12 killed in landslide

JAKARTA: A landslide hit a remote village in western Indonesia, killing 12 people and leaving eight others missing, a government official said on Thursday. Residents of the West Java village of Kidang Pananjung were awoken late on Wednesday by a wave of mud and debris that leveled 17 homes, said Supriatna, an official of district office. — AP

2 Taliban suspects killed

KABUL: US forces battled Taliban holdouts in a forbidding mountain range in southern Afghanistan, killing two fighters and arresting two others, an Afghan governor said on Thursday. Also on Thursday, international peacekeepers announced that they and Afghan security forces had arrested 17 people in the capital in a sweep against suspects allegedly trying to plant a bomb. — AP

Army copter crashes

SRINAGAR: The pilot of an Indian Air Force helicopter died on Thursday when his chopper crashed during a routine mission in the northern zone of Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said. The two-seater helicopter crashed close to a landing pad near the frontier garrison district of Uri, squadron leader Mahesh Upasini said. — AFP

Monkey terror claims one

PATNA: Fleeing a group of marauding monkeys, a newly wed woman fell to her death at her home in this Bihar capital, police said. Navjaut Kaur, 25, was drying clothes on the roof of her home when some monkeys attacked her. She ran to save herself, but fell. The incident has scared women in the area, many of whom stay alone at home while their husbands are away at work. — HNS

5 held over fake milk scam

BEIJING: Police have detained five dealers and are investigating two companies linked to a fake baby milk powder scam in which at least 13 infants have died, state media said on Thursday. In a sign that more babies could be affected, local newspapers in at least eight provinces reported dangerous infant formula had been found. — AFP