World in brief

Official: U.S. won’t use force against vessel

The U.S. will not use force to inspect a North Korean ship suspected of carrying banned goods, an American official was quoted as saying Friday. “The U.N. resolution lays out a regime that has a very clear set of steps,” Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy said, according to the Yonhap South Korean news agency. “I want to be very clear … this is not a resolution that sponsors, that authorizes use of force for interdiction.” An American destroyer has been shadowing the North Korean freighter sailing off China’s coast, possibly on its way to Myanmar. Flournoy met with South Korean officials in Seoul on Friday.

Coalition urges Israel to freeze settlements

A broad international coalition urged Israel on Friday to freeze all settlement activity in the West Bank and lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip, backing U.S. President Obama’s Mideast policy. The Quartet of Mideast negotiators —- representing the U.S., Russia, European Union and United Nations —- and foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized nations took advantage of what the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said was a “historic” opportunity in issuing nearly identical calls for the resumption of direct peace talks, an end to violence, and economic reconstruction for war-battered Gaza.

Officer: Crash search continuing into July

The search for the black boxes of the Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean will likely continue for at least another 16 days, even though their audio beacons are likely fading away, an official said Friday. Brazilian and French searchers have recovered large chunks of debris and 51 bodies from Air France Flight 447, which disappeared with 228 people on board late May 31. But experts say the black boxes may be key to deciding what brought the airliner down, and signals from the voice and data recorders begin to fade after about 30 days.

Presumed drug violence leaves 12 dead in Mexico

In the latest violence believed connected to the country’s drug wars, gunmen opened fire Friday on soldiers and federal and state police in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. Twelve gunmen reportedly were killed.

Political crisis deepens as Honduran vote nears

With backing from Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, Honduras’ President Manuel Zelaya pushed ahead Friday with a referendum on revamping the constitution, risking his rule in a standoff against Congress, the Supreme Court and the military. Government supporters began distributing ballots, defying a Supreme Court ruling declaring Sunday’s referendum illegal.

Holocaust survivors discuss stolen treasures

Holocaust survivors, Jewish groups and experts gathered in Prague on Friday to assess efforts to return property and possessions stolen by the Nazis to their rightful owners or heirs. The five-day conference follows up a 1998 Washington meeting that led to agreements on recovering art looted by the Nazis.

Report: Zimbabwe seized diamond fields

Zimbabwe’s military, controlled by President Robert Mugabe’s political party, violently took over diamond fields in Zimbabwe last year and has used the illicit revenues to buy the loyalty of restive soldiers and enrich party leaders, Human Rights Watch charged Friday.

Sarkozy: Martinique to stay part of France

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that Martinique is free to hold a referendum on greater political autonomy but made it clear that “Martinique is French and will remain so.” Sarkozy traveled to Martinique and Guadeloupe as the islands recover from violent strikes earlier this year.

European sites added to world heritage list

Italy’s Dolomite mountains and the Wadden Sea along the coasts of Germany and the Netherlands were among several sites, mostly nature-related, added Friday to UNESCO’s world heritage list.