IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Vietnam

UN approves aid to typhoon victims

Following the devastating impact of Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam, the United Nations has approved an additional allocation of $4.2 million to assist 150,000 local people in six affected provinces. The funds will be used to provide lifesaving assistance to 150,000 people, including nearly 47,000 children, and support time-critical interventions over the next six months, according to the UN in Vietnam on Tuesday. More than 4.3 million people have been affected by the typhoon, including 400,000 people who require humanitarian assistance.

United States

Less support for groups fighting IS

The United States plans to reduce military support for groups fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria as it continues to crush the extremists, the White House said on Monday. The self-declared caliphate by IS is close to becoming history, as the terrorist group has been stripped of its major strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Earlier this month, the Iraqi border town of Rawa, IS' last urban stronghold in the country, was freed.

Hawaii to resume nuclear siren tests

Hawaii this week will resume monthly statewide testing of its Cold War-era nuclear attack warning sirens for the first time in about 30 years, emergency management officials said on Monday. Wailing air-raid sirens will be sounded for around 60 seconds from more than 400 locations across the central Pacific islands starting at 11:45 am on Friday, in a test that will be repeated on the first business day of each month thereafter, officials said.

Germany

Knife attack 'likely political'

A knife attack on a politician known for his welcoming stance toward refugees was likely politically motivated, authorities said, prompting widespread shock and condemnation from officials including Chancellor Angela Merkel. Andreas Hollstein, the mayor of Altena and a member of Merkel's conservative party, was stabbed at a kebab restaurant in the western town on Monday night. The attacker, identified only as a 56-year-old German man and described by local media as drunk, asked Hollstein if he was the mayor before attacking him, local media reported.

Israel

3 dead in Tel Aviv explosion, fire

A large explosion and fire in a building near Tel Aviv killed three people, Israeli police said on Tuesday, adding that they were still investigating the cause. The explosion, which occurred in a hardware store in Jaffa late on Monday, caused adjacent structures to collapse. Two men were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third died later of his injuries, police said.

(China Daily 11/29/2017 page12)