16 dead in bloody street battles in Bangkok

An anti-government demonstrator throws a cement block at fire trucks in downtown Bangkok

Clashes between anti-government protestors and Thai troops have claimed 16 dead and left dozens wounded in 2 days of fighting that has turned the heart of the capital into a war zone, official sources said Saturday.

The government on Thursday launched an offensive against the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to force them from their protest site at Ratchaprasong Road, Bangkok’s upmarket commercial district. It escalated into bloody street battles to secure all access points to the area Friday.

According to Bangkok Metropolitan Medical Centre, 16 civilians died and 141 sustained wounds, including 3 journalists, in street fighting Thursday and Friday. Troops used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition against protestors mostly armed with Molotov cocktails, stones and sticks .

Fighting was reported Friday night at Ratchaprasop and Din Daeng roads where troops had set up barricades to prevent red shirt protestors from joining the UDD leaders at Ratchaprasong.

There are an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 red shirts within the protest site, now a sprawling city within the city, which is protected by barricades of tyres and sharpened bamboo sticks.

Roads surrounding the Ratchaprasong district have been closed to traffic by troops.

UDD leaders have pledged to remain at the site, even if it leads to civil war. The movement, which claims to be fighting for democracy and a better deal for the long-neglected rural and urban poor, has many supporters in the countryside.

The UDD has occupied the Ratchaprasong neighbourhood since April 3, in a bid to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and hold elections.

On May 3, Mr. Abhisit agreed to hold an election on November 14 and to set up a national reconciliation road map to address some of the social issues raised by the UDD protest and pave the way for peaceful polls on the condition that the UDD end its protest.

But the UDD insisted that Mr. Abhisit and his deputy Prime Minister in charge of security, Suthep Thaugsuban, be legally accountable for a previous crackdown on its followers on April 10, which left 25 dead.

Since the UDD protest began on March 12, a total of 45 people have died in clashes and attacks, and more than 1,000 have been injured.

The last time the country witnessed such violence was in May 1992, when an anti-military demonstration was mowed down by soldiers, leaving 44 dead and more than 100 missing.

Times Square probe: three arrested in raids

FBI investigators enter a home in Watertown, Massachusetts, Thursday, May 13, 2010.

Federal investigators conducted raids on Thursday in 3 north-eastern states in connection with the probe into the botched car bombing of Times Square in New York.

Federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that search warrants were exercised in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts in hunt of leads in the case arising from the attempt to explode a vehicle earlier this month in New York City’s landmark shopping and entertainment centre.

“We can confirm that search warrants have been executed in several locations in the north—east in connection with the investigation into the attempted Times Square bombing,” authorities said in a joint statement.

3 people found during the raids were arrested on suspicion of immigration status violations, the FBI said.

The raids were conducted based on evidence arising from the Times Square probe but “do not relate to any known immediate threat to the public or active plot against the United States,” the statement said.

Searches took place in the Boston area and in Watertown and Brookline, Massachusetts, and on New York’s Long Island, as well as in New Jersey.

A car crammed with fuel, fireworks and other flammable substances was left on May 1 in Times Square but did not detonate. It was discovered by police after witnesses noticed smoke emitting from the sport—utility vehicle.

A naturalized US citizen from Pakistan, Faisal Shahzad, was arrested 2 days later awaiting takeoff on an airliner leaving the country. He has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in the Times Square incident, and has reportedly been cooperating with law enforcement.

Shahzad has apparently admitted his role in planting the would-be car bomb in Times Square and described having received bomb—making training from militants in Pakistan, where he had recently visited before the attempted attack.

In Washington, Attorney General Eric Holder mentioned the investigation in testimony to a congressional committee.

“When questioned by federal agents, (Shahzad) provided useful information. We now believe that the Pakistan Taliban was responsible for the attempted attack,” Holder said Thursday.

“We are currently working with the authorities in Pakistan on this investigation, and we will use every resource available to make sure that anyone found responsible, whether they be in the United States or overseas, is held accountable. This attempted attack is a sober reminder that we face aggressive and determined enemies.”

Dutch child is lone survivor of Libya plane crash that kills 105

A Libyan Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330 from South Africa disintegrated on landing at Tripoli airport, killing 105people, but leaving a Dutch child as the sole miracle survivor,on Wednesday.

Libyan transport minister Mohammed Ali Zidan said the survivor is in hospital. The Dutch foreign ministry said at The Hague that the child was undergoing surgery at the al-Sabia hospital for broken bones.

Afriqiyah Airways said 58 Dutch passengers, six South Africans, two Britons, two Libyans, two Austrians, one German, one French national and one Zimbabwean were on board.

The nationalities of 19 other passengers has not yet been confirmed but the airline said the 11 crew were all Libyan.

A statement on the airline's website said: "Afriqiyah Airways confirms as per the information received from the Libyan authorities the death of the 103 passengers on board flight 8U771 from Johannesburg to Tripoli May 12, 2010. Only one survived the accident (a Dutch child)."

The Foreign Office said Afriqiyah Airways Flight 8U771 from Johannesburg had been due to land at 0610 local time (0410 GMT) and the plane crashed close to the airport.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Libyan officials have informed us that Afriqiyah Flight 8U771 from Johannesburg crashed at Tripoli International Airport.

"Afriqiyah Airways have set up a helpline for those concerned about relatives."

Seven killed, 20 injured in attack at China kindergarten

At least seven young children died and 20 others were wounded on Wednesday after an attack at a kindergarten in northern China's Shaanxi province, the state media said.

The dead children were 'hacked to death' in the early morning attack at the kindergarten in Nanzheng county near Shaanxi's Hanzhong city, Liu Xiaoming, a local publicity official, told the government's Xinhua news agency.

At least 20 other people were injured in the attack, the agency said without giving details.

'The injured have been rushed to hospital,' it quoted Mr. Liu as saying.

The attack is the latest of several similar incidents at Chinese primary schools and kindergartens, including three on consecutive days in late April.

Russia's Medvedev creates commission, urges investigation in coalmine blasts

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday instructed First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov to fly to the scene of a coal mine in west Siberia after two blasts killed at least 32 people to manage cleanup efforts.

More than 70 people were also injured and 58 others still unaccounted for after 2 explosions hit the mine, near the town of Mezhdurechensk in the Kemerovo Region, in the space of 4 hours late on Saturday and early on Sunday.

"On my instructions, the government has created a special commission, which will be headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Zubkov," Medvedev said during a videoconference in the president's Situation Room with key ministers and rescue workers, adding: "I instruct you [Zubkov] to fly to Kemerovo Region to control the process on the spot."

Medvedev also instructed Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to begin investigations into the cause of the blasts in the Raspadskaya mine and to find those responsible for the disaster.

"Investigations need to be held within the frameworks of the criminal case, understand how well the law on worker safety was followed," Medvedev said.

Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu is already at the mine controlling rescue efforts.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said earlier the state would pay one million rubles (just over $33,000) to the families of the deceased. He also said those people who suffered serious injuries would receive 400,000 rubles and people with less serious injuries 200,000 rubles.

"We will utilize all measures so that all rescue operations are equipped and that the family members of those killed or missing get appropriate help," Zubkov told the president during the meeting.

Eight killed in Siberia coal mine blast

At least 8 miners were killed and more than 60 were trapped underground after a methane explosion occurred inside a coal mine in Russia's west Siberian region late Saturday night, the emergency situations ministry said.

The explosion took place at 8.55 p.m. Moscow time (1655 GMT) Saturday at the Raspadskaya coal mine in Kemerovo, when at least 359 people were inside, emergencies official Yelena Kalabushkina was quoted as saying by Xinhua Sunday.

After the explosion, 282 miners were rescued by relief workers, Natalya Anayeva, a spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russian Prosecutor General's Office, was quoted as saying.

Rescuers from 12 teams have established contact with some of the trapped miners.

Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu has briefed President Dmitry Medvedev on measures adopted to save the miners.

"Medvedev ordered the Emergencies Ministry head to report about the rescue efforts and use every opportunity to rescue people," the Kremlin press service said.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has also discussed the situation with regional governor Aman Tuleyev.

Founded in 1973, the Raspadskaya coal mine is one of Russia's leading coal producers, with total coal reserves estimated at 782 million tonnes.

Clashes hit Nepal 'peace rally' in Kathmandu

Police fired teargas as clashes broke out between Maoist supporters and demonstrators at a "peace rally" to protest against the Maoist strike.

In the first rally of its kind, about 30,000 people gathered in Nepal's capital Kathmandu to demand an end to the Maoist-enforced shutdown.

The rally was organised by the business community and civil society groups.

The Maoist strike has entered its sixth day and has affected transport, businesses and schools across Nepal.

The BBC's Joanna Jolly in Kathmandu says the protest indicates that the Maoists may have not been able to capture the hearts and minds of ordinary people in Kathmandu.

The Maoists want the government of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to stand down, arguing that it has no popular support.

They say the government has not consolidated Nepal's peace process and has failed to draft a new constitution.

The prime minister has said he will consider stepping down, but only if the Maoists pursue their demands through dialogue and meet certain conditions.

