IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Israel

Military exercise starts amid tension

The country started a wide-scale military exercise in the annexed Golan Heights on Sunday, amid tensions along the Israeli-Syrian border. A military spokesperson said in a statement that the drill "will span several days, during which heavy traffic will be felt and explosions will be heard". The military stressed that the exercise was "planned in advance as part of the training plan for 2018, and is intended to maintain the preparedness and fitness of the forces".

Egypt

Detainee kills himself at airport

An Eritrean national who was denied asylum in the United States and was being sent back to his homeland has died in an apparent suicide in a holding area at Cairo International Airport, airport officials said on Saturday. Zeresenay Ermias Testfatsion was found dead on Wednesday in a shower area and his remains were taken to a hospital, ICE said. Airport officials said he was found hanging. It's unknown why Testfatsion was seeking asylum. His remains will be transported to Eritrea, ICE said in a statement

Germany

Suspect in teen's murder extradited

A failed Iraqi asylum seeker was flown back to Germany on Saturday after admitting raping and murdering a teenage girl, Iraqi Kurdish officials and German media reports said. Ali Bashar, 20, is alleged to have strangled 14-year-old Susanna Maria Feldman after raping her in the German city of Wiesbaden. He was detained in northern Iraq on Friday following an outcry in Germany after police hunting the fugitive admitted he had fled with his family. Iraqi authorities said the suspect had confessed to killing the teenager during interrogation.

Portugal

Workers march for better conditions

Thousands of workers took to the streets in Lisbon on Saturday, demanding the improvement of their living and working conditions, including the increase of minimum national wage to 650 euros ($765) in January 2019. At the end of the demonstration, Secretary-General of the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers Armenio Carlos announced that a rally will be held before the parliament building on July 6 against the "grievous measures of the revision of the labor legislation presented by the government".

Xinhua - Reuters - Afp

(China Daily 06/11/2018 page12)