IN BRIEF (Page 11)

United States

Arms trade treaty signed

The United States has joined more than 90 other nations in signing a treaty that regulates global arms trading. But there's strong resistance in the US Senate, which must ratify the accord. The US is the world's largest arms dealer, and its signing is seen as critical to the success of the Arms Trade Treaty. But many of the other top arms exporters have yet to sign. US Secretary of State John Kerry signed the pact on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. He says it's a "significant step" in keeping the world safe.

Iraq

Militant assault kills at least 24

Militants launched a coordinated assault against local government and police buildings in northern Iraq on Wednesday, with suicide car bombings and mortar attacks killing at least 24 people, police and medical sources said. The attacks, which military officials said looked like the work of al-Qaida, began when two suicide car bombs were detonated outside the local council building and police headquarters in the town of Hawija.

Sweden

Global warming threatens Arctic

A expert from the World Wide Fund for Nature said on Wednesday in Stockholm that global warming has been threatening various animal species in the Arctic region for several recent years, and called for switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Tom Arnbom, WWF Sweden's Arctic expert said: "Temperatures have already risen twice as fast in the Arctic compared to the rest of the planet and a new approach is required to protect habitats and species. The predictions of researchers have already become reality - the future is already here."

Xinhua-Reuters-AFP

(China Daily 09/26/2013 page11)