News in Brief -(21-08-2019)

British consulate worker ‘detained’ at China border

HONG KONG, Aug 20: The UK Foreign Office has expressed concern over reports that a Hong Kong consulate employee has been detained at the Chinese border. Media reports say Simon Cheng, who is thought to be from Hong Kong, is believed to have gone missing on August 08 while on a business trip. The Foreign Office said it was "seeking further information from authorities in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong". — BBC

13 Chinese killed as tour bus crashes in Laos

BANGKOK, Aug 20: A tour bus carrying dozens of Chinese passengers crashed in Laos, killing at least 13, officials said on Tuesday. The bus was carrying 44 Chinese when it careened off a road between the Lao capital, Vientiane, and the northern tourist town of Luang Prabang on Monday, the Chinese Embassy in Vientiane said on its website. In addition to the 13 who were killed, 31 other Chinese passengers were injured, two of them seriously, the embassy said. The bus driver and a guide, both Lao, suffered minor injuries. — AP

Alaska wildfire season continues with new fires

ANCHORAGE, Aug 20: Alaska's wildfire season usually ends well before mid-August but persistent hot, dry weather has contributed to the start of new fires and the spread of old ones. High winds Saturday damaged power lines or knocked trees into lines, sparking multiple fires, including one that temporarily shut down the highway between Anchorage and Denali National Park and burned more than 50 structures, said Tim Mowry, spokesman for the Alaska Division of Forestry. — AP

Save our oceans, actor Bardem tells UN

NEW YORK, Aug 20: Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem made an impassioned plea at the United Nations to save the world's oceans Monday. The Spaniard, a keen environmental activist, called on countries to agree to a treaty that would protect at least 30 percent of seas by 2030. "We just can't afford to get it wrong," he told an intergovernmental meeting at the UN's headquarters in New York. — AFP