Thursday, 8 January 2026

Author: AFP

Australia pledges to stop exporting its trash

Australia pledged to stop exporting recyclable waste amid global concerns about plastic polluting the oceans and increasing pushback from Asian nations against accepting trash. Prime Minister Scott Morrison agreed with Australian state and territory leaders to prepare a timeline to phase out the exports of recyclables like plastics, paper and

High arsenic levels found in children near former French mine

Tests of dozens of children living near what was once the world’s biggest arsenic mine have revealed worrying levels of the toxic element, French officials said Tuesday, heightening fears that waste from the site is leaching into soil and groundwater. The ARS health agency for the Occitanie region in southern

Rare baby panda twins born at Belgian zoo

A Belgian zoo announced Friday the “extremely rare” birth of twin baby giant pandas, three years after the arrival of a young male, which was a first for Belgium at the time. The Pairi Daiza zoo said the safe delivery of the twins, one male and one female, on Thursday represented

Italy marks bridge disaster

GENOA: Italy yesterday marked a year since the Genoa motorway bridge collapse that killed 43 people, as the country grapples with a political crisis sparked by far-right leader Matteo Salvini. The ceremony took place close to the spot where a section of the Morandi highway fell during heavy rain on

Mexico, US to exchange information on shooting

MEXICO CITY: Mexico said on Tuesday it had agreed with the United States to exchange information regarding the deadly shooting in El Paso, Texas, which killed 22 people. Eight Mexican citizens were among those gunned down in the racially charged rampage in the majority-Hispanic border city. “Both governments agreed to

Chinese survey ship back in Vietnam-claimed waters

HANOI: A Chinese survey vessel has re-entered disputed waters in the South China Sea, according to ship tracking analysis, after a tense month-long standoff in the same area that inflamed tensions between Hanoi and Beijing.  China has been accused of deploying warships, arming outposts and ramming fishing vessels in the

Maduro taken to task

CARACAS: Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido warned President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday that any attempts to bring forward parliamentary elections would end in “disaster” for the government. Elections to renew the National Assembly, the only branch of government under opposition control, are set for December 2020. But the Constituent Assembly,

Six policemen suspended in rape investigation

MEXICO CITY: Mexico City’s mayor said on Tuesday that six police officers were suspended as part of an investigation into the rape of two teenage girls, after demonstrations by hundreds of women demanding justice. Around 250 people had taken to the streets on Monday, dousing the capital’s security minister in

Baptism held despite sex crimes scandal

GUADALAJARA: Mexican Pentecostal church the Light of the World is in crisis, its leader facing pedophilia charges, but that has not stopped thousands of people from around the world traveling to its headquarters to be immersed in a giant baptismal pool. The leader of the controversial church, Naason Joaquin Garcia,

Bayern cruise past Cottbus to progress in German Cup

BERLIN: Robert Lewandowski was on the scoresheet and Lucas Hernandez made his club debut as Bayern Munich eased into the second round of the German Cup with a 3-1 win over fourth-tier side Energie Cottbus on Monday. Amid pre-match fears of a double-figure scoreline, Cottbus proved their doubters wrong by