Turkey

Erdogan issues 'final warning'

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a "final warning" on Thursday, for thousands of protesters to evacuate an Istanbul park at the center of mass anti-government unrest, after offering to hold a referendum on plans to redevelop the site. "I'm making my final warning: mothers, fathers please withdraw your kids from there," Erdogan said in a live television broadcast.

France

Chaos as rail strike continues

France suffered another day of travel chaos on Thursday as striking workers shut down more than half the country's rail lines after an air traffic controllers' strike grounded thousands of flights this week. Only about 40 percent of trains were running on the high-speed TGV and regional lines after the strike by workers, who oppose a restructuring plan for the state-owned SNCF rail company.

Russia

Three dead after car race crash

A British woman participating in a vintage car race from Beijing to Paris has been killed, along with a Russian man and a baby, in a head-on collision in Siberia, Russian police said on Thursday. A 31-year-old Russian man, driving a female passenger and an infant, swerved into oncoming traffic and slammed into the car driven by the 46-year-old Briton, the Interior Ministry in the Tyumen region said in a statement.

Yemen

Oil flow on key pipeline halted

Oil flow from a key Yemeni pipeline came to a halt on Thursday after tribesmen carried out a new attack on the structure, industry officials said. The dawn attack took place in the Sarwah region in the country's east. "Oil flow has completely stopped" on the 320-km pipeline, which links the Safer oil fields to the Red Sea port of Hodeida, the industry official said.

South Africa

Mandela still in hospital

Nelson Mandela remained in the hospital for a sixth day on Thursday receiving treatment for a lung infection after South Africa's president said the revered anti-apartheid icon was improving. A small group of people held a candlelight vigil overnight outside the private clinic in Pretoria, where the 94-year-old was admitted almost a week ago.

Italy

Tibetologists conclude visit

A delegation of Chinese Tibetologists concluded a four-day visit to Italy on Wednesday, during which they gave Italians a better understanding of issues affecting the Tibet autonomous region, including economic development, religion freedom and cultural protection. Bi Hua, who headed the delegation, said Tibet will introduce advanced experience in such fields to further protect Tibetan culture.

AFP-AP-Reuters-China Daily

(China Daily 06/14/2013 page11)