Asia

Pakistan shoots down Indian jets, sending tensions soaring

  by Sarah TITTERTON with Jalees ANDRABI in New Delhi Agence France Presse ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — Pakistan said Wednesday it shot down two Indian warplanes in its airspace over disputed Kashmir, in a dramatic escalation of a confrontation that has ignited fears of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours. One Indian pilot was captured, a Pakistani military spokesman said, adding that one aircraft had fallen in Pakistani-held Kashmir, while the other fell on […]

Pakistan closes airspace as India tensions rise: aviation authority

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — Pakistan closed its airspace Wednesday, the civil aviation authority and the military said, as fears spiked of an all-out conflict with nuclear-armed neighbor India. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) tweeted that it “has officially closed its airspace until further notice”, while a Pakistani military spokesman said the decision had been taken “due to the environment”. A CAA source told AFP that all airlines had been notified to “suspend their operations in […]

Two policemen abducted, shot dead in Thailand’s restive south

BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Two Thai policemen were executed after being abducted from a tea shop in the kingdom’s violent southern borderlands, police said Wednesday, as bloodshed again spikes in a 15-year insurgency. Clashes between ethnic Malay-Muslim rebels and the forces from the Buddhist-majority Thai state which annexed the region a century ago have killed nearly 7,000 people since 2004, mostly civilians. The death toll dropped to a record low last year as Thailand’s junta […]

Dozens buried in Indonesia gold mine collapse: official

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — One person was killed and dozens more were buried in the collapse of an illegal gold mine in Indonesia, the country’s disaster agency said Wednesday. Rescuers on the island of Sulawesi scrambled to find survivors in the rubble after the collapse triggered a landslide on Tuesday evening, the agency said. At least one person had been found dead and 15 others were injured in the Bolaang Mongondow region of North Sulawesi, […]

India ‘air strikes’ send Pakistan tensions surging

by Bhuvan BAGGA / with Nasir Jaffry in Islamabad Agence France Presse NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India said Tuesday it had launched air strikes against militant camps in Pakistan’s territory, triggering international concern over a dangerous escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan denied India’s claim that the attack had inflicted major damage and casualties on militants responsible for a suicide bombing in Kashmir earlier this month as “reckless and fictitious”, and said it would […]

India warplane incursion sends Pakistan tensions surging

Bhuvan Bagga in New Delhi and Nasir Jaffry in Islamabad Indian warplanes breached Pakistani airspace Tuesday in a move that sent tensions over disputed Kashmir spiralling, but Islamabad furiously denied claims the strike destroyed a militant camp and inflicted heavy casualties. The incursion across the ceasefire line that divides Kashmir between the nuclear-armed neighbours came after India threatened retaliation over a February 14 suicide bombing claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group, that killed 40 […]

Kim, Trump arrive in Hanoi ahead of nuclear summit

by Richard CARTER / Sebastian Smith North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump arrived in Hanoi Tuesday, ahead of a second summit closely watched for concrete steps to dismantle Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. After an initial historic meeting in Singapore in June that produced only a vague statement about denuclearisation, analysts say the second date must deliver more in the way of tangible progress. The summit itself is shrouded in secrecy and […]

URGENT: Trump lands in Hanoi for North Korea nuclear summit

US President Donald Trump landed in Hanoi on Tuesday for two days of talks to try to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear arsenal. Trump arrived on Air Force One after flying half way around the world from Washington, while Kim arrived earlier, following a two-and-a-half-day train journey from Pyongyang. They were due to have dinner Wednesday and continue talks on Thursday. sms/slb/rma © Agence France-Presse

Israel ex-minister sentenced to 11 years for spying for Iran

  JERUSALEM (AFP) — An Israeli ex-minister was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Tuesday for spying for his country’s main enemy Iran after a plea bargain in the case, the prosecutor said. Gonen Segev, who served as energy and infrastructure minister from 1995 to 1996, had previously agreed to a plea bargain on charges of serious espionage and transfer of information to the enemy. Court hearings were held in secret due to the […]

North Korea’s Kim arrives in Hanoi for nuclear summit with Trump

  by Jenny VAUGHAN / Richard CARTER Agence France Presse HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Kim Jong Un arrived in Hanoi to throngs of cheering, flag-waving crowds Tuesday, on the eve of a second summit with Donald Trump the world is closely watching for tangible progress over North Korea’s nuclear programme. After a historic initial meeting in Singapore in June that produced only a vague statement about denuclearisation, analysts say the second date must deliver more […]

Iran foreign minister Zarif announces resignation on Instagram

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was the lead negotiator in the 2015 nuclear deal, announced his resignation on Instagram on Monday, which can only take effect once President Hassan Rouhani accepts it. “I apologize for my inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my term in office,” Zarif said in a message posted on his verified Instagram account. Zarif thanked Iranians and “respected officials” for their […]

India toxic alcohol deaths jump to 133: police

At least 35 more workers have died in northeastern India after drinking toxic liquor, police said Sunday, taking the death toll from the latest mass alcohol poisoning beyond 130. The deaths in Assam state came less than two weeks after tainted liquor killed about 100 people in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In addition to the latest toll, at least 200 more people were still hospitalised across Assam. “The death toll has […]