World news in brief

Chinese woman with cerebral palsy pens 130,000-word novel

Chengdu (China), Dec. 14 (IANS): A 34-year-old woman with cerebral palsy in Chengdu, southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, has penned a 130,000-word novel with a single finger. Chen Yuan could only use the index finger of her left hand to type on the keyboard, China Disabled Persons’ Federation reported. She followed this rather exhaustive method to finish her full-length novel “Grandma on the Clouds”. The novel took three years for its completion. Yuan’s grandmother taught her how to read and basic arithmetic and tried to help her get educational opportunities. However, Chen dropped out of middle school, as she could not keep up with others. Soon after, her grandma passed away from pancreatic cancer. The double blow worsened her condition. She is now a member of the Writers Association of Sichuan Province. And her novel, published in 2014 and made into a microfilm, won many awards and encouraged many others.

113 rescued in Mediterranean Sea

Madrid, Dec. 14 (IANS): A group of 113 sub-Saharan migrants were rescued from three small boats adrift in the Alboran Sea at the western end of the Mediterranean on Thursday while one person died, a Spanish official said. The rescuers launched an operation at around 4 a.m. to locate at least five boats that had set sail from Morocco after receiving a call from a volunteer, the official told Efe news. The total number of people rescued from three boats is 114 including 16 women. One of the boats was half-sunk and some of its passengers were found in the water, the Maritime Safety Agency said. The Moroccan Navy also rescued those on board two other boats in the area.

Myanmar to enforce new law for foreign investment

Nay Pyi Taw, Dec. 14 (IANS): Myanmar authorities will enforce a new Companies Law next year to attract more foreign investment. The new Myanmar Companies Act, approved by Parliament this month, was enacted to replace the Companies Act of 1914, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday. According to the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), the new law will facilitate rapid registration for companies using the online registration system. In accordance with the new law, foreign investors will be allowed to take up to 35 per cent in a local company. Previously, a company with even 1 per cent of its shares owned by a foreign investor was classified as a foreign company, instead of a local company. According to statistics, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Myanmar totalled to over $4.3 billion in the first half of the fiscal 2017-18, increasing by $3 billion, compared to the same period of the last fiscal.

Pakistani warship visits Philippines

Islamabad, Dec. 14 (IANS): A Pakistani warship arrived in the Philippines on Thursday for a four-day goodwill visit. The Sword-class missile guided frigate, PNS Saif, is anchored off Manila Bay, Philippine Navy spokesman Captain Lued Lincuna said. President Rodrigo Duterte will board the visiting warship for “an exclusive tour” later in the day. The warship is designed for air defence, interdiction and exclusive economic zone patrol, Lincuna said. He said the first of a kind visit “aims to revive and strengthen the Pakistan-Philippines relations”.