German govt plane crash lands
BERLIN, Apr 16: A German government plane crash-landed on Tuesday, briefly disrupting traffic at Berlin's Schoenefeld airport, in the latest of a series of technical faults to plague the official fleet. No passengers were onboard the Luftwaffe's Global 5000 jet, but the crew was being examined by doctors for injuries, a spokesman for the airforce said. The aircraft experienced technical problems soon after takeoff and then had serious trouble landing at the Berlin airport. — AFP
NW Pak city shootout kills cop, five militants
PESHAWAR, Apr 16: Pakistani authorities say a raid by security forces on a militant hideout in the northwestern city of Peshawar triggered a 15-hour shootout in which a police officer and at least five suspected militants were killed. Shaukat Yousafzai, a government spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said police and commandos surrounded a home in the city on Monday night, acting on intelligence about planned attacks. — AP
Kabul announces list of Afghans for Taliban talks
KABUL, Apr 16: Kabul has announced a list of 250 people - including around 50 women - who are headed for Qatar for talks with the Taliban later this week, a gathering known as intra-Afghan dialogue. The list was released by the government on Tuesday although the Taliban have refused to talk directly with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government, saying they would recognize participants only as "ordinary" Afghans. — AP
Russia jails Norwegian for spying
MOSCOW, Apr 16: A Moscow court has sentenced a 63-year-old Norwegian, Frode Berg, to 14 years in a strict-regime labour camp for spying on Russian navy submarines. Berg, arrested in Moscow in 2017, denied the accusation. He formerly worked as a guard on the Norwegian-Russian border. Berg admitted acting as a courier for Norwegian intelligence, but said he had little knowledge of the mission. A Russian ex-policeman accused of passing him navy files has been jailed. Berg's lawyer, Ilya Novikov, said his client would not appeal against the verdict but would seek a pardon from President Vladimir Putin. — BBC
UK police arrest over 100 in climate change protests
LONDON, Apr 16: Police say they have arrested more than 100 people after climate change protesters blocked major bridges and intersections in central London, bringing traffic to a standstill. The group Extinction Rebellion is organizing a week of civil disobedience against what it says is the failure to tackle the causes of climate change. — AP
Egypt’s lawmakers vote to extend president’s tenure
CAIRO, Apr 16: Egypt's parliament is holding the last debate on proposed amendments to the constitution that could see President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi remain in power until 2030. Tuesday's session comes ahead of a final vote by lawmakers on the changes to the 2014 charter, before the amendments are put on a national referendum, likely before early May when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts. — AP
Rig workers rescue dog 220km from Thai coast
BANGKOK, Apr 16: A dog discovered some 220km (135 miles) off the coast of Thailand has been rescued by a team of oil rig workers after the exhausted pooch was spotted paddling near a drilling platform. The brown aspin swam towards the workers when they called out to him last Friday afternoon. He was then pulled to safety. It is not clear how the dog became stranded so far out at sea. Some reports suggest he may have fallen from a fishing trawler. — BBC
Philippine ship to join China’s multinational naval celebration
MANILA, Apr 16: The Philippine Navy sent off a warfare vessel with a 400-man contingent to participate in the international fleet review to be held in China to mark the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on April 23, the Philippine Navy spokesperson said on Tuesday. — Xinhua
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails end hunger strike
RAMALLAH, Apr16: Palestinian officials say dozens of prisoners in Israeli jails have ended a hunger strike over phone privileges. Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Minister Qadri Abu Bakir said on Tuesday that a deal was reached with Israeli authorities to end the eight-day strike in return for phone privileges three times a week. — AP
Malaysia arrests Vietnam poachers
KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 16: Malaysian authorities have arrested two suspected poachers from Vietnam and seized body parts from tigers and bears, a minister said Tuesday, as the country clamps down on rampant wildlife trafficking. The Southeast Asian nation is home to swathes of jungle and a kaleidoscope of rare creatures from elephants to orangutans and tigers, but they are frequently targeted by poachers. — AFP
NY museum scraps Bolsonaro event
NEW YORK, Apr 16: New York's Museum of Natural History announced Monday it had canceled a private function booked to take place there that would honor Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The leader, who has been attacked at home and abroad for policies that critics say threaten the environment and indigenous communities, was due to receive an award at the museum from the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce. — AFP
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