Typhoon Songda churns towards Tokyo on May 29, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Japan Typhoon Weather TOKYO – Typhoon Songda churned northeast along Pacific coasts in southern Japan Sunday, bringing with it heavy rains and staying on course to hit Tokyo as it weakened, weather officials said. It was expected to be downgraded to a depression late Su...
3 killed, 8 injured in China chemical plant blast on May 29, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Accidents BEIJING – Authorities said a blast at a chemical plant in eastern China has killed three people and injured eight others. The government of Zibo city in Shandong province said in a statement Sunday that police were investigating the cause of the ex...
New cooling trouble at Japan nuclear plant on May 29, 2011 in Latest News Stories World disaster Japan Nuclear plant TOKYO – Emergency workers on Sunday restored the cooling system of a reactor which had come to a halt after escaping major damage from the March 11 quake and damage at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. The water pump to cool the reactor a...
UN experts begin Malaysia rare earths visit on May 29, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Environmental Issues Radioactive Safety of citizens KUALA LUMPUR – A team of UN atomic energy experts began a week-long visit to Malaysia on Sunday to review the safety of a proposed Australian rare earths refinery that has drawn protests. Following public concerns that radioactive waste from the pl...
Australia, Colombia smash international drug ring on May 28, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Illegal drugs Police SYDNEY – Police in Australia, Colombia and Panama combined to smash a major drugs syndicate, arresting 14 people and seizing a large quantity of cocaine, they said on Sunday. In a joint operation, authorities found more than 50 kilograms (110 pound...
Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir leaves hospital on May 28, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Government Health People KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has left hospital after recovering from a chest infection, the national news agency Bernama reported. The 85-year-old long-time leader had undergone treatment including chest physiothe...
China to step up fight against plastic addiction on May 28, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Environmental Issues Laws BEIJING – China will expand a ban on free shopping bags, state media said, as it tries to further curb its addiction to plastic in a bid to rid the country of “white pollution” that clogs waterways, farms and fields. Bookstores and phar...
Japan PM could face no-confidence motion on May 28, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Japan Politics Quake TOKYO – Japan’s center-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under fire for his handling of the response to the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, faces the threat of a no-confidence motion this week. Although Kan’s opponents h...
Midwives on motorbikes spread sex sense in Cambodia on May 28, 2011 in Latest News Stories World CHANLOUNG – Sitting in the shade of a large tree and surrounded by a group of women, Cambodian midwife Ly Siyan holds up a colourful poster displaying a range of contraception options. She patiently waits for the giggles to subside when she points...
More countries accepting gay lifestyle – study on May 28, 2011 in Latest News Stories World Gender issues Lifestyle surveys WASHINGTON – The vast majority of countries around the world have become more accepting of homosexuality, with the exception of Russia and other former socialist countries, a new study has found. The report, compiled by the National Opinion Researc...
