China to sign nuclear, aviation deals with Russia
Reuters, Beijing
China and Russia will sign nuclear energy, aviation and space deals next week during a visit to China by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday.
Medvedev will be in China to attend a summit of prime ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Chinese and Russia-lead security block, in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou.
China, Russia oppose UNSC meeting on North Korea
Reuters, United Nations
China and Russia oppose U.S. plans to hold a special meeting this week on human rights in North Korea, which has been accused by a U.N. inquiry of abuses comparable to Nazi-era atrocities, council diplomats said on Monday.
The United States, president of the Security Council this month, said last Friday the meeting would take place on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (1930 GMT). Senior U.N. officials are expected to brief the council.
Iran swine flu outbreak kills 33 in 3 weeks
AFP, Tehran
An outbreak of swine flu has left 33 people dead in two provinces of southeastern Iran in the past three weeks, the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
IRNA quoted Deputy Health Minister Ali Akbar Sayyari as saying there had been 28 deaths in Kerman province and five in Sistan-Baluchistan and warning the H1N1 virus was likely to spread to other areas including the capital Tehran.
Palestinian shot dead
AFP, Bethlehem
Israeli soldiers shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian as clashes broke out during a raid at a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Bethlehem today, Palestinian medics and the Israeli army said.
After the incident at the Dheisheh refugee camp, clashes also broke out at Aida, another camp in Bethlehem, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The person killed was identified as Malek Shahin, but the reason for the raid was not yet clear.
According to the Israeli army, soldiers entering Dheisheh were targeted with pipebombs and Molotov cocktails.
