News In Brief

Obama popularity at all-time low
Afp, Washington

US President Barack Obama's popularity has slumped to an all-time low, a new survey showed Tuesday. The Quinnipiac University Poll found that Obama's approval rating had nosedived to the level of unpopularity faced by George W Bush at the same stage of his presidency. Overall, the poll said 54 percent disapproved of the job Obama was doing against 39 percent who approved.

Morsi to sue Egypt rulers over 'coup'
Afp, Cairo

Egypt's deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi intends to sue the army-installed authorities over his ouster in July, his lawyer told reporters yesterday.
Mohamed al-Damati and a team of lawyers visited Morsi in jail on Monday, where he is awaiting the next hearing in a trial on charges of involvement in the deaths of protesters during his presidency.

Chevron ordered to pay Ecuador $9.51b
Afp, Quito

An Ecuadoran court upheld a ruling that US oil giant Chevron was liable for environmental damage in its Amazon basin region by sister company Texaco, but ordered it to pay a reduced $9.51 billion from a 2012 ruling which ordered to pay $19 billion.
Thousands of villagers say they were sickened and many have cancer from the oil spillage's effect on their water supply. The case could have implications for lawsuits in Canada and Brazil, where the plaintiffs are going after Chevron's assets.

Former Aussie PM Rudd quits politics
Afp, Sydney

Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd announced an end to his chequered political career yesterday, quitting politics two months after being ousted from office by Tony Abbott.
The charismatic 55-year-old Labor stalwart, who led Australia twice and was foreign minister in Julia Gillard's government, said he would leave parliament at the end of the week.

Israel soldier dies after Palestinian stabbing
Afp, Jerusalem

An Israeli soldier died yesterday after a Palestinian youth stabbed him on board a bus in the north of the country, police said.
The 16-year-old Palestinian from Jenin in the northern West Bank was detained by passengers and security forces on the bus, Rosenfeld said. According to police, the Palestinian youth did not have a permit to be inside Israel.