Myanmar army chief honoured:

Myanmar’s army chief received a royal decoration from Thailand on Friday, despite accusations his security forces have carried out ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state.

Global condemnation has rained down on Myanmar since August 25 when a military crackdown on Rohingya insurgents prompted an exodus of nearly 700,000 of the stateless minority to Bangladesh.

Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has borne the brunt of the outcry and been stripped of a welter of honours from her days fighting for democracy under Myanmar’s junta. (AFP)

Pakistan kills 5 soldiers:

Pakistan’s army says it has killed five Indian soldiers by destroying their post in the Himalayan region of Kashmir after Indian sniper fire struck a school van, killing the driver.

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor says in a statement Friday the Indian post was “destroyed” near Tatta Pani village. He vowed that “Indian terrorism against innocent citizens” will be responded to befittingly.

His statement came hours after Pakistan said Indian sniper fire hit the school van in Pakistan’s part of Kashmir, killing the driver. (AP)

Avalanche kills 1 Russian:

A Russian skier was killed by an avalanche that hit the Gulmarg tourist resort in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Friday.

Four other Russian skiers from the group were rescued from the slopes of Gulmarg, nearly 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Srinagar, the main city in the Indian Kashmir, said police spokesman Manoj Kumar Pandit.

Mehmood Ahmad Shah, the state tourism director, said the Russians ignored an advisory to stay away from the avalanche-prone area. (AP)