IN BRIEF

Singapore

In rare public feud, siblings attack PM

A tussle that began over their father's will escalated on Wednesday when two siblings accused their bother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, of using "the organs of state" against them and grooming his son to take up a political role in the tightly-controlled city-state. Business executive Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Lee Hsien Loong, said the situation compelled him to leave Singapore "for the foreseeable future". He and his sister, neurosurgeon Dr Lee Wei Ling, said in a statement "we feel big brother omnipresent". In a statement, the prime minister denied the allegations, saying he was very disappointed that they have chosen to publicize private family matters.

United States

House Majority Whip shot 'in hip'

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was shot on Wednesday at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. Police said a suspect in the shooting was in custody. A congressional aide said Scalise was in stable condition at hospital. Representative Mo Brooks said several others also were hit. Brooks said that Scalise, 51, was down on the ground with what he described as "a hip wound". Scalise is the No 3 House Republican leader.

United Arab Emirates

'No military' move against Qatar

The UAE' ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, said on Tuesday there was no military component to steps taken by Arab powers against Qatar, whom they accuse of supporting "terrorism". Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and imposed stringent economic sanctions on it. Doha denies their accusations. The countries have designated dozens of people and entities with alleged links to Qatar as terrorists.

Kenya

2 children found alive in rubble

Two children were pulled alive on Tuesday from the wreckage of a seven-story building in a residential area of Nairobi, rescuers said, nearly 24 hours after the building collapsed. The Kenya Red Cross said the children were rescued from the rubble minutes apart. A woman was also found but died before she could be removed from the site.