Ferry capsizes; scores missing
Huge waves and driving rain hindered rescuers today as they searched for about 250 people missing and feared dead after a ferry packed with passengers and cargo capsized in a cyclone off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island.
Many passengers were sleeping when the 700-ton Teratai Prima was struck by tropical cyclone Charlotte before dawn Sunday while traveling from the western port of Parepare to Samarinda on the Indonesian half of Borneo island, officials and witnesses said. It sank about 30 miles off the coast of western Sulawesi.
The captain – who survived – was being investigated for allegedly ignoring warnings from the Indonesian weather agency that conditions on the crossing were too dangerous, Transport Minister Jusman Syafi’i Djamal said.
At least 21 people – 18 passengers and three crew members – were rescued from the sea by fishermen before the military launched a search operation at daybreak today, Djamal told reporters in Jakarta.
Peshawar, Pakistan
Insurgents attack paramilitary camp
Hundreds of militants, many from Afghanistan, attacked a Pakistani paramilitary camp in a lawless northwestern tribal region early Sunday, sparking a major clash that left six security troops and 40 insurgents dead.
The brazen raid in Mohmand suggested sophisticated cross-border coordination among Taliban militants nesting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and underscored the continued strength of the militancy despite an ongoing Pakistani military offensive.
Insurgents attacked the Pakistani Frontier Corps’ camp at about 2 a.m. (2100 GMT Saturday) with mortars and rockets, then used small arms to fire on a checkpoint near the Mohammad Ghat camp, said a paramilitary official, who gave details on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to comment to the media.
The 600 or so attackers were eventually driven off, but scattered skirmishes continued, he said.
At least 40 militants were killed and scores were wounded, while six security forces died and seven were hurt, according to the official and a Frontier Corps statement.
Moscow
Medvedev says gas deal is void
President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia considers an EU-mediated deal to monitor gas flow across Ukraine void because of changes made by Ukraine.
Moscow has said it will not restart gas supplies to Europe until it has a valid deal. Supplies have been halted since Wednesday.
Medvedev on Sunday urged EU officials to demand Ukraine withdraw its so-called declaration that it issued to accompany the agreement.
The European Commission says the declaration can’t change the deal, but Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Medvedev that the copy of the deal Russia has received contains Ukraine’s stipulation that it only is valid along with the declaration.