In brief: Greek creditor talks to continue

ATHENS, Greece – Greek authorities and international officials were due for more talks today on whether debt inspectors will return to Athens, a key issue that could affect whether the nation gets more bailout funds or defaults on its debts.

As global stocks fell on fears of a Greek default, Athens on Monday struggled to convince officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund that the country could meet strict budget targets promised in return for the international cash lifeline.

After a Monday conference call involving Greece’s finance minister ended without a decision on the inspectors, European Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said another call was set for this evening.

Blast kills 8; intended target unharmed

KARACHI, Pakistan – A Taliban suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives Monday outside the home of a senior police officer tasked with cracking down on militants in Pakistan’s largest city. The blast killed at least eight people and left a crater 10 feet deep, police said.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the early morning attack in the southern port city of Karachi. The target of the bombing, Chaudhry Aslam, escaped unscathed and said he would not be cowed by the attack.

“This is a cowardly act,” Aslam told local television. “I’m not scared. I will not spare them.”

The eight people killed included six policemen guarding Aslam’s house and a teacher and her son who were passing by, Karachi police chief Saud Mirza said.

Group returns to U.S. without hikers

CHANTILLY, Va. – A delegation of U.S. Christian and Muslim leaders returned from Iran on Monday disappointed they could not immediately secure the release of two Americans jailed as spies for more than two years but optimistic their release was imminent.

The delegation said the Iranian government is hopeful that the U.S. will reciprocate and review on compassionate grounds the cases of Iranians jailed in this country.

“We have been promised that our visit was productive and helped accelerate the (pending) release of the hikers,” said Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Weather hampers rescue efforts

GANGTOK, India – Thousands of homeless villagers in the Himalayas spent a miserable night outdoors in heavy rains after a powerful earthquake flattened houses and rescuers struggled to reach victims in the mountains of India, Nepal and Tibet.

Rescue workers with helicopters and earthmovers ferried supplies and dug through mudslides trying to reach villages cut off by the quake that killed 53 people and damaged more than 100,000 homes.

The weather slowed the relief effort, and many homeless villagers spent Monday night outside.

Three emergency workers were killed in the frantic rescue effort, Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh said. More than 6,000 army and paramilitary troops were working to clear concrete, bricks and mud to rescue people trapped under houses that collapsed when the 6.9-magnitude quake struck the region Sunday.