Church burned, man killed in Aceh clashes

BANDA ACEH (Indonesia) • One man was killed yesterday in violent clashes that saw a church burned to the ground by hundreds of armed men in Indonesia's conservative Islamic province of Aceh, a local police chief said.

About 750 stick-wielding men razed a church in southern Aceh before clashing with local Christians at a second church.

Police and the military were jointly deployed to restore order, and one of the four injured was a member of the armed forces.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Philippines rejects MH370 crash claims

ZAMBOANGA (Philippines) • Philippine authorities insisted yesterday a Malaysia Airlines jet that went missing in March last year had not crashed onto a remote Philippine island, after a man's claims that wreckage had been found there made headlines.

Officials said no plane wreckage had been found and questioned the credibility of the apparent police witness.

While a wing part from flight MH370 was found washed up on a beach in the Indian Ocean in July, the rest of the plane has yet to be found.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE