France to ban systematic culling of male chicks: Minister

France aims to ban the widespread but hugely controversial practice of slaughtering male chicks by the end of next year PARIS, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France is to ban from the end of 2021 the hugely controversial but widespread poultry industry practice of systematically slaughtering male chicks, Agriculture Minister Didier…

US developing vaccine against deadly China virus: Officials

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States said it was developing a vaccine against a deadly virus that originated in China, and urged Beijing to step up its cooperation with international health authorities. The US government is keen to place its own teams on the ground to review the raw…

Battle for witnesses looms as defense rests in Trump trial

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The fight over calling witnesses to testify in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial intensified Tuesday after Trump’s lawyers closed their defense calling the abuse of power charges against…

Major quake hits Caribbean, triggering evacuations

Workers leave the building of the Lonja del Comercio (Commerce Market) building after a quake in Havana HAVANA, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) —  A major 7.7-magnitude quake struck Tuesday in the Caribbean between Jamaica and Cuba, triggering a brief tsunami alert and sending hundreds of people pouring onto the streets of…

Peru court orders opposition leader Keiko Fujimori to return to prison

Keiko Fujimori arrives at a Lima courthouse with her husband Mark Villanella  LIMA, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Peruvian judge ordered opposition leader Keiko Fujimori to return to prison for a further 15 months’ pre-trial detention as part of an investigation into Latin America’s sprawling Odebrecht corruption scandal. Fujimori, 44,…

Cuba promotes foreign investment in special development zone

HAVANA, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cuba’s Mariel Special Development Zone is now one of the main drivers of the economy and aims to attract half a billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment each year, an official said. “Our goal is to grow. We are never going to give up our…

Bolivia: MAS presidential candidate returns to Bolivia for campaign

LA PAZ, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bolivian presidential candidate Luis Arce, who is running for the leftist Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, returned on Tuesday to Bolivia to start the campaign for the general elections to be held in May. Arce was met at the airport by scores of supporters…

EU to assess Trump’s Mideast peace plan: top EU diplomat

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) will study and assess the U.S. Middle East peace plan announced by the U.S. President Donald Trump, said Josep Borrell, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, in a declaration. The top EU diplomat pledged the EU’s “firm and…

US CDC estimates 8,200 deaths associated with flu this winter

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that there have been at least 15 million influenza illnesses, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths associated with flu so far this season in the United States. A total of 54 influenza-associated pediatric deaths were…

EU says could assist with repatriations from China as coronavirus spreads

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Commission said it could help finance the repatriation of Europeans affected by the coronavirus, which is spreading quickly in China, through a so-called EU Civil Protection Mechanism. A spokesman for the bloc’s executive told a news briefing that there had not been any…