Israel Accepts Humanitarian Ceasefire After Deaths of Four Palestinian Children

Israel has agreed to an humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the UN.AFP

Israel will observe a "humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza after nine days of rocket fire against militants.

The news comes just hours after four Palestinian children were killed by a shell as they played football on a beach.

A senior Israeli official told Reuters news agency that a six-hour cessation in fighting had been agreed by Israel after the proposal for a truce was made by the UN.

Gaza has been the target of nine days of deadly rocket and missile exchanges with militants. At least 213 Gazans have been killed in the Israeli raids since the start of the violence, many of them children.

Hamas, which earlier rejected an Egyptian-backed ceasefire, is yet to comment on the latest proposal.

Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets in the first six hours of a failed ceasefire plan brokered by Egypt.

Their actions led to fresh strikes on Gaza, with the homes of senior Hamas leaders among the targets.

Israel, had earlier warned that the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip is "very high," with ground troops being mobilised.

Israeli aircraft have struck close to 1,700 times in raids which the country claims are designed to stop rocket fire from Gaza.

Since July 8, more than 1,200 rockets have been fired by militants towards Israel, hundreds of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system.

As the conflict escalated, Israel dropped thousands of leaflets, urging Palestinians living in northern and eastern parts of the territory to leave their homes.

17,000 people have fled the war torn region, many taking refuge in UN schools.

In an interview with BBC Arabic, Gen Mordechai said the civilians in Gaza can use the five hours of ceasefire to stock up on supplies and goods.

The truce will be in force from 10:00 to 15:00 (07:00-12:00 GMT) on Thursday. (17 July)

Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry described the attack on four children as "cowardly", while the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed the deaths appeared to have been a "tragic outcome" of a strike aimed at Hamas militants.

Mourners carry the bodies of the four Palestinian children from the Bakr family, who were killed on a beach by a shell fired by an Israeli naval gunboatReuters

The four boys, named as Ahed and Zakaria Bakr, both aged ten, and two other boys from the Bakr family, both named Mohammad, aged 11 and nine, died in shelling from a nearby Israeli gunboat. Their bodies were draped in Fatah flags during their funerals this afternoon.

Promising a full investigation, an IDF spokesman added: "We have no intention of harming civilians dragged by Hamas into the reality of urban combat."

Leading human rights organisation Save the Children have warned that one fifth of those killed in the nine-day conflict have been children.

Gaza: Four Palestinian Children Killed by Israeli Ship while Playing Football on the Beach

Mourners carry the bodies of the four Palestinian children from the Bakr family, who were killed on a beach by a shell fired by an Israeli naval gunboatReuters

Four children have been killed by a shell fired from an Israeli naval ship.

The victims were playing football on a beach in the Gaza City harbour area when the attack took place.

The shelling was witnessed by several journalists who were in a hotel close to the incident.

Telegraph reporter Robert Tait is in Gaza, and reported that other children who were on the beach took refuge in the hotel.

"Journalists heard two loud explosions outside the Gaza City hotel, before children were pulled into the restaurant area for treatment," he said.

Peter Beaumont from the Guardian said, "I see four figures running... Only afterwards do we discover there are four others who are dead, all children, lying on the wall. Their names are released later: Ahed Bakr, aged 10; Zakaria, 10; and two other boys from the Bakr family, both named Mohammad, aged 11 and nine."

Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry told Reuters a fifth youth was in critical condition. "This is a cowardly crime," he said.

Asked about the incident, an Israeli military spokesman in Tel Aviv said he was checking the report.

More than 200 Palestinians – mostly civilians - have been killed and 1,500 injured since the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched Operation Protective Edge last week.

The operation is aimed at restoring calm in southern Israel after the firing of a reported 156 rockets from Gaza.

The first Israeli victim, killed by a mortar fired from Gaza, was reported on Tuesday 15 July.

Robert Tait

Former GlaxoSmithKline China Staff Seek Compensation for Unpaid 'Expenses'

GlaxoSmithKline wins retrial in Abbott AIDS drug pricing case over gay juror's ouster.Reuters

Three former Chinese GSK employees are seeking compensation for illegal dismissal, a lawyer told Reuters news agency.

The three former GlaxoSmithKline workers want the company to reimburse them for unpaid expenses which they said were part of bribe money they paid hospital workers with approval from management, lawyer Liu Feng told the news agency.

