AFP, Istanbul
Turkish coastguards rescued 57 migrants seeking to reach EU member Greece by sea after they were stranded on a rocky islet in the Aegean Sea, official media said today.
The migrants were trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos but their boat hit trouble after leaving the resort of Dikili in Izmir province on Turkey’s Aegean coast, the Anatolia news agency reported.
They were stranded on a rocky islet off Dikili, with pictures showing the migrants, who included women and several children, looking for help from the tiny islet.
Avalanche kills 4 Indian soldiers
AP, Srinagar
An avalanche over the weekend killed four Indian soldiers on foot patrol in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, the army said Monday. Army spokesman Col. S. D. Goswami said the soldiers were in the remote mountainous Leh region when the avalanche swept them away on Sunday.
Goswami said army rescuers recovered the bodies on Monday after digging through snow drifts.
Syrian oppn Chief to visit China
Reuters, Beijing
The head of the Western-backed opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) will visit China this week, as Beijing seeks to deepen ties with all sides in the conflict to help bring about a peaceful resolution. SNC president Khaled Khoja will be in China from Tuesday to Friday will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing on Monday.
Brotherhood leader freed in Jordan
AP, Amman
Jordan on Monday released a top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group after he served over two-thirds of his 18-month prison term for criticizing the United Arab Emirates, an ally of the kingdom.
Zaki Bani Ersheid’s release comes at a time of growing divisions in the Jordanian branch of the pan-Arab Brotherhood, weakening its long-time role as the main political opposition.
