News in Brief--(20-04-2018)

Swedish king to change Nobel Academy statutes

STOCKHOLM, Apr 19: Sweden's king will change the arcane rules of the Swedish Academy, which picks the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, making it possible to bring in new members after a controversy has seen several members resign. The Academy has been mired in controversy since last fall over its handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by a man married to a member of the Academy. — Reuters

Strong quake hits Iran nuclear power plant

TEHRAN, Apr 19: A moderately strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit Thursday Iran's southern region of Bushehr, home to the country's only nuclear power plant, without causing casualties or damage, media reported. "The earthquake had no effect on the activity of the plant," Mahmoud Jafari, project manager at the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant, said according to the Telegram news channel of Iran's state television. — AFP

US plane makes landing as engine emits smoke

WASHINGTON, Apr 19: A US passenger plane made an emergency landing Wednesday in Atlanta city after its engine began issuing smoke. Delta Air Lines, the operator of the plane, confirmed the incident, saying the London-bound flight encountered "an issue with its No.2 engine" after taking off at 6:00 pm and returned to the ground soon after the takeoff. "The flight ended without incident," the airline statement said. The incident was the latest in a string of mishaps that has befallen the US air industry in recent days. — Xinhua

UK to ban sale of straws for tackling marine waste

LONDON, Apr 19: Britain announced on Thursday plans to ban the sale of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England, as part of a push to tackle global marine pollution. Prime Minister Theresa May said her government will launch a consultation on banning the single-use items later this year, ahead of legislation on the issue. — AFP