They are seeking two months' pay for every year of their employment with the British pharmaceutical giant, after they were dismissed for expenses that were "not compliant with company regulation".

Some former staff were laid off with unpaid expenses worth more than $32,200, according to Liu.

If the courts were to rule against Glaxo, it would only have to pay out a minor sum but it is yet another headache for the company.

"The workers think the company is very dishonest and its attitude abominable. They are very dissatisfied with the company's actions," Liu told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Liu said around two dozen other former GSK staff had contacted him about filing similar complaints, but they were waiting to see the outcome of the current cases.

It is the latest twist in a long-running and unprecedented corruption scandal that has spread across borders and even involved a sex tape.

Bribery Scandal

Chinese police charged British Mark Reilly, Glaxo's former China chief, along with two Chinese executives on allegations of widespread corruption in order to promote sales of GSK's drugs in the country.

Reilly, along with Zhang Guowei and Zhao Hongyan, are alleged to have routed 3bn yuan ($488m, £307m, €365m) in bribes to doctors through a network of travel agencies and consultancies over a six-year period.

In a separate scandal, GSK was notified by the UK's Serious Fraud Office in May that it was being investigated for possible criminal violations in its commercial practices.

Meanwhile, Glaxo itself has launched a number of internal investigations into alleged corrupt practices at a number of its operations in the Middle East.

China Floods: Ming Dynasty Buildings Under Water in Ancient Town of Fenghuang

One of China's most renowned ancient towns, boasting stunning Qing and Ming dynasty architecture dating back hundreds of years, is under water.

The ancient town of Fenghuang is partially submerged by floodwater as a river overflows in Hunan province, ChinaReuters

The old town of Fenghuang nestles on the banks of the winding Tuojiang river in a picturesque, mountainous part of Hunan province.

Torrential rain has caused the river to rise more than a metre above its previous highest recorded level, and several bridges have been damaged or destroyed.

More than 120,000 tourists and locals have been evacuated from Fenghuang and the surrounding county.

The ancient town, which has applied for Unesco world heritage status, can attract up to 30,000 visitors a day.

Workers clean up debris from a flooded street in the ancient town of FenghuangReuters

Buildings in the ancient town of Fenghuang are submerged in flood waterGetty

A street lamp is seen in the overflowing riverReuters

Rescue workers search for people on a flooded streetReuters

Rescuers evacuate residents carrying their possessions through the flooded streetsGetty

Rescuers use a boat to evacuate residents from flooded homesGetty

People clear debris on a flooded street in FenghuangReuters

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Trafigura Targets India's $8.4bn Metals Market with Online Store Lykos

Trafigura targets India's $8.4bn metals market with online store Lykos.Reuters

Trafigura, the world's second-largest metals trader, has opened an online store in India to sell aluminium, copper and other metals to the subcontinent's small manufacturers.

Switzerland-based Trafigura is looking to grab a slice of India's $8.4bn (£4.9bn, €6.2bn) primary metals market, which the company predicts will grow between 5% and 8% year-on-year.

India's small and midsize businesses account for around 40% of the market, but most of them employ traditional procurement methods. Per-capita consumption of nearly all metals in Asia's third-largest economy is way below world levels.

Lykos

The online store, christened Lykos, will sell metals consignments ranging from 1 to 24 tonnes to smaller factories.

Buyers will get access to index-linked prices for a range of metals including aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc, according to a company statement.

The metals can be ordered on a need basis, purchased securely online, and can be delivered from three new Indian warehouses -- at Ahmedabad in the western Gujarat state, at Bhiwadi in the western Rajasthan state, and in Kolkata in the eastern West Bengal state

Trafigura will invest between $200m and $300m in Lykos over the next twelve months, a spokeswoman told Reuters.

Raoul Bajaj, CEO, Trafigura India said in a statement: "There is a strong demand for refined metals such as aluminium, copper and zinc in smaller lot sizes, but currently the market suffers from lack of automation, erratic supply, poor quality control, complex transportation logistics and opaque pricing.

"Lykos will leverage Trafigura's expertise in global trading, advanced IT and infrastructure systems, risk management and logistics, as well as our 20 year history of working with businesses in India, to revolutionise refined metal purchasing across the country."

