IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

100 peacekeepers depart for Sudan

A group of 100 Chinese peacekeepers departed from Beijing Capital International Airport to Darfur, Sudan, on Tuesday for a one-year peacekeeping mission. The soldiers are the first of a 225-member combat engineer team - the 15th group China has sent to the Darfur region. More peacekeepers are scheduled to leave on Dec 18. The team will be tasked with maintaining supplies and carrying out engineering projects, restoring buildings and building and repairing houses, roads and airports.