ANKARA - MUSLIMS in many nations have condemned China's crackdown in its Xinjiang region where at least 156 people have been killed in unrest over the past week.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there had been 'an atrocity' against Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang while another Turkish minister has called for a boycott of Chinese goods.

L'AQUILA (Italy) - AROUND 3,000 anti-globalisation protesters and local residents marched on Friday on the G-8 summit in the quake-hit Italian town of L'Aquila.

The march set off from Paganica, where one of dozens of tented camps have been set up to house victims of the devastating April 6 earthquake, watched by a large force of police.

VATICAN CITY - THE White House says it expects 'frank' but constructive talks in President Barack Obama's meeting on Friday with Pope Benedict XVI - two men who share similar views on helping the poor and pushing for Middle East peace but disagree on abortion and stem cell research.

With some Catholic activists and American bishops outspoken in their criticism of President Obama, even as polls have shown he received a majority of Catholic votes, the audience is much awaited.