Japan to re-activate nuclear power

• A reactor at the Ohi Nuclear Power Plant in western Japan is set to restart Sunday
• All 50 of Japan's commercial reactors have been offline since May due to safety tests
• The reactors have been stress-tested in the wake of last year's Fukushima disaster
• Demonstrators protesting nuclear power gather outside the Ohi plant

Tokyo (CNN) -- Energy-starved Japan will regain nuclear-powered electricity on Sunday, when the first reactor to be switched on since last year's Fukushima disaster comes online.

Kansai Electric Power Co. Ltd. (KEPCO) said the No. 3 reactor at the country's Ohi Nuclear Power Plant will be activated. The reactor will start providing electricity to western Japan -- which includes Osaka, Japan's second biggest city, by Wednesday. Ohi's No. 4 reactor is scheduled to resume operations by July 24.

Throngs of protesters demonstrated outside the Ohi plant on Sunday, voicing their opposition to the No. 3 reactor from going online.

All 50 commercial nuclear reactors in Japan have been offline since May 5 for safety checks. The government has been conducting simulation tests for restarting its nuclear reactors in response to public concerns over their safety in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant last year.

Before the March 11 disaster, Japan had relied on nuclear energy for about 30% of its electricity needs, according to government figures.

Which states affected

• NEW: 12 people are killed, including two boys in New Jersey
• At least 3.2 million homes remain without power
• More storms could move through the region Saturday night

(CNN) -- Millions of people were sweltering Saturday in record-breaking heat in the wake of deadly storms that ripped across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

At least 12 people were killed and three states -- Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio -- declared states of emergency. As of Saturday evening, more than 3.1 million homes remained without power, down from 3.7 million earlier.

America is having a heat wave

A look at the latest developments in the most-affected states:

3 states declare emergencies as heat, deadly storms bring misery to millions

VIRGINIA

Virginia was among the hardest-hit states, both in terms of fatalities and the number of power outages. Close to 800,000 customers remained without power Saturday evening.

Catherine Estelle Ford, of Scottsville, died when a tree fell on her after she stepped out of her car and tried to make a phone call, according to the Albemarle County Police Department.

Five others died in Virginia due to downed trees, according to the governor, who declared a state of emergency in response to the severe weather.

MARYLAND

A 71-year-old woman in Montgomery County was crushed by a tree that crashed onto her home, according to Lucille Baur, a public information officer.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake activated the city's emergency operations to coordinate storm recovery operations.

At the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, play was delayed in the third round of the AT&T National as trees and tents came crashing down and the PGA venue was left without power.

By Saturday afternoon, the course was still closed to fans and volunteers even after play resumed. Across the state, close to 800,000 customers remained without power Saturday evening.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

A man and his wife were electrocuted when they stepped outside to check on downed trees and power lines, said police spokesman Araz Alali. The man was killed and his wife was is in critical condition with burns. She is expected to survive, Alali said.

In the nation's capital, 19 intersections were without traffic lights at one point Saturday.

Joseph Rigby, president of the electric company Pepco, said it could be a week before power is fully back up in some areas of Washington.

Close to 64,000 customers were without power Saturday evening.

Storm leaves much of D.C. without power, sweltering

MISSOURI

The Jackson County medical examiner in western Missouri was investigating three deaths that may be related to the heat, according to the Kansas City Health Department.

KENTUCKY

A 30-year-old man was working to clear a road of fallen limbs when a nearby tree fell and killed him, according to Robert Gayheart, Clark County coroner.

More than 36,000 customers remained without power in the state Saturday evening.

WEST VIRGINIA

In West Virginia, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for the entire state after the powerful storms. More than 600,000 people remained without power Saturday evening.

NEW JERSEY

Two boys, ages 7 and 2, were killed in Parvin State Park in Salem County when a pine tree snapped and fell on their campsite, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said in a news release.

The boys were cousins from Millville. When the storm began, their families had huddled together in a single tent that ended up being crushed by the tree.

Close to 150,000 customers were without power Saturday evening.

OHIO

In eastern Ohio, 70-year-old Marsha Reutter was in her barn with her husband, feeding farm animals, when strong winds blew through and caused the barn to collapse, said Jeff Jadwin, deputy emergency management director for Muskingum County.

