IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Arctic Circle

Activists protest Arctic oil tanker

Greenpeace International is sending out a ship to protest a tanker bringing the first oil produced at a new Russian offshore platform in the Arctic Circle to Rotterdam. The group said on Monday it has sent the Rainbow Warrior III to meet the Mikhail Ulyanov, a tanker chartered by Russia's state-controlled oil company, Gazprom OAO. Greenpeace has fiercely opposed the production of oil in the Arctic Circle, warning of the danger of oil spills in such unforgiving territory.

Malaysia

9 arrested on terror charges

Police said nine people were detained on Monday on suspicion of involvement in terrorist acts or forming links with terrorists inside the country and abroad. "Some of the individuals arrested have taken part in clandestine meetings to strengthen militant ideology, for fundraising and military-style training in preparation for violence," national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said.

India

Modi under fire over business

India's ruling Congress party Monday launched a scathing attack on Narendra Modi, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and prime ministerial candidate, linking him to a businessman allegedly involved in money laundering. The Congress party released photographs of Modi with Afroze Patta who, party spokesman Randeep Surjewala claimed, was raided by authorities last month in connection with a multimillion-dollar money laundering case in the western state of Gujarat.

Syria

Assad to run in presidential poll

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has registered to run in next month's presidential vote, which is expected to return him to power despite the grinding conflict, the parliament speaker announced on Monday. The election will be Syria's first multi-candidate presidential vote, after changes to the constitution. Assad is expected to sail to victory against the six other candidates, one of them a woman, who have so far announced their intention to run.

Algeria

Bouteflika, 77, starts 4th term

Algeria's president has taken his oath of office for a fourth term from his wheelchair following his election win earlier this month. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 77, seemed in better health than in past public appearances, but his voice was still weak as he recited the oath of office on Monday. Bouteflika suffered a stroke last year. The president, in power since 1999, received more than 81 percent of the vote in the April 17 election. Turnout at the election was 51 percent.

AP-AFP-Xinhua

(China Daily 04/29/2014 page12)