THAILAND
A bridge under construction collapsed this morning in Bangkok, killing seven and injuring dozens of people. Rescuers are trying to free scores of people trapped under the rubble, while unstable structures are at risk of further collapse. The bridge was part of a highway construction project.
CHINA – ZAMBIA
A Chinese-owned copper mine contaminated the Kafue River, Zambia's most important waterway. The acid spill, according to experts, took place on 18 February following the collapse of a dam containing toxic materials. Environmentalists fear that the environmental disaster could affect millions of people. China dominates copper mining in Zambia.
INDIA
Five people were injured yesterday when a man armed with a stick attacked people inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, an important Sikh place of worship in Punjab. The man was arrested along with an accomplice. Local media report that the man hit three worshippers and two volunteers.
PAKISTAN
The Pakistani army has revised the death toll following the assault on the Jaffar Express train by the Balochistan Liberation Army. Army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers were killed. He added that Pakistan had evidence that India and Afghanistan had helped Baloch separatists in the insurgents, accusations rejected by both countries.
NORTH KOREA – SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s Unification Minister has called for the release of three South Korean Christian missionaries held by North Korea since 2013 and 2014 on espionage charges. The appeal comes following a report by the UN Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which notes that the three clerics’ detention is illegal and that they must be released immediately.
IRAQ
The leader of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah, was killed in an operation conducted by the Iraqi intelligence services along with US-led coalition forces, the United States Central Command (Centcom) announced. According to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the IS leader “was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world,” responsible for the group’s operations, logistics and planning.
RUSSIA – VIETNAM
Saint Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov has decided to name a square after the late Vietnamese President Ho-Chi-Min to mark the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s victory over the Americans with Soviet help. The square is located near the Ho Chi Minh Monument, as well as Ho-Chi-Min Street, which was named in his honour in 1978.
KAZAKHSTAN
The National Kurultaj (Congress) of Kazakhstan was held at the Burabaj National Park in the presence of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who gave the inaugural speech ahead of discussions on social issues. The Congress is held annually in different regions of the country, to "give impetus" to their development.