Her husband was able to pull himself out, but Reutter died at the scene, according to Jadwin.

The governor declared a state of emergency, while close to 650,000 customers across Ohio were still without power Saturday evening.

Will 2012 be the hottest summer on record?

CNN's Maggie Schneider contributed to this report.

12 dead in U.S. storms and scorching heat wave

• Storms cause about 3 million power outages from Indiana to West Virginia
• "If you don't have a good pair of boots, it'll burn clear through to your feet," roofer says
• Authorities around Kansas City are probing three deaths that may be heat-related
• Scorching temperatures are expected to stretch into next week in some areas

(CNN) -- More than 3 million homes lost power early Saturday across the Midwest as a fierce line of thunderstorms and winds pounded the region after record-setting temperatures.

The storms moved east from Indiana through Ohio and into West Virginia, according to utilities. Virginia was the most hit with power outages to about 860,000 homes.

The outages come as tens of millions in the central and eastern United States are battling a sweltering summer and stormy fury.

Temperatures Friday soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Kansas to Washington, with scorching conditions expected to continue through the weekend and beyond.

"If you don't have a good pair of boots, it'll burn clear through to your feet," said roofer Zach Bruner in Evansville, Indiana, where he said the 103-degree temperatures were spiking to 130 on the job site.

'Only in America': Summer heat

Temps soar across the U.S.

Triple digit highs scorch the U.S.

The severe thunderstorms moving across the Midwest are fueled by the record-high temperatures, bringing with them lightning and wind gusts as strong as 80 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

As storms moved east from Indiana through Ohio and into West Virginia, they left a trail of damage that included power outages.

"The storms may reach as far as the Atlantic coast by late tonight or early Saturday morning," the weather service said. "People planning outdoor activities this evening in the path of the squall line are urged to pay attention to local weather warnings and take shelter as storms approach."

The massive systems left one in three Americans baking in scorching heat and has threatened lives and doled out misery for those not fortunate enough to find a splash of cool water or air conditioning.

Heat warnings, watches or advisories Friday spanned 730,000 square miles of the central and eastern United States, an area roughly the size of Mexico, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. About 100 million people were affected, he said.

WIS: Lexington, South Carolina, police battle heat

By Friday afternoon, temperatures had climbed to 100 degrees in Indianapolis; 101 in Richmond, Virginia; and 102 degrees in St. Louis, where highs were forecast to stay above 100 through Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

And it felt even hotter in some places, with the heat index topping out around 115 degrees.

The Jackson County medical examiner in western Missouri is investigating three deaths that may be related to the heat, according to the Kansas City Health Department.

"Heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke are a real threat," the National Weather Service said in issuing an excessive heat warning through Sunday for eastern Missouri, including St. Louis, where temperatures should soar up to 106 this weekend.

"This is especially true because of the longevity of this heat wave and the effects of extreme heat are cumulative."

5 tips to survive extreme heat

In Memphis, where highs hit 105 degrees Friday, firefighters went door to door, checking on residents. Churches and faith-based institutions were also urged to reach out to people and to ask people to check on their neighbors and relatives.

WCSC: New weather bug system could keep carriage horses healthy

"Please, if you know of someone who doesn't have air conditioning or who might be struggling with the heat, just stop by and see how they are doing," Mayor A.C. Wharton Jr. urged residents.

The weather service posted excessive heat warnings for 12 states, from Nebraska to New Jersey, with watches and advisories posted for at least six other states. Arizona was also under an excessive heat warning, with a predicted high Friday in the Phoenix area of 112 degrees.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake activated the city's emergency operations to coordinate storm recovery operations. In West Virginia, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for the entire state after the powerful storms.

CNN's Nick Valencia, Melissa Abbey and Jake Carpenter contributed to this report.

Watch Uefa Euro 2012 Final Live Tv Stream Online Free - 8 June 2012

Watch Uefa Euro 2012 Final Live Tv Stream Online Free - 8 June 2012
Euro 2012 Opening Ceremony will be held at Warswaw stadium and this would be the start of the Evening and new national Football season , Euro 2012 will be starting from this 8th of the June and this Summer season is full filled with Joy of Lovely football where the Two hosting Nations will do their best to entertain the Peoples who come from the Different countries to watch the Euro 2012.

