IN BRIEF (Page 12)

UNITED STATES

Trump intelligence chief pick pulls out

US President Donald Trump's controversial pick to be the next Director of National Intelligence, Representative John Ratcliffe, withdrew from consideration on Friday amid questions over his experience and credentials. Trump blamed Ratcliffe's withdrawal on attacks from the media and said he would announce a new nominee "shortly" to replace Dan Coats as head of the 17 agencies that make up the US intelligence community. "Our great Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media," Trump said in a tweet.

TANZANIA

2 South Africans killed in plane crash

A light plane crashed in western Tanzania on Saturday, killing two South Africans who had been involved in last month's successful attempt to fly a home-built aircraft from Cape Town to Cairo, officials said. The crashed Sling plane, which entered Tanzanian airspace from Uganda en route to Malawi, made a distress signal about engine failure before disappearing from radar, according to the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. "The pilot and passenger, both South African citizens, were killed in the plane crash that occurred shortly after take off from Tabora airport at around 7:30 am," an official said.

MALTA

40 migrants land after German intervention

A group of 40 migrants rescued by a German charity ship landed in Malta on Sunday and will be taken care of by other European Union member states following a deal negotiated by Germany. The 40 people were rescued on Wednesday from a small boat off the Libyan coast by German rescue group Sea Eye's ship Alan Kurdi. Late on Saturday, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced a deal had been reached with the European Commission. "Malta will allow 40 migrants...to transfer to a Malta Armed Forces asset and enter port," Muscat said in a tweet.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/05/2019 page12)