Manila Sends Envoy Over Taiwan Row

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has sent a representative to apologise for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman, his spokesman said, amid a deepening row.

The envoy would convey "deep regret and apology" over the incident, spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

The move came hours after Taiwan suspended hiring Filipino workers and recalled its envoy from Manila.

Taiwan said the move showed President Ma Ying-jeou's "strong dissatisfaction" with Manila's handling of the case.

Taipei had earlier rejected an apology from the Philippines' top diplomat in Taipei.

The fisherman, Hung Shih-cheng, was shot by the Philippine coast guard last week in waters both sides claim.

Mr Aquino had sent Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairman Amadeo Perez as his personal representative to "convey his and the Filipino people's deep regret and apology" to the fisherman's family, Mr Lacierda the president's spokesperson said in a statement late on Wednesday afternoon.

There was no immediate response from Taipei. A Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson had earlier suggested that the envoy was ""not sufficiently authorised" and would not be met, Taiwan's state-run news agency CNA reported.

Taiwan rejected an apology early on Wednesday from Antonio Basilio, head of the Philippine Representative Office in Taiwan.

Mr Basilio, whose apology came after a three-day deadline set by Taiwan expired, said that Manila had agreed to compensate the fisherman's family and conduct a joint investigation into the incident.

However, Taiwan's president felt the apology did not come from a high enough authority and lacked "sincerity", his spokeswoman said.

He suspended the processing of work visas for Filipinos and asked Mr Basilio to return to the Philippines to "help properly handle" the case.

Taiwan's Premier Jiang Yi-huah also told reporters that he was dissatisfied with the apology because it came from the representative office, not the Philippine government, and because the statement had been changed several times.

Taiwan instead demanded a "formal apology" from Manila, compensation for the victim's family, investigation and punishment for those responsible for the shooting, and the commencement of bilateral fishing talks.

It threatened more measures if such an apology was not forthcoming, including issuing a travel warning to discourage Taiwanese people from visiting the Philippines, stopping all high-level exchanges and carrying out a military exercise in the disputed waters.
'Honest living'
In Manila, Mr Lacierda said that government had "already started" an investigation, and was committed to a "thorough, exhaustive, impartial and expeditious investigation".

"We understand the grief and hurt of the family and of the people of Taiwan over this unfortunate loss and we empathise with them," he added in the statement.

He urged Taiwan not to involve Filipino workers in the country, saying that were "there working for an honest living".

There are about 88,000 Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan, most of whom work in the manufacturing sector, the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei reports.

Taiwan's labour office receives around 3,000 work applications from the Philippines each month, our correspondent adds.

Mr Hung, the 65-year-old fisherman, was shot dead on 9 May when the coastguard vessel opened fire on his boat.

He was in waters south-east of Taiwan and north of the Philippines, an area considered by both countries to be their 200 nautical mile-from-shore exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine coast guard said its crew believed he was trying to ram their vessel - claims the Taiwanese fishermen have denied.

Maritime tensions in the South China Sea have been heightened in recent months. China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei have competing territorial claims in the region.

These disputes have existed for years but in recent months China has been taking a more assertive stance - prompting a robust response from some nations.

Source: BBC News

 

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Bangladesh Orders Cyclone Evacuation

Hundreds of thousands of people are being evacuated from coastal areas of Bangladesh threatened by Cyclone Mahasen.

The Bangladeshi authorities have raised the danger level to seven out of 10 for low-lying areas around Chittagong and the coastal district of Cox's Bazar.

The cyclone, heading north-east through the Bay of Bengal, is estimated to reach land on Thursday.

Burma is also threatened and evacuation efforts are under way there.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims living in camps in low-lying areas of Burma's Rakhine state are feared to be at risk.

They were displaced by ethnic violence last year and many are reluctant to move from the camps.

Damaging winds, a storm surge and torrential rain.

Hla Maung said he lost his mother and two young daughters during the clashes between Muslims and Buddhists.

I lost everything ... I don't want to go anywhere. I'll stay here. If I die, I want to die here," he said.
The country's National Planning Minister, Tin Naing Thein, said more than 150,000 people had been relocated to higher ground. The government said a fifth of those were Rohingyas.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said the storm could create a surge 2m high in coastal districts and residents are being urged to make for cyclone shelters.

The airport in Cox's Bazar has closed and Chittagong airport is to shut over the next few hours.

The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Cyclone Mahasen appeared to have weakened to a Category One storm.

But the UN still described it as "life-threatening" for 8.2 million people in Bangladesh, Burma and north-east India.

At least 50 Rohingya Muslims were feared drowned on Tuesday when boats evacuating them from the path of the cyclone capsized off western Burma.

More than 100,000 people died in 2008 when Cyclone Nargis devastated many of Burma's coastal villages.

Source: BBC News

 

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Syria Denies Role In Turkey Blasts

Syria has denied being responsible for two car bombs which killed 46 people in a Turkish border town.