These include resolving who would lead a government of national unity, disbanding the Maoist paramilitary wing and returning property they seized during their 10-year conflict with the state.

Ash cloud to close some Scottish airports

Lava and ash explode out of the caldera of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano April 22, 2010.

Airports in a few parts of Scotland are set to close again because of risks from a rise in volcanic ash levels.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said no flights would be permitted from Glasgow, Prestwick and Campbeltown between 0700 BST and 1900 BST.

However, airports in Edinburgh will stay open and Inverness airport is set to be closed in the morning only.

The CAA warned the situation "remains changeable" and advised passengers to ensure with airports before travelling.

No-flight restrictions are also expected to be introduced between 0700 BST and 1900 BST at Stornoway, Benbecula, Tiree, Islay and Barra in the Hebrides.

The situation in the skies has been varying almost hour by hour, meaning the picture for air travelers is unclear.

Emergency committee

Forecasts show the 60 nautical-mile buffer zone imposed around high concentrations of ash is close to a few northern airports.

However, the latest opinion issued by the CAA at 0200 BST said airports in Edinburgh and north-west England could safely stay open on Wednesday, despite the proximity of the ash.

In a statement, the CAA said: "The situation remains changeable, so passengers expecting to travel from airports in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the north of England and north Wales should contact their airlines to check whether their flight is operating."

The Scottish government has reactivated the emergency response committee which was formed in the wake of the flight chaos caused by the Eyjafjallajokull ash cloud last month, which left thousands of Scots stranded abroad.

Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney said the situation remained unpredictable and had the potential to cause further disruption.

He added: "I appreciate that people will feel inconvenienced, some frustrated, at any further cancellations but I hope they will understand the need to follow the precautionary principle that the overriding consideration must be to ensure their safety."

Flights to and from the west coast islands of Tiree, Islay, Barra and Benbecula, and Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula, were affected by the ash on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Man Stabs 28 Children at Chinese Kindergarten

Two knife attacks on school classrooms in as many days have sent Chinese parents into fright, prompting demands for greater security and a bout of national soul searching over the atrocities.

Yesterday a former insurance salesman ripped and stabbed his way through a kindergarten in southeast China, wounding 31 people.

Officials said that Xu Yuyuan, 47, broke into a classroom at the Zhongxin kindergarten in Taixing city, Jiangsu province, about 9.40am and attacked the children with a knife. Residents living next door, armed with fire extinguishers and brooms, finally restrained the man until the police could reach the scene, one report said.

The man stabbed twenty-eight children and one teacher, a security guard and a school volunteer who tried to defend the terrified four-year-olds. A staff member at the Taixing No 1 People’s Hospital said that some children were being treated there. “The doctors are trying to save them,” he said.

Five students were in critical condition in hospital, said Zhu Guiming, an official with the propaganda department in Taixing city.

The well-regarded Caijing magazine said that 4 children had died in the attack, but officials told state media that no deaths had been reported and the condition of those who were most badly hurt was stabilizing.

Police arrested Mr Xu, who was described as unemployed. He worked for a local insurance company in 2001 but then took part in illegal pyramid selling schemes.

Less than 24 hours earlier a former teacher with a history of mental illness stabbed 16 pupils and a teacher in a primary school. The man, 33, rushed into classrooms at the Leizhou primary school in the southern Guangdong province, brandishing a knife about a foot long. None of the injuries were reported to be serious.

The attacker then went to a top-floor balcony where he threatened to throw himself off. He was eventually arrested and taken away in handcuffs.

Several schools in China have experienced similar attacks in recent years. In a country where many parents have only a single child under the strict family planning policy, shock and anxiety have spread in internet chat rooms. Some have called for adults to be allowed to enter school premises only if they have a photograph of their child; others are saying that their children should be armed with sticks as a minimum defense. Commenting on the attack at the primary school in Leizhou the Beijing News said: “More concrete measures should be taken to make school the safest place.”

China's Hu Jintao first Chinese visitor to Russian pavilion at Expo 2010

Chinese President Hu Jintao became the first Chinese visitor to attend the Russian pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

The Chinese leader on Thursday visited the Russian pavilion and checked out its exhibition. Then he made some notes in the honored guest book.

"Those who visit the pavilion, will see the wisdom and intelligence of the Russian people," Hu said adding that he was sure "the pavilion will have great success."

The Chinese president said Russia and China have strong and developing ties among their people. He said the concept of children that Russia chose for its exhibition theme is very important as children are the future.

