Egypt

Officer shot dead in clashes

Egyptian security forces clashed with gunmen on the outskirts of Cairo on Thursday as the army-backed government moved to reassert control over an Islamist-dominated area where political violence broke out last month. A police general was killed in an exchange of gunfire outside the town of Kerdasa, 14 kilometers from the capital.

Japan

Abe orders leaks fixed

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Thursday ordered the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant to work out a schedule for stemming radioactive water leaks as he toured the facility. Shinzo Abe also said he stood by assertions he made at a meeting of Olympic chiefs that the effect of contaminated water was contained.

United States

Killer's mother apologizes

The mother of the gunman who shot dead 12 people at a US Navy base this week said on Wednesday she does not know why Aaron Alexis opened fire but she is glad he can no longer hurt anyone else. Cathleen Alexis read a brief statement inside her New York home, her voice shaking. She did not want to appear on camera and did not take questions.

Renoir items to be auctioned

Some 143 letters, photos, plasters, drawings and personal items that once belonged to Pierre-Auguste Renoir will be sold at auction on Thursday, despite protests from the Impressionist master's great-grandson. Heritage Auctions, which has organized the sale, expects the lot, billed as the largest collection of Renoir memorabilia, to bring in some $3 million.

Italy

Berlusconi to stay in politics

Silvio Berlusconi defiantly vowed to stay at the centre of Italian politics on Wednesday despite his expected expulsion from parliament over a fraud conviction, and accused judges of plotting against him to pervert democracy. In a long-awaited television address, he made no mention of previous threats to bring down the left-right coalition government because of the conviction.

Australia

Climate change body abolished

Australia's new conservative government on Thursday abolished an independent climate change commission set up by the previous Labor administration as part of its plans to streamline bureaucracy. The Climate Commission was set up to provide apolitical and reliable information to the public about the science of climate change, emissions targets and international action being taken.

AFP - AP - Reuters

(China Daily USA 09/20/2013 page6)