World/Nation Briefs June 19, 2012

G-20 leaders have plan for global

job creation

LOS CABOS, Mexico - The leaders of the world's largest economies have agreed to step up their efforts to boost growth and job creation, which they call the top priority in fighting the effects of the European economic crisis, according to a draft of the statement to be released today at the end of the Group of 20 annual meeting.

The draft obtained by The Associated Press on Monday places the G-20 on the side of those who have been arguing for a focus on job creation, including through government spending, instead of the budget cutbacks and austerity pushed most notably by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany feels that it has been unfairly burdened by its large contributions to international bailouts of economically weaker European countries that overspent for years and, in exchange, it has been insisting on steep cutbacks from aid recipients such as Greece. Those cutbacks have led to dramatic economic hardship for voters in Greece and other countries.

A growing number of European countries having been advocating spending and growth, not austerity, and the G-20 statement appears to place the group of the world's largest economies into that camp.

Afghans dressed as police kill US service member

WASHINGTON - In the latest likely case of an insider attack, an American service member was killed and several others injured Monday when individuals dressed in Afghan police uniforms turned their guns on them in southern Afghanistan, U.S. officials said.

Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, confirmed the death and said that the three Afghan shooters fled and are being sought. Although they were wearing police uniforms, it was not yet certain if they were actually Afghan police or were just wearing the clothing.

Other U.S. officials said that nine U.S. troops were injured in the shooting, mostly with fairly minor wounds. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an investigation.

Neither Graybeal nor other officials would say which branch of the service the U.S. troops were from or provide details on the location of the shooting.

Nuns start bus tour protestingGOP budget plans

DES MOINES, Iowa - A group of Roman Catholic nuns began a nine-state bus tour protesting proposed federal budget cuts Monday, saying they weren't trying to flout recent Vatican criticisms of socially active nuns but felt called to show how Republican policies are affecting low-income families.

The tour was organized by Network, a Washington-based Catholic social justice group criticized in a recent Vatican report that said some organizations led by nuns have focused too much on economic injustice while failing to promote the church's teachings on abortion and same-sex marriage. The Vatican asked U.S. bishops to look at Network's ties to another group of nuns it is reorganizing because of what the church calls "serious doctrinal problems."

Sister Simone Campbell, Network's executive director, said while the tour may appear to have been organized to counter recent criticism of social activist nuns by the Vatican and American bishops, it was not. The timing was in response to consideration of the federal budget in Congress, she said.

"We're doing this because of what's happening on the Hill," she told The Associated Press in an interview. "We're desperate to get the word out, that's why we're doing it now."

- The Associated Press