IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Iraq

Forces enter largest refinery

Iraqi security forces entered the country's largest refinery for the first time on Tuesday after months of battling Islamic State militants who had surrounded it, a police colonel and state television reported. "The first Iraqi force, the anti-terrorism force called Mosul Battalion, entered Baiji refinery for the first time in five months," said police Colonel Saleh Jaber, of the Baiji refinery protection force. Islamic State fighters seized the city of Baiji and surrounded the sprawling refinery during their first advance in June.

Romania

FM quits over vote fiasco

Romania's foreign minister has resigned after barely a week in office after thousands of citizens overseas were unable to vote in this weekend's presidential elections. Teodor Melescanu stepped down on Tuesday following the weekend's runoff vote. His predecessor resigned last week after similar problems with the first-round vote.

Japan

Whaling target cut by two-thirds

Japan has slashed its whale catch target in the Antarctic by two-thirds in a bid to resume its annual whale hunt, which an international court ruled must stop.

The Fisheries Agency said a revised program submitted on Tuesday to the International Whaling Commission says Japan seeks to catch 333 minke whales each year between 2015 and 2027, down from an earlier target of 935 minke and 50 fin whales.

United States

National Guard activated

Missouri's governor declared a state of emergency on Monday and activated the National Guard state militia ahead of a grand jury decision about whether a white police officer will be charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. Governor Jay Nixon said the National Guard will assist police if the grand jury's decision leads to a resurgence of the civil unrest that occurred in the days immediately after the Aug 9 shooting of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson.

Rok

Mogul: Napoleon is my mentor

The self-made South Korean chicken mogul who bought a hat worn by Napoleon for $2.2 million said on Tuesday that he saw the French emperor as a mentor and kindred spirit, and would have happily paid more. "I can understand and relate to many passages of his life," said Kim Hong-Kuk, the 57-year-old founder and chairman of the poultry giant Harim Group. "I've always thought there were certain similarities between him and me in terms of thinking and decision-making, though I'm nowhere near being as great as Napoleon."

AFP - AP - Reuters

(China Daily 11/19/2014 page11)