World in brief: At least 38 dead in coal mine blast
Rescuers pulled the bodies of 38 workers from a southern Siberian coal mine after a methane explosion Thursday in what was the latest accident to hit the ailing industry.
Grieving relatives gathered at the Yubileinaya mine near Novokuznetsk, 1,850 miles east of Moscow, waiting for officials to identify the dead. Seven miners were injured.
The blast was the second to hit a mine owned and operated by OAO Yuzhkuzbassugol in two months – prompting a harsh warning from Russian industrial watchdog Rostekhnadzor, which said regional officials had sought to close down the Yubileinaya mine in the past.
The explosion occurred about 1,700 feet underground. A total of 179 miners were either brought to surface or made it out on their own, emergency department spokeswoman Natalia Lukash said.
WARSAW, Poland
Progress cited on missile defense
Negotiators voiced optimism Thursday that they could reach agreement for Poland to host part of a U.S. missile defense system. A Polish official said a deal could come in the next several months.
“This meeting today brings optimism to us because many of our observations and reflections are shared and were responded to by our American partners,” said Polish deputy foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski.
A first round of talks was held last week focusing on so-called status of forces issues, meaning the legal status of the base and its personnel, how they are treated and what their legal responsibility would be on Polish territory.
The next round is slated for late June in Washington, Waszczykowski said, adding that Warsaw would present “concrete proposals.” He predicted that an agreement could come in early fall.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he remains firmly opposed to the U.S. plan to place parts of a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, two former Soviet satellite countries in eastern Europe.
BEIJING
Floods, slides kill at least 21
Heavy rainstorms in southwest China triggered flash floods and mudslides that killed 21 people and left 11 missing, state media said today.
The storms that pummeled Sichuan province on Wednesday and Thursday left 11 people dead in the areas of Ganzi and Liangshan, and another five people missing, the Xinhua News Agency said.
A mudslide also damaged a 1,000-foot stretch of highway, it said.
In the city of Chongqing, floods and lightning killed 10 people and left six missing. Earlier this week, state media said seven children in Chongqing died Wednesday when lightning struck their school and set it on fire.
BOGOTA, Colombia
Colombian leader to honor Clinton
Colombia will honor former President Clinton for his efforts to reverse the country’s image for violence and drugs at a gala event next month in New York City.
President Alvaro Uribe, whom event organizers say is expected to present Clinton with the “Colombia is Passion” award, has recently been the focus of some controversy.
Last month, former Vice President Al Gore backed out of an environmental conference in Miami to avoid appearing alongside Uribe, who has struggled to defend himself against charges that members of his family and government supporters collaborated with murderous right-wing militias.
Prominent Democrats on the guest list include former Clinton strategists Dick Morris and Vernon Jordan, former Clinton Cabinet members Lawrence Summers and Madeleine Albright, and several Democratic congressmen.