G8 leaders announce a three-year investment of 20 billion dollars to improve food farming in developing nations. On the final day of the Summit in L’Aquila, Italy, President Obama states at a news conference that “there is no reason that Africa can’t be self-sufficient when it comes to food” but must also address government corruption to improve living standards.
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and interim leader Roberto Micheletti make no progress in mediated talks led by the Costa Rican President, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Zelaya and Micheletti, former political allies, refuse to meet together in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose. Micheletti leaves mid-discussion and returns to Honduras “totally satisfied”.
Chinese authorities close large mosques in Urumqi in order to curb future ethnic violence that has plagued the Xinjian region for a week. After hundreds of Uighurs defy the decision by gathering outside of mosques on the important prayer day, the government allows some worship sites to host shorter services.
North Korea delays the start of U.S. journalists’ labor camp sentence and keeps Laura Ling and Euna Lee in a guest house in the capital, Pyongyang. University of Georgia political scientist states in an interview that “North Korea’s move not to carry out the sentence suggests that it could release them through a dialogue with the United States and they could be set free at an early date, depending on the U.S. gesture.”
Chinese officials accuse four employees of international mining-giant Rio Tinto of bribing Chinese steel company bosses for “state secrets” regarding iron ore price discussions.