IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China, Italy eye deeper cultural exchange

ROME - The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 will provide unprecedented opportunities to boost cultural exchanges between Italy and China, officials and experts from the two countries have said during a conference in Rome.

Macron's party suffers setback in Senate vote

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron's new centrist political party suffered its first electoral setback in Senate elections on Sunday in which the right-wing Republicans party strengthened its dominance in the upper chamber of parliament.

Eurofighter crashes at air show, pilot dead

ROME - A military plane of the Italian Air Force crashed while taking part in an air show in central Italy on Sunday, killing the pilot on board. The Eurofighter jet was flying over the sea before Terracina, a town lying about 110 kilometers south of the Italian capital, when it suddenly plunged into the sea.

50,000 flee amid fears of Bali volcanic eruption

KLUNGKUNG, Indonesia - Nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from near a volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali that officials said is becoming more active and could erupt soon.

Iraqi Kurds cast vote in historic referendum

ERBIL, Iraq - The Iraqi Kurds on Monday cast their votes in a referendum that will determine the independence of the Kurdish region and the disputed areas that are currently under de facto Kurdish control.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Trump expands travel restrictions

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Sunday expanded a travel ban to include visitors from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in East Asia, Venezuela in Latin America and Chad in central Africa.

Japan's Abe triggers snap election

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a meeting of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Monday that he will dissolve the lower house of parliament when it convenes for an extraordinary session on Thursday and call a snap election.

Ride-hailing row sheds light on contradictions

LONDON - In less that 24 hours, more than half a million people signed an online petition backing Uber's fight to save its car operations in London, mirroring profound economic and political disagreements in Britain.

Hijacked jet flown back home

BERLIN - A Lufthansa passenger jet that was hijacked to Somalia 40 years ago at the height of a militant group's campaign against West German authorities has returned home.

Tattoos go mainstream after sketchy image

LONDON - Mothers shopping with teenage children and parents pushing baby buggies joined the crowds of body art enthusiasts at this weekend's annual London Tattoo Convention, underscoring the increasing acceptance of tattoos in mainstream culture.