Russia is constructing its Expo pavilion for the first time in 30 years, rather than renting one from the host country. The sun-shaped pavilion will comprise 12 white-and-gold towers symbolizing the 12 months, and occupy an area of 6,000 sq. m. It will showcase Russia's recent scientific and economic development, as well as offer a diverse cultural program.

The 2010 World Expo fair is to run from May 1 to October 31 under the motto "Better City - Better Life." Some 70 million visitors are expected to attend the event. The spokeswoman said leaders of all countries are invited to attend.

Thai Protesters Send Convoy to Suburban Market

Thai troops have fired into the air near a group of anti-government protesters in an effort to block them from taking their protest to a suburban Bangkok market.

Several thousand Red Shirt protesters left their fortified encampment in Bangkok's downtown commercial district in motorcycles and pickup trucks on Wednesday to move their seven-week campaign outside the city.

The government has guaranteed to keep the Red Shirts from spreading the protest outside their encampment.

The convoy is traveling on a road where a group of Red Shirts briefly set up a barricade earlier this week to block additional Thai security forces from heading into the city.

The anti-government forces have virtually brought Bangkok to a standstill in their drive to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to announce new elections.

The Red Shirts placed tires along Bangkok's elevated railway system on Tuesday, shutting down the system for several hours. The activists said they were worried that Thai troops might use the station to attack them from above.

The protests have turned bloody, with at least 26 people killed and nearly 1,000 wounded during clashes with Thai security forces.

The Red Shirts are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006 on accusations of corruption. They say Mr. Abhisit was installed in office illegally.

The Thai government has accused Red Shirt leaders of plotting to overthrow Thailand's revered monarchy, a charge the movement denies.

But Mr. Abhisit said earlier this week his government will try to implement the law with "minimum losses," as he put it. He also promised to try to find a political resolution to the crisis, and he pleaded for "patience and cooperation."

Iran discusses nuclear issue with IAEA

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano here to talk about issues related to Tehran's nuclear programmes, including exchange of fuel for further enrichment.

"The meeting was held in a business-like atmosphere," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement which did not provide any further detail.

The two sides "discussed the issue of the provision of fuel for the Tehran research reactor and exchanged views on the possible modalities for its realisation", said IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor.

Mr. Mottaki is in Vienna to gain Austria's support to counter any new UN sanction against Iran, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, Austria's Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said Iran must cooperate with the West if it desires to avoid sanctions.

"I hope it will not have to come to this sanctions and that Iran is ready to cooperate with the international community," Mr. Spindelegger said at a joint news conference with Mr. Mottaki.

Iran agreed in principle to send low-enriched uranium abroad for further re-processing, in October. But later it told that the fuel swap should take place inside its territory and simultaneously.

According to the West, Iran's nuclear program is aimed at making atomic bombs while Tehran says it is for peaceful purposes only.

Bombs kill 69 in Iraq's deadliest day this year

The bloodiest day of the year in Iraq left at least 69 people dead in a series of bombings in mainly Shiite areas Friday — concerted attacks seen as demonstrating the resilience of the Sunni-led insurgency after the slaying of two al-Qaida leaders last weekend.

No one has taken responsibility for the blasts, but officials were quick to blame Sunni-led insurgent groups for attacking at a particularly fragile time as Iraq awaits formation of a new government and prepares for U.S. troops to go home by the end of next year.

Friday's apparently coordinated attacks came in a two-hour span shortly after the Shiites' call to prayer across the capital. The major blasts were in former Shiite militia strongholds, underscoring the insurgents' professed aim of provoking a new round of sectarian bloodshed. Among the targets of the car and roadside bombs were three Shiite mosques.

In the vast eastern Baghdad slum of Sadr City, hundreds of worshippers knelt on prayer mats in the streets surrounding the offices of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr when the deadliest blasts went off.

Four strategically located car bombs timed to maximize the carnage killed at least 36 people and wounded nearly 200, according to hospital and police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Aqil Ibrahim, 35, was fixing his taxi when he heard the first explosion.

"I went to see what was going on and to help the wounded worshippers. I saw pieces of human flesh on the ground," he said, holding his bandaged hand.

Flames shot out of nearby parked cars and motorcycles. Blood mixed with water streamed down muddy streets as firefighters worked to put out the blazes, and passers-by frantically tried to help. Shouting men loaded the wounded onto trucks to rush them to the hospital.

One man ran carrying a young girl in a bloodstained pink dress. Others could be seen picking up human remains and burying them in a nearby field before sunset in accordance with Islamic law.

Onlookers in Sadr City threw stones at arriving Iraqi security forces, frustrated that the troops cannot secure the city. The troops fired their guns in the air to scatter the crowd.