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi told a news conference on Sunday his country "did not commit and would never commit such an act because our values would not allow that".

Turkish police say that nine people have been arrested in connection with Saturday's attacks in Reyhanli.

Ankara has said that it suspects the involvement of Syrian intelligence.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not be dragged into a "bloody quagmire".

He called on Turks to be "extremely careful, extremely vigilant... in the face of provocations".

"We will not be trapped. The aim of these attacks is to pit Turks against each other and create chaos. So I call on all my citizens to keep calm."

The Turkish government said on Sunday that the number of people killed in the blasts had risen to 46 and that more than 50 others were still being treated in hospital.

All nine of those arrested in connection with the attacks were Turkish citizens, officials said.

"This incident was carried out by an organisation which is in close contact to pro-regime groups in Syria and I say this very clearly, with the Syrian Mukhabarat," Interior Minister Muammer Guler told Turkish TV.

Turkey, a Nato member, is a strong supporter of the opposition in Syria's civil war and a vocal critic of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The US and Nato have condemned the bombings and expressed support for Turkey.

Hundreds of mourners have been attending the funerals of the victims in Reyhanli, which is home to many Syrian refugees.

Mr Zoubi said that "it is not anyone's right to hurl unfounded accusations".

"We were saddened by the martyrs' deaths" [on] Saturday in the town of Reyhanli," he said.

"It is [Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan who should be asked about this act. He and his party bear direct responsibility."

Mr Zoubi also launched what correspondents say was one of the harshest personal attacks on Turkey's prime minister by an Syrian official so far. He demanded that Mr Erdogan "step down as a killer and as a butcher".

It was a robust response from Damascus, throwing responsibility for the blasts firmly back on the Turkish authorities.

Mr Zoubi said it was the Turkish government that had facilitated the flow of arms, explosives, vehicles, fighters and money across the border into Syria.

He said that this had turned the border areas into centres for international terrorism and the Turkish leadership had to take political and moral responsibility for it.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has vowed to catch those behind the attack. On Sunday he said that he believed fighters loyal to Syrian President Assad were responsible.

The Syrian opposition coalition has added its voice to the Turkish accusations that Damascus was behind the bombings, saying it was a blatant attempt to drive a wedge between Turkey and the thousands of Syrian refugees who have been given shelter on the Turkish side of the border.

Mr Davutoglu said that the attacks "have nothing to do with the Syrian refugees in Turkey, it's got everything to do with the Syrian regime".

He said that it was "not a coincidence" that the bombings occurred as diplomatic efforts to solve the Syrian crisis were intensifying.

"There may be those who want to sabotage Turkey's peace, but we will not allow that," he said.

"No-one should attempt to test Turkey's power. Our security forces will take all necessary measures."

He said those behind Saturday's bombings were believed also to have been behind an attack on the Syrian coastal town of Banias a week ago, in which fighters backing President Assad in the civil war were reported to have killed at least 62 people.

Reyhanli is an entry point for refugees fleeing violence in Syria and local people attacked Syrian refugees and cars with Syrian number plates after the attack, according to local media.

The Turkish government said the bombings were intended to pit Turks against Syrian refugees in Reyhanli, adding that refugees had no role in the attack.

Mr Erdogan's policy on Syria has always been to support the Syrian opposition but not become involved in the war, but the attacks now make it very difficult for him to carry on staying out of the conflict, our correspondent says.

He is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama in Washington on Thursday with the US currently considering its options over Syria.

There has been some speculation that the bomb attacks may strengthen the hand of those urging the creation of a no-fly zone and safe haven for the Syrian opposition inside Syrian territory.

Source: BBC News

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Sharif In Pakistan Government Talks

Pakistani ex-PM Nawaz Sharif has been holding talks with party colleagues on forming a government, after claiming victory in parliamentary elections.

Unofficial results suggest a big lead for Mr Sharif's Muslim League (PML-N), though he may need support to govern.

Former cricketer Imran Khan, who could be the main opposition leader, said he was pleased with the high turnout but disappointed about reports of rigging.

US President Barack Obama and India's prime minister congratulated Mr Sharif.

The ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) seems to have been badly beaten.

It was one of several secular parties unable to campaign freely due to Taliban attacks.

Most of the remaining PPP seats look likely to be in its heartland of Sindh province.

Saturday's election should pave the way for the country's first transition from one elected government to another.

The poll was generally seen as having passed off successfully, but violence on Saturday claimed at least 24 lives.

An election commission spokesman said turnout had been around 60%. In 2008 it was 44%.

President Obama congratulated Pakistan on successfully completing the election and said he looked forward to working with the government that emerged.

He welcomed the "historic, peaceful and transparent transfer of civilian power" but stopped short of naming Mr Sharif.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he hoped for a "new course" in relations between the two countries.

"PM extends his congratulations to Mr. Nawaz Sharif and his party for their emphatic victory in Pakistan's elections," he said on his Twitter account.

He invited Mr Sharif to go to India "at a mutually convenient time".