Trafigura was co-founded by French billionaire Claude Dauphin in 1993.

Scottish Jihadist Who Appeared in Isis Video 'Killed by Iraqi Swat Troops'

British jihadist Abdul Raqib Amin pictured here in an Isis recruitment video, is believed to have been killed by Iraqi troops.

A Scottish jihadist fighting in Iraq for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) has been killed in a gun battle with government Swat teams, social media reports claim today.

Abdul Raqib Amin, 26 and from Aberdeen, is reported to have been shot dead in the city of Ramadi, 75 miles west of Baghdad.

The UK Foreign Office is now trying to verify the claims, though the ungoverned and chaotic state of large parts of Iraq make securing independent confirmation near impossible.

Details of Amin's alleged death were tweeted by an account understood to belong to 19-year-old British militant Abu Dujana al-Britani, who travelled to Syria from Portsmouth to join Isis, which is currently taking control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Amin, whose fighter name is Abu Bara al-Hindi, this month appeared alongside two other British-based men in an Isis recruitment video urging young Western Muslims to give up their jobs and fight in the Middle East.

In the Isis video, Amin said: "Are you willing to sacrifice the fat job you've got, the big car you've got, the family you have? Are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of Allah? Definitely, if you sacrifice something for Allah, Allah will give you 700 times more than this."

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Iraq. We stand ready to talk to any family who may be affected.

"The UK is deeply concerned by the growth of terrorism in Iraq and Syria, which threatens the people in the entire region and the UK."

Though born in Bangladesh, Amin was brought up in the Scottish city of Aberdeen where his parents are believed to have run a restaurant for a number of years, before returning to their home country.

China's Banks Have $3.2bn Exposure to Qingdao Fraud Probe Companies

Qingdao port subject to massive investigation over fraud claims.Reuters

China's banking sector has around 20 billion yuan ($3.2bn, £1.8bn, €2.4bn) of exposure to the companies at the centre a massive fraud probe in the eastern port city of Qingdao.

Two government officials told Bloomberg that Bank of Communications Co., China's fifth largest lender, is suing Decheng Mining and its parent company.

Deching Mining is accused of counting metals stockpiles multiple times in order to secure additional financing.

China's booming commodities financing business is at the heart of the scandal, leading to companies stockpiling at warehouses at ports. These are less well regulated than other warehouses in the country.

While using metals, or any commodities, as collateral in order to obtain finance is legal and common in China, issuing receipts to mortgage an asset multiple times is fraud.

Deching Mining is accused of pledging the same metals stockpile three times in order to secure 2.7bn yuan worth of loans, Bloomberg reported, citing a person briefed on the matter.

Standard Chartered Plc has launched a lawsuit against the company's owner, Chen Jihong, for $35.6m. Standard Bank Group began legal proceedings in July, in order to "protect its position" on aluminium worth $170m, that is held in Qingdao warehouses.

The ongoing probe has accelerated copper sales and caused dwindling stocks, as banks were unwilling to extend financing deals, a Bloomberg survey showed.

'India's Enron': Ex-Satyam Executives Ordered to Pay $308m Over Accounting Fraud

A file photograph of former Satyam chief B Ramalinga Raju (C).Reuters via Firstbiz.com

India's market regulator has slapped a multi-million dollar fine on the former chief of IT group Satyam and his aides, for manipulating the firm's shares in a scandal dubbed "India's Enron".

Satyam chief B Ramalinga Raju, his brother B Rama Raju, and former top executives of the firm Vadlamani Srinivas, G Ramakrishna and VS Prabhakara Gupta, have been ordered to return 18.5bn rupees ($308m, £180m, €227m) worth of unlawful gains with interest within 45 days, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said late 15 June.

The five men have also been banned from the securities market for 14 years.

Charges

Sebi has found the five men guilty of preparing fake bank statements, inflating sales, mis-stating the books of accounts, creating mismatches in tax deduction numbers and actively hiding the firm's true financial position.

Further, it held them guilty of making announcements related to bonus shares, buy-backs and other announcements based on the manipulated financial position.

The regulator also found them guilty of insider trading.

The Sebi order, which marked the end of a five-and-a-half year long probe, comes ahead of the conclusion of the Satyam fraud trial.