Well there are many peoples who can get the live from the stadium so here is a better options for them they can watch the Euro matches live online here . The best thing You can watch the Euro 2012 Opening Ceremony with some HD quality and Better live streaming links to watch the Special night of the Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Former Israeli PM Shamir dies

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Shamir listens to introductions before he addresses a convention of U.S. Jewish leaders on November 21, 1991, in Baltimore. The former soldier, spy and statesman has died at the age of 96, Israeli officials said on June 30, 2012.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Shamir shake hands in New York before a dinner sponsored by Israel Bonds in October 1998. Gorbachev was honored for allowing mass emigration of Jews to Israel starting in 1988. Shamir, who led the right-wing Likud bloc, served as prime minister from 1983 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1992.

Shamir, left, waves to supporters July 5, 1989, in Tel Aviv as he and his two rivals, Ariel Sharon. center, and David Levy, right, walk in to address the Likud Central Committee. Shamir was military leader of the extremist Stern Gang between 1944 and 1946, and was behind a series of anti-British attacks, before Israel declared its independence in 1948. Shamir had withdrawn from public life over the past decade, silenced by Alzheimer's disease.

Shamir, left, meets with General Antoine Lahad, commander of the South Lebanese Army, during their tour of Israel's self-declared security zone January 26, 1989, in southern Lebanon.

Shamir and Labor Party leader Yitzhak Rabin shake hands in Qatzerin on the Golan Heights on June 10, 1992. The two candidates for prime minister were at an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the capture of the Golan Heights from Syria.

Shamir, left, speaks with adviser Benjamin Netanyahu, right, at the Madrid Middle East Peace conference in Madrid on October 30, 1991. Netanyahu is now in his second tenure as Israel's prime minister.

French foreign trade official Dominique Strauss-Kahn, center left, shakes hands with Shamir on May 27, 1992, in Jerusalem during an official visit.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Shamir meet in the White House on February 18, 1987.

Shamir attends a street-naming ceremony on April 15, 1992, commemorating deceased members of the Lehi, the underground militants who fought the British in Petah Tikva.

Shamir wipes his eye during a commemorative ceremony on May 5, 1992, in Jerusalem for soldiers who died in Israel's wars.

A photo of Shamir from June 1977, during his tenure as speaker of the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

• NEW: Shimon Peres calls Shamir a "brave warrior"
• The 96-year-old politician was involved in key foreign policy initiatives
• Netanyahu says he 'belonged to the generation of giants" that established the state
• Shamir led Israel during the first Gulf War, when Iraqi missiles fell on Israel

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir died Saturday, the country's prime minister's office said. He was 96.

Shamir twice served as Israeli premier: from 1983 to 1984, and from 1986 to 1992. He also was Israel's foreign minister from 1980 to 1986.

Born in Poland, Shamir moved to Palestine and fought for Israeli independence. He joined the Likud movement, serving as a member of Israel's parliament, and also worked for the Mossad, Israel's intelligence service.

He succeeded Menachem Begin as prime minister in 1983.

"Yitzhak Shamir belonged to the generation of giants who established the State of Israel and fought for the freedom of the Jewish people on their land," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a fellow Likud member.

It was during Shamir's second term as prime minister that the Gulf War broke out, leaving him with the question of how to respond to Iraqi Scud missiles falling on Israeli soil.

Israeli government and military officials pressed him to retaliate and the United States urged him not to, and Shamir ultimately assured Washington he would not strike back.

Shamir also presided over negotiations with Egypt on the post-treaty normalization process, and started diplomatic relations with several African countries that had severed relations with Israel after the Yom Kippur War, according to a biography of Shamir on the prime minister's website.

Shamir ordered Operation Solomon, the airlift rescue of thousands of Ethiopian Jews following a regime change in 1991. During the operation, which took less than 48 hours, 14,000 Jews boarded Israeli planes to emigrate to Israel, according to the Israeli government.

