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Fire in Chemical Factory in India Kills Several

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Fire in Chemical Factory in India Kills Several

A fire at a chemical factory in southern India killed at least six people and injured 13, a government official said on Thursday, with more casualties feared in the second such accident this week.

Pictures of the scene provided by government officials showed Wednesday's massive blaze, with at least two bodies lying on the floor of the factory in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

"There is a possibility of casualties increasing," V. Prasanna Venkatesh, administrative chief of the surrounding district of Eluru, told Reuters.

"Chemical processing was being done (in the unit) and gas cylinders were stored there."

The exact cause of the fire was not immediately clear but it could have been triggered when the cylinders burst for some reason, Venkatesh said, adding that authorities were investigating.

In the western state of Gujarat, a massive explosion at a chemicals plant killed six people this week. read more

Fatal fires in factories, hospitals and shopping complexes are common in India and often blamed on people flouting safety norms, as well as lax inspection by government officials.

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World

Pakistan Facilitates Return of Iranian Crew from US-Seized Ship

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)
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Pakistan Facilitates Return of Iranian Crew from US-Seized Ship

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)

Pakistan said Monday it had facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian crew members from a US-seized vessel, describing the move as a "confidence-building measure" amid fragile diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran.

The sailors, who had been held aboard the container ship Touska, were flown into Islamabad late Sunday and were due to be handed over to Iranian authorities, according to a statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry.

The handover follows a tense maritime standoff in the Gulf of Oman, where US forces intercepted the Iranian-flagged vessel.

President Donald Trump said the ship carried "a gift from China", an allegation Beijing rejected, insisting it opposed "any malicious association and speculation".

Iran has condemned the seizure as "piracy" and a violation of an April ceasefire, urging the United Nations to intervene.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator for the war in the Middle East, hosting talks aimed at reducing friction between the United States and Iran.

The transfer of the crew was coordinated with both sides, Pakistan said, reflecting a rare instance of practical cooperation despite wider tensions over sanctions, shipping routes and regional security.

The vessel itself is expected to be returned after repairs.

Islamabad said it would continue to facilitate dialogue and diplomacy in pursuit of regional stability, as the Strait of Hormuz remains volatile and indirect US-Iran engagement politically sensitive.

World

Iran Executes 3 Men over Involvement in Anti-govt Protests

FILED - 17 April 2026, Iran, Tehran: FILE PHOTO - An Iranian woman takes part in a rally under the motto "Sacrificed Girls" to pay tribute to women killed during the war. Photo: Stringer/dpa
FILED - 17 April 2026, Iran, Tehran: FILE PHOTO - An Iranian woman takes part in a rally under the motto "Sacrificed Girls" to pay tribute to women killed during the war. Photo: Stringer/dpa
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Iran Executes 3 Men over Involvement in Anti-govt Protests

FILED - 17 April 2026, Iran, Tehran: FILE PHOTO - An Iranian woman takes part in a rally under the motto "Sacrificed Girls" to pay tribute to women killed during the war. Photo: Stringer/dpa
FILED - 17 April 2026, Iran, Tehran: FILE PHOTO - An Iranian woman takes part in a rally under the motto "Sacrificed Girls" to pay tribute to women killed during the war. Photo: Stringer/dpa

Iran executed three men after they were convicted of involvement in anti-government protests that rocked the country in December and January, authorities said Monday.

Arrests and executions in Iran, particularly linked to the protests that began in December over living costs, have been on the rise since the start of the regional war triggered by a US-Israeli attack on February 28.

"Mehdi Rassouli and Mohammad Reza Miri, Mossad agents involved in the January riots in Mashhad (northeast), responsible for widespread violence and the death of a member of the security forces, were hanged," said the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website, referring to the Israeli spy agency.

The court accused the two men of "using Molotov cocktails and bladed weapons, inciting and encouraging others to kill, and directly participating in the murder of a security officer".

"Ebrahim Dolatabadi, one of the main instigators of the riots in Mashhad that claimed the lives of several members of the security forces, was also hanged," Mizan added.

The sentences were carried out after the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict for all three men, AFP quoted Mizan as saying.

According to Iranian authorities, the wave of protests that peaked in January began peacefully before descending into "riots fomented by foreign powers".

The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths in the protests but blames the violence on "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

On Sunday, a man was executed for his role in a murder committed during another round of protests that rocked Iran in 2022-2023 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman.

World

Indonesia, Japan Discuss Defense Ties After Tokyo Unlocks Arms Exports

Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (R), Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (C), and a female military police officer pose for a photo at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta on May 4, 2026. (AFP)
Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (R), Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (C), and a female military police officer pose for a photo at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta on May 4, 2026. (AFP)
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Indonesia, Japan Discuss Defense Ties After Tokyo Unlocks Arms Exports

Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (R), Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (C), and a female military police officer pose for a photo at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta on May 4, 2026. (AFP)
Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (R), Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (C), and a female military police officer pose for a photo at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta on May 4, 2026. (AFP)

The defense ministers of Indonesia and Japan met in Jakarta Monday to sign a defense cooperation agreement, underlining the need to safeguard regional peace and stability in the face of global tumult.

Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said he would ink an agreement with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi, although details of the pact were not shared publicly and there was no official confirmation that they had signed it.

Japan's defense ministry has said Koizumi would seek to bolster exchanges in the areas of "defense equipment and technology".

Tokyo eased a decades-old curb on arms exports last month, allowing firms to sell lethal weapons to any of the 17 countries with which Japan has defense agreements.

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, a former general, has been pushing to modernize the country's ageing military assets since taking office in 2024.

After Indonesia, Koizumi is bound for the Philippines, where Japanese forces are taking part in a joint military exercise also including the United States.

On Monday, Koizumi said defense cooperation with Indonesia would make a "contribution to peace and stability... for the region as a whole" amid "an increasingly complex and tense international situation".

He also told reporters he would discuss maritime security and joint drills with Sjafrie.

Indonesia last month concluded a defense cooperation pact with the United States, agreed to increase security ties with France, and inked an oil deal with Russia.

Jakarta, while defending a non-aligned diplomatic posture it calls "free and active", last year joined the BRICS bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia and US rival China.

Prabowo has also signed a trade deal with US President Donald Trump and joined his so-called "Board of Peace".

Last week, Jakarta said it was still considering a US request for blanket overflight clearance which, if approved, analysts say could be seen as an alignment with Washington over Beijing.

Indonesia is strategically located on the Malacca Strait -- the world's busiest chokepoint for oil and petroleum liquids, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The vast majority of China-bound oil travels through the strait.