A special court trying 10 people over one of India's biggest ever corporate fraud scandals is to pronounce a verdict on 28 July.

Sebi Order

In its 65-page order, Sebi has said that Raju and his aides "...committed a sophisticated white collar financial fraud with pre-meditated and well thought of plan and deliberate design for personal gains and to the detriment of the company and investors in its securities."

Sebi member Rajeev Kumar Agarwal wrote in the order: "I am convinced that this is a case where befitting enforcement action is necessary to send a stern message to the market to create an effective deterrence."

Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju has been out on bail since November 2011, after spending about three years in prison.

PwC

In April 2011, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) slapped a $7.5m fine on Satyam's former auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The SEC said the auditor, PW India, failed to independently verify cash balances in Satyam bank accounts.

Satyam Rescued

Tech Mahindra, a unit of Indian vehicle and farm equipment maker Mahindra and Mahindra, bought Hyderabad-based Satyam in April 2009, a move that saved the IT outsourcing firm from collapse, thus protecting employee and shareholder interests.

The Satyam scandal broke out when Ramalinga Raju admitted in a letter in 2009 -- since retracted -- that he had overstated profits for years and that he inflated Satyam's balance sheet by over $1bn.

US energy giant Enron collapsed in 2001 after one of the biggest accounting frauds in US history.

British Death Row Grandma Loses Appeal in UK Courts

Lindsay Sandiford is 'urgently in need of legal help' after losing an appeal in the UK Supreme Courts on WednesdayReuters

A British grandmother on death row in Indonesia has lost an appeal at the UK's highest court over the lawfulness of government policy not to fund Britons who are facing capital charges abroad.

Five Supreme Court justices in London unanimously dismissed a challenge by Lindsay Sandiford, 57, from Cheltenham. The decision upholds UK policy not to provide funding for legal representation to any British national who faces criminal proceedings overseas – even in capital cases.

The court was told at a hearing last month that Sandiford is effectively without legal representation in Bali as she has "no access to any further private funding".

The Briton's QC, Aiden O'Neill, said she has previously had to rely on the "kindness of strangers" to fund her legal fight against the death sentence.

Sandiford was convicted last year of trafficking drugs into the holiday island of Bali and sentenced to death by firing squad.

She was found with cocaine worth an estimated £1.6m when she arrived in Bali on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand in May 2012.

Sandiford claims she was forced to transport the drugs after her children's safety was threatened by traffickers.

She has until 29 August to lodge an application to the Indonesian Supreme Court to reopen the case and request clemency from the President of Indonesia, for which she requires "a substantial sum", say UK judges.

'Oscar Pistorius P*****g on Jacob Zuma' Claims Untrue, Insist Tormented Runner's Family

South African president Jacob Zuma (L) was reportedly slurred by Oscar Pistorius during row at nightclubReuters / Getty

Claims that Oscar Pistorius slurred South Africa's president Jacob Zuma by saying he would urinate on the national leader have been hotly denied by the runner's family.

Pistorius' camp spoke out in defence of the murder accused athlete following a confrontation in a nightclub during which he reportedly told reveller Jared Mortimer: "Zuma works for us. I'll piss on Zuma."

Mortimer, accused of aggressively confronting Pistorius about the death of Reeva Steenkamp, claimed he had been left shocked by the troubled star's outburst.

The fracas happened when Mortimer and Pistorius got into a row at the VIP Club in an upmarket area of Johannesburg.

Recounting the incident to The Juice website, Mortimer said: "Pistorius was going on about how influential his family is and how connected they are.

''He even pulled out his phone to show me pictures of armoured cars. He said: 'My family owns SANDF. Zuma works for us. I'll piss on Zuma."

Mortimer claimed he was so offended that he had to put his drink down. "I took that personally because I am very good friends with a member of the Zuma family," he said.

The allegations have been strongly denied by Pistorius' uncle Leo, who said there was "absolutely no truth" in it.

In a statement, he said: "We wish to categorically state that there is absolutely no truth to this man's assertions that Oscar, for instance, insulted the president of South Afric.

"Oscar was at school with one of President Zuma's sons and liked him a lot. Oscar also has great appreciation of President's Zuma's extraordinary support of the paralympians."

He added about the nightclub episode: "My investigations indicate that Mortimer was the aggressor and eyewitnesses confirm this."

