IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China

2 Filipino ships driven away

China confirmed on Monday that coast guard vessels had driven away two Philippine ships from the Ren'ai Reef off China's Nansha Islands. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said coast guard vessels, patrolling the reef, identified two ships loaded with construction materials and carrying the flag of the Philippines approaching the reef on Sunday. After a warning from Chinese vessels, the two Philippine ships left the reef on Sunday afternoon, Qin said.

Mongolia

UN urges higher food production

The world must increase its food production by 60 percent by mid-century or risk serious food shortages that could bring social unrest and civil wars, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said on Monday. Demand for food will rise rapidly over the next few decades as the world population surpasses 9 billion and increasingly wealthy people improve their diets, consuming more calories, said Hiroyuki Konuma, the assistant director-general of FAO Asia-Pacific, as the body launched a one-week regional food security conference in Ulan Bator.

United States

Strong quake jolts California

A powerful magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck late on Sunday off the coast of northern California, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or a tsunami threat. The quake struck with an epicenter located 77 km west-northwest of the town of Ferndale and at a depth of 7 km, said the USGS, which monitors earthquakes worldwide.

Afghanistan

Taliban warns of attacks on vote

The Taliban warned Afghans on Monday against taking part in the upcoming presidential election and ordered their fighters to "use all force" possible to disrupt the polling in the militant group's first formal threat of violence over the April 5 vote. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban are also telling clerics across the country to spread the word that the election is "an American conspiracy".

Germany

Govt dismisses Snowden's claim

Germany has dismissed a claim by NSA leaker Edward Snowden that it bowed to US demands to water down legal protection for German citizens.

Snowden told the European Parliament in a statement published on Friday that Germany was pressured to modify its legislation on wiretapping and other forms of lawful telecoms surveillance

Reuters-AP-Xinhua-AFP

(China Daily 03/11/2014 page12)