Osama’s son killed in Pakistan

Islamabad, May 2 (IANS) A son of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan, a media report said.

Xinhua quoted Duniya TV as saying that one of bin Laden’s sons was killed in an operation. The report didn’t name him.

Osama bin Laden was killed Monday in a security operation in Pakistan’s Abbotabad city, less than 100 km from the Pakistan capital.

US President Barack Obama said that the US launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad.

“A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” said Obama.

Suicide bomber kills four civilians in Kabul

(Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed four civilians in an attack apparently aimed at a convoy of foreign forces on Sunday, security sources said.

The attack happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign troops, one said, adding four more civilians were wounded.

There were no immediate word about casualties among the foreign forces, he said. The site of the attack was cordoned off.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said they were aware of the incident but had no details immediately.

The blast took place just two days before dozens of foreign ministers — including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Secretary of state Hillary Clinton — were due in the capital for an international conference of Afghanistan’s future.

Some 150,000 foreign troops are squared off against a Taliban insurgency at its strongest since the hardline Islamists were overthrown by a U.S.-led force in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

(Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox)

Suicide bomber kills four civilians in Kabul

KABUL, July 18 (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed four civilians in an attack apparently aimed at a convoy of foreign forces on Sunday, security sources said.

The attack happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign troops, one said, adding four more civilians were wounded.

There were no immediate word about casualties among the foreign forces, he said. The site of the attack was cordoned off.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said they were aware of the incident but had no details immediately.

The blast took place just two days before dozens of foreign ministers — including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton — were due in the capital for an international conference of Afghanistan’s future.

Some 150,000 foreign troops are squared off against a Taliban insurgency at its strongest since the hardline Islamists were overthrown by a U.S.-led force in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

(Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Clashes reported as gunmen attack Yemen security office

(Reuters) – Gunmen attacked the office of a Yemen intelligence agency that handles political security in the southern province of Abyan on Wednesday and heavy clashes were reported, witnesses said.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Cynthia Johnston)

Gunmen attack Yemen security office, clashes reported

July 14 (Reuters) – Gunmen attacked the office of a Yemen intelligence agency that handles political security in the southern province of Abyan on Wednesday and heavy clashes were reported, witnesses said.

There was no immediate word on casualties. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Cynthia Johnston)

UPDATE 2-Strong quakes hit off Indonesia’s Papua

June 16 (Reuters) – A series of quakes struck off Indonesia’s Papua province on Wednesday within a few minutes of each other, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, but there were no reports of casualties.

A 6.4 magnitude quake was followed 10 minutes later by a 7.0 magnitude quake, USGS said. A third quake struck a little later, with a magnitude of 6.3.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency said the quakes occurred 114 kilometres (70.84 miles) southeast of Biak, in Papua, at a depth of 10 kilometres, and issued a tsunami warning after the second quake.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesman, Priyadi Kardono, said there were no reports of casualties from the area. Kardono said he was still awaiting updates after the second quake.

BP (BP.L) said that its Tangguh LNG project in Papua was operating normally and was not affected by the quake.

“According to reports, the quakes were felt strongly in Biak, and with the intensity the quakes could cause cracks on the walls of houses and buildings” said Jaya Murjaya, an official at the meteorological agency.

(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu and Muklis Ali; Editing by Sara Webb and Sanjeev Miglani)

Three Israeli policemen wounded in W.Bank attack

June 14 (Reuters) – Unknown assailants shot and wounded three Israeli policemen in an attack on their vehicle in the occupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli officials said.

An ambulance service spokesman said two of the three policemen had been seriously wounded in the attack near the town of Hebron. All three were being taken to hospital, said the spokesman.

The number of attacks and casualties in the West Bank has dropped markedly in the past few years, but last month armed settlers shot dead a Palestinian teenager near the city of Ramallah after he threw rocks at their car.

Some 500,000 Jewish settlers and about 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and areas near Jerusalem annexed by Israel after a 1967 Arab-Israeli war. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Ralph Gowling)

Drogba to rejoin Ivory Coast team mates

(Reuters) – Didier Drogba will rejoin the Ivory Coast World Cup squad on Monday after weekend surgery on a fractured arm, the Ivorian Football Federation said.

Sports

However, it is still not clear whether the African Footballer of the Year will be fit to play in the opening Group G match against Portugal in Port Elizabeth next week.

Drogba fractured the ulna, or inner bone, of his right forearm in a warm-up match against Japan in Switzerland on Friday, the federation said.

The striker had surgery in Berne on Saturday, an operation Swiss doctors described as successful.

A statement from the Ivorian federation said Drogba would rejoin his team mates at their Swiss hotel on Monday.

