World in brief: Bombings kill 50 as conflict worsens

The wave of violence that has gripped Pakistan in recent days spread to new parts of the country and featured more ferocious tactics Thursday, with suicide bombers targeting a mosque, a police academy and a convoy of Chinese engineers in attacks that killed more than 50 people.

The strikes yielded the highest single-day death toll since the government stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad last week. More than 120 people died during the standoff at the mosque, and more than 160 have been killed in the attacks that have followed.

The severity of the violence has stunned Pakistanis. It has also left the country groping for direction as the military, pro-democracy moderates and radical extremists vie for control in a struggle that is likely to intensify.

Staraya Terizmorga, Russia

Putin downplays dispute with Britain

Russia said Thursday it would expel four British diplomats in an escalating conflict, but President Vladimir Putin sought to calm what he called a “mini-crisis” over his refusal to extradite a suspect in the murder of a Kremlin critic in London.

Expressing confidence the two nations would overcome their differences, Putin appeared intent on keeping the dispute over alleged Russian involvement in former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko’s slaying from harming trade and investment ties.

He spoke after Russia announced it would send the four British diplomats home in retaliation for the expulsion of four Russian envoys from Britain because of the Kremlin’s decision not to hand over suspect Andrei Lugovoi for trial.

Beijing

U.S. insists nuclear shutdown this year

The United States insisted today that North Korea could disable its nuclear facilities by the end of the year, even though negotiators have been unable to get a firm commitment from Pyongyang to do so.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill entered the six-nation talks this week saying he hoped to get a commitment from the North to declare its nuclear programs and disable them by year’s end.

But as the last day of talks began today, he said the sides have only agreed to have working groups of experts pore over technical details for those next steps before the top envoys from all sides endorse a timeframe. The working groups likely will meet by the end of August, he said.

“Ultimately, we decided not to put in deadlines – yet,” Hill said.