In September 1991, Shamir represented Israel at the International Peace Conference in Madrid.

Israeli President Shimon Peres called Shamir a "brave warrior."

"He fought with courage against the British mandate in the days of the underground and his incredible contribution to the State of Israel during his time in the Mossad will remain forever enshrined in the tales of bravery of our nation," Peres said in a statement.

Euro 2012 Final Live Stream Online Free - 1 July 2012

Watch Euro 2012 Live Stream Online Free - 8 June 2012
Euro 2012 will be kicked off in the June and this time 16 Nations will war for the Euro trophy there are some big names like France, Portugal, Sweden , Poland , Germany , Ukraine , Cezech Republic , Ireland, England , and some other teams will also part of the this Championship , Spain have a great team and they have Won the world cup 2012 and they were looking forward to win the match.

Well all the live streaming links to watch Euro 2012 Live will be updated here just before the kickoff stay tuned for the latest links for the Euro 2012 matches . All links will be updated in the different qualities . HD Streaming , 3D Streaming , Fast Links , Imac Links to watch the Euro on yor Imac , You can get links for your Laptop , and Also the most important Links for the Euro 2012 in the Iphone 4 , Iphone 4S , Iphone 3GS and Ipad 2, Ipad 3 ...

DTN News - EURO 2012: Mario Balotelli Must Be Super For Italy To Beat Spain In Final

DTN News - EURO 2012: Mario Balotelli Must Be Super For Italy To Beat Spain In Final


(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 29, 2012: Mario Balotelli plays the game on the margins, teetering at times between sheer brilliance and utter disaster. Balotelli was brilliant in the semifinal win over Germany. For Italy to beat Spain in the Euro 2012 final, Balotelli will need to be more brilliant than ever.  (Photo - Getty)

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DTN News - EURO 2012: Elton John Performs During His Charity Concert In Kiev

DTN News - EURO 2012: Elton John Performs During His Charity Concert In Kiev

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 30, 2012: British singer Elton John performs during his charity concert at the Euro 2012 football championships fanzone, on June 30, 2012 in Kiev. The concert dedicated to fight against Aids takes place on the eve of the Euro 2012 final.  (Photo - Getty)

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Italy vs Germany 2-1 Highlights Goals Videos Euro 2012 - 28 June - Mario Balotelli 2 Goals Videos

Italy vs Germany 2-1 Highlights Goals Videos Euro 2012 - 28 June - Mario Balotelli 2 Goals Videos
Well the team italy reaches the final with the team of Spain . Watch all 2 gOals video that italy have scored against tue Gerkany highlights will be posted soon. It was Mesuit Ozil who scored the final goal of the match but its too late and the Italy have secure their position for the Euro 2012 Final. Full highlights each players shots videos and miss chances and fouls videos.

Goal Scorers :
20' [0 - 1] M. Balotelli
36' [0 - 2] M. Balotelli
90' [1 - 2] M. Özil (pen.)
Full Match Highlights Italy vs Germany 2-1 Highlights


M. Balotelli 1st Goal Video

M. Balotelli 2nd Goal Video

M. Özil Penalty Goal Video

1st Half Highlights Mario Balotelli 2 Goals videos

Stars Mothers 2012.06.30

David Silva Goal vs Italy Video Highlights - Euro Cup 2012 Final

David Silva Goal vs Italy Video Highlights - Euro Cup 2012 Final
Amazing goal in the starting few minutes of the match scored by the side midfilder David Silva

Iraq checkpoint attacks leave 11 dead

• Four others also wounded Friday by gunmen at a checkpoint in Diyala province
• June has been more violent than April or May; nearly 200 people have been killed this month
• In May, the number was 132
• Sectarian attacks peaked between 2005 and 2007

Baghdad (CNN) -- Four Awakening Council members were killed and four others were wounded Friday when gunmen attacked a checkpoint in Diyala province, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

The checkpoint was manned by members of the local Awakening Council in the town of Khan Bani Saad, according to police.

The councils, also known as Sons of Iraq, are composed predominantly of Sunni Arab fighters who turned on Iraq's al Qaeda militants in late 2006.

