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 …
Read More »China scores diplomatic coup in sea row
Manila, Philippines | AFP | China on Sunday scored a diplomatic coup in its campaign to weaken regional resistance against its sweeping claims to the South China Sea when Southeast Asian nations issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to Beijing’s terms on talks. After two days of …
Read More »UN toughens sanctions on North Korea
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously backed a US-drafted resolution that significantly strengthened sanctions on North Korea, imposing a ban on exports aimed at depriving Pyongyang of $1 billion in annual revenue. The sweeping measures were the first of that scope to be …
Read More »Rwandans celebrate Kagame’s record 98% election landslide
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Rwandans on Saturday celebrated the third term victory of President Paul Kagame who pledged to continue transforming the nation after winning re-election with a record 98 percent of the vote. “I am very pleased. I had hoped for this victory,” said Yvette Uwineza, a …
Read More »Foiled Australia plane plot directed by Islamic State: police
Sydney, Australia | AFP | A man instructed by Islamic State to bring down an Etihad Airways flight tried to use an unsuspecting passenger to carry a bomb on board, with a second poisonous gas plot also in the works, Australian police alleged Friday. The improvised device, using “high military-grade explosive”, …
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