Briefly

ARGENTINA

Govt vows not to close public universities

Argentina's government on Wednesday promised not to close or defund public universities following massive marches across the country demanding continued funding of higher education. "It will never be on our agenda to close a public university," presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said at a news conference at the government headquarters in the capital Buenos Aires. However, Adorni stressed that authorities plan to audit the spending at such institutions. Thousands of students, accompanied by teachers, principals, deans, non-teaching staff, unions, and varied social and political organizations, took to the streets of Buenos Aires and other major cities on Tuesday.

AUSTRIA

Portrait by Gustav Klimt sold for $32m

The portrait of a young woman by Gustav Klimt that was long believed to be lost was sold at an auction in Vienna on Wednesday for 30 million euros ($32 million). The Austrian modernist artist started work on the Portrait of Fraulein Lieser in 1917, the year before he died, and it was one of his last works. Bidding started at 28 million euros, and the sale price was at the lower end of an expected range of 30-50 million euros. The Im Kinsky auction house said that "a painting of such rarity, artistic significance, and value has not been available on the art market in Central Europe for decades". Last June, Klimt's Dame mit Facher was sold in London for 74 million pounds ($94.3 million at the time), a European art auction record.

NIGERIA

More than 100 inmates escape from prison

At least 118 inmates escaped from prison after heavy rains on Wednesday night damaged the facility in Suleja near the Nigerian capital, a prison service spokesperson said. The downpour, which lasted several hours, wrecked parts of the medium-security prison, including the perimeter wall and surrounding buildings, spokesperson Adamu Duza said in a statement on Thursday. Service agents were hunting for the fugitives and had so far recaptured 10 of them with the help of other security agencies. "We are in hot chase to recapture the rest," Duza said. He assured the public the authorities were on top of the situation.

Agencies - Xinhua