Uzbekistan Uzbekistan's prosecutor general, Rashitjon Kadyrov, announced that 169 people died during violence in the eastern city of Andijan over the weekend, a far higher figure than previously acknowledged by the government. Russia Yukos oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky was convicted on one count of fraud, but was left waiting for a verdict on 10 other counts, as the court dragged out the controversial trial of Russia's onetime richest man. Iraq Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi was making a landmark visit for talks with Iraq's new executive, as Shiite leaders called on their community not to resort to revenge attacks against the ousted Sunni Arab elite. Mideast Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China since taking over from the late Yasser Arafat, amid expectations he would urge more support from the Asian giant. NKorea Inter-Korean talks were deadlocked over the nuclear standoff after North Korea sidestepped a new proposal from South Korea to jump-start six-party talks, officials said. France With less than two weeks to go before the French vote on the EU constitution, a flurry of opinion polls have indicated that the "no" camp, fueled by the government's unpopularity, has regained the lead. Europe Democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights have taken root in Europe and must be helped to grow, leaders from across the continent were told at the close of a summit of Europe's oldest political organisation, the Council of Europe. Afghanistan A criminal gang claimed responsibility for the kidnap of an Italian aid worker in the Afghan capital Kabul and demanded the release from prison of its leaders, police said. Britain A court in London gave the green light for a British terror suspect to be extradited to the United States, which alleges he raised money to finance attacks in Chechnya and Afghanistan. Britain British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government unveiled a controversial proposal for national identity cards and other anti-terror measures under a raft of bills for its third term in office. China Twenty-one workers were killed in a gas explosion in a shaft at a coal mine in southwest China, officials and state media said. Kenya Kenya dropped murder charges against a prominent white rancher over the killing of a game warden for lack of sufficient evidence, the country's top prosecutor said, as officials blamed police for rushing a flimsy case to court.