Shanghai, China | AFP | A Chinese man was detained after a bus station security scanner revealed that he had his brother’s severed arms in his luggage, state media reported, but police said he was unlikely to face criminal charges. The 50-year-old was stopped in the city of Duyun in the …
Read More »UN sees early warning signs of genocide in C. Africa
United Nations, United States | AFP | Renewed clashes in the Central African Republic are early warning signs of genocide, the UN aid chief said Monday, calling for more troops and police to beef up the UN peacekeeping mission in the strife-torn country. Some 180,000 people have been driven from their …
Read More »US natural gas emerging as rival to Russia in Europe
New York, United States | AFP | The growth of shale gas extraction is positioning the United States to be a bigger natural gas exporter, potentially challenging Russia’s hold on the European market. Russian exports to Europe remain a foundation of the continent’s economy, accounting for about 41 percent of …
Read More »Pentagon, S.Korea review missile size guidelines
Washington, United States | AFP | The Pentagon is working with South Korea to review guidelines governing the size of missile warheads Seoul can deploy, an official said Monday, setting the stage for the South to boost its missiles’ power. Current guidelines limit the destructive capabilities of South Korea’s own …
Read More »Tainted eggs scandal spreads to Britain, France
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Britain and France said Monday that some insecticide-tainted eggs may have entered the country, as millions of chickens faced being culled in the Netherlands in a growing European contamination scandal. Belgium meanwhile vowed full transparency about why it kept the scandal secret despite originally learning in …
Read More »Trump turns to base to protect imperiled presidency
Bedminster, United States | AFP | Beset by investigations, dire approval ratings and growing party dissent, Donald Trump is stirring up his base, hoping to mobilize an army of political shock troops to protect his presidency. Revelations that a grand jury has been impaneled to investigate his finances and his campaign’s …
Read More »Saudis pledge $33.7 mln to UN to battle cholera in Yemen
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia has pledged $33.7 million to help the World Health Organization eradicate cholera in war-wracked Yemen, where the disease has killed nearly 2,000 people, the WHO said on Sunday. Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for the organisation, confirmed that Saudi Arabia, which leads an …
Read More »2,000 Philippine mums show breast is best for babies
Manila, Philippines | AFP | Some 2,000 mothers in the Philippines breastfed their babies in public on Saturday in a gathering aimed at cutting infant deaths and dispelling taboos over the practice. To the upbeat sounds of local pop songs, hundreds of mothers suckled their babies inside a cavernous Manila stadium, …
Read More »US and China pressure North Korea after sanctions vote
Manila, Philippines | AFP | The United States and China piled pressure on North Korea Sunday to abandon its nuclear missile programme after the UN Security Council approved tough sanctions which could cost Pyongyang $1 billion a year. One day after Council members voted unanimously for a partial ban on exports …
Read More »Millions of Dutch eggs destroyed in growing insecticide scandal
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | Supermarkets in the Netherlands and Germany were Thursday removing millions of eggs from their shelves believed to have been contaminated by a toxic insecticide in a widening food scandal. Amid fears the Dutch poultry industry could be facing huge financial losses, German officials said late …
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