Israel Gaza Attacks: Pro-Palestine Protesters Accuse BBC of Biased Reporting

Pro-Palestine supporters gathered outside the BBC's office in London to protest

Hundreds of Palestine supporters have staged a protest in London against the BBC, accusing the renowned broadcaster of bias in its coverage of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

The demonstrators gathered outside the BBC's office near Oxford Circus on Tuesday evening and chanted "BBC, shame on you".

The protest was organised by several organisations including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and the Campaign against Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

On its website, Stop the War wrote ahead of the protest:

"As a publicly funded broadcaster the BBC is duty-bound to provide balanced reporting without bias. Why, then, is the script for its reporting of the latest savage attack on Gaza yet again written by the Israeli press office?"

In a public letter addressed to the broadcasting company, the organisers argued that the BBC coverage fails to mention the years of occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel.

"We would like to remind you that Israel is bombing a refugee population – Palestinians who were made refugees when they were forced from their land in 1948 in order to create Israel," the letter reads.

A BBC spokesperson said: "BBC News reports widely and extensively across TV, radio and online, on many different aspects of this ongoing and complex conflict.

"Our role is to explain what is happening and why, and we endeavour to reflect a range of voices, amid deeply held views. We are committed to continuing to report and analyse sometimes fast moving events in an accurate, fair and balanced way."

A similar protest took place on Saturday in Manchester. Hundreds of people gathered outside the BBC's Salford offices and accused the broadcasting corporation of focussing on the plight of Israelis rather than Palestinians.

The protests come as the Israel-Gaza conflict continues to claim lives.

The Israel Defence Forces(IDF) launched Operation Protective Edge last week to restore calm in southern Israel after the firing of a reported 156 rockets from Gaza.

More than 190 Palestinians – including at least 20 children - have been killed and 1,500 injured since the launch of the operation.

The first Israeli victim, killed by a mortar fired from Gaza, was reported on Tuesday (15 July).

Radical Cleric Abu Qatada Denounces Isis' Islamic Caliphate in Iraq

Radical cleric Abu Qatada denounces Isis’ Islamic Caliphate in IraqReuters file photo

Radical Islamic cleric Abu Qatada has denounced the recent declaration of an Islamic Caliphate by the militant group Islamic State of Iran and the Levant (Isis) in an area spanning Iraq and Syria.

Calling the Islamic Caliphate announcement "void and meaningless," Qatada, who is at present facing terror charges in Jordan, said Muslims across the world did not agree with that idea.

In a 21-page statement censuring the Isis' activities, the Palestine-born extremist preacher wrote: "This group [Isis] does not have the authority to rule all Muslims and their declaration applies to no-one but themselves. Its threats to kill opponents, sidelining of other groups and violent way of fighting opponents constitute a great sin, reflecting the reality of the group."

The document was published across several jihadist websites, reported the AFP.

Qatada, who fought for years against his extradition from the UK to face terror charges in Jordan, urged Muslims across the world to join the battle against the Iraqi Isis.

“Its threats to kill opponents, sidelining of other groups and violent way of fighting opponents constitute a great sin, reflecting the reality of the group”

- Abu Qatada on Isis

The al-Qaeda-inspired radical asked: "They [Isis] are merciless in dealing with other jihadists. How would they deal with the poor, the weak and other people?"

He was recently found not guilty of terrorism charges for an alleged plot to launch a series of bombings in 1998 by a Jordanian court. However, Qatada has other charges pending against him for allegedly conspiring in the 2000 New Celebrations in Jordan.

Qatada's latest comments have come at a time when several other Islamist leaders, including extremists, have heaped scorn on the Iraqi outfit Isis.

A top Jordanian jihadi ideologist Issam Barqawi, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Maqdessi, has also criticised the Isis.

"Can every Muslim and weak person find refuge in this caliphate? Or would it be like a sharp sword against all opponents? What would the fate be of other Islamist fighters in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere?" he asked.

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Japanese Messaging App Operator Line Files For Tokyo IPO at $9.6bn Valuation

Takeshi Idezawa, chief operating officer of Line Corp, speaks during an announcement of its new service in TokyoReuters

Japan-based Line Corp., the creator of popular messaging app Line, said it has submitted documents to the Tokyo Stock Exchange to list its shares, and that it plans a separate listing in the US.

