IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Yemen

Monarchies' troops reinforce loyalists

Gulf Arab monarchies have sent thousands of armed troops to reinforce loyalists in Yemen in the battle against Iran-backed rebels, media reported on Monday. The reinforcements come after a missile attack by the Shiite Huthi insurgents on Friday killed 60 Gulf soldiers - 45 Emiratis, 10 Saudis and five Bahrainis.

Pakistan

Armed drone kills 3 in first attack

Pakistan's military said on Monday that it had for the first time deployed a locally manufactured drone that killed three Islamist insurgents in its restive northwest, in what one analyst termed a "significant development" for the country's defense capabilities. Pakistan announced the successful test flight of the 'Burraq' drone, which is capable of firing laser-guided missiles, in March.

New Zealand

Agent apologizes for boat bombing

A retired French secret service agent has apologized for planting the bombs which sank a Greenpeace ship 30 years ago, killing a photographer and causing an international incident that tarnished the image of France. Jean-Luc Kister told Television New Zealand on Sunday that he and his colleagues never meant to kill anybody when they attached two bombs to the Rainbow Warrior on July 10, 1985, in Auckland.

Ban of teen novel incites outrage

New Zealand censors sparked outrage on Monday after banning an award-winning teen novel that includes sex and bullying, making it the first book removed from shelves in more than two decades. Auckland author Ted Dawe said he was "blindsided" by the ban on his coming-of-age story Into the River.

Iran

Plans would export gas through Spain

Iran hopes to bring its gas to the European Union by shipping liquefied natural gas to Spain, its oil minister was quoted as saying on Monday at a news conference in Teheran. Iran has no ability to freeze its gas into LNG for tanker exports after several projects stalled due to Western sanctions.

AFP - AP - Reuters - Xinhua

(China Daily 09/08/2015 page12)