Bersih leader out on bail ahead of KL rally

KUALA LUMPUR • Police released the chairman of democracy group Bersih on bail yesterday, after detaining her for more than two hours for questioning, just weeks before a planned protest rally against Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The group said Ms Maria Chin Abdullah was arrested in the Borneo state of Sabah for distributing fliers promoting the group's upcoming rally in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Nov 19. The Sabah police declined comment.

The rally, called Bersih 5, is being organised to call for the resignation of Mr Najib so as to facilitate a probe into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

REUTERS

Poor response to call for aid to N. Korea

BEIJING • The Red Cross is struggling to raise funds to aid flood-affected regions of North Korea after a disappointing response from the international community to its emergency appeal, a spokesman said yesterday.

At least 133 people have died in North Korea and some 600,000 people have been affected by flooding caused by heavy rain in late August and early last month.

Concerns are growing about the health and welfare of those affected as winter sets in.

The Red Cross has raised only 25 per cent of the 15.2 million Swiss francs (S$21.4 million) it sought in an emergency appeal aimed at helping more than 330,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance over the next 12 months.

REUTERS

Twin suicide attacks in Nigeria kill eight

NAIROBI • At least eight people died in two suicide bomb attacks yesterday in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno State.

Both attacks were carried out by women, Colonel Mustapha Anka, a spokesman for the Nigerian Army, said in an e-mailed statement.

In one incident, a bomber ran into people at the entrance of a refugee camp, killing five and injuring 11, Col Anka said.

In the other attack, three occupants of a tricycle were killed at a Nigerian National Petroleum Corp gas station.

BLOOMBERG