News in Brief (26-11-2018)

Indian ministers to attend

ceremony in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: Two Indian ministers have accepted an invitation to attend the opening of a new Pakistani border crossing for Sikh pilgrims, in a rare sign of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had invited his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj. — AP

Quake shakes Colombian islands

BOGOTA, Nov 25: A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook Colombian-owned islands in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, but authorities said there was no need for a tsunami alert. The quake struck 32 kilometres (20 miles) southeast of Mountain, Colombia, at 0340 GMT Sunday, according to the US Geological Service, which monitors quakes worldwide. — AFP

Kashmir clash claims seven lives

SRINAGAR, Nov 25: Six rebels and an army soldier were killed in a gunbattle in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday, officials said, sparking violent protests by residents seeking an end to Indian rule over the disputed region and leaving a teenage boy dead and 20 people injured. Indian army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said Indian troops surrounded a village in the southern Shopian area early Sunday, leading to an exchange of gunfire. — AP

22 perish after boat sinks in Uganda

MUTIMA, Nov 25: Twenty-two people have died and more than 60 are feared drowned after a pleasure boat sank on Lake Victoria, Ugandan police said on Sunday. The vessel carrying close to a hundred revellers sank during bad weather on Saturday in the latest deadly incident to affect passenger boats on Africa's largest lake. "Twenty-two bodies have been recovered and 26 people rescued," said Asuman Mugenyi, director of operations for the Uganda police. — AFP