Home – Page 86 – South Asia Time

Home

Nepal-Nine killed as bus plunges off bridge in Rupandehi

Kathmandu: At least nine passengers died and 24 others sustained injuries when a bus plunged off a bridge in Rupandehi district on early Sunday morning.

The bus, Lu 2 Kha 3841, heading for Bhairahawa from Janakpur plunged off the bridge over Rohanikhola at around 4:30 am today causing the fatalities, police said.

The condition of 15 passengers injured in the mishap is critical, DSP Navratna Poudel at District Police Office Rupandehi told Nepal Live Today.

The injured are being treated at Bhim Hospital and Universal Medical College in Bhairahawa.

Bangladesh fire: 25 killed, hundreds injured in depot blast

Bangladesh: A fire and a huge explosion have killed at least 25 people and injured hundreds more at a storage depot near the city of Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Hundreds of people had arrived to tackle the fire when a number of containers exploded at the site in Sitakunda.

The cause of the fire is not known, but it is thought that chemicals were stored in some of the containers.

Hospitals in the area are overwhelmed and have appealed for blood donations.

Many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition with burns covering 60% to 90% of their bodies.

“The explosion just threw me some 10 metres from where I was standing. My hands and legs are burnt,” lorry driver Tofael Ahmed told AFP news agency. Read more at BBC 

 

El Zulia mine blast: Nine miners dead and six still trapped

Nine coal miners have died and six remain trapped underground after an explosion in a coal mine in Colombia, the National Mining Agency (ANM) said.

The explosion near the northern town of El Zulia on Monday was caused by a build-up of gas which caused a fire and the collapse of a tunnel, trapping the miners, officials said.

The surviving miners have been trapped underground for six days.

Families have been waiting desperately for news as rescue efforts continue.

Rescue work was initially hampered by the build-up of gas as well as heavy rains, but some 70 rescuers are now working against the clock to find the remaining miners, AFP reports. (BBC)

8 killed, 15 injured in factory fire in India

LUCKNOW: At least eight workers were killed and over dozen others injured after a fire erupted in a chemical factory in northern India, police said Saturday.

The fire broke out after a boiler exploded in the factory in the Hapur area of Uttar Pradesh state, said senior police officer Pravin Kumar. The injured have been hospitalized and three of them were in critical condition, he said.

The intensity of the blast blew off the factory’s roof, said Ajay Mishra, a rescue worker.

Authorities ordered an investigation.

In 2019, a fire caused by an electrical short circuit in a New Delhi factory producing handbags and other items killed 43 people. In a second major fire that year, a blaze in a six-story building’s illegal rooftop kitchen killed 17 people, also in New Delhi. New Source: abc News | Photo: ANI

Actress Diya supports Gurkha movement from top of the world

London — Noted Nepali film actress, Diya Pun, has expressed solidarity with the Gurkha movement from top the Mount Everest.

Daughter of a former Gurkha Captain, Umesh Kumar Pun MVO, Diya expressed support for the Gurkha Equality Campaign from the summit of Mount Everest during her recent ascent of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.

In a 20-second video shared on social media, she said, “Hello, I am the daughter of retired Captain Umesh Kumar Pun MVO. On behalf of all Gurkha soldiers, I stand for the right to equal pension in the highest part of the world. ”

During the ascent, actress Pun raised funds for the UK’s National Health Service NHS Together, Colchester and Ipswich Hospital Charity and Children and Youth First, an organisation working for children in Nepal.

Actress Diya is a nurse by profession who is living in Colchester, UK. She has acted in films like Dayarani, Mister Jhole, Birvikram and Happy Days, is also in the process of releasing her movie Mantra.

It has been ten years since the Gurkha ex-servicemen joined the equal rights movement demanding equal pension.

Many celebrities from Nepal and outside Nepal have already shown solidarity and support in this movement.  Famous actress Joanna Lumley is an example of this

Chinese banks agree to refinance Pakistan

Chinese banks have agreed to refinance Pakistan with USD 2.3 billion worth of funds on Thursday given a shortage of forex reserve in the country. This move comes when Pakistan is trying to refurbish its economy to avail of funds from the International Monetary Fund(IMF).