Two of the bombs exploded in the mainly Shiite neighborhood of Zafaraniyah, killing one person and wounding 12.

Two others targeted mosques linked with prominent Shiite political leaders. A car bomb at the Hadi al-Chalabi mosque in the Hurriyah neighborhood killed eight people and wounded 19. The mosque is named after the father of Ahmed Chalabi, who was behind much of the faulty intelligence that resulted in the U.S.-led invasion and has since led efforts to bar many Sunni political figures from office.

A bomb targeting the Muhsin al-Hakim mosque killed 14 people and wounded 36. That mosque is named after the grandfather of Ammar al-Hakim, a leading Shiite political figure whose party has ties to Iran.

In the past, such bombings would be followed by revenge attacks by militias against Sunnis, but the retaliatory violence ebbed after al-Sadr's forces were routed by U.S.-Iraqi offensives in 2008.

Three people died in scattered violence elsewhere in the capital.

Bombs also ripped through the houses of Iraqi policemen in the former insurgent stronghold of Anbar province, killing at least seven people, including a soldier trying to defuse one of the devices, authorities said.

April has been the deadliest month in Iraq so far this year, with more than 263 civilians killed in war-related violence, according to an Associated Press count. Still, violence is dramatically lower than past years.

Oil rig blast prompts environmental concerns

President Obama said today that containing spilt oil from a collapsed rig was the Government’s “number one priority” as the US braced itself for a major environmental disaster.

Crude oil was pouring into the Gulf of Mexico this morning from the site where Deepwater Horizon, a floating platform leased by BP, had burnt for two days after an explosion before finally collapsing yesterday.

Officials said the current spill, which threatened to wash ashore on the Gulf states of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, had the potential to be the worst seen in the US since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill, which poured nearly 11 million gallons (42 million litres) of crude into Prince William Sound in Alaska.

In a statement the White House said that President Obama would make sure that the federal government was offering all assistance needed in the rescue effort “as well as in mitigating and responding to the environmental impact”.

Eleven of the 126 people on board the rig at the time of the blast were still missing as the US Coast Guard mounted a desperate search by sea and air. Four others remain in acritical condition.

Officials said that before the explosion there were 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board the rig, which had been drilling 8,000 barrels of oil a day.

“This is considered a major oil spill,” Mike O’Berry, a senior chief petty officer with the US Coast Guard, said.

The Coast Guard said a one mile by five mile slick had settled on the surface about 45 miles offshore as a massive clean-up operation, including specialist ships sent by BP, worked to prevent the oil from reaching the American coast.

Transocean, the Swiss company that owned the rig, tried to cut off the uncontrolled flow of oil using an underwater robot but a spokesperson said last night that it had not been possible “to stem the flow of hydrocarbons prior to the rig sinking”.

The robot, equipped with cameras and remote-controlled arms, was being used to try to activate a device on the seafloor, 5,000ft (1,500m) below the surface, that is designed automatically to close pipes on the seabed.

BP, Transocean and the US Coast Guard were planning to use booms, skimmers and chemicals to control the spreading oil slick.

Adrian Rose, the vice-president of Transocean, said that the rig likely suffered a blowout while drilling through rock at BP’s Macondo prospect, although investigations into the exact cause of the accident are ongoing.

European Air Traffic Close to Normal

An arrivals screen shows on time from Europe to Chicago at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, 21 Apr 2010(VOA News)

Europe's air traffic control agency says almost all European airspace is open to flights again.

Eurocontrol says it expects Europe to have at least 28,000 flights Thursday, after a huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland turned almost the entire continent into a no-fly zone for six days.

Eurocontrol says flight restrictions remain only in northern Scotland and parts of southern Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Thousands of passengers were stuck in airports and hotels Wednesday. Eurocontrol said the volcanic ash caused about 95,000 flight cancellations since last Thursday.

The International Air Transport Association called the cancellations "devastating," saying they cost the airline industry almost $2 billion ($1.7 billion) dollars.

The group's chief, Giovanni Bisignani, urged governments to look at ways to compensate airlines for their losses.

Two major European travel agencies - Thomas Cook and TUI - criticized the British government for shutting down its airspace.

But Britain's Civil Aviation Authority said the main barrier to resuming flights had been determining how much ash aircraft could tolerate. Scientists said flying thorough volcanic ash could cause jet engines to shut down in mid-flight.

The volcano that caused the flight cancellations still was erupting Wednesday, but producing much less ash.

