Asia

Five killed in China as hijacked bus crashes into pedestrians

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — At least five people were killed and 21 injured after a hijacked bus crashed into pedestrians in east China’s Fujian province on Tuesday afternoon, state media reported. A hijacker carrying a knife has been detained and is being investigated by local police, state television CGTN reported. The incident happened at about 3:20 pm in the city of Longyan, the local Minxi Ribao newspaper reported. A policeman was among the five […]

At least 43 killed in Kabul govt compound attack

  by Emal HAIDARY / Usman SHARIFI Agence France Presse KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — An hour-long gun and suicide attack on a Kabul government compound killed at least 43 people, the health ministry said Tuesday, making it one of the deadliest assaults on the Afghan capital this year. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the raid, which caps a bloody year for Afghanistan as long-suffering civilians and security forces are slaughtered in record numbers. […]

Sick, hungry Indonesia tsunami survivors cram shelters as death toll nears 400

  by Harry PEARL Agence France Presse CARITA, Indonesia (AFP) — Desperately needed aid flowed into a stretch of Indonesia’s tsunami-struck coastline Tuesday, but humanitarian workers warned that clean water and medicine supplies were dwindling as thousands crammed makeshift evacuation centres. Fears about a public health crisis come as the death toll from Saturday’s volcano-triggered disaster rose to nearly 400 with thousands more displaced from flattened homes. “A lot of the children are sick with […]

South Korea to fine BMW $10 mn over engine fires response

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea said Monday it will fine German automaker BMW 11.2 billion won ($10 million) for allegedly dragging its feet in recalling cars with faulty engines linked to dozens of engine fires. BMW vehicles bursting into flames made headlines in South Korea earlier this year, with local media reporting more than 40 cases in 2018 and some parking lots refusing to accept BMW cars over fears they could catch fire. […]

222 dead as volcano-triggered tsunami hits Indonesia

by Muhammad Ary A volcano-triggered tsunami has left at least 222 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, officials said Sunday, voicing fears that the toll would rise further. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 pm (1430 GMT) on Saturday after a volcano known as the “child” of Krakatoa erupted, […]

URGENT: Death toll from Indonesia tsunami rises to 222: officials

The death toll from a volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia has risen to 222, with more than 800 people injured, officials said Sunday. “222 people are dead, 843 people are injured and 28 people are missing,” Indonesia’s national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. “This number is predicted to increase because not all victims have been successfully evacuated, not all health centres have reported victims and not all locations have got complete data.” hp/aph © […]

Shocking video shows tsunami rip through stage as band performs

  Dramatic video posted online showed the tsunami that struck Indonesia smashing into an open-air concert, hurling members of a pop band from the stage and slamming into the audience. Riefian Fajarsyah, lead vocalist of the band “Seventeen” later posted an emotional video to his 260,000 Instagram followers in which he said the group’s bassist and road manager were killed. The band were playing Saturday night to a large crowd in a marquee at the […]

UPDATED: ‘Volcano’ tsunami kills at least 168 in Indonesia

  by Muhammad Ary Agence France Presse CARITA, Indonesia (AFP) — A tsunami following a volcanic eruption killed at least 168 people when it slammed without warning into popular beaches around Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on Saturday night, cutting a swathe of destruction and triggering mass panic as it swept inland. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9:30 pm (1430 […]

“Volcano” tsunami kills at least 43 in Indonesia

CARITA, Indonesia – At least 43 people have been killed and nearly 600 injured in a tsunami in Indonesia that may have been caused by a volcano known as the “child” of the legendary Krakatoa, officials said Sunday. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit beaches without warning in South Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9.30 pm local time (1430 GMT) on Saturday, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo […]

23 dead in Nepal student bus crash

  KATHMANDU, Nepal (AFP) — Twenty-three people died in western Nepal when a bus carrying school students and teachers back from a botanical field trip plunged into a gorge, police said. The students were aged mostly between 16 and 20. Two teachers and the driver also died in the accident early evening on Friday in a remote area. The vehicle was carrying 37 people, with 22 killed at the scene and another in a nearby […]

Dozens of bodies ‘found in IS mass grave’ in Iraq

HAWIJA, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi authorities said they uncovered a new mass grave containing the remains of dozens of people in an area of northern Kirkuk province once held by the Islamic State group. Security forces have discovered dozens of mass graves since they drove out IS in 2017 after three years of occupation of swathes of northern and western Iraq. The United Nations said in November that more than 200 mass graves containing up to […]

Carlos Ghosn re-arrested over fresh allegations

by Kyoko HASEGAWA / Richard CARTER Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese prosecutors re-arrested former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn over fresh allegations Friday, apparently dashing his hopes of being home for this coming holiday in the latest twist to a roller-coaster saga. The case of the once-revered 64-year-old tycoon has gripped Japan and the business world since he was arrested as he stepped off his private jet at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on November 19. […]