IN BRIEF (Page 12)

South Korea

Four killed in shipyard blast

Four workers were killed on Sunday in an explosion at an oil tanker being built in a South Korean shipyard, authorities said. Fire officials said the workers were painting the interior of the tanker at an STX Offshore & Shipbuilding plant in the southeastern city of Changwon and died almost instantly. The bodies of the victims, in their 30s to 50s, have been recovered and salvage crews were trying to determine the cause of the accident.

Lebanon

Army advances against IS

Lebanese soldiers renewed fire on Islamic State group positions on the country's eastern border with Syria on Sunday after capturing a third of the territory held by jihadists in the area. Lebanon's army began its operation in the Jurud Ras Baalbek and Jurud al-Qaa region early on Saturday, and in the first day captured around 30 square kilometers of territory, a military spokesman said.

United States

Powerball jackpot swells to $650m

Powerball officials said there was no grand prize winner in the latest drawing, meaning one of the largest lottery jackpots in the United States will continue growing. The new jackpot for Wednesday's drawing is $650 million, which would be the third-largest jackpot in US history. The prize has grown so large because no one has matched all six balls in more than two months, so the jackpot has grown after every drawing.

United Kingdom

Iconic entertainer dies at 89

Bruce Forsyth, a legendary entertainer, host and quizmaster on British television whose career spanned the history of TV, has died at the age of 89, the BBC announced. He was a television presence for 75 years, earning him recognition by Guinness World Records in 2012 for having had the longest on-screen television career for a male entertainer. He first appeared on BBC TV in 1939 as a child dancer on a show called Come and Be Televised and made his stage debut at the age of 14 with his billed-at-the-bottom act "Boy Bruce, the Mighty Atom".

Somalia

Troops retake key locations

The Somalia National Army backed by the African Union peacekeeping mission on Saturday captured several strategic locations in the Lower Shabelle region, officials said. Deputy Governor of Lower Shabelle Region Abdifitah Haji Abdulle said forces liberated Bariri, Sabib, Anole and Marerey locations that had been vital for the militant group Al-Shabaab's operations. "Somali National Army's Commandos together with international partners captured several strategic areas," Abdulle said.

(China Daily 08/21/2017 page12)