Mr Sharif is expected to become prime minister for the third time, his last period in office ending 14 years ago in a military coup followed by his trial and exile.

He is already getting down to business, starting work on putting together a government.

PML-N officials said he was holding talks with some independent MPs to work out cabinet positions.

Our correspondent says that he is set to take over the reins of power at a time when most Pakistanis are preoccupied by the challenges of daily life amid lengthy power blackouts.

His strategy for tackling militant violence will be closely scrutinised at home and by international partners, he adds.

Even if his PML-N does not have an outright majority, its projected margin of victory suggests it will be in a much stronger position than the PPP was at the head of the outgoing coalition.

Mr Sharif should at least not need to seek the support of his main rivals, the PPP and Imran Khan's Movement for Justice (PTI), analysts say.

Soon after polls closed, he claimed victory and joined supporters celebrating in his stronghold, the north-eastern city of Lahore.

Muslim League voter Asma Usmani in Islamabad praised the poll.

"I was expecting that PML-N would win because I voted for them. These were very fair elections and the election commission did very well," she said.

Meanwhile Mr Khan spoke publicly for the first time since the election. He is in hospital with a fractured spine after a fall at an election rally last Tuesday.

"I congratulate the entire nation for taking part in such a massive democratic process. We are moving forward on the path of democracy," he said.

"Now there is awareness among the people of Pakistan that their fate is in their hands."

He praised Pakistan's women for voting in unprecedented numbers, and said he would "issue a white paper" in response to allegations of vote-rigging by members of his party.

But some of Mr Khan's supporters said the vote was rigged against them.

A PTI spokesman said the PML-N had been involved in large-scale rigging in parts of Lahore, and many women were not allowed to vote.

"These can't be called fair elections," said one supporter, businessman Bilal Saleem.

"PTI should have got more seats in Punjab. It was Imran Khan versus Punjab political machinery."

But PML-N's election officer denied the allegations.

"We don't go to these levels," Amna Malik said. "We are here to create change in Pakistan and rule out corruption."

Meanwhile Election Commission head Sher Afghan denied that anyone was intimidated, threatened or prevented from voting, adding that any formal complaint would be investigated.

Source: BBC News

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Bangladesh Workers Find Survivor In Factory Rubble

A woman has been pulled alive from the ruins of an eight-storey building that collapsed in a suburb of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, 17 days ago.

Rescuers said the woman, named Reshma, was found in the remains of the second floor of the Rana Plaza after they heard her crying: "Please save me."

She has been taken to hospital, but is not thought to have serious injuries.

The dramatic news came after the army said more than 1,000 people were now known to have died in the disaster.

The death toll is expected to keep climbing, as work crews using heavy machinery have begun removing rubble from the worst-damaged areas.

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Gunmen Abduct Pakistan Ex-PM's Son

The son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen during an election rally.

Mr Gilani told the BBC his son Ali Haider - a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) - was seized in the central city of Multan.

He accused his political opponents of being behind the attack, which came ahead of Saturday's elections.

One person was reportedly killed when the attackers opened fire at the rally.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack.

Eyewitnesses say the gunmen arrived at the gathering in a black Honda car and on a motorbike.

"A couple of them started shooting," a teenager at the rally told Pakistan's Geo TV.

"A man standing in front of Gilani was hit and fell down. Then they grabbed Gilani, put him in the car and sped away."

Reports say the person who died in the shooting was one of Ali Haider Gilani's aides. Another five people were injured.

Some of those who saw the attack say there was also blood on Ali Haider. Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper quotes eyewitnesses saying he was hit by a bullet, but this is not confirmed.

Ali Haider - the youngest son of the ex-prime minister - is contesting a seat in the Punjab provincial assembly.

"We want our brother back tonight. If we don't get him, we will not allow elections to be held in our area," his elder brother Ali Musa - who was in tears - later told reporters.

Police have now sealed off all entry and exit points in Multan, and a massive search operation is under way, local media report.

Yousuf Raza Gilani served as prime minister until June 2012, when he was forced out of office by the Supreme Court over his refusal to pursue a corruption case against President Asif Ali Zardari.

But the Gilanis are still a powerful political family, with the two sons standing in elections to the provincial and national assemblies, the BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Islamabad reports.

Who was behind Thursday's attack, and their motive, remains unclear.

Kidnapping is a tactic frequently used by militants and criminal groups across Pakistan. Ransom is an important revenue stream for the Pakistani Taliban and hostages can be used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the authorities, the BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says.

Among the most prominent Taliban hostages is Shahbaz Taseer, the son of assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was snatched in Lahore in 2011 and remains in captivity.

Source: BBC News

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North India Bus Crash Kills 33

At least 33 people have been killed in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh after a bus skidded off the road into a fast-flowing river.

Fourteen others were hurt in the accident, which happened near Kullu, a summer resort 250km (155 miles) north of the state capital, Shimla.

