| Latest news from the wires: |
|
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 512
As of Friday, Aug. 29, 2008, at least 512 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. EDT. (AP, 7 p.m.)
Magnitude 5 quake hits Tibet, no damage reported
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Tibet on Friday near the border with Nepal, close to an area hit earlier in the week by a stronger quake that damaged hundreds of homes. (AP, 11:34 a.m.)
Oil rises to $117 on storm threat to U.S. output
Oil rose by more than $1 to above $117 a barrel on Friday, as Tropical Storm Gustav was poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico, raising concerns about its impact on U.S. offshore oil and gas output. (Reuters, 9:12 p.m.)
Musharraf eyes comfy retirement home
Predictions that Pervez Musharraf will have to flee Pakistan to escape treason charges have died along with the coalition that drove him from the presidency. (AP, 2:28 p.m.)
U.S. seeks way out of India nuclear deal impasse
The United States has told six nations its bid to lift a global ban on nuclear trade with India has stumbled over their objections and pressed them at a New Delhi meeting to relent, diplomats said on Friday. (Reuters, 9:54 p.m.)
Vietnam denies use of stun gun to break protest
Vietnamese authorities denied Friday that they had used force or stun guns to break up a demonstration by Catholics who are demanding the return of land the Communist government took more than four decades ago. (AP, 10:02 a.m.)
Sri Lanka urges civilians to flee from rebel areas
Sri Lanka urged civilians living in Tamil Tiger rebel-held areas to flee to government-controlled territory as fighting escalated in the embattled north, officials said Friday. (AP, 8:44 a.m.)
Zardari should give up Pakistan president bid: rival
The widower of assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto should withdraw as a candidate for president because of questions about his mental health, a rival candidate said on Friday. (Reuters, 6:56 p.m.)
Indian villagers desperate as floods spread
Villagers were eating uncooked rice and flour mixed with polluted water in an eastern Indian state, officials said on Friday, as hunger and diseases accompanied the worst-ever floods in 50 years. (Reuters, 6:56 p.m.)
Thousands seek refuge from India religious attacks
Thousands of people, most of them Christians, have sought shelter in makeshift government camps in eastern India, driven from their homes by religious violence which has killed at least 13 people this week. (Reuters, 6:56 p.m.)
Doctors say Dalai Lama health not serious
Doctors treating the Dalai Lama say there is no cause for concern despite him being admitted to hospital in India, and the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader will take part in a fast on Saturday, aides said. (Reuters, 6:24 p.m.)
Nintendo lifts profit, shares soar
Nintendo Co boosted its annual profit outlook by 23 percent on white-hot demand for its Wii video game console and DS portable player, beating market expectations and sending its shares more than 8 percent higher. (Reuters, 6:53 a.m.)
US: More than 24 militants killed in Afghanistan
More than 24 militants were killed in two separate battles with U.S.-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, the coalition said Friday. (AP, 11:34 a.m.)
Suicide bomber killed trying to attack Pakistan camp
KOHAT, Pakistan - A suicide bomber tried to force his vehicle into a Pakistani military camp in the northwest on Friday but was blown up when soldiers opened fire on him, a day after dozens of people were killed in violence across the region (Reuters, 9:38 a.m.)
Hyundai union to launch work stoppage next week
Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS>, South Korea's top automaker, said on Friday they had decided to hold brief work stoppages twice next week over a wage dispute and working conditions. (Reuters, 4:57 a.m.)
Dell sees Asia business sound but voices caution
Dell Inc <DELL.O>, the world's No. 2 personal computer maker, said on Friday its Asia Pacific business was holding up even as corporations turned cautious about spending on technology because of slowing global growth. (Reuters, 4:57 a.m.)
Malaysia ban on anti-government website draws outcry
Malaysia has pulled the plug on a popular news portal often critical of the government, sparking protests from a resurgent opposition. (Reuters, 1:14 p.m.)
Probe reveals oxygen bottle burst on Qantas flight
Air safety investigators confirmed Friday that an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a gaping hole in a Qantas jet's fuselage midflight last month, but said they were no closer to solving the mystery of why the tank failed. (AP, 9:11 a.m.)
Thai protest alliance not so happy with democracy
Thai police fired tear gas at thousands of right-wing protesters besieging their headquarters Friday, while demonstrators outside the capital disrupted air and rail service in a growing campaign to unseat the prime minister. (AP, 6:37 p.m.)
Pakistan's presidential favorite under guard
Pakistan's presidential front-runner has moved into a tightly guarded government compound over security fears, officials said Friday as a militant campaign against the government led to more violence in the country's volatile northwest. (AP, 1:18 p.m.)
Clash with Uighurs leaves 2 police dead
China BEIJING - Chinese police clashed with members of the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority in the far western region of Xinjiang, authorities and an activist said yesterday, the first reported outbreak of violence in the area since two high-profile attacks during the Olympics. Two policemen died and seven more were wounded. It was not immediately clear what ignited Wednesday's conflict ... (Boston Globe, 12 a.m.)
Grenade blast wounds 7 suspected rebels in Sri Lanka prison
A hand grenade blast inside a prison in eastern Sri Lanka wounded seven prisoners, most of them suspected of being allied with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, police said. (Reuters, 12:44 p.m.)
Dalai Lama in hospital with "discomfort"
The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, has been admitted to a hospital in India with "abdominal discomfort" but there was no cause for concern, doctors said on Thursday. (Reuters, 3:37 a.m.)