Confce on street children:
six 'Southeast Aslan countries are to take part In a seminar aimed at drawing attention to the problem of the region's street children, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Thailand said Tuesday. AFP reports from Bangkok.
Indonesia. Malaysia, the Philippines. Singapore. Thailand and Vietnam will send both government and nongovernmental representatives to the conference, organised by the EU and held in Pattava. South of Bangkok from July 11 to 13.
Delegates will discuss the situation of street children in each of the participating countries focusing on child labour and prostitution. EU Ambassador Gwyn Morgan told a press conference here.
Tremor shakes Hokkaido: An earthquake registering 5.2 on the Richter scale shook Hokkaido in northern Japan early Wednesday but there were no reports of damage or injuries, the Meteorological agency said. AFP reports from Tokyo.
There was no fear of Tsunami tidal waves, the agency said.
The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 1.27 AM. was located 110 kilometres under the seabed Off Tokach!. southeastern Hokkaido, the agency said.
8 Japanese die in fire: Eight people died in a fire that broke out early yesterday in a boarding house in Ebina, southwest of Tokyo, police said. Reuter reports frofn Tokyo.
The 45 other residents of the three-storey building escaped unharmed, police said. The fire broke out at about 2:00 am local time (1700 GMT) and raged, for three hours, gutting the building, the Ebina Fire Department said.
The bodies of the eight victims were found on the second floor, but had yet to be Identified due to severe burns, police said. Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Afghan woman kills herself: a young Afghan woman in New Delhi burned herself to death at a local UN office after accusing fellow refugees of trying to force her into prostitution, the United News of India (UNI) said on Tuesday, Reuter reports from New Delhi.
It said Ajalal. 30. killed herself in front of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Monday after she delivered a petition there against men she said were harassing her.
UNI said th? police arrested Habib Mustafa and were looking for Mohammed Sharif, both Afghan refugees, accused by Ajalal of trying to lure her into prostitution and drug trafficking.
Heatwave claims 4 in Italy: Rome, mayor urged the elderly, the sick and children on Tuesday not to go out of doors in the afternoon because of pollution aggravated by a freak heatwave. Reuter reports from Rome.
Francesco RuteJU issued the ordinance after electronic monitors In several areas of the city recorded high pollution
At least four people have died in Italy in a heatwave that has brought tropical temperature and high humidity to much of the country from the Alps to Sicily.
Spain fire death toll 11:
nresn^dibra third day Tuesday in Spain, fanned by strong winds and high temperatures, killing 1 1 people to date and destroying more than 75.000 hectares 1190.000 acres) of forest and bush. AFP reports from Madrid.
Fires on Monday destroyed 32.000 acres around Aragon. 59.000 acres in northeast Catalonia and 12.500 acres in Murcia in the southeast
Ten regions were hit in Valencia, where six volunteer fire fighters died Monday At tlie border of Valencia and Aragon the army deployed a further 200 soldiers to join the 100 or so already helping firemen since Sunday, along with several hundred volunteers.
Flood kills 6 in Georgia:
At least «> people died Tuesday as heavy rains brought extensive flooding to areas of Georgia luthorities said. AFP reports from Georgia
The downpours were the remnants of tropical storm Alberto, the first of the tropical season, which swept in from the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend and made landfall along the western Panhandle region of Florida on Sunday
Authorities in Bfbb county said that a man and a woman died when a creek burst Its banks and swept away their pickup truck. Elsewhere a 16-year-oid girl drowned when she was swept away while walking her dog in Rodkdale county.