Briefly

GABON

Transition leader named after coup

Brice Oligui Nguema, commander-in-chief of the Gabonese Republican Guard, was named the transition leader of the Central African country on Wednesday night following a coup. Leaders of the Gabonese military unanimously agreed through a vote to appoint Nguema as president of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, the committee's spokesperson said. Angola's President Joao Lourenco was set to travel to the Republic of Congo on Thursday to discuss the situation in Gabon with President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso, Angola Press Agency reported on Wednesday. Describing the military coup in Gabon as "surprising", Lourenco said "some instability has arisen in our brother country", said the Angolan presidency's Facebook page.

JAPAN

Historic strike in 61 yrs shuts famous store

The shutters were down on one of Japan's best-known department stores on Thursday in the sector's first strike in 61 years, sparked by fears that its new US owner will slash jobs. Some 900 workers at the flagship Seibu store in Ikebukuro district were protesting the sale of Sogo &Seibu, a unit of Japanese retail giant Seven & i, to US fund Fortress Investment Group. Seven & i apologized for the strike and said the subsidiary would continue to hold talks with the union. Other Seibu and Sogo department stores were open for business as usual. The one-day strike followed months of negotiations between the store's management and the workers' union, and comes amid an acute labor shortage in Japan.

Xinhua - Agencies