IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Worst days for quake survivors

MATARAM, Indonesia - Survivors of Sunday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in the worst-affected areas of Indonesia's tourist island of Lombok are finding it hard to cope while basic goods remain in short supply.

Retaliation seems to have little effect

TORONTO - When Saudi Arabia ordered its citizens studying in Canada to abruptly leave the country, it left institutions such as Techno Canada in the lurch, forcing the small Toronto business school to scramble for new students in the middle of the summer.

Earthquake death toll surpasses 300

MATARAM, Indonesia - The death toll from a shallow magnitude 6.9 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has surged above 300, a senior minister said on Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse.

Manafort had not declared $16.5m in income, court told

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia - President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who is on trial on tax and bank fraud charges, had $16.5 million in unreported taxable business income between 2010 and 2014, a US Internal Revenue Service agent testified on Wednesday.

Afghan women make strides on long road

Afghan women suffered severely and their fundamental rights and liberties were flagrantly violated under the Taliban (1996-2001).

Patriotic tunes for Ikea's Indian debut

HYDERABAD, India - Ikea's first Indian outlet opened on Thursday, with more than 200 eager shoppers queuing in the underground car park to escape the heat as a military band played a crowd-pleasing medley inside.

Syrian army secures borders in the triangle of ground zero

DARAA, Syria - The official Syrian flag is again fluttering at ground zero, a triangle of Syrian territory slicing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Nagasaki marks 73 years since atomic bombings

The only country to be struck by atomic bombs, Japan has refused to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that more than 120 member states of the United Nations adopted last year.

Seoul: Neighbors to meet to prepare for summit

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will meet on Monday at the border village of Panmunjom for highlevel talks meant to prepare for a new summit between ROK President Moon Jae-in and DPRK's top leader Kim Jongun, Seoul said on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia affirms oil supply to Canada despite row

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that its oil supply to Canada would resume normally despite the political rifts between the two countries, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Xi's envoy attends inauguration for Colombian leader

BOGOTA - President Xi Jinping's special envoy Li Xiaopeng, also the transport minister, attended the Colombian presidential inauguration and met with the new president, Ivan Duque, in the country's capital city on Tuesday.