China/US: Chinese President Hu Jintao continues his four-day visit to the United States today (Wednesday) with a visit to the manufacturing plant of U.S.-based aviation giant, Boeing. Mr. Hu's visit to the Boeing plant in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington comes days after Beijing announced a deal to purchase 80 Boeing jets at an initial cost of four-point-six billion dollars. The Chinese leader arrived in Washington state Tuesday and toured the headquarters of U.S. computer software giant Microsoft with founder and chairman Bill Gates.
Iran Nuclear: World powers are continuing talks in Moscow, discussing how to handle Iran's dispute with the international community over its nuclear program. Envoys from the Group of Eight major industrialized nations are expected to take part in today's (Wednesday's) session. Tuesday, top diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany discussed the issue, but failed to agree on sanctions against Iran.
Thailand: Militants in southern Thailand have ambushed police and officials working on today's (Wednesday's) elections for a new upper house of Parliament. One policeman died and at least six people were wounded in two separate incidents. Authorities suspect Muslim militants carried out the attacks, which occurred (today) in the same district (Srisakorn) of Narathiwat province, in the portion of southern Thailand (near the Malaysian border) where a state of emergency was declared last year.
South Korea Pol: The South Korean parliament has confirmed the nomination of Han Myung-sook as the country's first female prime minister. Members of the National Assembly voted for Han by a margin of more than two to one (182 to 77) today (Wednesday), and she is expected to take up her post on Thursday. President Ro Moo-hyun (last month) named the 61-year-old, two-term lawmaker as his choice to become prime minister, which is a largely ceremonial job in Seoul.
Iraq: The chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein has ruled that the ousted dictator's signature is authentic on documents related to a crackdown on Shi'ite Muslims that left 148 dead in 1982. Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman made the ruling today (Wednesday) and then adjourned the trial until next week to give experts more time to examine the documents. Saddam and his seven cohorts were in the Baghdad court for today's hearings.
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