News in Brief

India, China holds border talks
Pti, Beijing

China yesterday said it was ready to "break new ground" with India to resolve the boundary dispute as the special representatives of the two countries held 16th round of border talks to find a solution to the vexed issue.
This is the first meeting of the border talks after the new leadership took over in China in March.

Fresh clash hits Brazil
Afp, Fortaleza

Brazilian police clashed with protesters Thursday ahead of a Confederations Cup semi-final, as President Dilma Rousseff's allies backed her plans for a plebiscite on political reform aimed at defusing public anger.
A wave of nationwide mass demonstrations, which began more than two weeks ago against a backdrop of anemic economic growth and rising inflation, have gripped Brazil which claimed 5 lives so far.

Ethnic violence kills 48 in Nigeria
Afp, Jos

Raids by gunmen in ethnically divided central Nigeria and gun battles between soldiers and attackers have killed at least 48 people and left dozens of homes burnt, the military said yesterday.
The attacks appeared to have been reprisals linked to cattle theft, often the source of friction in the Middle Belt region dividing the mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

India hikes gas prices
Afp, New Delhi

India's government yesterday said it had doubled natural gas prices to stimulate investment and reverse a decline in domestic production which has caused power shortages for industry.
The cabinet approved the first hike in domestically produced gas prices in three years late on Thursday, saying the unit price would rise to $8 in April next year from its current level of $4.2.

Fresh violence hits Xinjiang
Afp, Turpan

Fresh violence erupted in China's restive Xinjiang yesterday, state media said, two days after 35 died in what the government called a "terrorist attack" and a week before the anniversary of major 2009 clashes.
The incident in Hotan city followed riots Wednesday that were the deadliest to hit the western desert region, home to 10 million mostly Uighur Muslims, since violence on July 5, 2009, left hundreds dead.