World News

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday (Nov 12) her government was working "extremely hard" to save a Brexit deal that continued slipping out of grasp despite frantic negotiations with the European Union. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, pictured in October of 2018, exiting 10 Downing Street in London, said that negotiators were working through the night to get a Brexit deal with the EU but vowed it would not be "an agreement at any cost". (Photo: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas) May spoke to leaders of London's City financial district with anxiety mounting over the doomsday possibility of Britain crashing out of the 27-nation bloc in March without an agreement. The British prime minister hopes to seal divorce terms that can maintain frictionless trade - and assure there is no panic on the markets - by the end of November. But the latest in a series of crunch meetings between top negotiators in Brussels on Sunday broke up without a breakthrough a few hours after … [Read more...] about British PM eyes Brexit endgame, but not at any cost

Chinese vaccine manufacturers who falsify test results or break other rules could be fined up to US$720,000 under a new law proposed after a scandal that fulled public fears over domestically made medicine. China was earlier this year rocked by a scandal which saw a manufacturer of rabies vaccines fabricating records. (Photo: AFP) The law would regulate areas including production, distribution and use of vaccines, according to a draft posted Sunday on the website of China's market regulator. The country was earlier this year rocked by a scandal that saw a manufacturer of rabies vaccines fabricating records. While authorities say the affected vaccines did not enter the market, the case provoked outrage from consumers fed up with recurring product safety scandals, particularly in pharmaceuticals. Under the proposed law, those who flout the rules can be fined up to 5.0 million yuan (US$720,000) for offences including submitting false test results, not recalling problematic … [Read more...] about China mulls US$720,000 fine for faking vaccine tests after scandal

LONDON: A Briton has died after being bitten by a cat with rabies in Morocco, officials said Monday (Nov 12), only the seventh known case in the United Kingdom since 2000. File photo of a stray cat walking at the Cypriot capital Nicosia. (Photo: AFP/Hasan Jamali) England's health service issued a reminder Monday for travellers to avoid coming into contact with animals when travelling to rabies affected countries, particularly those in Asia and Africa. Rabies has been effectively eradicated in Britain, although they do still spread among some bats. "There is no risk to the wider public in relation to this case but, as a precautionary measure, health workers and close contacts are being assessed and offered vaccination when necessary," said Mary Ramsay, the health service's chief of immunisation. The Press Association news agency said the person was bitten a few weeks ago and not given potentially life-saving treatment early enough. Rabies is a viral disease that causes an … [Read more...] about Briton dies from rabies after cat bite in Morocco

PARIS: United in the rain, world leaders walked slowly up the Champs-Elysees in Paris to mark a century since the end of World War I - but there were two notable absences, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were among the leaders attending the ceremony in Paris. (Photo: AFP/Ludovic Marin) The line of black-clad leaders was reminiscent of another moment of unity: After the 2015 Charlie Hebdo jihadist attack, when senior officials from more than 40 countries marched through Paris to denounce terrorism. But on Sunday (Nov 11) both the US and Russian presidents arrived separately for the solemn ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, skipping the bus ride and symbolic walk with other leaders. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump, who wore a cornflower - France's war remembrance flower - in his lapel, had arrived separately "due to security protocols". His trademark bright … [Read more...] about Trump, Putin absent for leaders’ symbolic walk in Paris rain

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih (right) talks as UAE's Energy Minister Suhail Mohammed Faraj al-Mazroui listens during a meeting of oil ministers in Abu Dhabi. (AFP/KARIM SAHIB) ABU DHABI: Major oil producers said on Sunday (Nov 11) that crude supply next year would outstrip demand, calling for new strategies based on production adjustments. Khalid al-Falih, Energy Minister of the world's top supplier Saudi Arabia, said the kingdom would cut its production by 500,000 barrels per day. Russia, the world's second-biggest producer, said it would commit to any new agreement among producers to cut output. Meeting in Abu Dhabi to examine how to curb a sharp slide in oil prices, the producers said they "reviewed current oil supply and demand fundamentals and noted that 2019 prospects point to higher supply growth than global requirements." They would therefore consider "options on new 2019 production adjustments, which may require new strategies to balance the market," they said in a … [Read more...] about Oil producers see oversupply, call for new strategies