BERLIN (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday Afghans must talk to each other to resolve the conflict in their country even though huge mistrust exists between the government and its Taliban foes.

Obama was speaking in Berlin a day after the United States said it would begin talks with the Taliban on Thursday to try to seek a negotiated peace to 12 years of war – a move that has deeply upset President Hamid Karzai’s U.S.-backed government.

BERLIN (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday Afghans must talk to each other to resolve the conflict in their country even though huge mistrust exists between the government and its Taliban foes.

Obama was speaking in Berlin a day after the United States said it would begin talks with the Taliban on Thursday to try to seek a negotiated peace to 12 years of war – a move that has deeply upset President Hamid Karzai’s U.S.-backed government.

BERLIN (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will unveil plans for a sharp reduction in nuclear warheads in a landmark speech at the Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday that comes 50 years after John F. Kennedy declared “Ich bin ein Berliner” in a defiant Cold War address.

A senior U.S. administration official said Obama, on his first visit to the German capital as president, would signal his desire to cut deployed atomic weapons by up to one third below the level achieved in the last “New START” treaty with Russia.

BERLIN (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will say on Wednesday he will pursue a new reduction in deployed nuclear weapons by up to a third below the level achieved in the “New START” treaty with Russia, a senior administration official said.

“The President will also articulate the goal of reducing U.S. and Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, pledging to work with NATO allies to develop proposals that can be explored with Russia to achieve this goal,” the official said.

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – The United States pledged on Tuesday to keep on pressing for legislation to cut down on the criminal use of shell companies but did not take firmer action for now as part of a Group of Eight push to tighten rules on tax evasion and money laundering.

A frequent critic of tax havens, the United States has come under fire from campaigners for the low transparency requirements around ownership of corporate entities registered in some U.S. states such as Delaware.

INNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they would sign an agreement on securing and destroying nuclear material to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, replacing a 1992 deal that expired on Monday.

Obama and Putin met privately at the G8 summit to talk about pressing security issues and agreed to work together to protect, control and account for nuclear weapons.

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama announced more than $300 million in new humanitarian aid on Monday to address the Syrian crisis and to help neighboring countries cope with the 1.6 million refugees who have fled the civil war.

Obama announced the aid for food, medical equipment, water and shelter during a dinner with leaders of the G8 nations, which spent time addressing how best to end the two-year civil war.

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – Western leaders rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting Syria’s Bashar al-Assad’s attempt to crush a two-year-old uprising, setting the stage for a tense G8 summit of the world’s most powerful nations.

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to use his first face-to-face meeting with Putin in a year to try to persuade the Kremlin chief to bring Assad to the negotiating table to end a conflict in which at least 93,000 people have been killed.

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – Western leaders rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting Syria’s Bashar al-Assad attempt to crush a two-year-old uprising, setting the stage for a tense G8 summit of the world’s most powerful nations.

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to use his first face-to-face meeting with Putin in a year to try to persuade the Kremlin chief to bring Assad to the negotiating table to end a conflict in which at least 93,000 people have been killed.

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 17 (Reuters) – The
United States and the European Union launched negotiations for
the world’s most ambitious free-trade deal on Monday, promising
thousands of new jobs and accelerated growth on both sides of
the Atlantic.

Trade between Europe and the United States is worth almost
$3 billion a day and a pact could boost both the EU and U.S.
economies by more than $100 billion a year each – an attractive
prospect after the devastating impact of Europe’s debt crisis.