IN BRIEF (Page 12)

United States

Govt girds for lengthy shutdown

The partial government shutdown gridlocked Washington for a second day on Sunday, with the White House budget director saying it could persist into the new year and the next Congress. "It's very possible that this shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said. It is the third partial government shutdown of the year, even though Trump's Republican Party still controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats will take control of the House on Jan 3, giving them greater leverage in the shutdown talks.

Egypt

Police kill 14 terrorists in Sinai

Police killed 14 terrorists after hours of shootout in Arish city of North Sinai province northeastern the country, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The police killed eight of them after hours of fire exchange, then a group of six terrorists ran away but the police pursued them and killed them all, according to the statement. "Many weapons, ammunition and explosive devices were found in their possession," said the statement. Egypt has been suffering terrorist activities that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians following the popular-backed military ouster of former Muslim Brotherhood-oriented President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013 and the later security crackdown on his supporters.

Afghanistan

7 civilians killed in explosion in Ghazni

Seven civilians have been killed in an explosion in eastern Afghan province of Ghazni, provincial government spokesman said on Monday. He said the incident occurred when a running mini bus touched off the IED along a dusty road in Shahkhog area of Dih Yak district. He blamed enemies of peace, referring to the Taliban militant group, for the attack. Taliban militants have been using IEDs to make roadside bombs and land mines for targeting security forces, but the lethal homemade weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

Bangladesh

Army deployed ahead of general elections

With five days ahead of Bangladesh's general election, Army troops have been deployed in most parts of the country to assist the civil administration in ensuring security. The troops, deployed in 389 out of about 500 sub-districts on Monday morning, will stay until Jan 2 to help maintain law and order during the election slated for Dec 30. According to the Inter Service Public Relations of the Bangladesh Army, members of the Bangladesh Navy were also posted in 18 coastal sub-districts. As many as 1,841 candidates are contesting in the country's upcoming general election for 300 constituencies.

The Arctic

14,000 tons of water each second lost

New research published in the journal Environmental Research Letters showed that the Arctic loses 14,000 tons of water each second, as melting of the ice in the areas around the North Pole tripled, news agency NTB reported on Sunday. "We do not have to wait until the end of the century to see the problems associated with sea level rise. The problems are here now," said Jason Box, professor of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. According to the report, ice melting in the Arctic has since 1971 led to an increase in sea level of 2.3 centimeters. Moreover, there has been ice melting in the Earth's southernmost continent Antarctica around the South Pole, as well as the fact that water expands as it gets warmer.

AFP - Xinhua

(China Daily 12/25/2018 page12)