IN BRIEF (Page 11)

United States

Fitch affirms AAA rating

Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday that it affirmed the United States' top-notch credit rating at AAA, giving the world's largest economy a reprieve after it was downgraded by Standard & Poor's little more than a week ago.

Fitch said the outlook for the rating was stable.

However, it warned that the United States was falling behind its peers among the AAA-rated nations on fiscal matters and the country had to show tangible results in its efforts to reduce the budget deficit.

GAZA Strip

Israeli air strike kills gunman

Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday killed one gunman and wounded five other Palestinians, medical sources said, after militants in the Hamas-controlled territory fired rockets into southern Israel.

No injuries were reported in the rocket attack.

Pakistan

Four die in drone attack

A US drone strike targeting a compound and a vehicle on Tuesday killed at least four militants in a restive Pakistani tribal area, security officials said.

The unmanned aircraft fired two missiles, hitting the compound and a vehicle parked outside the compound in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan tribal district, a senior official said.

Russia

Govt to show off stealth jet

Russia was due on Tuesday to unveil its first stealth fighter to the public, lifting the curtain on a secret project designed to flood the market with cheaper versions of veteran US jets.

The Sukhoi Tu-50, being developed jointly by Russia and India, made its maiden flight at a Far East air base on January 29, 2010, but is being presented to the public at the MAKS airshow outside Moscow for the first time.

Reuters-AFP

(China Daily 08/17/2011 page11)