World Briefs

HONG KONG’s government said 31 of 33 cases tested for Middle East Respiratory virus were negative, seeking to allay concerns about a potential outbreak in the city. Health authorities will update on the MERS situation twice a day, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection controller Leung Ting-hung said in a press conference yesterday.

HONG KONG Opposition to a China-backed plan for the first election of Hong Kong’s chief executive rose, surpassing approval levels for the first time since the government unveiled the proposal in April. Some 43 percent of respondents opposed the proposal, according to a tracking poll by a coalition of universities. That’s up from 37.6 percent at the start of the survey in late April. Support for the proposal slipped to 41.7 percent.

CHINESE border guards shot and killed one person who was allegedly trying to illegally cross from North Korea yesterday, authorities said. The incident took place shortly before 4:00 p.m. after the suspect attempted to evade arrest by border guards, according to a brief statement from the Helong city government in Jilin province. It said the shooting is under investigation.

CHINA Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met yesterday with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing aimed at building ties with her country’s powerful neighbor.

MYANMAR Ethnic Kokang rebels fighting against government troops in northeastern Myanmar declare a unilateral ceasefire.

NEPAL A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall buried at least 21 people and left dozens missing as they were sleeping at night in six villages in Nepal’s mountainous northeast, officials said yesterday. Rescuers dug out the bodies and searched the rubble for survivors in Taplejung district, about 500 km east of Kathmandu, said police official Shanti Raj. At least 24 people are missing but the number could be higher, he said.

TURKEY Making his first televised appearance since the ruling party he founded lost its parliamentary majority, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked all political parties to put aside their “egos” yesterday and rapidly form Turkey’s next government.

GREECE German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday that Greece has committed to work intensively with international creditors in coming days to resolve outstanding issues holding up its access to vital bailout loans. The creditors have made clear that Greece must improve an offer of reforms it would introduce in exchange for 7.2 billion euros (USD8.1 billion) in bailout loans.

UK Christopher Lee, the prolific, aristocratic British actor who brought dramatic gravitas to screen villains from Count Dracula to James Bond enemy Scaramanga, has died at age 93. Lee appeared in more than 250 movies, including memorable roles as the wicked wizard Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the evil Count Dooku in two of George Lucas’ “Star Wars” prequels.