The bus was partially submerged in the river, forcing rescuers to use boats.

Police said they had recovered 33 bodies, but feared that those of other victims might have been washed away.

Road accidents are common in India. In 2011, more than 130,000 people were killed on the country's roads - an average of 15 deaths every hour.

It is less than a month since a similar crash killed 12 people in Himachal Pradesh. An SUV carrying them fell into a gorge in Chamba district.
 

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Ruling Party Wins Malaysia Election

The ruling National Front coalition has won a simple majority in Malaysia's election, extending its 56-year rule, with two-thirds of seats confirmed.

PM Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional coalition had passed the threshold of 112 seats in the 222-seat parliament, the Election Commission said.

Defeated opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accused the party of widespread fraud before and during the polls.

Some 80% of registered voters cast ballots, said election officials.

Voters had been faced with returning the ruling party, or choosing Mr Anwar's untested three-party alliance, Pakatan Rakyat.

As the result was confirmed, Mr Najib, 59, urged all Malaysians to accept his coalition's victory.

"The results show a trend of polarisation which worries the government. If it is not addressed, it can create tension or division in the country," he said.

"We have to show to the world that we are a mature democracy."

With results trickling in overnight, Barisan Nasional had won 127 seats to Pakatan Rakyat's 77 by 03:30 (19:30 GMT), the Associated Press reported.

Earlier, Mr Najib had said he was confident Malaysians would retain his coalition and even return the two-thirds parliamentary majority it lost in the 2008 polls.

Barisan Nasional, while credited with bringing economic development and political stability, has also been tainted by allegations of corruption.

In what was considered a tight race, it had campaigned hard to shore up its base among poorer ethnic Malay neighbourhoods and in rural areas.

But Mr Anwar refused to concede defeat, accusing the authorities of widespread abuses which he said had distorted the result of the election.

"It is an election that we consider fraudulent and the Electoral Commission has failed," he told a news conference after midnight on Monday.

Allegations of election fraud surfaced before the election. Some of those who voted in advance told BBC News that indelible ink on their hands - supposed to last for days and show they had already voted - had easily washed off.

The opposition also accused the government of funding flights for supporters to key states, which the government denied.

Independent pollster Merdeka Center also cited unconfirmed reports of foreign nationals being given ID documents and being allowed to vote.

And the international organisation Human Rights Watch said there had been well-planned attacks against the country's independent media ahead of the polls.

Most traditional media in Malaysia are linked to the governing parties so their opponents rely almost exclusively on the internet to get their message out, correspondents say.

Source: BBC News

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Police Break Up Dhaka Islamist Unrest

Police in Bangladesh have used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a huge demonstration by Islamist protesters in the capital Dhaka.

Thousands fled as police took control of the central business district.

Up to half a million supporters of the group Hefazat-e Islam had gathered in the city to call for stronger Islamic policies. Rioters went on to set fire to shops and vehicles.

At least seven people were killed and 60 injured in clashes with police.

Some casualties suffered bullet wounds in the head, hospital sources say.

Thousands of Islamist activists were seen fleeing the Motijheel area as police moved in to take control of the area.

Early on Monday, a police spokesman said officers had secured the business district and were searching for protesters hiding in nearby buildings.

The area around the city centre's largest mosque had turned into a battleground as police reacted to stone-throwing rioters with tear gas, rubber bullets and truncheons.

On Sunday, crowds of protesters blocked main roads, isolating Dhaka from other parts of the country.

Dhaka's Daily Star newspaper reports that the group hired at least 3,000 vehicles, including buses, lorries and minibuses to bring demonstrators into the capital, while others travelled there by train.

Chanting "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is greatest!") and "One point! One demand! Atheists must be hanged", the activists marched down at least six main roads as they headed for Motijheel, AFP news agency reported.

Hefazat-e Islam wants greater segregation of men and women, as well as the imposition of stricter Islamic education.

The movement draws its strength from the country's madrassahs, or religious schools.

Its opposition to a national development policy for women has angered women's groups.

The government, which describes Bangladesh as a secular democracy, has rejected Hefazat-e Islam's demand for a new law on blasphemy.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said current legislation was adequate.

Muslims make up nearly 90% of the country's population, with the rest mostly Hindus.

Source: BBC News

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Bangladesh Slave Labour Condemned By Pope

Pope Francis has denounced as "slave labour" the conditions of workers caught in a deadly building collapse in Bangladesh last week.

More than 400 people are confirmed to have died in the collapse of the Rana Plaza building near the capital, Dhaka.

It housed several clothing factories, some supplying Western retailers.

At May Day parades in Dhaka, marchers demanded the death penalty for the building's owner and better conditions for workers.

The Pope said he had been shocked by reports that some of the labourers had been paid just 38 euros ($50) a month.

"Today in the world this slavery is being committed against something beautiful that God has given us - the capacity to create, to work, to have dignity," the Pope said at a private Mass.

