AFP, Strasbourg
European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Wednesday that Brexit will not sink the EU, unveiling a raft of plans including a joint defence headquarters in a bid to unify the crisis-hit bloc.
In his annual State of the Union speech, Juncker urged European Union nations to overcome deep divisions and the shock of Britain’s departure in order to fight back against “galloping populism”.
Typhoon lashes China, Taiwan
AFP, Beijing
Typhoon Meranti battered southeastern China with heavy winds and torrential rain on Thursday, cutting power, ripping up trees and smashing windows, a day after lashing Taiwan.
The super typhoon, packing winds of 170 kilometres per hour (105 miles per hour) made landfall around 3am near the city of Xiamen before heading inland, state media said.
Images from Xiamen showed flooded streets, uprooted trees, and traffic signs torn from their posts by the violent winds.
Britain OKs Hinkley Point nuclear deal
AFP, London
Britain’s government finally gave the green light to the controversial Chinese-backed Hinkley Point nuclear power plant Thursday-but with new conditions to address security concerns.
China has a one-third stake in the Hinkley Point project, and analysts have warned that Britain would have risked its relations with the world’s second-largest economy if it cancelled. The announcement came two months after Prime Minister Theresa May ordered a review of the £18 billion (21 billion euro, $24 billion) deal brokered under her predecessor, David Cameron.
6 killed in Pakistan train accident
AP, Pakistan
At least six passengers were killed and more than 100 others were injured Thursday when a passenger train collided with a freight train near the central Pakistani city of Multan, rescuers and railway officials said. The pre-dawn accident happened near the town of Sher Khan in Punjab province, 15 minutes after the freight train stopped after hitting a man on the track, railway official Saima Bashir said.
