U.S. official: Rio Tinto arrests of ‘great concern’

The United States on Wednesday called for more transparency from China on the arrests of four mining employees, including an Australian national, on charges of stealing state secrets. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is raising the question with Chinese leaders, including Premier Wen Jiabao, with whom he is to meet Thursday in Beijing

UK Pentagon hacker fights extradition to U.S.

British man Gary McKinnon appeared in court Tuesday to try to prevent his extradition to the United States, where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into U.S. government computers at the Pentagon and NASA. McKinnon, who has admitted breaking the law and intentionally gaining unauthorized access to computer systems, wants to be tried in Britain rather than the United States.

Fugitive U.S. white supremacist captured in Israel

A fugitive American white supremacist was arrested Monday in Israel, ending an international manhunt that began in 2007, Israeli and U.S. officials said. Micky Louis Mayon, one of the 100 most wanted people in the United States, was taken into custody in southern Tel Aviv after Israel received information from Interpol indicating he was there.

UK defense chief defends Afghan fight, says more lives will be lost

Britain’s defense secretary Wednesday mourned the deaths of seven British soldiers killed over the last week in Afghanistan and defended the hard-fought mission against Taliban militants. But Bob Ainsworth, speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, also said “the nature of the fight” against a “highly adaptable” enemy “means we will take more casualties before we succeed.” “It is understandable that at a time like this people ask why are the lives of these courageous people being lost Why are we in Afghanistan In these difficult times, can we afford to be there As defense secretary, I have a responsibility to answer these questions,” he said

Drug-fueled gang wars shake Vancouver

When Canadian cocaine smuggler Charles Lai was being sentenced in a Seattle federal courtroom last month, the judge sending him to prison for 13 years offered a small item of good news. At least behind bars, Judge James Robart said, drug smuggler Lai would not become another fatality in Vancouver’s gang wars