IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Vietnam

Late president to get State funeral

A two-day State funeral will be held for President Tran Dai Quang, who on Friday following a serious illness, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. During the funeral on Wednesday and Thursday, all national flags at governmental agencies will be tied to the pole by a black piece of cloth, and flags will be flown at half staff. All entertainment activities will be officially suspended. Tran, who had been president since 2016, will be buried at a cemetery in his home town on Friday.

New Zealand

Food store halts strawberry sales

Supermarket chain Countdown pulled a brand of Australian strawberries off its shelves after needles were found in punnets purchased from a store in Auckland. A scare has gripped neighboring Australia, where police are investigating more than 100 reports of needles found in fruit during recent weeks. It was unclear when the contaminated berries entered New Zealand but last week Australia had said it was using metal detectors to screen all strawberry exports.

Cuba

President makes first trip to US

Cuba's new president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived in New York on Sunday for his first trip to the United States, where he will denounce the decades-old US trade embargo on his country at the UN General Assembly, state-run media reported. Tensions have heightened between the countries after US President Donald Trump tightened the embargo last year following the resumption of diplomatic relations under his predecessor, Barack Obama. Washington also alleged a series of health attacks on US diplomats in Havana, something Cuba denies.

Libya

Tripoli clashes 'leave 115 dead'

At least 115 people have been killed and 383 injured in month-long clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libya's health ministry said on Sunday. The fighting involved two of the capital's largest armed groups. Tripoli and western Libya are run by a UN-backed government mainly supported by armed groups, while Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration. The country has been riven since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.

Xinhua - Reuters

(China Daily 09/25/2018 page12)