A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Aircraft crashes in eastern Venezuela
CARACAS – An aircraft carrying 51 people has crashed in eastern Venezuela. Officials said 33 people survived while the rest were killed or missing.
At least 14 people were killed and four were missing after the plane crashed about six miles from the eastern city of Puerto Ordaz, Bolivar state governor Francisco Rangel Gomez told reporters yesterday. – (AP)
500,000 Cuba state jobs to go
HAVANA – Cuba will let more than 500,000 state employees go by next March and try to move most to non- state jobs in the biggest shift to the private sector since the 1960s, the Cuban labour federation said yesterday.
The statement said eventually more than a million jobs would be cut and, due to efforts to increase efficiency in the state sector, there would be few new state sector openings. – (Reuters)
Campaign for teens and drink emergencies
LONDON – The British Red Cross launched a campaign yesterday to teach 11-16- year-olds how to handle emergencies which arise from excessive drinking.
The organisation said it launched the campaign after learning that one in seven children in this age group had been in an emergency situation as a result of a friend drinking too much.
Half had to deal with someone who had passed out and a quarter had to cope with a friend who had been drunk and in a fight. – (Reuters)