Investigators seek more information from Michael Jackson's doctor

LOS ANGELES, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Investigators trying to determine what killed Michael Jackson are seeking additional information from the personal physician who was with him when he died, it was reported on Wednesday.

Officials from the Los Angeles County coroner's office have requested another interview with Dr. Conrad Murray, who already has been questioned twice by Los Angeles Police Department detectives, the Los Angeles Times said, quoting Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff.

Investigators also asked for medical records beyond those that Murray previously provided, Chernoff told the paper.

A date has not been set for an interview, but Murray, who has returned to Nevada, would cooperate, Chernoff said.

"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death," Chernoff said. "We share that goal."

Murray, 51, discovered Jackson unconscious in the bedroom of his rented Holmby Hills home on June 25 and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him until paramedics arrived.

Police view Murray as both a witness and a possible criminal target in the probe.

Police questioned Murray the day Jackson was pronounced dead, and two days later he and his attorney met with police detectives for three hours.

Through his lawyer, Murray has said that he administered no narcotics or other medications that "should have" caused Jackson's death and remains puzzled as to his death.

"We don't have access to the most important information in this case ... the toxicology report," Chernoff said. "We're still in the dark like everybody else."

He declined to say whether Murray gave Jackson propofol, the powerful anesthetic that police found in his home.

The week after Jackson's death, Murray turned over files from his Las Vegas office concerning Jackson's treatment there, Chernoff said.

The investigation into Jackson's death focused on painkillers the King of Pop may have used, and the doctors who gave them to him, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The cause of Jackson's death has been listed as deferred, pending the results of toxicology tests.

Normalization of U.S.-DPRK relations "certainly possible": spokesman

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The normalization of relations between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is "certainly possible," but it depends on Pyongyang's behaviors, said the U.S. State Department on Wednesday.

"If the North (Korea) returns to the table and takes steps to bring about a verifiable and irreversible end to its nuclear program, we would certainly look at a comprehensive approach to incentives and opportunities," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood at the daily press briefing.

"What I mean by that in terms of opportunities is a normalization of relations is certainly possible," said Wood, but stressing that "we're not going to reward the North for steps that it should have taken."

"The North has to show a commitment to denuclearization. And --but the North cannot be rewarded for the behavior that it's exhibited and has to address the concerns of the international community. Otherwise, we're not going to be able to move forward," said the spokesman.

According to an agreement signed at the six-party talks in February 2007, the Bush administration agreed to begin discussion on normalization of relations with the DPRK in exchange for Pyongyang's shutdown of its nuclear facilities.

The talks on normalizing the U.S.-DPRK relations were kicked off in March 2007, but few developments have been made because the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula was often drawn in the stalemate.

Dismissing international opposition, the DPRK conducted an underground nuclear test on May 25 and since then has fired at least seven ballistic missiles. It also boycotted the six-party talks on its nuclear program.

Responding to Pyongyang's behavior, the Obama administration has decided to extend economic sanctions by prolonging the national emergency on the DPRK, and has vowed to enforce sanctions against Pyongyang set in UN Security Council Resolution 1874.

Obama reiterates withdrawal on schedule

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrive at a joint press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, July 22, 2009. Obama met Maliki here on Wednesday, the first between the two sides since US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities at the end of June. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hold a joint press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, July 22, 2009. This is the first meeting between Maliki and Obama since US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities at the end of June. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday reiterated that the U.S. troops will completely withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011 as scheduled, and that the United States supports Iraq's political reconciliation process.

"We'll move forward with our strategy to responsibly remove all American combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next August and to fulfill our commitment to remove all American troops from Iraq by the end of 2011," said the president, after his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the White House.

It is the first meeting between Obama and Maliki since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities at the end of June.

Though the United States currently has stationed about 130,000 troops in Iraq, its strategic focus in the country has been shifting from combating against insurgents to training Iraqi security forces, as well as supporting political reconciliation process.

"American troops have the capability, the support, and flexibility they need to stand with our Iraqi partners on behalf of a sovereign, secure, and self-reliant Iraq," said Obama, adding that he believes that Iraq's future "belongs to those who would build."

"America strongly supports efforts by the Iraqi government to promote national unity, which will help ensure that people in all parts of Iraq can live in peace and prosperity," said the president.

Obama said the administration will continue helping the Iraqi government to build capacity to provide basic services and to promote the rule of law, adding that the two governments will deepen cooperation on security, trade, commerce, culture, science and education.

Maliki described his first meeting with Obama in the White House is "positive and constructive," saying that the two sides share commitment to a peaceful, stable, prosperous and sovereign Iraq.

Echoing Obama's pledge to withdraw all troops from Iraq as scheduled, Maliki said the Iraqi security forces has "high capability" to impose peace and security after the complete withdrawal of the U.S. troops.

"Our forces became now highly capable. And they will continue to do their role and their part to provide the opportunity needed for reconstruction, rebuilding and developing Iraq," said the prime minister.

As to the political reconciliation process, Maliki said his government will work on "a national plan where all sons of Iraq and all daughters of Iraq are equal in their contribution and in their services."

"They will be unified by Iraq, they will not be divided by other elements. We will strengthening the relationship between the people of Iraq," he said.

"This is the direction of the Iraqi national unity government, and that made us work very closely in meeting all the challenges that we are facing," said the prime minister, adding "we will benefit from the strategic relationship with the United States."

Fidel Castro disqualifies Arias' mediation on Honduras crisis

HAVANA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Cuban revolution leader Fidel Castro disqualified on Wednesday the mediation on Honduras' crisis in Costa Rica calling it a "sweetener" maneuver from the U.S. government.

