World News

Fire ripped through one of the world's top art schools in the Scottish city of Glasgow early Saturday, as the historic building was undergoing major restoration work following another blaze four years ago. The fire gutted the 1909 building and spread to two others nearby, a night club and a music venue. (Photo: Twitter/Carol Wilson) LONDON: More than 120 firefighters battled to contain a huge fire that ripped through one of the world's top art schools in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Friday (Jun 15) night. Flames and smoke engulfed one of Scotland's architectural gems, the Mackintosh building at the Glasgow School of Art, for the second time in four years, the Scottish fire service said on Saturday. The fire gutted the 1909 building and spread to two others nearby, a night club and a music venue. There were no casualties, the fire service said. The Mackintosh building had been due to re-open next year after millions of pounds in restoration works following a May 2014 fire. … [Read more...] about Over 120 firefighters battle huge blaze at Glasgow School of Art

Donald Trump threatened Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe he would ship 25 million Mexicans to his country, one of a series of bizarre missives that jarred fellow leaders at last week's acrimonious G7 meet, according to a report on Friday (Jun 15). At one point Trump described migration as a big problem for Europe then said to Abe: "Shinzo, you don't have this problem, but I can send you 25 million Mexicans and you'll be out of office very soon," according to an official quoted by the Journal AFP/Nicholas Kamm The Group of Seven summit gathering of top industrialized democracies finished in disarray after the US president abruptly rejected its consensus statement and bitterly attacked Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Behind the scenes, Trump's counterparts were dismayed by verbal jabs on topics ranging from trade to terrorism and migration, The Wall Street Journal said, quoting European officials who were present. At one point he described migration as a big problem … [Read more...] about Trump threatened to send 25 million Mexicans to Japan: Report

Thailand will secure the purchase of a US$215 million observation satellite from Airbus during his trip to France this month, a diplomatic source said on Friday (Jun 15), as Europe re-engages with the kingdom following a chill in relations after a 2014 coup. Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. (Photo: AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy) Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who toppled an elected government four years ago, will stop in Britain and France next week for meetings with political and business leaders. The trip comes after the European Union agreed to resume official contacts with Thailand in December, ending a more than three-year suspension put in place after Prayut's May 2014 coup installed the country's most authoritarian government in a generation. European aviation giant Airbus is expected to announce the sale of the Theos-II satellite while Prayut pays a visit to French President Emmanuel Macron on Jun 25, according to a diplomatic source in Bangkok. "The negotiation … [Read more...] about Thailand to buy Airbus satellite as Prayut visits France

Poland's veterinary service on Friday (Jun 15) recalled some 4.3 million eggs contaminated with an antibiotic, just days after Dutch eggs were pulled from supermarket shelves in Germany. "The (egg) recall is caused by the presence of residues of the antibiotic lasalocid at a rate exceeding its maximum allowed value," a statement from Poland's veterinary service said. (AFP/PHILIPPE HUGUEN) Officials ordered the eggs, on sale in the domestic market, to be removed following an inspection. "The recall is caused by the presence of residues of the antibiotic lasalocid at a rate exceeding its maximum allowed value," a statement said. The head of the Polish veterinary service Pawel Niemczuk said the drug was added "erroneously" to the feed given to laying hens on a farm near Poznan. "The feed for fattening chickens (which legally uses the antibiotic) was mistakenly given to laying hens," he told the Polish news agency PAP. On Tuesday, German authorities pulled around 73,000 Dutch … [Read more...] about More than four million eggs recalled in Poland

A shipping container is loaded with soybeans at a Ruff Bros. Grain elevator on June 13, 2018 in Blackstone, Illinois; US soybean futures have plunged today on fears of retaliatory measures if the US imposes wide ranging tariffs on Chinese goods AFP/SCOTT OLSON President Donald Trump on Friday (Jun 15) was due to unveil a final list of Chinese imports that would face punishing tariffs but it remained uncertain whether he would hold fire as part of a negotiating strategy. Imposing the tariffs would escalate the trade confrontation with Beijing, and potentially set off a round of tit-for-tat retaliation, which economists warn would damage the global economy. The deadline to release the list comes as Washington faces a dizzying array of parallel diplomatic horse trading, as Trump is increasingly dependent on Beijing to help advance efforts at North Korean denuclearisation, while also using aggressive trade tactics on all major US economic partners. The president's trade team, including … [Read more...] about Trump prepares China tariff target list as confrontation escalates