"The company is evaluating a potential listing in Japan and/or the United States," it said in a statement.

"Line has submitted certain documentation, including a listing application, to relevant authorities such as the Tokyo Stock Exchange. However, determinations regarding whether to ultimately list, listing venue and listing timing, etc, have not been made."

"We will provide an update once such determinations are made or within one month of this disclosure," it added.

The company did not provide further details including the possible initial public offering (IPO) size.

Dow Jones Newswires, citing an unnamed source, earlier reported that Line could list in Tokyo as soon as the autumn, valuing the company at an estimated 980bn yen ($9.6bn, £5.6bn, €7.1bn).

Established on 4 September 2000, Line Corp is led by CEO Akira Morikawa. As of 1 April 2014, the company has 666 employees and a capital of 12.6bn yen.

The company recorded 14.6bn yen in revenue in the first quarter – more than threefold increase over the previous year. In 2013, it generated 51.8bn yen in revenues to be the highest-grossing non-game app of 2013, Reuters reported, citing analytics firm App Annie.

The company launched its popular messaging service in 2011 after the Great East Japan earthquake which damaged telecoms infrastructure across the nation.

Steadily improving on its features, the app currency has more than 400 million users primarily in Japan and Asia. It offers features including free calls, instant messages and video and image sharing.

Line has emerged as a strong competitor to WhatsApp, which was acquired by Facebook for $19bn, and WeChat owned by Chinese internet major Tencent.

Egypt Seals $10bn BP Natural Gas Deal

A man pays for fuel at a petrol station in CairoReuters

Egypt has finalised a $10bn deal with BP that could significantly boost the country's natural gas production.

The gas project had stalled for three years in the face of political, social and economic turmoil in the Arab world's most populous country but Egypt's prime minister has announced completion of the deal according to Egyptian media outlet Ahram Online.

The BP-discovered fields are thought to hold around 5 trillion cubic feet of gas and could potentially produce 1.2 million cubic feet per day.

That would amount to roughly 20% of Egypt's daily gas needs, although consumption is forecast to rise to12.5% in the current fiscal year.

The fields, located in the Alexandria governorate, are set to be connected to the national grid in 2017.

The move is likely to boost investor confidence in Egypt which has suffered from foreign capital flight and energy shortages since 2011.

The country's new President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has launched a bid to tackle the country's energy crisis, by reducing government fuel subsidies and encouraging Egyptians to reduce personal consumption.

Energy prices in Egypt have been among the lowest in the world for years. While successive administrations have pledged to tackle the fiscal challenge, Sisi is the first leader in decades to push ahead with major public finance reforms.

China Lead Poisoning Crisis: Free Milk Offered as a Cure

Children have been at the receiving end of massive pollution in China. In the Hunan province many children have been diagnosed with lead exposure.Reuters

Drinking milk can flush out lead in blood, according to Chinese officials.

Residents of Dapu, a rural town in Hunan province of China, said they were offered milk, in addition to medicines, for their children diagnosed with lead exposure. In return, the officials asked them to hand over the blood test results.

Dapu, a rural town of about 62,000, is home to many smelters and chemical plants.

Residents submitted a petition to local officials regarding their concerns about lead pollution in late 2012. They said milk had been distributed by the residents' committee to people with excessive lead blood levels three times since 2012. Only residents who turned in their blood test results received milk and only those that provided the originals – rather than a copy – were reimbursed for cost of the tests.

However, the officials denied any attempts to distribute milk and collect test results.

The country's National Health and Family Planning Commission recommends "nutritional intervention" for children exposed to lead. However, it added that its guidelines went well beyond nutrition, and it was neither "complete nor correct" to say that milk flushed lead out of the body. It also recommended removing the source of lead pollution and medical treatment in severe cases.

China's rapid economic development has paid scant attention to environment imperatives. Pollution from local factories has led to the mushrooming of "cancer villages" with high incidence of the disease.

Hunan province has significant deposits of lead, zinc, mercury, antimony and tungsten but is also the country's largest producer of rice. In 2003, Dapu officials set up an industrial zone which, by 2013, had expanded to include at least 12 smelting factories producing tungsten, copper, lead and zinc.

A study by Greenpeace found high levels of cadmium and lead in local rice samples, some as high as 22 times the national standard.

