Month: April 2019

A plane from China skidded off a runway at Manila’s airport while landing in a downpour near midnight then got stuck in a muddy field with one engine and wheel ripped off before its 157 passengers and eight crew scrambled out through an emergency slide.

Only a few passengers sustained bruises but all those aboard Xiamen Air Flight 8667 were safe and were taken to an airport terminal, where they were given blankets and food before being taken to a hotel, airport general manager Ed Monreal told a news conference.

The Boeing 737 from China’s coastal city of Xiamen appeared to have "bounced" in a hard landing then veered off the runway shortly after and rolled toward a rain-soaked grassy area with its lights off, officials said.

Islamic State still has as many as 30,000 members in Syria and Iraq – a far higher number than previously estimated, a United Nations report has found.

The report by UN sanctions monitors said of those 20,000-30,000, which are equally distributed between the two countries, several thousand were thought to be foreign fighters.

The US-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) claimed last December that there were fewer than 1,000 fighters remaining in Iraq and Syria and that the group was close to being defeated. 

At the height of its reign in 2015 Isil counted as many as 100,000 jihadist in its ranks, controlling territory spanning Syria and neighbouring Iraq that was roughly the size of the UK.

Its members are now confined to a sliver of land between the Syria-Iraq border and maintain control of just small pockets of territory in central and southern Syria, having been pushed back by US-backed local forces.

With its physical caliphate largely destroyed, the Islamic State movement is transforming from a "proto-state" to a covert "terrorist" network, "a process that is most advanced in Iraq", the report said.

“Despite the damage to bureaucratic structures of the so-called ‘caliphate,’ the collective discipline of Isil is intact,” it continued. “Although he is reported to have been injured, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi remains in authority.”

In Iraq, where Baghdadi pronounced the caliphate, jihadist sleeper cells have plagued areas such as Kirkuk and Salahaddin with insurgent attacks.

The UN believes thousands are hiding out in Iraq among sympathetic communities as well as disguised in larger, more urban areas.

Joel Wing, an Iraq analyst who has been monitoring attacks by Isil, recorded more than 100 IED explosions and more than 80 shootings in the north of the country since the beginning of the year.

In Syria, the group continues to be able to mount ambitious attacks, including one on the southern city of Sweida which is thought to be its deadliest in recent years.

Some 250 people, largely from the minority Druze community, were killed in coordinated suicide bombings and shootings across the city.

Some UN member-states also raised concerns with the authors of the report that new Isil cells were emerging from the densely populated Rukban camp for refugees in southern Syria, on the border with Jordan, where families of Isil fighters are now living.

Thomas Joscelyn, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, believes the coalition wildly underestimated the number of fighters Isil had at its height, and therefore its calculations of how many remained were too low.

Mr Joscelyn told The Telegraph that some of those still fighting will be new recruits, “however, the Islamic State likely retains a hardened cadre of fighters who have survived the group’s many battles,” he said.

To date, the US has spent $14.3 billion (£11.2 billion) on more than 24,000 airstrikes to destroy Isil in Iraq Syria, killing some 50,000 jihadists in the battlefield.

In March, President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal of the US’s 2,200 troops in Syria, however experts have warned such a move would be premature.

The report said that a “covert” Isil core will continue to exist in both countries, with its ideology much more difficult to snuff out.

“There is that danger, especially as Isil is conducting daily attacks in Iraq and Syria,” said Mr Jocelyn. “The group hasn’t been defeated. Isil knew it was going to lose its territorial caliphate and its leaders took steps to continue fighting as insurgents.”

Efforts were underway on Monday to rescue more than 500 hikers stranded on Mount Rinjani on Indonesia’s Lombok Island, a day after a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the popular tourist destination.

Helicopters and search teams on foot have been deployed to scour the slopes of Mount Rinjani, which is crisscrossed with hiking routes popular with tourists, while rescuers have made airdrops of food supplies to those stranded.

Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on the mountain in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, leaving hikers with no easy way down to safety.

"There are still 560 people trapped. Five hundred are in Segara Anakan area, and 60 are in Batu Ceper," said the head of Rinjani national park Sudiyono, who goes by one name.

Those believed to be stranded include citizens from the United States, France, The Netherlands, Thailand and Germany, as well as many other countries, search and rescue officials said.

At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed.

The rescue operation on Mount Rinjani is likely to run until at least Tuesday and a military helicopter has dropped supplies at several spots on the mountain, according to search and rescue agency officials.

"For supplies, they can still survive for another one to two days," Agus Hendra Sanjaya, spokesman for Mataram’s search and rescue agency, said.

No hikers are injured, he added.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake is considered strong and is capable of causing severe damage.

Rising some 3,726 metres (12,224 feet) above sea level, the peak is the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers keen to take in its expansive views.

Hiking trails on the mountain were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok’s main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island.

The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks.

Some 160 people were injured as a result, said Mohammad Rum, head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency.

Among the dead are one Malaysian, with six injured, the Malaysian foreign ministry said.

