World news

30 killed, 143 injured in Cameroon attacks

YAOUNDE: At least 30 people were killed in two suicide bombings in northern Cameroon Thursday, the latest violence to hit the area since dozens died in attacks in July. The blasts also left 143 wounded when a bomb went off near an army camp, where soldiers are battling Boko Haram fighters from Nige

Five Chinese naval ships spotted in Bering Sea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon on Wednesday confirmed the presence of five Chinese naval vessels in the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, which US President Barack Obama is currently visiting. It was believed to be the first time Chinese military ships have been spotted in the area and is another s

Press group urges Manila to stop attacks on journalists 

MANILA: The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday to act to stop attacks against the press in the country after three journalists were killed recently. Shawn Crispin, the group’s Southeast Asia representative, said in a statement the killings show

Japan seeks biggest-ever defense budget amid China concerns

TOKYO: Japan’s Defense Ministry wants to buy an advanced Aegis radar-equipped destroyer and more F-35 fighters under its largest-ever budget to bolster the defense of southern islands amid a territorial dispute with China. The ministry endorsed a 5.1 trillion yen ($42 billion) budget request Monday

Iran nuclear deal will 'fuel terrorism': Netanyahu

FLORENCE (Italy): The deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme will bolster Tehran's ability to fund global terrorism by providing the Islamic state with "billions of dollars" in sanctions relief, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared. "Iran will get hundreds of billions of dollars

Man who shot Virginia journalists on-air identified with 9/11 attacks

WASHINGTON: The gunman who killed two Virginia television journalists on air carried out a well-planned assault and identified with mass murderers and the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, authorities said on Friday. The shooter, Vester Flanagan, gave no sign of his destination or

Sea Level Will Rise by 1 Meter, It's Unavoidable: NASA

MIAMI:  Sea levels are rising around the world, and the latest satellite data suggests that three feet (one meter) or more is unavoidable in the next 100-200 years, NASA scientists said Wednesday. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are melting faster than ever, and oceans are warming and expa

Vietnam grants amnesty to more than 18,000 prisoners

HANOI: Vietnam has granted amnesty to more than 18,000 prisoners to mark the 70th anniversary of its independence from France. Giang Son, deputy chairman of the President's Office, told a news conference Friday that 18,539 inmates were granted amnesty under two directives signed by President Truo

Philippines seeks US help to protect troops in disputed sea

MANILA: The Philippine defense chief said he asked the visiting US Pacific commander on Wednesday to help protect the transport of Filipino troops and supplies to Philippine-occupied reefs in the disputed South China Sea by deploying American patrol planes to discourage Chinese moves to block the re

Virginia TV journalists shot during WDBJ7 live report

Two US journalists have been shot dead during a live TV report in Virginia. WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were killed during an interview in the town of Moneta, the TV station said. A man, apparently a disgruntled former employee of the TV station, uploaded

Blasts at Afghan gas terminal kill 11 children

HERAT: A series of large explosions at a gas terminal on the edge of the western Afghan city of Herat late on Monday killed 11 children and an adult living in a camp for people displaced by war. The explosions were felt across Afghanistan’s third largest city and images showed the subsequent fire

Typhoon Goni threatens Japan after killing 26 in Philippines

MANILA: Typhoon Goni killed at least 26 people in landslides and floods in the Philippines, officials said on Monday, as the storm bore down on Japan. Rescue teams clawed away at a mountainside near the remote mining town of Mankayan in the country's north, after recovering the bodies of 13 miner

El Salvador prison gang violence kills 14

SAN SALVADOR: At least 14 inmates were killed in an El Salvador jail on Saturday when violence erupted between two factions of a notorious gang, an official said. The killings at Quezaltepeque prison, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the capital San Salvador, were linked to an internal dis

Lightning bolt strikes plane on runway

ATLANTA, Georgia: A terrifying moment of a lightning bolt striking a Delta plane on the runway at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport has been captured by a flier and is available on YouTube. The footage was filmed by Jack Perkins, a passenger on a separate plane that was one among many grounded because of

Pakistan starts work on controversial Chinese nuclear plants

KARACHI: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday held a groundbreaking ceremony for two controversial Chinese nuclear plants near the coastal city of Karachi which are set to add 1,100 megawatts to the energy-starved country’s electric grid. The plants, which are located just 20 miles fro

3 firefighters die in Washington wildfire after vehicle crashes

TWISP, Wash. (AP) — Three U.S. Forest Service firefighters died after their vehicle crashed as they battled a blaze Wednesday in north-Central Washington, where raging wildfires were advancing on area towns, authorities said. Four other firefighters were injured. The vehicle was likely caught by

Indonesia sinks 34 foreign boats to stop illegal fishing

JAKARTA: Indonesia sank 34 impounded foreign boats Tuesday, the government said, the latest bid to deter vessels from illegally fishing in the world’s biggest archipelago nation. The empty boats from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia were sunk as part of events to celebrate 70 years s

About 325,000 live in shadow of Ecuador's Cotopaxi volcano

QUITO, Ecuador: Ecuadorean authorities said Monday that up to 325,000 people live in areas that could be threatened by fast-moving mud and rock flows if there is a major eruption of the Cotopaxi volcano. Top disaster official Maria del Pilar Cornejo briefed reporters as bad weather scrapped a pla