IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Korean Peninsula

More exchanges between neighbors

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has agreed to dispatch its athletic delegations to table tennis and shooting competitions in the Republic of Korea later this year, the ROK's sports ministry said on Friday. Seoul and Pyongyang had also agreed to let their athletes march together during the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, and to field joint teams for women's basketball, canoeing and rowing.

United Kingdom

New poisoning likely not deliberate

British officials investigating a second poisoning case involving the nerve agent Novichok in southwest England have said they suspect the victims were not directly targeted but sickened as a result of the March attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter. Novichok is a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union. Britain demanded answers from Russia on Thursday about the second case, but Russia quickly hit back, denouncing Britain for playing "dirty political games" and demanding London apologize.

Canada

Heat wave death toll doubles to 33

Deaths linked to a heat wave in Quebec has nearly doubled to 33 from the last count, health officials said on Thursday, as extreme weather conditions that have gripped central and eastern Canada reached a new peak. Eighteen of the victims were in Montreal, while the rest died in areas across southern Quebec, officials said.

United States

EPA chief resigns after scandals

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt resigned on Thursday amid ethics investigations involving outsized security spending, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo lease. With Pruitt's departure, President Donald Trump loses an administrator many conservatives regarded as one of the more effective members of his cabinet. But Pruitt had also been dogged for months by scandals that spawned more than a dozen federal and congressional investigations.

Afghanistan

Taliban again reject offer of peace talks

The Taliban have again rejected an Afghan offer for peace talks with the government in Kabul. Friday's statement by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents "are not interested in talks while foreign soldiers are still on Afghan soil". The Taliban have at times said they will only negotiate with the United States directly about the withdrawal of all foreign forces.

Xinhua - China Daily - AP - Reuters

(China Daily 07/07/2018 page8)