IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Myanmar

Govt pardons 8,500 prisoners

President U Win Myint on Tuesday announced pardons for more than 8,500 prisoners, including 51 foreigners, as part of an annual amnesty marking the country's traditional new year. U Win Myint, who took office last month after his predecessor suddenly resigned, said the pardons would be granted on humanitarian grounds during the Buddhist new year festival known as Thingyan. The pardoned foreign prisoners were deported as a follow-up.

Japan

Detainees launch hunger strike

Foreigners held in an immigration detention center have launched a hunger strike over the death of a detainee, drawing fresh attention to conditions under which they are held. An Indian man died in an apparent suicide on Friday at the East Japan Immigration Center. Activists have said the man killed himself a day after being denied release. The death was the 14th at an immigration detention center since 2006, a toll that has led to wide criticism over standards of medical care, the monitoring of detainees held in solitary and guards' responses to medical emergencies.

'First urine test'to spot cancer

A firm is poised to carry out what it hailed as the world's first experiment to test for cancer using urine samples, which would greatly facilitate screening for the deadly disease. Engineering and IT conglomerate Hitachi developed the basic technology to detect breast or colon cancer from urine samples two years ago. Research published earlier this year demonstrated that a new blood test has shown promise toward detecting eight different kinds of tumors before they spread elsewhere in the body.

United States

Lamar first rapper to win Pulitzer

California rapper Kendrick Lamar on Monday became the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music, one of the most prestigious arts awards in the country. Lamar, 30, won the Pulitzer for his 2017 album DAMN. and was also the first music winner in the 100-year history of the Pulitzers to come from outside of the world of classical or jazz. Rap officially surpassed rock in 2017 as the biggest music genre in the country.

France

Robbers steal queen's heart

A 16th-century gold case containing the heart of the only woman to be crowned queen of France twice has been stolen, according to The Telegraph daily. The newspaper reported on Sunday that the 15.24-centimeter oval reliquary containing the heart of Anne of Brittany was stolen by robbers, who broke in through a window of the Thomas-Dobree Museum in Nantes on the weekend. The reliquary, topped by a gold crown with nine lilies, the royal motif, considered a masterpiece, had been on display at the museum for 130 years.

China Daily - Reuters - Afp - Xinhua

(China Daily 04/18/2018 page12)