Briefly

SWITZERLAND

Parties race against time to save Iran deal

The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal are racing against time to find specific solutions to safeguard the accord, said Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations based in Vienna. Wang made the remark on Wednesday to the press after a meeting concerning the nuclear deal, attended by representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran. The meeting came as the parties were trying to persuade Teheran to return to compliance with the deal after the Islamic Republic took a series of steps reducing its commitments in response to the US withdrawal from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

SYRIA

Battles as rebels try to cut key highway

Intense battles raged on Thursday as rebels attacked the key city of Saraqeb in the countryside of the northwestern Idlib Province that was recently taken by the Syrian army. The rebels operated with the aim of cutting off the Damascus-Aleppo highway, known as the M5. Syrian state news agency SANA said the Turkey-backed rebels are attacking Saraqeb city in large numbers and with suicide bombers. It said the rebels' attack is backed by heavy Turkish shelling on the Syrian positions in Saraqeb, adding that the Syrian army is engaged in intense battles with the rebels. The Syrian army secured the road earlier this month and opened it for travel and trade purposes for the first time in eight years.

UNITED STATES

Over 40 percent of adults are obese

About 4 in 10 adults in the United States are obese, and nearly 1 in 10 is severely so, government researchers said on Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings come from a 2017-18 health survey that measures height and weight. More than 5,000 US adults took part. The survey found that the obesity rate was 42 percent－higher than the 40 percent found in a similar 2015-16 study. The severe obesity rate was more than 9 percent in the new survey, up from the 8 percent figure in the previous one.

AUSTRALIA

Bullied boy to donate $475,000 to charity

A boy with dwarfism whose distress from bullying became a viral video will donate hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to charity rather than take a trip to Disneyland. The clip of Quaden Bayles, 9, showed him crying and repeatedly saying he wanted to die after being bullied at school, sparking an outpouring of support from around the world. The video was watched millions of times and prompted US comedian Brad Williams to start a GoFund-Me page that eventually raised almost $475,000. Although the funds were meant to send the boy and his mother to Disneyland, his aunt said the money would be used for charities instead.