Osama's sister dies in England plane crash

DUBAI • A sister of late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed along with her husband and mother when a private jet crashed in southern England, local media reported yesterday.

The Embraer Phenom 300 aircraft with four people on board, including its Jordanian pilot, was flying from Milan's Malpensa airport to Blackbushe airport in southern England when it crashed at a car auction site on Friday, according to the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television in an online report.

The bin Laden family is one of the most prominent business dynasties in the kingdom.

REUTERS

Taleban chief calls for unity amid split fears

KABUL • New Taleban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour called for unity in the movement yesterday in his first audio message since becoming head of the militant group that faces deepening divisions following the death of long-time chief Mullah Omar.

Barely a few hours after Mansour's appointment was announced on Friday, powerful rivals within the fractious Taleban questioned the selection process, saying that it was rushed and even biased.

Mansour's comments are apparently aimed at fending off the emerging risk of the group splintering into factions at a time when there is growing discord over the direction of peace talks with the Afghan government.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Japan TV station says sorry for genitals photo

TOKYO • Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi apologised yesterday after its Bangkok bureau chief posted an image of his genitals on a mobile forum set up by Thailand's foreign ministry, which warned of "consequences".

Japanese media said the bureau chief, who is in his forties, had meant to send the picture to a female friend, but instead uploaded it through popular messaging app Line to about 150 journalists who belong to the forum.

The ministry demanded an explanation for the graphic picture that appeared late on Monday in the forum, which was set up for foreign journalists working in Thailand.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE