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INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot to Naomi Osaka of Japan during Day 7 of the BNP Paribas Open at the…
Swiss President Guy Parmelin lies flowers in tribute at the site of a deadly bus fire in Kerzers, Switzerland, Wednesday. (Reuters) Six people died and three were injured in a bus fire in a small Swiss town believed to have been caused by a man on board who set fire to himself, authorities said Wednesday.Swiss investigators said they saw no evidence that the man, who one official described as “disturbed” and was likely among the dead, had intended to commit any kind of terrorist attack.The bus was engulfed in flames on Tuesday evening on a road near the centre of Kerzers, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants in the western canton of Fribourg, about 20km (12 miles) from the Swiss capital Bern, police said.”As for the motive, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this could be a terrorist act,” said Raphael Bourquin, attorney general of the canton of Fribourg.A criminal investigation has been opened into homicide, arson, and endangering the lives of others, Bourquin said.The victims were aged between 17 and 65, the authorities said, without giving details on nationalities.The suspect, a man of Swiss origin who has not been identified, is believed to have boarded the bus with bags before dousing himself in flammable material and starting the blaze, officials said. He was understood to be in his 60s and had been reported missing by his family, they added.Investigators were going through CCTV footage as well as social media posts to understand the man’s motives, and further searches and interviews would take place, officials said.Three injured people were taken to hospital.Passengers were seen escaping from the burning bus, panicked and injured. Video after the flames were extinguished showed the charred remains of the yellow vehicle.Zeynel Teke, 61, was working at his food stall opposite when flames erupted from the bus and it stopped in front of him.Two or three people came out of the vehicle, and Teke ran to help, using his hand to put out flames on one woman. He went to get his fire extinguisher but the flames were too hot to get close enough to douse them.”It’s so sad to see people burning in front of your eyes. It could be my child, it could be yours,” he said.Mina Gendre was about to close up the shop she works in when she saw the bus was ablaze inside. “It was so shocking,” said Gendre. “I saw someone come running out of the bus on fire.”Gendre shut the door of the shop to protect it as bystanders helped put out the fire on the person with a jacket, she said.One video of the fire circulating among Kerzers’ residents showed what appeared to be a body in flames moving on the ground next to the burning bus.Nirosan Vickneswaran, 37, was waiting anxiously for news of his cousin who was on the bus.”We don’t know if he’s injured or worse,” he said. “All we know is that somebody set fire to themself.”A memorial was quickly erected next to the site of the blaze.The head of the bus company Postauto, Stefan Regli, said it was a terrible tragedy and extended his condolences.Swiss President Guy Parmelin offered condolences and said the incident was being investigated.”It shocks and saddens me that once again people have lost their lives in a serious fire in Switzerland,” he said on X. Related Story Source link
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae watching a televised test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, at an undisclosed…
The event blended reflection, celebration and urgency, highlighting both the progress made in advancing women’s rights and the growing challenges many women and girls face worldwide.The…
Saudi Airlines has announced that it is extending the suspension of flights to and from Oman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain until Thursday, citing ongoing regional developments.In a statement on its X account, the airline said some exceptional flights would operate, with the situation being closely monitored. Suspensions to Moscow and Peshawar will continue until Sunday, March 15.Saudi Airlines added that it is evaluating the gradual resumption of some services and will provide updates once operational decisions are finalized.The airline emphasized that the safety of passengers and crew remains its top priority, and that it is closely monitoring developments to ensure safe operations amid the current situation. Source link
A delivery person carries LPG cylinders on a cycle, amid supply disruptions following the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in New Delhi, Tuesday. (Reuters) India ordered tighter controls over natural and cooking gas Tuesday following import disruptions caused by the Middle East war, with restaurants warning it could spark widespread closures.The world’s most populous nation is the fourth largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyer, and second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), such as that used for cooking — much of which is sourced from the Middle East.”The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has resulted in the disruption of liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Ministry of Petroleum said in an order issued Tuesday.It said the new rules would “ensure equitable distribution and continued availability for priority sectors”.The ministry ordered that LNG supplies be prioritised to supply households, transport sectors and production of LPG.”We are committed to ensure uninterrupted supply of affordable energy