IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Haiti

Protests carry on despite U-turn

Leaders pleaded for calm on Saturday as violent protests over fuel price increases entered a second day and US airlines canceled flights to the Caribbean nation. Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant announced the temporary suspension of double-digit government hikes to prices for gasoline, diesel and kerosene on Saturday afternoon. But local television footage showed demonstrators erecting flaming roadblocks, while others attacked hotels and businesses.

Iran

Envoy summoned over expulsions

The IRNA news agency reported that the Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned its Dutch ambassador to Teheran over the Netherlands' expulsion of two Iranian diplomats. The Saturday report quoted the ministry's spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, as saying the "unfriendly measure" by Dutch government was "irrational and illegal" and that Iran reserved the right to reciprocate. Two staff members of the Iranian embassy were expelled on Friday, with no further information provided.

Israel

PM to meet Putin for Syria talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will travel to Moscow later this week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Iran's presence in Syria. Netanyahu said Israel "will not tolerate a military establishment of Iran and its proxies in any area of Syria". He said that he will also "demand that Syria, as well as the Syrian army, strictly observe the disengagement agreement," referring to the cease-fire agreement signed between Israel and Syria in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

Finland

President claims Europe disunity

With a week to go before the planned US-Russian summit in Helsinki, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto on Saturday commented on the "risk that the US and Russia try to agree on matters related to Europe". Interviewed by the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Niinisto said the European Union is currently "not strong enough" and "not unified enough" as an actor on the international political scene. "The United States and Russia must carry out bilateral talks, but in those talks they cannot interfere with European affairs bypassing Europe," he said.

Germany

Thousands march for refugees

Thousands of people marched on Saturday to protest against EU policy on refugees and support NGOs helping rescue migrants in the Mediterranean. Around 12,000 people attended a rally in Berlin, local radio reported, while Munich and Leipzig also saw protests called for by charity organisations including German-based Lifeline, whose rescue boats were recently prevented from entering Italian waters.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua

(China Daily 07/09/2018 page12)