2,000 Syrians killed in 2 weeks of fighting

2,000 Syrians killed in 2 weeks of fighting

BEIRUT

More than 2,000 Syrians — almost half of them pro-government forces — have been killed in just over two weeks of fighting in Syria, marking one of the worst death tolls in the country’s three-year civil war, opposition activists said Monday.

The reports reflect a recent surge in deadly attacks by the al-Qaida-breakaway Islamic State group targeting President Bashar Assad’s forces, signaling shifting priorities as Sunni militants seek to consolidate their hold on territory and resources in northern Syria.

Judge rules against Va. gay-marriage ban

RICHMOND, Va.

Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban was ruled unconstitutional Monday in the first such decision by a federal appellate court in the South.

“We recognize that same-sex marriage makes some people deeply uncomfortable. However, inertia and apprehension are not legitimate bases for denying same-sex couples due process and equal protection of the laws,” Judge Henry F. Floyd wrote.

The 2-1 ruling applies throughout the circuit that also includes West Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas, where the attorneys general split Monday on what they’ll do next.

US, EU plan new sanctions on Russia

WASHINGTON

The United States and European Union plan to impose new sanctions against Russia this week, including penalties targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, the White House said Monday.

The show of Western solidarity comes as the U.S. accuses Russia of ramping up its troop presence on its border with Ukraine and shipping more heavy weaponry to pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukrainian cities.

President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy discussed the crisis during a rare joint video teleconference Monday. The discussion follows days of bilateral talks on how to implement tougher sanctions after the downing of a passenger jet in eastern Ukraine, an attack the U.S. says was carried out by the separatists.

House bill allows ads with pre-tax fares

WASHINGTON

In a victory for airlines and their workers’ unions, the House rejected consumers’ complaints and easily passed legislation Monday letting airline advertising emphasize the base price of tickets, before taxes and fees are added.

The bipartisan legislation would roll back federal regulations that since 2012 have required ads to most prominently display the full ticket price. Under the bill, the base price could be the figure most prominently shown in ads and ticket-selling websites as long as taxes and fees are displayed separately, such as in footnotes or pop-up ads.

2 charged in fatal carjacking in Philly

PHILADELPHIA

Two men who carjacked a woman and sexually assaulted her in her SUV before plowing into a family selling fruit on a street corner, killing three children, were charged with murder on Monday, police said.

Johnathan Rosa and Cornelius Crawford were each charged with three counts of felony murder and other crimes, police announced at a news conference. Police said they believe Rosa, 19, and Crawford, 23, forced a real-estate agent into her sport utility vehicle Friday, then took off at high speed.

The three children, killed by the SUV crash about 15 minutes later, were siblings who had been selling fruit for a church fundraiser. Their mother was injured in the crash, as were a friend who was nearby and the carjacked real-estate agent.

Associated Press