The U.S. State Department said it has helped U.S. citizens and others, including a group of Nazi concentration camp survivors who needed a new hotel and an elderly patient in Frankfurt needing specialized medical treatment. Among European efforts to help stranded passengers, Britain sent a warship to Spain to pick up civilians and troops on their way home from Afghanistan.

Europe resumes some air travel despite volcano

A plume of ash rises from the volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier.

Europe began allowing limited air traffic to resume, giving hope to millions of travelers stranded around the world when ash from a volcano in Iceland choked the jet age to a stop. Some flights from Asia to southern Europe resumed early on Tuesday.

But further delays were to be expected because the eruption from the Icelandic volcano that caused days of aviation chaos was said to be strengthening and sending more ash toward Britain. London’s main airports were kept closed on Tuesday by British air traffic controllers.

In Asia, a Japan Airlines flight from Moscow landed on Tuesday morning at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, the first European flight to arrive since Friday night, said airport spokesman Toru Motoyoshi. Two Alitalia flights departed for Italy, on Monday.

Singapore Airlines resumed flights to Barcelona and Rome, early on Tuesday. But the airline said flights remained cancelled to Zurich, London, Copenhagen and Frankfurt. Singapore’s Changi International Airport said 16 flights on five carriers were cancelled on Tuesday.

At South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, one flight departed for Istanbul but all other flights to Europe were cancelled on Tuesday.
European Union transport ministers reached a deal during a crisis videoconference to divide northern European skies into three areas: a caution zone “with some contamination” where planes can fly subject to engine checks for damage; a “no-fly” zone immediately over the ash cloud and an open-skies zone.

Starting on Tuesday morning, “we should see progressively more planes start to fly,” said EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas.

The German airline Lufthansa said that it would bring 50 planeloads of passengers home.

But the optimism was tempered early on Tuesday by a statement from the British National Air Traffic Service, which said “the volcanic eruption in Iceland has strengthened and a new ash cloud is spreading south and east towards the U.K.”

The service said Scottish airports should be open from 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Tuesday, and other airspace over England may be reopened in the afternoon, but the open zone for flights would not extend as far south as London, where the country’s main airports are located.

Europe’s aviation industry, facing losses of more than $1 billion criticized official handling of the disruption that grounded thousands of flights to and from the continent.

Pakistan Suicide Bomb Attack Kills 7

Pakistan police says a suicide car-bomber attack on a police station killed seven people, including a child, and wounded 26 in northwest Pakistan Sunday.

Authorities say at least 6 police were among the wounded. Police says about 200 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack in the Kohat region. It was the second attack in the region in 2 days.

Two suicide bombers blew up their explosives at a camp for refugees Saturday, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 60 others.

Police says the bombers struck minutes apart at the ” Kacha Pukka” camp for displaced people as residents lined up to register for aid.

The Associated Press says the bombers were men disguised in burqas (the full body covering worn by conservative Muslim women).

A retired Pakistani military official told VOA he believes the Taliban is accountable for the attack. Northwest Pakistan has suffered a major internal displacement of people as a consequence of Taliban violence and a series of military operations targeting Islamist militants near the Afghan border.

Volcano ash cloud grounds flights for second day

An aerial photo shows smoke rising from the volcano under a glacier in the Eyjafjallajokull region of Iceland on Wednesday.

England's airspace will remain closed for most of Friday as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland continues to drift across the country.

The grounding of all non-emergency flights from airports - which began on Thursday morning - will remain in place until at least 1900 BST. This could be extended again following a review of conditions at 0830 BST.

National Air Traffic Services (Nats) imposed the restriction because of the danger the ash poses to aircraft. Tiny particles of rock, glass and sand in the cloud could damage engines.

'No certainty'

Initially, Nats said all flights would be grounded until 1800 BST on Thursday. That was later extended to 0700 BST on Friday and then further lengthened to 1900 BST.

In a statement Nats said: "In general, the situation cannot be said to be improving with any certainty as the forecast affected area appears to be closing in from east to west. "We continue to work closely with airports, airlines, and the rest of Europe to understand and mitigate the implications of the volcanic eruption. "We will review further Met Office information and at 0830 BST we will advise the arrangements that will be in place until 0100 BST on Saturday."

Nats said it could not recall a time when controlled airspace had been completely shut down in the UK.

Manchester, Liverpool, Stansted, Newcastle, Southampton, Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow and Blackpool were badly affected on Thursday. Thousands of passengers across England were left stranded and airports cleared of all but essential staff.

Travellers were warned further delays could be expected when restrictions are eventually lifted and they have been advised to check with their airlines for up to date information.

