IN BRIEF (Page 12)

The Philippines

Russian warships start goodwill visit

The Russian missile cruiser Varyag and large sea-tanker Pechenga arrived in Manila on Thursday, starting a four-day goodwill visit to the Philippines. The two warships are part of the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet, and the visit marks the second time that Russian navy warships arrived in the country this year. Varyag, the flagship of the fleet, was laid down in 1979 and commissioned in 1989.

Bounty offered for extremists

President Rodrigo Duterte offered a bounty on Wednesday for the capture of extremists behind a foiled attack on a central resort island, and said he ordered the navy to bomb militants who travel by boat in search of kidnap victims. He said in Bohol that he was considering to arm civilians there so they can help the government fight terrorists. His visit came a week after troops battled Abu Sayyaf fighters, leaving four militants dead.

Japan

Govt won't resort to 'helicopter money'

Finance Minister Taro Aso said there was no quick fix for the country's tattered finances, shrugging off the chance the central bank would resort to "helicopter money" - or direct underwriting of public debt to fund government spending. He also said budding signs of recovery in the economy and private consumption are paving the way for Japan to proceed with a twice-delayed sales tax hike now scheduled for October 2019.

India

Police bust terror module, arrest 3

Indian police on Thursday said they have busted a major terror module and arrested three suspected Islamic State militants on charges of terror conspiracy. In the past year, India has arrested 60 Indian-origin IS recruits before they could carry out attacks. These men were part of at least seven modules.

Slovakia

25 injured on highway in pileup

Police said 24 people were injured in a 40-car pileup during a heavy snowstorm in the northeastern part of the country. Rescuers spokesman Boris Chmel says the crashes occurred at about 6 am on Thursday near the city of Poprad. The damaged cars completely blocked the major traffic route connecting the capital Bratislava with the eastern part of the country.

Egypt

Restored statue of Ramses II unveiled

Egypt has unveiled a massive granite statue of Ramses II, the most powerful and celebrated of the ancient Pharaohs, after completing its restoration. Standing 11 meters tall and weighing 75 tons, the statue was presented in a floodlit ceremony at the Luxor Temple on the banks of the Nile on Tuesday. When the statue was discovered between 1958 and 1960, it was in 57 pieces. Ramses II reigned more than 3,000 years ago.

(China Daily 04/21/2017 page12)