News Headlines - 03 September 2013

▽BBC News - Syria crisis: Obama wins backing for military strike

President Barack Obama has won backing from key US political figures on his plans for a military strike on Syria. Mr Obama said a "limited" strike was needed to degrade President Bashar al-Assad's capabilities in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack. Key Republican leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor both voiced their support for military action. Congress is expected to vote next week.

▽BBC News - Microsoft to buy Nokia's mobile phone unit

Microsoft has agreed a deal to buy Nokia's mobile phone business for 5.4bn euros ($7.2bn; ￡4.6bn). Nokia will also license its patents and mapping services to Microsoft. Nokia shares jumped 35% on the news, whereas Microsoft's fell more than 5%. The purchase is set to be completed in early 2014, when about 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to Microsoft.

▽New Apple iPhone: ‘Special event’ announced for September 10 - Telegraph

Invites sent to journalists ask them to attend an event at the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters, or in Berlin for European press, starting at 10am PST on September 10. The tagline ‘This should brighten everyone’s day’ appears to support suggestions that a new iPhone in a range of colours will be introduced.

▽BBC News - Fukushima leaks: Japan pledges $470m for 'ice wall'

Japan is to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into building a frozen wall around the Fukushima nuclear plant to stop leaks of radioactive water. Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said an estimated 47bn yen ($473m, ￡304m) would be allocated.

▽Airbus struggles to loosen Boeing's grip on Fortress Japan | Reuters

Airbus appears to have been pushed back once again in landmark efforts to break Boeing Co's grip on Japan's two largest airlines, which need to buy billions of dollars worth of planes in the next decade.