Death toll hits 617 in China quake

Rescuers fought altitude sickness, chilly weather, strong winds and frequent aftershocks Thursday to dig through rubble and reach survivors of a strong earthquake that has left 617 dead, 9,110 injured and 313 missing in northwest China.

The 7.1-magnitude quake, which struck the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in southern Qinghai Province early on Wednesday, also toppled 15,000 residential buildings and forced 100,000 residents to be relocated, according to the rescue headquarters. Many people are still buried under the debris of collapsed houses in the Gyegu Town near the epicenter, the seat of the Yushu prefecture government and home to 100,000 people. It sits at about 4,000 meters above sea level.

More than 85 percent of houses in Gyegu, mostly made of mud and wood, had collapsed.

"Freezing weather, high altitude and thin air have all made rescue efforts difficult," said Hou Shike, deputy head of the China International Search and Rescue Team.

Some of the team's rescuers were already feeling dizzy due to low oxygen level in the air soon after arriving at the Yushu Airport Wednesday night, Hou said.

Roads linking the airport and Gyegu were blocked by landslides triggered by the quake, which hampered rescue missions, he said.

"We have begun searching and rescue operation in Gyegu overnight, and will set up a field hospital today," he said.

At the Yushu Vocational School, more than 20 bodies have been recovered, but at least 20 others are still buried in the debris.

"Perhaps because of altitude sickness, sniffer dogs did not even work sometimes," said Chang Zhiqiang, a school official who joined the rescue.

Most of the survivors have to stay in the open area Wednesday night amid freezing weather or sought temporary shelters in buildings that remained unaffected by the tremor. Rescuers have set up more than 40 tents for survivors in Gyegu, but the effort seems far from enough.

Professional rescuers, soldiers, police officers and medical workers have been dispatched to Yushu from across the country, along with tents, cotton-padded clothes, quilts, food, water, medicine, bulldozers, excavators, cranes, generators and other relief supplies.

Donations from governmental agencies, privately-run companies or individuals are also being rushed to the quake-hit region.

Hundreds killed as earthquake rocks China

In this image from a mobile phone, rescuers work at a destroyed building after an earthquake hit China

A powerful earthquake in northwest China killed at least 67 people and left many others buried under debris early Wednesday, the state said.

The quake, which struck at 7:49 a.m. in Qinghai Province, was reported as having a magnitude of 7.1 by China’s earthquake administration. The United States Geological Survey recorded it as 6.9.

According to Xinhua, the earthquake struck 240 miles southeast of Golmud, a town of about 130,000 on the Tibetan plateau. Golmud is perhaps best known as the site of the world’s largest salt lake.

The China Earthquake Networks Center said epicenter had been in Yushu County, an area sparsely populated with farmers and herders, mostly ethnic Tibetans.

China National Radio said that 90 percent of the homes in the area had collapsed but that schools and government buildings had largely remained standing.

Karsum Nyima, an employee of a local television station in Yushu, told the national broadcaster, CCTV, that the early morning quake had sent people running into the streets.

“All of a sudden, the houses collapsed,” he said. “It was a terrible earthquake. In the park, a Buddhist pagoda fell off. Everyone is in the street in front of their houses. They are trying to find family members.”

In the same broadcast, Wu Yong, an officer with the Chinese army, said that the road to the airport was impassable and that soldiers were digging out people from collapsed homes by hand. “The most important thing now is that this place is far from everything, with few accessible rescue troops available,” said. “I feel like the number of dead and injured will keep going up.”

State news media reported that 3,000 troops would be sent to the area to assist in rescue efforts.

Last August, Golmud was hit by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that destroyed dozens of homes but caused no deaths. Qinghai is an ethnic melting pot of Tibetans, Mongols and Han Chinese. It is adjacent to Sichuan Province, where 87,000 people died in a powerful earthquake in 2008.

U.S. warns citizens about travel to Thailand

The United States government on Monday warned Americans traveling in Thailand to be vigilant and stay away from some popular tourist areas after 21 people were killed and 800 injured in weekend protests.

The U.S. State Department said political demonstrations in Bangkok were expected to continue through the Songkran Thai New Year holidays from April 13-16.

It warned Americans to avoid areas where demonstrations were taking place, including Khao San road, a popular tourist street for budget travelers in the old town.

"U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence with little or no warning," it said. "U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas that may be targeted for demonstrations and to exercise caution in their movements around Bangkok.

Tourism, which accounts for 6 percent of the Thai economy, is suffering after scenes of heavy fighting in Khao San Road.

The State Department said travel to Thailand remains "generally safe" but the possibility of explosive attacks could not be ruled out. "U.S. citizens are reminded to exercise caution and vigilance at all times." it said.

