IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Germany

Heavy snow closes airport

Frankfurt Airport, Europe's third-busiest hub, was forced to close on Tuesday due to heavy snow, a spokesman said, with more than 200 flights scrapped. "Since 11:20 am, there have been no take-offs or landings. Until now there have been 213 flights cancelled," the spokesman said.

South Sudan

Oil industry to resume

The African Union says South Sudan will restart pumping oil in two weeks and will export as soon as it's technically possible. The deal to restart the oil industry was signed by South Sudan and Sudan on Tuesday. South Sudan pumps its oil through pipelines that run through Sudan.

Afghanistan

Helicopter crash kills US troops

A helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan has killed five US service members, officials said on Tuesday. Monday night's crash brought the total number of US troops killed that day to seven, making it the deadliest day for US forces this year.

23 tons of heroin seized

Afghan officials say counternarcotics teams have seized roughly 23 tons of heroin and morphine and other chemicals in a helicopter raid. They said the bust on Monday was the largest so far this year. Raid commander, General Abdul Khalil Bahktyar, said in a news conference on Tuesday that helicopter-borne commandos raided a facility in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province east of Kabul. They seized drugs and large quantities of chemicals such as ammonium chloride, which are used in the manufacture of illicit narcotics.

Serbia

Thousands march for ex-PM

More than 15,000 people joined a march on Tuesday honoring Serbia's slain prime minister Zoran Djindjic, in an outpouring of grief for the reformist leader who launched the Balkan country's bid to reconnect with the world after the wars of the 1990s.

AP-AFP

(China Daily 03/13/2013 page12)