China

Beijing supports military hotline

China supports the reconnection of a military hotline along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. "China supports the two sides moving forward to further improve relations and make positive efforts to ease the situation on the peninsula," he said.

Iran

Teheran wants to allay fears

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that Iran wants to allay concerns over its nuclear program and fears that it is hiding efforts to build an atomic bomb. "There are two principles in the nuclear domain. First and foremost, respect for our rights in matters of nuclear technology, especially the enrichment of uranium. Following that is to allay international concerns on the program," Zarif said.

Ireland

Govt seeks new EU credit line

The Irish government says it wants the European Union to grant it a new precautionary line of credit worth a potential 10 billion euros ($13 billion) to ease its planned exit this year from an international bailout. Finance Minister Michael Noonan said Ireland wants the credit line only as a safeguard "to give confidence to our lenders". He says the figure roughly equates to the country's forecast 2014 budget deficit.

Pakistan

Taliban-linked official killed

A senior Taliban-linked commander designated a foreign terrorist by the United States was killed on Friday in a suspected US drone strike in Pakistan's ethnic Pashtun tribal region on the Afghan border, security and militant sources said. The drones fired two missiles on a compound in Dargah Mandi in North Waziristan, destroying a house and killing seven people, one security official said.

Italy

Botticelli loan to Israel delayed

Italy will delay the planned loan of a famous painting by Renaissance master Botticelli to Israel because the timing is "not appropriate", the culture ministry in Rome said on Friday. The Annunciation of San Martino alla Scala was to be sent to the Israel Museum for an exhibition opening on Sept 17 to be opened by Italian Culture Minister Massimo Bray and his Israeli counterpart Limor Livnat.

China Daily-AFP-AP-Reuters

(China Daily 09/07/2013 page8)