He spent the weekend in hospital, surrounded by his wife and three children, the federation added.

“His recovery has been extremely encouraging. It is suggested that, at this stage, all the signs are good and there is great hope the captain of the Elephants will be in action with his team mates as soon as possible,” spokesman Roger Kouassi said.

The Ivorian squad departs for South Africa on Wednesday. They conclude their preparations in Switzerland with a friendly against Lausanne Sports in Nyon on Tuesday.

The speculation initially was that Drogba would not make the tournament in South Africa, adding to a growing list of high profile casualties including three of his Chelsea team mates.

Drogba averages more than a goal a game for the Ivory Coast and is seen as pivotal to their chances of getting past the first round. They also face Brazil and North Korea in a tough group but are more than capable of producing upsets.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

Relieved Ghana coach reports no further casualties

A relieved Milovan Rajevac reported a clean bill of health for his Ghana World Cup squad after concluding preparations in Britain at the weekend.

Ghana beat Latvia 1-0 in Milton Keynes on Saturday in the last of their pre-tournament warm-up games.

“For us the most important thing was that no player got injured,” the coach said. “So after (the) match, everything is OK,” he told the Ghana Football Association website.

The Africans suffered a major setback last week with the withdrawal through injury of Michael Essien who had failed to recover from a knee injury.

Another key midfielder, Sulley Muntari missed the match against Latvia because of a thigh strain but is expected to play in the opening Group D match against Serbia next week.

Dozens trapped after deadly building collapse

(Reuters) – Dozens of people were feared trapped and at least 20 people died after a five-storey building collapsed in the Bangladesh capital Wednesday, police and witnesses said.

World

At least 50 people were injured in the collapse of the building, which police said was badly constructed. Rescue teams were scouring through the rubble for bodies and survivors.

Nearly all the building’s tenants escaped unharmed as it started to tilt to one side, and most of the casualties were from the homes surrounding the structure, witnesses said.

“We fear the death toll may go up further as there are many people still trapped under the rubble,” a police officer on the scene said.

Dhaka is a bustling city of 12 million people, but many of its buildings are poorly constructed because of lack of supervision and enforcement of regulations.

(Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Editing by David Fox)

Dozens trapped after deadly building collapse

June 2 (Reuters) – Dozens of people were feared trapped and at least 20 people died after a five-storey building collapsed in the Bangladesh capital on Wednesday, police and witnesses said.

At least 50 people were injured in the collapse of the building, which police said was badly constructed. Rescue teams were scouring through the rubble for bodies and survivors.

Nearly all the building’s tenants escaped unharmed as it started to tilt to one side, and most of the casualties were from the homes surrounding the structure, witnesses said.

“We fear the death toll may go up further as there are many people still trapped under the rubble,” a police officer on the scene said.

Dhaka is a bustling city of 12 million people, but many of its buildings are poorly constructed because of lack of supervision and enforcement of regulations. (Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Editing by David Fox)

Nine activists killed in Israeli ship raid: military

(Reuters) – A total of nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship that was raided by Israeli naval commandos on Monday, the Israeli military said in a statement. A military spokeswoman said the statement reflected the final death toll for the day after the ship was brought to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. Earlier, senior Israeli officials had put the number of those killed at ten, or even higher.

World

Israel, which leads a blockade on the Gaza Strip, intercepted the convoy of six ships carrying 700 people and 10,000 tons of supplies to prevent it from reaching the shores of the Hamas-ruled territory.

The military said that violence erupted on one of the ships after the activists attacked the marines, wounding seven and stealing two of their weapons.

Israeli officials have said about 20 activists were injured.

The military did not give the nationality of any of the casualties, but a senior Israeli official said most of the dead were Turks.

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Blasts and gunfire rock mosques in Lahore – police

Gunmen attacked two mosques belonging to a religious minority group in Lahore in Pakistan’s northeast on Friday, government and police officials said.

There was no immediate information on casualties.

Gunmen opened fire shortly after Friday prayers weapons and threw what were believed to be grenades at two Ahmadi mosques in two residential neighbourhoods in Pakistan’s cultural capital.

(Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore and Kamran Haider in Islamabad; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Paul Tait)

(For more coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, click http://www.reuters.com/places/afghanistan-pakistan)

Thai government says has no position on peace talks

The Thai government is aware of an offer on Tuesday by a group of senators to broker talks with thousands of protesters but has no official position on whether to accept it, a government spokesman said.

“We have no position on that yet. The prime minister has been informed but does not have an immediate position on it,” said government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.

“Our top priority right now is to end the rioting that traps civilians in the area. But we are not rejecting or accepting the senators’ offer yet.”

