BANGKOK - THE owner of a Thai nightclub where at least 62 revelers perished in a New Year's Eve fire will face criminal charges over the blaze, which was likely sparked by a countdown fireworks display on the stage of the jammed nightspot, police said on Sunday.

Wisuth Setsawat, a Thai-Chinese businessman, broke down in tears as he offered apologies to relatives of the victims Sunday before being questioned by police over the disaster at his Santika Club.

JAKARTA - A SERIES of powerful earthquakes shook remote eastern Indonesia on Sunday, toppling or badly damaging more than 100 buildings and leaving at least four people dead and dozens injured.

One of the quakes - a 7.3-magnitude tremor - was felt as far away as Australia and sent small tsunamis into Japan's southeastern coast.

KILINOCHCHI (Sri Lanka) - THE Sri Lankan army said on Sunday it was moving in on the jungle stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels, in a final assault aimed at ending the longest-running ethnic war in Asia.

Flush with confidence after retaking their main city two days ago, the army vowed to capture rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as troops pushed deeper into northern territory long under the complete control of the guerrillas.

FOR the first time, Christians, Buddhists and Muslims have come together to raise funds for needy Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students in the South West district by collecting recyclables.

The project, involving City Harvest Church, the Singapore Soka Association and a group of 13 mosques in the south west, is on its way to exceeding its target of raising $60,000 too.