Authorities in northern France have shut two butcher’s shops after several children were hospitalised and one died from a rare illness thought to be linked to infected meat products.

Investigators found that most of the children had eaten meat from the shops in Saint-Quentin, the prefecture announced on Friday.

The children aged between one and 12, eight children from the town of 53,000 inhabitants and surrounding area were hospitalised in the past week with severe diarrhoea.

Five developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a rare form of acute kidney failure, from which a 12-year-old child has died.

HUS usually occurs in children as a result of an intestinal infection, it leads to the formation of blood clots that block the brain, heart and kidneys in particular.

Up to 165 cases of children with HUS syndrome are documented in France each year.

The authorities urged residents not to consume meat products bought in the closed shops until laboratory tests have proven the cause of the illness beyond doubt.(dpa/NAN)

More than 650 people have been killed in Iran following a massive Israeli bombing campaign launched a week ago, an activist group said on Friday.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that 657 people have died and 2,037 have been injured in the nationwide airstrikes.

The Iranian government does not publish daily figures on casualties.

HRANA relies on a broad network of informants and publicly available sources.

The group said the dead include at least 263 civilians and 164 members of the military.

Another 230 fatalities remain unidentified.

The network also reported damage to civilian infrastructure, including a projectile striking a children’s hospital in Tehran, which did not result in any injuries.

In the western province of Ilam, a fire station was damaged, HRANA said, while an Israeli attack on a car factory in western Iran triggered a large fire.

Israel maintains its objective is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which it considers an existential threat. (dpa/NAN)

 China has announced the full removal of tariffs on imports from all African countries, ENA, a partner of TV BRICS, has reported.

The tariff elimination falls under the new China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development, a framework designed to accelerate Africa’s integration into global trade by increasing market access, improving customs procedures, and strengthening institutional trade capacity.

The initiative is part of a broader effort by Beijing to support industrialisation, diversify imports, and reinforce economic links with African states beyond raw materials.

President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China’s readiness to welcome all African exports under zero-tariff treatment.

He emphasised that the new arrangement would be accompanied by enhanced cooperation in customs, quarantine, logistics, and capacity building.

China also pledged to support training programmes and expand the visibility of high-quality African goods in the Chinese market.

In 2024, China–Africa trade reached nearly 300 billion dollars, consolidating China’s position as Africa’s largest trading partner.

Observers note that the new tariff policy may further strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area by encouraging intra-African production and export diversification.

The strategic shift is expected to unlock new opportunities for value-added goods and services from across the continent, reinforcing Africa’s role in global supply chains. (TV BRICS/NAN)