Chinese FM rebuts Pentagon report on China's military
China's Foreign Ministry has voiced its firm opposition to the Pentagon's annual report on China's military development.
Foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters that It is an irresponsible act which does no good to enhance China-U.S. strategic trust.
He said the U.S. Department of Defense has made similar reports in previous years, exaggerating China's military strength.
The spokesman said China follows a path of peaceful development and utilizes a national defense policy that is purely defensive in nature, noting that China is devoted to safeguarding peace and stability in the Asian-Pacific region and the world at large.

China supports Palestinians' UN bid: envoy
China's special envoy to the Middle East, Wu Sike, says China fully supports the Palestinians' right to establish an independent state in a balanced manner and through peace talks.
He's told Xinhua in Ramalla that peace talks with Israel are the best way to reach a settlement, adding that gaining UN recognition is not an alternative to peace negotiations.
Wu Sike says China supports a two-state solution -- Israel and an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security, he said, noting that he believes the current developments in the Middle East have a positive impact on the Palestinian cause.

At least 18 killed in bombing on UN building in Nigeria
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has strongly condemned the car bomb attack on the UN headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, which has killed at least 18 people and injured dozens of others.
In Friday morning's attack, a car stormed into the UN building's reception before exploding the lower floors of the building.
The Islamist group Boko Haram says its members carried out the attack.
Boko Haram has been fighting to overthrow the Nigerian government and create an Islamic state for nearly a decade.

NATO attacks pro-Gadhafi forces near Sirte
British warplanes struck a large bunker in Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte as NATO turned its attention to loyalist forces battling advancing Libyan rebels in the area.
The airstrikes came a day after fierce clashes erupted in the Libyan capital. The rebels said pro-Gadhafi forces were still shelling the airport and sporadic shooting was reported elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the National Transitional Council announced it is moving from the country's second-largest city of Benghazi in the east to the Tripoli.

Japan PM resigns amid sinking public confidence
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced he was resigning after almost 15 months in office, amid plunging approval ratings over his government's handling of the tsunami disaster and nuclear crisis.
In a nationally televised speech, Kan said he was stepping down as chief of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, effectively ending his tenure as leader of the country. The Democrats will vote next weekfor a new leader, the sixth in 5 years.
Kan's resignation perpetuates the high turnover in Japanese political leadership at a time when the country faces huge problems, including an aging population, sluggish economy, and reconstruction from the worst disaster to hit the country since World War II.

Obama calls on Americans to be prepared for Hurricane Irene
U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Americans to take the approaching Hurricane Irene "seriously," and make preparations if they live on the projected path of the hurricane that is expected to impact the East Coast over the weekend.
The Department of Homeland Security says Hurricane Irene could cause significant power outage and people could be cut off for days.
Hurricane Irene, now a category 2 storm, is expected to hit North Carolina first and then impact large areas of the East Coast over the weekend.

Death toll rises to 53 in attack on Mexico casino
The death toll climbed as workers continued to pull bodies out of a burned casino in northern Mexico, where gunmen spread gasoline and ignited a fire that trapped and killed at least 53 gamblers and employees.
Family members gathered outside the Casino Royale after the fire in the northern industrial city of Monterrey.
The fire in a city that has seen a surge in drug cartel-related violence represented one of the deadliest attacks on an entertainment center in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug cartels in late 2006.

China's maritime authority urges Conoco Phillips to clean up oil spills
China's maritime authority has once again urged U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips to finish cleaning up oil spills in north China's Bohai Bay as soon as possible.
Aug. 31 is the deadline set by the government.
The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) urged ConocoPhillips China to adopt all technical measures that could be used to clean up oil spills, and to do it "with an active manner."
The administration says it is collecting evidence and gauging the ecological impact of the spills in preparation for possible legal action against the company.
ConocoPhillips China admitted that a total of 16 oil spill sources have been found in Bohai bay.

Three face criminal charges in Shanghai tainted buns scandal
Criminal charges have been brought against three food company managers for producing and selling shoddy products in a dyed steam bun scandal in Shanghai.
The three are the general manager, sales manager and production manager of Shanghai Shenglu Food Company, which is accused of added coloring while producing corn flour buns.
The company sold over 270,000 packets of dyed buns worth some $ 97,000 U.S. dollars between October 2010 and April of this year.
The company also re-labelled buns made days earlier with new production dates and added expired or near-expired buns to the delivered products.