Exposure to lead is particularly dangerous for children as it inhibits intellectual and physical development, and can cause poor concentration, disruptive behaviour, even death at high levels. Its effects are irreversible.

There are no national data on lead levels in China. The Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing, which conducted a survey in 15 cities between 2004 and 2008, found 7.6% of those surveyed had lead levels above 100 micrograms per liter (ug/L), China's threshold for safe lead exposure.

Dapu's lead problem made national headlines during a state broadcast by CCTV, in which the mayor was shown saying children might have raised their own blood levels by chewing on pencils.

Following the broadcast, which claimed that more than 300 children had high lead levels, there was an investigation and a local chemical plant and smelter were shut down.

Typhoon Rammasun: Philippines Battered but Manila Spared

Typhoon Rammasun has battered parts of the Philippines with 185kph (115mph) gusts of wind, bringing down trees, electric posts and ripping off roofs.

Cars are pinned downed by uprooted trees in Manila.AFP

At least 10 people have been killed. A woman died after being hit by a fallen electric post in Northern Samar province and two men, including one on a motorcycle, were crushed to death by falling trees.

Three members of a family were killed when a wall collapsed on them in Lucena city, and an 11-month-old boy died after being hit by a wall in a house in Cavite province.

Three fishermen have been reported missing in Catanduanes, near Albay province, where Rammasun made landfall.

A fisherman's house in the middle of a fish pen leans to one side as it is pounded by waves, strong winds and rain in Bacoor.Reuters

A fisherman secures his fish pen from strong winds and rain brought by Typhoon Rammasun (locally named Glenda) in the coastal town of Bacoor.Reuters

People take cover under a tree as strong winds brought by Typhoon Rammasun batter the capital.Reuters

A motorcyclist is blown over by fierce winds in Manila.Reuters

An official leads a child as he is evacuated from a house at an informal settlers' area in Manila.AFP

Fortunately, the capital Manila and densely populated northern provinces were spared the worst of the storm thanks to a slight change in its direction.

With last year's massive devastation and deaths from Typhoon Haiyan still in many people's mind, 373,000 people readily evacuated after being told of the danger.

Rammasun, the Thai name for god of thunder, is the seventh storm to batter the Philippines this year. About 20 typhoons and storms lash the archipelago on the western edge of the Pacific each year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.

People gather at a basketball arena after they fled their homes in Manila.AFP

Evacuees queue for food at a basketball arena used as a shelter in Manila.AFP

Residents brave strong winds and rain as they evacuate from their homes at an informal settlers' area in Manila.AFP

Residents cross a flooded street to an evacuation centre in Manila.AFP

Residents try to fix the roof of a home as Typhoon Rammasun barrels across Manila.AFP

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$100bn New Brics Development Bank to Rival World Bank and IMF

(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma talk at a group photo session during the 6th BRICS summit in Fortaleza.Reuters

Leaders of the Brics emerging nations have set up a New Development Bank that will be based in China's Shanghai and a currency reserve pool to rival the West's World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

During the sixth Brics summit in Brazil, the host nation reached an agreement with Russia, India, China and South Africa to launch a $100bn development bank and set up a $100bn currency reserves pool to help tackle future economic crises.

The so-called New Development Bank (NDB), which aims at funding infrastructure projects in developing nations, will have an initial authorised capital of $100bn and an initial subscribed capital of $50bn, shared equally among the members.

It will be based in Shanghai and India will preside over its operations for the first five years, followed by Brazil and then Russia. The first chair of the Board of Governors will be from Russia and the first chair of the Board of Directors will be from Brazil.

The NDB will also have an African regional centre in South Africa.

The bank is aimed at "mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging and developing economies," the group's declaration said.

"Based on sound banking principles, the NDB will strengthen the cooperation among our countries and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global development, thus contributing to our collective commitments for achieving the goal of strong, sustainable and balanced growth."

The $100bn contingent reserve arrangement (CRA) "will have a positive precautionary effect, help countries forestall short-term liquidity pressures, promote further BRICS cooperation, strengthen the global financial safety net and complement existing international arrangements," the document added.

In addition, the five countries also voiced their readiness to further facilitate trade, enhance financial ties, meet tax-related challenges and benefit from potential cooperation in insurance and reinsurance markets.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma attended the summit.