Mudslides leave at least 30 missing in southwest China
At least 30 people are missing after mudslides slammed a remote town in southwest China's Yunnan Province early Wednesday.
Days of torrential rains triggered the mudslides in Puladi Township, in the county of Gongshan.
Roads, power supplies and telecommunications in the area have been cut.
The mudslides struck close to an iron ore mine and it was not immediately known if they caused casualties, as contact with local residents high in the mountains bordering Myanmar was not established.

Humanitarian Situation in Flood-hit Pakistan Remains Grim
The UN says the situation in flood-ravaged Pakistan desperately needs the world's attention and assistance.
UN spokesperson Elizabeth Byrs was talking to reporters outside the UN building in Geneva.　
"Six million people in need of direct humanitarian assistance, urgent assistance, and we are gearing up our operation to deliver it to those people. There are 160-thousand square kilometresof land affected by the floods. It means that it's the equivalent of Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium altogether."
Prices of food have risen sharply since the floods began.
The UN warned that many of the 20 million people affected by the disaster have yet to receive any emergency aid.

Palestinian Captured at Turkish Embassy Handed to Israel
A Palestinian who broke into the Turkish Embassy in Israel attempting to take hostages and demanding asylum has been handed over to Israeli authorities.
Nadim Injaz, a Palestinian from the West Bank town of Ramallah, was armed with a knife, a gasoline can and a gun that turned out to be a toy.
Israeli police said Injaz was recently released from prison after serving time for an attack on the British Embassy in 2006 and was seeking asylum as he feared he would be killed by Palestinian militants if he returned to the West Bank.

White House: Blast won't derail Iraq transition
The United States says the Baghdad suicide bomber that killed at least 60 people near a military headquarters in downtown Baghdad won't prevent the planned U.S. troop withdrawal.
Among those killed were Iraqi recruits and soldiers.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton reaffirmed that U.S. troops in Iraq are moving toward ending their combat mission by the end of the month.
The remaining force of 50,000 is to focus on training, backup and counter terrorism.

US-Colombia bases agreement unconstitutional: court
Colombia's constitutional court has ruled that the agreement between U.S. and Colombia on the use of military bases is unconstitutional.
The agreement, signed between Bogota and Washington last August, allows U.S. troops and advisers to use seven military bases in Colombia.
The deal has caused much controversy in the region. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said it is detrimental to the sovereignty of his country.

Romania expels Russian diplomat
Romania has now expelled a Russian diplomat from Bucharest, according to the country's foreign ministry.
The move comes a day after Russia expelled Gabirel Grecu, a Romanian diplomat who has been working in Moscow.
Russia's Federal Security Service has accused Grecu of spying for Romania.
The identity of the Russian diplomat that has now been expelled has not yet been released.

Taiwan regional legislature passes landmark economic pact with Chinese mainland
Taiwan's local legislature has approved an economic and trade agreement with the Chinese mainland that is expected to bring closer economic ties between the two side across the Taiwan Strait.
Under Taiwan's laws, the agreement, known as ECFA, would take effect only after approved by the regional legislature.
Under the agreement, which was signed in late June, the two sides agreed to "gradually reduce and remove trade and investment barriers and create a fair environment" in the two areas.

Blast-hit fireworks plant was not licensed: investigation
A fireworks plant that exploded earlier this week in Heilongjiang province did not have a production permit, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.
The accident left at least 20 people dead and injured another 153.
The plant's production permit had been revoked in June, after the local work safety department asked it to improve its safety standards.
Another four people are still missing since the blast occurred.

Chinese show low confidence in liquid milk products: survey
A new survey by the China Association for Quality shows Chinese consumers do not feel very confident about the quality of liquid milk products sold in the country.
The so called 'confidence-index' measured at just over 68 points out 100. Respondents said the use of preservatives, low milk purity and unclear expiration dates were among the reasons they did not trust milk products.
The credibility of China's dairy industry first took a hammering in 2008 when melamine-laced milk killed 6 children.
Earlier this month, parents in Hubei province claimed milk powder was causing their infant girls to prematurely grow breasts.