WASHINGTON (AFP) -- One person was killed and rescue crews were searching for nine others after a small plane crashed along the coast of the U.S. state of Washington on Sunday, the coast guard said.  The Coast Guard said it received a report of the crash around 3:11 pm (2211 GMT) and dispatched helicopters and boats to scour the area. Local search and rescue officials were also on the scene.  The plane crashed while flying over the Pacific Ocean inlet of Puget Sound while on its way to Renton Municipal Airport near Seattle. Flight tracking website Flight Radar 24 said it was monitoring reports of the crash, and that it had recorded the last signal from a 55-year-old de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter -- a single-engine propeller plane -- in the area at 3:08 pm local time at 100 feet (30.5 meters) of altitude.  Initially, the Coast Guard’s Pacific Northwest division tweeted that eight adults and one child were on board. It later tweeted an update that they were searching for 10 passengers. 

 

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YANGON (Reuters) -- Myanmar’s junta leader was on a visit to Russia on Monday, his second trip there in less than two months, as Myanmar’s ruling military tries to shore up one of its few diplomatic alliances as it comes under growing international pressure. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has been barred from representing Myanmar at most international gatherings since leading a coup early last year against an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. He first visited Moscow as leader in June last year, when both sides committed to strengthening military cooperation. He also visited in July on what Russia said was a private visit. Russia, a main source of military hardware for Myanmar, was one of the first countries to voice support for the junta after the coup, at a time when it was receiving international condemnation over its use of lethal force against opponents.

 

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TOKYO (Reuters) -- Disapproval of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet edged above 40% for the first time, propelled by doubts over whether his ruling party would ever be free of ties to the Unification Church, according to a public opinion poll. Revelations of long-running links to the church founded in South Korea in the 1950s and famous for its mass weddings have become a problem for Kishida since July 8, when former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot and his suspected killer said his mother was bankrupted by the church and blamed Abe for promoting it. Kishida’s support has tumbled and ties to the church have also fanned opposition to a state funeral for Abe to be held on Sept 27. According to a survey by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily, disapproval of Kishida’s cabinet rose to 41% from 34% roughly a month ago, climbing over 40% for the first time since he took office last year, with support holding relatively steady at 50% compared to 51%.

 

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COLOMBO (Reuters) -- Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said on Monday a constitutional amendment bill trimming presidential powers is expected to become law in a couple of weeks. The bill, which will require a two-thirds majority in the house to become law, was proposed to help shore up stability and defuse unrest provoked by the country’s worst financial crisis in decades. The crisis came to a head in July when then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was accused of economic mismanagement, fled the country and resigned, replaced by Ranil Wickremesinghe. The proposed amendment would establish a constitutional council and nine independent commissions to improve governance. The commissions would work to promote human rights, increase audit oversight of government agencies and bolster anti-graft investigations. 

 

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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -- Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has applied for a royal pardon, the speaker of parliament said on Monday, less than two weeks after he was sent to jail for 12 years for corruption. Malaysia’s top court on Aug. 23 had rejected an appeal by Najib, 69, to set aside his conviction on graft and money laundering charges in a case linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib, who has also been fined nearly $50 million, has consistently denied wrongdoing. According to Malaysia’s constitution, any lawmaker sentenced to more than a year in prison will automatically lose their seat in parliament, unless they apply for a pardon from the monarch within 14 days. Parliament Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said on Monday Najib will remain a legislator until his petition for a pardon, filed on Friday, was decided on. 

 

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NAIROBI (Reuters) -- Famine will occur in parts of Somalia between October and December, the United Nations warned on Monday, as a drought worsens and global food prices hover near record highs. “Famine is at the door,” UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said at a news conference in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The UN humanitarian chief explained he had concrete indications that famine would occur by autumn in parts of south central Somalia. The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, and experts say the region is on track for a fifth consecutive failed rainy season.