IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Turkey

Attacks on PKK 'very effective'

Turkish jets continued to bombard Kurdish militant positions in northern Iraq on Wednesday and Thursday, achieving "very effective" results, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday. The Turkish military stepped up airstrikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, after the group killed 16 soldiers on Sunday, in the deadliest attack by the PKK since the collapse of a cease-fire in July.

Argentina

President wants nation in BRICS

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez expressed hopes on Wednesday for her country to join the BRICS economic bloc, which currently consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Fernandez made the remark at an event Buenos Aires. After praising former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula's accomplishments over two terms, Fernandez asked him to become "an ambassador for Argentina to be integrated into BRICS and for turning it into BRICSA."

Singapore

Air pollution shrouds island

Air pollution in the city-state has reached its highest level in a year as smog from Indonesian forest fires shrouded the island nation in a veil of gray, irking tourists and alarming authorities with hours left before general elections. The Pollutant Standards Index, Singapore's main measure of air pollution, hit 160 in the late afternoon Thursday, cruising above the official "unhealthy" level of 100.

South Asia

India, Pakistan begin 3-day talks

India and Pakistan began three-day border-related talks in New Delhi on Thursday. The Director Generals of India's Border Security Force and Pakistani Rangers' meeting is aimed at ironing out bilateral issues, including repeated cease-fire violations along the border and infiltration attempts by terrorists from Pakistan, sources said.

Australia

4 charged with importing meth

Four foreigners have been arrested and charged with importing 321 kg of methamphetamine into Australia. It was the largest haul of methamphetamine in Western Australia state history, local media reported on Thursday. "The significant amount of it can only be described as frightening," said Michelle Fyfe, the state acting deputy police commissioner.

Philippines

Ebola halts macaque exports

The Philippines has suspended macaque exports after an Ebola virus strain that is nonfatal to humans struck 20 monkeys, killing 11, officials said on Thursday. Eleven captive Philippine macaques have died after contracting the bat-borne Ebola Reston virus while nine others are under treatment, they said. "All exports are suspended while we investigate this incident," said Simeon Amurao, assistant director of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Reuters - Xinhua - AFP - AP

(China Daily 09/11/2015 page11)