Local reports were confirmed when a population of previously unknown lions was caught on camera trap in the remote Alatash national park An Abyssinian lion, which was rescued from captivity at an early age, in the Ethiopian chapter of Born Free, which houses six Ethiopian lions that have been rescued from captivity from various locations around the country. Photograph: Zacharias …

The United Nations says the Syrian government has approved “in principle” a UN request for an aid delivery to the besieged Syrian towns of Madaya, al-Foua and Kefraya. Peace talks to end the five-year-old Syrian conflict are getting under way in Geneva and the Syrian opposition has repeatedly stressed that it will not participate in full discussions until all sieges …

A view shows Jordan Valley near the West Bank city of Jericho January 20, 2016. REUTERS/MOHAMAD TOROKMAN Israel confirmed on Thursday it was planning to appropriate a large tract of fertile land in the occupied West Bank, close to Jordan, a move likely to exacerbate tensions with Western allies and already drawing international condemnation. In an email sent to Reuters, …

UN body acts over mosquito-borne virus linked to serious birth defects which is ‘spreading explosively’ across the Americas Nadja Cristina Gomes Bezerra holds her three-month-old daughter, Alice Vitoria, who has microcephaly. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images The World Health Organisation has declared a “public health emergency of international concern” due to the apparent link of the Zika virus to a surge …

WHO declares Zika virus global emergency The World Health Organisation has declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus to be an international public health emergency, as the disease linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil continues to spread rapidly. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan told reporters on Monday an international coordinated response was needed, although restrictions on travel or trade were not …

Labourers rest as a boy playfully shovels coal at a yard in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad November 20, 2014. REUTERS/AMIT DAVE/FILES State-run miner Coal India Ltd’s January output stood at 52.86 million tonnes, falling short of its production target of 56.18 million tonnes, the world’s largest coal mining company said in statement on Monday. The miner, which accounts …

EU to present new UK deal European Council President Donald Tusk says he will present a “new settlement” proposal in talks with Britain on reforms aimed at keeping the country in the 28-nation bloc. The move came after British Prime Minister David Cameron met on Sunday with Tusk, who chairs the meetings of EU states’ leaders and plays a key …

Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance of India attends the session ”The Global Economic Outlook” during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 23, 2016. REUTERS/RUBEN SPRICH Finance Minister Arun Jaitley wants to present a credible budget this month with realistic targets for tax revenues and asset sales, people involved in the process say, but …

Call for security training after deaths Security guards around Australia could soon be required to have the same licensing and training standards following concerns for public safety. The federal government says it’s very worried about poorly-trained guards potentially putting people at risk of injury following the findings of a new report from the national training regulator. The Australian Skills Quality …

Residents of the far southern settlement of Oban, on Stewart Island, claim sharks are being attracted by tour operators who offer the ultimate in thrillseeking Stewart Island fisherman Richard Squires says a great white shark has followed – and attacked – his boat on a number of occasions. Photograph: Paul Roy At the South Seas hotel on Oban waterfront, the …