In another attack, seven people were killed and 45 others wounded when three explosions hit central Balad on Friday afternoon, police officials said.

The first attack was a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive vest in a busy outdoor market in the town of Balad north of Baghdad.

A few minutes later, two motorcycles rigged with explosives exploded near government offices, including a post office and a police station.

Police said most of the victims were from the suicide attack in an outdoor market near a Shiite Shrine

Balad is a predominately Shiite town in Salaheddin province.

Police officials in Baghdad said they believe al-Qaeda in Iraq is behind Balad attacks as they have been trying to agitate the sectarian tension between Arab Muslims Sunni and Shiite.

The officials told CNN on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to media.

In June, nearly 200 people were killed, according to CNN estimates.

In May, 132 people were killed. And 126 died in April, according to figures released by Iraq's Interior Ministry.

Overall, violence in Iraq has dropped since sectarian attacks peaked between 2005 and 2007, but bombings and shootings are still common.

Opinion: Syria meeting 'unlikely to work'

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in St. Petersburg on the eve of talks on Syria.

• Aaron Miller: World leaders will meet in Geneva to discuss what to do about Syria conflict
• He says plan is to agree on plan for unity government, ending violence. Expect little else
• He says involved powers want al-Assad out, but have different, often conflicting agendas
• Miller: Al-Assad will inevitably go, powers must prepare to step in with costly help

Editor's note: Aaron David Miller is a distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and served as a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. He is the author of the forthcoming book "Can America Have Another Great President?" Follow him on Twitter.

(CNN) -- On Saturday, the "let's make ourselves feel better" club will convene in Geneva to try to figure out what to do about Syria.

The motives of those gathering in Geneva at the invitation of U.N. Special Envoy Kofi Annan -- the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (United States, France, China, Britain and Russia), plus Turkey and a number of Arab league members including Iraq and Qatar -- are well-intentioned. Their concern over the continued killing, more than 12,000 dead with thousands more wounded and imprisoned, is understandable.

But sadly, the results of the Geneva meeting, even with some added wind at its back (the Turks are madder than ever at Syria for downing a Turkish reconnaissance plane earlier this week), are not likely to produce much new.

The purpose of the meeting is to gain agreement on a new Annan plan for a national unity government and a political transition to stop the conflict. But this is unlikely to work any more effectively than Annan's earlier six point cease-fire approach. Chances are the conflict in Syria is going to get worse before it gets worse.

The core problem is that the options on Syria are all bad, and nobody wants to assume responsibility for a conflict that pits a regime that still has tremendous firepower against an opposition that is growing stronger but still isn't in a position to bring that regime down. There has been too much blood for diplomatic compromise, and military solutions are risky and too uncertain.

The other challenge is that the international community is fundamentally divided. Instead of a coalition of the willing and the determined, the group that will gather Saturday resembles a group of the unwilling, the uncooperative and the disabled.

Turkey says Syria fired at second plane

Turkey seeks alternative trade routes

Syrian opposition armed and organized

Their motives and agendas diverge even while on the surface they all know that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go and that the current situation could harm all their interests. Still, the risks of changing the status quo through using force against the regime is still greater than maintaining it.

At the meeting, all will express that concern and try to come up with new ways to support and organize the Syrian opposition and pressure the regime. There may even be a notional agreement on the new Annan plan. But here's what the three main players -- the United States, Russia and Turkey -- are really thinking.

United States: The United States is appalled by the violence and would like to do more. But President Obama is really much more focused on domestic issues; he knows there is no will or stomach for new foreign commitments or for risky military adventures in the wake of Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States fears an open-ended military commitment and won't act alone. Nor does it want to see an outcome that leaves elements of the old regime in place. At the same time it has been wary of half-measures: safe zones and arming the Syrian opposition. Washington is too conflicted to lead.

The Russians: The fact is Russia's Vladimir Putin knows al-Assad is done, but he isn't going to let the Americans dictate the outcome as they did in Libya. The Russians have seen all their clients -- Saddam Hussein, Moammar Gadhafi and now al-Assad under pressure -- one way or another removed by the Americans.

As a great power, Russia is determined to preserve its influence in Syria; it sells arms and uses the Syrian port of Tartus as a key naval facility (Russia's only base outside the former Soviet Union). Putin also doesn't want to see a Saudi-backed Sunni regime in Damascus. He resents the Saudis for supporting Muslims in Chechnya and in the North Caucasus. So he'll push for a solution that preserves some of the old regime and the Alawi minority, and of course a major Russian role in the outcome Russia is too suspicious to help broker.

Turkey: The Turks are angry and embarrassed at the Syrian downing of one of their planes, which made them look weak. But if Ankara really wanted to play a leadership role, it could have used this incident as an excuse to push for military action. There's no real stomach among the Turkish public for a war with Syria, however. Turkey also is worried about Syrian support for the Kurdish PKK and its own Alevis minority. The fact is unless the refugee flows from Syria to Turkey get a whole lot worse or the killing reaches new levels, Turkey will be very careful about taking too high a profile on Syria. The Turks are too tentative to lead.

And so it goes. The contact group in Geneva may show new resolve, issue tough statements and make contingency plans. It could even endorse Annan's plan for a national unity government. But even if some new measure is announced, the meeting will be marked far more by what's not said than by what is.

The Syrian situation is a tragedy, but it's a tragedy nobody is yet prepared to take responsibility for. The costs of bringing down the Assads would be considerable, but the price of rebuilding the new Syria will be greater.

The Geneva group should start planning. Sooner or later the al-Assad regime will break. And when it does, the international community must be willing to step in with thousands of peacekeepers on the ground and billions in cash to reconstruct and keep the country running. If it doesn't, an even greater Syrian tragedy will begin to unfold with a heightened level of violence, sectarian killing and perhaps even the fragmentation of the country.

The international community may be too divided to bring down the Assads, but it must gear itself up to be united to avert an even greater catastrophe when they fall.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Aaron David Miller.

World powers reach peace agreement for Syria

• NEW: International community reaches consensus on way forward
• Hague urges world powers to "create a roadmap to lead Syria back from the brink"
• Annan: "The way things have been going thus far -- we are not helping anyone"
• Opposition leader says no transition is possible with al-Assad in power

Geneva, Switzerland (CNN) -- Members of the international community on Saturday forged an agreement for a transition to end the violence in and bring peace to Syria.

The first step should be a recommitment to a ceasefire by both sides and implementation of a U.N. and Arab League-backed six-point plan without waiting for the actions of others, Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan said.

A key to the process will be a transitional government, which Annan said could include members of the current Syrian regime. The make-up of such a body would be decided by the Syrians, he said.

"We are determined to work together urgently and intensively, to bring an end to the violence and the human rights abuses and the launch of a Syrian-led political process leading to a transition that meets the legit aspiration of the Syrian people," Annan said.

The agreement also calls on the Syrian government to release detainees and allow journalists access to the country. The right to peaceful demonstrations must be respected, Annan said.

The agreement is a last-gasp attempt to end the carnage in Syria and contain a growing crisis that some diplomats warn could potentially engulf the entire region. The meeting took place in Geneva Saturday.

Earlier, Annan issued a dire warning as the opening session began at the United Nations' European headquarters.

"We should never have reached this point," he said. His plan, he said, has not been implemented. Some U.N. members, he said, "simultaneously took national or collective initiatives of their own, undermining the process."

"The way things have been going thus far -- we are not helping anyone."

Italian priest expelled from Syria

Blast shakes Syrian capitol

Turkey says Syria fired at second plane

Syrian opposition armed and organized

U.S. diplomats were pessimistic as well. "Discussions remain challenging," a senior State Department official told reporters. "We're continuing to work on this today but we need a plan that's strong and credible. We may get there; we may not."

The official spoke on background because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.

A one-on-one meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the eve of the Geneva meeting also failed to yield any progress.

International diplomats say the United States and Russia remain divided on the key question of the fate of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States and many other nations demand he step down to make way for a transitional unity government. Russia says his future must be decided solely by the Syrian people, with no outside interference.

Opinion: The shortcomings of Annan's Plan B

As various diplomats emerged from the morning session, some were more optimistic.

But even Annan, in his opening remarks, was blunt: division among the participating nations is tearing apart any effort at peace.

