Briefly

SOUTH KOREA

Arrest warrant sought in battery plant fire case

South Korean police said on Friday a fire at lithium battery maker Aricell in June occurred as the company raced to produce batteries to meet a deadline without taking action to address signs of dangerous quality failures. An arrest warrant was requested for the Aricell chief executive and three others on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and other laws. The fire on June 24 killed 23 workers, including 17 Chinese nationals.

GERMANY

Berlin Zoo panda gives birth to 2nd pair of twins

Berlin Zoo said on Friday its resident panda Meng Meng had delivered twins for the second time, hailing the rare births as a boost to the endangered creatures. The cubs were born on Thursday, weighing 136 and 169 grams, and measuring 14 centimeters. Meng Meng and male panda Jiao Qing arrived in Berlin in 2017 on loan from China. In 2019, Meng Meng delivered her first set of twins, the first pandas to be born in Germany.

Xinhua - Agencies