Pirates hijack $170m oil shipment

Piracy has made Somali waters among the world's most dangerous

A South Korean navy destroyer has caught up with a supertanker hijacked by pirates that is cruising toward the Somali coast with a cargo of crude oil worth as much as $170 million, an official said on Tuesday.

The South Korean-operated, Singapore-owned Samho Dream, which can carry more than 2 million barrels of crude, was seized on Sunday en route from Iraq to the United States, in the latest sign the sea gangs are targeting bigger quarry.

The destroyer, equipped with weapons that can hit targets as far as 32 km (20 miles) away and a Lynx combat helicopter on board, was shadowing the tanker as it headed for East Africa, a South Korean official said.

He declined to comment further on what was being planned by the naval unit, which was deployed last year to protect commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The tanker's crew of five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos was taken hostage when it was seized in the Indian Ocean, about 1,560 km (970 miles) east of the Somali coast.

The operator Samho Shipping denied reports that it has been in contact with the pirates or started negotiations for the release of the crew and the ship. Attempts to reach the crew have so far been unsuccessful, a Samho official said.

Texas-based refiner Valero Energy Corp said it was the owner of the crude oil cargo, which was bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Increasingly brazen pirate activity has driven up insurance costs, forced some ships to go around South Africa instead of through the Suez Canal, and secured millions of dollars in ransoms.

A Nairobi-based maritime group said the tanker had been seized by Somali pirates, and a pirate source named Mohamed said the ship was now heading for Haradheere, the port and pirates' base at which many ships are held during ransom negotiations.

While attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean have become an increasing risk for all vessels in recent years, it is rare for pirates to successfully seize the kind of massive supertankers that carry most Gulf crude to refiners.

The 319,000 deadweight tonnage Samho Dream, which was built in 2002, is carrying crude oil that could be worth as much as $170 million at current oil prices. It holds the equivalent of more than one day's worth of Iraqi exports.

At least 41 killed as triple car bomb hits Baghdad

Three car bombs exploded in Baghdad yesterday in a co-ordinated attack that killed at least 41 people and ended a period of relative calm.

The suicide bombings appeared to have been aimed at foreign embassies. Two were close to the Egyptian and Iranian embassies, while the third struck an intersection near the German, Spanish and Syrian missions.

“I heard the sound of the explosion and ran out into the street to see a big cloud of dust and smoke,” said Ali Sanz Ali, 26, a labourer working close to the Iranian Embassy, near the city centre.

Cement walls outside the heavily guarded building had been flattened. “On the other side of the street, many cars had been destroyed and burnt. You could see the dead,” he said.

The dead included an Iraqi guard at the German embassy and the head of security at the Egyptian mission, where guards shot at the bomber in a failed attempt to stop his truck. More than 200 people were wounded in the bombings.

At the same time there were a number of other attempted attacks, according to the Iraqi authorities. Police intercepted a car laden with explosives which may have been targeting an organisation protecting embassies. There were also improvised explosive devices targeting police patrols.

American and Iraqi authorities have emphasised that the security situation has been improving, but similar “spectacular” attacks continue.

Yesterday’s bombings were similar to co-ordinated attacks on Baghdad in August, October and December, when ministries and administrative buildings were struck, causing hundreds of deaths. In January three hotels were the targets, including the Hamra — where The Times bureau was hit, killing a Times employee. In another incident at the weekend, men disguised in official uniforms entered Sufia village south of Baghdad and shot dead 25 people — all of whom were connected to the Sahwa or “awakening” movement. Sahwa has, since 2006, worked with American and Iraqi forces to defeat extremists.

Israeli Warplanes Bomb Gaza Targets

A Palestinian woman walks past the site of an overnight Israeli army air strike in Gaza City, 02 Apr 2010

Palestinian witnesses and officials say Israeli warplanes carried out at least six raids on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip early Friday

They say at least three air strikes targeted an area near the central town of Khan Younis, the site of last week's deadly clash between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen.

Another strike destroyed a workshop in the refugee camp of Nusseirat and the last one completely destroyed a dairy factory. Hospital sources said at least two children were injured by flying debris.

The Israeli military says the raids were a response to a rocket attack from Gaza on Israel.

Thousands of Israelis gathered in the West Bank city of Hebron Thursday to celebrate Israel's inclusion of the Cave of Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem as a national heritage sites.

The move angered Palestinians and sparked clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. Palestinians claim the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem as part of a future state and reject Israel's settlement activity and military occupation of the area.

The Cave of Patriarchs is believed to be the burial site of Abraham - a sacred figure to both Muslims and Jews.