IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China Daily | Updated: 2019-10-28 07:57

Chile

Pinera shaking up Cabinet amid protests

Chile's President Sebastian Pinera asked all his Cabinet members to offer their resignations on Saturday as he prepared to shake up his government in response to a wave of protests, including one that drew more than a million people the day before. The conservative president also said he might lift the state of emergency that has covered much of the country for the past nine days - a decree that had failed to bring peace after rioting broke out in response to a 4-cent rise in subway fares. The protests rapidly expanded to cover a far wider sense of frustration among many Chileans who feel they have been struggling to make do as the well-off grew richer. Friday's demonstration in central Santiago that drew 1.2 million people was the largest in the country in at least 35 years.

Russia

'Agent' Butina returns to Moscow

The Russian woman convicted in the United States of being a Russian agent returned to Moscow on Saturday and declared that she has no desire to go back to the US. Maria Butina was deported on Friday by the US after serving an 18-month prison sentence, arriving the next day at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. Carrying a bouquet of flowers, she rested her head on the shoulder of her father, Valery, who had come from their Siberian hometown of Barnaul. She had been in custody since her arrest in July 2018. In brief comments to journalists at the airport, Butina thanked her supporters.

India

Man survives 28 days at sea on rainwater

A 49-year-old man managed to return to his homeland after battling two deadly storms in 28 days and surviving just on rainwater, according to local media. Amrit Kujur, a resident of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, had begun his journey on a boat along with his friend Divyaranjan on Sept 28 to sell groceries and potable water to other ships in the Andaman Sea. The man managed to live on rainwater which he had soaked in a towel, and at times even drank seawater. His friend died of hunger and dehydration.

Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 10/28/2019 page12)