Romney, in turnaround, bars press
JERUSALEM, July 28 (UPI) -- Likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney Saturday violated a previous agreement by barring the news media from a fundraiser in Jerusalem.
The about-face comes after the Romney campaign in April agreed to allow a pool of wire, print and television reporters to cover all fundraisers held in public venues including hotels, The Washington Post reported. Monday's event will take place at the King David Hotel and will include Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
Romney has in the past expressed different ideas to donors when he was under the impression no reporters were present, for instance suggesting to donors in Florida this spring he might eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development and drastically cut the Department of Education, the Post said.
Campaign spokesman Rick Gorka offered no explanation for the violation of pre-established protocol, saying, "That's all I've got for you -- it's closed press."
Two NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan, July 28 (UPI) -- Two NATO troops were killed Saturday by insurgents in Afghanistan, bringing the number of international forces killed there in July to 42, officials said.
The troops were killed in eastern Afghanistan, Khaama News reported.
"Two International Security Assistance Force service members died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said.
No further information was given on the incident.
NATO also said Saturday a combined Afghan-NATO security force killed a man believed to be supplying the Taliban with money, weapons and explosives, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The man, Maulawi Abdul Rahman, was sought out and killed in the northern Balkh province after he threatened NATO forces.
Clash kills dozens of Pakistani militants
MOGAL, Afghanistan, July 28 (UPI) -- Dozens of suspected Pakistani militants were killed in Paktiya province in Afghanistan during a clash with Afghan security forces, Afghan officials said.
The incident occurred Friday night when the militants attacked a security checkpoint in the Mogal district, said Gen. Zmarai Khan, commander of the 203 Thunder Afghan National Army.
At least 30 suspected militants from the Waziri tribe in Pakistan were killed and 11 were injured after the clash, Khan said.
At least two Afghan security force members were injured in the fighting, he added.
Paktiya province is located in eastern Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan and is one of the more volatile regions in the area, Khaama Press reported.
NISA OKs aging Japanese reactor
GENKAI, Japan, July 28 (UPI) -- The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency concluded there are no safety concerns with the pressure vessel of Japan's Genkai nuclear power plant's No. 1 reactor.
The Genkai plant in the Saga Prefecture is currently offline for regular inspections and nuclear experts have expressed concern over its aging No. 1 reactor, which began operating in 1975, The Asahi Shimbun reported Saturday.
NISA dismissed those concerns saying the pressure vessel would not likely crack, even if it operated for another 60 years. The agency conducted numerous tests, including one in which pieces of metal left inside the reactor are tested for their ductile-brittle transition temperature.
A test done in 1993 showed a metal sample was 56 degrees, but a sample tested in 2009 was 98 degrees, or 14 degrees higher than higher than it should be, the newspaper reported.
"I just don't understand yet why the transition temperature is so high," said Hiromitsu Ino, professor emeritus of metal materials science at the University of Tokyo. "I have doubts about the (pressure vessel's) safety. The No. 1 reactor should not be put back in operation."
