Top Russian General killed in Moscow car explosion
Moscow, Dec 22: Russian security agencies are investigating various theories – one of which is linked to involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services – after the killing of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov in a car explosion in Moscow on Monday. Head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, Sarvarov died from injuries after an explosive device planted under a car was detonated on Yasenevaya Street in southern Moscow on Monday morning, the local media reported. “Various theories regarding the murder are being investigated. One of them is linked to Ukrainian intelligence services. The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the investigation into the circumstances of the incident. Investigators and forensic experts from the Investigative Committee are working at the scene of the emergency; several examinations are expected, including forensic and explosive examinations. Investigators are questioning witnesses and eyewitnesses and studying CCTV footage. The progress of the investigation has been placed under the control of the Investigative Committee’s central office,” Russia’s leading Tass news agency reported. (IANS)
Bus accident kills 15, injures 19 in Indonesia
Jakarta, Dec 22: Fifteen people were killed and 19 others injured in the early hours of Monday in a bus accident at the intersection of the Krapyak toll exit in Semarang city, Indonesia’s Central Java province, local authorities reported. According to the Semarang Search and Rescue Office, the passenger bus was reportedly travelling at high speed when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to hit a road barrier and overturn. “The evacuation process was quite difficult because some victims were trapped inside the bus, and access was obstructed by broken glass,” said Budiono, head of the Semarang Search and Rescue Office. “Rescue personnel had to enter the overturned bus, open access to the victims and evacuate them with extra caution.” The office confirmed that all victims have been successfully evacuated and sent to local hospitals, reports Xinhua news agency. (IANS)
Cyberattack hit France’s postal service, banking
Paris, Dec 22: A suspected cyberattack knocked France’s national postal service and its banking arm offline on Monday, blocking and delaying package deliveries and online payments at the height of the busy Christmas season. The postal service, called La Poste, said in a statement that a distributed denial of service incident, or DDoS, “rendered its online services inaccessible.” It said the incident had no impact on customer data, but disrupted package and mail delivery. At a Paris post office decked out in holiday garlands and usually bustling this time of year, employees turned away frustrated customers lining up to send or retrieve packages, including Christmas gifts. Customers of the company’s banking arm, La Banque Postale, were blocked from using the application to approve payments or conduct other banking services. (AP)
