■ CHINA
Pig disease cases fall
A widespread vaccination effort has brought the outbreak of a pig disease under control after it infected swine throughout the country and sent pork prices soaring, a news report said yesterday. The People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, said the number of pigs infected and killed by blue ear pig disease had fallen because of the vaccine program. It quoted the Ministry of Agriculture as saying there were 3,608 infected pigs detected from Oct. 1 to Oct. 25, down 87 percent from the same period in September. The number of pig deaths was 710, a drop of 91 percent from the month previous. The newspaper said none of the farms where healthy pigs were vaccinated had reported infections.
■ INDONESIA
Volcano alert lowered
The alert status of the Mount Kelud volcano was lowered yesterday, meaning that thousands of people who have fled its slopes for government shelters may return home. Kelud, on the densely populated island of Java, has been on top alert for several weeks. "The volcano no longer has the energy needed for an explosive eruption that would threaten the lives of people living nearby," chief volcanologist Surono said in explaining the decision to downgrade Kelud's status. Surono uses a single name.
■ SINGAPORE
Greenpeace sounds alarm
All of the industry-driven deforestation in Indonesia could "detonate a climate bomb" if not brought under control, the environmental group Greenpeace said yesterday. A report by Greenpeace, launched in Singapore, said the burning of Indonesia's rainforests and peatlands to build palm oil plantations releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Every year 1.8 billion tonnes of emissions are released by the practice, accounting for 4 percent of global emissions. "Trade in palm oil by some of the world's food giants and commodity traders is helping to detonate a climate bomb in Indonesia's rainforests and peatlands," the report said.
■ SOUTH AFRICA
Zuma may be recharged
Prosecutors yesterday said they were "very pleased" with a court ruling that may clear the way for them to recharge former deputy president Jacob Zuma in a corruption case, a move that could sabotage his chances of leading the ruling African National Congress. The Supreme Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the state's appeal of a lower court ruling that had prevented prosecutors from using documents seized from properties belonging to Zuma and his lawyer. "We are very pleased and welcome the decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal," Tlali Tlali, spokesman for the country's National Prosecuting Authority, said.
■ MACEDONIA
Police hunt gang members
Special police units chased a Kosovo prison fugitive and his criminal gang on Wednesday, killing at least four gang members and catching six others in northwestern Macedonia, police said. Several of the men arrested had been disguised as women, police spokesman Ivo Kotevski said. They were found in Brodec village, near the town of Tetovo, some 45km west of Skopje. Police also seized a large amount of weapons, including cannons, rocket-propelled launchers and automatic weapons, during the search in Brodec, officials said.
■ SOUTH AFRICA
Engine falls from plane
A plane carrying more than 100 people made an emergency landing after an engine fell off during takeoff in Cape Town on Wednesday, officials said. No injuries were reported. The Boeing 737, belonging to domestic airline Nationwide and bound for Johannesburg, touched down safely after airport fire and rescue services hurriedly cleared the debris from the runway. The right engine "separated from the wing. The aircraft continued to climb out," the airline said in a statement. "The aircraft returned and landed at Cape Town International Airport without further incident."
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