IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Officials squabble as MERS kills 4

South Korean authorities squabbled on Friday over their handling of an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, as a fourth person died and five new cases were reported.

Colorful businessman Bond dies at 77

Alan Bond, the high-flying Australian businessman, America's Cup hero and convicted fraudster, died on Friday at age 77 following complications from open heart surgery.

Napoleon still divides opinion 200 years on

Under the glittering dome of the Invalides military hospital in Paris, where Napoleon lies buried, France's great general continues to divide opinion, 200 years after his historic defeat at Waterloo.

New zoo takes people's minds off conflict

A young girl in a bright pink dress tiptoes around the edge of a cage containing a white Bengal tiger, as young couples walk by with strollers.

MERS fears escalate; more cases reported

Hundreds more schools closed on Thursday in South Korea as officials struggled to ease growing panic over an outbreak of the MERS virus that has infected 35 people, killed two and caused thousands to cancel travel plans.

ROK helps DPRK screening efforts at joint industrial zone

The Republic of Korea said on Thursday it had agreed to a request from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to install thermal-imaging cameras at their Kaesong joint industrial zone to prevent the spread of the MERS virus into the DPRK.

Tracing the path of 'patient zero'

Eight days after returning from a business trip to the Middle East, a 68-year-old man in South Korea developed a cough and fever.

Prominent businessman fights for life in hospital

One of Australia's most prominent, colorful and controversial public figures continued to fight for his life in a Perth hospital on Thursday.

PM battles for Erdogan's success, but support wanes

For Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, failure in the legislative elections on Sunday is simply not an option.

Pentagon can't explain how it sent live anthrax

The Pentagon disclosed on Wednesday that it inadvertently shipped possibly live anthrax to at least 51 laboratories across the US and in three other countries over the past decade, but it has yet to determine how it happened, who is to blame, why it was not discovered earlier and how much worse the embarrassment will get.

About 90 killed in blast at gas station

An explosion at a gasoline refueling station in Ghana's capital, Accra, killed about 90 people, many of whom had sought shelter there from torrential rain, on Wednesday night, the fire brigade said.