Castro said in his column "Commander's Reflections" published on Wednesday, that only the Honduran people will be able to create its own history after the June 28 coup which dethroned president Manuel Zelaya.

He insinuated the U.S.-backed mediation effort in Costa Rica was merely Washington-designed maneuvers to win time as inside Honduras people's pro-Zelaya movement grows stronger.

"The U.S. Department of State appointed Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica, to aid the military coup in Honduras, besieged by the vigorous yet pacific pushing from the people. Never a similar event in Latin America has had an answer like this," Castro wrote.

Castro said that Arias' mediation was "promoted by the extreme right-wing of U.S ... and supported by the Department of State, (the mediation) evolved wrong due to the firm resistance of the people."

He said Arias' proposal "reduced the authority of the resolutions of the Unites Nations and the Organization of American States and it was like a letter of capitulation for Manuel Zelaya."

"Without nobody being able to tell which will be the last caprice from the Empire (U.S.), if ... in the end Zelaya returns legal or illegally, without doubt the Hondurans will give him a big welcome as a matter of victory," Castro said.

Honduras awaits mediator's new proposal

SAN JOSE, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Costa Rican President Oscar Arias as designated mediator of Honduras' on-going crisis has new proposals to declare on Wednesday after a 72-hour term set to find peaceful end to the turbulence started on June 28.

The Costa Rican presidency said in a communique on Wednesday that the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Arias has prepared a "Declaration of San Jose" for both camps in conflict and vows to continue his mediating effort.

It was confirmed by the post-coup government's Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez in Honduras who said he is "waiting for a new proposal" from Arias.

Lopez, also interim government's talk delegation leader, said on Wednesday that the mediation aimed to find a solution to the crisis in the country has been postponed.

Arias' previous proposals including the reinstatement of the ousted president Manuel Zelaya, a unity government, earlier elections and general amnesty were declared "unacceptable" by the interim government led by ex Congress leader Roberto Micheletti.

In the second talk round concluded on Sunday, no agreement was reached between both delegations and the main difference remains Zelaya's return to power.

The deposed Honduran president for his part had called his supporters for an insurrection and reiterated in various occasions that he would return to his country despite all cost.

His delegation spokeswoman, Rixi Moncada, said right after the failed talk round that Zelaya would not again come back to the negotiation table with Micheletti's government, but "new representatives."

Arias, lamenting the risk of a civil war Honduras is facing, said he would spend 72 hours trying to convince the coup leaders to accept his seven proposals, a term to expire within next few hours.

His effort was primordially frustrated 24 hours later as the Honduran de facto government restated on Monday that Zelaya's return would not be an issue for discussion.

Facing increasing pressure from supporters of the ousted Honduran president, to the moment Micheletti's government has held on to its tough posture insisting its legal status.

On June 28 Zelaya was expulsed and deposed by militaries under Honduras' Supreme Court order, which has been condemned worldwide as a coup d'etat.

U.S. police search Jackson's doctor's office in manslaughter probe

HOUSTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. federal agents and police on Wednesday raided the Houston office of pop star Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray, and the doctor's lawyer said the research was related to a manslaughter investigation.

"The search warrant authorized law enforcement to search for and seize items, including documents, they believed constituted evidence of the offense of manslaughter," a statement posted on Murray's attorney Ed Chernoff's website said.

"Law enforcement concluded their search around 12:30 p.m., and left with a forensic image of a business computer hard drive and 21 documents. None of the documents taken had previously been requested by law enforcement or the L.A. Coroner's office," the statement said.

A team of several dozen U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, Los Angeles police detectives and Houston uniformed police officers arrived around 10:20 a.m. local time at Murray's Armstrong Medical Clinic in Houston, and swarmed inside the clinic.

The search was based on preliminary results of an autopsy which indicate Jackson's death was tied to the drug Propofol, a powerful anesthetic normally used only in hospital operating rooms, according to ABC news.

Murray, a cardiologist with offices both in Houston and Las Vegas, was with Jackson when the 50-year-old King of Pop died on June 25. Murray had left Houston to be with Jackson as the singer prepared for his comeback tour.

Los Angeles police have denied reports by a celebrity website that they are investigating Jackson's death as a homicide, but Jackson's families have hinted that they think foul play was involved.

Investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department and agents from the DEA also conducted an investigation Tuesday on Murray's office in Las Vegas, according to a FOXNews.com report.

Drug-trafficking plane crashes in Honduras, two died

TEGUCIGALPA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Two people on board died on Wednesday as a cocaine-trafficking plane crashed on a highway in northern Honduras, military sources reported.

The accident occurred early on Wednesday morning. Witness said the light-plane burst into flames after colliding with a high tension cable in Tripoli, Atlantida department, some 300 kilometers north to Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

A spokesman from Honduras' Naval Forces said the plane was believed to be transporting drugs before the accident.

He said both crew on board were killed, their bodies completely burnt, which makes it impossible at the moment to find out their identity nor nationality.

The plane's itinerary remains unclear so far, he said.

This is the second cocaine-transporting plane crash reported since the coup d'etat on June 28 which turned the Central American country a scene of turbulence amid constant conflicts and messy social order.

The coup dethroned the Honduran President Manuel Zelaya by military force and later an interim government was designated by the Congress to replace him.

Honduran post-coup leader Roberto Micheletti had said that since Zelaya was ousted no more drug trafficker planes have entered the airspace of the country, insinuating the link between the ousted president and illegal drug trade.