News Headlines - 03 August 2012

▽Angry Annan ends Syria peace bid - WalesOnline

Kofi Annan has quit as peace envoy to Syria with a blistering attack on world powers, ending a frustrating six-month effort that failed to achieve even a temporary ceasefire as the country plunged into civil war.

▽Japan condemned over executions - Telegraph

Japan has been condemned for hanging two death row inmates in the country's first executions since March.

▽Soccer - U.S. and Japan eye women's final rematch - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

The United States, chasing a third successive Olympic gold, will meet neighbours Canada in the semi-finals of the women's football tournament while France meet world champions Japan after all four convincingly won their quarter-finals on Friday.

▽London 2012: Putin Cheers Russia at Judo - WSJ.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spent decades cultivating an image as a macho man: Riding horses bare-chested, swimming in a Siberian river, collecting skin samples from whales, vanquishing his political opponents—all, of course, with the cameras rolling.

▽JAL, a Bailout Beneficiary, Heads for a Public Offering - NYTimes.com

Critics say the bailout has given JAL an unfair edge that distorts competition, and questions about its underlying health threaten to distract from the company’s return to the stock market. Whether its shares will be a good long-term investment is still to be seen, analysts say.