Last week, the Pakistan government hiked fuel and electricity prices, which is a key IMF demand for releasing funds. The government decided to raise the electricity prices by PKR 7, and petrol and diesel by PKR 30 per litre in order to stabilize the country’s economy at a time of a deepening political crisis.

Australia fears foot-and-mouth risk as Indonesia outbreak infects 20,000 animals

More than 20,000 animals have been infected by foot-and-mouth disease across 16 provinces, according to Indonesia’s agriculture ministry. Some analysts are concerned the virus will soon reach tourist hotspots like Bali, raising questions over whether Australian travellers should be banned from going there.

Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious disease that affects cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves.

The virus has not been detected in Australia for more than 100 years, according to the government. (Bloomberg)

Indian officials meet Taliban in Kabul

New Delhi: The acting Taliban foreign minister of Afghanistan met with a delegation of Indian officials on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties and humanitarian supplies, according to the Taliban, in what was the first such visit to Kabul since the tumultuous US exit last year.

Poverty and hunger have risen dramatically in Afghanistan since Islamist terrorists seized power following the US withdrawal, and India has responded by sending food grains and other relief.
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, met with an Indian foreign ministry delegation led by senior official J.P. Singh.

On Twitter, Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi claimed, “The meeting focused on India-Afghan diplomatic relations, bilateral trade, and humanitarian relief.”

Platinum Jubilee: UK celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne

London —  The Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee this year, marking 70 years since she ascended to the throne.

On significant anniversaries, celebrations take place across the UK and the Commonwealth. This year, street parties will be held, as well as public ceremonies such as the Trooping the Colour, which marks the Queen’s official birthday.

The celebrations have been released in stages. Street parties are being planned across the country, and official festivities include the Queen’s Green Canopy campaign and the Platinum Pudding Competition.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday take place on Friday 3 June 2022, and is being observed by all UK nations.

This is almost four months after Elizabeth II celebrated the 70th anniversary of her accession on 6 February 2022.

However, that also marked 70 years since the death of her father, King George VI, and was therefore not an occasion the monarch wished to celebrate.

The first week of June was chosen for the Platinum Jubilee weekend instead, just like the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees, with the summer month offering a better chance of good weather.

To create the four-day weekend, the late May spring bank holiday has been moved to Thursday 2 June, with the additional day off following a day later.

The Queen’s coronation took place on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey in London.

The major Platinum Jubilee celebrations therefore began on Thursday, June 2, 2022, and continue over the weekend until June 5.

Plans have also been confirmed to allow pubs and bars to serve alcohol until 1am on June 2, 3 and 4 as an alteration to the usual 11pm cut off. Home Office minister Kit Malthouse said the extension would allow people to ‘celebrate the longest-reigning monarch in the United Kingdom’, The Telegraph reported.

There are now more than 2,000 events listed on the official Platinum Jubilee website, taking place across the UK to celebrate the occasion.

British Asians honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List

London — Author Salman Rushdie and cricketer Moeen Ali are among a number of British Asians honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List published on Wednesday.

The honor list includes  13.3 per cent of recepants from an ethnic minority background.

Covid efforts recognised alongside philanthropists and community leaders British Asians named among them are:

ORDER OF THE COMPANIONS OF HONOUR:

Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie, author, for services to literature (London, Greater London)

KNIGHTHOODS

Rohinton Minoo Kalifa OBE, chair, Network International, for services to financial services, technology and public service (London, Greater London); Professor Aziz Sheikh OBE FRSE, chair, Primary Care Research and Development, University of Edinburgh, for services to Covid-19 research and policy (Lasswade, Edinburgh)

COMMANDERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Avnish Mitter Goyal, chair, Care England, for services to social care and philanthropy (Billericay, Essex); Navin Fakirchand Shah, lately London assembly member for Brent and Harrow, for political and public service (London, Greater London); Ramesh Kanji Vala OBE, consultant, Ince Group, for services to the community and Covid-19 response (London, Greater London)

OFFICERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Shahina Ahmad, principal, Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest, for services to education (London, Greater London); Osman Ahmed, senior officer, National Crime Agency, for services to law enforcement (London, Greater London); Professor Babak Akhga, director, Centre for Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research, Sheffield Hallam University, for services to security research (Sheffield, South Yorkshire); Moeen Ali, for services to cricket (Birmingham, West Midlands); Dr Raghib Ali, consultant in acute medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and senior clinical research associate, epidemiology, University of Cambridge, for services to the NHS and Covid-19 response (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire); Kishorkant Bhattessa (Vinu Bhattessa), managing director, Mandeville Hotel Group and trustee, BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, for charitable and voluntary services, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Dr Shamil Chandaria, for services to science and technology, finance and philanthropy (Stanmore, Greater London); Afia Choudhury, foster carer, Tower Hamlets, for services to children (London, Greater London); Jasbir Singh Dhesi, principal and CEO, Cheshire College South and West, for services to education (Wrexham, Clwyd); Dr Noha Elsakka, consultant, medical microbiology and virology and service clinical director, NHS Grampian, for services to the NHS and Covid-19 response (Aberdeen); Abdul Hai, lately cabinet member for young people, equalities and cohesion, Camden, for services to young people and to the community in Camden and London (London, Greater London); Hifsa Haroon-Iqbal MBE DL, regional Prevent co-ordinator, Department for Education, for services to social cohesion (Staffordshire); Dr Azeem Ibrahim, director, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, for services to the Union, diversity and foreign policy (Glasgow); Haroon Karim, chair, Balham and Tooting mosque and trustee, World Memon Organisation, for services to philanthropy and the community in south London and Pakistan (London, Greater London); Kamruddin Kothia, chair of trustees, Star Academies, for services to education (Blackburn, Lancashire); Shivani Lakhani, society team lead, Covid-19 Task force, Cabinet Office, for services to vulnerable communities during the Covid-19 response (London, Greater London); Sumeet Kaur Matharu, chief pharmacist, Defence Primary Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, for services to armed forces healthcare (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands); Yasmine Joun Moezinia, deputy director, COP26 Private Finance Hub, Treasury, for services to climate finance (London, Greater London); Rohit Naik, headteacher, Hope School, Liverpool, for services to education (Liverpool, Merseyside); Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani, professor of artificial intelligence and robotics, and head, Centre for Autonomous Systems and Advanced Robotics, for services to robotics (Altrincham, Greater Manchester); Vippen Paul Sagoo, businessman, for services to the Asian community and diversity and inclusion (London, Greater London); Tariq Navid Shah, philanthropist, for services to charity (Doncaster, South Yorkshire); Professor Parveen Yaqoob, deputy vice-chancellor, University of Reading, for services to higher education (Reading, Berkshire); Dr Asim Yusuf, consultant psychiatrist and Islamic scholar, for services to the Muslim community (Wolverhampton, West Midlands); Dr Sabir Zazai FRSE, chief executive, Scottish Refugee Council, for services to refugees (Rutherglen, Lanarkshire)

MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Rozina Ahmed, principal policy officer, mayor of London’s office, for services to equality, diversity and inclusion in education, culture and sport (London, Greater London); Dr Rizwan Yahya Ahmed, consultant respiratory physician, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, for services to public health during Covid-19 (Bolton, Greater Manchester); Tariq Ali, for services to the community in Wolverhampton during Covid-19 (Wolverhampton, West Midlands); Mohammad Asad, imam and Muslim chaplain, for services to charitable fundraising and the NHS during Covid-19 (Walsall, West Midlands); Mohammed Sadiq Badat, for voluntary and charitable services in Leicester and abroad (Leicester, Leicestershire); Pranav Bhanot, councillor, Chigwell Parish Council, for services to the community in Chigwell, Essex (Chigwell, Essex); Dr Chila Kumari Singh Burman, artist, for services to visual art, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Angela Chada, executive director, Springboard Opportunities, for services to children and young People in Northern Ireland (Belfast); Professor Indranil Chakravorty, chair, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Institute for Health Research and consultant physician, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for services to the healthcare sector (St Albans, Hertfordshire); Ghazain Choudhry, for services to wheelchair basketball (London, Greater London); Dr Umakant Ramchandra Dave, consultant physician, Swansea Bay University Health Board, for services to the NHS (Swansea, West Glamorgan); Sanjeevini Dutta, director, Kadam Dance, for services to dance (Luton, Bedfordshire); Devika Mihiri Anoja Fernando, research library manager, Department for Work and Pensions, for services to international librarianship (London, Greater London); Razia Tariq Hadait, founder and CEO, Himaya Haven CIC, for services to the community in Birmingham (Birmingham, West Midlands); Humera Haqqani, managing director, Let’s Talk, for services to business and the community in Rochdale (Rochdale, Greater Manchester); Safia Jama, CEO, Women’s Inclusive Team, for services to the voluntary and charitable sector (London, Greater London); Ameet Jogia, councillor, Harrow, and co-chair, Conservative Friends of India, for political and public service (London, Greater London); Dr Manojkumar Narottam Liladhar Joshi DL, volunteer, for voluntary services to the community in Bradford during Covid-19 (Bradford, West Yorkshire); Chunilal Odhavji Kakad, for services to the community in Brent (London, Greater London); Najma Khalid, founder, Women’s CHAI Project and lead organiser, Parent Power Oldham, for services to the community in Oldham (Oldham, Greater Manchester); Zamir Khan, community volunteer, for services to the Blackburn Muslim Burial Society and the community in Blackburn, particularly during Covid-19 (Blackburn, Lancashire); Barjinderpall Lall, head of skills, JGA Group, London, for services to apprenticeships and skills training (Greenford, Greater London); Nitin Natwarlal Madhavji (Nick Madhavji), founder and chief executive, Joskos Solutions, for services to education, business and charity (London, Greater London); Sandeep Mahal, lately director, Nottingham Unesco city of literature, for services to literature, the arts and culture in Nottingham (Walsall, West Midlands); Kiritkumar Jamnadas Modi (Kirit Modi), honorary president, National Kidney Federation and the National Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance, for services to organ donation particularly in ethnic minority communities (London, Greater London); Professor Srimathi Rajagopalan Murali, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for services to international doctors working in the NHS (Wigan, Greater Manchester); Professor Daljit Nagra, chair, Royal Society of Literature, for services to literature (London, Greater London); Badrun Nesa Pasha, co-founder, Bangladeshi Women’s Association, for services to the Bangladeshi community in the West Midlands (Birmingham, West Midlands); Sharan Pasricha, founder, Ennismore, for services to the hotel industry (London, Greater London); Kawan Deepakchandra Patel, lately deputy director, head of social contact, Cabinet Office and Covid-19 Directorate lead, Home Office, for services to the Covid-19 response (London, Greater London); Bhawana Ramanbhai Patel, human resources consultant, Defence Business Services, Ministry of Defence, for services to defence (London, Greater London); Bharat Patel, for services to the community in Greater London, particularly during Covid-19 (Watford, Hertfordshire); Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan, south Indian classical vocalist and dancer, and founder director, British Carnatic Choir, for services to the promotion of south Indian classical music and dance (Solihull, West Midlands); Raja Suleman Raza, founder and CEO, Spice Village, for services to business and philanthropy, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Gurvinder Singh Sandher, CEO, Cohesion Plu, for services to the arts and the community in Kent (Longfield, Kent); Harshad Purshottam Saujani JP, community safety educator, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, for services to fire safety (Leicester, Leicestershire); Suman Raj Shrestha, professional lead, Royal College of Nursing and nurse consultant in critical care, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, for services to critical care nursing (Crowthorne, Berkshire); Anwar Uddin, fans, for diversity campaign manager, the Football Supporters’ Association, for services to Association football (London, Greater London); Sanjaykumar Jayantilal Vadera, CEO, The Fragrance Shop and Per-Scent, for services to international trade (Altrincham, Greater Manchester); Ameeta Virk, markets leader, Department for International Trade, for services to the economy (Bristol)

