Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, July 8

Russia's Arms Committee at the Russian Federation Council, or the upper parliament house, on Friday warned that missile units could be deployed in eastern Russia in response to the deployment of the U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea.

According to deputy chairman Evgeny Serebrennikov, the committee would work out certain decisions together with the Defense Ministry on military planning including deployment of missile and ground units, so as to counter the influence of the United States deploying its missile defense system in South Korea. (Russia-Missile-THAAD)

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WASHINGTON -- Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde on Friday announced her proposal to appoint Tao Zhang, currently deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), as the next deputy managing director of the organization. (IMF-Appointment)

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MANILA -- An impending arbitration ruling on the South China Sea case cannot be a leverage for the Philippines if it is analyzed objectively, a Philippine expert has said, stressing the country needs to talk with China to benefit itself as well as the region.

Alberto Encomienda, former secretary-general of the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Center of the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua. (Philippines-South China Sea)

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TIKRIT, Iraq -- The death toll from a suicide bombing attack at a Shiite shrine in Iraq's central province of Salahudin early on Friday rose to 35 and more than 70 others were wounded, a provincial security source said.

The attack began shortly after midnight when three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts and disguised in military uniforms crossed security checkpoints and entered near the mausoleum of Saiyd Mohammed in the town of Balad, some 80 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. (Iraq-Explosion) Endi