IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Israel

Netanyahu confirms airstrike in Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel carried out an airstrike on Iranian weapons in Syria over the weekend, a rare public confirmation of such attacks. "Just in the last 36 hours the air force attacked Iranian warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus international airport," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting, according to his office. "The accumulation of recent attacks shows that we're more determined than ever to act against Iran in Syria, just as we promised," he added.

Sudan

Death toll at recent protests rises to 24

The death toll in Sudan's protests has risen to 24, said Amer Mohamed Ibrahim, head of a Sudanese government fact-finding committee in charge of investigating recent protests in Sudan, on Saturday. He noted that the investigation committees demand the relatives of the victims or the lawyers to provide statements that may help in the investigation process. On Dec 31, President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree to form a fact-finding committee to investigate the recent protests in the nation.

United States

Former Obama official joins 2020 campaign

Former Obama housing chief Julian Castro is now in the 2020 Democratic race for president, and he could end up being the only Latino in what's expected to be a crowded field of White House contenders. The 44-year-old Castro kicked off his campaign on Saturday in San Antonio, his hometown. He announced his official entry in the race during an event in a Spanish-style plaza less than 200 miles (322 kilometers) from the US-Mexico border. Castro was San Antonio mayor for five years and was housing secretary during former president Barack Obama's second term.

Japan

FM arrives in Moscow for peace treaty talks

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Saturday started his five-day visit to Russia, during which he will hold consultations on a peace treaty with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two top diplomats will hold talks on Monday. The meeting is mainly dedicated to consultations on the peace treaty, but the ministers will also discuss other aspects of bilateral relations. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Russia around Jan 21 and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Russian media.

Xinhua - Ap

(China Daily 01/14/2019 page11)