"Not paying a fair wage, not giving a job because you are only looking at balance sheets, only looking to make a profit, that goes against God," he was quoted as saying by Vatican radio.
'Better safety'
At least 410 people are confirmed to have died and more than 140 are missing following the collapse of the eight-storey building a week ago, police and army officials said. Some 2,500 people were injured.

It was the country's worst industrial disaster.

More than 30 of those killed, whose bodies have not been identified, were buried in a mass funeral on Wednesday.

In Dhaka, an estimated 20,000 people took part in the main May Day march, while separate demonstrations were held in other parts of the capital and elsewhere.

"I want the death penalty for the owner of the building," said one marcher, 18-year-old garment factory worker Mongidul Islam Rana.

"We want regular salaries, raises and absolutely we want better safety in our factories."

Others in Dhaka held banners with the words: "Hang the killers, Hang the factory owners."

Speaking at a rally in the industrial township of Narayanganj, the leader of Bangladesh's main opposition party, Khaleda Zia, alleged that the government was hiding the real casualty figures from the building collapse.

She also claimed that if the army had been given control of the rescue operation earlier, more lives could have been saved.

The European Union has said it is considering "appropriate action" to encourage improvements in working conditions in Bangladeshi factories.

It said its actions might include the use of its trade preference system, which gives Bangladesh duty- and quota-free access to EU markets.

Bangladesh's garment industry makes up almost 80% of the country's annual exports and provides employment to about four million people.

However, it has faced criticism over low pay and limited rights given to workers, and for the often dangerous working conditions in factories.

Both Primark, which has a large presence in the UK, and Canadian company Loblaw had clothing made in the Rana Plaza, and have said they will offer aid to victims and their families.

Rana Plaza owner Mohammed Sohel Rana, a local leader of the youth wing of the ruling Awami League party, is in police custody.

A total of eight people, including factory owners and engineers, have been arrested for alleged negligence.

Source: BBC News

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Climbers And Guides Fight On Everest

Police in Nepal are investigating an alleged fight between two famous European climbers and their Nepalese mountain guides on Mount Everest.

Switzerland's Ueli Steck and Simone Moro from Italy were nearing Camp Three at 7,470m (24,500ft) when the incident occurred.

The fight allegedly broke out after the pair ignored orders to hold their climb while the Sherpas were rigging ropes.

The guides reportedly attacked the pair after they returned to their tents.

Following the incident, the climbers packed "bare essentials" and made their way back down to Mount Everest base camp, "feeling that this was the safest place to be", said Mr Moro, an experienced Everest climber.

One version of events is that the guides asked the climbers to wait while they went ahead and secured ropes, but the climbers continued and dislodged ice which fell on the guides.

Mr Moro said in a statement that "getting hit by chunks of ice is a very natural occurrence" on an ice face. "As it stands, no Sherpa has come forward to show any injury."

"The climbers believe that the lead Sherpa felt that his pride had been damaged as the climbers were moving unroped and much faster," the statement added.

When they returned to their tents, Mr Moro said a large mob of guides had grouped together to attack him, Mr Steck and a third climber in their expedition, Briton Jonathan Griffith.

"[The guides] became instantly aggressive and not only punched and kicked the climbers, but threw many rocks as well," said Mr Moro.

An unnamed eyewitness told the AFP news agency the incident had been "terrifying to watch - they nearly got killed".

More than 3,000 people have scaled Mount Everest since it was first conquered by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

Straddling Nepal and China, the world's highest mountain has an altitude of 8,848m (29,029ft).

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Bombs Target Pakistan Politicians

Bomb attacks by the Taliban on the campaign offices of election candidates have left at least eight people dead and 23 injured in north-west Pakistan.

The first attack was in the city of Kohat; the second in the suburbs of Peshawar.

The Taliban have vowed to continue a campaign of attacks against political parties they see as secular.

Dozens of people have been killed in recent days in bomb blasts in the run-up to the general election on 11 May.

At least five people were killed and more than 10 injured in Kohat by the blast outside the office of Syed Noor Akbar, who is running as an independent candidate.

Police spokesman Fazal Naeem said the blast damaged shops and vehicles and also hit an office of the Awami National Party (ANP), which has previously been targeted by the Taliban.

Tanveer Khan, another police official, told AFP news agency: "The election office was open at the time and supporters [of Mr Akbar] were sitting inside. The death toll may rise, the condition of some of the injured is critical."

The explosion in Peshawar killed three people and injured 13, officials said.

The blast hit the office of another independent candidate, Nasir Khan Afridi, who has been campaigning for a seat in the Khyber tribal district.

Neither of the targeted candidates was in his office at the time of the attacks.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban, issued a statement saying they were behind both blasts because they were opposed to any secular, democratic government.

Correspondents say violence has marred the campaign for the landmark election, in which one civilian government is due to be succeeded by another for the first time in the country's history.

On Saturday, bomb attacks against supporters of the governing Pakistan People's Party and the opposition MQM in Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, killed at least five people.

