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Showing posts from November 28, 2017

World markets dive as Trump sparks trade, North Korea worries

Global stocks sank Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with talks that are aimed at averting a trade war with China. Equities were also dented by poor eurozone economic data, and as Trump cast doubt on a planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Trump (is) continuing to drive uncertainty over global trade,” said analyst Joshua Mahony at trading firm IG. “European markets are following their Asian counterparts lower, as a pessimistic tone from Trump is compounded by downbeat economic data,” he added. Markets had surged Monday after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said they had agreed to pull back from imposing threatened tariffs on billions of dollars of goods, and continue talks on a variety of trade issues. However, Trump has declared that he was “not satisfied” with the status of the talks, fuelling worries that the world’s top two economies could still slug out an economically pain...
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Scarlet fever cases hit 50-year high in England.

Scarlet fever hit its highest level in England for 50 years, with more than 17,000 cases reported in 2016 - research in the Lancet shows. The disease has been on the rise since 2014, but experts have so far failed to find a reason for the recent increase. Doctors are urging the public to be aware of symptoms, which include a rosy rash, and seek help from their GP. Data for 2017 suggests the rate may be falling, but experts remain cautious, saying it is "too early to tell". The bacterial disease, though highly contagious, is not usually serious and can be treated with antibiotics. It is most common among children under 10. Image copyright SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY A joint investigation by public health authorities from across England and Wales found that the incidence of scarlet fever tripled between 2013 and 2014, rising from 4,700 cases to 15,637 cases. In 2016, there were 19,206 reported cases, the highest level since 1967. The majority of the outbreaks were in...
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Facebook and Twitter to co-operate in Brexit probe.

Facebook and Twitter have agreed to share information with the UK government about possible Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Facebook said it hoped to be able to respond to questions from the Electoral Commission by mid-December. The Commission is investigating activity in the period leading up to the Brexit vote. Twitter said it hoped to share its own findings "in the coming weeks". The BBC understands that Google is also cooperating with the Electoral Commission's request. The US is conducting a similar investigation into potential Russian meddling in the presidential election. The two social media giants were responding to a letter from Damian Collins, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, also requesting information about Russian-linked account activity in the build-up to the EU referendum. Facebook's policy director Simon Milner said the firm was "considering how we can best respond" to the...
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Russia loses contact with new weather satellite.

Russia has lost contact with a weather satellite just hours after its launch from a new cosmodrome. "Contact has not been established because it is not on its planned orbit," the space agency Roscosmos said. The Meteor-M satellite was carried on a Soyuz rocket. The launch was at 14:41 (05:41 GMT), from Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's far east. It is only the second launch from the base, which opened last year. Smaller satellites were also on board.
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Why Prince Harry's wife will not be called Princess Meghan.

Why won't Meghan Markle be known as Princess Meghan when she ties the knot with Prince Harry next year? The brutal answer is that, by the standards of British royal protocol, the former Hollywood star lacks "royal blood". That means that she cannot call herself Princess Meghan. The arcane rules mean that Meghan will be compelled to follow the example of her future sister-in-law. When Catherine Middleton and Prince William were pronounced "man and wife" in 2011, she automatically became Her Royal Highness, Princess William of Wales. The overwhelming likelihood is that the new royal fiancee will in turn become HRH Princess Harry of Wales. Officially, we can forget about Princess Kate and we can forget about Princess Meg. The reason for this is simple: Catherine Middleton was not of royal blood, and what applies to her will also apply in the case of Meghan Markle. Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption The rules which applied to Catherine Middleton ...
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Kenya election: Kenyatta vows to overcome divisions.

Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed to overcome Kenya's divisions after being sworn in for a second term as president, at a ceremony boycotted by the opposition. Speaking after his inauguration in the capital Nairobi, he said he would try to incorporate some of the opposition's ideas "in the spirit of inclusivity". Two people died when police clashed with opposition supporters in the city. Opposition leader Raila Odinga announced plans to be sworn in himself as president next month. Live updates He boycotted last month's repeat election and has not recognised Mr Kenyatta's victory. Mr Kenyatta was officially re-elected with 98% of the vote on 26 October but just under 39% of voters turned out. The original election on 8 August was held again after being annulled by the Supreme Court on grounds of irregularities. Kenya's 'digital president' Raila Odinga - Love him or loathe him What did Kenyatta say exactly? Embarking on his second and ...
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