IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Greece

New version of Historic Journey released

As President Xi Jinping started his state visit to Greece on Sunday, the Greek version of Historic Journey, a 24-episode documentary series created by the China Media Group, was broadcast on the website of the Athens-Macedonia News Agency and its new media platform. The series, with detailed data, features the great achievements and valuable experiences of Chinese people of all ethnic groups in the socialist revolution, as well as in the construction and reform efforts over the past 70 years. So far, Historic Journey has been translated into 18 languages such as English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Italian.

Jordan

Nation retakes lands leased by Israel in 1994

King Abdullah II announced on Sunday that Jordan will resume "full sovereignty" over two pieces of land leased by Israel, reflecting the cool relations between the neighbors as they mark the 25th anniversary of a landmark peace deal. The Jordanian king said last year that he wouldn't renew the parts of the 1994 peace treaty that gave Israel a 25-year lease on two small areas, Baqura and Ghamr. Even amid mistrust and a looming deadline, Israel was hoping an extension could be obtained. But in a speech to Parliament, the king appeared to quash that idea. "Today, I announce the expiration of the Peace Treaty annexes on Ghamr and al-Baqura and the imposition of our full sovereignty over every inch of those lands," he said.

Syria

Turkey says at least 8 killed by car bomb

A car bomb in northern Syria killed at least eight civilians and wounded 20 others on Sunday in a town near the border with Turkey, Turkey's Defense Ministry said. The explosion struck a town south of the city of Tal Abyad, the ministry said. The city was captured last month by Turkish troops and Turkey-backed opposition forces from Kurdish-led fighters. The ministry blamed Syrian Kurdish fighters for the attack, accusing them of "massacring innocent civilians". The attack came more than a week after a similar car bomb attack in central Tal Abyad killed 13 people.

Russia

Professor questioned over killing of student

Police in St Petersburg plan to interrogate a prominent professor who has been detained on suspicion of killing a female student after he was pulled from a frigid river along with a backpack containing severed human arms. Oleg Sokolov, a history professor at St Petersburg State University who is an expert in French revolutionary military history, was found on Saturday in the Moika River with the backpack. Police later found the body of the student in his apartment, Russian news reports said. Lawyer Alexander Pochuev said Sokolov has signed a statement of guilt, Russian media reports said. Sokolov was hospitalized on Saturday for hypothermia but was taken to a police station on Sunday for questioning. Reports said Sokolov had been awarded France's Legion of Honor for his work.

China Daily - Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 11/12/2019 page11)