IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Republic Of Korea

Govt seeks more talks with Pyongyang

The Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean relations said on Tuesday that it will seek talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to facilitate dialogue between the DPRK and the United States. The ministry said in its 2019 work plan, submitted to the presidential Blue House, that it will push for inter-Korean talks. It noted that Seoul will intensify the virtuous cycle of improved inter-Korean relations leading to progress in the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.

Belgium

Extremist gunman jailed for life

A Belgian court has sentenced a French citizen to life in prison on terror charges for gunning down four people at the Brussels Jewish Museum five years ago. Just before he was sentenced on Tuesday, Mehdi Nemmouche, who prosecutors said fought for the Islamic State group in Syria, said "Life goes on". Nemmouche was found guilty last week on four counts of "terrorist murder" for shooting dead an Israeli couple and two people working at the museum. State broadcaster RTBF said Nacer Bendrer was sentenced to 15 years in prison for supplying the revolver and assault rifle used in the May 24, 2014, killing. The shooting was the first high-profile attack in Europe by a suspected IS fighter and crystallized fears that extremists would return to sow terror at home.

Iraq

20,000 could return from Syria in weeks

Around 20,000 Iraqis in Syria, who fled the Islamic State group's last enclave, are expected to be sent home in weeks under an agreement with Baghdad, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday. Thousands of people - many of them the wives of IS fighters and their children - have streamed out of the besieged town of Baghouz over the past weeks, forcing the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to delay an assault to wipe out the last vestige of the jihadists' territorial rule.

Indonesia

First chance to ride MRT in Jakarta

Jakarta on Tuesday held the first public trial run of its $3 billion mass rapid transit (MRT) system which aims to relieve some of the worst traffic jams in the world. The first phase of the commuter rail system, comprising underground and surface stretches, is due to open on March 26. "I'm impressed that it's like any foreign country, like Singapore!" said Mika, a 23-year-old student, who registered weeks ago for the trial run.

Xinhua - Ap - Reuters

(China Daily 03/13/2019 page12)