State media: Curfew declared in restive region in western China after violence

September 11th, 2009 China sentences 3 to prison over syringe attacksBEIJING — A court in western China's Xinjiang region sentenced three people to up to 15 years in prison Saturday for a series of mysterious syringe attacks that led to mass protests against the local government. The protests by tens of thousands of Han Chinese earlier this month said the government can't guarantee their safety.

September 11th, 2009 New needle attacks reported in Chinese citiesBEIJING — Mystery needle attacks appeared to spread in China's far western region as authorities arrested nine new suspects in three cities, officials said Friday. The suspects were recently detained in the Xinjiang region cities of Hotan, Altay, and Kashgar in connection with alleged attacks involving hypodermic needles, a press officer at the Xinjiang government press center in the provincial capital Urumqi said Friday.

August 24th, 2009 More than 200 face trial for ethnic riots in ChinaBEIJING — China will reportedly put more than 200 people on trial this week for alleged involvement in the country's worst ethnic violence in decades, an apparent move to draw a line under the episode but one that experts say is unlikely to address grievances that spawned the unrest. The hearings will take place in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang and the site of the violence last month that killed nearly 200 people and injured another 1,700, the state-run China Daily reported Monday.

August 10th, 2009 Afghan plane to fly to China after bomb threatKABUL —An Afghan airline official says a plane turned back by a bomb scare will fly again to its destination in the restive western Chinese region of Xinjiang. Feda Mohammad Fedawi, the deputy head of Kam Air, says the plane arrived in Kabul early Monday after an overnight stay in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

August 9th, 2009 Plane hijacked in China's restive Xinjiang regionBEIJING —China's state news agency says a plane has been hijacked in the restive western region of Xinjiang, which was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency did not give any details about the hijacking in a brief report Sunday.

August 9th, 2009 China reports bomb threat on plane in XinjiangBEIJING —China's state news agency says there has been a bomb threat on a plane from Afghanistan scheduled to land in Xinjiang, the restive western region of China that was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency earlier said the incident was a hijacking.

August 9th, 2009 China reports bomb threat on plane to XinjiangBEIJING —China's state news agency said Sunday there was a bomb threat on a plane from Afghanistan scheduled to land in Xinjiang, the restive western region of China that was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency did not identify the airline or the type of plane, but said the Urumqi airport had been told not to allow the plane to land.

August 5th, 2009 Nigeria's amnesty program begins in restive southABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria's government says a program to offer amnesty to militants in the country's restive southern oil region has begun. The program, first announced in June, formally got under way Wednesday.

July 29th, 2009 Rights group: China is world's top executionerROME — The number of prisoners put to death worldwide decreased in 2008, a human rights group said Wednesday, adding that China retained its position as the world's top executioner. Executions in the United States were down from last year, while Iran and Saudi Arabia also appeared near the top of the list of the world's top executioners, the anti-death penalty group Hands Off Cain said in a report about 2008 and the first six months of this year.

July 27th, 2009 China unhappy with Uighur activist's Japan tripBEIJING — China's Foreign Ministry criticized Japan on Monday for allowing a visit this week by an exiled Uighur activist whom Beijing blames for deadly ethnic riots in western China. The Chinese government "expresses strong dissatisfaction" with the Japanese government for allowing Rebiya Kadeer to visit Wednesday and Thursday despite Beijing's "repeated and serious representations," ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.

July 17th, 2009 Car bomb kills 2 in restive southern ThailandPATTANI, Thailand — A car bomb exploded Friday in restive southern Thailand, killing two soldiers and wounding five other people, an army official said. Suspected Muslim insurgents detonated the bomb that was hidden inside a parked pick-up truck in Yala province, said Lt.

July 14th, 2009 RAIPUR - A dawn to dusk shutdown called by the opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh Tuesday to protest the killing of at least 29 policemen by Maoists crippled life in all districts with the public and business houses voluntarily joining it. The shutdown was total in all urban areas, including capital Raipur, Bhilai, Raigarh, Korba, Bilaspur and Jagdalpur -the headquarters of the restive Bastar region.

July 14th, 2009 RAIPUR - A dawn to dusk shutdown called by the opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh Tuesday to protest the killing of at least 29 policemen by Maoists crippled life across all 18 districts with the public and business houses voluntarily joining it. According to initial reports reaching here, the shutdown was total in all urban areas, including Raipur, Bhilai, Bilaspur and Jagdalpur -- the headquarters of the restive Bastar region.

July 8th, 2009 China says its president cuts short G8 tripBEIJING — China says President Hu Jintao has cut short an official trip to Europe to deal with the outbreak of violence in western Xinjiang where at least 156 people have died in rioting. The Foreign Ministry said on its Web site Wednesday that Hu had left Italy, where he was on a state visit before he was to take part in a Group of Eight meeting with major developing countries.

July 7th, 2009 Clinton urges restraint in riots in western ChinaWASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging restraint in clashes in western China. Clinton told reporters Tuesday that the United States is "deeply concerned" about worsening ethnic violence in China's oil-rich Xinjiang territory.