Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | When Shimon Peres is laid to rest on Friday, his funeral is likely to bring back memories of those of the other two men he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with: Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. But his burial is unlikely to be similar in …
Read More »China property tycoon warns on real estate bubble
Beijing, China | AFP | China’s richest man, real estate magnate Wang Jianlin, has warned the country’s property market is the “biggest bubble in history” — the latest alarm bell to be sounded on the world’s second largest economy. Wang, the owner of real estate and entertainment conglomerate Wanda, said …
Read More »US Congress rejects Obama’s veto of Saudi 9/11 bill
Washington, United States | AFP | The US Congress voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to override Barack Obama’s veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, the first such rebuke of his eight-year presidency. The Senate overrode the veto in a 97-1 vote, followed a short time later by …
Read More »Chinese giant turns to France to meet soaring demand for baby formula
Carhaix-Plouguer, France | AFP | China’s third largest baby formula producer on Wednesday opened a vast plant in France’s Brittany region, whose prized dairy cows are set to contribute 100,000 tons of powdered milk a year to a growing Chinese market that mistrusts domestic production. Synutra’s 170 million euro ($190 …
Read More »All global trade banned in endangered pangolins
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The shy, scale-covered pangolin is to receive the highest level of protection against illegal trade to try to save it from extinction, after a vote Wednesday by delegates at a global conference. The reclusive, gentle mammal is prized as an edible delicacy and ingredient …
Read More »IMF chief warns of weak growth, lure of protectionism
Chicago, United States | AFP | The head of the IMF on Wednesday renewed warnings against protectionism and trade restrictions, saying that the global economy risked prolonged low growth and that advanced economies faced painful inequality. Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary Fund’s managing director, said the current global recovery was …
Read More »MH17 shot down by missile brought into Ukraine from Russia
Nieuwegein, Netherlands | AFP | The missile that downed flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine was transported from Russia, a criminal inquiry revealed Wednesday, announcing about 100 people were being investigated for playing “an active role” in the disaster. Saying they had “irrefutable evidence” that the BUK missile system was used …
Read More »Clinton leads 1-0 after debate – but no game-changer
Washington, United States | AFP | Hillary Clinton was calm, cool, well-prepared and — pundits say — victorious in the first presidential debate against Donald Trump, but her strong showing may have little impact on polls showing them in a dead heat. Both campaigns cried victory Tuesday after the sometimes …
Read More »Israeli ex-president Shimon Peres dies at 93
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres died on Wednesday, his personal doctor told AFP, some two weeks after suffering a major stroke. The 93-year-old died at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT), Rafi Walden, who is also Peres’s son-in-law, told AFP. He did …
Read More »IMF warns central banks could lose deflation fight
Washington, United States | AFP | The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that central banks are struggling to beat back deflationary forces and that governments need to spend to help them succeed. In a new assessment of global economic conditions, the IMF said many countries worldwide are battling disinflation …
Read More »