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News in Brief -(16-05-2019)

Thursday, 16 May 2019


PNG assesses extent of quake damage
WELLINGTON, May 15: Papua New Guinea authorities were assessing the extent of damage on Wednesday from a powerful earthquake that rattled coastal towns the previous evening. The magnitude 7.5 quake struck around 11 p.m. Tuesday at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was offshore about 45 kilometres northeast of Kokopo, which has about 26,000 people. — AP

Zambia arrests ex-minister for graft
LUSAKA, May 15: Zambian authorities on Wednesday arrested a former minister for alleged corruption that led Britain to suspend aid to the southern African country last year, an official said. Emerine Kabanshi was arrested "for abuse of authority of office," said a statement from Zambian anti-corruption and anti-money laundering agencies. Kabanshi was Community Development and Social Services minister when Britain alleged corruption in the disbursement of social grants. — AFP

Turkey detains militants trying to enter parliament
ANKARA, May 15: Police in Turkey have detained two suspected left-wing militants who tried to enter the country's parliament with sharp objects and a hoax explosive device, officials said on Wednesday. Fahrettin Altun, the presidential communications director, said in a tweet that the suspects were identified as members of the banned Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, also known as DHKP-C. — AP

Poland demands reaction over assault of envoy to Israel
WARSAW, May 15: Poland's prime minister on Wednesday condemned what he described as a "xenophobic" attack on the country's ambassador to Israel on a Tel Aviv street. Israeli officials have expressed shock at the attack and said they were investigating the assault on Marek Magierowski on Tuesday. — AFP