10/04/2026

FRIDAY | APR 10, 2026

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Nepal issues arrest warrant for ex-PM in graft probe

Wolf forces school closure

SEOUL: A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large yesterday, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued, authorities said. The male wolf, born in 2024 and weighing about 30kg, escaped on Wednesday from a zoo at a theme park in Daejeon, about 150km south of Seoul, triggering a wide search in surrounding areas. “Daejeon Sanseong Elementary School is closed following the escape of a wolf from a zoo yesterday,“ a Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education spokesperson said. More than 300 people, including firefighters, police officers and military personnel, were taking part in the search operation, a Daejeon Fire Headquarters official said. “We deployed drone cameras early in the morning but had to pull them back due to the ongoing rain.“ The wolf dug into the ground and damaged the zoo’s installed fence before escaping, according to the official. Images released by local media showed it wandering in the middle of a road. In 2023, a male zebra became a global sensation after escaping from a zoo in Seoul and was seen roaming through the streets. – AFP

families, who China accuses of living there illegally. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a request for comment yesterday. The Philippines last month revealed plans to rename more than 100 island features in the Spratlys in a bid to reinforce its “sovereignty” in the South China Sea. China then accused Manila of breaking international law while threatening unspecified measures to protect its own claims. – AFP activities, including the use of underwater devices or equipment by unauthorised parties in Indonesian waters.” Mataram naval base chief Asep Tri Prabowo told reporters on Wednesday that the object was under strict monitoring and would be sent to Jakarta for further investigation. An initial examination by the West Nusa Tenggara police bomb squad confirmed that it did not contain any explosive or radioactive substances, he added. Indonesian media reported that lettering on the object suggested it may have been manufactured by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. It appeared to be a device to measure the speed of currents. This is not the first time a foreign object has been found in Indonesian waters. In 2021, a fisherman discovered a seaglider in the Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi that the military suspected was being used for oceanographic research. – AFP following by long-standing frustration over corruption and economic hardship. Protesters set fire to the Parliament building and offices, and eventually toppled the government. Deuba’s home was among the buildings torched, and videos of protesters attacking the couple circulated widely online. Bundles of cash were reportedly discovered at the property. In his statement to the investigation commission on the protests, Deuba said the videos circulating on social media “must be AI-generated”. “This is a conspiracy, although I do not know who is behind it.” The commission has recommended further investigation into the cash allegedly found at Deuba’s home and other properties. Former Energy minister Deepak Khadka was also arrested last month as part of a money laundering investigation. – AFP day, fuelled

navy said yesterday it was investigating a torpedo-like object discovered by a fisherman near the Lombok Strait, a key maritime route connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The 3.7m-long and 65cm-wide object was fished from the ocean on Monday about 10km from the popular tourist island of Gili Trawangan in West Nusa Tenggara, the navy said. A 28-year-old fisherman immediately reported the unusual find to local authorities, which retrieved it. “The Indonesian navy will promptly carry out an in-depth examination of the object to determine its origin, function and the data contained within it,“ said navy spokesperson Tunggul, who like many Indonesians has only one name. “The Indonesian armed forces will remain fully committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and security of Indonesia’s territorial seas from all forms of unauthorised the establishment of a democratic system of governance in Nepal.” His tenure as party president ended in January, after young members pushed for a leadership change. Last month, authorities arrested former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and former Home minister Ramesh Lekhak for their alleged roles in a deadly crackdown on anti-corruption protests. Both have been released from custody after questioning, police said yesterday. Kathmandu police spokesperson Pawan Kumar Bhattarai added that “they have been released on the condition that they present themselves to police when required.” Neither man has been formally charged, and the duo deny responsibility for the violence. The youth-led uprising began in Kathmandu and was triggered by a brief social media ban. It spread countrywide the

property,” he added. Authorities also a warrant for Deuba’s wife, former Foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, court officials in Kathmandu said, following a request from the Money Laundering Investigation Department. Deuba said he and his wife are “currently abroad for long-term medical treatment”, without giving further details. Nepali media reported that the couple was recently in Singapore and police are seeking an Interpol notice. The warrants come a month after Prime Minister Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, won a landslide election victory on a platform of youth-driven political change, the first elections since September 2025. Deuba, who served five terms as prime minister, is a senior leader of the Nepali Congress party. “My life has been an open book. I have spent my entire life striving for issued

KATHMANDU: Nepal has issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for alleged corruption, officials said yesterday, making him the latest high-profile figure targeted under the new government. Deuba, 79, is abroad for medical treatment and said: “An investigation on money laundering has been initiated against me and my family.” He rejected the accusation of corruption. “False propaganda is being spread concerning my family’s o False propaganda being spread concerning my family’s property, says former leader

Indonesia investigates torpedo-like object found by fisherman JAKARTA: The Indonesian

VOTING VOYAGE ... Individuals yesterday travelling on a boat across the Brahmaputra River to cast their ballots during the Assam Legislative Assembly election in the Darrang district in India. – AFPPIC

Philippines unveils South China Sea command centre THITU ISLAND: The Philippine coast guard unveiled yesterday its first dedicated command centre in the Spratly island chain, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of repeated confrontations with Chinese vessels. The headquarters of a newly established coast guard district, formerly overseen from neighbouring Palawan, will cover an area of about 68,000 square kilometres. Island, known as Thitu in the Philippines, saw multiple Chinese coast guard vessels patrolling nearby waters. The vessels issued radio warnings to the plane carrying the journalist. Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. Pagasa will now have a yesterday’s “activation” ceremony, along with a permanently stationed ship, more response vessels and an unspecified number of specialists. “The establishment of the coast guard district here would enhance the psyche, the mindset of each and every coast guard member that the defence of Kalayaan island group is a top priority,“ he said, using the Filipino name for the Spratlys. The far-flung Kota and Parola islands would see their substations raised to full station status, said coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela. The Pagasa upgrade would mean a bigger budget for greater community assistance to the island’s inhabitants, including more teachers and doctors, he said. vessels, which must currently ferry personnel to and from Pagasa on small boats.

The move would also include the dredging of a deeper port that would allow for the docking of coast guard

commodore-level commander on site, said Philippine coast guard Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan after

Pagasa Island is home to about 400 Filipinos, mostly fishermen and their

An AFP journalist travelling to the new command centre on Pagasa