IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Egypt

Fatah, Hamas resolve issues

Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah agreed on Thursday on all the outstanding issues after two days of negotiations at the Egyptian Intelligence headquarters in Cairo. The two sides said in a joint statement that they would work together to end Israel's seven-year blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and to activate the unity government that has been idle since it was formed in June.

DPRK

Leader suffers 'discomfort'

State media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has confirmed that leader Kim Jong-un is suffering "discomfort" in its first comment on health issues believed to be behind his three week absence from public view. In an hourlong documentary entitled Days of guidance for the people that was aired on Thursday, Korean Central Television showed Kim visiting a factory outside Pyongyang. At one point, the narrator of the documentary said Kim had kept up his field guidance trips "passionately leading the way for his people despite suffering discomfort".

United Nations

Zambia leader's death disputed

Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott denied reports on Friday that President Michael Sata had died while attending the United Nations General Assembly in the United States. Newsweek reported that the 77-year-old Sata died shortly after being attended to by doctors from the State Department in his hotel room. But Scott, Zambia's No 2, denied the reports, saying Sata's health was entirely normal.

Russia

6 die after using legal drug

Six Russians have died and dozens have been hospitalized after they smoked what was reported to be a legal synthetic drug in the far northern city of Surgut, investigators said on Friday. The drug was not named. As of Friday, around 100 people have suffered ill effects from the drug, and 36 have been hospitalized. The victims were between 18 and 35 years of age and "died between Sept 19 and 24 after using an unknown substance they had bought in Surgut," according to a statement.

Portugal

PM denies misconduct

Portugal's prime minister has denied allegations of financial misconduct, telling Parliament the accusation that he had received undeclared income when he was a lawmaker in the 1990s was an attempt to deceive people. The allegations caused a storm in recent days, endangering the eurozone country's political stability as it limps out of a financial crisis and three years of recession.

Xinhua - AFP - Reuters - AP

(China Daily 09/27/2014 page12)