18 Afghan cops killed in Taliban ambush
Xinhua, Farah
At least 18 police personnel were killed after Taliban militants ambushed a police convoy in west Afghanistan’s Farah province, a local official said Monday.
“Militants attacked a police logistics convoy in Juwayn district Sunday evening. The initial information found that 18 police personnel were killed,” the official who declined to be named told Xinhua.
He said several police officers went missing after the clashes which occurred in Kora Gaz locality of the remote district.
Six dead in Switzerland apartment fire
AFP, Solothurn
Six people, including children, died when a fire broke out overnight in an apartment building in the northwestern Swiss town of Solothurn, police said Monday, with neighbours indicating the building housed asylum seekers.
“There were more than 20 people in the building. Most were evacuated by the fire brigade, but for six people, including children, the help came too late,” Solothurn police said in a statement.
California’s deadliest wildfire finally tamed
AFP, Los Angeles
The deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history was finally brought totally under control by firefighters, more than two weeks after it erupted, authorities said on Sunday.
The so-called Camp Fire, which broke out on November 8, is so far known to have killed 87 people although another 249 people remain unaccounted for. That figure has fallen sharply over the weekend, having stood at 474 on Friday.
More than 700 hurt in Iran quake
AFP, Tehran
More than 700 people were injured in a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that shook western Iran, state television reported in an updated toll Monday.
The quake struck Kermanshah province late Sunday, with an epicentre 17 kilometres (11 miles) southwest of the city of Sarpol-e Zahab, according to the country’s institute of geophysics. State television, citing the emergency services, said that 716 people had been injured, but there were no reports of deaths or major damage.
