IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Pakistan

July bombings claim 35 lives

At least 35 people were killed and 86 others injured in 22 bomb blasts across Pakistan during July as the number of attacks dropped after Pakistani security forces started a large-scale operation in a militants' stronghold in the northwestern region of the country, according to official statistics. July was the first month this year when there was no suicide attack. According to the statistics, July's casualty count was down almost 47 percent from the previous month

Bangladesh

Train crash leaves 10 dead

A train smashed into a crowded bus carrying a bridal party west of Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital, on Friday morning, leaving at least 10 dead and 57 injured, police said. The Simanta Express train plowed through the bus and then dragged it at least 500 meters along the tracks at Barobazar town near Bangladesh's western border with India, police inspector Mizanur Rahman told AFP.

United States

Met Opera lockout delayed

New York's Metropolitan Opera agreed to extend negotiations with its labor unions for 72 hours, preventing a threatened lockout at the nation's largest performing arts organization, the Met said late on Thursday. The Met Opera also said it had reached new contract agreements with three of the 15 involved labor unions. The three unions, whose contracts were to expire at midnight on Friday, represent building engineers and opera staff such as ticket takers, ushers and guards.

Tropical storm approaches

Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands and other nearby islands as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the Caribbean. The storm's maximum sustained winds early on Friday are near 75 kph with no significant change in strength expected over the next two days. In addition to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, tropical storm warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica.

Argentina

Default fueling uncertainty

Argentina entered economic limbo on Thursday, forced into a default that could undermine an already frail economy if a dispute with US creditors is not resolved soon. President Cristina Fernandez and her economy minister both insisted they were open to more discussions with holdout creditors but also maintained an air of defiance and denied that the situation Argentina finds itself in really amounts to a default.

Xinhua - AFP - Reuters - AP

(China Daily 08/02/2014 page12)