World News

Health officials probe tie between Zika, paralyzing syndrome

Published:Saturday | January 23, 2016 | 12:00 AM

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP): Two Latin American countries are investigating whether outbreaks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus are behind a rise in a rare and sometimes life-threatening nerve condition that can cause paralysis and leave victims on life-...

El Salvador urges against pregnancies until 2018 as Zika virus spreads

Published:Friday | January 22, 2016 | 7:15 PM

El Salvador today urged women in the country to avoid getting pregnant until 2018 to prevent their children developing birth defects from the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Although research is still underway, significant evidence in Brazil shows a...

11 children among dozens killed in shipwrecks off Greece

Published:Friday | January 22, 2016 | 1:04 PM

A total of 42 migrants are reported to have drowned overnight in two separate shipwrecks in the Aegean Sea in Greece. One boat went down off the coast of the small Greek islet of Kalolimnos, killing 34 people, including 11 children. Another eight...

US Customs begins using facial comparison technology on Caribbean travelers

Published:Thursday | January 21, 2016 | 10:35 AM

WASHINGTON (CMC):The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said it has begun using facial comparison technology at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to help verify that Caribbean and other travellers entering...

Suspected microcephaly cases in Brazil rise to 3,893

Published:Thursday | January 21, 2016 | 12:00 AM

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP):The suspected number of cases of microcephaly, a rare brain defect in babies, continues to rise in Brazil, reaching 3,893 since authorities began investigating the surge in October, health ministry officials said Wednesday.Fewer...

Hawaii baby born with defect linked to Zika virus

Published:Thursday | January 21, 2016 | 12:00 AM

HONOLULU (AP):Health officials said that a baby born in a Hawaii hospital is the first in the United States with a birth defect linked to the Zika virus, a tropical illness currently found in Latin...

UN: South Sudan troops held women as sex slaves

Published:Thursday | January 21, 2016 | 11:42 AM

JUBA (AP):A United Nations report said South Sudanese government troops held women as sex slaves while attacking scores of civilians just outside UN bases.The report said hundreds of people, including pregnant women and minors, were raped in Unity...

Brazil turns to genetically modified mosquitoes to combat ZIKV

Published:Thursday | January 21, 2016 | 12:00 AM

SAO PAULO (AP): Genetically modified mosquitoes could help Brazil combat the Zika virus (ZIKV), tests results released Tuesday by a British biotech firm suggest. The South American nation has been scrambling to contain the spread of Zika, which has...

Suspected microcephaly cases in Brazil rise to 3,893 – AP

Published:Thursday | January 21, 2016 | 10:59 AM

The number of suspected cases of the rare brain defect in babies, microcephaly, continues to rise in Brazil. Microcephaly is being linked to the ongoing outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Brazil. That's part of the reason...

Thousand of migrants and refugees continue to reach Greece's shores despite the winter weather

Published:Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | 1:02 PMAP

Mother of murdered journalist: Hostages' return gives hope

Published:Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | 12:04 PM

UNITED STATES( AP)The mother of slain journalist James Foley said yesterday that the family was "delighted" to see the return of four Iranian-American citizens freed by Iran in a prisoner swap with the United States and is hopeful that the US...

Trinidad and Tobago has disturbing problem of child cruelty

Published:Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | 12:18 PM

PORT OF SPAIN (CMC)The Children's Authority of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday said "there is an acute and disturbing problem of child cruelty" in the country as police continue investigations into allegations that a 14 month old baby girl had been...

Canada excluded from anti-Islamic State coalition meeting

Published:Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | 12:29 PM

TORONTO, (AP):Canada has been excluded from a meeting of defence ministers in Paris this week to discuss the fight against Islamic State militants. The apparent snub follows new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's vow that he would remove the...

2015 was Earth's hottest by a wide margin

Published:Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | 12:47 PM

2015 was Earth's hottest by a wide marginWASHINGTON, (AP)Last year wasn't just the Earth's hottest year on record, it left a century of high temperature marks in the dust.The National Oceanic Atmos-pheric Administration and NASA announced yesterday...

2015 was hottest on earth in 136 years – NOAA, NASA

Published:Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON (AP): Last year wasn't just the Earth's hottest year on record – it left a century of high temperature marks in the dust. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA announced today that 2015 was by far the...

Japan foreign minister says Russia key to resolving Syria, North Korea issues

Published:Tuesday | January 19, 2016 | 12:00 AM

TOKYO (AP):Japan's foreign minister pledged yesterday to continue talks with Russia, even though the two countries still lack a World War II peace treaty, saying Moscow is key to resolving international threats from Syria and North Korea.Fumio...

Trump receives key endorsement from Sarah Palin

Published:Tuesday | January 19, 2016 | 12:00 AM

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has received a key endorsement from conservative heavyweight Sarah Palin.Trump's campaign said in a statement Tuesday that Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential...

IS acknowledges death of 'Jihadi John' in magazine

Published:Tuesday | January 19, 2016 | 12:00 AM

NEW YORK (AP):The Islamic State group has acknowledged the death of the masked militant known as 'Jihadi John', who appeared in several videos depicting the beheadings of Western hostages, the SITE Intelligence Group reported yesterday.SITE, which...

Experts: Willingness claim unlikely to help "affluenza" teen

Published:Tuesday | January 19, 2016 | 12:00 AM

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP):An argument raised yesterday by lawyers for a Texas teenager known for using an 'affluenza' defence in a fatal drunken-driving wreck - that he may have been taken to Mexico against his will - is unlikely to help his case,...