Briefly

AFGHANISTAN

Pentagon chief arrives in Kabul, media report

State media reported that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kabul on Sunday on his first trip to the country as Pentagon chief, amid swirling questions about how long US troops will remain in the country. He was expected to meet with senior Afghan government officials, including President Ashraf Ghani. US President Joe Biden said last week that it will be "tough" for the United States to meet a May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. But he said that if the deadline is extended, it would not be by a "lot longer".

MIDDLE EAST

Four nations to hold major naval exercise

The US Navy said on Sunday it will hold a major naval exercise alongside Belgium, France and Japan in the Middle East amid tensions over Iran's nuclear program in the region. In the Group Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise, ships from the four countries will conduct drills in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Ships involved include the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, as well as the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island. The drill came as Iran has abandoned all limits of its 2015 nuclear deal in the wake of former US president Donald Trump's 2018 decision to withdraw from the accord.

UGANDA

Six lions found dead in suspected poisoning

Six lions have been found dead and mutilated in one of Uganda's best+known national parks, a conservation official said on Saturday, with wildlife traffickers suspected of having poisoned the big cats. The lion carcasses were found in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the country's west with most of their body parts missing and surrounded by dead vultures, suggesting poison was at play. An investigation has been launched.

Agencies via Xinhua