News In Brief
Reuters, Beijing
China’s top steelmaking city of Tangshan on Thursday said it would extend a level 2 or “orange” pollution alert until further notice, leaving steel and coke plants under tighter restrictions. Tangshan, located in China’s northern Hebei province, had originally put the alert in place from Feb. 24-28 due to heavy smog.
PNG quake death toll rises to 31
Reuters, Sydney
The death toll from the strongest earthquake to strike Papua New Guinea’s rugged interior in almost a century has climbed to 31 and would probably rise further, officials said on Thursday, as damage to roads, runways and phone lines slowed relief efforts.
Remote hamlets closest to the epicenter of the 7.5 magnitude quake in the Southern Highlands were buried, killing 13 people, said James Justin, a research officer at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in Port Moresby in an email, citing a two-way radio call from a mission station in the region.
Saudi Crown Prince to visit US
AFP, Riyadh
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is to visit the United States from March 19-22, for the first time as heir to the throne, a Saudi government source told AFP on Wednesday.. The much anticipated trip to Washington will follow a visit to Britain on March 7 for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May.. US President Donald Trump hosted Prince Mohammed in March 2017, just weeks after taking office, and he chose Saudi Arabia for his first official overseas visit as president.
Netherlands confirms bird flu outbreak
Reuters, Paris
The Netherlands confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu at a farm in the northern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday, citing a report from the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs.
The virus was found on Feb. 24 at a farm of 37,866 birds in Olderkerk, in Groningen province, killing 230 of them, the report, posted on the website of the Paris-based OIE, said.