Source: BBC News

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Collapsed Dhaka Building Owner Held

The owner of a factory building that collapsed in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, killing hundreds of people, has been arrested.

Local government minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak said Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested at the Indian border.

He had been in hiding since the Rana Plaza collapsed on Wednesday.

Rescuers are in a race against time to reach remaining survivors as officials prepare to bring in heavy machinery to move the wreckage.

Mr Nanak said that Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested near the land-crossing in Benapole along the border with India's West Bengal state.

Mr Nanak made the announcement by loudspeaker at the site of the collapsed eight-storey building in the Dhaka suburb of Savar.

He said the arrest had been made by soldiers from the Rapid Action Battalion.

Rescue workers cheered and clapped at the news.

Bangladeshi TV later showed Mr Rana in handcuffs after being flown back to Dhaka by helicopter.

Source: BBC News

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Blaze Kills 38 At Psychiatric Hospital Near Moscow

A blaze has engulfed a wing of a psychiatric hospital in a village near Moscow, killing 38 people, with just three survivors, officials say.

Fire broke out in Hospital No 14 in Ramenskiy shortly after 02:00 (22:00 GMT Thursday), when most of the victims are believed to have been asleep.

Investigators say an alarm went off but the duty nurse only managed to evacuate two patients because of heavy smoke.

Reports suggest a patient who ignored a smoking ban may have started the fire.

It quickly consumed the one-storey, brick-and-wood building.

Firefighters dispatched to the scene took more than an hour to arrive instead of the standard 20 minutes because a river crossing had been closed due to flooding, Russian media report.

Several fires at state institutions across Russia in recent years resulted in heavy loss of life.

In 2009, 23 people died in a blaze at an old people's home in Komi while in 2007, 63 died at a home in Krasnodar. In 2006, a fire at a Moscow drug rehabilitation clinic killed 45 women.

According to a list of victims being circulated online, 36 were patients and two were members of staff.

Believed to be local people, they ranged in age from 76 to 20.

A statement by Russia's Investigative Committee says that, according to preliminary information, the source of the fire was a sofa used in a common room.

A surviving patient told investigators that a drug addict had been admitted with withdrawal symptoms on Thursday, and had been smoking constantly despite warnings from staff.

The Investigative Committee added that it was examining other theories such as a short circuit or arson.

A fire safety inspection was carried out at the hospital last year and action taken to improve safety measures, the hospital's chief doctor, who was not named, told Russian media.

The doctor described the patients who died as a "very tough group of people, psychiatric patients with chronic illnesses and frequent attacks" who had suffered from alcohol and drug addiction.

Patients were under sedation and most of them did not wake up, emergencies official Yuri Deshevykh told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.

Bars on windows may also have been a factor in the high death toll.

A police source quoted by Interfax news agency said that following the blaze, a hole 1.5m (yds) deep was found beneath the charred remains of the building.

One of the patients may have been digging an escape tunnel, the source added.

Source: BBC News

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Dhaka Building Collapse: Fears For Hundreds Still Missing

Hundreds of people are still missing after Wednesday's collapse of a building in Bangladesh which killed over 300 people, local officials say.

More than 40 people have been rescued since Thursday from the Rana Plaza building near Dhaka, which housed clothes factories.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for special prayers to be held across the country later for the victims.

Angry protesters have taken to the streets of Dhaka for a second day.

They are demanding the authorities arrest the owner of the collapsed building and improve conditions for garment workers.

Police said that at least 10,000 people had gathered for the demonstrations and described the situation as "volatile".

Police used tear-gas and rubber bullets to break up the crowds, which had blocked roads, torched buses and attacked textile factories.

Source: BBC News

 

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South Korea To Withdraw Staff From Kaesong Zone In North

South Korea says it is withdrawing its remaining workers from a jointly-run industrial complex in North Korea.

The announcement came from the unification minister shortly after Pyongyang rejected an offer of talks.

North Korea blocked access to the Kaesong zone - once a symbol of inter-Korean co-operation - earlier this month and later pulled its workers out.

The move followed weeks of high tension in the wake of North Korea's third nuclear test in February.

"Because our nationals remaining in the Kaesong industrial zone are experiencing greater difficulties due to the North's unjust actions, the government has come to the unavoidable decision to bring back all remaining personnel in order to protect their safety," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said.

"North Korea must guarantee the safe return of our personnel and fully protect the assets of the companies with investment in Kaesong," he added.

He did not give a timescale for the withdrawal. A total of 175 South Korean workers are currently in the complex, which is home to South Korean factories staffed by North Korean workers.

The remaining South Koreans were believed to be running out of food and medicines, because the North had refused to allow fresh supplies in.

But an association representing the South Korean companies in Kaesong had earlier suggested staff could be reluctant to pull out, because they wanted to protect their assets from seizure.

In 2011 North Korea said it seized assets from Mount Kumgang, a mothballed tourism site run by the two countries.

