Israel bombs Gaza, kills one Palestinian
The Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike on Gaza today, killing a Palestinian man and injuring another. Both are reported to be members of the militant Popular Resistance Committees. The IDF claimed the men killed were responsible for a June 18 attack on the Israeli-Egyptian border, and were planning future attacks.
China summons US envoy in protest over South Sea comment
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called in the American Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Wang to register a complaint against the US State Department’s remarks about the South China Sea. On Friday, the State Department said it was monitoring the situation in the South China Sea, and that the deployment of a Chinese military garrison in the region runs counter to “collaborative diplomatic efforts to resolve differences and risks further escalating tensions in the region." Beijing, Vietnam and the Philippines each hold claim to regions of the South China Sea.
West Bank meeting cancelled after Israel blocks envoys - source
A pre-summit conference in Ramallah for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has been scrapped after Israel denied transit visas to four foreign ministers who planned to attend, AFP reported, quoting a senior Palestinian official. The move comes ahead of the main NAM summit in Iran later this month. The Foreign Ministers of Cuba, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia were blocked from entering the country due to the fact that Israel doesn’t have diplomatic relations with their governments.
Afghan president accepts parliamentary vote to sack top ministers
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has reportedly accepted a parliamentary vote to dismiss the country's top security officials. Lawmakers voted Saturday to remove Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, following a recent spate of insurgent attacks. Wardak and Mohammadi will continue to hold their posts until replacements are appointed. Karzai could allow the ministers to keep their posts for months, further fueling the ongoing rancor between the country’s executive and legislative branches
Zambian miners kill Chinese supervisor over pay dispute
Zambian miners killed a Chinese supervisor and seriously wounded another in a pay dispute at the Collum coal mine on Saturday, Reuters reported Zambian Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda as saying. Workers at the mine, 325km (200 miles) south of the Zambian capital of Lusaka, attacked the Chinese men, demanding raises in line with legislation passed in July. China, which invested over $1 billion in copper-rich Zambia, has been a target for growing animosity as workers accuse firms of abuse and underpayment.
China arrests 137 in organ-trafficking ring bust
Chinese police arrested 137 people suspected of trafficking human organs in a nationwide crime ring, including doctors, the country’s Ministry of Public Security said. The sting was a joint operation conducted by 18 provincial police authorities in late July, which also intercepted 127 organ donors, the Ministry said. The detained suspects illegally recruited donors over the internet, facilitated the deals and made huge profits off the transactions, police said.
At least 19 killed in clashes in Turkey
Kurdish rebels attacked a border post in southeast Turkey, killing at least 19, Reuters reported. The rebels launched rockets at the army post in Hakkari province just after midnight. Six soldiers, two village guards and 11 Kurdish rebels were killed, and 15 soldiers were injured in the incident, Hakkari province governor Orhan Alimoglu said.
Clinton to discuss Syria with Turkey on August 11
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Turkey next week to hold talks with the Turkish government on the Syrian conflict, Reuters quoted a State Department spokesperson as saying. The talks are scheduled for August 11. Turkey, which shares its longest border with Syria, has pledged to support the anti-Assad rebel forces.
Gulf Arab states to discuss integration in September - newspaper
Foreign ministers from six Gulf Arab countries will meet in September to discuss plans for closer integration of the mostly Sunni Muslim states, Saudi Arabia's English-language Arab News reported. Saudi King Abdullah proposed last December that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) should move toward unification, in response to uprisings in the Arab world and the perceived threat of Iran. GCC Secretary-General Abdulatif al-Zayani claimed that the various disagreements standing in the way of such an agreement have been resolved, Reuters quoted the Arab News report as saying.
Man charged with 2011 Arizona mass-shooting faces life sentence - source
A court-appointed psychiatrist will testify Tuesday that Jared Loughner is competent to enter a plea on charges he is facing for his 2011 shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, a person familiar with the case told the AP. The shootings killed six people and injured 13 others, included then-US Rep.Gabrielle Giffords. If accepted, the plea bargain would likely see Loughner sentenced to life in prison.
Death toll in Yemen suicide bombing rises past 40
The suicide bombing of a funeral in Yemen’s southern province of Abyan killed 42 and injured 37 according to revised estimates, AFP reported. An investigation is underway to identify the bomber and the victims. Earlier reports estimated that 25 were killed in the attack. The bomber targeted tribesmen who assisted the Yemeni Army during operations against Al-Qaeda-linked militants, authorities said.
Road accident kills seven in Central Russia’s Novgorod region
Seven people were killed when two cars collided in Russia’s Novgorod region last night, the country’s Interior Ministry said. The accident occurred near the town of Chudovo (45 miles north of Veliky Novgorod) around 1:20am Moscow time on Sunday. The driver of an Audi A6 swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a VAZ-2107. Six people were killed instantly in the collision, and the driver of the Audi died on the way to the hospital.
China seizes over $180 million worth of fake drugs, detains 2,000
Chinese police have detained nearly 2,000 people in a record sweep on fake drugs, the Public Security Ministry said Sunday. During the operation, which involved some 18,000 police officers, authorities seized counterfeit products worth more than $180 million and destroyed over 1,000 production facilities. "The criminals' methods were despicable and have caused people to boil with rage," the ministry said, as cited by Reuters. The fake drugs were claimed to deal with a wide range of illnesses but caused health problems instead, the statement said. The suspects advertised their products online as well as on television, misleading the customers into believing that the products were genuine.
Moderate earthquake hits Argentina
A magnitude 5 earthquake has occurred in the Mendoza province in western Argentina, the US Geological Survey reports. No casualties, injuries or damages have been reported. The most devastating tremor to hit the area took place in 1944. Over 10,000 people lost their lives in that disaster.
Four killed in Afghanistan clashes
At least two soldiers from New Zealand and two Afghan security officers have been killed in clashes with insurgents near the town of Do Abe in Afghanistan’s central Bamyan province, New Zealand’s Defense Force stated. Six Kiwi servicemen were also injured and taken to a military hospital. Soldiers from New Zealand came to the aid of local security forces, which were attacked by the insurgents. The latest casualties bring the total death toll for New Zealand’s forces in the country to seven.
Death toll in Yemen funeral suicide attack rises to 25
A suicide attack at a funeral in a village in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan has claimed at least 25 lives, and the number is likely to rise as dozens more have been injured, with some of them in critical condition, medics said Sunday. "We have many people with critical injuries and we don't have the means to treat them," said a doctor at al-Razi hospital, as cited by Reuters. According to authorities, the bomber targeted tribesmen who had helped the Yemeni Army during operations against al-Qaeda-linked militants.
UN expert calls Myanmar human rights situation 'serious'
Tomas Ojea Quintana, a UN human rights expert, said the he witnessed “widespread suffering” during his weeklong visit of Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where sectarian violence erupted in June. He also said he recorded allegations of “serious" human rights violations by police and security forces, including torture, killings, arbitrary arrest and excessive use of force. Quintana, who was charged by the UN with assessing the overall human rights situation in the country, also expressed concern for the treatment of the six UN workers who were detained in Rakhine, and called on the country’s leadership to release all political prisoners. Clashes between the Rakhine state’s Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya left at least 78 dead and thousands homeless.
At least 18 killed in south Yemen funeral suicide attack
At least 18 people have been killed and over 20 wounded as a suicide bomber attacked a funeral service in the city of Jaar in southern Yemen. A Yemeni military official anonymously reported that al-Qaeda is believed to be behind the attack. The man whose funeral was attacked had been close to civilian militias that helped the army in its campaign against al-Qaeda.
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