IN BRIEF (Page 7)

China

Li urges restart to GCC talks

Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that he expected an early restart of free trade agreement negotiations between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Li made the remarks when meeting with visiting Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The GCC is a political and economic union of six Arab states that border the Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. All six are major oil exporters. Li said he expected a "high-level and mutually beneficial" agreement. FTA negotiations began in 2004 and have produced a number of major agreements.

Philippines

US military pact near: Manila

The Philippines said on Friday that a deal to allow a greater US military presence on its territory could be signed next month amid a worsening territorial row with China. There was optimism the pact could be secured ahead of US President Barack Obama's April visit to Manila after the two sides agreed on a contentious issue that would see US forces build "structures" on host military bases, Filipino officials said.

Pakistan

7 dead after suicide bombing

Pakistani officials say a suicide attacker blew himself up near a police armored vehicle outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing seven people. Senior police officer Mohammad Faisal said the attack took place on Friday, about 20 km south of Peshawar. Most of those killed were civilians, but police officers were among the 45 wounded, he said.

Russia

Hackers attack Kremlin website

Computer hackers knocked out the Russian presidency's website several times on Friday and also brought down the central bank's website, the Kremlin's news service said. "A powerful cyber attack is under way" at the government complex, a Kremlin spokeswoman said, adding that problems were continuing and security experts were trying to prevent further disruptions.

South Africa

Bloody Pistorius pictures shown

Police photographs of Oscar Pistorius standing with blood-stained prosthetic legs and wearing shorts covered in blood were shown to the court at his murder trial on Friday. The photos were taken shortly after the former Olympic runner fatally shot his girlfriend in what he claims was a case of mistaken identity.

Prosecutors displayed two photos on TV monitors in the courtroom. In one, the muscled athlete, who is shirtless, is standing facing the camera wearing his prosthetics. There are blood stains on his limbs and shorts, but his naked chest appeared to have none.

China Daily-AP-Reuters

(China Daily 03/15/2014 page7)