China's $250-billion bullet train to pass through Kazakhstan
China has announced a plan to build a 7,000-km long bullet train line from Beijing to Moscow through Central Asia – specifically, Kazakhstan – to provide a fast transport link between the two countries. Once competed, it will be more than thrice as long as the world’s current longest high-speed line which stretches from Beijing to the southern city of Guangzhou. The project is expected to cost more than $250 billion. Besides this, the country also announced that high-speed railways passing across the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia and one through West Asia are in the works.
Record number of rhinos killed in South Africa in 2014
In what environmentalists are calling a "do or die" situation, the number of rhinoceroses poached in South Africa in 2014 jumped by over 20% to 1,215, the environment ministry announced on Thursday. The rise is being attributed to an increasing Asian demand for rhino horn, which is more valuable than gold by weight. Of the 1,215 rhinos poached, 827 were in the famous Kruger National Park. The numbers have been on the rise since 2007, when only 13 were killed. Groups engaged in the protection of animals in South Africa have said that, more than the Asian demand, corruption in South Africa and judicial delays in prosecutions have encouraged poachers.
Probe into Pablo Neruda’s death to be reopened
Chilean officials reopened the probe into the death of poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda on Thursday to see if he was poisoned to death by the Pinochet regime. Neruda was a prominent Communist party member and a vocal supporter of the deposed President Salvador Allende. He died 12 days after the 1973 military coup that led to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. At the time, many believed he would have gone on to become the opposition leader. A government official said the probe was being reopened to carry out further tests for a wider range of chemicals, one of which may have been used to poison him.
Nepal misses another deadline to prepare constitution
Nepal’s lawmakers missed another deadline to promulgate a new constitution for the country. Leaders from the ruling and opposition parties were engaged in discussions until late on Thursday, and are expected to issue a joint statement on Friday apologising for the delay. The major reasons for the failure included differences on types of government, judiciary, federalism and electoral systems.
King Abdullah’s death fuels uncertainty in oil prices
Following the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Friday morning, oil prices surged worldwide, adding to the uncertainty in energy markets that are already facing some of the biggest shifts in decades. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter, and following its refusal to cut output, global oil prices have fallen by half since July 2014. Brent crude futures had eased to $49.52 a barrel by 0530 GMT. However, analysts expect the new King Salman to stick to an OPEC policy of keeping oil output steady to protect the cartel’s market share from rival producers.
China has announced a plan to build a 7,000-km long bullet train line from Beijing to Moscow through Central Asia – specifically, Kazakhstan – to provide a fast transport link between the two countries. Once competed, it will be more than thrice as long as the world’s current longest high-speed line which stretches from Beijing to the southern city of Guangzhou. The project is expected to cost more than $250 billion. Besides this, the country also announced that high-speed railways passing across the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia and one through West Asia are in the works.
Record number of rhinos killed in South Africa in 2014
In what environmentalists are calling a "do or die" situation, the number of rhinoceroses poached in South Africa in 2014 jumped by over 20% to 1,215, the environment ministry announced on Thursday. The rise is being attributed to an increasing Asian demand for rhino horn, which is more valuable than gold by weight. Of the 1,215 rhinos poached, 827 were in the famous Kruger National Park. The numbers have been on the rise since 2007, when only 13 were killed. Groups engaged in the protection of animals in South Africa have said that, more than the Asian demand, corruption in South Africa and judicial delays in prosecutions have encouraged poachers.
Probe into Pablo Neruda’s death to be reopened
Chilean officials reopened the probe into the death of poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda on Thursday to see if he was poisoned to death by the Pinochet regime. Neruda was a prominent Communist party member and a vocal supporter of the deposed President Salvador Allende. He died 12 days after the 1973 military coup that led to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. At the time, many believed he would have gone on to become the opposition leader. A government official said the probe was being reopened to carry out further tests for a wider range of chemicals, one of which may have been used to poison him.
Nepal misses another deadline to prepare constitution
Nepal’s lawmakers missed another deadline to promulgate a new constitution for the country. Leaders from the ruling and opposition parties were engaged in discussions until late on Thursday, and are expected to issue a joint statement on Friday apologising for the delay. The major reasons for the failure included differences on types of government, judiciary, federalism and electoral systems.
King Abdullah’s death fuels uncertainty in oil prices
Following the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Friday morning, oil prices surged worldwide, adding to the uncertainty in energy markets that are already facing some of the biggest shifts in decades. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter, and following its refusal to cut output, global oil prices have fallen by half since July 2014. Brent crude futures had eased to $49.52 a barrel by 0530 GMT. However, analysts expect the new King Salman to stick to an OPEC policy of keeping oil output steady to protect the cartel’s market share from rival producers.
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