to our domestic consumers,” petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a social media post, adding there was “no reason to panic”.But other sectors, including fertiliser plants and tea industries, would receive 70 to 80% of consumption needs, “subject to operational availability”, the ministry said.To meet the gap, gas supplied to petrochemical facilities and power plants would either be fully or partially curtailed.Indian industries including several ceramics and tile firms have already said they are facing a cutback in gas supplies that could impact production.Restaurants and hotels across India also warned of disruptions to operations, after a separate ministry order on Monday that prioritised domestic LPG supplies to households.The National Restaurant Association of India warned that the government order had resulted in LPG suppliers “across the country” signalling that supplies to eateries would be stopped.”The restaurant industry is predominantly dependent on commercial LPG for its operations,” it said in a statement. “Any disruption therein will lead to a catastrophic closure of majority of restaurants.”PC Rao, head of a hotel industry association in the southern tech-city Bengaluru, said the “situation was dire”.”Supply of gas has been hit and many of the smaller establishments only have one to two days of stock left,” Rao told AFP.”The big ones probably have about 10 days worth remaining. Now, people will look to change or restrict their menus bearing in mind the situation.” Related Story…
The Government of Dubai Media Office announced that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport, injuring four people of different nationalities.The office said in a post on X the two people from Ghana and one person from Bangladesh suffered minor injuries, while an Indian national suffered moderate injuries.Air traffic continue to operate as normal. Source link
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Wednesday that a cargo ship sustained damage from an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.The authority added that the extent of the damage is still unknown, but the crew is currently investigating the incident. All crew members are safe, according to the ship’s captain.Approximately 10 vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked since Iran closed this vital waterway, in response to the US-Israeli strikes that began on February 28 against Iran. Source link
Jordan strongly condemned on Wednesday the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation authorities, preventing worshipers from entering and performing religious rituals in the holy month of Ramadan.Official spokesperson for Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ambassador Fouad Al Majali, said the measure constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, the existing legal and historical status quo, and the right to unimpeded access to places of worship.He affirmed Jordan’s absolute rejection and strong condemnation of what he described as an illegal and unjustified measure, as well as the continuation of Israeli authorities’ provocative actions against worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.The spokesperson stressed that the Israeli entity has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.He called on the Israeli entity, as the occupying power, to immediately reopen the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and refrain from obstructing worshipers’ access to the site, urging the international community to adopt a firm position obligating Israel to halt its ongoing violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and to respect the sanctity of places of worship.Al Majali reiterated that Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 dunams, is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims, adding that the Directorate of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem Affairs, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal authority responsible for administering the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Source link
Energy ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) on Wednesday affirmed their readiness to take “all necessary measures” regarding oil reserves, hours before a meeting of G7 leaders, amid sharp volatility in crude prices caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.In a statement issued after a virtual meeting on Tuesday with Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol, the ministers said that “G7 members will carefully consider the recommendations issued during these discussions.”They added that they support in principle the implementation of proactive measures to address the situation, including the use of strategic reserves, noting that coordination is ongoing within the G7 as well as with IEA member states and other partners.”We agreed to stand ready to take all necessary measures in coordination with IEA Members,” the statement said.The discussions followed a meeting of G7 finance ministers on Monday, which was followed by a meeting of energy ministers on Tuesday, to examine the option of using emergency oil reserves.Leaders of the G7 countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — are scheduled to hold a meeting later Wednesday, at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron, focusing on the war in the Middle East, with discussions expected to include the issue of strategic oil stockpiles.Emergency oil stocks held by IEA member countries currently exceed 1.2 billion barrels, in addition to about 600 million barrels held by industry under government mandates. Source link