A leader of “red shirt” anti-government protesters said on Tuesday they had agreed to participate in talks brokered by the speaker of the Senate in order to prevent further casualties.

At least 38 people have died in the latest flare-up in violence in Bangkok since May 13.

(Reporting by Ambika Ahuja; Editing by Jason Szep)

Major fire breaks out at Mumbai shopping mall

Mumbai, May 13 (ANI): At least 15 fire engines and eight water tankers were rushed to douse out the fire that broke in the famous Heera Panna mall in Andheri, a Mumbai suburb on Thursday morning.

Uday Tatkare, the Deputy Fire officer, gave the details of the areas affected by the fire.

“The shopping mall has different shops but the fire is still there in the basement in that car storage and TV cabinet storage, so the cars also caught fire, but we have doused them, but the fire is still there in the TV cabinet storage,” said Tatkare.

“We are still trying to douse the fire there. There is too much smoke, it”s difficult,” he added.

Tatkare further said that 90 percent of rescue operation has been done in the fire that began around 4.20 a.m.

“In total, 15 fire engines have come here, we had also brought…as we had to rescue people. Ninety percent of the rescue operation has been done. The search operation is in process,” said Tatkare.

Two ambulances were also rushed to the spot, but there were no reports of any casualties.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. (ANI)

Tsunami warning issued after strong quake off Indonesia

Jakarta, May 9 — Indonesia issued a tsunami warning Sunday after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the Sumatran coast of Aceh province.

There were no reports of damage or casualties.

5.9-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia

Jakarta, May 8 (IANS) A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit central Indonesia Saturday, but there was no immediate report of casualties or material damage, Xinhua reported.

The quake struck at 11:22 a.m. local time (0322 GMT), with the epicentre 68 km northwest of Raba regency of West Nusa Tengara province, at a depth of 10 km below sea bed, said Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Physical Geography Agency (BMG).

Friday, an undersea earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck eastern Indonesia, with the epicentre at 246 km southeast of Melonguane town in North Sulawesi province.

Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’

Navy makes changes after SIEV 36 inquiry

The Royal Australian Navy says operational changes are being made to ensure the SIEV 36 tragedy is not repeated.

The asylum seeker boat exploded near Ashmore Reef last year. Five asylum seekers were killed and dozens more were injured in the blast.

Crew from HMAS Albany provided treatment to 13 Afghan casualties in a makeshift burns unit on board their vessel.

The last of 51 commendations were today presented to Defence personnel who were involved in the rescue of asylum seekers.

Two patrol boat crews received a commendation, while Corporal Sharon Jagher received an individual gold commendation for her efforts on the day she described as the worst of her life.

A coronial inquiry found asylum seekers had lit petrol after being warned they would be returned to Indonesia.

But the inquiry also heard the incident could have been prevented if Defence personnel had properly searched the boat for petrol and matches and not agitated the asylum seekers by asking them to return to Indonesia.

Rear Admiral Tim Barrett says the coroner’s recommendations are being implemented despite claims to the contrary from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

“Most if not all of those actions are either complete or are very much underway to being complete,” he said.

Defence crew commended for SIEV 36 rescue

Twenty defence personnel have received commendations for their bravery during a fatal boat explosion near Ashmore Reef last year.

The asylum seeker boat known as SIEV 36 exploded near Ashmore reef last year.

Five asylum seekers were killed and dozens more were injured in the blast.

Crew from HMAS Albany provided treatment to 13 Afghan casualties in a makeshift burns unit on board their vessel.

Today, Rear Admiral Tim Barrett praised their skill and compassion for human life.

Two patrol boat crews received a commendation, while Corporal Sharon Jagher received an individual gold commendation for her efforts on the day she described as the worst of her life.

Fire at Indian blade factory

Thane (Maharashtra) Apr 26 (ANI): A massive fire engulfed a blade-making factory in Maharashtra’s Thane District, causing losses amounting to millions of rupees late on Sunday night.

Locals helped authorities to evacuate people from nearby houses.

“The fire broke out at around 12:30 am. The accident is big…the fire is serious…and we have evacuated the houses nearby and brought all the residents out…and they are trying to bring the fire under control,” said Eknath Singh Shinde.

“There are three tankers and five fire-fighting tenders…The fire can be brought under control in one and a half hours to two hours…We cannot say anything right now…the loss is high,” said Vijay Vaid, Fire Officer.

No casualties were reported and the cause of fire is still to be ascertained.

Fire brigade personnel are still battling the flames to douse the fire.

More than 300 workers, who used to work in the 50 year-old factory, may now have to seek new employment.(ANI)