Laos

Southeast Asian nations were at loggerheads on August 6 over a joint statement on tensions in the South China Sea, with Beijing's allies opposing strong criticism of its land-reclamation activities, diplomats said.

China on June 24 gave its first-ever assessment of the scourge of drug abuse, saying it caused annual economic losses of 500 billion yuan ($80.54 billion) and as many as 49,000 deaths last year. 

China has intensified a crackdown on drugs as the rise of a new urban class with greater disposable income has fuelled a surge in the numbers of drug addicts. 

Nikolic receives credentials from five new ambassadors

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolic received on Monday the letters of credence from the newly appointed ambassadors of Bangladesh, Uruguay, Malta, Jamaica and Laos.

They serve as non-resident ambassadors to Serbia.

BELGRADE - The authorities arrested on Saturday the driver of the van that overturned on the motorway near Leskovac while transporting illegal migrants four days ago, Tanjug learnt in the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After a major police action, the driver was arrested in Pancevo near Belgrade as he was trying to hide from the authorities.

NIS - Two migrants hospitalised at the neurosurgical hospital in Nis remain in critical condition and their lives are in danger, while three other patients have undergone surgery at the orthopaedic hospital, Nis Clinical Centre Director Zoran Radovanovic told Tanjug on Wednesday.

Another patient was admitted to the maxillofacial surgical hospital on Tuesday.

BELGRADE - Members of the Serbian Ministry of Interior Affairs (MUP) are trying to establish the circumstances of the accident near Leskovac, southern Serbia, which inflicted light and serious injuries to 42 illegal migrants early on Tuesday, Deputy Head of the Border Police Administration Dragan Gligoric stated.

LESKOVAC - A van packed with migrants careened off the road and overturned on a highway near Leskovac, southern Serbia, early Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred on the Corridor X section between the Donje Krajince and Gornje Krajince villages near the southern Serbian city around 4.30 a.m.. The 42 injured passengers from the van carrying 54 people have been hospitalized.

The Lancet and Lancet Global Health on obesity detailed the worsening food-consumption habits in 187 countries around the world. Strangely enough, it was found that people in some poor and middle-income countries have better diets than those in rich countries where major Western snack and soft drink makers are targeting children.

New Democracy candidate and outgoing Health Minister Makis Voridis has insisted that his party would do ?whatever it takes? to prevent SYRIZA winning the general elections on Sunday.

Two businessmen who are said to have mediated in the procurement of Super Puma rescue helicopters to the government more than a decade ago were given conditional release on Thursday on 250,000-euro bail payments after defending themselves before an investigating magistrate on charges of bribery and money laundering.