MEDALLISTS OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Mansoor Ahmad, for services to the community in Merton during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Mohammed Tahir Ali, for services to the community in Preston during Covid-19 (Preston, Lancashire); Ibrar Ali, volunteer development manager, Bradford Moor Play and Support Service, for voluntary services to the community in Bradford (Bradford, West Yorkshire); Amjid Hussain, director, Bradford Moor Play and Support Service, for voluntary services to the community in Bradford (Leeds, West Yorkshire); Md Nazrul Islam, for services to the community in Tower Hamlets during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Lakshmana Rao Kastala, founder and chair of trustees, DREAMSAI, for charitable services to the community in Milton Keynes (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire); Angela Rosemary Khalil, patron and lately president, British Red Cross, Essex, for voluntary service (Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire); Abrar Khan, for services to the community in Ilford, Redbridge, particularly during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Fazle Abbas Kinkhabwala, for services to the Indian and Pakistani communities in Birmingham and the schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham (Birmingham, West Midlands); Indraprasad Limbu, broadcast technician, British Forces Broadcasting Service, for services to the armed forces (Basingstoke, Hampshire); Yaser Hachem Martini, co-founder and trustee, Team Margot Foundation, for services to stem cell donation (London, Greater London); Rukeya Khanom Miah, deputy associate director of nursing and senior midwife, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for services to maternity and healthcare education, particularly during Covid-19 (Keighley, West Yorkshire); Varsha Kumari Mistry, forensic practitioner, Metropolitan Police Service, for services to diversity and inclusion in policing and the Hindu Community (London, Greater London); Joanne Mohammed, registered nurse, Royal Bolton Hospital, for services to nursing and disability awareness (Blackburn, Lancashire); Md Oliur Rahman, for services to the community in Islington during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Nafesa Salah-Ud-Din, civil service local delivery and engagement lead, Cabinet Office, for public service and services to diversity and inclusion (London, Greater London); Ashfaq Siddique, for services to the community in Barking and Dagenham during Covid-19 (London, Greater London); Jayesh Kumar Dayarambhai Solanki (Jay Kumar Solanki), for services to dance and to the community in Greater London (London, Greater London); Abdul Wakil, director, Islamic Integration Community Centre, for services to the Muslim community in Hounslow (London, Greater London); Thasan Yoganathan, care home manager, Ammanford, for services to people with dementia and the community in Ammanford, Wales (Llanelli, Carmarthenshire) – List expert from Eastern Eye

China: 14,427 affected after 6.1 magnitude earthquake jolts Sichuan

Sichuan — About 14,427 people were affected after a 6.1- magnitude earthquake jolted the city of Ya’an in Sichuan, South Western China,  reported local media citing preliminary statistics. Four people were confirmed dead and 41 others injured due to the earthquake that jolted the city on Wednesday afternoon, according to the city’s earthquake relief headquarters on Thursday.

Earlier, the city’s earthquake relief headquarters said that a total of 13,081 people in Ya’an were affected by the earthquake however as per the new statistics the number has increased significantly, reported Xinhua. The 6.1-magnitude earthquake rattled Lushan County of Ya’an in Sichuan, at 5 p.m. Wednesday Beijing Time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicentre, with a depth of 17 km, was monitored at 30.4 degrees north latitude and 102.9 degrees east longitude, the CENC said. Earlier, a level-III national emergency response was activated after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the Ministry of Emergency Management.(ANI)

British government forms talks team to discuss demands of Gurkha veterans

London: The British government has formed a talks team to discuss the demands of former Gurkha soldiers.

Deputy Chief of Mission and Spokesperson at the Nepali Embassy in London Roshan Khanal said that the British government has informed the embassy regarding the formation of a talks team led by Minister for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty.

A meeting will be held within three weeks to discuss the modalities for talks,” Khanal told Nepal Live Today.

Earlier, the Nepal government had formed a talks team to hold dialogue with the United Kingdom regarding the demands of former Gurkha soldiers. A Cabinet meeting in March had formed a delegation led by Nepali Ambassador to the UK Gyan Chandra Acharya for talks.

