15 civilians killed in strikes, rebels say

February 21, 2008

EL GENEINA - Darfur rebels said yesterday that 15 civilians were killed in bombing by government planes near the Chad border, part of an offensive to rid the area of insurgents. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on all sides to show restraint, and humanitarian officials said about 160,000 refugees were trapped in the area north of West Darfur's capital, el-Geneina, and would be severely affected by the fighting. (Reuters)

JAKARTA - A powerful earthquake struck western Indonesia yesterday, killing three people and injuring 25. A tsunami warning was briefly triggered, but was canceled two hours later after no large waves were detected. The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.6 and struck under the island of Simeulue, off the western coast of Sumatra, the region hit worst in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. (AP)

TOKYO - Japanese officials said tight restrictions imposed yesterday on US troops in Japan are a good first step toward stopping military-related crimes amid rape accusations against a Marine, but said more needs to be done. US forces limited about 45,000 troops, civilian employees, and their families to bases, workplaces, or off-base homes. (AP)

MOSCOW - The executive director of Human Rights Watch said yesterday that he was denied a visa to enter Russia, where he was to present a report accusing the Kremlin of using onerous regulations to block the work of activist groups. Kenneth Roth said Russian authorities cited "a changing array of technical reasons" for denying the visa. (AP)