Briefly

GERMANY

Govt offers $2.9b to shut down nuke plants

The German government said on Friday that it had agreed with four utility companies that they will receive a combined 2.4 billion euros ($2.9 billion) in compensation for an early shutdown of their nuclear power plants. Germany is on course to phase out the use of nuclear power by the end of 2022. Six nuclear power plants that are still in use will need to be shut down before the end of their original operating life. In return, the utility companies will have to drop all lawsuits. Some of them had sued the government, arguing that they should receive significant compensation for lost investments and the electricity they can't generate from the plants due to the early shutdown.

UNITED STATES

Police ask for Guard extension at Capitol

The Capitol Police have requested that members of the National Guard continue to provide security at the US Capitol for another two months, The Associated Press has learned. Defense officials say the new proposal is being reviewed by the Pentagon. The request underscores the continuing concerns about security and the potential for violence at the Capitol, two months after rioters breached the building in violence that left five people dead. It came as law enforcement was on high alert on Thursday around the US Capitol after intelligence uncovered a "possible plot" by a militia group to storm the building. The potential plot is tied to the far-right conspiracy theory promoted by QAnon supporters that former president Donald Trump will rise again to power on March 4, the original presidential inauguration day.

TURKEY

11 killed in army helicopter crash

An army helicopter crashed in eastern Turkey on Thursday, killing 11 military personnel on board and injuring two others, the Defense Ministry said. News reports said a high-ranking officer was among the victims. The Cougar type helicopter crashed near the village of Cekmece, close to the town of Tatvan, in the predominantly Kurdish-populated Bitlis province. It was on its way to Tatvan from the nearby province of Bingol when authorities lost contact with it at 2:25 pm local time, the ministry said. The victims included Lieutenant General Osman Erbas, an army corps commander, said Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey's main nationalist party.

Agencies Via Xinhua