President Joko Widodo visited the affected site on Monday and promised financial support for people who had lost their homes.

"We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster," Widodo said.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

Imran Khan has begun building a ruling coalition as Pakistan’s leader-elect faces daunting troubles ranging from doubts over his legitimacy to a looming economic crisis.

Almost three days after polling finished, the final tally of results gave Mr Khan’s party 116 of the 270 National Assembly seats on offer, putting him within easy reach of a majority.

The charismatic cricketer-turned-statesman swept to power on populist promises to build a new, fairer, Pakistan and break the stranglehold of the country’s venal, dynastic elite.

Yet when the glow of victory fades, he faces a grim to-do list likely to test the the high expectations raised in his passionate young supporters, analysts told the Telegraph.

The immediate priority is to deal with Pakistan’s economic woes.

“The greatest challenge is the economy, everyone knows that. We need a Pakistan that is self-sustaining,” Gen Talat Masud, a former general and commentator said.

The newcomer will have to move fast to avert a brewing crisis. Foreign currency reserves are quickly dwindling and the rupee has devalued four times since December.

Mr Khan is expected to have to negotiate a bailout as early as September, most likely from the International Monetary Fund, but potentially he could also seek help from China or Saudi Arabia, said Jan Achakzai, a political commentator.

Pakistan has agreed 12 IMF loans since the late 1980s, but it could be hesitant this time because previous promised reforms have not come to pass.

“These are very important issues, that he can’t afford to wait for tomorrow,” he said.

Mr Khan also faces the task of governing a country where rival political parties reject his victory. 

Losing parties led by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) have alleged wholesale vote rigging on election night. 

That followed a campaign widely seen as engineered in Mr Khan’s favour by the powerful military establishment which has ruled directly or indirectly for much of the nation’s existence.

At least one party has vowed a campaign of protests.

“The position is very jumpy at the moment,” said Mr Achakzai.

“Imran Khan needs to be calm. He needs to reach out to them and needs to engage. He’s not a party hack any more, he is the leader of the country.”

Though Mr Mr Khan is widely perceived to be the chosen candidate of the army, negotiating civil-military ties will still be difficult, said Gen Masud.

The military considers large swathes of foreign and national security policy to be its own preserve. Deciding how to resolve inevitable disagreements on subjects such as India and Afghanistan will be “a very major challenge”.

Gen Masud said: “I think initially he will try to have a smooth road.”

An election campaign that saw around 200 killed in bombing attacks also underlined the country’s continuing battles with militancy and terrorism.

The former-fast bowler earned the moniker "Taliban Khan" for repeatedly arguing for peace talks with militants and for his party’s alliance with Sami ul Haq, the so-called Father of the Taliban whose madrassas once educated Taliban stalwarts Mullah Omar and Jalaluddin Haqqani.

He suggested in 2013 that the Pakistani Taliban should be allowed to open an office in the country.

Pakistan’s Taliban on Saturday refused to comment officially on Mr Khan’s victory.

But militants within the group told the Telegraph they dismissed his election.

One Taliban source said: “Yes, Imran was a supporter of talks with the Pakistani Taliban but for us there is no difference between [jailed former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, and other political party leaders.

“We consider all the political leaders to be ears on the same donkey. The army will use Imran Khan according to their own wishes to fulfil their aims.”

Perhaps one of his most difficult tasks will be to maintain the faith of his supporters, many of whom have sky-high expectations of their hero. His vows to build a new, cleaner Pakistan will see him struggle against the formidable vested interests of the old Pakistan.

Mr Achakzai said: “You really need to have the prayers of the people to lead Pakistan in such a difficult time.”

Additional reporting by Saleem Mehsud in Islamabad

Remarkable footage has emerged of a man being rescued from the mangled wreckage of his van, suspended amid the debris of the Genoa bridge collapse.

Firefighters carefully extracted businessman Gianluca Ardini, 28, out of his vehicle, which was barely recognisable, and then abseiled him down to the ground.

Mr Ardini reportedly plunged about 120ft in the vehicle before coming to rest amid the smashed remains of the bridge.

“We still can’t understand how it was possible for that to happen, but he is alive,” said his girlfriend, Giulia Organo, who is eight months pregnant.

“He dropped 40 metres and then remained wedged between the rubble, suspended 20 metres above the ground.

“He held on because he was determined to see the birth of his son. The firemen told him to remain totally still because the slightest movement could have caused another collapse. Then they pulled him out. It’s a miracle.”

Watch the rescue here:

As many as 20 people are still missing in the wreckage of the motorway bridge that collapsed in the Italian port city of Genoa, officials have revealed.

The death toll from the disaster stands at 39.

Rescue workers have been combing through mountains of concrete and other debris since the collapse on Tuesday.

Until now, authorities had not said how many people might be unaccounted for.

Chief Prosecutor Francesco Cozzi said on Thursday that "there could be 10 to 20 persons still missing."

