World Highlights

¤ Japan pushed for a vote this week on its UN Security Council resolution imposing weapons-related sanctions on North Korea, despite China's threat to veto the draft.

"We are not ready to spend a lot of time on these negotiations," Japan's UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima said. "Our position is to have the decision... by the end of the week."

¤ Group of 8 leaders will gloss over differences on energy security at a summit in Russia this weekend, saving the sharpest exchanges for first-time host President Vladimir Putin over democracy.

Away from the low-key formal agenda for the summit, diplomats say leaders will discuss steps to contain the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, while US and Russian negotiators are thrashing out a trade deal for their two presidents to sign.

¤ Iraq took full control of a province from foreign troops for the first time since the 2003 US-led invasion, but clashes in Baghdad underlined the security challenges facing the new government. Addressing a ceremony to mark the handover of southern Muthanna province from British-led troops to Iraqis, Iraq's prime minister warned that insurgents would try to stage attacks to mar a day "written with golden letters in Iraq's history".

¤ A Belarussian opposition leader who challenged President Alexander Lukashenko's bid to win a third term in office and helped stage protests against his landslide victory was jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Alexander Kozulin, 51, was one of two opposition candidates who ran against Lukashenko - accused in the West of rigging the election and of crushing basic rights during 12 years in power.