IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Iran

Rouhani vows to end isolation

President Hassan Rouhani vowed to continue his efforts to end the country's isolation as he was sworn in for a second term on Thursday. "We will never accept isolation," Rouhani told a packed audience of political and military officials in Teheran. "The nuclear deal is a sign of Iran's goodwill on the international stage," he said.

Afghanistan

US soldiers killed in convoy attack

A suicide bomb attack killed two US troops on Wednesday as they were traveling in a convoy near the airport in Kandahar, the US military said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack The attack was a reminder of the dangers faced by the 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan. Us President Donald Trump is considering sending thousands more troops to the country.

United States

Minnesota school blast claims 2 lives

A second body was found in the rubble of a partially collapsed school building in Minneapolis after an explosion killed a school employee and injured several others, officials said. The blast occurred as students were playing soccer and basketball at the private school, which serves students from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

Syria

'Terrorists' shell Russian embassy

Russia said terrorists attacked its embassy in Damascus with mortars on Wednesday. Two shells fell in the embassy and two more landed near the compound, resulting in slight material damage. There were no casualties, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Cambodia

3 jailed for running surrogacy clinic

An Australian nurse and two Cambodian assistants were found guilty of running an illegal commercial surrogacy clinic on Thursday and sentenced to one and a half years in prison. Southeast Asia is a popular destination for infertile couples looking to have babies through surrogacy. Thailand banned the practice in 2015 and Cambodia followed suit in 2016.

(China Daily 08/04/2017 page12)