A round-up of today's other stories in brief
28 die in blasts at two plants in China
BEIJING - A blast at an explosives plant in Zhaoyuan city in eastern China's Shangdong province killed at least 20 workers while another eight people died when a firecracker factory in north China's Shanxi province blew up, Xinhua news agency has reported.
At the explosives plant where a packing workshop blew up on Saturday, two other people were injured and nine were reported missing. It is under investigation, as is the Saturday detonation at the firecracker factory in Shanxi, where one person is missing. - (Reuters)
At least five dead in Pakistan bombs
QUETTA - A series of bomb and landmine blasts has killed at least five people and wounded several more in tribal rebel areas of Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan, government officials said.
Ethnic Baluch tribesmen fighting for more autonomy and greater benefits from mineral resources are suspected of being behind two bombings, in Kohlu and Bolan districts, 400km (250 miles) and 250km east of Quetta. - (Reuters)
Commissioner will be cleared - mayor
LONDON - London Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair will be "completely exonerated" by an investigation into the fatal shooting of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, said yesterday.
Mr Livingstone backed Britain's top police officer in an interview with the BBC's Sunday AM programme, adding that he would like to see his tenure extended so that he would be in office for the 2012 Olympic games.
"I have to say he is incredibly impressive. I have worked with him for over five years and I don't have the slightest doubt he will be completely exonerated when we get the inquiry into the de Menezes shooting." - (Guardian service)
Taliban kills Turkish engineer
KABUL - Taliban gunmen have shot dead a Turkish engineer in Afghanistan in the second attack in a week on foreigners working on a road project in the west of the country.
The engineer was with three guards yesterday on the border of Farah and Nimroz provinces when Taliban in a vehicle forced them to stop, according to the governor of Nimroz, Ghulam Dastagir Azad. Mr Azad did not identify the engineer or his company. - (Reuters)
US not suspected over bombings
LA PAZ - Bolivian president Evo Morales no longer suspects US involvement in two hotel bombings which killed two people last month, the US ambassador said.
A US citizen and his Uruguayan girlfriend were arrested after the blasts, spurring Mr Morales to say the attacks seemed politically motivated and to question the US commitment to fighting terrorism.
After dining with US ambassador David Greenlee on Saturday, Mr Morales said: "The ambassador gave us first-hand information about the US citizen who is the main suspect in the two explosions in La Paz. We value this participation." - (Reuters)
Kidnappers kill epileptic toddler
ROME - Pope Benedict and Italy's president have condemned the murder of an epileptic toddler who was snatched from his home near Parma a month ago in a case that has shocked the country.
A minute of silence was observed yesterday in soccer stadiums across the country for 18-month-old Tommaso Onofri, whose body was found late on Saturday after the kidnappers confessed to hitting him in the face with a shovel to stop him crying.
In his noon message yesterday, the pope condemned the "barbaric" murder and said he was praying for Tommaso and all victims of violence. - (Reuters)