IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Egypt

Army has total control of Sinai

Egypt's military said on Thursday it had gained "complete control over the situation" in the Sinai Peninsula, where Islamist insurgents have been carrying out attacks for several months. Violence has increased in the Sinai since July, when the army toppled then-president Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, prompting militants who had previously focused on attacks against neighboring Israel to turn their attention to Egyptian police and military targets.

United Kingdom

Youths stopped from joining war

British police are launching a nationwide bid to prevent young people from traveling to Syria and join the fighting there - part of a Europe-wide effort to discourage would-be combatants. Police said the number of Syria-related arrests in Britain has risen, with 40 reported in the first three months of 2014 compared with 25 in all of 2013.

Pakistan

Military jet strikes kill 16

The Pakistani military attacked Taliban hideouts in the lawless tribal northwest with fighter jets and ground forces on Thursday and killed at least 16 suspected militants, officials said. It was the first time the military is known to have used airstrikes against militants since the Pakistani Taliban announced a cease-fire on March 1 to help peace talks.

Costa Rica

Govt demands US explanation

The Costa Rican government says it's still waiting for the Obama administration to explain why it launched the secret "Cuban Twitter" network from inside the Central American nation's borders despite warnings in 2009 that the plan could jeopardize the two countries' diplomatic relations. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo said efforts to affect other countries should not be carried out from inside Costa Rica.

Afghanistan

Policeman guns down foreigners

An Afghan policeman opened fire at a Kabul hospital run by a US charity on Thursday, killing three US citizens, including a doctor in the latest deadly attack targeting foreign civilians in the city. The gunman was injured in the incident outside the CURE International Hospital and detained by police.

AP-AFP-Reuters

(China Daily 04/25/2014 page11)