Continuing back injury makes Dinara Safina pull out of Dubai Tennis Championships

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday said he would address a package of new measures next week to boost U.S. growth and hiring as he greeted the August job report as positive news. JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has stood down from international football for the foreseeable future, telling Ghana he wants to return to form at club level, coach Milovan Rajevac said. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Wildfires swept through dozens of villages in southern Russia, killing at least eight people and reducing more than 400 homes to smouldering ruins, officials said on Friday. MANTEO, N.C., (Reuters) - Hurricane Earl slapped North Carolina's coast with rain, winds and heavy surf on Friday and swirled up the U.S. eastern seaboard toward New England and Canada as a weakened but still potent storm. HAVANA (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, wearing his green military cap and clothing like the comandante of old, made his first speech before the Cuban public since falling ill in 2006 on Friday, warning of the threat of nuclear war. DUBAI (Reuters) - Concerns over Israeli access to BlackBerry data, and the use of the device by the United States to spy on the United Arab Emirates are behind the Gulf state's moves to curb the smartphone, Dubai's police chief said. PARIS (Reuters) - Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will miss France's Euro 2012 qualifier against Belarus because of an ankle injury, the French Football Federation said on Friday, a few hours before the game at the Stade de France. LONDON (Reuters) - Cricket's governing body vowed on Friday to do whatever necessary to root out cheats and preserve the integrity of the game after suspending three Pakistan players over match-fixing allegations. LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Lime green dresses for girls spill out of the sack of food, supplies and shoes -- a gift from the Islamist charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) to help flood victims celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid this month. KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan have called up Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Irfan as replacements for the suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for the one-day series in England.