Xinhua world news summary at 0930 GMT, Dec. 18

PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan -- Two police were killed after a group of Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint outside Baghlan's provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri on Sunday night, police spokesman Zabihullah Shejah said Monday.

The Taliban militants, according to the official, stormed a police checkpoint in Hajda Kotal area outside Pul-e-Khumri late Sunday night, killing two police on the spot and injuring two others.(Afghanistan-Taliban-Attack)

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KABUL -- An explosion and ensuing gunfight rocked western neighborhood in the Afghan capital city on Monday, witnesses and sources said.

"Gunmen seized an unfinished building after detonating explosives in Afshar locality at around 10:30 a.m. local time (0600 GMT). Casualties were feared as the attackers fired on the nearby intelligence training center by guns and grenade launchers," an eyewitness said.(Afghanistan-Gunmen-Attack)

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TOKYO -- An elementary school in Okinawa was offered an apology on Monday by U.S. military officials over a window falling from one of its helicopter last week and hitting the grounds where some children were taking a sports class.

According to local reports from Japan's southernmost prefecture, Col. Darin Clarke from the U.S. Marines' government and external affairs in the Pacific, apologized to Etsuko Kyan, principal of the Futenma Daini Elementary School.(Japan-Okinawa-U.S. Helicopter-Window-School-Accidentol)

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NEW DELHI -- At least 12 people have been killed and four others injured in a major fire at a shop in India's financial capital Monday, police said.

"The blaze started at Bhanu Farsan shop on Khairani Road in Mumbai's Saki Naka-Kurla area this morning and it soon engulfed the huge stock of eatables and furniture, trapping several workers there," a senior police official said.(India-Mishap-Deaths)

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MANILA -- A tropical storm which battered the Philippines on Saturday has left at least 26 people dead and 46 others missing, a government spokesperson said on Monday.

Romina Marasigan of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC) said in a news conference that most of the people died in at least 17 landslides that hit four provinces in the central Philippines, namely Biliran, Leyte, Eastern Samar and Samar, triggered by tropical storm Kai-Tak.(Philippines-Landslides-Toll) Enditem