Emergency workers worked through the night for a second time but did not find any survivors or bodies.

Large cranes, which are capable of lifting up to 300 tonnes, are being used to remove giant slabs of concrete.

Chunks of concrete that are too heavy for the cranes are being broken up into smaller pieces with a giant jack hammer.

The emergency services are anxious to clear the river that runs beneath the bridge before autumn rainfall brings the danger of floods.

“They’re still digging and not all areas have been reached yet, so we are working to find people who are still missing,” said Giovanni Toti, the governor of Liguria, the region that encompasses Genoa.

As well as those killed, 16 people were injured by the collapse of the bridge on Tuesday, with nine of them still in critical condition.

Mr Ardini suffered cuts, bruises and a compound fracture and is now recovering in hospital. His colleague, who was travelling with him in the van, sadly did not survive.

Around 630 people living in 11 apartment blocks beneath the shattered bridge have been evacuated and the buildings will probably have to be demolished.

“It’s going to be difficult for those homes to remain because the bridge is dangerous and there is a good chance of more parts of it collapsing,” said Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa.

The government has announced that the victims of the disaster will be given a state funeral on Saturday, which has been declared a day of national mourning.

The company that manages the motorway bridge, Autostrade per l’Italia, says it wants to reconstruct the bridge and that the project would take five months.

But the government says it wants to revoke the company’s concession and punish it with a fine of up to €150 million.

In a growing row between the government and Atlantia, the holding company that controls Autostrade, Atlantia said its concession could not be revoked before the cause of the collapse had been determined.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation which will look at both the original design of the bridge in the 1960s and efforts to maintain it.

But Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, has also been under fire for choosing to attend a gala dinner in his honour in Sicily hours after the bridge collapsed.

The hard-Right politician was photographed smiling with political supporters and being presented with a large cake decorated with an image of him saluting a crowd.

Critics said his attendance at the party on Tuesday evening was inappropriate given that at the time, bodies were being dug out of the rubble by hundreds of firefighters and emergency workers.

The gathering Mr Salvini attended near Messina in Sicily was on the eve of Ferragosto, a national holiday that dates back to Roman times and which is traditionally the high point of the summer break in Italy.

“The images of Salvini celebrating at the same time as the drama played out in Genoa are an insult to the sadness felt by the country,” said Matteo Orfini, an MP from the centre-Left Democratic Party.

Emanuele Fiano, an MP from the same party, said Mr Salvini had decided to be wined and dined “while Italy wept over a shocking tragedy.” The interior minister should apologise, he said.

There was also criticism from some Italians on social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

The 55 sets of human remains handed over by North Korea to the United States may include troops from other nations that fought in the Korean War after it was confirmed that only one identification tag was included with the bodies.

A US defence official told the Associated Press that it will probably take months, if not years, to identify with any certainty the identities of the troops.

As the remains were due to land on US soil for the first time on Wednesday, John Byrd, director of scientific analysis at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), the US agency that deals with soldiers missing in action, said preliminary findings suggested that "they are likely to be American remains" as they were consistent with those repatriated in the past.

"But I would caution… to keep in mind that it’s not necessarily the case that the dog tag goes with the remains… in the box," he added, underscoring the challenges of identifying the recovered remains.

There are no further details about the military dog tag that was handed over when a US military transport aircraft flew to Kalma Airport, on the outskirts of the North Korean city of Wonsan, on Friday. The aircraft returned to the US Air Force base at Osan where the remains were handed over to representatives of the DPAA.

The United Nations Command held a ceremony at the air base on Wednesday to mark the formal repatriation. The event was attended by Song Young-moo, the South Korean defence minister, and General Vincent Brooks, the commander of the UNC.

Following the ceremony, the caskets containing the remains are being flown to the agency’s laboratories at the Pearl Harbor-Hickam military base in Hawaii for full forensic examinations to begin on US soil.

The remains within each box may not be those of a single person and are likely fragments of bones, said Paul Cole, an expert on recovery of soldiers missing in action and prisoners of war, who worked as a visiting scientific fellow at Hawaii’s Central Identification Laboratory.

"Problems such as inability to get DNA from bones and lack of a DNA reference sample from the family can be major stumbling blocks," added Chuck Prichard, director of public affairs for the Defense POW/MIA Personnel Accounting Agency, the US military’s main unit for finding and identifying missing members.

Jim Mattis, the US defence secretary, stated last week that the return of the remains is a positive step, but added that there are no guarantees they are of US military personnel.

“We don’t know who is in those boxes”, he said, adding that some might be from other nations that committed troops to the 1950-’53 Korean War.

“They could go to Australia”, he said. “They have missing. France has missing. Americans have. There’s a whole lot of us. So this is an international effort to bring closure for those families”.

While US officials are clearly disappointed that the North Koreans did not provide more information on the bodies that were being repatriated, it has raised the possibility that at least some of them may be of British personnel killed in the conflict.

Some 1,108 British troops were killed in the war, with 336 still listed as missing.