News in Brief(26-03-2018)

South Korea coast guard try to rescue 192
SOUTH KOREA, Mar 25: South Korea's coast guard said a rescue operation was underway after a ferry carrying 192 people hit a rock in waters off the country's southwestern coast on Sunday. At least six people sustained minor injuries. A coast guard official said the prospects of rescuing all those on board were good because the ferry wasn't showing signs of flooding or losing balance despite the crash off islands in Sinan County. — AP

Congo military kills 13 rebels
CONGO, Mar 25: Congo's military said on Saturday it had killed 13 militiamen during clashes with an unidentified group after coming under attack in the country's volatile northeastern Ituri province. Ituri is the latest part of the Democratic Republic of Congo to descend into bloodshed since President Joseph Kabila's refusal to step aside at the end of his mandate in 2016 undermined the legitimacy of the state. — Reuters

British editor gets 10 years for wife's murder
DUBAI, Mar 25: A British newspaper editor in Dubai was found guilty Sunday of bludgeoning his wife to death with a hammer and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Francis Matthew was not present in the Dubai Court of the First Instance for the verdict read by Judge Fahad al-Shamsi, which is common in courts in the United Arab Emirates. —AP

Portuguese president, PM join forest clearance prog
LISBON, Mar 25: The Portuguese president and prime minister, as well as several government ministers, on Saturday took part in forest clearance programs across the country, in an effort to reduce the potential for wildfires. "It's a national cause," Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told reporters at the Peneda-Geres National Park in the northern part of the country, where he supported local efforts to clear up combustible scrub and debris. — Xinhua

12 die as Ecuador bus slides off road
QUITO, Mar 25: Twelve people were killed and another 25 were injured on Saturday when the bus they were traveling in careened off a road in a coastal region of western Ecuador, officials said. "So far there are 25 injured...and 12 people died as a result of the traffic accident," a rescue agency said in a statement. The accident occurred at around 2:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) on the Jipijapa highway, in the area known as "Las Americas" of the Manabi province, according to a report from the Ecuadorian Traffic Commission. — AFP