"In a scenario of open competition between outside powers," he said, "the outcome of this crisis will be measured not by gains made but by who suffers least."

Annan invited top diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with envoys from Turkey, the United Nations, the European Union and the Arab League, to the emergency meeting.

Before going into the main conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Annan and the British and French foreign ministers. She also held talks with their Turkish and Qatari counterparts.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia and China were making negotiations on the subject "very difficult."

In his remarks to the conference, Hague urged his fellow delegates to heed Annan's words and "act with urgency and determination, to create a roadmap to lead Syria back from the brink, and to insist on its full implementation."

Without concrete steps there will be no hope of changing the situation on the ground, he said.

"None of us seek military action in Syria. None of us seek to impose a solution on the Syrian people. None of us seek to change regional power structures, or affect long-standing national interests in Syria," Hague said. "I believe all of us wish to see a peaceful Syrian-led settlement, and a stable, sovereign and free Syria."

Speaking from Cairo, the coordinator of the Preparatory Committee of the Syrian Opposition Conference, Rima Flihan, said no transition would be possible with al-Assad in power.

Photos: In Syrian hospital, no escape from war

"No dialogue will start before Assad steps down and we insist on our right to put on trial everyone who participated in the mass killings against our people and that every single official who ordered these crimes must be held responsible before we discuss a political road map for a political solution," she said.

The bloodshed continued in Syria as the latest round of discussions got under way.

At least 43 people died Saturday across Syria, the opposition group Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

They included 10 civilians, children among them, who were killed in Souran, Hama, by regime forces, the group said. Three more were killed in Aleppo, which security forces shelled with rockets and heavy machinery, the LCC said.

Syrian state TV reported deadly clashes between regime forces and "armed terrorists" in Idlib. The LCC earlier reported intense mortar shelling and heavy artillery in the area.

"We're confident that God's victory is near," marchers chanted Friday in demonstrations near the presidential palace in central Damascus. "We will no longer kneel to anyone but God."

They lambasted al-Assad's family with cries of, "We are coming after you, may God curse your soul."

In an interview Thursday with an Iranian state media, al-Assad said Syrians support the state in the face of foreign interference.

Some countries want to see military action against Syria of the same kind as was seen in Libya, al-Assad told Iran's Channel 4, according to Syria's state-run SANA news agency.

"We don't have any information of specific plans, but there are bids by the a few countries to push the issue toward military action," he said.

Zakaria: How to avoid a wider war in Syria

The death toll has mounted since March last year, when a bloody government crackdown on peaceful protests intensified into an anti-regime uprising.

The uprising against the al-Assad regime shows no sign of abating. The Local Coordination Committees estimates more than 14,000 people have died in Syria since it started.

Violence rages on 15 months after the anti-government protests started.

On Friday, several explosions hit Damascus neighborhoods, the opposition group said. And regime forces killed at least 70 people across Syria, more than 10 of them children, according to the group.

CNN cannot independently confirm the reports of casualties or violence because Syria restricts access by international journalists.

CNN's Saad Abedine, Joe Sterling, Mariano Castillo and Alla Eshchenko contributed to this report.

DTN News - EURO 2012: Italian Fans Celebrate Victory On A Tourist Bus With Their National Flag in Berlin

DTN News - EURO 2012: Italian Fans Celebrate Victory On A Tourist Bus With Their National Flag in Berlin

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 29, 2012: Fans of the Italian team celebrate on a touristic bus with the national flag on the Ku'damm avenue in Berlin on June 28, 2012 after the UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final football match between Germany and Italy. The semi-final was played in Warsaw, Poland..  (Photo - Getty)

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News 2012.06.30

Hello Sainaa 2012.06.30

DTN News - EURO 2012: Italy Fans Celebrate After 2-1 Win In Semifinal Match Against Germany

DTN News - EURO 2012: Italy Fans Celebrate After 2-1 Win In Semifinal Match Against Germany

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 29, 2012: Italian football fans celebrate after a goal in the Warsaw Fanzone during the Euro 2012 semi-final match between Italy and Germany on June 28, 2012.  (Photo - Getty)

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