Briefly

KENYA

Death toll from cult surpasses 400

The death toll in an investigation linked to a Kenyan cult that practiced starvation to "meet Jesus Christ" has reached 403 after 12 more bodies were found on Monday, Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha told Agence France-Presse in a message, following the latest round of exhumations in the Shakahola forest, where cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie allegedly urged followers to starve to death.

KOREAN PENINSULA

US soldier 'in custody' after crossing border

A US soldier has crossed the border from the Republic of Korea into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The person was on a tour to the Joint Security Area, the border village separating the two neighbors, and crossed the border into the DPRK without authorization, the United Nations Command that oversees the area said. It said he is believed to be in DPRK custody.

UNITED NATIONS

'Heartbreaking' cuts to Haiti aid announced

The UN's World Food Programme on Monday announced deep cuts to emergency food assistance in Haiti that will see some 100,000 people go without aid this month, a move a top official called "heartbreaking". Halfway through the year, the organization's response plan in Haiti is only 16 percent funded, the agency said, and the cuts amount to a 25 percent reduction compared with last month.

Agencies via Xinhua