Off the wire
79 killed in rain-related accidents in Pakistan  • China on storm alert  • Urgent: Salah Abdeslam charged with terrorist murder: prosecutor  • Greece condemns terrorist attack in Istanbul, voices solidarity with Turkish people  • Commentary: Investors on China should not be easily swayed  • Airstrikes on IS de facto capital in Syria kill 39  • Bouteflika urges Algerians to remain alert amid chaos in region  • Bloomberg chairman sees opportunities in Chinese economy  • Syria's Assad hails Iran, Russia role in war on terror  • Fisher to meet Chen in women's final at Chinese Billiard World Championships  
You are here:   Home

Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, March 19

Xinhua, March 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 39 people were killed on Saturday when airstrikes targeted Syria's northern city of al-Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group, a monitor group reported.

The deaths include five children and seven women, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Syria-IS-Airstrikes)

- - - -

NEW DELHI -- India said on Saturday that two of its nationals were among those killed in a air crash at Rostov-on-Don airport in southern Russia.

"The names of the Indians in the list put out by Russian authorities are, Anju Kathirvel Aiyappan and Mohan Shyam," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told the media. (India-Russia-Plane Crash)

- - - -

HANOI -- At least four people were killed and one was injured in an explosion in Ha Dong District in the suburb area of Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Saturday afternoon, said Vietnamese government e-portal.

According to Vietnamese central government's online newspaper, at around 03:10 p.m. local time (0810 GMT) on Saturday, an explosion occurred on the sidewalk at Van Phu residential area in Ha Dong District in which one person was also missing. (Vietnam-Blast)

- - - -

ISTANBUL -- An explosion rocked Istanbul's bustling Istiklal Street on Saturday, causing at least five deaths and 36 injuries.

The cause of the explosion is not announced yet, but CNNTurk said it is a suicide bombing attack. (Turkey-Explosion) Endi