Off the wire
• Spanish La Liga standings  • Spanish La Liga results  • Bayern Munich: No goals in the German "classico" but a valuable "test "  • Women's giant slalom World Cup in Slovakia postponed due to strong wind  • Ganso completes 200 games for Sao Paulo  • French Ligue 1 results  • Czech Republic secure 2-1 lead over Germany in Davis Cup  • Four for Ronaldo and easy for Madrid  • French Ligue 1 standings  • English Premier League standings  
You are here: 　 Home

Xinhua world news summary at 0100 GMT, March 6

Xinhua, March 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least one person was injured on Saturday after an explosion happened at a refinery in Pasadena, a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Texas, local media reported.

The blast occurred earlier in the day in the Pasadena Refining System, Inc. plant, which is said to store the chemicals such as ammonia, benzene, ethylene, propylene, and sulfuric acid, according to local TV station ABC 13. The refinery reportedly has a history of violations of the country's Clean Air Act, and was assessed hefty fines for these violations. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. (U.S. -Houston-Refinery explosion)

- - - -

BRUSSELS -- The European Union on Friday decided to expand restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), adding 16 people and 12 entities to the list of targets subject to EU sanctions.

According to the Council of the EU, the decision transposes the new listings imposed by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2270 adopted on March 2 in response to DPRK's nuclear test and rocket launch on Jan. 6 and Feb. 7 this year. (EU-Sanctions-DPRK)

- - - -

DAMASCUS -- A week into the landmark ceasefire in Syria, the capital Damascus was the main city that enjoyed a relative peace without notable breaches.

The truce, which started at midnight last Friday, held up pretty well in Damascus, as no notable breaches were reported, save for some shelling on areas in the eastern countryside of Damascus, where the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front are located. (Syria-Truce-Week)

- - - -

EL GENEINA, Sudan -- Paces are stepping up in Sudan's Darfur to conduct the region's administrative status referendum as the polling process, slated for this April, is approaching after the completion of voter registration.

Local authorities in Darfur believe that the registration of around 76 percent of eligible voters was evidence that the process, which faces some objections, would be successful. (Sudan-Peace-Referendum)

- - - -

RAMALLAH -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to meet with the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over the current tensions with Israel and the stalled Middle East peace process, a senior Palestinian official said Saturday. (Palestine-U.S.-Meeting) Endi