IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China Daily | Updated: 2014-08-30 08:07

Turkey

New Cabinet announced

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled his new Cabinet on Friday, keeping key members of the country's economic management team in place and appointing the man who has managed its affairs with Europe as foreign minister. Outgoing EU affairs minister and career diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu was named foreign minister. Yalcin Akdogan, an aide to new President Tayyip Erdogan, was named as a deputy prime minister, as was Numan Kurtulmus, the deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci all kept their posts.

Japan

Defense seeks record budget

Japan's defense planners are seeking their biggest budget ever for the coming fiscal year to pay for stealth fighters, drones and a high-tech submarine. On Friday, the Defense Ministry requested a 3.5 percent increase to $48.7 billion for the year starting next April. If approved, this third increase in a row will more than reverse the decade of cuts that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ended after coming to office in December 2012.

Iran

Country sees 'positive' talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Teheran hoped to reach a "positive result" in talks with world powers on its nuclear program ahead of a November deadline, thanks in part to support from Russia. Iran and global powers are working to strike a comprehensive agreement by a Nov 24 deadline, under which Iran would curb its nuclear activities in exchange for an easing of economic sanctions that have crippled its economy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow advocated a solution that would acknowledge Iran's right to peaceful nuclear activity.

Iceland

Volcano alert at highest level

Iceland raised its alert level to maximum on Friday after what it said was a small eruption in the Bardarbunga volcano system, but it said there was no sign of ash that could affect air travel in Europe. Iceland's largest volcanic system, which cuts a swath 190 kilometers long and up to 25 km wide across the North Atlantic island, has been hit by thousands of earthquakes over the last two weeks, and scientists have been on high alert in case of an eruption. In 2010, an ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, in another region of Iceland, closed much of Europe's airspace for six days.

Reuters - AFP - AP

(China Daily 08/30/2014 page12)