Malnutrition spikes in Myanmar’s Rakhine state after floods: EU agency

Rohingya girls pass in front of a damaged shelter in Rohingya IDP camp outside Sitttwe, Rakhine stateBy Alisa Tang BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The number of severely malnourished children has spiked in northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, a European Union agency said, after floods six months ago dealt a new blow to an area home to a persecuted population with little access to basic services. About 90 percent of the people in northern Rakhine state are Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority that faces discrimination and violence in mostly Buddhist Myanmar. Widespread floods across Myanmar six months ago – caused by torrential rains and Cyclone Komen – destroyed crops, damaged rice paddies and contaminated water sources, worsening food insecurity.

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EU seeks more powers over national car regulations after VW scandal

A VW sign is seen outside a Volkswagen dealership in LondonBy Alissa de Carbonnel BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union sought sweeping powers over national car regulations on Wednesday, aiming to prevent a repeat of Volkswagen&;s emissions test cheating scandal and sparking a tough debate as governments and industry resist change. Under the proposed new rules, Brussels would be able to order spot checks on vehicles, order recalls and impose penalties on carmakers of up to 30,000 euros ($32,600) per vehicle for failure to comply with environmental laws – if no fine was being imposed by the member state. The new plans would also authorize individual EU member states to recall cars approved by any of the bloc&039;s other nations for violations, encouraging peer review of national authorities.

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J&J forecasts 2016 sales below analysts’ estimates

Bottles of Johnson & Johnson baby lotion line a drugstore shelf in New York(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson forecast 2016 sales below analysts&; estimate and reported a 2.4 percent drop in sales for the fourth quarter, hurt by a strong dollar. Analysts on average were expecting sales of $71.88 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The dollar index , which measures the currency against a basket of six other major currencies, rose 9 percent in 2015, after rising 13 percent in 2014. Sales fell to $17.81 billion, but was largely in-line with the average analyst estimate of $17.88 billion.

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