IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Cambodia

Hearing set for former leaders

The Khmer Rouge tribunal's Supreme Court will start the first appeal hearings against two elderly former senior leaders of the Democratic Kampuchea, or Khmer Rouge, on Thursday, a legal officer said on Tuesday. Nuon Chea, 88, also known as "Brother Number 2", the chief ideologue of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, and Khieu Samphan, 84, the former head of state, were found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison in August.

Tunisia

Tourism industry to lose $515m

Tunisia estimates at least $515 million in losses in 2015 for its tourism industry after Friday's attack on a beach hotel that killed 39 people, mostly British vacationers, the tourism minister said. "The attack had a great impact on the economy. The losses will be large," Salma Loumi told reporters late on Monday.

DPRK

Ship 'sent back' by ROK navy

A patrol ship of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was sent back on Tuesday after "violating South Korea's territorial waters", the Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The patrol boat sailed about 1.5 km south of the Northern Limit Line, which the DPRK has never accepted as the inter-Kore-an maritime border as it was unilaterally drawn by the United Nations after the 1950-53 Korean War.

Japan

2 dead after man sets self on fire

Aman riding a Japanese high-speed bullet train set himself on fire on Tuesday, killing himself and another passenger as the coach filled with smoke, Odawara Fire Department official Ikutaro Torii said. At least 26 other people were injured, three seriously, mostly from smoke inhalation. The man's motive wasn't clear.

Afghanistan

17 injured in attack on troops

At least 17 people were wounded in a suicide bomb attack on NATO troops as their truck convoy passed down the main road running between Kabul's airport and the US embassy, police and Health Ministry officials said. The road was closed off, and Reuters witnesses saw damaged NATO military vehicles and Western troops attending to a stricken comrade.

Egypt

Sisi vows tougher anti-militant laws

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged at the funeral of Egypt's prosecutor general on Tuesday tougher laws against militants, according to the official MENA news agency. "The arm of justice is chained by the law. We're going to use every judicial method to fight against terrorists, including the death sentence and life imprisonment," Sisi said.

Reuters - Xinhua - AP

(China Daily 07/01/2015 page12)