US-China deal ahead of schedule: Trump

WASHINGTON • US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he expected to sign a significant part of the trade deal with China ahead of schedule but did not elaborate on the timing.

Leaders of the US and China are working to agree on the text for a "Phase 1" trade deal announced on Oct 11 by Mr Trump, who had said he hopes to sign the deal with China's President Xi Jinping next month at a summit in Chile.

Mr Trump said the Phase 1 portion would "take care of the farmers" and "also take care of a lot of the banking needs".

REUTERS

Race in India to rescue boy trapped in well

NEW DELHI • Scores of workers were racing against time yesterday to try to rescue a two-year-old boy trapped for more than 72 hours down a 26m well in south India, officials said.

The boy fell into the 30cm diameter pipe last Friday, while playing near his home in the Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu state.

A thermal camera was briefly used to monitor the child's body temperature while oxygen was supplied through a pipe. The toddler was unconscious but breathing until Sunday morning, but rescuers have been unable to check his condition since then.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

JB to free woman in fatal accident case

JOHOR BARU • The Magistrate's Court in Johor Baru has ordered the release of a 24-year-old woman whose car ploughed into a group of teenage cyclists, killing eight of them, on Feb 18, 2017.

The case raised racial tensions in Johor as the driver was a young Chinese woman and the victims were all Malay boys.

The group of more than 30 teenagers had been out for joy rides on fast, modified bicycles on a dark road at around 3am.

In her judgment, Magistrate Siti Hajar said the prosecution had failed to prove a case.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK