Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

'Constructive' talks with EU resume

The European Union and Britain said on Wednesday they had held "constructive" talks on their future relationship despite the novel coronavirus pandemic scuttling face-to-face negotiations. But the two sides remain far apart on whether a deal can be sealed by the end of the year. Chief negotiators Michel Barnier, for the EU, and David Frost for the UK met by video conference to set dates for further weeklong rounds of talks in late April, mid-May and early June. The two sides said in a joint statement that the goal was "to make real, tangible progress" by June, when a high-level summit is scheduled to decide whether there is a chance of success by the end of the year. The EU already considered that a tight deadline－most trade deals take years to negotiate. Under the terms of the UK-EU divorce agreement, the transition period can be extended for two more years.

Veteran, 99, in NHS walking fundraiser

Tom Moore, a 99-year-old British war veteran walking in his garden for the United Kingdom's National Health Service, or NHS, has raised more than 12 million pounds ($15 million).Retired army captain Moore, who has used a rollator to move around since breaking his hip, has set himself the target of walking the 25 meters around his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday on April 30.Moore, served in India, Burma and Sumatra during World War II. "I have had such marvelous service from the health service,"Moore said earlier this month, in a suit and tie with his war medals displayed."They have done so well for me and they are doing so well for everybody," he said.

PAKISTAN

Police gun down 2 suspected terrorists

Police in the Swat district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province killed two suspected terrorists involved in targeted killings in the area. The counter terrorism officers carried out an overnight operation by acting on an intelligence tip-off regarding the possible presence of suspected militants on the outskirts of Swat, sources in intelligence agencies said. During the last few months, about six militiamen who helped the state in operation against militants and restoration of peace in Swat were killed in separate targeted attacks, sources said. Investigations revealed that the militants "came from tribal districts to attack their targets and flee back," they said. Swat used to be a hot bed of militancy, but peace was restored to the area after operation of the Pakistani military in the district.

TURKEY

4th joint patrol with Russia conducted

Turkish and Russian troops on Wednesday conducted their fourth joint patrol in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a written statement."The fourth joint Turkish-Russian land patrol was conducted by air and ground vehicles on the M4 motorway in Syria's Idlib province, as part of the earlier Turkey-Russia agreement," said the ministry. Turkey and Russia sealed a deal on March 5 for a temporary ceasefire aiming to calm down tensions between the Syrian government and Turkish troops there. Russia and Turkey agreed to create a safety corridor 6 kilometers to the north and the south from the strategic M4 highway, which connects Aleppo in northern Syria with Latakia in the northwest. Moscow and Ankara also agreed on joint patrolling on the highway as part of the efforts to reduce tensions in Idlib.

Agencies - Xinhua