS ARE THE LATEST IN A STRING OF ATTACKS THAT HAVE RAISED FEARS OF A RETURN OF WIDESPREAD SECTARIAN VIOLENCE THAT PUSHED IRAQ TO THE BRINK OF CIVIL WAR IN 2006 AND 2007 *

NEARLY 2,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN IRAQ SINCE THE START OF APRIL, INCLUDING OVER 220 THIS MONTH *

SWISS LAWMAKERS REJECT A GOVT-BACKED BANKING BILL THAT WOULD'VE ALLOWED SWISS BANKS TO TURN CONFIDENTIAL DATA OVER TO U.S. PROSECUTORS WITHOUT VIOLATING CLIENT SECRECY LAWS *

CRITICS CALL THE PLAN A VIOLATION OF SWISS SOVEREIGNTY, WHICH UNFAIRLY EXPOSES LOCAL BANKERS, ADVISERS AND ATTYS TO LEGAL PROSECUTION IN THE U.S. *

ABOUT A DOZEN BANKS SWISS BANKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN UNDER INVESTIGATION BY U.S. AUTHORITIES *

LATEST VOTE SENDS THE MEASURE BACK TO THE UPPER HOUSE, WHICH APPROVED IT LAST WEEK, FOR FURTHER DEBATE *

SEN CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO) SAYS SHE'S SUPPORTING A SUPER POLITICAL ACTION CMTE ENCOURAGING HILLARY CLINTON TO RUN FOR PRES IN 2016 *

MCCASKILL IS THE FIRST SITTING MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO ENDORSE THE "READY FOR HILLARY" GROUP *

THE ORG DOESN'T HAVE OFFICIAL TIES TO CLINTON, BUT IS WORKING TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR ANOTHER CLINTON CAMPAIGN *

MCCASKILL WAS RE-ELECTED TO HER SECOND TERM IN THE SENATE IN 2012 *

MAN BLOWS HIMSELF UP IN A CROWD OF MOURNERS ATTENDING A FUNERAL IN NW PAKISTAN, KILLING 27 PEOPLE *

AMONG THE DEAD WAS A NEWLY ELECTED LAWMAKER WHO MAY HAVE BEEN THE TARGET *

BLAST WAS THE DEADLIEST ATTACK IN THE REGION SINCE MAY 11 NATL AND REGIONAL ELECTIONS INSTALLED A NEW GOVT IN THE NW PROVINCE OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA *

WORLD LEADERS AT THE G8 SUMMIT DECLARE THAT GOVTS MUST COOPERATE ON CLOSING TAX LOOPHOLES *

G8 LEADERS SAY TAX AUTHORITIES SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY SHARE INFORMATION "TO FIGHT THE SCOURGE OF TAX EVASION" AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR COMPANIES TO "SHIFT THEIR PROFITS ACROSS BORDERS TO AVOID TAXES" *

MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES WOULD BE OBLIGED TO DECLARE HOW MUCH TAX THEY PAY IN EACH COUNTRY WHERE THEY OPERATE *

G8 PLANS WILL BE DEVELOPED AT A G20 SUMMIT LATER THIS YEAR *

HEAD OF THE NATL SECURITY AGENCY TELLS CONGRESS THAT THE GOVT'S SWEEPING SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS HAVE THWARTED SOME 50 TERRORIST PLOTS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING ONE TO BOMB THE NY STOCK EXCHANGE *

ARMY GEN KEITH ALEXANDER TELLS THE HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE THAT THE TWO PROGRAMS THAT WERE RECENTLY DISCLOSED ARE CRITICAL IN THE TERRORISM FIGHT *

ALEXANDER SAYS THE PROGRAMS HELP THE INTEL COMMUNITY "CONNECT THE DOTS" *

CHRYSLER AGREES TO RECALL 2.7 MIL OLDER JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND LIBERTY SUVS THAT COULD BE AT RISK OF A FUEL TANK FIRE *

NATL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN (NHTSA ) SAID EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT THE JEEP'S GAS TANK COULD RUPTURE IF HIT FROM THE REAR, CAUSING A FIRE, AFTER 51 PEOPLE DIED IN FIERY JEEP CRASHES *

RECALL COVERS JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES FROM MODEL YEARS 1993 THROUGH 2004 AND JEEP LIBERTY SUVS FROM 2002 THROUGH 2007 *

TWO OF MUAMMAR QADDAFI'S ADULT CHILDREN MOVE FROM ALGERIA TO OMAN IN WHAT THE UN SAYS IS A VIOLATION OF ITS TRAVEL BAN *

AISHA AND MOHAMMED QADDAFI HAVE BEEN ON THE UN SANCTIONS BLACKLIST SINCE EARLY 2011 AND ARE SUBJECT TO AN ASSET FREEZE AND TRAVEL BAN *

BOTH FLED TO ALGERIA AFTER THE LATE LIBYAN LEADER WAS OUSTED LATER THAT YEAR *

SYRIAN WARPLANES STRIKE REBEL POSITIONS NEAR A MILITARY AIR BASE IN THE COUNTRY'S NORTH *

MEANWHILE, GOVT FORCES HAVE STEPPED UP ATTACKS AGAINST OPPOSITION FIGHTERS IN THE KEY PROVINCE OF ALEPPO *

OFFICIALS SAY THE VIOLENCE IS ALSO SPILLING OVER THE BORDER INTO LEBANON, WHERE CLASHES BETWEEN PRO-HEZBOLLAH GUNMEN AND FOLLOWERS OF A SUNNI CLERIC HAVE KILLED AT LEAST TWO *

U.S. WILL HOLD TALKS WITH THE TALIBAN IN AN ATTEMPT TO END THE 12-YR-OLD WAR IN AFGHANISTAN *

THE TALIBAN MET A KEY U.S. DEMAND BY PLEDGING NOT TO USE AFGHANISTAN AS A BASE TO THREATEN OTHER COUNTRIES *

BUT THE U.S. SAYS THE GROUP MUST ALSO DENOUNCE AL QAEDA...PRES OBAMA PRAISES THE MOVE, BUT SAYS THE PROCESS WON'T BE QUICK OR EASY *

HE CALLS THE TALIBAN'S OPENING OF A POLITICAL OFFICE IN QATAR AN "IMPORTANT FIRST STEP TOWARD RECONCILIATION" BETWEEN TALIBAN AND AFGHAN GOVT *