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R/£ World briefs - Oct 25, 2006
October 25, 2006 Edition 4
Plane crash kills 6
Antananarivo - Six people died when their light plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the southwest of Madagascar, Transport Minister Roland Randriamampionona said today. Both Madagascan pilots and all four foreign passengers died, he said. "A small plane belonging to a private airline, la Societede Transport Aerien, crashed at about 4.15am in Toliara ... killing 6 people," he said.
Niger to deport Chadians
Niamey - Niger plans to expel at least 100 000 nomadic Mahamid Arabs to neighbouring Chad because of problems between this community and locals in the border region of Diffa, the government said today. "It is a government plan to send these herdsmen (back) to Chad," a minister said. "There are often fights between these people, who then produce weapons."
This youngster's safe
Hamburg - Four-week-old South American tapir Ailton jumps over a branch in his enclosure at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday. The Brazilian tapir, a herbivore, is endangered due to poaching in its native habitat.
Hoax at LA Times offices
Los Angeles - The headquarters of the Los Angeles Times were sealed off for more than two hours last night while police investigated a suspicious envelope containing white powder that appeared to be a harmless food additive, officials said. LAPD Sergeant Mark Hurley said authorities would investigate the incident further and contact the person identified in the letter as the sender.
UK relief fund closes down
London - A charity fund set up following the July 7 2005 suicide bombings in London was shut down today after handing out $22-million (about R167-million) to victims. But the closure of the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund came as results of a survey suggested that none of Britain's major cities, including the capital, was fully prepared for a full-scale disaster.
Embassy driver expelled
New Delhi - India has ordered the expulsion of a Pakistani working at Islambad's embassy in New Delhi for taking secret documents from an Indian army sergeant, a foreign ministry official said yesterday. Mohammed Farooq, who was working as a driver, was ordered out for indulging "in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status," said the official, who did not want to be named.
Militants bomb gas pipes
Quetta - Militants blew up two gas pipelines in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan, disrupting gas supplies to thousands of people, officials said yesterday. Supplies were partially restored today after militants blew up the pipelines supplying the provincial capital of Quetta and Kalat town in Baluchistan province in attacks on Monday and last night, officials said.
7 face traffisking charges
Sydney - Seven Cambodians who took sick on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Sydney earlier this month are likely to face charges of attempting to smuggle 4kg of heroin into Australia. Police said today that the seven had all swallowed pellets of heroin. In all, 1 400 pellets of heroin were recovered, weighing 4,1kg. The seven Cambodians are in custody.
5 killed as bridge collapses
Jakarta - Five people were killed and 24 injured when a pedestrian bridge packed with sightseers collapsed today in a scenic Indonesian tourist area on central Java island, police said. The incident comes in the middle of the peak Muslim holiday period this week when Indonesians hold Eid al-Fitr festivities to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Thaksin 'in bid to leave UK'
Bangkok - Thailand's army said today it had held training exercises in a stronghold of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as intelligence sources said he had tried to leave his exile in London. The routine training exercises were staged in the northern province of Phitsanulok, army spokesperson Acar Tiproch said. The exercises were held by the Third Army, which is responsible for the Thai north.
Ban to visit Russia
Seoul - South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon, the next United Nations secretary general, will travel to Russia and France next week after his China trip to thank them for their support, officials said today. "Minister Ban will visit Russia from October 31 to November 2, and France from November 2 to 4," Vice Foreign Minister Lee Kyu-Hyung said.
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