US - RUSSIA: U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States and Russia share many common interests, including reversing the spread of nuclear weapons and defeating violent extremists. Addressing students from Moscow's New Economic School, Mr. Obama said the issue of nuclear proliferation is the "core of the nuclear challenge in the 21st century." He touched on the agreement he signed Monday with Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev on a new bilateral pact that would sharply reduce the number of nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles in the U.S. and Russian arsenals.
CHINA - UNREST: Chinese state media say that the government in the restive western
region of Xinjiang has declared a curfew following ethnic unrest that
has paralyzed the main city of Urumqi.
The official Xinhua news agency says the curfew will run from nine p.m.
Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, local time (1300 UTC Tuesday to 0100 UTC
Wednesday).
The restrictions come after Ethnic Muslim Uighurs (pronounced WE-gers)
and
Han Chinese faced off Tuesday with riot police, two days after violent
demonstrations in the region left at least 156 people dead.
PAKISTAN: Intelligence officials in Pakistan say a suspected U.S. drone has fired
missiles into a Taliban training camp in northwest Pakistan, killing as
many as 14 militants.
Officials say the attack took place Tuesday in South Waziristan, along
the border with Afghanistan. Several foreigners are reported to be
among the dead.
The area is a stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, a top Taliban leader and
al-Qaida ally wanted by both Pakistan and the United States.
Mehsud is blamed for scores of attacks against government and civilian
targets, and is believed to be a key facilitator for al-Qaida fighters
in Pakistan.
AFGHANISTAN: Afghan authorities say a grenade thrown at a police vehicle has killed
one civilian and wounded 29 others in eastern Afghanistan.
Officials say Tuesday's attack in Khost province targeted a police
convoy. Most of the victims were civilians, however four policemen were
among those wounded. Meanwhile, the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) says three NATO soldiers (two Canadian, one
British) were killed in a helicopter crash in southern Zabul province
Monday
A NATO spokesman says the incident was not caused by enemy fire.
HONDURAS: Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is to meet with U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton in Washington Tuesday, as he seeks to solidify
international support for his return to power.
The meeting will be the highest level contact between Mr. Zelaya and
the Obama administration since he was forcibly expelled from Honduras
after the June 28 military coup.
During a speech in Moscow earlier Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama
openly backed Mr. Zelaya, despite what Mr. Obama said was the Honduran
leader's strong opposition to U.S. policies.
NORTH KOREA: The United Nations Security Council has condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile tests as a threat to world security.
Current Council President Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda's ambassador, said
after Monday's meeting that 15 members are gravely concerned.
He reminded North Korea that it must comply with all U.N. resolutions
related to its missile tests and its nuclear weapons program.
The ambassador also said all Council members repeated their commitment to a peaceful diplomatic solution.
G-8 SUMMIT: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he will urge
industrialized nations at the Group of Eight summit in Italy this week
to fulfill their pledge to help developing nations eradicate poverty.
Mr. Ban pointed Monday the annual aid flow to developing countries,
especially in Africa, is at least $ 20 billion below what G-8 leaders
pledged at a 2005 summit in (Gleneagles) Scotland.
The U.N. chief is scheduled to attend the G-8 summit, which opens
Wednesday in the Italian town of L'Aquila. Development will be one of
the main topics on Friday, the final day of the summit.
McNAMARA - OBIT: The man widely considered to be the architect of the Vietnam War has died.
Family members say former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara died Monday in Washington at the age of 93.
Current Defense Secretary Robert Gates praised McNamara as a "patriot
and dedicated public servant" who played a decisive role in shaping
history.
McNamara served as defense secretary from 1961 to 1967, under
Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, and became highly
controversial for presiding over the escalation of U.S. military
involvement in Vietnam.
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