Briefly

MIDDLE EAST

Iran to boost Syria's air defense systems

Iran has said it will strengthen Syria's air defenses as part of a military deal aiming to "fight terrorism" and counter pressure from the United States. Israel, a key US ally in the Middle East, has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the start of its civil war in 2011. Under the latest deal, "we will strengthen Syria's air defense systems in order to improve military cooperation between the two countries", Iranian Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri said during a visit in Damascus. He said the Iranian presence in Syria helped in fighting terrorist groups as well as serving the people and the Syrian government.

SOUTH KOREA

Seoul mayor missing, search underway

The mayor of South Korea's capital Seoul went missing on Thursday after leaving a verbal message that his daughter described as sounding like a will, police said. By press time, a massive search operation was still underway. Police officers said they were looking for Mayor Park Wonsoon in an area around a small hill in the city where his mobile phone signal was last detected. They said Park's mobile phone was turned off. About 150 officers, a drone and a police dog were mobilized for the search. The mayor did not show up for work on Thursday because of unspecified reasons and canceled all his appointments, his office said.

SWITZERLAND

Briton, Saudi join race for top WTO post

The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia put forward late entries on Wednesday for the contest to provide the next chief of the World Trade Organization. They joined six others in hoping to lead the trade body. The candidacies came in just before the deadline in the race to succeed Roberto Azevedo who made a surprise announcement in May that he would leave the job a year early. Saudi Arabia nominated former economy minister Mohammad Maziad al-Tuwaijri, while Britain announced the candidacy of former international trade secretary Liam Fox.

Agencies - Xinhua