Russian building collapses; 4 people die
MOSCOW -- Hundreds of rescue workers raced bitterly cold weather in Russia's Ural Mountains region Monday as they searched for survivors in the hulking concrete blocks from a partially collapsed apartment building where at least four people died.
The nation's top investigative agency, the Investigative Committee, said an explosion triggered by a gas leak apparently caused the pre-dawn collapse in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk. The New Year's Eve accident shocked Russians and marred the mood on the nation's most beloved holiday.
Authorities said five people were hospitalized with injuries and 35 others remained unaccounted for. Russian officials acknowledged that the odds of finding anyone alive in the debris looked increasingly slim given the extreme weather.
Nearly 1,400 rescue workers searched in temperatures of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The overnight forecast called for temperatures to plunge to minus 17 F overnight.
"The chances are reducing with time," Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova responded curtly when pressed by reporters on the likelihood of finding trapped survivors. "But incredible stories do happen."
Emergency officials deployed powerful heaters to raise temperatures in the wreckage in case anyone trapped there was at risk of dying of hypothermia.
Iran says it hosted talks with Taliban
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran confirmed Monday that a delegation of the Taliban visited Tehran and discussed efforts to bring a negotiated end to Afghanistan's 17-year war.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the delegation arrived on Sunday and met with Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. The Taliban, who rarely visit Iran, made no immediate comment on the meetings in Tehran.
Ghasemi said the two sides discussed "security issues aimed at driving the peace process in Afghanistan." The Afghan government was aware of the visit, he said, adding that Iran is trying to find out if it can be "helpful" to peace in Afghanistan.
The talks were not the first between the Taliban and Iranian officials. Ali Shamkhani of Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed last week in Kabul that such talks have taken place in the past and would continue. Ghasemi said Iran has tried to facilitate talks between the insurgents and government of Afghanistan.
The developments come against a backdrop of near-daily attacks in Afghanistan, where the Taliban hold sway over nearly half the country. The Taliban have recently held talks with representatives of several regional countries amid U.S. plans to withdraw up to half the 14,000 American troops from Afghanistan.
39 people arrested in London stabbing
LONDON -- British police said 39 people were arrested Monday on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing in west London.
Police said the unusual mass arrest was necessary because the suspects refused to cooperate with police after the stabbing.
London police say they were summoned to an address in the Hammersmith neighborhood of west London shortly before 1 a.m. Monday and found a man in his mid-30s suffering from stab wounds.
The force said "the victim had been chased by a number of male and female suspects following an altercation in a shop."
The suspects then entered a nearby residence where a party was taking place, police said. They were arrested after officers sent to the residence could not get anyone to answer questions about the stabbing.
Superintendent Mark Lawrence said the arrest of 39 was "appropriate" because of the need to obtain "essential evidence." Two knives were found close to the scene.
Police say the victim is in critical but stable condition. The suspects have not been identified or charged.
Death toll from Philippine storm climbs
MANILA, Philippines -- Dozens of people were killed in the eastern Philippines in a weekend storm that set off landslides and flash floods as the country prepared for the new year, officials said Monday.
The national disaster management agency said the storm, which struck the region of Bicol on Saturday, had left at least 61 dead, while 18 others were missing.
Most of the casualties were due to rain-induced floods and landslides, with many residents choosing to stay home rather than spend the holiday in evacuation camps, the agency said.
The storm, locally called Usman, had maximum winds of 34 mph. Deadly storms are a regular occurrence in the Philippines, and this one had raised little alarm despite being relatively strong.
It dumped heavy rains that loosened the saturated soil on mountainsides, setting off landslides, officials said.
Search operations were concentrated in the heavily populated city of Legazpi and the town of Libon in Albay province, where landslides and flooding were reported.
About 100 soldiers, firefighters and police officers were involved in the search. Rubber boats were also deployed in flooded areas, the disaster management agency said.
-- COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS
A Section on 01/01/2019