IN BRIEF (Page 11)

South Africa

ANC set to elect new leader

South Africa's ANC started a crucial congress on Saturday that is set to elect a successor to President Jacob Zuma. Whoever emerges at the helm of the African National Congress, a 105-year-old liberation movement that dominates Africa's most industrialized economy, is likely to become the next president after elections in 2019. After long delays on the first day of the ANC congress on Saturday, the leadership contest remained too close to call. Most grassroots delegates backed Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, 65, or Zuma's preferred candidate, his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, 68.

Pakistan

Suicide bombing kills eight

Two suicide bombers attacked a church in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Sunday, killing eight people and wounding 42 others, officials said. Sarfaraz Bugti, home minister for the southwestern Baluchistan province, said hundreds of worshippers were attending services at the church ahead of Christmas. He said the attackers clashed with security forces, with one assailant killed at the entrance while the other made it inside.

Argentina

Navy chief sacked over sub tragedy

Argentina dismissed its naval chief on Saturday, the most high-profile officer to be fired a month after a submarine went missing with 44 crew members on board. "The defense minister asked him to retire. It's a political decision," a navy officer said on condition of anonymity about the decision to remove Admiral Marcelo Srur during an ongoing investigation into the sub's disappearance. Srur is the fifth senior officer to have been relieved of his functions so far over the ARA San Juan's disappearance.

Canada

Autopsies after tycoon found dead

Investigators are awaiting the results of autopsies performed on Canadian billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife after they were found dead in their home in what police called suspicious deaths. Toronto Police spokesman Mark Pugash said Saturday the deaths are suspicious based on what they know, but offered no other details. Police earlier said there were no signs of forced entry and there was no outstanding suspect they were going after. The 75-year-old pharmaceutical magnate and his wife, Honey, 70, were found dead in their north Toronto mansion on Friday.

France

Skeleton sells for 550,000 euros

The nearly intact skeleton of a woolly mammoth that lived at least 10,000 years ago was sold at auction for more than a half million euros Saturday in the southeastern French city of Lyon. The giant skeleton - mounted in a forward walking position with its enormous curved tusks with tones of caramel and ivory facing slightly downward - was bought by the chief executive of a French waterproofing company whose logo is of the prehistoric mammal. "We are going to display it in the lobby of our firm," said Pierre-Etienne Bindschedler, the CEO of Soprema. "I think we have enough room".

Reuters - AP - AFP

(China Daily 12/18/2017 page11)