Kremlin denies part in US polls meddling

MOSCOW • The Russian government insisted there was no evidence that it had meddled in the United States elections, after Washington indicted 13 Russians for alleged covert efforts to sway voters.

"There are no indications that the Russian government could be involved in this," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday, in the Kremlin's first comment since the indictments were filed last Friday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Iran cannot confirm missing plane found

LONDON • The wreckage of an Iranian plane that crashed with 65 people on board was found in central Iran, state media said yesterday, but aviation authorities could not confirm the report.

The Aseman Airlines flight from Teheran disappeared from radar screens on Sunday, 50 minutes into its journey to the city of Yasuj. The deputy governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said the wreckage was found near Dengezlu city, but Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation could not confirm this.

REUTERS

Man stole thumb of terracotta statue

PHILADELPHIA • A man in the US has been charged with theft of a major artwork from a Philadelphia museum - stealing a thumb from a terracotta warrior statue that is part of an exhibit on loan from China, said law enforcement authorities.

Michael Rohana, 24, took a selfie with the statue before allegedly snapping off the part at the Franklin Institute on Dec 21. The thumb was recovered from his home five days later.

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK