IN BRIEF

Mexico

Bus plunges off road, killing 17

At least 17 people were killed and 31 injured when a bus plunged some 90 meters off a roadside in a mountainous region near the Guatemalan border, authorities said on Sunday. The accident occurred when the bus ferrying people home from a spiritual retreat on the Pacific coast came off the road and fell down a steep slope, emergency services in the state of Chiapas said in a statement.

Thailand

Bomb at hospital wounds 25 people

A bomb exploded at a hospital in Bangkok on Monday and police said 25 people were wounded. Investigators found remnants of batteries and wires at the scene of the blast on the ground floor of Phramongkutklao Hospital, said Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, the deputy national police chief. It was not immediately clear who was behind the explosion.

Turkey

Erdogan reelected as party head

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reelected as the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, at a special party congress in Ankara. Erdogan was the only candidate for the position at the party. He received 1,414 votes of the 1,470 eligible delegates. After leaving AKP for 998 days, Erdogan rejoined the party he founded on May 3. Before the referendum last month, the Turkish president was not allowed to be a member of any political party.

Australia

Magnate donates $300m to charity

Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest on Monday made the country's biggest philanthropic gift by a living individual, donating $298 million to causes covering health, education and fighting modern slavery. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sang the praises of the one-third owner of world No 4 iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, who has faced occasional criticism about his treatment of indigenous people in the mineral-rich state of Western Australia.

Nepal

Three climbers die on Qomolangma

Three climbers died on Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, over the weekend and another is missing, officials confirmed on Monday, in one of the deadliest episodes on the peak since an avalanche swept through base camp and killed 18 two years ago. More than a dozen climbers have been rescued from the 8,848-meter peak in the last three days after running into difficulties on world's highest peak, helicopter rescue operators said.

Singapore

Mercury found in whitening cream

High levels of mercury was detected in "Royal Expert Whitening Cream", Singapore's Health Sciences Authority said on Monday. HSA cautioned members of the public not to purchase or use the whitening cream. HSA said it had been alerted by the Consumers Association of Singapore, which tested a range of skincare products recently and found the product which was sold online to contain high levels of mercury. The use of mercury, a toxic substance, in cosmetic products could lead to rash, skin discoloration and blotching.

Reuters - Xinhua - AP - AFP