1. Haitian cholera epidemic

    A multinational medical response had slowed deaths in a Haitian cholera* epidemic* that has killed more than 250 people so far, but the outbreak* was likely to widen, a senior U.N. official said on Sunday.

    Accumulated deaths since the cholera outbreak began around a week ago stood at 253, while cases totaled 3,015, mostly in the Artibonite region, Haitian health authorities said.

    2. French strikes

    French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde says the country’s massive strikes are costing the economy up to 400 million euros (US$562 million) each day. Lagarde also says the strikes are damaging France’s image abroad.

    Protests over President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 have left France struggling with fuel shortages, travel chaos* and uncollected garbage. The Senate voted on Friday to pass the pension* reform. It’s expected to win final approval this week.

    3. Soccer stampede

    Seven fans died from a stampede* while trying to get into a soccer match between two of Kenya’s most popular teams, the Kenya Red Cross said on Saturday.

    Six people were killed when they were run over by the crowd outside Nyayo National Stadium, and one more died after being taken to Kenyatta National Hospital.

    4. Indonesian quake

    A major 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia on Monday, seismologists* said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties and an earlier tsunami* warning was lifted.

    The undersea quake hit Indonesia’s Kepulauan Mentawai region at 9:42 p.m. at a shallow depth of 20.6 kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

    5. Oil well blaze

    At least 14 people were killed and about 100 more injured after a fire broke out at an oil pipeline in central Myanmar, a government official said on Monday.

    Authorities were battling to put out the fire, which appeared to have been ignited* accidentally by local villagers who were collecting oil leaking from the pipeline near Pakokku town in the Magway region.

    6. Saudi prince sentenced

    A British court sentenced a Saudi prince to at least 20 years in prison last Wednesday for beating and strangling* one of his servants at a British hotel.

    Justice David Bean sentenced Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud to life in prison with a 20-year minimum for the brutal* assault* at the Landmark Hotel in London on February 15.

    7. Karachi violence

    Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub, shut down last Wednesday for a day of mourning* after a fresh wave of violence that has killed at least 56 people since Saturday.

    Political and ethnic rivalries* and wars — sometimes linked to criminal gangs — make it difficult to maintain order in Karachi, home to Pakistan’s main port, stock exchange and central bank and the main gateway for Western military supplies bound for neighboring landlocked Afghanistan.

    (SD-Agencies)