Indian lawmakers convicted of serious crimes will be removed from office under a landmark Supreme Court ruling. Federal and state assembly members would be barred from elections if found guilty of offences carrying a jail term of at least two years, judges said. Campaigners called it a major step in cleaning up Indian politics, which has been beset by corruption scandals. More than 150 MPs in the 543-seat lower house […]
Fewer babies have been born in Europe since the start of the financial crisis in 2008, a new study shows. The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany found that the birth rate in 28 European countries dropped as unemployment rose. People under 25 have been particularly affected, along with those living in southern European countries like Spain. The relationship between the economy and fertility has long been discussed, […]
A landslide has buried between 30 and 40 people in China’s Sichuan province following heavy rain, state media say. Rescue workers with search dogs are at the scene in the city of Djiangyan, Xinhua news agency reports. On Tuesday a bridge collapsed in the nearby city of Jiangyou, leaving at least 12 people missing. Days of heavy rain and floods have damaged hundreds of homes and forced the evacuation of […]
Some of the largest economies in Asia have seen big movements in the value of their currencies in recent months. Other than domestic factors, the potential tapering off of the US Federal Reserve’s cheap cash injections is partly responsible for the volatility. The US central bank’s moves had allowed billions of dollars of inflows into emerging economies, and now that money is leaving and it is having an impact on […]
An Italian judge has ordered 49 suspected Latin American gang members to stand trial for allegedly using dogs to smuggle cocaine into the country. A vet in Mexico forced large dogs to swallow drug packages before they were flown into Milan, police say. On arrival, they were killed and dismembered to retrieve the cocaine in a case which has outraged animal rights activists. The Ecuadorean, Peruvian and Salvadoran nationals will […]
British pop king Elton John has cancelled the rest of his European tour after he was struck down with appendicitis, his spokesman said on Tuesday. The flamboyant 66-year-old was due to headline at the British Summer Time festival on Friday night, but his doctors have advised him to cancel all shows in his current tour, which includes dates in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. “Elton is currently undergoing a course […]
No expense will have been spared preparing Australia’s and England’s cricketers for the first Ashes Test on Wednesday – from training and physiotherapy, to a good dinner and a luxurious bed. It was very different for the first Australian team to visit the UK. As Michael Clarke and his Australian side finalise their preparations for the Ashes, Cricket Australia will leave no stone unturned in its quest to regain the […]
A car bomb has wounded dozens of people in a stronghold of Lebanon’s Shia militant group Hezbollah in Beirut. Lebanon’s Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil says 53 people were hurt in the blast, in the Beir el-Abed area. No group has said it was behind the attack. Rebels in neighbouring Syria have threatened to target Hezbollah in Lebanon, which intervened in the fighting over the border to support President Bashar […]
One US centre creates recipes for meals that can withstand the rigours of war. But a simple lunchtime favourite is still the ultimate challenge. It’s a popular urban myth that Twinkies, the famous American cream-filled sponge cake, have a shelf-life of decades and can even survive a nuclear war. In fact, they stay fresh for only about a month, and their ability to withstand any environment more testing than a […]
Prime Minister David Cameron says Andy Murray deserves a knighthood after becoming the first Briton to win the Wimbledon men’s singles since 1936. Murray won the title with a 6-4 7-5 6-4 triumph against world number one Novak Djokovic on Sunday. “I can’t think of anyone who deserves one more,” said Mr Cameron, who watched the match from the Royal Box. But Murray said: “It’s a nice thing to have […]
