Putin: Clinton instigates protests

Putin: Clinton instigates protests

MOSCOW

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, facing the possibility of nationwide protests against his rule, on Thursday accused U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of instigating demonstrators in the wake of the disputed parliamentary election.

The comments came as opposition supporters largely stayed off the streets after three nights of sizable protests. No protests were seen in Moscow and only a small one where 10 people were arrested was reported in St. Petersburg.

But the wave of discontent — which already has undercut Putin’s public persona of being both strong and beloved — may be far from cresting. More than 30,000 people have promised on a Facebook page to attend a protest Saturday in Moscow, and similar rallies have been called for more than 70 other cities.

Gaza official: Israeli strike kills civilian

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip

Israeli aircraft fired missiles at militant facilities in the Gaza Strip early today, killing a Palestinian civilian and wounding 25 other people, Gaza officials said, as a new round of violence in the area threatened to escalate into a wider confrontation.

The airstrikes, confirmed by the Israeli military, followed Israeli air attacks a day earlier that killed two Islamic militants and touched off rocket fire from Gaza on southern Israel. The rockets caused no casualties but further ratcheted up frictions.

Studies: No mental- health risk in abortion

LONDON

Abortion does not increase a woman’s chance of developing mental-health problems, according to a British health agency’s review of dozens of studies worldwide over 20 years.

Among women with unwanted pregnancies, those who had abortions were no more likely to suffer from problems including anxiety or depression than women who gave birth, the analysis by the U.K.’s National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health found.

The report is likely to be met by skepticism by those opposed to the practice and believe that terminating a pregnancy can trigger depression or other mental illnesses.

Obama answers foreign-policy flak

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama on Thursday forcefully rejected Republican accusations that his foreign policy is timid and amounts to a policy of “appeasement.”

“Ask Osama bin Laden and the 22 out of 30 top al-Qaida leaders who have been taken off the field whether I engage in appeasement. Or whoever is left out there, ask them about that,” the president said during a news conference.

He also defended his efforts to block Iran from building a nuclear weapon, saying Iran is now isolated and facing tough international sanctions thanks to the work of his national-security team.

5 bodies removed from Vegas canyon

LAS VEGAS

Rescue crews completed the difficult process of recovering bodies Thursday from a remote canyon outside Las Vegas after the crash of a tour helicopter belonging to a company with repeated aviation violations.

Sundance Helicopters of Las Vegas had at least five accidents and was the subject of 10 federal enforcement actions since 1994. It charted a luxury sunset tour of the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam on Wednesday that killed a 31-year-old pilot and his four passengers.

The recovery of the bodies and the investigation were complicated by the remoteness of the rugged canyon accessible only by helicopter and four-wheel-drive. The helicopter went down in the River Mountains bordering Lake Mead.

Associated Press