161 killed during Thailand festivities
Bangkok: At least 161 people have been killed and 1,640 others injured in a number of accidents caused by drunk driving and speeding during Thailand's Songkran festival that marks the arrival of spring. 59 people were killed and 747 injured in 689 accidents on Sunday, the third day of the ‘seven dangerous days’ (April 11-17) of the festival.
UN rights chief slams torture in Syria
Geneva: The UN's top human rights official has condemned the ‘rampant use of torture’ in detention facilities in Syria. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says her office has documented a “broad pattern of torture and ill-treatment” in Government facilities and some run by rebel groups. Meanwhile, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Syria has surrendered almost two-thirds of its chemical weapons.
Chile fire toll: 12 dead, 2,000 homes destroyed
Valparaiso: Firefighters struggled for a second night on Monday to contain blazes that have killed 12 people, injured 500, destroyed 2,000 homes and forced 10,000 people to flee the densely populated hills that gave this Chilean port city its unique beauty. Fires they thought were contained 24 hours after they started on Saturday kicked up again with yesterday afternoon's winds and raged out of control, threatening more neighbourhoods.
Prosecutor presses Pistorius at trial
Pretoria: The chief prosecutor in Oscar Pistorius' murder trial on Monday alleged numerous inconsistencies in the athlete's account of how he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year, seeking to show that the athlete is lying when he says he shot her by mistake. Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel accused Pistorius of tailoring his testimony to fit the evidence. Pistorius denied the accusations.
Militants attack NATO oil tankers in Pakistan
Peshawar: Unidentified militants in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region on Monday attacked a convoy of NATO oil tankers carrying supplies for western troops in war-torn Afghanistan, killing a driver.
NSA report among Pulitzer contenders
New York: A report that revealed the massive US Government surveillance effort is among the top finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. The Pulitzers, journalism's highest honour, will be announced today. Revelations about the spy programmes were first published in The Guardian and the Washington Post in June.