24 January 2015 Last updated at 07:42
Brazil's most populous region facing worst drought in 80 years
Brazil's Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira has said the country's three most populous states are experiencing their worst drought since 1930.
The states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais must save water, she said after an emergency meeting in the capital, Brasilia.
Ms Teixeira described the water crisis as "delicate" and "worrying".
Industry and agriculture are expected to be affected, further damaging Brazil's troubled economy.
The drought is also having an impact on energy supplies, with reduced generation from hydroelectric dams.
'Poor planning'
The BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio de Janeiro says Brazil is supposed to be in the middle of its rainy season but there has been scant rainfall in the south-east and the drought shows no sign of abating.
Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing slated in state media as unpatriotic
Asia’s richest man and former ‘Superman’ portrayed negatively as ‘tiger’ speculator
Clifford Coonan
Asia’s richest man, the Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, once a “superman” to mainland would-be entrepreneurs, is coming under pressure these days from Beijing’s state-run media for not loving the motherland enough.
Mr Li is now being portrayed as a “big tiger”, which has negative connotations as it paints him as a speculator.
The finance section of Sina.com, in a commentary, described him as “the really big tiger of the Chinese real estate sector” – a loaded term, because President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft campaign has pledged to wipe out the corrupt “tigers and flies” and recent victims of the campaign, including former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, have been described as “tigers”.
Chaos Computer Club contradicts EU, demands full encryption
The leading German computer club has rejected EU anti-terror plans to tap online chatter, instead calling for all online communication to be encrypted. Politicians, meanwhile, are seeking ways to read encoded messages.
Germany's main hackers' association contradicted EU security officials on Thursday by demanding strictly confidential data handling across the board online, using readily available encryption methods.
This follows a briefing paper for EU interior ministers released by the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove on Wednesday in the wake of this month's terror attacks in Paris.
The EU paper said Internet and communications companies should be "obliged" to "provide" authorities in EU member nations with electronic access keys, sometimes called "back doors."Nigerians look to ex-leader Muhammadu Buhari in Boko Haram fight
Adam Nossiter
A former Nigerian military ruler has strong support in the Muslin north, where supporters say he is the man to tackle Boko Haram.
Kaduna, Nigeria: With Nigeria's presidential election only weeks away, Boko Haram's unchecked rampaging in Nigeria's north is helping to propel the 72-year-old general, Muhammadu Buhari, to the forefront.
After ruling Nigeria with an iron hand 30 years ago as the country's military leader, Mr Buhari is now a serious threat at the ballot box, analysts say, in large part because of Boko Haram's blood-soaked successes.
"The state is collapsing and everybody is frightened," Jibrin Ibrahim, a political scientist with the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, said of Boko Haram.
Did 'rogue agents' lead to death of Argentine prosecutor? (+video)
The government says Nisman's allegations over the investigation of a 1994 bombing and his death were linked to a power struggle at Argentina's intelligence agency and agents who had recently been fired.
BUENOS AIRES — Argentina suspects rogue agents from its own intelligence services were behind the death of a state prosecutor investigating the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Alberto Nisman was found dead in his apartment late on Sunday, a gunshot wound to his head and a 22 caliber pistol by his side along with a single shell casing.
He had been scheduled to appear before Congress on Monday to answer questions about his allegation that President Cristina Fernandez conspired to derail his investigation of the attack.
'Iron lady of Manipur' rearrested by Indian police
Human rights activist Irom Sharmila on hunger strike for past 14 years re-arrested day after court ordered her release.
Human rights activist Irom Sharmila, on hunger strike for the last 14 years in protest against alleged army atrocities, has been re-arrested a day after being released from detention in India's northeastern Manipur state.
The activist was released from a state hospital after a court found no evidence to support earlier charges filed by state prosecutors that she was trying to commit suicide by refusing food but was promptly re-arrested on Friday on the same charges.
The Times of India reported on Friday that Sharmila was arrested under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code for attempt to commit suicide.
"She has been arrested for the same crime but it is a different case. For the last case she was released by the court and we arrested her under a new case," Superintendent of Police Jhaljit was quoted as having said.
The Times of India reported on Friday that Sharmila was arrested under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code for attempt to commit suicide.
"She has been arrested for the same crime but it is a different case. For the last case she was released by the court and we arrested her under a new case," Superintendent of Police Jhaljit was quoted as having said.
No comments:
Post a Comment