China has said it is examining a statement from a separatist group which is threatening to attack the forthcoming Olympic Games.

The group, calling itself the Turkestan Islamic Party, also claimed to have carried out bomb attacks on buses. The blasts, in the port of Shanghai and the western province of Yunnan, happened over the last three months. China has previously denied the explosions were the work of militants but has warned of threats to the games. Read the full story

Qantas boss Geoff Dixon has denied that rust caused a hole in the body of the plane that was forced to make an emergency landing in Manila.

Safety engineers have begun examining the plane to establish the cause. More than 360 people were on board the flight when it was forced to land. They have since arrived back in Australia. Possible causes include corrosion or accidental external damage but Read the full story

US singer Britney Spears and her former husband Kevin Federline have agreed their child custody settlement.

Ms Spears will increase payments to Mr Federline from $15,000 to $20,000 a month, according to the deal approved by a Los Angeles court commissioner. The agreement also includes a one-off $250,000 payment by Ms Spears to Mr Federline’s legal team. Read the full story

A powerful explosion inside a car travelling past a beach in the Gaza Strip has killed four Hamas militants and a young girl, medics have said.

At least 20 other people, including many enjoying a day by the sea, were said to be injured by the explosion on Gaza City’s coast road. Leaders of the Islamist movement have blamed Israeli collaborators in Gaza. Read the full story

A 56-year-old man from the Midwestern US state of Wisconsin has been arrested after shooting his lawn mower in his garden because it would not start.

Keith Walendowski was charged by police in Milwaukee with disorderly conduct and possession of a sawn-off shotgun. He could face a fine of up to $11,000 and a maximum prison sentence of six-and-a-half years if convicted. Police officers said Mr Walendowski had told them: Read the full story

Sectarian fighting has broken out again between rival factions in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

At least six people were killed, including a 10-year-old boy, and 30 injured in the clashes between Alawite and Sunni Muslims, officials said. Fighting in the city led to five deaths and dozens of injuries earlier in July. Rival politicians formed a government of national unity two weeks ago, but there has since been further wrangling over weapons held by Hezbollah. Read the full story

Seven bombs have hit the southern Indian city of Bangalore within minutes of each other, police say.

At least two people were killed and several people injured. Police say the bombs were detonated with timers. The blasts have been described as low intensity and all are reported to have occurred in crowded areas. Bangalore is the information technology hub of India with more than 40% of the country’s IT and software industry based there. Read the full story

Responding to a question posed by Alliance for Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Sheila Holder in the National Assembly yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that there are no immediate plans to decentralize the processing of the CARICOM machine readable passports.
The AFC member had questioned the reason for the system not being decentralized to reduce frustration of hinterland residents who have to endure a lengthy journey to have a passport processed. Read the full story

Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Karan Singh and a team from his agency today met with officials of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the municipality of Linden, Region 10, where the status of the Region’s water supply was discussed. Read the full story

The Court of Appeal (amendment) Bill 2008 No, 12/2008 was yesterday sent to a select committee of the National Assembly after a lengthy debate.
In presenting the Bill for its second reading, Attorney General Doodnauth Singh said that it makes provision for the Director of Public Prosecution to appeal the decision of a judge at the end of a trial, based on specific criteria. Read the full story