IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Japan

Nissan's Ghosn hit with fresh charges

Japanese authorities on Monday hit former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn with a fresh charge of aggravated breach of trust, the fourth formal indictment against the auto sector tycoon. The court confirmed that prosecutors had filed the new indictment, which paves the way for his legal team to apply for bail. The 65-year-old strenuously denies all allegations against him and insists they have been cooked up in a "plot" by Nissan executives wary of his plans to bring the Japanese car giant closer to its French partner Renault. Prosecutors are looking into allegations that Ghosn funneled about $15 million in Nissan funds to a dealership in the Middle East and siphoned off around $5 million dollars for his personal use.

Libya

Death toll of Tripoli clashes rises to 254

A total of 254 people have been killed and 1,228 others injured in the fighting between the UN-backed Libyan government and the east-based rebel army in and around the capital of Tripoli, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. Earlier on Sunday, WHO said that more than 20,000 people were forced to flee their homes since the armed conflict started. The eastern army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli where the internationally recognized government is based.

India

At least 7 dead, 10 injured in stampede

At least seven people were killed and 10 others injured due to a stampede during a Hindu temple ceremony in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police said on Monday. The stampede occurred near Thuraiyur in Tiruchirappalli, about 320 kilometers south of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. "Yesterday hundreds of people had gathered for the 'padikasu' (temple coin) distribution ceremony and a stampede broke out during a local temple festival here," a police official said. According to police, the stampede happened when a priest started distributing the coins and devotees surged forward to collect them.

France

Rioting protesters urged police suicides

With French police suicides on the rise, Paris authorities are investigating yellow vest protesters who encouraged police to kill themselves. Radical protesters have clashed with police nearly every weekend for five months on the margins of largely peaceful yellow vest demonstrations. The protesters demand more assistance to beleaguered workers, retirees and students. On Saturday, the 23rd weekend of demonstrations, Associated Press reporters heard some protesters in Paris shouting "Kill yourselves!" at police who were firing tear gas and rubber projectiles and charging the crowd to contain the violence.

Australia

Father and son drown saving tourist

A father-and-son lifesaving team drowned while trying to save a tourist swept out to sea near one of Australia's most famous sights off the south coast, officials said on Monday. Ross Powell, 71, and his son Andrew, 32, died on Sunday after their lifesaving boat overturned in the surf during the rescue of a 30-year-old man near the Twelve Apostles, a set of 12 limestone stacks off the Victoria state coast. The tragedy has rocked the small tourist town of Port Campbell where the two men came from, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison leading the tributes. "Surf lifesavers are selfless & brave. We thank them all for their service & extend our deepest sympathies to Ross & Andrew's family & friends," Morrison tweeted on Monday.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua - Afp

(China Daily 04/23/2019 page12)