Beijing: France invites China to G-8 meeting

France’s prime minister on Friday invited China’s president to meet with the world’s wealthiest nations at their annual summit, boosting Beijing’s aspirations to be considered a major economic power.

But in Paris, a spokesman for the next summit’s host French President Jacques Chirac said China would meet the G-8 heads of state only on the sidelines of the conference on its opening day.

Still, the invitation by Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin to President Hu Jintao strengthens China’s drive to win membership in the exclusive club as well as validation as the world’s largest developing economy.

The G-8 — made up of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia — is scheduled to meet June 1-3 in the Alpine town of Evian, France.

Cyprus: Thousands travel to country’s other side

Roads linking the two sides of war-divided Cyprus were jammed for miles on Friday with thousands of people anxious to visit the other side for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Thousands of travelers, some shouting for joy, have crossed the checkpoint dividing the capital, Nicosia, since a travel ban was lifted this week. On the third day since Turkish authorities lifted the ban, Greek Cypriots lined up for miles, some spending the night in their cars, to ensure passage to the Turkish-occupied north of the island.

Greek Cypriots took advantage of the Orthodox Easter Good Friday holiday to make the trip. Police said the crowd waiting to cross — estimated at more than 10,000 people — was the largest it has been since the ban was lifted. More were expected throughout the rest of the four-day Easter holiday.

Washington, D.C.: Bush approves ban on African diamonds

President Bush signed legislation Friday to ban the import of illegal diamonds that finance civil wars in Africa.

The law brings the United States under an international agreement that bans the export or import of so-called conflict or blood diamonds.

Diamond production has financed deadly conflicts in countries including Angola, Sierra Leone, Congo and Liberia. Rebels use forced labor to mine diamonds, then use the proceeds to buy weapons and finance military activity.

Conflict diamonds are estimated to comprise about 3 percent of the annual global diamond trade, said to be worth about $7 billion a year.