PAKISTAN
Bombing kills at least five
A bombing at a crowded bazaar in the country’s southwest yesterday killed at least five people and wounded 16, authorities said amid a surge in violence in the nation. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Barkhan, about 600km northeast of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province. Sajjad Afzal, the local police chief, said the bomb was apparently rigged to a motorcycle and was detonated by remote control. Apart from inflicting casualties, the bombing also left several shops at the market badly damaged. Rescuers took the wounded to hospital, Afzal said. Baluchistan has long struggled with a low-level insurgency by the Baluchistan Liberation Army and other small separatist groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad. Authorities claim to have quelled the insurgency, but violence has persisted.
UNITED STATES
Five killed in plane crash
A medical transport plane crashed in Nevada, killing all five on board, its operator said on Saturday. The plane went off radar on Friday night outside the arid town of Stagecoach, near Nevada’s border with California, REMSA Health said in a statement. “We are heartbroken to report that we have now received confirmation from [the] Central Lyon County Fire Department that none of the five people on board survived,” the statement said. In addition to the pilot, the plane was carrying a nurse, a paramedic, a patient and a patient’s family member, REMSA Health said. While the circumstances around the crash have yet to be confirmed, it occurred as a major winter storm pummeled the west coast, delivering snow in the high mountains and even blanketing usually warm areas in southern California.
RUSSIA
Capsule docks with ISS
An uncrewed Soyuz capsule early yesterday docked with the International Space Station (ISS) and would eventually bring home three astronauts whose initial return vehicle was damaged by a tiny meteoroid. The MS-23 ship autonomously latched to the orbiting research lab, live video from ISS partner NASA showed, completing the Soyuz’s two-day journey after launching off from Kazakhstan. It is expected to bring home US astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergei Prokopyev in September. The three arrived at the ISS in September last year aboard MS-22, and were originally only supposed to stay about six months, until the end of next month.
MEXICO
President posts ‘elf’ photo
The president posted a photograph on his social media accounts on Saturday showing what he said appeared to be a mythological woodland spirit similar to an elf. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador did not seem to be joking when he posted the photo of an “Aluxe,” a mischievous woodland spirit in Mayan folklore. Lopez Obrador wrote that the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it appears to be an aluxe,” adding that “everything is mystical.” The nighttime photo shows a tree with a branch forming what looks like a halo of hair, and what may be stars forming the figure’s eyes. Engineers and workers are in the Yucatan Peninsula, constructing a tourist train that is the president’s pet project. According to traditional Mayan belief, “Aluxes” are small, mischievous creatures that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on people, like hiding things. Some people leave small offerings to appease them.
The pledge by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year, recognizing the effort Japan’s first female leader had to make to reach the top. Takaichi uttered the phrase in October when she was elected as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Many were initially as worried about her work ethic as supportive of her enthusiasm. In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic. The recognition triggered a
A plan by Switzerland’s right-wing People’s Party to cap the population at 10 million has the backing of almost half the country, according to a poll before an expected vote next year. The party, which has long campaigned against immigration, argues that too-fast population growth is overwhelming housing, transport and public services. The level of support comes despite the government urging voters to reject it, warning that strict curbs would damage the economy and prosperity, as Swiss companies depend on foreign workers. The poll by newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten and released yesterday showed that 48 percent of the population plan to vote
‘HEART IS ACHING’: Lee appeared to baffle many when he said he had never heard of six South Koreans being held in North Korea, drawing criticism from the families South Korean President Lee Jae-myung yesterday said he was weighing a possible apology to North Korea over suspicions that his ousted conservative predecessor intentionally sought to raise military tensions between the war-divided rivals in the buildup to his brief martial law declaration in December last year. Speaking to reporters on the first anniversary of imprisoned former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol’s ill-fated power grab, Lee — a liberal who won a snap presidential election following Yoon’s removal from office in April — stressed his desire to repair ties with Pyongyang. A special prosecutor last month indicted Yoon and two of his top
The Philippines deferred the awarding of a project that is part of a plan to build one of the world’s longest marine bridges after local opposition over the potential involvement of a Chinese company due to national security fears. The proposals are “undergoing thorough review” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which acts as a lender and an overseer of the project to ensure it meets international environmental and governance standards, the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways said in a statement on Monday in response to queries from Bloomberg. The agency said it would announce the winning bidder once ADB
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