South Korea called for talks on the issue on Thursday, asking for a response by noon on Friday. Pyongyang rejected the offer, saying the South Korean "ultimatum" risked exacerbating tensions.

The Kaesong complex is the biggest contributor to inter-Korean trade and provides the North with much-needed hard currency.

The stoppage has also taken a heavy toll on South Korean firms, Yonhap news agency quoted South Korean President Park Geun-hye as saying.

The zone is seen as a litmus-test of relations between the two countries, and analysts consider such an extended shut-down to be a considerable setback.

In 2009 North Korean authorities briefly shut off entry to Kaesong industrial park after US-South Korean military drills, leaving hundreds of South Korean workers effectively trapped.

The current Kaesong ructions follow weeks of strong rhetoric from North Korea, which has been angered by tightened UN sanctions imposed after its 12 February nuclear test and by current joint US-South Korean military drills.

The past two months have seen unusually high tensions on the Peninsula, and while the rhetoric on both sides has softened slightly, the situation remains unresolved.

Source: BBC News

 

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21 Dead in Clash with 'Gangsters' in Western China

At least 21 people were killed on Tuesday in fighting in far western China between security officers and “gangsters,” according to a propaganda bureau spokeswoman for the regional government of Xinjiang, where the conflict took place.

Six of those killed were gangsters, and eight more people in the gang were detained during the violence, according to accounts from the bureau and a report Wednesday on a regional news Web site, Tianshan. The other 15 killed were police officers and community watch workers or volunteers. They died after the large gang herded them at knife point into a house and set the building on fire, said the propaganda spokeswoman, who gave only her surname, Ms. Hou.

The death toll was the highest reported in violence in Xinjiang in many many months. Xinjiang is a vast western region that encompasses many ethnicities and landscapes, and violence flares on occasion in the regional capital, Urumqi, or along a belt of southern oases towns that are inhabited mostly by Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking people who often complain about governance and discrimination by the ethnic Han, who rule China. Sometimes the violence is clearly rooted in ethnic conflict, and other times it involves criminal gangs or attacks by individuals or groups against state organizations.

Ms. Hou said all 14 of the assailants were of Uighur ethnicity, most of them from a village administered by the township of Selibuya. She said they had been influenced by “religious extremism” and had been plotting a “jihad” since the end of last year, though there was no evidence they were working with foreign forces.

Uighurs generally practice Sunni Islam, and Uighur exiles often criticize Chinese officials for saying violence in Xinjiang arises from religious extremism. In the past, officials in Xinjiang and Beijing have tried to blame a group called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement for some acts of violence in the region, though several foreign scholars say the officials have presented little evidence to support their claims.

As with many such events in Xinjiang, details of the fighting on Tuesday remained murky even a full day after the violence had transpired. Some elements of the official accounts were bizarre.

The accounts called the assailants both “violent gangsters” and “suspected terrorists.” The violence took place in a village in Selibuya township under Bachu County, near the historic Silk Road oasis town of Kashgar, which is near the borders of Central Asian nations and Pakistan. The conflict began on Tuesday when a person called a local government office saying there was suspicious activity in a neighboring house. Three community watch workers went to check the house at around 1:30 p.m. and found people there with a large stockpile of knives measuring about 1.2 meters each, Ms. Hou said.

The workers called the police, but were then captured by the gang. Several police officers arrived with another group of community watch workers; only one of the officers was carrying a gun, Ms. Hou said. Those 12 people were unaware that the gangsters had already killed the three community workers who had initially arrived at the house, and they were in turn cornered in the building. The attackers then set the house on fire.

On the law enforcement side, six police officers and nine community watch workers died, Ms. Hou said. The Tianshan report said they were made up of 10 Uighurs, three Han and two Mongolians.

More security forces arrived at the scene and shot at the attackers, which resulted in the deaths of six of the gang members and the detention of another eight. None appeared to have fled.

Violence has occurred more frequently in Xinjiang ever since an eruption of rioting by Uighurs in Urumqi in 2009. Official news reports said nearly 200 people were killed, most of them Han, and many more were injured. Uighurs in the area say Han-dominated security forces then began a brutal crackdown, and Han went into the streets to seek revenge.

Source: New York Times

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Bangladesh Factory Building Collapse Kills Nearly 100

A block housing garment factories and shops collapsed in Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring more than a thousand, officials said.

Firefighters and troops dug frantically through the rubble at the eight-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (20 miles) outside Dhaka. Television showed young women workers, some apparently semi-conscious, being pulled out.

One fireman told Reuters about 2,000 people were in the building when the upper floors slammed down onto those below.

Bangladesh's booming garments industry has been plagued by fires and other accidents for years, despite a drive to improve safety standards. In November 112 workers died in a blaze at the Tazreen factory in a nearby suburb, putting a spotlight on global retailers which source clothes from Bangladesh.

"It looks like an earthquake has struck here," said one resident as he looked on at the chaotic scene of smashed concrete and ambulances making their way through the crowds of workers and wailing relatives.

