Xinhua world news summary at 0800 GMT, July 31

Tuesday, July 31, 2007


Jul. 31, 2007 (Xinhua News Agency delivered by Newstex) -- Xinhua world news summary at 0800 GMT, July 31

KABUL -- The Taliban has once again issued a deadline for remaining 21 South Korean hostages, which would last until 12:00 p.m. (0730 GMT) on Wednesday, a purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said Tuesday.

Ahmadi told Xinhua from an undisclosed place that Taliban fighters would kill more hostages if their demands are not met. (Taliban-S.Korean-Hostages)

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SEOUL-- The South Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday a second South Korean hostage has been killed in Afghanistan.

'One of our citizens kidnapped in Afghanistan, Shim Sung-min, was confirmed July 31 to have been killed,' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong at a press briefing. (S.Korea-Hostage-Killed)

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KABUL -- A blast targeted a foreign military convoy on Tuesday morning in eastern Kabul, the Afghan capital, injuring at least one soldier and seven civilians, a press officer of NATO forces told Xinhua.

Brenda Steele said it was still unclear that the convoy belonged to NATO troops or the U.S.-led coalition forces, adding the blast occurred near a foreign military camp. (Afghanistan-Military Convoy-Attack)

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UNITED NATIONS -- A draft resolution on authorizing a joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping operation in Darfur, Sudan, was formally introduced at the UN Security Council late on Monday.

The text of the draft has been put in blue, meaning it is ready for an imminent vote, probably on Tuesday, a diplomat told Xinhua. (UN-Darfur-Resolution)

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WASHINGTON -- In a move widely viewed as a public censure of Japan's official policy on 'comfort women,' the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed a bill demanding Japan's apology on the issue.

The congressional move sent a strong and clear message to the Japanese government that there's no way the country can escape accountability for the sexual exploitation of women by the Japanese military during World War II. (U.S.-Japan-Comfort Women)

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TOKYO -- Japan's top government spokesman said Tuesday that it is 'regrettable' that the United States House of Representatives approved a resolution on Japanese military's sex slavery issue. (Japan-U.S.-Sex Slave)

Newstex ID: XIN-0001-18539319


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