Fast-unto-death

The British government had agreed to form a talks team to address the demands of former Gurkhas veterans after former Gurkha soldiers Gyan Raj Rai, Dhan Gurung, and Pushpa Rana Ghale, a member of the Gurkha family, staged a 13-day hunger strike near the British Prime Minister’s Office in London in August.

A British minister had written a letter to the then Nepali Ambassador Lokdarshan Regmi stating that the British government was ready to hold talks with the Nepali government on the demands of ex-Gurkha soldiers by December 2021.

Read more at Nepal Live Today

Nepal restarts selling electricity to India

KATHMANDU  — Nepal resumed selling surplus electricity to Indian buyers on Thursday through a power exchange market in India after a moratorium of nearly six months.

“We’re selling 37.7 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Indian buyers starting from Thursday,” Suresh Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), told Xinhua.

“When the monsoon starts and Nepal’s hydropower plants, most of them run-of-the-river type, generate power as per their full capacity, we will be able to sell more power in the Indian market,” he noted.

India is facing an energy crisis now due to a global shortage of coal, on which most of the Indian power plants are running.

Nepal has got approval from the Indian authority to sell 364 MW of electricity in the Indian market through a bidding process, according to the NEA.

The NEA sold power to India from early November to the first week of December last year, but halted the export over a short supply of power at home during the dry season.

Nepal has been in a power deficit for a long time, but it started to produce surplus energy after the country’s largest 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project started to generate electricity from July last year.

As the monsoon season is setting in, hydropower plants in Nepal are producing more power from the elevated water levels in the Himalayan rivers.

In early May, the NEA invited bids from Indian companies to buy its 200 MW surplus energy from July 1 to Nov. 29 under a long-term power purchase agreement. (Xinhua)

Nepal: Dead bodies of Tara Air plane crash victims handed over to families

Kathmandu: The dead bodies of the victims in the recent Tara Air Twin Otter crash have been handed to their families on Thursday, according to the officials.

According to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, the dead bodies of all 22 who were killed in the crash were handed to their families as post-mortem examinations concluded on Wednesday night.

The last rites of four Indian killed in the crash were performed by Pashupati Aryaghat. The dead bodies of two German nationals who died in the crash will be taken to Germany.

The aircraft had gone missing on Sunday while it was en route to Jomsom of Mustang from Pokhara, Kaski. The aircraft was found crashed on a cliff at the base of Manapathi Peak at Thasang Rural Municipality-2 in Mustang the next day.

Tara Air aircraft crash: Dead bodies to be handed over to relatives today

Kathmandu: The dead bodies of the Tara Air aircraft crash victims will be handed over to relatives on Thursday.

According to the TU Teaching Hospital, the bodies will be handed over to respective relatives as the post-mortem of all 22 killed in the crash has been completed.

The Twin Otter with call sign 9N-AET had crashed in a mountain at Sanosare of Thasang Rural Municipality-2 in Mustang on Sunday, killing all 22 people on board, including three crew members.

Police say four killed in Oklahoma in new US gun rampage

United States: A man armed with a rifle and handgun opened fire inside a medical building in Oklahoma on Wednesday, killing four people, police said, the latest of a series of mass shootings in the United States.

The gunman also died, apparently of a self-inflicted wound, Tulsa’s deputy police chief Eric Dalgleish told reporters outside the St Francis Hospital.

Dalgleish said police were trying to determine the man’s identity, but said he was aged between 35 and 40.

The shooting comes eight days after an 18-year-old man armed with an automatic rifle burst into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 children and two teachers before being fatally shot himself and just more than two weeks after a shooting at a Buffalo supermarket by a white man who is accused of killing 10 Black people in a racist attack.

The site of the St Francis Hospital was sealed off on Wednesday afternoon when police learned of the attack at the Natalie Medical Building, which houses an outpatient surgery centre and a breast health centre.

Tulsa resident Nicholas O’Brien, whose mother was in a nearby building when the shooting occurred, told reporters that he rushed to the scene. Read the full story at Aljazeera