"I was at work on the third floor, and then suddenly I heard a deafening sound, but couldn't understand what was happening. I ran and was hit by something on my head," said factory worker Zohra Begum.

An official at a control room set up to provide information said 96 people were confirmed dead and more than 1,000 injured. Doctors at local hospitals said they were unable to cope with the number of victims brought in.

Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area's police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday.

Five garment factories - employing mostly women - were housed in the building, including Ether Tex Ltd., whose chairman said he was unaware of any warnings not to open the workshops.

"There was some crack at the second floor, but my factory was on the fifth floor," Muhammad Anisur Rahman told Reuters. "The owner of the building told our floor manager that it is not a problem and so you can open the factory."

He initially said that his firm had been sub-contracted to supply Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's largest retailer, and Europe's C&A. In a subsequent interview he said he had been referring to an order in the past, not current work.

Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to requests for comment. C&A said that, based on its best information, it had no contractual relationship with any of the production units in the building that collapsed.

The website of a company called New Wave, which had two factories in the building, listed 27 main buyers, including firms from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Canada and the United States.

"It is dreadful that leading brands and governments continue to allow garment workers to die or suffer terrible disabling injuries in unsafe factories making clothes for Western nations' shoppers," Laia Blanch of the U.K. anti-poverty charity War on Want said in a statement.

November's factory fire raised questions about how much control Western brands have over their supply chains for clothes sourced from Bangladesh. Wages as low as $38.50 a month have helped propel the country to no. 2 in the ranks of apparel exporters.

It emerged later that a Wal-Mart supplier had subcontracted work to the Tazreen factory without authorization.

Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations.

Source: Reuters

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China Confirms 102 H7N9 Cases, 20 Deaths

During the 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m. on Sunday, China confirmed six new cases of human H7N9 avian influenza, including five in Zhejiang and one in Jiangsu.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said in its daily update on H7N9 cases that a total of 102 H7N9 cases have been reported in China, including 20 that have ended in death.

Of the total, 12 H7N9 patients have been discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment, and the other 70 patients are being treated in designated hospitals, according to the commission.

A total of 33 cases, including 11 that have ended in death, have been reported in Shanghai. Twenty-four cases, including three deaths, have been reported in Jiangsu Province, and 38 cases, including five deaths, in Zhejiang Province. Anhui Province has reported three cases, with one ending in death. Beijing has reported one case and three have been reported in Henan Province.

China officially confirmed the human cases infected with the H7N9 virus late last month.

According to the commission, China's confirmed H7N9 cases are isolated and there has been no sign of human-to-human transmission.

Source: Xinhuanet

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Scores Die In Rural China Earthquake

A powerful earthquake has killed more than 150 people and injured several thousand in China's rural south west, officials say.

The 6.6-magnitude tremor sent people fleeing from buildings across Sichuan province, which was devastated by a massive quake five years ago.

Villages close to the epicentre in Lushan county were left in ruins.

Thousands of troops have been sent to Sichuan, and Premier Li Keqiang is also travelling to the area.

"The current most urgent issue is grasping the first 24 hours since the quake's occurrence, the golden time for saving lives," Mr Li was quoted as saying by state news agency Xinhua.

Rescuers have been able to pull some bodies and survivors from the rubble of devastated villages.

But recovery efforts have been hampered by aftershocks and landslides.

Power and water supplies have been knocked out in Lushan county, and some roads are impassable.

The quake struck at 08:02 local time (00:02 GMT), with the China Earthquake Administration categorising it as a 7.0-magnitude and the US Geological Survey (USGS) reporting it as 6.6.

Its epicentre was 115km (70 miles) west of provincial capital Chengdu, according to the USGS.

A square outside the Lushan county hospital has been turned into a triage centre, with dozens of people being treated in tents.

State broadcaster CCTV showed images of bloodied people being treated in tents in Lushan.

One injured man told the channel: "We still live in our old house, the new one is not ready yet. Our house just collapsed. Everything collapsed."

The quake was measured at 12km below the surface, a shallow depth that usually indicates extensive damage.

CCTV footage suggested entire villages around the epicentre had been flattened.

People in Chengdu felt the tremor and came running into the streets wrapped in blankets.

Chengdu resident Aaron Ozment said that there was huge confusion in the city.

"I threw on a some clothes quickly and made my way into the courtyard of my complex," he said.

"Making calls was almost impossible; everybody was trying to contact everybody they knew."

Residents in the nearest city to the epicentre, Ya'an, felt jolts from the quake and aftershocks, but the city does not appear to have suffered major damage.

Xinhua reported that more than 6,000 soldiers had been dispatched to help with rescue efforts.

Aircraft had begun flying over the area to assess the damage and deliver supplies.

Five years ago a massive quake hit Sichuan, killing tens of thousands.

The 2008 disaster left some five million people homeless.

Many of the collapsed buildings were schools and nurseries, leading to widespread criticism of local government's planning policies.

Source: BBC News

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