World briefs: Ex-Brazil president detained in graft probe

Ex-Brazil president detained in graft probe

SAO PAULO • Police searched the home of Brazil's powerful former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and detained him for questioning yesterday, in a probe into a huge corruption scandal centred on state oil company Petrobras.

Agents searched his house in Sao Paulo, the offices of the Lula Institute and houses of family members, said Mr Jose Chrispiniano, a spokesman for Mr Lula and his institute.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


Zimbabwe govt to take over all diamond mines

HARARE • Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said on Thursday that his government would take possession of all diamond operations as miners have robbed the nation of its wealth.

This comes a week after the ministry overseeing mines told all mining firms to halt work and leave the Marange fields, saying it had not renewed their licences. At the time, it denied it was seizing mines.

REUTERS


Most distant galaxy from Earth found

CAPE CANAVERAL • Astronomers say they have found a galaxy that was formed just 400 million years after the Big Bang explosion, and it is the most distant one found to date.

The GN-z11 galaxy, located 13.4 billion light years from Earth, was first spotted two years ago in a Hubble Space Telescope survey.

REUTERS

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 05, 2016, with the headline World briefs: Ex-Brazil president detained in graft probe. Subscribe