US-INTERNATIONAL Summary

US-INTERNATIONAL Summary


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Reuters
Friday, July 10, 2009; 9:32 PM

China raises Xinjiang death toll to 184

URUMQI, China (Reuters) - China has raised the death toll from ethnic rioting in the far western region of Xinjiang to 184, and for the first time gave a breakdown by ethnicity and sex of those who died, state media reported on Saturday. The official Xinhua news agency said that 137 of those killed were Han Chinese, who form the majority of China's population, including 111 men and 26 women.

Honduras rivals agree more talks to pursue solution

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - The rivals for power in Honduras agreed on Friday to hold more talks to seek a solution to the crisis created by last month's coup, keeping alive hopes that dialogue would prevail over confrontation. The talks' mediator, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, made the announcement after chairing a first round of discussions between teams representing ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the man put in his place by the June 28 coup, Roberto Micheletti.
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Eight British troops killed in Afghanistan

L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it had lost eight soldiers in Afghanistan in the space of 24 hours, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown said troops faced a "very hard summer," suggesting it should brace itself for more losses. The deaths, announced by the Ministry of Defense, included five who were killed in two blasts while on foot patrol, the highest death toll in a single attack.

Obama uses G8 debut to issue warning to Iran

L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warned Iran on Friday the world will not wait indefinitely for it to end its nuclear defiance, saying Tehran had until September to comply or else face consequences. Obama, speaking at the end of a G8 summit in Italy, said leaders had sent a message condemning the "appalling" events surrounding Iran's disputed presidential election and expressing solidarity against Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Medvedev threatens U.S. over missile shield

L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned the United States Friday that if it did not reach agreement with Russia on plans for missile defense systems, Moscow would deploy rockets in an enclave near Poland. In sharp contrast to his positive words during President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow earlier this week when the two reached broad agreement on nuclear arms cuts, Medvedev used a news conference at the G8 summit to return to Russia's earlier tough rhetoric on arms control.

Eight British troops die in Afghan war in 24 hours

LONDON/L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday eight soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan, its worst death toll in a 24-hour period, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown said troops faced a "very hard summer" battling insurgents. Five troops on foot patrol were killed by two blasts, the highest death toll in a single attack.

Hundreds injured in south China quake

BEIJING (Reuters) - A 6.0 magnitude earthquake that shook southwest China's Yunnan province on Thursday has killed one person and injured 325 people, Xinhua news agency said. More than 400,000 people had to be relocated or evacuated as thousands of homes were damaged by the quake and a series of aftershocks, the agency said.

Iraq denies U.S. policy shift brought Iranians' release

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Five Iranians jailed by the U.S. military in Iraq were freed this week not as the result of a U.S. policy shift on Iran but because their turn came up in a queue of prisoners awaiting release, an official said on Friday. Deputy Interior Minister Major-General Hussein Kamal said U.S. officials transferred the men, accused by U.S. forces of arming Shi'ite Muslim militias at the height of Iraq's sectarian war, to the Iraqi government, which then turned them over to Iranian officials in Baghdad.

U.N. rights boss sees possible war crimes in Somalia
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GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights chief said Friday both sides in Somalia's conflict are committing attacks and using torture against civilians, which may amount to war crimes. Islamist insurgents are executing civilians, planting mines and bombs in residential areas and using torture while their tribunals hand down death sentences by stoning and decapitation, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said.

Australian shot dead near Freeport Papua mine

JAKARTA (Reuters) - An Australian worker has been shot dead near the massive Grasberg mine in Indonesia's Papua province, which is run by a unit of Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Inc, Papua's police chief said Saturday. "An Australian working for Freeport got shot at 5.30 this morning," police chief Bagus Ekodanto said by telephone, adding the shooting happened between Tembagapura and Timika.