IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Egypt

Police general killed in Cairo

An Egyptian police general was killed and an assistant interior minister wounded in twin bombings targeting security posts near Cairo University on Wednesday, police said. The attack was the latest by militants targeting security forces following Islamist president Mohammed Morsi's overthrow in July. The rudimentary bombs also wounded five policemen, the Interior Ministry said, identifying the slain general as Brigadier General Tarek al-Mergawi.

Kenya

Radical Islamic leader shot dead

A radical Islamic leader who had been sanctioned by the United States and the United Nations for supporting an al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group was assassinated late on Tuesday, his lawyer and officials said. The killing by unknown gunmen came as the Kenyan government announced it had begun an operation to stop a wave of attacks in the country as authorities arrested more than 650 people in Nairobi following a bomb attack on Monday.

Libya

Rebels to end ports blockage

A rebel group in eastern Libya has agreed with the government to end its seizure of vital oil ports within days, a senior leader said on Tuesday, raising hopes for an end to an eight-month stalemate that has dried up state income and fueled chaos. There was no immediate comment from the Tripoli government that has been trying since summer to end the blockage of three eastern ports, which previously accounted for more than 600,000 barrels of oil exports daily.

Thailand

7 scrap workers killed by bomb

A suspected World War II bomb exploded in the Thai capital as scrap metal workers tried to cut it open with a blowtorch, killing at least seven people and injuring 19, police said. Construction workers found the shell at a construction site and brought it to a warehouse on the outskirts of Bangkok to be cut up. Police Superintendent Kamthorn Uicharoen said the bomb weighed about 227 kg and the explosion created a 3-meter-deep crater.

Kazakhstan

Prime minister to step down

The prime minister of Kazakhstan unexpectedly announced his resignation on Wednesday and was swiftly replaced by his influential predecessor. All three parties in the oil-rich Central Asian nation's parliament voted to approve Karim Masimov, 49, as the new head of government. Just a few hours earlier, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov told his Cabinet he was stepping down and said his resignation had been accepted by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who holds the power in Kazakhstan.

AFP-AP-Reuters

(China Daily 04/03/2014 page11)