China to send ‘harmony makers’ to Urumqi

China is sending 7,000 officials to the western city of Urumqi after last week’s deadly protests over a strange series of syringe stabbings, state-run media reported. The officials, known as “harmony makers,” are meant to ease tensions after demonstrators, demanding better police protection, clashed with police for two days

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Tensions easing near China-Myanmar border

Some of the tens of thousands of refugees who fled to China to escape fighting in Myanmar are beginning to return home as tensions have eased, police said. An estimated 37,000 people were displaced by the fighting, Meng Sutie, police chief in southern China’s Yunnan Province, told China’s state-run Xinhua news agency Sunday.

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Rio Tinto profits drop in line with rivals

A depressed aluminum market dragged down first-half earnings at Rio Tinto, the global mining company, which paid no interim dividend in order to husband cash and cope with $39 billion in net debt. Rio, fresh from a $15.2 billion rights issue, recorded a $206 million loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization at its Rio Tinto Alcan aluminum unit, compared with an ebitda gain of $2.38 billion in the first half of 2008

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