EU vows swift response if US imposes car tariffs

BRUSSELS • The European Union promises a quick and effective response if the United States imposes import duties on European cars, a spokesman for the European Commission said yesterday.

Brussels issued the threat after the US Commerce Department filed a report yesterday that empowers President Donald Trump to apply car duties within the next 90 days.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described as "frightening" the prospect that this report could label European car imports as a national security threat to the US, enabling the tariffs.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Taiwan slams Spain for deporting duo to China

TAIPEI • Taiwan hit out at Spain yesterday after two Taiwanese fraud suspects were deported to China despite objections from the government in Taipei and human rights groups.

Returning Taiwanese criminals to China has become a major source of friction between Beijing and Taipei - and illustrates Taiwan's isolated diplomatic status.

Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau said more than 400 Taiwanese fraud suspects arrested abroad have been deported to China since April 2016.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Mongolia suspends KFC after hundreds fall sick

ULAANBAATAR • Forty-two people in Mongolia have been hospitalised and hundreds are showing symptoms of illness from contaminated water and soda that the health authorities have linked to a KFC outlet in the capital Ulaanbaatar.

The authorities from the Metropolitan Professional Inspection Agency said the local licence-holder of the KFC franchise, Tavan Bogd Group, was responsible for the 247 cases of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever reported this month.

Officials said they found serious violations in health standards and a failure in internal hygiene controls. Laboratory tests detected bacteria in the drinking water and E. coli in soda.

Operations at all KFC branches in Mongolia were suspended from yesterday for inspections to be carried out, Xinhua reported.

BLOOMBERG