IN BRIEF (Page 10)

Pakistan

Jets, shells pound militant hideouts

Pakistani jets and artillery pounded militant hideouts in a lawless tribal district, killing 18 foreign and local insurgents in a massive ongoing offensive against the Taliban, officials said on Sunday. Airstrikes were carried out in the Mosaki area, 25 kilometers east of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, on Sunday while artillery shelled militant hideouts in the Kharkamar area, 30 km west of Miranshah on Saturday.

Iraq

Government talks postponed

Iraq's parliament failed on Sunday to break a damaging political deadlock that is holding up the formation of a new government to tackle an Islamist-led insurgency raging less than 80 km from Baghdad.

After a brief session, parliamentary officials delayed until Tuesday their efforts to reach agreement between the country's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians on the posts of prime minister, president and speaker of parliament.

Iran

Disputes remain in nuke talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that major differences persist between Iran and the six world powers negotiating to alter Teheran's nuclear program. Kerry's remarks were echoed by Teheran, which faces a July 20 deadline to make a deal. The US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China want Iran to reduce its nuclear fuel-making capacity to deny it any means of quickly producing atomic bombs. In exchange, international sanctions that have crippled the large OPEC member's oil-dependent economy would gradually be lifted.

Russia

Ukrainian shell kills 1 Russian

A cross-border shell fired from Ukraine was an indication of a dangerous escalation of tension in the border areas and might have irreversible consequences, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. The response came after local authorities confirmed the death of one Russian citizen after a Ukrainian shell hit Russia's Rostov region earlier Sunday. The Russian was born in 1967, a ministry spokesperson said.

Libia

Airport battle grounds flights

Heavy fighting broke out between rival militias near the airport of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Sunday, residents and officials said, reporting explosions and gunfire that forced the suspension of all airline flights. Explosions were heard from early morning on the airport road and in other parts of Tripoli. Residents said that the Zintan militia, which controlled the airport, had come under fire. Local TV footage suggested that the attacking rebels were from the western city of Misratis.

Reuters - AFP - Xinhua

(China Daily 07/14/2014 page10)