IN BRIEF (Page 12)

South Korea

Samsung breaks away from lobby

Samsung Electronics, South Korea's biggest family-run conglomerate, on Monday broke away from the country's largest business lobby composed of chaebols after the presidential scandal fueled calls for the breakup or a full-scale reform of conglomerates. A Samsung official said that it officially offered to abandon its membership of the Federation of Korean Industries, a business community that speaks for more than 600 big corporations.

France

Louvre attacker refuses to talk

The suspected Louvre Museum attacker refused to talk to French police during two rounds of questioning on Sunday, a judicial source said. The man, believed to be an Egyptian national, was shot in the stomach and seriously wounded after lunging at soldiers with two machetes on Friday. The attack was the latest in a string of assaults in France.

Japan

Work begins on relocating US base

Japan's government has started offshore construction work on relocating a US Marine base on Okinawa. Monday's step marks the beginning of the main construction to move Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko, a less populated area on the island. The relocation has stalled for more than 20 years due to persistent protests. Many residents complain about the large US troop presence on Okinawa and want the Futenma base removed, not relocated.

The Philippines

Govt resumes assaults on rebels

Philippine troops have resumed assaults against rebels, killing at least one guerrilla, after President Rodrigo Duterte scrapped peace talks with the insurgents, officials said on Monday. Duterte on Friday lifted the government's six-month-old cease-fire with the rebels and said on Saturday he was discarding the talks brokered by Norway. Those moves came after the rebels abandoned their own truce and killed six soldiers.

Australia

Record 1.4 ton of cocaine seized

Australian law enforcement agencies seized a record 1.4 tons of cocaine worth $240 million from an Australia-bound yacht during a covert midnight operation last week, the authorities said on Monday. Six men, including five Australians, have been charged with the conspiracy to import drugs and could face life imprisonment.

New Zealand

World's longest flight lands

The world's longest commercial flight landed in New Zealand on Monday with the arrival of Qatar Airways's 14,535-kilometer Doha-Auckland service after a 16 hour 23 minute journey. There were four pilots on board as well as 15 cabin crew who served 1,100 cups of tea and coffee, 2,000 cold drinks and 1,036 meals during the flight.

(China Daily 02/07/2017 page12)