War crimes suits against Lankan envoy in Brazil
AP, Rio De Janeiro
Human rights groups in South America are alleging war crimes violations in lawsuits filed against a former Sri Lankan general who is now his Asian nation’s ambassador to Brazil and five other countries in Latin America. The suits against Jagath Jayasuriya are based on his role as a commander in the final phase of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009. They allege Jayasuriya oversaw military units that attacked hospitals and killed, disappeared and tortured thousands of people.
China landslide death rises to 32
AFP, Beijin
The number of people missing after a landslide struck dozens of homes in rural southwestern China has climbed to 32, authorities said Tuesday.
At least three people were found dead and seven were injured in Monday’s disaster in a township in Bijie city in Guizhou province, according to a report on the official news site of the local government.
Third Indian train derails in 10 days
AFP, New delhi
An express train derailed in India on Tuesday, the third accident to hit the country’s ageing railways in 10 days.
Rescue teams were rushed to the scene but there were no reports of casualties after the seven carriages came off the tracks near Asangaon in the western state of Maharashtra.
Suicide bomber kills five in Kabul bank blast
AFP, Kabul
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a bank in the Afghan capital Kabul Tuesday, days ahead of the Eid holiday, killing five people and injuring several others in an attack claimed by the Taliban. It was the latest in a series of deadly attacks to hit the city and comes three months after a massive truck bomb ripped through the same area, killing about 150 people.
Ecuador jails Chinese fishermen
Reuters, Quito
An Ecuadorean judge has jailed 20 Chinese fishermen for up to four years for illegally fishing off the Galapagos Islands, where they were caught with 6,600 sharks. The Chinese-flagged ship Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 was apprehended in mid-August with some 300 tonnes of near-extinct or endangered species.
including hammerhead sharks.
The crew received jail time of between one and four years, the judge said late on Sunday. They were also fined a total of $5.9 million.
