IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Guinea

US diplomat on Ebola mission

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power arrived in Guinea's capital, Conakry, on Sunday on a mission to see firsthand how the global response is failing to stop the deadly spread of Ebola in West Africa. Power, who will also visit Sierra Leone and Liberia, said she hopes to gain a better understanding of what resources are missing so she can push other countries to offer more help.

Afghanistan

Mullah jailed for raping young girl

An Afghan court has sentenced a mullah to 20 years in prison after finding the religious teacher guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl. The sentence, passed by a Kabul judge on Saturday, has been welcomed by women's support groups as a rare victory in their fight for justice for female victims of sex crimes. Rape is often treated as adultery in Afghanistan, and victims can face prison themselves.

Botswana

Ruling party wins re-election

Botswana's ruling party has won re-election despite a vigorous challenge from the opposition, extending its rule of the southern African nation, an election official said on Sunday. The Botswana Democratic Party, led by President Ian Khama, secured at least 29 out of 57 directly contested parliamentary seats, meaning it had enough support to form a government, said Osupile Maroba, a spokesman for Botswana's election commission.

Japan

Support for Abe plummets

Public approval of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government slumped after the resignation of two high-profile Cabinet ministers last week, according to a poll published on Sunday, adding more pressure on Abe as he struggles to turn around the Japanese economy. Japan's biggest daily newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, surveyed 1,059 people by telephone on Friday and Saturday and found support for Abe's government had fallen to 53 percent from 62 percent in less than a month.

India

Smog blankets New Delhi

Thick smoke hung over New Delhi this week as millions of Indians lit firecrackers to mark the Diwali festival, but calls for a boycott highlighted growing concerns over air quality in one of the world's most polluted cities. Pollution in the Indian capital reached "severe" levels on Friday, the day after Diwali, according to a new air quality index launched earlier this month as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Clean India" mission.

Reuters - AP - AFP

(China Daily 10/27/2014 page12)