IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Thailand

PM says Yingluck currently in Dubai

Fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was handed a 5-year jail term by a court on Wednesday, is currently hiding out in Dubai, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed on Thursday. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had unofficially confirmed that Yingluck is currently hiding out in the United Arab Emirates' city of Dubai following her escape from Thailand last month.

France

Life on Earth dates back 3.95 bln years

Rudimentary life may have existed on Earth 3.95 billion years ago, a time when our infant planet was being bombarded by comets and had hardly any oxygen, researchers said on Wednesday. A team presented what they say is the oldest-known fossil evidence for life on the Blue Planet - grains of graphite, a form of carbon, wedged into ancient sedimentary rocks in Labrador, Canada.

United States

Zuckerberg fires back at Trump

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg fired back at President Donald Trump on Wednesday after he accused the leading social network of being "always anti-Trump". Zuckerberg rejected the notion, countering that Facebook is working to ensure "free and fair elections" with an online platform that does not favor one side over another.

Indonesia

120,000 flee rumbling volcano

More than 122,000 people have fled their homes on the resort island of Bali, fearful that a rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, disaster officials said. Mount Agung, 75 kilometers from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963.

Australia

Author fined for false claims

An cookbook author who falsely said she beat cancer through healthy eating was fined by a court on Thursday for misleading consumers by lying about her charitable donations. The judge ruled that Belle Gibson's deceptive claims of donating the proceeds from the sales of The Whole Pantry and a related app constituted unconscionable conduct under consumer law. The book and app were withdrawn.

Xinhua - Reuters - AP

(China Daily 09/29/2017 page12)