IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Kenya

At least 50 killed in bus crash

At least 50 people have died after the bus they were traveling in left the road, rolled down a slope and crashed in the western town of Kericho, the Daily Nation newspaper reported. Rift Valley regional police boss Francis Munyambu said survivors from the bus were receiving treatment at local hospitals. The accident happened around 4 am on Wednesday. Kenya has struggled to reduce the rising number of road accidents as more people acquire vehicles in the country's growing middle class.

European Union

Google appeals $5 billion fine

Google has appealed a record $5 billion fine that European Union authorities levied against the tech giant for allegedly abusing the dominance of its Android operating system to stifle competitors. The EU's executive Commission issued the fine in July after it found Google forced smartphone makers using Android to install the company's search and browser apps. Under the ruling, Google must take measures to fix the problem by the end of October or risk further fines.

Turkey

30 missing after migrant boat sinks

Four people died after a migrant boat sank off the western coast of Turkey late on Tuesday, the Turkish interior ministry said on Wednesday, adding that 30 others were still missing. The boat sank off the coast of Izmir province, the ministry said in a statement, adding that search and rescue operations were under way to find the missing people. Turkey became one of the main launch points for more than a million migrants taking the sea route to the European Union in 2015, many fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

United States

Bloomberg looks at presidential run

Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is officially a Democrat again. The global media company founder on Wednesday said he has registered as a Democrat, which would be especially significant if he decides to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. He served three terms as New York mayor and has variously been a Democrat, a Republican and an independent. He twice flirted with running for president as an independent candidate.

Australia

Hydrogen can replace fossil fuels

Australia's chief scientist Alan Finkel has called for hydrogen to replace fossil fuels as an everyday source of power. The United Nations had called for coal-fired power generation to be phased out by 2050 and identified hydrogen as a fuel option that must be developed to mitigate global warming. Melissa Price, Australia's minister for the Environment, on Tuesday rejected the key findings of the report despite not having read the whole thing. Much of Australia's reluctance to move away from coal stems from the nation's economy relying on coal exports.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua

(China Daily 10/11/2018 page12)