IN BRIEF (Page 11)

United Arab Emirates

Embassy in Syria to reopen after 7 years

The embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the Syrian capital Damascus will reopen on Thursday for the first time in seven years. The Syrian Information Ministry sent out invitations for journalists to cover the opening ceremony on Thursday afternoon. It's not yet clear whether it's a reopening with a full diplomatic representation or a partial one. Local reports said that some maintenance work was carried out inside the embassy ahead of its opening. In his recent remarks, Syria's deputy foreign minister said "we welcome any step for the return of all Arab embassies to Syria".

United States

Govt vows migrant safety measures

The country will take "extraordinary" protective measures to deal with a surge of immigrant children in custody, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said on Wednesday after a second Guatemalan child died in custody. Nielsen plans to travel later this week to the Mexico border region to witness medical screenings and conditions at Border Patrol stations, she said in a statement. Meanwhile, Congress and US President Donald Trump remain deadlocked over the president's demands for billions of dollars to fund a wall along the border.

Italy

28 injured, 600 displaced in quake

Twenty-eight people were injured in Sicily on Wednesday in an earthquake triggered by the eruption of Mount Etna, authorities said. The epicenter was located a few kilometers north of Catania, Sicily's second largest city, which did not suffer damage. At least 10 of the 28 people injured - mostly elderly - were taken to the hospital, yet none were seriously hurt, Ansa news agency reported. Overall, about 600 people were evacuated from their homes for precautionary reasons on Wednesday. The major tremor had been preceded by a swarm of about 1,000 minor trembles in latest days, many of which were not even perceived by people, according to the institute.

Israel

Parliament approves early elections

Lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections on April 9. With politicians now entering campaign mode, Netanyahu met in Jerusalem on Wednesday with leaders of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and made his pitch for why they should stick with him. Analysts said that Netanyahu wanted the elections before Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announces his decision on whether to indict the premier in three different corruption cases. While no official time frame has been given, reports say such an announcement could come in mid-April.

Afp - Xinhua

(China Daily 12/28/2018 page11)