Three perish as passenger train derails in Washington
SEATTLE, Dec 19: An Amtrak train derailed on Monday during its inaugural run on a faster route from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, sending passenger cars tumbling from a bridge onto a major highway, killing at least three people and injuring more than 70. Thirteen of the train's 14 cars jumped the tracks near the town of DuPont, Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Brooke Bova said. Amtrak said there were 86 aboard, 80 of them passengers. Five vehicles and two trucks were involved in the accident, and the highway was littered with fragments of the bridge and tree branches. Some motorists were injured but none died, authorities said. — Reuters
S Arabia intercepts Yemen rebel missile targeting Saudi palace
RIYADH, Dec 19: The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels says a missile fired over Riyadh has been intercepted. The Yemeni rebels say they targeted the royal palace in the kingdom's capital. The announcement by the coalition was carried by Saudi state TV on Tuesday as people in the kingdom posted videos on social media showing a small cloud of smoke in the sky, rising. — AP
2017 sees 65 journalists, media workers killed globally
PARIS, Dec 19: Sixty-five journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2017, according to annual figures published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Tuesday. Among them were 50 professional reporters, the lowest toll in 14 years. However, the downward trend is due at least in part to journalists giving up working in the world's deadliest spots. War-torn Syria remains the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, RSF said, with 12 reporters killed. — AFP
Tokyo crowds throng zoo to see baby panda on first day
TOKYO, Dec 19: Hundreds of fans flocked to a Tokyo zoo Tuesday for the first public viewing of baby panda Xiang Xiang, after winning a lucky lottery ticket that a quarter of a million applied for. Long queues formed outside the zoo as fans-many wearing panda cub hats or gloves-waited patiently for a brief glimpse of Xiang Xiang, whose name is derived from the Chinese character for "fragrance." Such was the demand to see the hot new attraction that the zoo held a lottery and only those lucky enough to win the coveted golden ticket gained access to the panda enclosure. — AFP
Indonesia arrests three foreign drug suspects
BALI, Dec 19: Indonesian officials said Tuesday they have arrested three foreigners who were attempting to smuggle illegal drugs to the tourist island of Bali. Bali's customs office presented the three men from Australia, Malaysia and the United States at a news conference at the customs office near the airport. The only suspect identified by name was Australian Isaac Emmanuel Roberts. — AP
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