Briefly

DPRK

Top leader declares victory in virus battle

Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has declared victory over COVID-19 three months after acknowledging an outbreak, reported the official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday. Addressing a meeting of health workers and scientists, Kim announced a victory in the war against the malignant pandemic disease, KCNA reported. It has recorded more than 4.7 million fever infections and 74 deaths for an official fatality rate of 0.0016 percent. The DPRK has reported no new cases since July 29.Pyongyang's handling of the pandemic is a miracle unprecedented in the world's public health history, Kim said in his speech as cited by KCNA.

UNITED KINGDOM

Police arrest man on terrorism charges

Police in Britain arrested a 38-year-old man at Luton Airport on terrorism charges on Wednesday, said the Metropolitan Police in a statement. The BBC reported that the man arrested was Aine Davis, who has been accused of being part of an Islamic State cell that murdered hostages. The group of four men, who were with the group in Syria, was nicknamed "The Beatles" by hostages because of their British accents. The police statement did not identify the person arrested. It said a man was arrested "in relation to offenses under sections 15, 17 and 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000, and was taken to a south London police station, where he currently remains in police custody".

UNITED STATES

Teen's death latest in floods tragedy

The mysterious death of a high school athlete who spent days helping his fellow eastern Kentuckians clean up from historic flooding has added a new layer of grief to the tragedy. On Wednesday, Aaron "Mick" Crawford was counted as the 38th person to die as a result of flash flooding that swept away homes and swallowed communities last month in the Appalachian region. The teen's death was a crushing loss, said Perry County Sheriff Joe Engle, his friend and pastor. The last time Engle communicated with the 18-year-old, Crawford asked where he could pitch in to assist victims as floodwaters were surging. His relatives still do not know what caused Crawford's death, media outlets reported.

Agencies - China Daily