9 May, 2015

13:45

​12 officers, 50 inmates killed in Iraq prison break in Iraq

At least 12 police officers and 50 inmates have been killed in a prison break at the facility in Al-Khalis, about 80km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, security and police officials said. Dozens of prisoners have managed to escape from the facility, which was holding people charged with terrorism. “The inmates started fighting among themselves, which drew the attention of the police guards who went to break up the fight,” a police source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “Then the prisoners attacked them, stripped them of their weapons and started a riot while also managing to capture the armory of the prison,” the source added.

10:04

​More than 20 whales found dead on Chilean coast

More than 20 whales up to 10 meters long have been found dead on the coast of the Gulf of Penas in southern Chile, officials with Chile’s national fisheries service said. “The number of dead whales exceeded 20, but we have not tallied the total,” a fisheries service source told AFP. Weather conditions are hampering attempts of scientists to determine the cause of death of the whales. “They were everywhere, none were injured, so we thought they suffered from a red tide [algal bloom] or a virus,” German biologist Vreni Haussermann said.

06:01

Maoist guerrillas take 200 villagers hostage in India ahead of PM’s visit – reports

Naxal guerillas have taken up to 200 villagers hostage in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, NDTV reports. The attack comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the state to inaugurate two projects. Local media say the hostages have not been harmed. The guerrillas are calling for the visit to be boycotted. Naxals are members of guerilla groups in India mostly associated with the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which aims to overthrow the government. In May 2013, Maoist guerrillas attacked a convoy with local politicians in Chhattisgarh; at least 24 people died in the result of the attack.

05:50

​Aussie police foil bomb plot

Australian police have foiled an attempted terror bomb plot by a Melbourne 17-year-old man planned for Mother’s Day, on Sunday, it reported on Saturday. They said they found and detonated three improvised explosive devices. The name of the accused teenager was not made public due to his age, but police said he is facing a closed court hearing on Monday.

05:33

Thousands evacuated in Philippines as Typhoon Noul approaches

An evacuation is underway for more than 11,000 villagers on Saturday in the northeastern part of Philippine’s main island of Luzon less than a day before Typhoon Noul is expected to make landfall, ABC News reported. The storm is predicted to reach category four with winds reaching 195 kilometers an hour. After lashing the north-eastern Philippines on Sunday, the storm is expected to head northwest towards Japan. Officials warned that heavy rainfall from the storm could cause potentially dangerous mud flows around Mount Bulusan, a volcano that has been spewing ash this week in the eastern province of Sorsogon. “With regards to the amount of rainfall, our recommendation is again vigilance and readiness of communities in predetermined lahar hazard zones,” Philippine volcanology research specialist Winchelle Sevilla said.

05:30

Switzerland allocates more than $2 million for UN’s Yemen aid

Switzerland has allocated more than $2 million toward the UN-managed humanitarian fund for war-torn Yemen, set up to support relief projects. Yemen has been in the grip of sectarian violence ever since the Shiite Houthi rebels pushed out forces loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in January, forcing him to go into exile. A coalition campaign led by Saudi Arabia has been pummeling the country with air-strikes since March, causing greater devastation. The air offensive was meant to give way to peace talks in April, as the first phase of the campaign came to a halt, but this has not happened, and the strikes have continued.