4 000 migrants adrift

GENEVA: UN agencies urged Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand yesterday to step up rescue operations and stop preventing thousands of desperate migrants from reaching land.

An estimated 4 000 men, women and children from Myanmar and Bangladesh were adrift in boats with dwindling supplies, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said. – Reuters

Fighters free prisoners

BAGHDAD: Islamic State fighters who overran Ramadi this week tightened their grip on the city, flying flags on key buildings and setting free prisoners in a drive to win over local residents yesterday.

The release of about 100 prisoners comes in the wake of residents complaining that people were often subjected to arbitrary detention. – Reuters

Afghan officers jailed

KABUL: An Afghan judge sentenced 11 policemen each yesterday to one year in jail for failing to prevent the mob killing of a woman in Kabul who was wrongly accused of burning a Qu’ran.

Eight other officerswere freed for lack of evidence.

The lynching of the 27-yearold woman sparked outrage in March. – Reuters

Bird flu is back

PARIS: More than 35 countries had been hit with a surge in bird flu outbreaks since early last year, losing poultry numbering tens of millions, the World Organisation for Animal Health said yesterday.

In the US, an outbreak has led to the culling of more than 33 million birds since December. – Reuters

Russia’s stand on food

MOSCOW: Russia may exempt about 20 firms in Hungary, Greece and Cyprus from its embargo on EU food imports, a senior official said yesterday.

Russia introduced the ban on food imports from the EU last year in response to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its role in the Ukraine crisis. – Reuters

Less screening urged

LONDON: Many patients could be screened less often for certain cancers to minimise unnecessary follow-up tests or treatment for tumours that are unlikely to become harmful.

This is according to American College of Physicians guidelines just published. – Reuters