World Briefs

Train fire kills dozens in India HYDERABAD – A fire engulfed a passenger car on a moving train in southern India yesterday, killing at least 47 people, officials said. Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire broke out at about 04h00 on the overnight train from New Delhi to the southeastern city of Chennai, said local official B Sridhar

A train station worker noticed the burning coach on the train as it passed through the town of Nellore, nearly 500 km south of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state, Sridhar said.
Once the alarm was raised, the train was stopped and the passenger car detached from the rest of the train to prevent the blaze from spreading. Passengers were evacuated once the train was halted.
At least 28 other passengers were hospitalised with burns, Sridhar said, adding that at least two of the injured were in critical condition.

Myanmar rejects UN concerns
YANGON – Myanmar yesterday told a United Nations rights envoy it rejected accusations of abuse by security forces in the wake of communal unrest, after the United Nations raised fears of a crackdown on Muslims.
In a press conference attended by UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana, Myanmar’s foreign minister said the government had exercised “maximum restraint” in bringing an end to the violence in western Rakhine State.
“As such, Myanmar strongly rejects the accusations made by some quarters that abuses and excessive use of force were made by the authorities in dealing with the situation,” Wunna Maung Lwin told reporters.

Colorado shooter faces charges
CENTENNIAL – The former graduate student accused of killing 12 people in a shooting spree at a Denver-area movie house was due to make a second court appearance yesterday as prosecutors and defense lawyers sparred over a mysterious package sent to his psychiatrist.
James Holmes, 24, was arrested shortly after prosecutors say he opened fire at a packed midnight movie premiere of ‘A Dark Knight Rises’ on July 20. Criminal charges against Holmes, who has remained jailed since his arrest, were expected to be formally presented at yesterday’s hearing.
He is also accused of wiring his apartment with enough explosives to have leveled the entire building had they been detonated. It took authorities several days to safely dismantle and dispose of the booby traps.

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