IN BRIEF

UNITED KINGDOM

Murder probe as 39 bodies found in truck

Britain launched a major murder investigation after 39 bodies were found on Wednesday in a truck from Bulgaria, as police tried to establish where the victims were originally from. All victims were pronounced dead at the scene in an industrial park in Grays, east of London, triggering revulsion among politicians and once again putting the spotlight on the shadowy people trafficking business. The local Essex Police force, who are working with immigration officials, said their priority was to try to identify the victims, thought at this stage to be 38 adults and one teenager. The truck driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The truck discovered on Thursday is left-hand drive, indicating that it was not British or Irish.

RUSSIA

Govt aims to double trade with Africa

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would aim to double trade with Africa over the next five years, at the opening of a summit aimed at reviving Moscow's ties with the continent. "We currently export to Africa $25 billion worth of food - which is more than we export in arms, at $15 billion. In the next four to five years, I think we should be able to double this trade, at least," he told African leaders at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. "In Africa there are very many potential partners with good prospects," he said.

UNITED STATES

Student shot near California school

A 17-year-old boy shot another student outside their school near San Francisco on Tuesday, ditched his gun and slipped into a class without arousing suspicion, evading capture for almost two hours as he joined thousands of students locked down inside classrooms because of the shooting, police said. The teen was arrested in a gym class by officers who used surveillance video to track him after he shot and wounded a 16-year-old boy, then handed his gun in a backpack to someone in a car. The two students got into an argument before the teen gunman shot the victim twice. The victim was in stable condition.

AUSTRALIA

World's woolliest sheep Chris dies

An Australian sheep that made headlines in 2015 for the record-breaking weight of his fleece has died, according to the minders of the merino named Chris. The animal, believed to be aged about 10, was found dead on Tuesday morning by his minders, having died of old age, said Kate Luke, co-founder and vice-president of the Canberra-based Little Oak Sanctuary, a charity that shelters over 180 farm animals. In 2015, Chris was discovered on the northern outskirts of the Australian capital Canberra, struggling to walk under the weight of his wool, which had not be shorn in more than five years.

ITALY

Couple saved from landslide by cats

An Italian couple survived a landslide that caused their house to collapse after being woken by their cats, giving them time to escape, the Secolo XIX newspaper reported on Wednesday. "My wife got up because Simba and Mose, our cats, were making a noise and woke us up," Claudio Piana said, as violent storms lashed northern Italy, killing a taxi driver and forcing dozens of people from their homes. Piana and his wife had gone to bed at home in Campo Ligure on Monday night as fierce rains across the Liguria region saw rivers burst their banks, washing away a bridge and sparking landslides. The couple rushed out to the car, but found themselves trapped by a sea of mud. They were rescued by firefighters.

Agencies