IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Turkey

Erdogan announces early elections

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be brought forward to June 24 from November 2019, in order to make a swift shift to an executive presidency. The president explained the necessity of the snap elections, citing "uncertainties" in the region and "the cross-border operation in Syria". In its almost 16 years in power, the ruling party has never called early elections.

Japan

Top official denies alleged misconduct

A vice-finance minister denied sexual misconduct allegations against him on Thursday and challenged a TV station's report that its employee was a victim. Junichi Fukuda announced his resignation on Wednesday, citing difficulty carrying out his duties amid escalating criticism. He denied making sexually suggestive remarks after TV Asahi identified the victim as one of its female employees. The Weekly Shincho magazine had published sexually suggestive remarks that Fukuda allegedly made to an unidentified female reporter in her 30s.

Russia

Moscow slams spy nerve agent case

Russia on Wednesday once again slammed Britain's accusing it of poisoning a former spy with nerve agent in the British town of Salisbury as "fabrication" and "poorly disguised anti-Russian provocation accompanied by an unprecedented propaganda campaign". London said Moscow used the nerve agent "Novichok", a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Moscow has denied any involvement in the case.

Kyrgyzstan

President Jeenbekov dismisses cabinet

President Sooronbai Jeenbekov signed a decree to dismiss the cabinet after lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a no-confidence vote against the government of Prime Minister Sapar Isakov, the president's office said on Thursday. The no-confidence vote followed criticism of the government's annual report by the opposition party, who viewed the government's work in 2017 as unsatisfactory.

United States

SpaceX blasts off planet-hunter

NASA on Wednesday blasted off its newest planet-hunting spacecraft, TESS, a $337 million satellite that aims to scan 85 percent of the skies for cosmic bodies where life may exist. The washing machine-sized spacecraft is built to search outside the solar system, scanning the nearest, brightest stars for signs of periodic dimming. These so-called "transits" may mean that planets are in orbit around them. TESS was expected to reveal 20,000 planets beyond our solar system.

Xinhua - Ap - China Daily - Afp

(China Daily 04/20/2018 page12)