Briefly

BRAZIL

Storm death toll surpasses 200

The death toll from flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rain in the Brazilian city of Petropolis has surpassed 200, authorities said on Wednesday, as they continue to recover bodies more than a week after the storm. Around 51 people are still missing, but that number is expected to go down as bodies are identified and families are reunited, police said. Among the 204 bodies recovered, 188 had been identified as of Wednesday. Some 800 people were being housed in emergency shelters after the deluge left their homes damaged or destroyed. The downpour last week turned streets in the tourist town north of Rio de Janeiro into violent rivers.

SOUTH KOREA

S. Korea test-fires missile interceptor

South Korea test-fired a long-range surface-to-air missile on Wednesday, reported Yonhap News Agency. An L-SAM was successfully launched from a testing site in Taean County, 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Seoul, reported Yonhap citing unnamed sources. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the report. The L-SAM is a "cutting-edge indigenous weapon system" currently under development to defend against missiles or other high-flying threats, according to South Korea's Agency for Defense Development. Plans call for it to target incoming missiles at altitudes of around 50 to 60 kilometers, and it is due to become operational by 2026.

Xinhua - Agencies